Red Cross Annual Appeal Launched

New Zealand Red Cross is calling on all New Zealanders for their support during its Annual Appeal week, which begins on Monday (23 February). "The Red Cross works to protect human life and alleviate suffering," says New Zealand Red Cross Director General, Flora Gilkison.

"As well as sending staff and funds to trouble spots around the world, New Zealand Red Cross also runs programmes in most communities throughout New Zealand." "The Annual Appeal is an opportunity to contribute to the work of the Red Cross. We hope the public will, once again, really dig deep to support us." The Annual Appeal runs from 23 to 29 February, with door-to-door collectors and a phone appeal running in many areas. In addition, New Zealanders can:

* send a donation in the pre-paid donation envelope that will arrive in the mail

* phone 0900 33 100 to make an automatic $20 donation * donate online at http://www.redcross.org.nz/ Mrs Gilkison says money raised from the appeal will go towards a range of activities, from international disaster response and development programmes around the world to a variety of local and regional programmes.

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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>>