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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 …

WSJ’s Off Duty brings you the newest and most unique in leisure, lifestyle and pop culture. From Spider-Man on Broadway to Olympic athletes, Olympic fencers and Fenway Park: Here is a look at the best of Off Duty from 2012.

New Zealand shares rose, snapping a three-day slide as equity markets across the Asia-Pacific region generally gained. Xero resumed its climb after two US funds gave the company equity capital and Chorus clawed back from its regulator-induced plunge. The NZX 50 Index rose 16.11 points, or 0.4 percent, to 4023.36. Within the index, 23 stocks rose, 14 fell and 13 …

The New Zealand dollar rose to a nine-month high on a trade-weighted basis after Reserve Bank governor Graeme Wheeler kept the benchmark interest rate unchanged and warned about the threat of inflation in the housing market. The trade-weighted index rose as high as 74.15, the highest since Feb. 20, and traded at 74.03 at 5pm in Wellington from 73.52 yesterday. …

The NZ Superannuation Fund has been named the world’s most innovative sovereign fund. The fund won the prestigious Sovereign Wealth Fund category in the 2012 aiCIO Industry Innovation Awards in New York. The other finalists were the Australian Future Fund; Singaporean fund GIC; Norges Bank Investment Management and the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan. Chairman Gavin Walker said the award …

The man who blew the whistle on American Bernie Madoff, and two Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigators of massive U.S. insider trading activities, are heading to New Zealand. They will be attending two inaugural events being hosted by the New Zealand Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in February 2013 – one of those, open to the business community. Simon McArley, …

Workers who have relocated to Christchurch at their employers’ expense risk having their accommodation costs treated as income under a new tax department ruling described by one major accounting firm as “a significant and unwelcome change in approach”. The Inland Revenue Department issued a special “Commissioner’s Statement” on the issue today, saying employers will be required to count accommodation costs …

Postie Plus Group has again avoided a breach of its banking covenants and gained a 12-monthextension on its facilities. Bank of New Zealand completed its annual review of the banking facilities,” the Christchurch-based company said in a statement. Postie Plus yesterday flagged potential breaches of its banking covenants for the months of November 2012, January and April 2013. That came …

Energy Minister Phil Heatley is set to announce the results of this year’s block offer for oil and gas exploration permits on Tuesday next week, and government officials are confident more activity will follow in the coming years. General manager of New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals David Binnie told Parliament’s commerce committee the 2012 ‘block offer’ will be announced next …

Nufarm, the agricultural chemicals manufacturer, said first half earnings will rise at least 15 percent on improved trading in South America and Europe, and foreign exchange gains. A strong performance in South America and an improved outcome in Europe “will more than offset what is likely to be a weaker first half result in Australia,” managing director Doug Rathbone told …