New Zealand: New Zealand's central bank holds rates at record low of 2.5%

New Zealand December Building Permits Climb 2.3%

2016/01/29 The total number of building permits issued in New Zealand advanced a seasonally adjusted 2.3 % on month in December, Statistics New Zealand said on Friday - standing at 2,538. That follows the upwardly revised 2.4 % increase in November (originally 1.8 %). The actual price of building work consented in December was NZ$1.6 billion. Residential work was up NZ$184 million (22 % on year) to NZ$1.0 billion. Non-residential work was up NZ$124 million (29 %) to NZ$555 million. Individually, consents were issued for 1,661 houses, 427 apartments, 291 townhouses and 159 retirement village units.

Malaysia Airlines pilot realises plane is flying in the wrong direction after 8 minutes

2016/01/06 t was only eight minutes into a Malaysia Airlines flight that took off from a New Zealand airport at the same time as the pilot realised something was wrong. It was heading in the wrong direction. Flight MH132 took off from Auckland airport to Kuala Lumpur on Christmas Day and was going south towards Melbourne, the New Zealand Herald reported. The pilot was curious as to why the plane, which left at 2.23am on Friday, was not taking a additional direct route to the Malaysian capital and contacted air traffic controllers in Auckland to ask why.

New Zealand Food Prices Fall 0.2% In November

2015/12/11 Food prices in New Zealand eased 0.2 % on month in November, Statistics New Zealand said on Friday, following the 1.2 % decline in October. Meat, poultry, and fish prices rose 1.6 %, reflecting higher prices for all types of meat, particularly chicken (up 4.4 %). Non-alcoholic beverage prices were as well up, driven by higher prices for energy drinks. "Prices fell for tomatoes, lettuce, and broccoli in November," consumer prices manager Matt Haigh said. "Vegetable prices were down 8.5 %, although the fall was only 1.2 % next adjusting for seasonal effects."

Increase among the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

2015/11/18 Increase among the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies softened to 3.1 % in the second quarter of 2015, down from 3.2 % in the initial quarter and 3.4 % a year ago, according to an APEC economic analysis released on Tuesday. The statement said the increase slowdown reflected the prolonged weakness in world economic activity as the modest recovery in advanced economies was matched by a general slowdown in emerging market economies. The moderation in GDP levels could be attributed to declining investments and lacklustre exports, according to the statement. "Economies across the Asia-Pacific continue to grow but find themselves in a holding pattern of lower increase in the absence of high trade volumes," said Alan Bollard, Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat.