This is edition 2025/97 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Welcome back. It's 2025 and 20 years since I started writing about politics and anything else that took my fancy. Thank to my VIP members for making this site what it is today. In July we will be having a 20th birthday celebration. Stay tuned for more announcements.
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. The kindness façade: Ardern’s global glow hides domestic scars
Chris Lynch
- 📺 Jacinda Ardern promoted her memoir on NZ television, expressing nervousness about local interviews.
- 🌍 Abroad, Ardern receives applause, but at home, she faces criticism for division and overreach.
- 📘 Her memoir aims to reshape her image, aided by a global media that rarely challenges her narrative.
- 💉 The vaccine rollout under her government sparked controversy and coercion fears.
- 🚨 Ardern's leadership saw restrictions on movement and speech, defended as kindness but criticized as control.
- 📜 The New Zealand Bill of Rights was breached under her leadership, sparking legal challenges.
- 🗣️ Critics argue her actions led to polarization and ideological bias, not just gender-based scrutiny.
- 🔍 Despite international praise, Ardern acknowledges unresolved resentment at home.
