World

Auckland Law Professor Jane Kelsey says TPP critics will welcome Thailand’s participation, as it will make an already complex deal even more difficult to conclude and bring Thailand’s well-informed analysts, politicians and NGOs into the multi-country campaign to stop the TPP”. Kelsey said the Thai government’s announcement that it wishes to join the Trans-Pacific partnership negotiations during a visit byPresident Obama …

Israeli military says its “Iron Dome” defense system intercepted 13 rockets fired from Gaza on Wednesday in what appears to be retaliation for Israeli airstrikes that reportedly killed 10, including the commander of the Hamas military wing. The Israeli military said the some 20 airstrikes were part of a major offensive dubbed “Operation Pillar of Defense,” Reuters reports. “All options …

Israel has chosen to attack Gaza in order to avoid reaching a longer-term peace settlement than was being negotiated with the help of Hamas’ military leader Ahmen Jabari, who was assassinated in an Israeli attack Wednesday, says Israeli activist. Israeli peace activist Gershon Baskin spoke to RT confirming that Ahmen Jabari was involved in peace settlement negotiations with Israel and …

US Senator Roy Blunt  weighs in on Fox News.

Despite having only the 60th largest economy in the world and existing in the relative secludes of the South Pacific, it seems New Zealand has once again found a way to outshine the world – at least according to Forbes. For 2012, New Zealand has done one better on Forbes’ annual list of Best Countries for Business, winning away the …

New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Spain is career diplomat Michael Swain. “As a key member of the European Union, Spain is an important partner for New Zealand and there is scope to develop our trade and economic relationships,” Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says.  “We also share political and security interests with Spain, notably through our involvement in Afghanistan. Michael’s wide …

GREECE & FISCAL TENSIONS IN THE SPOTLIGHT. Yesterday we got news during the NZ trading day that the Greek parliament approved a package of austerity measures, seeing the 2013 budget pass by 167 votes to 128. However, as we warned on Friday, this is unlikely to trigger the next payment of the Troika’s bailout, as European Finance ministers have indicated that …

GLOBAL MARKETS: Our London colleagues report that it was all about Hurricane Sandy overnight  with the closure of many markets, including the bond market. With trading on US Treasuries closed and further bad headlines and data out of Europe , German bunds were very well supported, as were Australasian bonds. There is still no official opening time for the CME …

Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce has welcomed the establishment of the New Zealand India Research Institute, heralding the start of a closer research relationship between New Zealand and India.  The New Zealand India Research Institute will be administratively based at Victoria University in Wellington and will involve nearly 40 academics in five New Zealand universities – Victoria, …

Major American and European retail chains, once rising contenders for China’s highest consumer crowns, may be losing confidence on the mainland. American home improvement retailer Home Depot recently pulled out of China, while its British counterpart B&Q and the world’s largest retailer Wal-Mart have tapped the brakes on expansion projects. Caixin story here.