Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has officially declared the a drought to be across the whole of the North Island, opening up access to welfare for farmers stricken by the arid conditions. The extension to the declaration means the rest of the North Island joins Northland, North Auckland, South Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay as being official …

Wall Street advanced, pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to another record, as jobless claims posted a surprise drop last week, offering the latest clue that the labour market is gathering strength along with the rest of the economy. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits declined 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 332,000, according to Labor Department data. Economists had expected …

Chief negotiators report that they had achieved the goal set for the round: to put the negotiations on an accelerated track toward conclusion of a next-generation, comprehensive agreement in the 2013 time frame envisioned by President Obama and the leaders of the ten other TPP countries. Through the TPP, the United States is seeking to help establish a trade and …