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Print - 2009-12-28
MQM welcomes 'Pakistan Khappay' slogan: Altaf

MQM welcomes 'Pakistan Khappay' slogan: Altaf

Commenting on President Zardari's speech on the occasion of 2nd death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)'s chief Altaf Hussain said views expressed by President Zardari are valuable and MQM welcomes it.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Your rupee last week

Your rupee last week

Following currency fluctuations took place in foreign exchange rates during the last week. (December 21 to 26, 2009).

Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
MQM welcomes 'Pakistan Khappay' slogan: Altaf

MQM welcomes 'Pakistan Khappay' slogan: Altaf

Commenting on President Zardari's speech on the occasion of 2nd death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)'s chief Altaf Hussain said views expressed by President Zardari are valuable and MQM welcomes it.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Israeli soldier killed by comrade in shopping mall

Israeli soldier killed by comrade in shopping mall

An Israeli soldier was shot dead by another soldier on Sunday during an argument in a shopping mall in the southern city of Beersheba, police said. They said the two had been arguing when one shot the other in the chest, and he was later pronounced dead i
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Six killed in Italy avalanche

Six killed in Italy avalanche

Six people, including four rescue workers, were killed in an avalanche in northern Italy, officials said. The six were killed in the Lasties valley in the northern Trentino-Alto Adige region on Saturday. Their bodies were recovered on Sunday. The rescue w
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
More than 20 whales die in mass beaching in New Zealand

More than 20 whales die in mass beaching in New Zealand

More than 20 pilot whales died in a mass beaching in New Zealand Sunday while another 40 were successfully herded back to sea, conservation officials said. About 63 whales were stranded on the Coromandel Peninsula on the east of North Island.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Five killed in latest southern Thailand violence: police

Five killed in latest southern Thailand violence: police

Three Muslim villagers and two militants have died in the latest violence in Thailand's insurgency-plagued southern provinces, police said Sunday. Suspected militants shot and killed a 39-year-old Muslim as he was standing in front of his house in Pattani
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Army, UN forces uncover boxes of explosives in south Lebanon

Army, UN forces uncover boxes of explosives in south Lebanon

Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers found 12 boxes of the explosive TNT in a village in southern Lebanon, a security source said Sunday. The source said the discovery was made in the village of Khiam in Hamames overnight by the Spanish battalion of the Un
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Family of five hacked to death in China

Family of five hacked to death in China

Police in south-west China have arrested a man suspected of hacking a father and his four children to death, the latest in a string of grisly killings to occur in the nation, state press said Sunday. Deng Xueyun was captured by police in Guizhou province
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Australian youth musician killed by drug cocktail in Hong Kong

Australian youth musician killed by drug cocktail in Hong Kong

An Australian youth orchestra musician found dead in a Hong Kong hotel room died after taking a deadly cocktail of drugs, a news report said Sunday.Daniel Hall, 21, an oboe player with the Perth-based Western Australian Youth Orchestra, took a mixture of
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Anti-Israeli, US slogans mark Ashura in Lebanon

Anti-Israeli, US slogans mark Ashura in Lebanon

Tens of thousands of members and supporters of Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah gathered in the southern suburbs of Beirut to mark the Shia ceremony of Ashura Sunday, chanting anti-Israeli and anti-US slogans.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
EU hopeful Croatia votes for new president

EU hopeful Croatia votes for new president

Croats were voting for a new president on Sunday, with an opposition candidate who pledges to back the European Union candidate country's anti-corruption drive seen as favourite to win most votes in the first round.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
France condemns Iran protest violence

France condemns Iran protest violence

France on Sunday condemned the violent response of Iranian security forces against "simple protesters" in Tehran that left several dead and called for a political solution. In a statement, the foreign ministry cited information that the clashes had left a
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
China discovers tomb of famed general Cao Cao

