Thousands of garment workers unhappy over their wages rampaged through central Dhaka on Friday, clashing with police who used tear gas and batons to clear the streets.The protesters smashed vehicles and blocked traffic in Dhaka's...

The New Zealand sharemarket edged up in quiet trading today as markets elsewhere fell.Telecom closed unchanged at 199 on confirmation of speculation it is selling the consumer part of its AAPT business in Australia and its stake...

The New Zealand dollar continued to struggle after falling sharply yesterday on cautious comments from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ).It was at US72.18c at 5pm from US72.38c at 5pm yesterday.The NZ dollar dived yesterday...

Telecom has finally rid itself of its struggling Australian retail business, confirming it sold the consumer division of its AAPT unit for A$60 million ($74.8m) to iiNet Ltd.The phone company also sold its 18.2 per cent stake...

New Zealand's residential property sector remained subdued last month with permits for new construction edging up from a slump in May, while commercial property extended its decline.Consents for new homes, excluding apartment...

The Serious Fraud Office has charged a Kapiti Coast accountant alleging fraud amounting to more than $2 million.Ian Victor Petersen, 61, from Waikanae, is accused of misuse of clients' fund while acting as an accountant, tax agent...

A Chinese businessman alleged to be behind ambitious plans to invest up to $1.5 billion in New Zealand's dairy industry has only recently severed his business links with former National Prime Minister Jenny Shipley.According to...

The New Zealand sharemarket edged up in quiet early trading.Around 10.15am the benchmark NZX-50 index was up 2.45 points to 3035.47, following a 10.8-point gain yesterday.Among the few early movements of note, Delegat's Group...

Shareholder activist Bruce Sheppard has stepped down as chairman of the Shareholders Association, reflecting on more than nine years with the organisation.Sheppard, who spoke to a packed audience of several hundred members, told...

Prime Minister John Key should be careful what he wishes for.His call for a review of foreign ownership rules around land highlight two fundamental weaknesses in our economy: our lack of savings and our weak capital markets.Any...

The Reserve Bank's interest rate rises are damaging the country's house building sector, according to Jennian Homes.Richard Carver, director of the national building business, said consumers were holding back from building and...

The New Zealand dollar fell to its lowest level against the Australian currency in two months, following yesterday's cautious comments from the Reserve Bank.From A80.71c at 5pm yesterday, the kiwi fell as low as A80.15c early...

Research house Morningstar gets an extra star for its performance-enhanced KiwiSaver survey.The survey, published by The New Zealand Herald thi

The Radio Network has made its peace with former ZM/FM shock jock Iain Stables.After being dropped from his popular show 2 years ago following a meltdown, Stables looks set to host a show on TRN's revamped Radio Hauraki.He...

Troubled businessman Terry Serepisos is out, Prime Minister John Key is up $5 million, and Sir Peter Jackson's movie empire is making him one of the richest businessmen in the country.The National Business Review annual rich...

Protests in India organised by Hindu nationalist political party Shiv Sena against imports of New Zealand dairy products have turned ugly with party workers draining thousands of litres of milk at Pune, 100km south of Mumbai.The...

Credit growth slipped into negative territory last month, led by a continuing contraction in bank lending to the business sector.Businesses owed their banks $72.8 billion, down $400 million or 0.5 per cent on May and down $6 billion...

Shares in Telecom have been put into a halt amid expectations of an announcement on the sale of its Australian unit AAPT. The shares rose 0.5 per cent to a two-month high $2.00 in trading this morning as rumours of a sale gathered...

The quest for a broad consensus on water policy is nearing a conclusion and Alastair Bisley, who leads the process, reckons it is going well.The Land and Water Forum is a collaborative process whose task is to recommend reform...

Shareholders could be voting for new directors on the internet by next year under a promised change to the Companies Act.Commerce Minister Simon Power yesterday told members of the Shareholders Association he planned to include...