Video  China’s vice president, Xi Jinping, is widely expected to take over from President Hu Jintao at the Communist Party congress under way in Beijing. The gathering ushers in a once-in-a-decade leadership change in the country. However, whether Hu will stay on as China’s military leader is still unclear. Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna reports from Beijing.

Video  A scandalous affair has brought down a man referred to by many as one of the greatest generals in US history. But how successful have David Petraeus’ strategies really been in Iraq and Afghanistan? Until a few years ago, few people had heard of Petraeus. But in Washington DC, he has been long revered. His counter-inserguency strategies in Iraq …

New Zealand’s next Ambassador to Spain is career diplomat Michael Swain. “As a key member of the European Union, Spain is an important partner for New Zealand and there is scope to develop our trade and economic relationships,” Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully says.  “We also share political and security interests with Spain, notably through our involvement in Afghanistan. Michael’s wide …

For the most recent of their hit viral safety videos, Air New Zealand partnered with WETA Workshop for a Hobbit inspired production. Take a look at the results.

BusinessDesk  ANZ Banking Group, New Zealand’s biggest bank, increased gross loans and advances by more than any of its main banking rivals in the three months to June 30, ahead of the announcement of the demise of its National Bank of New Zealand brand. The 1.26 percent growth in its gross loans and advances was bettered only by minnow The …

US Election  Heritage Foundation experts have submitted five questions they consider vital to the foreign policy debate: Given that the Taliban movement still poses a threat to the futures of both Afghanistan and Pakistan, how do you plan to ensure stability in the region and prevent either country from serving as a base for international terrorists intent on attacking theU.S.? Over …

Video  Australia has a seat on the UN Security Council after an emphatic win in New York this week, and the key to Australia’s success in part was support from the African nations.  Now New Zealand is also campaigning for its own seat in 2015 so what does Australia’s success mean for our bid? Former New Zealand Ambassador to the …

Comment  For thirty years New Zealand has run a current account deficit, averaging around 5% of GDP.   To cover this cash outflow, New Zealanders have sold assets to, or borrowed from, foreigners.  As a result New Zealand’s net foreign liabilities are around 75% of GDP, a very high ratio by international standards. Despite recent years having enjoyed higher prices for our exports …

China Business Summit 2012 China offers huge opportunities for New Zealand businesses, but too few are taking the plunge and entering the market, says Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Barnett. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with NZ INC Ltd, held the inaugural China Business Summit in Auckland on October 3 –  aimed to galvanise businesses into …

The Maori Council will today file papers in the High Court seeking a judicial review of the government’s plan to sell down Mighty River Power. Council solicitor Donna Hall told Radio New Zealand the case is that the government “is acting illegally in proceeding to sell the shares” before establishing what prior rights Maori have. “There’s now a final decision …