โพสต์
Bhutanese vote in historic poll
People in Bhutan are voting in their first parliamentary elections, ending over a century of royal rule.
Monday's vote for the 47-seat National Assembly completes the country's peaceful transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.
Correspondents say there is huge interest in the election, although many people say they liked the old system.
The only two parties in the race have similar manifestos, promising less poverty and better infrastructure.
Both are led by former prime ministers. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) is headed by Sangay Ngedup, who is the brother of the former king's four wives - all sisters.
Jigmi Thinley, head of the Bhutan Harmony Party (DPT - Druk Phuensum Tshogpa), has no royal connections and has pitched his party as representing ordinary Bhutanese.
An election for the upper house of parliament was held in December.
Mass exodus
The BBC's Chris Morris in Thimphu says people have been queuing quietly in large numbers to vote.
The capital is half-deserted, with many returning to their villages, he says. One report in a local newspaper told of a woman who walked a distance of 600km (370 miles) over two weeks to get home.
Two Indian air force helicopters dropped election guidelines in mountainous regions and mules and horses carried voting equipment to ballot stations.
But despite the activity a lot of people are not keen on democracy, and say they quite liked how things were before, our correspondent adds.
The tiny Buddhist kingdom has been preparing for democracy since former monarch Jigme Singye Wangchuck decided to hand power to an elected government.
'Bit of corruption'
The country is now headed by his 28-year-old son, King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, who will remain as head of state and is likely to retain some influence.
"Everyone is very sad to see the king stand down," 42-year-old businessman Kinley Penjor told Reuters news agency.
"But I think democracy will be good. In the past if you went to a minister about your problems - well there is always a little bit of corruption, even in Bhutan, or it might be decided according to his mood.
"Now we can elect the best candidates."
The monarchy remains popular in Bhutan partly because of its focus on promoting what it calls "gross national happiness" - based on the idea that economic growth should be balanced by respect for traditions and the environment.
Bhutan is not without problems. About one-fifth of the country lives in poverty and youth unemployment has risen sharply in recent years.
Tens of thousands of ethnic Nepalis were forced to leave Bhutan in the early 1990s when the government imposed strict citizenship rules.
The refugees are now living in neighbouring Nepal and many of them are demanding the right to return.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/s ... 310832.stm
Published: 2008/03/24 07:57:46 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 122
DNA testing firms eye consumers
By Lucy Hooker
Business reporter, BBC News
New DNA testing companies are arriving on the market, offering greater insight into our genes than ever before.
But they may be able to offer more useful information to the pharmaceutical industry than they provide to their own customers.
First thing in the morning, New Yorker Amy Harman drops her young daughter with a childminder then takes a half hour bike ride around Central Park.
At her desk in the office of the New York Times she eats a bowl of oatmeal with a generous sprinkle of brown sugar and drinks a single cup of coffee.
Amy is more motivated than she used to be to keep up the healthy regime.
She's just found out she's at a higher than average risk of heart disease thanks to a scan which has analysed her entire DNA in search of abnormalities and risk factors for disease.
She's also found out more trivial information such as why her earwax is particularly sticky and that she metabolises caffeine badly.
'More anxious'
A new wave of tests has come onto the market in recent months offering whole genome scans for less than $1,000 (£495), making them a viable consumer product for the first time.
"I hadn't thought of myself as a heart attack risk," says Amy.
"I'm fairly young and healthy and I exercise. Its made me more anxious but it has also made me more active."
Amy's genes were analysed for free in a trial for company 23andme which launched late last year.
She spat several times into a vial provided by the company and sent it off.
Within a few weeks she had been given a password to use on the company's website, the key to an encyclopaedia of knowledge about herself.
'Big scientific leap'
Enormous progress has been made by scientists in the last two years in identifying genes associated with common conditions such as cancer, obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis.
And the breakthroughs are in large part down to extremely powerful computer processors now at the disposal of genetic researchers.
Previous gene tests sold directly to the consumer have been dismissed by the medical establishment as meaningless and dangerous. But the new tests have won more credibility.
"Until 18 months ago the field was hopeless. Science made a big leap in the middle of last year," says Stuart Hogarth, a researcher at the University of Loughborough.