China discovers tomb of famed general Cao Cao

Chinese archaeologists have unearthed a large third-century tomb, which they say could be that of Cao Cao, the legendary politician and general famous throughout East Asia for his Machiavellian tactics.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Taiwan's Ma fights for traditional Chinese characters

Taiwan's Ma fights for traditional Chinese characters

Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou has vowed to promote traditional Chinese characters, which are threatened by the increasingly popular simplified system launched by Beijing over 50 years ago. Beijing was rewarded the China seat by the UN in 1971, and since
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
China draft rules allow villagers to impeach chiefs

China draft rules allow villagers to impeach chiefs

China has published new draft rules for village elections, allowing villagers to fire officials who don't perform as promised. When village elections were rolled out nation-wide in 1998, to improve local officials' responsiveness to local concerns, some C
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Families of Americans held in Iran hire Iranian lawyer

Families of Americans held in Iran hire Iranian lawyer

The families of three Americans charged with espionage in Iran after straying over the border from northern Iraq in July said on Sunday they have secured an Iranian lawyer to try to get them released. Iran's judiciary has announced espionage charges again
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Israel says Jewish immigration up 17 percent in 2009

Israel says Jewish immigration up 17 percent in 2009

Jewish immigration to Israel increased in 2009 by 17 percent compared to the previous year, the first rise in a decade, the government said on Sunday. According to figures presented by the Jewish Agency, the government body in charge of immigration, 16,24
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Abdullah brothers to repay Damas 'transactions'

Abdullah brothers to repay Damas 'transactions'

Dubai jeweller Damas International Ltd on Sunday said that two executives and the former head of the company had registered 350 million shares to repay nearly $165 million in "unauthorised transactions." The three Abdullah brothers made the pledge as part
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Snow, icy temperatures, chill US Midwest, cancel flights

Snow, icy temperatures, chill US Midwest, cancel flights

Icy temperatures and snow chilled the US Midwest Saturday, delaying and cancelling flights just as Christmas revellers were trying to return home after the holidays. Meteorologists expected more than 30 centimetres of snow in North Dakota, with temperatur
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Indonesia detains 17 Afghan and Iraqi migrants: police

Indonesia detains 17 Afghan and Iraqi migrants: police

Indonesian police said Sunday they had detained in East Java province 17 Afghan and Iraqi migrants who were trying to reach Australia. The men - 14 Afghans and three Iraqis - were arrested early Sunday at the coast in Sidoarjo district, district police ch
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Kurds clash with police in Turkey

Kurds clash with police in Turkey

News reports say Kurdish protesters threw stones and firebombs at police in Istanbul and south-east Turkey as tensions escalated over the arrest of dozens of Kurds on charges of links to rebels. Dogan agency says police dispersed dozens of protesters in I
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Rebel leader could be dead: Yemen

Rebel leader could be dead: Yemen

The leader of Yemen's Zaidi Shia rebels Abdul Malek al-Huthi may have been killed following an air raid last week and buried, a website linked to the defence ministry reported on Sunday.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Gaza aid stuck in Jordan; Turkey Mediating

Gaza aid stuck in Jordan; Turkey Mediating

An aid convoy trying to reach the blockaded Gaza Strip through Egypt was still stranded in Jordan on Sunday amid Cairo's refusal to let it cross through its territory. Members of the convoy, which is led by British MP George Galloway, were however hoping
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Turkish Prime Minister denies tensions with army

Turkish Prime Minister denies tensions with army

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan denied tension between his government and the military as state prosecutors investigating an alleged assassination plot searched an army office on Sunday. It was the second search of the office in two days and followe
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Bombs kill seven Shiite pilgrims in Iraq

Bombs kill seven Shiite pilgrims in Iraq

A bomb killed five Shiite pilgrims in a procession in north-east Iraq on Sunday and blasts in Baghdad killed two more pilgrims as millions of people marched to commemorate the most important Shiite religious observance.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Millions of Iraqis gather for Ashura

