World

Business representatives from four economies have met in Auckland to press for more urgency in concluding the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations currently underway. “In September business representatives from across the TPP member economies urged governments to conclude an ambitious, comprehensive and high standard outcome in 2013,” said Cal Cohen, President of the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT) speaking …

Trade analysts and stakeholders in Auckland for the TPP talks have told newzealandinc.com not to expect any progress on “sensitive” issues – including agricultural access – during this the 15th round of negotiations. It’s all “too hard”; “too early” – which doesn’t really cut it if this deal is to be in sufficient shape for final-decision making by political players …

Rumble Seat Columnist Dan Neil test drove all of this year’s hottest cars from the 2012 BMW 330i to the 2012 Porsche Panamera GTS. Here’s a look at those and the rest of the year’s most expensive, fastest, and coolest cars from around the world.

TPP negotiations involve 11 countries working towards agreement across a range of complex, sensitive issues. A common element to any international trade process is the need to consider requests that negotiating partners raise.  That is not to say that all proposals can be accommodated.  In some cases they can’t, at least not without changes that take into account different policy …

TPP critic Jane Kelsey  has alleged the NZ Government has imposed unprecedented restrictions on registered stakeholders as it hosts the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations in Auckland this week. “We turned up this morning and found we are locked out of the entire Sky City Convention Centre for all 10 days except the so-called stakeholder day on Friday,” according to Professor Jane …

Somewhere between launching Paypal and rockets to Mars, Elon Musk found time to become Business Insider’s Businessperson of the Year for 2012.

With another round of TPP negotiations beginning  in Auckland a dialogue amongst ourselves about TPP is helpful. This is important in these times of austerity when transparency is at a premium, because it was after all a conspicuous absence of transparency in  financial oversight that  created much of the  present economic turmoil. Inside NZ itself  TPP has been presented throughout …

The Kalashnikov rifle needs no introduction. In this documentary we’ll show you its origins, how it’s made and tested, who uses it, and much more. You’ll be taken to the Izhmash manufacturing plant where the rifles are assembled, see elite soldiers from Russia’s Interior Ministry train with the world-renowned weapon, and hear American war veterans recall their experiences with the …

Retired Four-Star US General Jack Keane  weighs in as Israel and  Hamas pickup the piece in the Gaza. “We haven’t seen the last of Hamas’ rockets …it is tenuous at best. it is not a major victory ….but at the end of her reign as SOS this is a plus for Hillary Clinton.”

Efforts to end a week-old convulsion of Israeli-Palestinian violence drew in the world’s top diplomats with President Obama dispatching his secretary of state to the region on an emergency mission and the U.N. chief appealing from Cairo for an immediate cease-fire. Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers have staked tough, hard-to-bridge positions, and the gaps keep alive the threat of …