News, sport and weather.
Environment Ministry Head Hugh Logan has resigned after a 26 year career, only hours ahead of a damning report into the Ministry. Francesca Mold (Deputy Political Editor); Trevor Mallard (Environment Minister); Gerry Brownlee (National Party, State Services Spokesman); Mark Prebble (State Services Commissioner).
The Public Service Watchdog has revealed its report into whether Climate Change Minister David Parker used his position to assure the employment of Labour Party member Clare Curran to the Ministry of the Environment. The report found that Parker did not politically interfere in the hiring of Curran. Guyon Espiner (Political Editor); Gerry Brownlee (National Party, State Services); David Parker (Climate Change Minister); Mark Prebble (State Services Commissioner); Clare Curran (Public Relations Consultant).
An investigation into the impact of the so-called Anti-Smacking Bill three months after it came into law has found no increase in reported complaints to police and none of the flood of arrests of parents for lightly slapping their child on the hand that bill opponents claimed were inevitable. Mark Crysell (One News); Rob Pope (Deputy Police Commissioner); Bob McCroskie (Family First).
A group of scouts have been denied entry into New Zealand for a jamboree due to their relation to members of the Fiji Military Coup. Winston Peters (Foreign Affairs Minister).
A lone yachtee is joining in the protests against Japanese whaling fleets in the Southern Ocean. David Taylor (Solo Yachtsman); Stephen Smith (Australian Foreign Minister); Tomohiko Taniguchi (Japanese Foreign Ministry).
Jacob Zuma has settled into his new role as leader of South Africa's ANC, but his selection is creating economic uncertainty.
South Korea's new President is promising to rejuvenate the country's economy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Alexander Nekrassov (Former Kremlin Official.