The New Zealand Herald is bringing back some of the best stories of 2021 from our premium syndicators, including The New York Times, Financial Times, The Times of London and The New Zealand Listener.
Todaywe look at the Covid lab-leak debate, the electric revolution, Emily Ratajkowski, the polarising figure that is Meghan Markle, and Tiger Woods' mistress speaks out.
Genetic engineering
While most scientists believe Covid-19 first infected humans via animals, some now believe it is more likely that the pandemic originated with research being carried out at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a world leader in gain-of-function work on coronaviruses.
Now funding for scientific research that splices deadly viruses to make them more transmissible is under scrutiny amid safety concerns.
Shi Zhengli - whose willingness to hunt down coronavirus strains in bat caves earned her the moniker 'Batwoman' - at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan. Photo / Getty Images
To EV or not to EV? What you need to know about the electric evolution
The world's carmakers have got the message – we've got to go electric. But with record sales of fuel-burning utes, has New Zealand? We examine the progress so far, and some of the tricky issues that are concerning consumers as they weigh up when to get rid of their gas guzzlers.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, at a gala for veterans in New York. Photo / AP
Tiger Woods' mistress is ready to rip up her NDA and speak out
For more than a decade, a sweeping nondisclosure agreement with Tiger Woods, brokered by Gloria Allred, has ruled her life. Now she's ready to rip it up.
