News Bite 19.12.09

• Wild weather has forced West Coast hippie gathering to relocate to new site. More than 1000 hippies were expected to gather for the World Rainbow Gathering, set to take place from the new moon in December to the new moon in January, with camp members living communally. No alcohol or drugs or technological stuff allowed...just what kind of hippie gathering is this anyway?
• New Zealand and the Russian Federation to form stronger ties, agreeing to exploit the potential of trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation.
• Mega-retailer, The Warehouse, plans to introduce more expensive, higher-quality goods to appeal to an up-market consumer base, while still maintaining it’s position as the leading provider of low-price "everyday" products. Small business advocates question if this move will have an adverse affect on smaller regional chains and businesses. Some compare this move to Walmart’s similar strategy in the U.S. which struggled to attract sought-after brands.