Fiji Crisis Talks
Today New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters brokered talks
between Fiji Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and Military Chief
Frank Bainimarama. Susan Wood talks to Prime Minister Helen Clark,
live, about the results of those talks. Plus we have a history of
politics in Fiji and an assessment of the current crisis by
constitutional lawyer John Apted in Fiji.
Bus Fuss
They bought into a dream of suburban bliss, a lifestyle including
trimmed hedges, quiet streets and even a country club. But now
they're being called selfish snobs by some. Residents of Water Mill
Boulevard have decided they don't want a local bus route going past
their homes. That's got residents elsewhere in the newly developed
suburb of Northwood, a little hot and bothered about what some see
as an elitist attitude. So does spending hundreds of thousands of
dollars on a new home in a quiet street give you the right to say
no to the public transport? John Sellwood examines an issue that
could be coming to a suburb near you.
Neil Finn
Ten years ago this week Crowded house performed their last ever
concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The dream was over
and the band was going their separate ways. They played to a crowd
of more than one hundred thousand that day. Now the DVD of the
concert is about to be released. Lots has happened since then. Paul
Hester, the cheeky and exuberant drummer committed suicide last
year and Neil Finn has moved temporarily to the U.K, where our
Europe Correspondent Melissa Stokes caught up with him to reflect
on the past decade.
Christmas Gift?
Less than a month to go to the big day, and so much to buy for so
many. Westfield Shopping Centres obviously think we're struggling
for ideas, so today in an ad in the New Zealand Herald they offered
up "the top five ideas for the person who has everything." Coming
in at number 5, after Westfield gift vouchers, a Jeremy Clarkson
book, a leather wine cooler and some movie money, a $250 creation.
It's called a
voodoo
knife set. On various
Internet sites it's dubbed
"the all-men are-bastards
knifeblock".
Whatever you call it we have some
questions about it. Is it a tasteful adornment for the bench? Who
would you give it to? Are you supposed to think of a certain
someone everytime you draw or re-insert a knife? We got it from
a shop in Pakuranga
, where the helpful
female assistants said customers either really liked it, or
disapproved to the point where some were "deeply disturbed" by it.
So if you received this as a gift, would you consider it a Merry
Christmas or a macabre Christmas?
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