It's looking increasingly as if 2014 will be a false deadline in Afghanistan, with more SAS hand-holding needed for years to come. With the government expected to come under renewed pressure to make a greater commitment, what choice is the PM likely to make?
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday August 19
Libyan rebels take control of oil refinery outside city of Zawiyah--they are now just 30 miles from Tripoli; Joe Biden begins visit to China to strengthen economic relations; Japan records trade surplus for second month in a row; UK pledges another $48 million to Somali famine relief; protesters in Madrid take to streets to demonstrate against Pope's US$72 million taxpayer-funded visit; and more
Read MoreIgnorantia legis neminem excusat
For the Police to act inconsistently with their own governing legislation once is bad. For them to do it twice is even badder
Read MoreEyes off the ball while their eyes will be on the ball
National are starting to act like they've got the election in the bag - and if they weren't confident enough already, the Rugby World Cup is just another thing in their favour
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday August 17
Germany and France economies slow – is the Eurozone crisis infecting core countries? Merkel and Sarkozy meet to avoid downgrade (+ analysis); Libyan rebels close in on Tripoli; 35 dead and thousands arrested in Syrian port city; Chinese still prefer US treasuries; Australians protest carbon tax; and more
Read MoreSeriously, no-one is an island. No-one.
If John Key wants to talk about obligations and responsibilities, he should listen more to Warren Buffett and less to David Cameron. Building community is about everyone sharing those old rights and responsibilities
Read MoreA dawn chorus, for Forest & Bird
In which I introduce myself to Forest & Bird ... but since it all started here on Pundit, here's the scoop ...
Read MoreTrading Freedoms - Voluntary Unionism or the Right to Silence?
Simon Power needs Act's support to pass the Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill. Will he tell Act to stuff Heather Roy's Voluntary Student Union Bill where the sun doesn't shine, unless they hold their noses, and support grossly illiberal legislation which does away with the right to silence?
Read MoreRadio With Pictures – give it a crack!
The latest move to breathe new life into public broadcasting services is a proposal to turn Radio New Zealand into a multi-media operation. Here’s why it’s worth a crack.
Read MoreAchieving a Sustainable City
Healthy, energy-efficient buildings are a key component in creating a healthy community and sustainable city. They are very easy to achieve through the use of the readily available, well proven and inexpensive Passive House standard
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday August 12
France plans austerity measures to stave off ratings downgrade; Global markets volatile on back of Euro concerns; Backgrounder on Eurozone; Bali bomber extradited from Pakistan; Syrian forces storm border town; Cameron defends police cuts, says riots "not about poverty"; Apple becomes world's largest company; and more
Read MoreAnother coal hole, another snail fail
Are national parks the things we have when we can’t find anything else to do with them? The Denniston mining proposal is like the Schedule 4 mining proposal, with bonus snails
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday August 11
Global markets go down, up, then down again in quest for answers (+ analysis); US Fed looks to offer assurances and break panic; Cameron says police in "fightback" after more English violence; Koreas exchange fire; Syria rejects Turkey's peace overture; and more
Read MoreDavid Parker in Epsom – stepping up or giving up?
David Parker has been touted as a future Labour leader, so what does his decision to stand in Epsom tell us about his ambitions?
Read MoreThe battle for London is on...
The British government, caught off guard and on holdiay, has announced it will meet violent mobs head on with plastic bullets, water cannons and other policing methods required to bring the next Olympic city under control...but for how long?
Read MoreGovt moo-turn, adidas and a fair share
Oscar Wilde warned against knowing the price of everything, but the value of nothing. This week we've seen the government realise the value of milk and opt to find out the price, while adidas know the price of a rugby jersey, but not the value...
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday August 10
Dow Jones takes steepest dive since Dec 2008; gold now a record US$1770 an ounce; experts fear policymakers do not have the financial or political clout to combat a second global recession; Chinese inflation at 6.5 per cent; US wants talks with North Korea to decide how to search for US soldiers killed there during the Korean War; 16,000 police will be on London streets to combat riots, says Cameron; US pledges $105 million for famine relief in Horn of Africa; and more
Read MoreAfter Farrar: Laffer laughter
And when poodles armed with noodles in a fiscal muddle scuffle, they call this a fiscal-feudal muddled poodle Laffer laughter ever after addled prattle battle
Read MoreWorld news Brief, Tuesday August 9
G7 leaders pledge to support financial markets in wake of US debt downgrade; the European Central Bank buys up Spanish and Italian debt; US dollar continues to weaken against other major currencies; China calls for "international supervision" of US dollar and says the country must live within its means; Syrian forces attack Eastern city of Deir al-Zour; efforts to recover US Army helicopter shot down in Afghanistan, killing 38, hampered; and more
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday August 5
UN talks tough on Syria, but falls short of concrete action; Syrian tanks keep up bombing of Hama (+ analysis); Bank of Japan intervenes to drive down Yen; China calls Japanese criticism of its naval growth "irresponsible"; Somali famine spreads to new areas; and more
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