Wellington - The New Zealand stock market rose 2.2 per cent on Wednesday after a roller-coaster day in which strong gains in morning trading were checked later.

The benchmark NZX-50 index rose nearly 4 per cent in the first 15 minutes of trading, apparently fired by news of dramatic gains on Wall Street which produced the second biggest rise on record.

Wellington - The New Zealand dollar was trading at a five- year low of about 54.5 US cents on Tuesday, as stock markets and commodity prices continued to fall around the world amid fears of a global recession.

The kiwi dollar has now fallen by 33 per cent against the US greenback this year, Radio New Zealand reported.

Robin Clements, an economist with the Swiss investment bank UBS, was quoted in Wellington's Dominion Post as saying the kiwi was likely to continue falling as the central bank's benchmark interest rate comes down.

Wellington, October 27: Clinical trials with a non-invasive and painless system, which can assess people’s average blood-sugar levels, is all set to begin in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Scientists at Canterbury University have joined forces with medical researchers at Christchurch Hospital for the purpose.

The researchers believe that the breakthrough system may revolutionise the way diabetics'' long-term glucose levels are monitored, and provide an easier way to identify people with the disease.

Wellington - A minister in New Zealand's Labour-led coalition government announced on Sunday that he is switching sides and will only serve in a conservative administration after next month's general election.

Peter Dunne, minister of revenue and leader of the United Future party, said he would only support a government formed by the opposition National Party if it wins the election on November 8.

Wellington , Oct 25 : New Zealand is looking to help North Korea pay for imports of heavy fuel oil as a reward for Pyongyang’s disablement of the Yongbyon nuclear facility.

Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reports that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Wellington said that the country was discussing offering financial assistance for heavy oil aid for North Korea through six-party talks.

Wellington - New Zealand's Asian community - the fastest-growing group in the nation of just under 4.3 million - is poised to make its voice heard as never before in parliament after next month's general election.

Up to four other Asians could join current members Chinese migrant Pansy Wong and Pakistani Muslim Ashraf Choudhary in the House of Representatives after the poll on November 8.

They will not be a huge bloc in the parliament of about 120 seats, but will have an important profile, given predictions that the number of Asians could near 800,000, close to the estimated indigenous Maori population, inside two decades.