Category: Other
Rural Japan puts thorn in side of farm reform
TOKYO, Aug 5, 2007 (AFP) – Fearing their government cares more about big business than small farmers, Japan’s rural dwellers are deserting the ruling conservative camp, leaving its plan to open up the agriculture market in doubt.With the opposition now in control of one house of parliament, experts say the government may find it harder […]
China blacklists companies exporting poor-quality goods
BEIJING, Aug 4, 2007 (AFP) – China has established a blacklist of companies that have violated rules on the quality of exports, the commerce ministry said Saturday amid growing global concern about the safety of China-made goods.“We have set up a blacklist system for companies in the exporting sector and punished some companies that have […]
Level Play
August 4, 2007 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s state sector has to improve governance for the country to progress, at a time when private firms were coming under increasingly tight regulation and self regulation, a senior business executive said. Former chairman of the Colombo Stock Exchange and current chairman of Hatton National Bank Rienzie Wijetilleke said […]
India and US in landmark nuclear deal
NEW DELHI, Aug 3, 2007 (AFP) – India and the United States unveiled on Friday the text of an operating agreement for their controversial civilian nuclear technology deal, with key provisions on fuel supplies and safeguards.The agreement, which took two years to complete, spells out how a plan for Washington to share nuclear technology with […]
India inflation eases but RBI warns of rising commodity prices
NEW DELHI, Aug 3, 2007 (AFP) – India’s inflation rate eased to 4.36 percent on falling food prices, official data on Friday showed, after the central bank held benchmark interest rates steady earlier in the week. Inflation dropped in line with market expectations for the week ended July 21 from 4.41 per cent for the […]
Baby Probe
COLOMBO, Aug 3, 2007 (AFP) – A Dutch couple has been detained in custody for another two weeks following their arrest nine days ago for trying to illegally adopt an infant, officials said Friday.The couple, who appeared before the Colombo Chief Magistrate Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena on Friday, were to be questioned later in the day […]
IMF plays down sharemarket falls as APEC finance meet opens
COOLUM, Australia, Aug 2, 2007 (AFP) – The IMF played down recent sharemarket turmoil and said it would not lower its global economic outlook Thursday as a meeting of Asia Pacific finance ministers opened in Australia.International Monetary Fund (IMF) deputy managing director John Lipsky also said interest rates may need to rise in some countries […]
IMF says monetary policy should be tightened to counter effects of commodity price rises
COOLUM, Australia, Aug 2, 2007 (AFP) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Thursday that some countries may need to hike interest rates to keep inflation under control amid strong world growth and high fuel prices. “In the current context of continued very robust growth and rising prices in energy, commodities and food, to sustain […]
Sri Lanka earns more by selling less tea
Aug 2, 2007 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s tea export volumes fell by 10 percent in the first six months of this year, but earnings rose marginally by three percent, a commodity broker said Thursday. Sri Lanka, which is better known for its high quality aromatic tea known by the country’s previous name Ceylon, is made […]
Thailand inflation plunges near four-year low in July
BANGKOK, Aug 1, 2007 (AFP) – Thailand’s inflation rate hit a 43-month low of 1.7 percent in July, despite rising food prices, as consumption remained slow, the Commerce Ministry said Wednesday.It was the fifth consecutive rate cut this year and came amid government calls on the bank to tame the volatile baht after the currency […]
EU welcomes ASEAN plan for single market
MANILA, Aug 1, 2007 (AFP) – The European Union’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Wednesday welcomed Southeast Asia’s plans to create a single market by 2015.Speaking at an Asian security summit in the Philippines, Solana said Europe was following “with the greatest interest” the plans of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). “We […]
Murdoch wins control of Dow Jones
NEW YORK, Aug 1, 2007 (AFP) – Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has won control of Dow Jones & Co. and The Wall Street Journal newspaper in a five billion dollar takeover, the US company confirmed Wednesday. Dow Jones’s assets also include Barron’s magazine, MarketWatch, DowJones Newswires, the Dow Jones Indexes and the Ottaway group of […]