These tests, which build on our improved understanding of genetics and the faster computer processing, could he admits, help identify those at higher or lower risk.
California-based 23andme aren't the only ones getting in on the new market for comprehensive genetic testing.
Icelandic biotech firm DeCODEme, the company which first identified the gene associated with prostate cancer, launched its own service last November.
Navigenics, another Silicon Valley start-up, is about to launch its service in April.
But Stuart Hogarth says, as they won't get repeat business from their customers, its hard to see how companies like 23andme, deCODEme and Navigenics can make money, unless they market the information they collect to the drugs industry.
Google-backed
23andme, whose name refers to the number of chromosomes in human DNA, has no immediate cause for financial worries.
It is backed by the powerful internet search company Google. Google co-founder Sergei Brin is married to one of the two women behind 23andme, Anne Wojcicki.
But the company admits it does plan to build a huge database of genetic information which can serve as an information bank for the drugs industry.
"We do feel there will be ways down the road to monetise this, with the premise we will never sell the data," says 23andme co-founder Linda Avery.
Linda posits a scenario where 23andme might invite its customers to get in touch if they'd like to take part in a medical trial relevant to them.
"We think the pharmaceutical companies may be willing to pay a fee to us for this permission-based access."
23andme also hopes an online forum will evolve, a kind of networking site based around your DNA, so that people with common genetic traits can exchange information. That could prove a lucrative too if it takes off.
As the science of genetic medicine progresses at exponential pace, masses of aggregated genetic data could be invaluable to the drugs industry, providing the opportunity to match genetic characteristics over wide population groups.
Lifestyle change
But still some observers doubt how useful it is to individual consumers.
Steve Jones, genetics professor at University College London is dismissive of even the new wave of tests.
"By all means throw your money away. But you'd do better to eat a low fat diet."
He says these tests may satisfy our curiosity, but they don't really tell you anything meaningful about our future health that you couldn't learn from your family history.
And they can make people either over-anxious or unduly complacent about their health, based on incomplete information.
Genetics is an area scientists admit they still only partially understand.
"The actual power of the individual gene to say anything about your own risk at the moment is actually very small," says Professor Jones.
"Although for a small minority of people genetic tests may be important, for most of us it makes far more sense to follow the advice of the health lobby - don't smoke, cut down drinking, eat a sensible diet - and to forget about the DNA."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 303014.stm
Published: 2008/03/25 00:17:20 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
By Lucy Hooker
Business reporter, BBC News
New DNA testing companies are arriving on the market, offering greater insight into our genes than ever before.
But they may be able to offer more useful information to the pharmaceutical industry than they provide to their own customers.
First thing in the morning, New Yorker Amy Harman drops her young daughter with a childminder then takes a half hour bike ride around Central Park.
At her desk in the office of the New York Times she eats a bowl of oatmeal with a generous sprinkle of brown sugar and drinks a single cup of coffee.
Amy is more motivated than she used to be to keep up the healthy regime.
She's just found out she's at a higher than average risk of heart disease thanks to a scan which has analysed her entire DNA in search of abnormalities and risk factors for disease.
She's also found out more trivial information such as why her earwax is particularly sticky and that she metabolises caffeine badly.
'More anxious'
A new wave of tests has come onto the market in recent months offering whole genome scans for less than $1,000 (£495), making them a viable consumer product for the first time.
By all means throw your money away. But you'd do better to eat a low fat diet
Steve Jones, University College London
"I hadn't thought of myself as a heart attack risk," says Amy.
"I'm fairly young and healthy and I exercise. Its made me more anxious but it has also made me more active."
Amy's genes were analysed for free in a trial for company 23andme which launched late last year.
She spat several times into a vial provided by the company and sent it off.
Within a few weeks she had been given a password to use on the company's website, the key to an encyclopaedia of knowledge about herself.
'Big scientific leap'
Enormous progress has been made by scientists in the last two years in identifying genes associated with common conditions such as cancer, obesity, diabetes and osteoporosis.
And the breakthroughs are in large part down to extremely powerful computer processors now at the disposal of genetic researchers.
