Qaddafi's foreign minister flees to Britain (+ analysis); CIA and MI6 'on the ground' in Libya assisting and assessing rebels; Assad panel to re-think Syrian emergency laws; Radiation levels in Japanese seawater grow; Negotiations on Capitol Hill hope to avert US governemtn shutdown; and more
Read MoreMoussa Koussa - Qaddafi's big defector
If Libya's Foreign Minister's defection is the start of the palace coup, will it mean the allies supporting the rebels can avoid having to arm them? Afterall who are these guys who go to war in the family car?
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday March 31
US and Euro leaders debate whether to arm Libyan rebels; Rebels retreat from oil towns as Qaddafi advances again; Syrian President fails to lift emergency laws; Fukushima plant owners fail to control reactors; Cricket unites but India wins; and more
Read MoreCrystal Valley, and the conservation state
In 2004, the Nature Heritage Fund funded DOC’s Crystal Valley purchase, because of its outstanding conservation values. Last week DOC agreed to give part of the Valley, freehold, to Porter Heights Ski Field, to build an alpine lodge. What’s changed?
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday March 30
Global leaders meet to affirm unity of purpose in Libya; US officials warn rebels lack organisation to hold gains; Radioactive water puts Japan on "maximum alert"; Over 120 dead in Yemen explosion; How sound are Chinese loans?; and more
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Tuesday March 29
NATO warplanes bomb Qaddafi's hometown as rebel attack (+ analysis); Obama to address nation and Turkey offers to mediate; Yemeni president retracts resignation offer; Democrats and Republicans set to clash again on Budget cuts; Fukushima workers face new threat; and more
Read MoreWhy Phil Goff is safe... and from whom
The Labour leader has shown his sincerity over the Hughes case, but was he wise? How safe is his leadership? And where oh where was the plan?
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday March 25
Qaddafi forces press forward as coalition airstrikes turn to ground forces (+ multimedia); Questions arise about lack of support for other uprisings in region; Japan food banned amidst fears of tainted food; At least ten dead in Syrian mosque attack; Portugal PM resigns complicating EU summit; and more
Read MoreSentence first - verdict afterwards!
Defending Darren Hughes may well be a fruitless task. But here's an attempt to do so ...
Read MoreThe perils of being Darren Hughes
The case of the latest MP in trouble shows once again how perilous it is to risk becoming an MP -- and how party selection processes militate for MPs who are 'safe', to the detriment of democracy
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday March 24
Obama says again he wants US to relinquish "leading role" in Libya; Qaddafi remains defiant; Tokyo water is unsafe for infants, but there is no immediate threat to adults, officials say; Australians protest proposed carbon tax; Six killed in Syrian mosque raid; Portuguese lawmakers to vote on austerity measures; and more
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday March 23
Coalition bombing close to eliminating Libyan air defences; US tries to hand over leadership as F-15 crashes and allies divide (+ analysis and multimedia); Karzai announces Bamiyan hand-over from July; Japanese radiation spreads to marine life; Europe agrees on vast rainy-day fund; and more
Read MoreWhat is success in Libya?
As the allies drop bombs on pro-Qaddafi troops in Libya, little – or perhaps no thought has been given to an exit plan nor what happens if the Libyan despot survives?
Read MoreQuakes & Hades: What John Key and Ken Ring share
The Budget - zero or otherwise- has suddenly become even more important than ever, as the government tries to borrow without incurring debt and cut spending without taking money from the economy
Read MoreCuriouser and curiouser: Government u-turns on austerity measures and tax cuts
The government’s austerity measures are exactly what they ruled out in 2009. And so is their defence of cutting taxes in a fiscal hole. This tells us more about backroom dealings in the Beehive than about a good plan to get New Zealand back on track.
Read MoreOf chickens, and eggs
NAWAC’s proposed new minimum standard, for ‘enriched’ cages for battery hens, still denies the hens the daily things that bring most joy to their clucking hearts: freedom, and humanity
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Tuesday March 22
Allied air strikes protect anti-regime rebels, but Qaddafi forces repel advances (+ analysis & multimedia); Electricity back on at Fukushima plant, but cooling systems not working; Military leaders switch sides in Yemen; Obama holds up Brazil as model for protesting states; and more
Read MoreNuclear policy meltdown
Assuming nuclear-generated power for New Zealand is a non-issue, what should be our stance on it globally?
Read MoreDon't let our youth go to waste ...
I'm nearly 40. I'm working on my grumpy old man persona. Bloody young people and their goshdarnit ways ...
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday March 18
Helicopters and water cannon turned on Japanese nuclear plant, putting workers at risk (+ analysis); Millions without power as 9000 still missing and death toll tops 5000; US backs Libya no-fly zone, warning bombings would be necessary; Violence spreads in Cote d'Ivoire; and more
Read More