Obama tells Bashar al-Assad US will intervene if Syria uses stockpiled "unconventional" weapons; South Korea's ruling party nominates first female candidate; divers recover body of Philippine Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo after plane crash; Ethiopian leader dies in Brussels; Ecuador warns UK against entering embassy to get Assange; and more
Read MoreLook - rape is rape, OK?
Male politicians, whether of the left or the right, should stop trying to tell women what rape really is.
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Tuesday August 21
Gu Kailai gets life in prison, her husband still under investigation; Burma abolishes censorship of local media; UN mission in Syria ends amid violence; Union of South American Nations backs Ecuador's protection of Julian Assange; and more
Read MoreHey, Kim Dotcom! This game is getting serious...
Kim Dotcom’s take on his fight against extradition to the United States makes law enforcement agencies here and there look like the Keystone Cops – but it could become another internet tragedy.
Read MoreWater ownership debate turns to quicksand
If you can't stand in the same river twice, does that mean you can't own it? Might Maori have a special right to water? And could Maori law trump common law? As the Waitangi Tribunal prepares to report back this week, the water rights debate is set to gush again
Read MoreJoining some dots
The good kind of conspiracy theory
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday August 17
Pakistan says it has reclaimed control of air base after militant attack; Japan-China dispute escalates after 14 Hong Kong citizens try to plant flag on disputed islands; Gulf state countries tell citizens to leave Lebanon; Assam workers flee Bangalore as ethnic tensions rise; and more
Read MoreTED comes to Auckland
Tickets now available for TEDx Auckland, a day of discussions around technology, entertainment and design, in the internationally-famous TED format
Read MoreGently worn laundry
Comes in varying colours, none of them blue.
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday August 15
Syrian rebels claim fighter jet downing; South Koreans organise relay swim to disputed islands; North Korean leader's uncle visiting China in bid to increase economic cooperation; nine killed in South African mine dispute; Merkel heads to Canada for financial help; and more
Read MoreLeftie strategerizing
Political strategy need not be an entirely fact-challenged zone.
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Tuesday August 14
Egypt's president forces retirement of defense minister; Japanese economy slows; Julia Gillard backs report recommending asylum seekers heading to Australia be deported to detention centres in the Pacific; mayor-elect and campaign manager murdered in Mexico; Romney's running mate makes first solo campaign appearance; and more
Read MoreShould the government dissolve the people, and appoint another one?
It's the day after the Electoral Commission's preliminary report on reforming MMP. Let's see what the nation's true power brokers and political junkies think of it.
Read MoreThe devil and the deep blue sea
What the Ministerial amendments proposed to the EEZ Bill tell us about RMA reform plans - or, how a few lines on a page could change New Zealand's natural world
Read MoreI like the way Snrub thinks!
The Electoral Commission's proposed changes to MMP are on the table. Whether or not you like them, you still should tell the Commission what you think.
Read MoreMMP changes -- shake off the coat-tail and lower your threshold
What oh what will the Electoral Commission recommend in its review of MMP? And will MPs be willing to play ball?
Read MoreLisa Carrington - a star is born
The Olympic gold medal winner has the country at her feet, and could do for some time
Read MoreReality Test for Bamyan’s perfect PRT model
The New Zealand-led Provincial Reconstruction Team in Bamyan has been presented as a model for building security and stability in Afghanistan – but the cracks are showing as insurgents step up the pressure.
Read MoreAll you need is love, love, love – but marriage matters too
Let's see if we can debate the place of marriage in our society without divorcing ourselves from reality and the importance of preserving age-old customs
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday August 10
Gu Kailai does not contest charges, found guilty of murdering British businessman in China; US begins cleanup of Agent Orange-contaminated site in Vietnam 37 years after war ended; Libya hands power to newly-elected assembly; France heads back into recession; and more
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