RNZ: The Week In Review

A review of the week's news including... Laila Harre says she is returning to politics to lead the Internet Party because young people, in particular, have been ignored by politicians, Kim Dotcom's US lawyer says a bid by Hollywood's movie studios to have the Internet businessman's assets frozen here is a bid to ensure Mr Dotcom can't win in court in the United States, Fiordland's controversial 240 million dollar monorail is scrapped by the Conservation Minister, documents show WorkSafe New Zealand was still grappling to get on top of asbestos dangers in the Christchurch rebuild nearly two years after the February 2011 earthquake, a train smashes into a concrete barrier at a Lower Hutt station, the New Zealand First leader accuses a South Auckland Maori trust of mis-spending of hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers money, the associate Immigration Minister stands by her decision not to intervene to allow a Fijian man with kidney failure who has since died in Fiji to stay in New Zealand for treatment, a British writer and academic's use of creative writing to help rehabilitate young offenders and sheep on a farm in Queenstown are being covered in a repellent spray to stop them being eaten alive by Kea.

A review of the week's news including... former New Zealand batsman Lou Vincent charged with fixing the outcome of a county cricket match by the England and Wales Cricket Board, the police watchdog says officers undermined public trust by giving wrong information about girls who complained of being sexually assaulted by a group of young men in Auckland, the lawyer for some of the families killed in the CTV building collapse says his clients are disappointed no one has been held accountable, the ongoing trial of John Banks, the Prime Minister confirms information gathered by the Government's electronic spy agency could have been used in identifying targets for US drone attacks, a Milford Track guide says too many tourists walk the track unaware of the dangers of high rivers following a drowning this week and Shane Jones - the labour list MP - makes his final speech to Parliament.

A review of the week's news including... reaction to this week's budget, TVNZ told it should ban political reporters, editors and producers from belonging to political parties, Auckland Hospital aims to go ahead with testing a new drug on unconscious patients in intensive care, an American whistleblower reveals more about New Zealand's involvement in the sharing of information between international spy agencies, it'll be harder for some students to be accepted to study at the country's largest University, Solid Energy planning to develop new coal mines in an attempt to haul itself out of its financial misery, more than two point five million dollars of cash has been sniffed out by detector dogs at the border and the World's Veteran Table Tennis Championships have been on in Auckland, we hear from the event's oldest competitor.

A review of the week's news including... A ban on synthetic cannabis and party pills, opposition MPs sailing close to the wind in their questioning of the Immigration Minister over his meeting with the businessman at the centre of Maurice Williamson's resignation, a former Justice Minister who says he didn't do anything wrong in the collapse of Lombard Finance, the head of the GCSB refusing to discuss information about New Zealand's spying activities which could be leaked by an American whistleblower, a block by China of hundreds of tonnes of infant formula after a sudden change in rules, half of all New Zealanders saying they are now more concerned about their privacy and how to control an increasing population of wasps infiltrating our parks, gardens and bush walks.

A review of the week's news including... The resignation as a minister of Pakuranga MP Maurice Williamson after intervening in a police investigation, the withdraw legal highs from sale until they can be proven they are safe, nine out of ten infant formulas expected to fail to make the list of approved exporters to China, two people are in police custody and being questioned about the killing of New Zealand tourist Nicholas Heyward in Mendoza - Argentina, the Labour Party's announcement of its plan to lower interest rates and tackle New Zealand's high dollar, the World Health Organisation's announcement that antibiotic resistance is no longer a prediction for the future and Lydia Ko pockets her biggest ever victory prize.

A review of the week's news including... Labour MP Shane Jones quitting as an MP, homeowners having to dig deeper to keep up with rising interest rates, the Justice Minister insists the ground hasn't shifted over what she recalls about her controversial dinner with Oravida executives, and what she told the ambassador to China, dozens of small infant formula companies could be barred from exporting to China under strict new rules, a follow-up to the martial arts hit 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' to be filmed at an Auckland studio this year, the Warriors rugby league club adds it's name to the list of NRL teams that won't be making a move to sign the playmaker Benji Marshall and an ambitious project to be launched on Anzac Day will try to photograph all surviving World War Two veterans.

A review of the week's news including... The Prime Minister blames a New Zealand man killed during a counter-terrorism drone attack in Yemen last year for his own death, the Justice Minister continues to be under pressure over her involvement with the New Zealand milk export company Oravida, Mana Party members vote to continue talks on forming an alliance with Kim Dotcom's internet party while the internet entrepreneur celebrates an eleven point eight million dollar victory in the High Court, Treasury tells the country's biggest ever fraud trial it knew South Canterbury Finance was about to fail but extended a Crown guarantee to it anyway, the Economic Development Minister writes off Labour's new manufacturing policy, new social housing reforms come into effect, hundreds of poppy volunteers take to the streets and Wanaka is abuzz with a big Warbirds International Airshow over the Easter weekend.

