Dr Anas Iqtait is a senior lecturer at the Australian National University and author of Funding and the Quest for Sovereignty in Palestine. He tells Q+A it won't make much difference to everyday Palestinians if a state is recognised by Western nations. Iqtait says it's more important for countries like New Zealand to take a "rights-based approach".

Bagrie Economics chief economist Cameron Bagrie speaks to Q+A about the economic situation New Zealand is in, and what levers could be pulled to get the country out of the malaise.

However, Bagrie says some of the levers that have been pulled in previous downturns might not be available now.

Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

With former finance minister Grant Robertson, 1News US correspondent Logan Church, Young Farmer of the Year Hugh Jackson, and Whena Owen on the Cape Palliser coast.

In a turbulent world of trade tensions, ever-changing tech, and climate change, what are the keys to keeping New Zealand's next generation on the farm?

Q+A visited Hugh Jackson, the newly crowned Young Farmer of the Year, on his family's sheep and beef farm in Te Akau, north of Raglan. He says while the rural sector has performed strongly in recent times, he's well aware that won't always be the case.

Grant Robertson retired from politics in early 2024 to take up a new job as Otago University's Vice-Chancellor. He was back in the headlines this week after declining to show up to in-person hearings for the Covid-19 inquiry's second phase. The former Finance Minister spoke to Q+A about that decision and why he doesn't regret the Labour Government's spending decisions during the pandemic.

Robertson, who is about to release his memoir Anything Could Happen, also reflects on the impact his sexuality had on his political career.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due in Washington DC next week, as US President Donald Trump wraps up his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

1News' US Correspondent Logan Church speaks to Q+A from Anchorage, Alaska. He says it's not clear if anything tangible was achieved from the Trump-Putin summit. As Trump himself said: “There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say a couple of big ones that we haven't quite got there, but we've made some headway."

With Education Minister Erica Stanford, PM's Chief Science Advisor John Roche, and Vatican astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno.

Full interview: Education Minister Erica Stanford says the re-introduction of charter schools under Associate Education Minister David Seymour has motivated her to strengthen the state school system "so we don't have people leaving and wanting to convert to charter schools".

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Stanford also says she didn't come into the job with a plan to scrap NCEA for secondary school students. But increasingly, it became clear major changes were needed, she says. Q+A asks the Minister about the impact her proposed replacement may have for students with diverse needs.

Full interview: Brother Guy Consolmagno is an astronomer, meteorite expert, and heads up the Vatican Observatory. While visiting New Zealand, the Jesuit spoke to Q+A about why science and religion aren't always in conflict. Jack Tame also asks him where he stands on the Fermi Paradox — is there intelligent life beyond Earth and, if so, why haven't we found it yet?

Full interview: After a delay, the Government named Ministry for Primary Industries' John Roche as the Prime Minister's new chief science advisor. With the Government prioritising economic growth in its efforts in science, Roche reflects on the pressures he faces in the role and whether his advice is truly independent.

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The former Dairy NZ principal scientist also speaks to Q+A about the lessons New Zealand learnt from its M. Bovis eradication programme, broader science sector reforms, and what changes to the school curriculum could mean for the future of STEM.