Economy
Fed to start tapering bond purchases this year: Bernanke
The Federal Reserve maintains its $85 billion-a-month asset purchase program, but says it could begin scaling back later this year.
Science & Health | Focus Jun 20, 2013
N.Z. emerges as guinea pig for global tech firms
When Google chose New Zealand to unveil secret plans for a balloon-driven Wi-Fi network last weekend, it cemented the country’s reputation as a trial site for global tech companies looking to test their latest innovations. Industry experts said New Zealand, tucked away deep in ...
Crime Jun 16, 2013
Boy became a father at age 11
An 11-year-old New Zealand boy was reported Saturday to have fathered a child last year with the 36-year-old mother of a school friend, raising questions on why women cannot be charged with rape. Counselors working in the area of child sexual abuse said the ...
Science & Health Jun 16, 2013
Google experiment uses balloons to beam Internet down to Earthlings
Google revealed top-secret plans Saturday to send balloons to the edge of space with the lofty aim of bringing Internet to the two-thirds of the global population currently without web access. Scientists from the technology giant Saturday released up to 30 helium-filled test balloons ...
Economy Jun 10, 2013
Japan, New Zealand foreign ministers confirm importance of reaching TPP deal
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and his New Zealand counterpart Murray McCully confirmed the importance of successfully concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, which Japan will soon join.
Offbeat Jun 8, 2013
New Zealander still driving cars at the age of 105
Bob Edwards was born before the first Model T rolled out of Henry Ford’s factory in Detroit. He learned to drive in a French car that had a lever instead of a steering wheel. And he is still on the road. The oldest licensed ...
Music Jun 7, 2013
British, U.S. music no longer dominates world
When John Lennon declared that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, it didn’t seem that far-fetched. It was 1966, and rock ‘n’ roll was the new religion sweeping the globe. Commentators railed against the threat that popular music posed to the moral fabric ...
Asia Pacific May 20, 2013
N.Z. bank may raise interest rates
Rising house prices in New Zealand will increase the pressure on the central bank to raise interest rates, Finance Minister Bill English said Sunday. “These households heading into quite high debt to buy highly priced houses need to be aware at some stage the ...
Offbeat May 3, 2013
'4Real' — New Zealand reveals banned baby names
New Zealand officials Wednesday released a list of 77 baby names proposed by parents that were rejected because they were too bizarre or offensive, including “Lucifer” and “Mafia No Fear.” The list shows one child was set to be called “Anal” before the Department ...
Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Apr 2, 2013
A tale of two knives, a Kiwi legend, a gang and a girl
by Simon Scott
The story reads like a New Zealand news editor’s wish list: Celebrity, dangerous weapons, bizarre behavior, death threats, Brazilian street gangs and a mysterious love interest.
Music Mar 14, 2013
Wonderful Noise's Kenji Sakajiri searches for 'soul' in his label's signings
by Erik Luebs
At the age of 18, Kenji Sakajiri left his hometown of Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture, and moved to Osaka. He wasn’t headed to college or looking for a day job. Instead he dived headfirst into the world of vinyl records. This was in 1992 and ...
National Feb 22, 2013
Christchurch marks quake, two years on
Mourners from New Zealand, Japan and several other countries gathered Friday at the site of a TV building in Christchurch that collapsed during a massive earthquake that hit the city two years ago, killing 115 people. The New Zealand Herald said the fenced-in site ...