This is the Guardian.

Today, what was behind the extraordinary appeal of Jacinda Ardern,

and why her style was starting to burn a little less bright back home?

I'm entering now my six-year in office.

And for each of these years I have given my absolute all.

I believe that leading a country is a complete shock last week when Jacinda Ardern was holding a regularly scheduled press conference.

It was the first post-corkis meeting of the year, and the expectation was that maybe at best shared announce an election day would be the menus of that day.

And so today I'm announcing that I will not be seeking real election.

And then my turn as Prime Minister will conclude no later than the 7th of February.

This has been the most fulfilling five and a half years of my life.

I think I was a huge shock to almost everyone watching.

The reason she are ticulators was that effectively she'd run out of gas that she knew what the demands of the job were after six incredibly challenging years.

I know what this job takes, and I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It's that simple.

It's not often that the resignation of the Prime Minister of New Zealand leads to global tributes.

But Jacinda Ardern was a rare phenomenon. At a political moment dominated by crude populists, almost all of the men.

Ardern often hoped that it didn't have to be that way. That seemingly decent people could rise to the top.

I hope in return I lead behind a belief that you can be kind but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused.

That you can be your own kind of leader, one that knows when it's time to go.

So what does her decision to hand over power today, citing burnout in the job, tell us about that hope for a more decent politics?

And why in an election year will polls showing that Ardern was on track to lose? From the Guardian on Michael Saffey, today in focus.

What was behind Jacinda Mania? And why did it end so suddenly?

Tess McClure, you covered New Zealand for the Guardian and there may be some of our listeners who are surprised that we're focusing on the scandal-free resignation.

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