Millions of Iraqis gather for Ashura

Millions of Shia Muslims gathered at shrines and mosques across Iraq on Sunday for the Ashura religious festival while Iraqi forces stood watch against the bloody attacks that have marred past pilgrimages. Loudspeakers blared traditional Ashura chants acr
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Al Qaeda in Yemen threatened US

Al Qaeda in Yemen threatened US

An al Qaeda operative in Yemen threatened the United States and said ``we are carrying a bomb' in a video posted online four days before the botched Christmas Day attempt to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Thousands evacuated after World War-II bomb is found

Thousands evacuated after World War-II bomb is found

Thousands of people, including 450 prisoners, were evacuated after an unexploded World War II bomb was found in the northern German town of Vechta on Sunday. The authorities moved 8,500 people living within a 1-kilometre radius of the site, including the
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Nepal's first confirmed swine flu death: official

Nepal's first confirmed swine flu death: official

Nepal on Sunday confirmed its first death from swine flu after a female patient died at a hospital in the capital Kathmandu, an official said. A woman in her early 30s died of the A(H1N1) virus while undergoing treatment at the Bir Hospital, the head of t
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Police arrest Indian stowaway from Air India plane

Police arrest Indian stowaway from Air India plane

Police arrested an Indian stowaway who hid on an Air India flight from Saudi Arabia to return to his country, a police officer said Sunday. Habib, who uses one name, was employed by a Saudi company as a loader and cleaner at the Medina airport, said Biju
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Mass turnout in Uzbekistan parliament polls

Mass turnout in Uzbekistan parliament polls

Voters in Uzbekistan flocked to the polls Sunday for parliamentary elections where all four competing parties are supportive of the government of President Islam Karimov, officials said.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Pandemic flu remains moderate but strikes young: WHO

Pandemic flu remains moderate but strikes young: WHO

The H1N1 flu pandemic is moderate but infects and sometimes kills much younger people than traditional seasonal influenza, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. Comparing the number of deaths from the pandemic virus known as swine flu with those from
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
More education may mean lower heart attack risk

More education may mean lower heart attack risk

More education may mean a lower heart attack risk later in life, with benefits seen in low-income countries as well as wealthy nations, a new study finds. A number of studies in Western countries have found a link between higher socio-economic status and
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Brain may feel other people's pain

Brain may feel other people's pain

If you've ever thought that you literally feel other people's pain, you may be right. A brain-imaging study suggests that some people have true physical reactions to others' injuries.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Sun, moon trigger San Andreas tremors

Sun, moon trigger San Andreas tremors

Tidal forces parallel to a segment of the San Andreas Fault in central California may be causing non-volcanic tremors that could help predict earthquakes, researchers said on December 24. Low-level tremors have long been associated with volcanoes, because
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Dirty air may raise pneumonia risk

Dirty air may raise pneumonia risk

Air pollution may double the risk that an elderly person will be hospitalised for pneumonia, according to a new study. "We have shown that air pollution exerts a strong effect on hospital admissions for pneumonia," Michael Jerrett, of the University of Ca
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Women with high breast cancer risk refuse MRIs

Women with high breast cancer risk refuse MRIs

As many as 42 percent of women who are at intermediate or high risk of getting breast cancer decide not to get recommended MRI screening, even if it is offered for free, US researchers said. A quarter of the women in the study who were offered the free sc
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Ecosystems strain to keep pace with climate

Ecosystems strain to keep pace with climate

Earth's various ecosystems, with all their plants and animals, will need to shift about a quarter-mile (.42 km) per year on average to keep pace with global climate change, scientists said in a study released on December 23.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Species face race against climate change

Species face race against climate change

Land ecosystems will have to move hundreds of metres each year in order to cope with global warming, according to a letter published on December 24 in Nature, the British-based science journal.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
A year of tweets, smartphones and green tech

