1South Island Tourism taking a big hit due to lack of snow, the continuing aftershocks, the ash cloud and the high New Zealand dollar. New Zealand Ski says there will be real strife it they are not open next week.

2A major UK report - Letting Children be Children - Report of an Independent Review of the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood - is calling for more protection for children from what it calls the sexualised wallpaper that surrounds them. The report was commissioned by the UK government to undertake the review looking at the pressures on children to grow up too quickly

3News from Australia including; The Carbon Tax and Tony Abbotts's saying he would repeal the tax; the possibility of a Kevin Rudd comeback as Julia Gillard is polling badly.

4Legal Commentary including; Simon Power's announcement on loan sharks and text loans; the financial summit in South Auckland on 11/08/2011; the anti-domestic violence programme for teenagers.

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