China may maintain its annual economic growth target at 7.5 per cent next year in a sign the new leadership headed by Xi Jinping won't tolerate a bigger slowdown.

North Korea said it will launch a long-range rocket in mid-December, a provocative move just eight months after a failed attempt violated a United Nations ban.

The Scots, the Catalans and the Basques tend to see themselves as victims, but nobody else does, writes Gwynne Dyer.

There was rioting in the streets and parts of Honiara were burning to the ground in protest at the recent elections.

An abandoned Fiji resort that Bridgecorp poured $106 million into is being revived by the island nation's military rulers.

Council transport chairman cites lack of competition for the high outlays.

Finance Minister Bill English has acknowledged there is little he can do to stop shares from partial floats of state-owned enterprises ultimately ending up in foreign hands.

Forcing teachers to take courses to learn Te Reo Maori will backfire, the president of the Secondary Principals' Association says. A new report to Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples has recommended tertiary level Maori language be made...

"Our estimates suggest this is the most aggressive period of fiscal repair since at least 1972," is one of the reactions....

Govt departments and agencies could save $236m a year in efficiencies on backroom administrative and support service, a Treasury report released today says.