Obama opts for large Afghanistan troop withdrawl with a promise to "start nation-building at home" (+ analysis); Fears of Taliban takeover as US troops leave; Chinese artist Ai Weiwei released on bail; China warns US to stay out of South China Sea tensions; Relations between Syria and Turkey sour while India and Pakistan hold peace talks; and more
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Winston Peters past his sell-by date?
It only took a moment, an instinct to get the last word. But Winston Peter's closing remarks on Q+A raise questions about his conviction and comebackability
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday June 23
Opposition activists killed at pro-Assad rallies; EU extends Syria sanctions as analysts say US failing to act; UN Sec-Gen wins second term; Bahrani Shia rebels get life imprisonment; Greek PM narrowly wins no-confidence vote; Sudan threatens to cut off pipeline; and more
Read MoreThe PM's Pike River problems - time to stop digging
John Key's brought some messy baggage back from Australia, and finds himself in a hole of his own making at a very sensitive time politically. Yet every new word just seems to make it worse
Read MoreWorst. Defence. Ever.
Philip Field is trying to clear his name by arguing that while he acted corruptly, being a corrupt MP isn't against the law.
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday June 22
Greek PM faces no confidence vote putting austerity measures in doubt; Ash clouds again ground planes in Australia; Obama to announces Afghanistan drawdown Wednesday evening – big or small?; Britain vows to stay the course in Libya despite civilian deaths; Sudan rebel attacks show faultlines to remain even after secession; and more
Read MoreSyrian Slaughter in the Arab Spring
From Jordan, Jane writes: The Arab Spring turned far more murderous, leaving the West, as well as Arab neighbours, to do little but talk while Bashar the Butcher gets on with his slaughter
Read MoreYou Shan't Go To The Ball, Pimentella
How quickly the oppressed become the oppressors
Read MoreAlcohol laws in New Zealand – a chance to create an enduring legacy
Hardly a day passes without the media reminding us how alcohol is causing harm. Now the government has a golden opportunity to create a change in our binge drinking culture, so will it step up to the mark?
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday June 17
Greek PM seeks to overhaul government amidst Euro bailout debate; World markets fall sharply; Fighting intensifies in Burma forcing refugees into China; US says Libya 'war' is legal; Al-Zawahiri takes over al-Qaeda reins; Ba'asyir sentenced to 15 years in Indonesia; and more
Read MoreHere be dragons
We stand on an economic cliff, at the edge of the physical world. Scientists explain why technology won’t help
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday June 16
NATO warplanes bomb Tripoli as rebels advance, but international alliance bickering (+ analysis); Syrian refugees chant for world assistance; Pakistan arrests CIA's bin Laden informants; Strikes in Greece as Socialists abandon government; Dead woman found in PNG's PM's house; and more
Read MoreSo What, Mediawatch?
RNZ's Mediawatch, in its own words, "looks critically at the New Zealand media – television, radio, newspapers and magazines as well as the 'new' electronic media." So why doesn't it criticise the train wreck which Morning Report is rapidly becoming?
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday June 15
Syrian army take town, round up rebels, but thousands flee to Turkey; Vietnam outlines war policy over South China Sea; North and South Sudan agree demilitarisation of disputed border region; Greek debt downgraded to lowest level; and more
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Tuesday June 14
Syrian forces bombard northern town, refugees flee to Turkey; Should Obama have told Assad to resign?; Aftershocks rock Christchurch prompting evacuations; Afghan Taliban struggling as fighting season begins; Turkish PM wins third term; North And South Sudan talk peace; and more
Read MoreSelling Tane short, on conservation lands
Our native forests and the creatures that live in them are in retreat, says the PCE; commerce is a lesser evil than rats, stoats and possums. Barbeque sacred cows, says DOC. Just uphold the law, says Green MP Kevin Hague
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday June 10
NATO bombing intensifies as Libya Contact Group creates fund to back rebels (+ analysis); International Court issues arrest warrant for Qaddafi on rape charges; Thousands fearing massacre flee Syria for Turkey; Militants' midnight raid on Pakistani post; Leaked report confirms Greece bailout; and more
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday June 9
Yemen government agrees unprecedented negotiations as observers suggest transition underway; Tribesmen seize parts of Yemen's second city; Britain and France demand UN sanctions against Syria; Food crisis in east Africa demands urgent action; 97% of Afghanistan's GDP linked to foreign military and donors; China builds first aircraft carrier; and more
Read MoreThe repeated mention of K's innocence was becoming irksome to him.
Whatever Darren Hughes did or didn't do, it more probably than not wasn't criminal. Can we all move on now? ... thought not.
Read MoreWelfare crisis: The numbers tell their own story
How many beneficiaries does it take to make a crisis? And what does history tell us? When were benefit numbers at their worst? For all this and more, read on...
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