Saudi Arabia announced the establishment of a special economic zone to draw more foreign investment, state news agency SPA reported on Sunday.

It was many moons ago that New Zealand farmer Wayne Coffey dreamt up the idea for a manual sheep handler.

22Oct: 1435 | The Commerce Commission has opened an investigation into David Ferrier’s acquisition through a holding company of a 70% equity interest in wool scourer Cavalier Wool Holdings Limited.

Around a hundred drivers will take strike and picket action in Auckland while another hundred will strike and picket in the Waikato. Meanwhile bus drivers in Wellington will begin their indefinite strike on the same day (Tuesday, 23rd October).

19 Oct: 11:15 |  A government scheme giving away mānuka seedlings could threaten future earnings from the trees according to botanists who say enthusiasm for planting is getting ahead of scientific understanding.

Unitec associate professor Peter de Lange has been researching New Zealand mānuka and suspects there are at least three different types of mānuka in New Zealand, each with possible different properties.

“Mānuka honey as an industry is going to make us quite a lot of money but in fact there are chemical compounds, essential oils in particular, that are way, way more valuable than mānuka honey.”

De Lange said the safest way to ensure qualities are kept is to only plant mānuka where the seeds have been “eco-sourced”. Eco-sourcing means seeds have been sourced from the same area as where seedlings will be planted.

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Government Ministers and energy sector leaders from around the Asia Pacific will meet at a Summit in Wellington this month.

Daimler Financial Services, the financial and mobility services arm of German car maker Daimler, has taken an unspecified "strategic investment" in New Zealand company Soul Machines, which has produced a digital-created human face able to speak text with intonation and facial expressions.

Blockchain is helping to fight the fakes

The MoU is signed to create a global digital network in trade finance.  The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ANZ (ANZ.AX), BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA), Citibank (C.N), Standard Chartered and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) also agreed to join the digital trade information network expected to be operational by the third quarter of next year.

Seven banks, including HSBC (HSBA.L) and Banco Santander (SAN.MC), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a global digital network in trade finance aiming at allowing cheaper and easier funding for corporates, a Santander manager said on Wednesday.

“It is the first time that these banks come together to set a standard (...) that will allow cheaper access to finance because the risks are going to be reduced,” Rogier Schulpen, global head of trade and working solutions at Banco Santander, said in a phone interview. Read more . . .

The NZ Transport Agency has set up a new, independently monitored 0800 number for industry workers or members of the public to provide information or raise concerns with vehicle certification work or other compliance issues.