The value of cash market trading on New Zealand’s stock exchange jumped 58 percent in February from the same month a year earlier as low interest rates keep investors looking for better returns. Total trades increased 4.8 percent to 81,624 last month from February 2011 with the total value traded at $3.5 billion, according to the NZX’s monthly metrics. Average …

The death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had the Prime Minister’s staff burning the midnight oil at a humid hotel on the Colombian coast to recalibrate the Chilean part of his four country Latin American swing to accommodate the wish of Chilean President Sebastian Pinera to attend Chavez’s state funeral. The state funeral is due to take place in Caracas …

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has extended the official drought areas across the North Island, meaning government support programmes can be rolled out to those areas. A state of drought has been officially declared in South Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay, Guy said in a statement. That covers Auckland Council area south of the Harbour Bridge, all …