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Labour Party leader David Shearer has dumped leadership pretender David Cunliffe from the front-bench to the back row of the Labour benches. Here’s TV3’s coverage: http://www.3news.co.nz/Shearer-reaffirmed-as-Labour-leader-Cunliffe-demoted/tabid/370/articleID/277431/Default.aspx Shearer front-footed brewing discontent over his leadership by calling for his MPs to openly endorse him at today’s special caucus meeting.  Shearer used the caucus endorsement as a springboard to demote party darling David Cunliffe. …

Auckland Law Professor Jane Kelsey says TPP critics will welcome Thailand’s participation, as it will make an already complex deal even more difficult to conclude and bring Thailand’s well-informed analysts, politicians and NGOs into the multi-country campaign to stop the TPP”. Kelsey said the Thai government’s announcement that it wishes to join the Trans-Pacific partnership negotiations during a visit byPresident Obama …

Reggie Brown – Obama personator – has the moves. Here’s the English lyrics – if you can be bothered. Oppa is Gangnam style Gangnam style A girl who is warm and humanly during the day A classy girl who know how to enjoy the freedom of a cup of coffee A girl whose heart gets hotter when night comes A …

President Obama  extended “the hand of friendship” as the country emerges from five decades of harsh authoritarian rule, but cautioned that the young democracy has “much further to go.” “Instead of being repressed, the right of people to assemble together must now be fully respected,” the president told a subdued crowd at a well-maintained auditorium in an otherwise crumbling building …

By Colum Rice, Craig Armitage Historic sweeping changes at the helm of China’s ruling communist party signals the beginning of a new era for the Chinese people and a once in a decade opportunity for New Zealand to consolidate its relationship with the emerging economic powerhouse. Last week, Xi Jinping was confirmed as the man to lead China after being …

Federated Farmers Grain & Seed is upbeat about the sale of Solid Energy’s agribusiness division of Biodiesel New Zealand which has resulted in the formation of a new company, Pure Oil New Zealand. “After hearing a few weeks ago it was possible Solid Energy could simply shut the doors of Biodiesel, this is the news oilseed rape growers have been …

Asia Society’s Suzanne DiMaggio says Beijing will closely monitor Barack Obama’s Asia trip to get a sense of how much the U.S. hopes to increase its influence in the region.

Barack Obama, the US president, is on his first foreign policy trip since his re-election. His southeast Asian tour will take him to Thailand, Myanmar and Cambodia. The US hopes to increase its influence in the region. But as Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane reports, it is the historic visit to Myanmar that has divided opinion.

Labour leader David Shearer is pushing a ‘New Direction’ for New Zealand – with the behind scenes help of broadcasting guru Ian Fraser. His speech at the Labour Party conference was applauded by delegates. Shearer talked of two paths that lie ahead for NZ. “One path leads to disappointment, decline and constant struggle ..That’s our country’s current path, the one …

PROGRESS ON THE FISCAL CLIFF?  Global markets are taking a breather from worrying about Southern Europe . Greece , Spain et al will be back, but in the meantime, headlines regarding the US “fiscal cliff” are grabbing all the attention. On Friday, there were some positive ones that turned market sentiment around. Republican House Speaker John Boehner said his meeting with President Obama …