A year of tweets, smartphones and green tech

Any review of the major technology developments of 2009 would inevitably include copious copy on the Googles, Microsofts and other giants of the tech world. But it was also a year in which the tiny company called Twitter became a major communications forc
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Crack down on online games

Crack down on online games

China has placed more than 4.65 million computers at some 80,000 Internet cafes under watch in a bid to crack down on violent online games, state media reported December 25. Xinhua quoted Culture Minister Cai Wu as saying in an interview that his ministry
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
China issues new rules on Internet domain names

China issues new rules on Internet domain names

China's Internet watchdog issued a new set of rules on domain name registration this week in a bid to curb pornography and illegal content. According to Liu Jie, an official at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the regulations posted on
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Microsoft issues Word patch to comply with patent ruling

Microsoft issues Word patch to comply with patent ruling

Microsoft on December 23 issued a patch for its Word programme to comply with a court ruling on December 22 that it infringed on patents relating to the use of XML or extensible mark-up language in its flagship word processing software.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Outage hits BlackBerry SMS services in Americas

Outage hits BlackBerry SMS services in Americas

Research in Motion Ltd's BlackBerry smartphone messaging service suffered widespread delays across North and South America, just a week after another outage struck the popular network. RIM said in a statement that message delivery was delayed or intermitt
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Technology predictions for 2010

Technology predictions for 2010

With solid product introductions ranging from the iPhone 3GS to Windows 7, 2009 was a good year for technology. 2010 appears poised to build on the strength of trends already in place: greater mobility, a heightened awareness of data security, and web-ena
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
China's Lenovo to build research centre in Taiwan

China's Lenovo to build research centre in Taiwan

Chinese high-tech giant Lenovo plans to set up a research and development centre in Taiwan as the firm tries to take advantage of warming cross-strait ties, a report said December 22. The world's fourth-largest maker of personal computers will use the isl
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Facebook COO nominated to Disney board

Facebook COO nominated to Disney board

The Walt Disney Co said on December 23 that Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, has been nominated to serve on the board of directors of the US media and entertainment giant. Disney shareholders will vote on Sandberg's nomination and the
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Apple up sharply on tablet computer reports

Apple up sharply on tablet computer reports

Apple Inc shares hit a record high on Wall Street on December 24 following reports that the California company may unveil a long-awaited portable tablet computer next month. Apple shares were up 3.44 percent at 209.06 dollars at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) in New
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Twitter buys geolocation startup Mixer Laboratories

Twitter buys geolocation startup Mixer Laboratories

Twitter not only wants to know what you're doing it wants to know where you are. The micro-blogging service announced on December 23 that it has purchased Mixer Labs, a California-based startup that builds location-tracking tools.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
NextMedia files for bankruptcy

NextMedia files for bankruptcy

NextMedia Group Inc filed for bankruptcy protection under a pre-arranged plan that will hand over control of the US radio station operator and outdoor advertising company to certain creditors, court papers showed.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Limited buy-in for Scottish stock exchange

Limited buy-in for Scottish stock exchange

A plan by Scotland's independence-focused governing party to set up a separate stock exchange may be costly and lack sufficient appeal to make it viable.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
China CNR raises 2.04 billion dollars in Shanghai IPO

China CNR raises 2.04 billion dollars in Shanghai IPO

China CNR Corp, one of the country's two big train makers, has priced its A-share initial public offering at 5.56 yuan a share, the top of an indicated range, raising 13.9 billion yuan ($2.04 billion). CNR's IPO, China's fourth-largest this year, attracte
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
China CNR raises 2.04 billion dollars in Shanghai IPO

China CNR raises 2.04 billion dollars in Shanghai IPO

China CNR Corp, one of the country's two big train makers, has priced its A-share initial public offering at 5.56 yuan a share, the top of an indicated range, raising 13.9 billion yuan ($2.04 billion). CNR's IPO, China's fourth-largest this year, attracte
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Paris trading team feels heat of new banking tax

