Arlene Paredes

For some, it’s like winning the lottery. Workers at Melbourne-based Grenda bus company were surprised to receive bonuses reaching up to $30,000 after the company owners sold off its transit operations and allocated $15 million to its loyal staff.

"It's all speculation." Air New Zealand boss Rob Fyfe told of the rumors about his career movement. As he is expected to step down late this year, Fyfe has been reported to have been recruited for a job at Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group.

Australia saw its worst annual job growth in 19 years in 2011, but December showed the highest rise in business confidence in seven months, according to a National Australia Bank survey. Consumers focused on savings due to growing concern over fiscal problems in the US and Europe, slowing down businesses and putting growth on hold.

An estimated 2000 primary school children received suspension as a disciplinary action against serious offenses in 2011, and 75 of them were formally expelled. In many cases the disciplinary action was a last resort by desperate principals - not designed to teach the child a lesson but to get help for them or protect other students following violent, antisocial and occasionally sexually motivated behaviour.

FOX’s sitcom New Girl was one of America’s most anticipated shows in the final quarter of 2011. The show was met with high expectations as its lead, Zooey Deschanel, is already a show to watch by herself.

Exports of milk powder, butter and cheese reached record high in December 2011, leading to a trade surplus.

Retailers in Auckland are leaving their shops over steep rental, while a new luxury shopping hub is emerging, according to a study by an expert.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key met Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard over the weekend to discuss, among other things, the plight of New Zealanders seeking to start a new life in Australia.

The New Zealand government told UNICEF that it will continue to educate ethnic communities to prevent forced marriages involving young women and will not make change to the country's marriage legislation.

Parents are shying away from confronting their children and leaving all the disciplinary plans to teachers, a survey in Victoria has indicated.

An Iranian national who earned a permanent resident status in Canada has been sentenced to die in Iran for “spreading corruption.”

Persistent flood waters along the New South Wales north coast appear to be moving inland as rivers rise and thousands of residents have become isolated by the closing of roads and driveways.

Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard says he will not be seeking a third term for New Zealand's central bank leadership.

In a dramatic turn of events during Australia Day, the prime minister has been reported around the world to have had a ‘Cinderella’ moment when she tumbled and lost a shoe while being dragged by security away from an angry mob of protesters.

Men who show many signs of narcissism, such as those who are typically described as ‘vain’ in the way they take excessive measures in making sure they always look gorgeous in social situations, quietly suffer from stress levels that are more taxing than what women experience for the same thing, according to researchers.

An 18-year-old Mill Park male died in a tragic single vehicle crash, while his female companion is in the hospital over serious head injuries.

Auckland International Airport has marked record international travel for the week ended January 8, with over 170,000 international arrivals or departures, beating the travel records during the final stages of the Rugby World Cup 2011.

Toyota Australia has been compelled to let go of its 350 workers at its Altuna manufacturing plant in Melbourne over rising dollar, according to the company president.

Thirty-four of the 99 long-finned pilot whales stranded at Farewell Spit in Golden Bay have died since getting stuck in shallow waters on Monday.

Australian medical authorities warned Monday against the spread of Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV), the type of virus responsible for what was previously known as Australian encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.

American household name Kraft Foods said it would cut off 1600 jobs in the U.S. and Canada this year before it moves forward to splitting its giant business into two separate entities, the company announced in a statement.

American Idol Season 11 kicked off in Savannah, Georgia and Fox began the auditions episodes on Tuesday, with a series of clips from participants who were only five to seven years old when Season 1 champion Kelly Clarkson sparked their dream to be the next ‘Idol.’

Tourism operators in New Zealand have expressed concern over the consistent rise of the NZ dollar against the Euro, making the cost of vacation way too expensive for European tourists.

The New Zealand dollar is performing well while investors are strategizing and leaving the euro, with Greek and European Union officials meeting to study the decisions made between private bondholders on how to lower Greece's borrowing costs.

The New Zealand central city on Monday is filled with dozens of police and security guards who are moving on ‘Occupy Auckland’ protesters and breaking up their assembly.

New Zealand's State-owned Meridian Energy has shelved its plan to build a $2 billion wind farm in central Otago following a bad review.With up to 176 wind turbines, the $2- billion project on the Lammermoor Range would have been the biggest power project in the South Island since the 1980s, and it would have generated enough electricity for Christchurch and Dunedin combined and eventually the whole of the island, said reports.

New Zealander Michael Archer has joined the ranks of a small high profile group of explorers to make a round trip to the South Pole on foot.

Salvage crews working on the ill-fated MV Rena have finally removed containers from the front section of the stricken Rena for the first time, but the stench from rotting contents on-board has made it more challenging for the team, reports said.

Inflation slowed in the final three months of 2011, as consumers price index dropped 0.3% in the quarter, bringing the annual pace to 1.8%, according to Statistics New Zealand.