An excavator dredges sea sand in Lhokseumawe, Sumatra. Mohd Arafat/Shutterstock Over 20 years ago, then Indonesian president Megawati Soekarnoputri banned the export of sea sand from her archipelago nation. The ban was in...

The war in Gaza will leave its mark in many ways, long after the recently negotiated ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. One legacy relates to how the chaos of war provides the perfect storm for the rise in...
Your fuzzy flannel pyjamas could be incredibly flammable – here’s what to know
Kerolos Melad/Pexels Last year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued at least nine recall notices on products that didnt comply with the mandatory standard for nightwear for children. All of...
Is your child nervous about going back to school? Try asking them what they are looking forward to
Annie Spratt/Unsplash, CC BY From next week, schools will start to return for term 1. This can be a nervous time for some students, who might be anxious about new teachers, classes and routines. Returning to school after...
Does ‘made with love’ sell? Research reveals who values handmade products the most
Tsuguliev/Shutterstock Weve all seen the marketing message handmade with love. Its designed to tug at our heartstrings, suggesting extra care and affection went into crafting a product. As Valentines Day approaches, many...

NZ’s Companies Act is finally being reformed – but will the changes go far enough?
Reforms to the Companies Act are meant to make Aotearoa New Zealand an easier and safer place to do business. But key gaps in the reforms mean they could fall short of achieving these goals. Last year, the government...
Guide to the classics: Aristotle’s Poetics is a bible for screenwriters – but it’s often misread
3D rendered illustration of a sculpture of Aristotle. Yueh Chiang/Shutterstock Aristotles Poetics has arguably influenced modern culture more than any other ancient text. The Greek philosophers 4th century BCE treatise on...