Paris trading team feels heat of new banking tax

A week after France announced plans to clamp down on traders' bonuses, a specialist Paris trading firm was already working out ways to cope with the new legislation. "I will do everything I can to make sure they don't feel down," Saxo Bank France Chief Ex
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
IBM gets $83 million deal from India's Digicable

IBM gets $83 million deal from India's Digicable

IBM on December 22 said it had signed a 10-year outsourcing deal with Indian cable and broadband distribution firm Digicable, which will make an initial payment of $83 million. IBM already has contracts with Indian media companies Sun TV and Tata Sky, K.S
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Maersk to pay $1.3 billion for Devon Gulf of Mexico assets

Maersk to pay $1.3 billion for Devon Gulf of Mexico assets

Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk said on December 22 it had agreed to buy Devon Energy Corp's interests in the Cascade, Jack and St. Malo oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico. Maersk said in a statement Maersk Oil would pay $1.3 billion in cas
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Infineon lifts quarterly outlook on higher demand

Infineon lifts quarterly outlook on higher demand

German chipmaker Infineon, considered a candidate for state aid just over six months ago, hiked its first-quarter outlook on strong demand from carmakers as well as industrial and consumer markets.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Infineon lifts quarterly outlook on higher demand

Infineon lifts quarterly outlook on higher demand

German chipmaker Infineon, considered a candidate for state aid just over six months ago, hiked its first-quarter outlook on strong demand from carmakers as well as industrial and consumer markets.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Gulf needs better bankruptcy rules to serve sukuk

Gulf needs better bankruptcy rules to serve sukuk

The near-default of Dubai developer Nakheel's Islamic bond will trigger calls for better bankruptcy rules in the Gulf as investors wake up to legal and financial risks now that the boom years are over.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Gulf needs better bankruptcy rules to serve sukuk

Gulf needs better bankruptcy rules to serve sukuk

The near-default of Dubai developer Nakheel's Islamic bond will trigger calls for better bankruptcy rules in the Gulf as investors wake up to legal and financial risks now that the boom years are over.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Arsenal go second after Fabregas double sees off Villa

Arsenal go second after Fabregas double sees off Villa

Cesc Fabregas scored twice to send Arsenal second in the Premier League, four points behind Chelsea but with a game in hand, after brushing aside Aston Villa 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Stuttering Chelsea had dropped precious points on Saturday
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Emerging talent Wilshere plays down World Cup talk

Emerging talent Wilshere plays down World Cup talk

Arsenal's teenage talent Jack Wilshere has played down talk that he could make the England squad for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa. The midfielder, who turns 18 on New Year's Day, said in his first interview on Sunday that he was keeping hi
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Pakistan struggling as Aussies declare first inning

Pakistan struggling as Aussies declare first inning

Australia's bowlers vindicated Ricky Ponting's bold first innings declaration with a disciplined and aggressive display on the second day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Gerrard sees light at end of Liverpool tunnel

Gerrard sees light at end of Liverpool tunnel

Steven Gerrard insists Liverpool can turn their season around as they prepare for two vital matches. The Reds got back on track with a 2-0 win over Wolves at Anfield on Saturday and now face season-defining games against Aston Villa and Tottenham as they
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Vlasic, Kostelic named Croatian athletes of the year

Vlasic, Kostelic named Croatian athletes of the year

Croatia's high jump world champion Blanka Vlasic and skier Ivica Kostelic were named the country's top athletes of the year for 2009 by a national newspaper Sunday. Vlasic retained her world crown at the world athletics championships in Berlin in August w
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Corica strike puts Sydney top of A-League ladder

Corica strike puts Sydney top of A-League ladder

Sydney FC moved to the top of the Australian A-League after veteran Steve Corica scored the only goal of the game in his side's 1-0 win over Adelaide United in Sydney on Sunday. Corica, 36, pounced four minutes after the break to give Sydney the points ag
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
City owner wants to buy Real Madrid