Previous gene tests sold directly to the consumer have been dismissed by the medical establishment as meaningless and dangerous. But the new tests have won more credibility.
"Until 18 months ago the field was hopeless. Science made a big leap in the middle of last year," says Stuart Hogarth, a researcher at the University of Loughborough.
These tests, which build on our improved understanding of genetics and the faster computer processing, could he admits, help identify those at higher or lower risk.
California-based 23andme aren't the only ones getting in on the new market for comprehensive genetic testing.
Icelandic biotech firm DeCODEme, the company which first identified the gene associated with prostate cancer, launched its own service last November.
Navigenics, another Silicon Valley start-up, is about to launch its service in April.
But Stuart Hogarth says, as they won't get repeat business from their customers, its hard to see how companies like 23andme, deCODEme and Navigenics can make money, unless they market the information they collect to the drugs industry.
Google-backed
23andme, whose name refers to the number of chromosomes in human DNA, has no immediate cause for financial worries.
It is backed by the powerful internet search company Google. Google co-founder Sergei Brin is married to one of the two women behind 23andme, Anne Wojcicki.
But the company admits it does plan to build a huge database of genetic information which can serve as an information bank for the drugs industry.
"We do feel there will be ways down the road to monetise this, with the premise we will never sell the data," says 23andme co-founder Linda Avery.
Linda posits a scenario where 23andme might invite its customers to get in touch if they'd like to take part in a medical trial relevant to them.
"We think the pharmaceutical companies may be willing to pay a fee to us for this permission-based access."
23andme also hopes an online forum will evolve, a kind of networking site based around your DNA, so that people with common genetic traits can exchange information. That could prove a lucrative too if it takes off.
As the science of genetic medicine progresses at exponential pace, masses of aggregated genetic data could be invaluable to the drugs industry, providing the opportunity to match genetic characteristics over wide population groups.
Lifestyle change
But still some observers doubt how useful it is to individual consumers.
Steve Jones, genetics professor at University College London is dismissive of even the new wave of tests.
"By all means throw your money away. But you'd do better to eat a low fat diet."
He says these tests may satisfy our curiosity, but they don't really tell you anything meaningful about our future health that you couldn't learn from your family history.
And they can make people either over-anxious or unduly complacent about their health, based on incomplete information.
Genetics is an area scientists admit they still only partially understand.
"The actual power of the individual gene to say anything about your own risk at the moment is actually very small," says Professor Jones.
"Although for a small minority of people genetic tests may be important, for most of us it makes far more sense to follow the advice of the health lobby - don't smoke, cut down drinking, eat a sensible diet - and to forget about the DNA."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 303014.stm
Published: 2008/03/25 00:17:20 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 123
Tata buys Jaguar in £1.15bn deal
Car giant Ford has sold its luxury UK-based car brands Jaguar and Land Rover to Indian company Tata.
Tata, India's biggest vehicle maker, is paying $2.3bn (£1.15bn) for the British brands after months of negotiations over price and supply relationships.
The negotiations started last June when Ford announced its intention to sell the companies as a package.
Jaguar and Land Rover employ about 16,000 staff at UK plants in the West Midlands and Merseyside.
Although Land Rover remains profitable, Ford has never managed to make money from its investment in Jaguar.
Ford has been forced to sell the two companies, based at Solihull and Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands and Halewood on Merseyside, in order to concentrate on its loss-making core US car business, which it hopes to turn around in the next two years.
The $2.3bn price tag is about half the amount Ford originally paid for the marques, leading some analysts to argue that the purchase was a mistake.
"How can you call it anything else?" said Erich Merkle, an auto expert for US consulting company IRN.
"You have to cut your losses at some point. It's been draining them of cash and resources."
Ford sold its iconic Aston Martin marque to a UK-led investment consortium in a deal worth $955.2m last year.
No significant changes
The companies said there would not be any "significant changes" to Jaguar or Land Rover employees' terms of employment on completion of the sale.
They said that staff, trade unions and the UK government had been kept informed of developments and supported the move.
Tata said the deal should be completed by the end of the summer, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.
The purchase will give Tata the opportunity to expand its presence in the passenger car market beyond India and gives it the clout necessary to compete with international players.
