Wall Street slid amid ongoing concern about an international standoff in Ukraine, while copper continued its slump because of worries about the slowing pace of growth and more corporate bond defaults in China. Increasing tension between the US, the European Union and Russia about Ukraine remains a concern for investors. While that has weighed on equities, it increased the appeal …

New Zealanders spent more on their credit and debit cards in February, fuelled by spending on hospitality, while durables and apparel rebounded from declines in January. The value of electronic card spending on retail rose 0.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted $4.58 billion in February, according to Statistics New Zealand. Core retailing, which excludes spending on fuel and auto-related items, …

The New Zealand government’s operating deficit was wider than expected in the first seven months of the 2014 financial year, with a smaller tax take than forecast and lower than anticipated tobacco excise duty. The Crown’s operating balance before gains and losses (obegal) was a deficit of $1.06 billion in the seven months ended Jan. 31, more than twice the …