City owner wants to buy Real Madrid

Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has made inquiries about trying to buy Real Madrid, according to an unconfirmed report here Sunday. AS said the Abu Dhabi-based billionaire would be prepared to pay one billion euros (dollars) for t
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Strauss leads strong England reply

Strauss leads strong England reply

Andrew Strauss hit a sparkling half-century and led a strong England response to a challenging South African total on the second day of the second Test at Kingsmead here on Sunday. Strauss made 54 as England reached 103 for one in reply to South Africa's
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Orascom Tel shareholders agree $800 million rights issue

Orascom Tel shareholders agree $800 million rights issue

Shareholders at Egypt's Orascom Telecom (OT) agreed on Sunday to an $800 million rights issue to strengthen the firm's balance sheet as it works to resolve a dispute with the Algerian tax authority. Market heavyweight Orascom had said it was seeking share
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
South Korea, Turkey in talks on nuclear power deal

South Korea, Turkey in talks on nuclear power deal

South Korea's Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) said on Sunday it was in talks with Turkey to export two nuclear power reactors to Black Sea areas. State-run KEPCO is also planning to bid for an expected tender by Ukraine soon to build more than one nucle
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Eurozone countries must cut deficits: ECB chief

Eurozone countries must cut deficits: ECB chief

European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet urged the 16 countries using the euro to slash their deficits "in 2011 at the latest," in an interview published Sunday.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
China to seek bigger share of world exports: minister

China to seek bigger share of world exports: minister

Beijing will not relax its efforts to sell Chinese products overseas in 2010 and seek a bigger share in the global market, China's vice trade minister said on Sunday. China, which may have replaced Germany to be the world's largest exporter in 2009, is a
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
China won't be pressured over yuan peg: Wen

China won't be pressured over yuan peg: Wen

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday struck a defiant note about the country's controversial exchange rate policy, saying the government would not give into foreign demands to let the yuan rise.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Swiss bank secrecy emerges from 2009 with holes

Swiss bank secrecy emerges from 2009 with holes

Switzerland's finance minister acknowledges that he had a rough time this year after the Swiss bowed to international pressure on banking secrecy under the onslaught of US lawsuits and a crackdown on tax evasion.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Investors plan low-cost carrier in Abu Dhabi

Investors plan low-cost carrier in Abu Dhabi

An investment company plans to launch the third low-cost carrier in the United Arab Emirates in 2010, a newspaper reported on Sunday, quoting unnamed aviation sources. The airline, which will be based in the capital and flying out of Abu Dhabi, will start
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Australians become world leaders in personal debt

Australians become world leaders in personal debt

Australians lead the world in personal debt, with the value of what households owe exceeding the value of what the entire economy produces.Reserve Bank of Australia figures released Sunday showed Australia had overtaken the United States in terms of debt
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Union workers at Xstrata smelter in Chile to strike

Union workers at Xstrata smelter in Chile to strike

Union workers at Chile's Altonorte copper smelter plan to strike and block roads on Monday after scrapping a final wage offer from owner global miner Xstrata, the union and company said on Sunday. The 274 union workers, which represent about 90 percent of
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Ferrero says still mulling Cadbury bid

Ferrero says still mulling Cadbury bid

Italian chocolate giant Ferrero said it is still examining its options on a possible bid for Britain's Cadbury PLC, daily La Stampa reported on Sunday. Cadbury has rejected a $16.2 billion offer from US food group Kraft. US-based Hershey Co and the unlist
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Bangladesh to import power, gas from Myanmar

Bangladesh to import power, gas from Myanmar

Bangladesh intends to import gas and electricity from Myanmar, a senior government official said, as it looks to boost energy supplies to help spur faster economic growth. Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes said the issue would be a focal
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Japan can avoid double-dip recession: minister