In January, Tata launched the world's cheapest car, the Nano, priced at $2,500 (£1,250).
By contrast, the starting price for Jaguar's latest sports car, the XF is more than £32,000 ($64,000).
"We are very pleased at the prospect of Jaguar and Land Rover being a significant part of our automotive business," Tata said.
"We have enormous respect for the two brands and will endeavour to preserve and build on their heritage and competitiveness, keeping their identities intact.
"We aim to support their growth, while holding true to our principles of allowing the management and employees to bring their experience and expertise to bear on the growth of the business."
Alan Mulally, the president and chief executive of Ford, said he was "confident" that the brands would continue to thrive under Tata's stewardship.
"Now, it is time for Ford to concentrate on integrating the Ford brand globally, as we implement our plan to create a strong Ford Motor Company that delivers profitable growth for all," he added.
Terms
Under the terms of the deal, Ford will contribute about $600m to the Jaguar and Land Rover pension plans.
Ford will continue to supply Jaguar and Land Rover for differing periods with engines, stampings and other car components, in addition to a variety of technologies.
In addition, Ford Motor Credit Company will provide financing for Jaguar and Land Rover dealers and customers during a transitional period of up to 12 months.
"It seems as though they have resolved some tricky supply issues," said Ernst & Young's automotive expert Eric Wallbank.
"The deal will give Ford the cash to revive its fortunes in the US and focus on its core brand, while it adds an important plank to Tata's automotive ambitions," he added.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 313380.stm
Published: 2008/03/26 14:38:12 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Car giant Ford has sold its luxury UK-based car brands Jaguar and Land Rover to Indian company Tata.
Tata, India's biggest vehicle maker, is paying $2.3bn (£1.15bn) for the British brands after months of negotiations over price and supply relationships.
The negotiations started last June when Ford announced its intention to sell the companies as a package.
Jaguar and Land Rover employ about 16,000 staff at UK plants in the West Midlands and Merseyside.
Although Land Rover remains profitable, Ford has never managed to make money from its investment in Jaguar.
Now, it is time for Ford to concentrate on integrating the Ford brand globally
Alan Mulally, chief executive, Ford
Ford has been forced to sell the two companies, based at Solihull and Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands and Halewood on Merseyside, in order to concentrate on its loss-making core US car business, which it hopes to turn around in the next two years.
The $2.3bn price tag is about half the amount Ford originally paid for the marques, leading some analysts to argue that the purchase was a mistake.
"How can you call it anything else?" said Erich Merkle, an auto expert for US consulting company IRN.
"You have to cut your losses at some point. It's been draining them of cash and resources."
Ford sold its iconic Aston Martin marque to a UK-led investment consortium in a deal worth $955.2m last year.
No significant changes
The companies said there would not be any "significant changes" to Jaguar or Land Rover employees' terms of employment on completion of the sale.
They said that staff, trade unions and the UK government had been kept informed of developments and supported the move.
Tata said the deal should be completed by the end of the summer, subject to applicable regulatory approvals.
The purchase will give Tata the opportunity to expand its presence in the passenger car market beyond India and gives it the clout necessary to compete with international players.
TATA'S NANO
3.1m long, 1.5m wide, 1.6m high
Can seat four to five people
Meets European emission standards
Costs 1 lakh, or 100,000 rupees
Tata hopes to eventually export the car
Source: AFP
In January, Tata launched the world's cheapest car, the Nano, priced at $2,500 (£1,250).
By contrast, the starting price for Jaguar's latest sports car, the XF is more than £32,000 ($64,000).
"We are very pleased at the prospect of Jaguar and Land Rover being a significant part of our automotive business," Tata said.
"We have enormous respect for the two brands and will endeavour to preserve and build on their heritage and competitiveness, keeping their identities intact.
"We aim to support their growth, while holding true to our principles of allowing the management and employees to bring their experience and expertise to bear on the growth of the business."
Alan Mulally, the president and chief executive of Ford, said he was "confident" that the brands would continue to thrive under Tata's stewardship.
"Now, it is time for Ford to concentrate on integrating the Ford brand globally, as we implement our plan to create a strong Ford Motor Company that delivers profitable growth for all," he added.
