The Minister responsible for the America's Cup, Murray McCully, has made a plea for "no more stunts" in the America's Cup Village.

His call follows the illegal entry to the America True base by a TV film crew earlier this week.

"New Zealanders want to take advantage of the series of upcoming major events to earn an enhanced reputation as good hosts. That means giving the competing America's Cup syndicates the privacy they need to prepare for their challenges.

"The America's Cup event will leave Auckland a lasting legacy of a world class waterfront. Good public access has been a priority in the development. Obviously, the syndicates will respond to stunts of this type by increasing security and restricting access. That will defeat the whole purpose of the unique Village environment.

"The America's Cup presents too good an opportunity to allow it to be undermined by a few pranks".

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>