<em>We hope all of you in London are safe and well after the dreadful terrorist bombings. A memorial service was held this morning in the city for a young New Zealand woman, Shelley Marie Mather, 26, who <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3351546a10,00.html">died in the attacks</a>.
</em> <p>Controversy continues to rage about whether the Government should step in to forbid the Black Caps going to <strong>Zimbabwe for a cricket tour</strong> later this year. The Green Party, human rights groups and most Kiwis (according to a recent poll) think the tour should be stopped to protest that country's worsening human rights abuses. </p> <p>The Government remains opposed to passing laws governing the travel of private citizens, which would admittedly be a rather ironic way to protest an authoritarian regime.</p> <p>Email networks and local blogs are abuzz with gossip and name dropping over reports that a number of <strong>high profile Aucklanders</strong> have been hauled in as part of a big drugs bust. The accused have name suppression, but the rumours point strongly towards two, well-known, former international sportsmen TV celebrities.... whom I'm just itching to name for you but had better not. </p> <p>The National Party still seems to have <strong>a slight lead</strong> over Labour. Despite a concerted campaigning effort by Labour over the Parliamentary winter holidays, <a href="http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=12427&cid=8&cname=News">the polls show</a> the Nats two points ahead. At this stage, either party would need NZ First to form a government, but Labour would need the Greens as well. </p> <p>Still no official word on the election date, but the 17th September is the favourite of most pundits.</p> <p>Perhaps a little belatedly, the Government announced <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3349497a10,00.html">a crack-down</a> on tertiary courses of dubious merit. A few high profile examples, such as <strong>sing-along in Maori classes</strong> and surfing courses, have caused much public outrage and Labour grief over the last year.</p> <p>From Whangarei? Your nearby Mt Parahaki has been renamed Mt Parihaka, after local iwi pointed out a historical error in the spelling. Not all the locals are <a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10336656">that thrilled</a>.</p> <p>An amateur-built <strong>Kiwi satellite</strong> is closer to launch after Massey researchers made a <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3350525a11,00.html">breakthrough</a> in the development of its solar energy cells. The basketball-sized satellite will be piggy-backed into space on a much larger Russian satellite sometime soonish, hopefully.</p> <p><strong>New Zealand Idol 2</strong> has exploded onto screens (not mine) around the country and a 26 year old Masterton man is the <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3351742a1860,00.html">bookies' early favourite</a>. Meanwhile, the latest Tui billboard reads, "NZ Idol: Ticket to Stardom. Yeah right."</p> <p>The NZ-directed and filmed <strong>Chronicles of Narnia</strong>: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, is in post-production in London and nearing launch. </p> And Peter Jackson's <strong>King Kong</strong> trailer was <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/king_kong/">released</a>. Some of the scenes are recognisably south coast Wellington, and what looks like 1920s New York is actually Petone a few months ago.
|
|
Contact Users: 547 Active, 0 Logged in - Time: 06:29
