The world's largest, non-lethal whale research expedition has returned from Antarctic waters with a range of new information that will help inform future marine mammal conservation.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has revealed damning evidence of continued welfare abuse of Australian sheep in the live export trade to the Middle East, despite Government and Meat and Livestock Australia claims of improving standards.

The trans-Tasman law firm, DLA Phillips Fox, which this year will do about AU$8.5M of pro bono work, has welcomed calls by the New Zealand Law Society for government to require pro bono disclosure from its panel firms.

The silence by the Prime Minister today on tax rates requires reading between the lines to see where the Government is heading. From his statements, the Government has accepted the TWG's integrity and coherence concerns.

Qantas and Tourism Australia will launch three cooperative marketing campaigns throughout Asia in 2010 aimed at attracting visitors from across the region.

Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee says the filming of the Golden Globe Award winning movie Avatar in New Zealand delivered more than $307 million expenditure to the economy.

By Sarah McDougall of NZPA

"The possibility of ramping up GST from 12.5% to 15% or 17.5% was one of the measure's promoted by Government's Tax Working Group late last year.

Wellington, Dec 6 NZPA - New Zealand's medical workforce shortage could worsen with Australian plans to make it easier for foreign doctors to work wherever they like there.

Gull Regular Plus biofuel 10 cents per litre below opposition Auckland, 09 December 2009 - To mark the Copenhagen conference on climate change, Gull today announces an eight cents per litre discount on all biofuels sold from 7am tomorrow until 10am Friday.