Heads could roll over Ports of Auckland expansion plans, according to a senior Auckland Council source.Auckland Council has started to flex its muscles on plans by the ports company to build two massive wharf extensions nearly 100m…
Spark sells international voice business
My Net Fone, an ASX-listed provider of hosted voice and data communications services, has agreed to buy Spark New Zealand’s international voice business for $22.4 million.The company said in a statement to the ASX that the business…
US agency charges Kraft, Mondelez with wheat price rigging
WASHINGTON (AP) ” Federal regulators have charged two major U.S. food companies, Kraft and Mondelez, with manipulating prices for wheat and wheat futures in a scheme that reaped more than $5.4 million in profit.The Commodity Futures…
$1 reserve – $125k sale for $1.57m Grammar zone home
Auckland couple Donald and Jenny Gibbs paid just $125,000 for a $1.57 million four-bedroom Grammar zone character Greenlane house yesterday.The house, on a 1012sq m section at 78 Wheturangi Rd, was advertised as an urgent sale with…
Puerto Rico approves law to crack down on tax evasion
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) ” Puerto Rico’s governor has signed a law that requires service providers to accept at least two different types of payment in a push to crack down on tax evaders.The law applies to anyone requiring a…
John Drinnan: Reality TV gets ready to rumba
Despite recent missteps with its reality TV shows, MediaWorks is making another bold move, with plans for its own version of Dancing with the Stars .It is likely to draw good ratings, but given the expensive production costs and…
Forestry industry to trial drones
Forestry crown research institute Scion will next month trial the use of drones for use in forestry management and hopes to be an early adopter of imminent rule changes allowing them to be flown beyond line of sight.Scion has teamed…
Things looking up for Periscope
There’s something about election campaigns that makes us more doubtful of the information put in front of us.Last week, just as I’d decided to adopt a permanent expression of Paxmanesque incredulity, I was informed that “the future…
McDonald's rethinks chicken – goes more natural
McDonald’s in the US says it is simplifying its grilled chicken recipe to remove ingredients people might not recognise, marking the latest sign the company is rethinking its menu to keep up with changing tastes.The change comes…
Why businesses are speaking out on religious-objections laws
NEW YORK (AP) ” A bevy of big-name businesses including Apple, Gap and Levi Strauss are publicly speaking out against religious-objections legislation in states such as Indiana and Arkansas.The world’s largest retailer and America’s…