Equities in Europe advanced as Germany’s central bank said the nation’s economy is showing signs of recovery in the first quarter of the year. “The largely stable labour market and a better outlook for output suggest that the economic weakness won’t last all that long,” according to the Bundesbank in its monthly report released today. The bank forecasts the economy …

Prime Minister John Key welcomed Nick Smith back into the Cabinet in a reshuffle in which he has also sacked the Labour and Conservation Minister, Kate Wilkinson, and Energy and Housing Minister Phil Heatley. diy solar panels He also relieved Associate Education Minister Craig Foss of his responsibility for the Novopay system for paying teachers, putting that in the hands …

Just a short entry for the blog today. We left the hotel in Beijing at 5:30 this morning enroute to the airport. After a few far-too-close calls, Fran and I successfully boarded and were on our way to Shanghai. Pudong airport is quite a distance from central Shanghai – connecting the two however is the engineering marvel that is the …