Japan can avoid double-dip recession: minister

Japanese National Strategy Minister Naoto Kan said on Sunday the country's economy can avoid a double-dip recession thanks to economic recovery abroad, fiscal stimulus by the government and better market conditions.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Saudi Southern Cement sees 2009 profit down eight percent

Saudi Southern Cement sees 2009 profit down eight percent

Southern Province Cement Co, one of Saudi Arabia's top three cement firms by market value, said on Sunday its net profit in 2009 would be 7.8 percent lower than in 2008. SPCC said preleminary results show that its net profit this year would reach 729 mill
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Saudi Southern Cement sees 2009 profit down eight percent

Saudi Southern Cement sees 2009 profit down eight percent

Southern Province Cement Co, one of Saudi Arabia's top three cement firms by market value, said on Sunday its net profit in 2009 would be 7.8 percent lower than in 2008. SPCC said preleminary results show that its net profit this year would reach 729 mill
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Spain wants 2020 growth strategy EU helm

Spain wants 2020 growth strategy EU helm

Spain will seek a way for recession-hit European economies to grow over the next decade when it takes over the EU presidency from January 1, its foreign minister said in an interview published on Sunday. "The most important goal is a co-ordinated exit fro
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Abu Dhabi plans joint bid for EDF's UK grid

Abu Dhabi plans joint bid for EDF's UK grid

An Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund is planning a joint bid for EDF's electricity distribution network in the UK, the Sunday Telegraph reported. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority is working with the Canadian Pension Plan on a 5 billion pound ($8 billion) bid
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Putin to oversee launch of Pacific oil terminal

Putin to oversee launch of Pacific oil terminal

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will oversee on Monday the loading of the first tanker to carry Siberian oil to Asian markets from the nation's new Pacific terminal, the government said on Sunday. The launch will be attended by top Russian officials
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
MUFG is first foreign bank to issue yuan bonds in China

MUFG is first foreign bank to issue yuan bonds in China

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is set to become the first foreign bank to issue yuan-denominated bonds in China, saying it was planning to issue 1 billion yuan ($147 million) two-year bonds around February. The bank said it had received permission for the
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
MUFG is first foreign bank to issue yuan bonds in China

MUFG is first foreign bank to issue yuan bonds in China

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group is set to become the first foreign bank to issue yuan-denominated bonds in China, saying it was planning to issue 1 billion yuan ($147 million) two-year bonds around February. The bank said it had received permission for the
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Oil fuels new rally for Ghana's once-booming stocks

Oil fuels new rally for Ghana's once-booming stocks

Ghana's stock exchange was the best performing market in the world in 2008 but has suffered this year in the global economic crisis. Now, an oil boom is putting the west African nation back on track.
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Asian stocks miss 'Santa Claus rally'

Asian stocks miss 'Santa Claus rally'

Japanese and Chinese stocks fell back on Friday in subdued trade as investors took profits, with many players in the region away for the Christmas holidays. Investors were in a cautious mood despite fresh gains on Wall Street that lifted US stocks to fres
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Japan's Core CPI falls 1.7 percent from year ago, as forecast

Japan's Core CPI falls 1.7 percent from year ago, as forecast

Japan marked nine months of deflation in November with increasing signs that weak demand is hitting prices, adding to the political pressure on the Bank of Japan for further monetary easing. While the pace of falling prices slowed in the year to November
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Tokyo shares likely to be quiet

Tokyo shares likely to be quiet

Japan's stock market is likely to be quiet with many players away for the year-end holidays, analysts said Friday. Over the week to December 25, the Nikkei-225 index of the Tokyo Stock Exchange climbed 352.66 points, or 3.48 percent, to 10,494.71. The bro
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am
Asian currencies lower against the dollar

Asian currencies lower against the dollar

Asian currencies were mostly lower against the greenback this week, with the US unit rising amid speculation the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates earlier next year than predicted. Trade was thin as risk-averse investors mostly stayed on the sidel
Published 28 Dec, 2009 12:00am