A review of the week's news including... A lawyer and friend of former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns is released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice in London, the Blues halfback and former All Black Piri Weepu suffers a stroke, one of two big private companies looking at investing in the controversial Ruataniwha Dam has pulled out, the Mana leader Hone Harawira says the declaration from Kim Dotcom that the Internet Party would not back the National Party is welcome, but formal talks are weeks away, Hamilton City Council has voted to put fluoride back in the water, the west coast north of Auckland is now officially a drought, All Black fullback Israel Dagg has spoken out about taking sleeping pills before a drunken night out at the last World Cup and Dunedin has applied to be called an International City of Literature.

A review of the week's news including... calls for the Education Minister to step down over her handling of alleged mis-spending by the commercial arm of Te Kohanga Reo Trust, the Rugby Union admits two All Blacks took a cocktail of sleeping pills and alcohol shortly before a quarter final game at the last World Cup, the Opposition asks more questions about who paid for Judith Collins' controversial dinner in Beijing, a group representing thousands of people with incurable eye disorders tells the Health Select Committee of an urgent need for comprehensive rehabilitation services, the Associate Health Minister is back from a major UN conference on drug policy and a major discovery which may be the equivalent of a window into how the universe began and evolved.

A review of the week's news including... the announcement of the General Election date, Police vow to bring to justice the other killers of Mellory Manning, the Reserve Bank raises its official cash rate, the Government sugars the deal on it's fourth and final asset sale, Judith Collins says she'll be much more careful about potential conflicts of interest after a trip to China last year, the engineer whose company designed the CTV building in Christchurch resigns from the Institution of Professional Engineers, the South Canterbury Finance trial has is delayed and a former All Blacks coach says too much pressure is being put on coaches in the professional era.

A review of the week's news including... fall out from flooding this week in Christchurch, preliminary results from air samples taken from 11 Chinese-made Kiwirail locomotives with asbestos in them are negative, a seven-year-old Japanese girl is critically hurt after being mauled by dogs in Murupara, a clandestine drugs laboratory is discovered in an upmarket Wellington apartment block, a Ngapuhi elder asks a northern hapu to come together and support a push to settle Treaty claims, the ACT party is urged to be more radical at it's recent get together in South Auckland, principals are angry at a suggestion by the Ministry of Education their schools need special help, Raetihi is now back to getting its drinking water from the Makotuku River five months after being contaminated by a diesel spill and a playdate with ten strangers in Wellington looks set to be Prince George's first royal engagement.

A review of the week's news including... revelations the lawyer for the former Pike River boss wrote to Government officials offering a 3.4 million dollar payment in return for charges being dropped, veteran political strategist Matt McCarten changes his mind about Labour leader David Cunliffe, leaked documents show the Government's spy agency has been schooled in how to deny, disrupt, degrade and defeat online activism, revelations a man who died in custody had been assessed by a doctor who only looked through a window at him, more details come to light about an Afghan interpreter who says he escaped being executed by the Taleban, British rock musician, turned physicist, Brian Cox talks about communicating science, a New Zealand Navy ship is forced to make a U-turn after battling 14 metre waves on its way to the Sub-Antarctic Islands and the New Zealand Movie 'Three Mile Limit ' has won the best international film award at the Washington DC film festival ahead of it's public release in early March.

A review of the week's news including... the Commerce Commission launches an investigation into the Countdown supermarket chain, Television New Zealand says it was a mistake to take back a senior journalist, an Australian women's magazine is thought to have done an exclusive deal with the Sydney based flat mate of a New Zealand woman facing drug charges in Bali, New Zealand Cricket history is made at the Basin Reserve, a knock back for Kim Dotcom from the Court of Appeal, All Blacks' Coca Cola called "totally inappropriate" and "an embarrassment" by campaigners against sugary drinks and hundred's of thousands attend three big events in Auckland including the rugby league Nines.

A review of the week's news including... claims by Labour Party MP Shane Jones in Parliament that an Australian owned supermarket chain is blackmailing New Zealand businesses, have immigration authorities curbed freedom of speech by banning a US rap group from playing in New Zealand?, the Government may be acting illegally by cancelling the passports of New Zealanders wanting to fight with rebels in the Syrian civil war, the police will review the management of alcohol at the Wellington Westpac Stadium after a drunken weekend at the Rugby Sevens, the New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, is accusing the Prime Minister of using the Government's spies to keep tabs on him, and The Tardis is landing in Wellington with the Fifth Doctor Who on board.

A review of the week's news including... A noisy entrance on to Waitangi's Te Tii Marae for the Governor General, the Government is accused of creating further divisions within New Zealand's largest iwi, Ngapuhi, by offering a cash incentive to speed up a treaty settlement, the Government dismisses Green Party claims that New Zealand's oil industry under the National led government has been a flop, the Prime Minister expected to discuss ongoing leaks from the fugitive American whistle-blower Edward Snowden during discussions with his Australian counterpart in Sydney, a financial analyst says Genesis Energy shares will have to be cheap to attract investors, is the cost of prison healthcare ballooning out of control, a bumper grape growing season in Marlborough causes problems and the author of the Harry Potter books says she now regrets how she ended the series.