Businessman, director and insolvency expert John Waller died on Tuesday evening after battling cancer for many years.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/former-bnz-chair-fonterra-director-john-waller-dies-aged-64-jr-p-194542

Kathmandu Holdings [NZX:KMD] will focus on expanding to the US and Europe this financial year, despite having to close unprofitable stores in the UK last year as its strategy there failed to pay off.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/kathmandu-expand-overseas-again-profit-64-cs-p-194526

Auckland Council’s despised former headquarters are to be transformed into apartments and food outlets.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/giant-apartment-redevelopment-aucklands-reviled-former-council-headquarters-sl-194513

The Syrian regime declared a seven-day ceasefire over, blaming opposition fighters for repeated violations. UN investigators claim loyalists shelled 18 of its trucks making an aid delivery to civilians in the northern city of Aleppo. The international body says the attack was a war crime, although Russia – which backs the regime – has yet to weigh in.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/foreign-affairs-how-syrias-chaos-connects-nyc-bombings-p-194506

Fonterra’s 50c increase in its forecast milk price this morning signals the dairy giant is confident the recent GlocalDairyTrade (GDT) auction hot streak will stick.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/dairy-market-has-‘fundamentally-shifted’-jw-p-194525

A year ago, the Volkwagen diesel scandal erupted over falsification of emissions. It also exposed cheating was rife in the motor vehicle industry and the cost so far is in billions of dollars.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/editors-insight-one-year-its-hunky-dory-vw-apart-few-billion

One of A2 Milk’s [NZX: ATM] major competitors in the infant formula market, Bellamy’s Australia, markets its products as “100% Australian-made” but sources all of its milk powder from outside Australia.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/a2’s-major-australian-competitor-bellamy’s-doesn’t-use-australian-milk-jr-p-194475

Germany’s Bayer is headed for top-dog status in agrichemicals after buying the world’s most controversial biotech company, Monsanto in a $US66 billion deal.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/editors-insight-bayer-headed-top-dog-status-agri-chemicals

In case you were wondering, Prime Minister John Key didn't donate that signed bottle of wine which became part of Phil Goff's $250,000 auction fundraiser.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/key-disowns-wine-bottle-goffs-250k-auction-reiterates-neutrality

This week Human Rights Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy has used a minor reality TV scandal to focus attention on racism in New Zealand.

Read more ($): http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/media-snapchat-human-rights-commission-guilty-bullying-‘racist’-real-housewife-ng-p-194487