As Afghanistan's President rants on about being invaded by Western troops and toys with the potential of defecting to the Taliban, NATO governments' worries grow about the stability of this dubious 'ally'
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World News Brief, Friday April 9
US and Russia to cut nuclear arsenals by a third (+ analysis); Thai government in media crackdown; Government toppled in Kyrgyzstan; China finally agrees to talks on Iran sanctions; and more
Read MoreTime to say “Bye Bye, Mr Karzai”
Afghanistan’s president Hamid Karzai has been threatening to join the Taliban. He should be encouraged to do it and we should leave his country quickly
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday April 8
Geithner in Beijing for currency talks amid heightened tensions; Thailand declares state of emergency; Shiite supporters abandon Maliki; Karzai bribery accusations lead to resignations; and more
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday April 7
Obama's new nuclear policy less hard-line than predecessors'; Thai red-shirt protesters rally despite ban; Baghdad rocked by eight explosions; Taliban takes responsibility for Peshawar bombing; Britain heads to General Election; and more
Read MoreStarter's gun fired in UK election
The British election race will be tighter than expected. And New Zealand may yet have a footnote in the outcome
Read MoreThe road to Pahaoa
A day spent on the road to Pahaoa is no ordinary day; you will find beauty there, and you will not regret it
Read MoreAbortion soon to hit the G8 agenda
Just when Canada's Conservative government through it was doing OK conceding to contraceptives as part of its initiative for developing world maternal health care, Hillary Clinton comes to town and says abortion must also be on the agenda.
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Tuesday April 6
US under attack in Pakistan (+ analysis); Red Shirts swarm into Bangkok; Suicide bombings rock Baghdad; New political party in Japan; and more
Read MoreCanterbury Water Woes
Removing elected officials, replacing tried and true legal tests and processes with a non statutory, unreviewable Strategy, and changing rights of appeal half way through statutory processes - these features and more are the result of the new Act that signals a new era for the management of water in Canterbury.
Read MoreClassic 'us and them' politics
Wanna guess how many dole bludgers there are in New Zealand? Let me set you straight
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday April 1
More bombings in Russia kill at least 12 (+ analysis); India and Pakistan feud over Indus River water; Obama and Sarkozy want urgent Iran sanctions; Serbia apologises for Srebrenica; and more
Read MoreTo pee or not to pee
What do Housing Minister Phil Heatley and North Shore City mayor Andrew Williams have in common – beyond a couple of bottles of wine?
Read MoreThe beautiful game of politics
Politics and sports are separate things. Yeah, right.
Read MoreNeutering an agent of our constitution
Why a robust constitutional framework requires Archives New Zealand's organisational independence
Read MoreGood riddance Shell, and all you represent
I've been running my own personal protest against Shell for more than a decade, so I'll be delighted to see the sale of its petrol stations and its blood-stained brand removed from this country
Read MoreCanterbury matters
Can we stop talking about Auckland, just briefly? Canterbury matters as much to the future of New Zealand, and tells us more about the character of the government
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Tuesday March 30
Moscow suicide bombs point to comeback of Chechnyan insurgency; Suu Kyi's party to boycott Burmese election; Obama in Afghanistan: praises troops, not Karzai; US Congress goes after Chinese exchange rate; and more
Read MoreMining Our Natural Potential: not specious, just stupid
An open letter to Gerry Brownlee, surgically exploring his cranium, and finding some fossils inside
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday March 26
Russian leak: US and Russia to cull hundreds of nuclear warheads under new treaty (+ analysis); EU on verge of Greece debt package; Chinese telco takes on Google; Dubai finds more money for Dubai World; and more
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