Terms
Under the terms of the deal, Ford will contribute about $600m to the Jaguar and Land Rover pension plans.
Ford will continue to supply Jaguar and Land Rover for differing periods with engines, stampings and other car components, in addition to a variety of technologies.
In addition, Ford Motor Credit Company will provide financing for Jaguar and Land Rover dealers and customers during a transitional period of up to 12 months.
"It seems as though they have resolved some tricky supply issues," said Ernst & Young's automotive expert Eric Wallbank.
"The deal will give Ford the cash to revive its fortunes in the US and focus on its core brand, while it adds an important plank to Tata's automotive ambitions," he added.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 313380.stm
Published: 2008/03/26 14:38:12 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 124
Vietnam next to cut rice exports
Vietnam has become the latest rice-producing nation to limit exports of the grain against a backdrop of soaring global prices and demand.
Vietnam, the world's second-biggest rice exporter, said it would cut exports by 22% this year, following similar moves by India and Egypt.
Analysts said the Vietnam government wanted to stabilise domestic prices.
Global rice prices have soared by 50% in the past two months raising supply concerns across Asia.
Thailand is the world's largest rice exporter.
China subsidies
While rice prices have risen primarily because of increasing demand from population growth, they have also been lifted by poor recent crops in Vietnam.
Neighbouring Cambodia has also recently introduced limits on rice exports.
China is the world's biggest rice producer, but almost all of its crop is kept for the domestic market.
With the world's largest population to feed, Beijing keeps rice prices subsided.
It said on Friday that it would now pay farmers more for both rice and wheat in an attempt to boost crop production and cool surging inflation.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 317989.stm
Published: 2008/03/28 07:18:58 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Vietnam has become the latest rice-producing nation to limit exports of the grain against a backdrop of soaring global prices and demand.
Vietnam, the world's second-biggest rice exporter, said it would cut exports by 22% this year, following similar moves by India and Egypt.
Analysts said the Vietnam government wanted to stabilise domestic prices.
Global rice prices have soared by 50% in the past two months raising supply concerns across Asia.
Thailand is the world's largest rice exporter.
China subsidies
While rice prices have risen primarily because of increasing demand from population growth, they have also been lifted by poor recent crops in Vietnam.
Neighbouring Cambodia has also recently introduced limits on rice exports.
China is the world's biggest rice producer, but almost all of its crop is kept for the domestic market.
With the world's largest population to feed, Beijing keeps rice prices subsided.
It said on Friday that it would now pay farmers more for both rice and wheat in an attempt to boost crop production and cool surging inflation.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 317989.stm
Published: 2008/03/28 07:18:58 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 125
10,000 finance job cuts forecast
At least 10,000 jobs could be lost in the UK's financial services industry during the next three months, according to a forecast by the CBI.
The employers' organisation's quarterly survey of the sector found that most companies thought the credit squeeze would get worse in the next six months.
CBI chief economist Ian McCafferty said: "This is a very serious crisis."
The report predicts that the UK will avoid outright recession, but says that finance jobs are already being cut.
Key characteristics
Conditions in the financial sector - which includes banks, building societies and insurance companies - have not improved since the credit crunch began six months ago, Mr McCafferty said.
"Some have suggested it's the worst financial crisis since the Second World War," he added.
"I think one of the key characteristics is that it will go on for quite some time to come."
The financial crisis, which began after banks made huge losses on investments backed by US mortgages, has caused chaos on US and global markets.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 321948.stm
Published: 2008/03/31 08:05:13 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
At least 10,000 jobs could be lost in the UK's financial services industry during the next three months, according to a forecast by the CBI.
The employers' organisation's quarterly survey of the sector found that most companies thought the credit squeeze would get worse in the next six months.
CBI chief economist Ian McCafferty said: "This is a very serious crisis."
The report predicts that the UK will avoid outright recession, but says that finance jobs are already being cut.
Key characteristics
Some have suggested it's the worst financial crisis since the Second World War
Ian McCafferty. chief economist, CBI
Conditions in the financial sector - which includes banks, building societies and insurance companies - have not improved since the credit crunch began six months ago, Mr McCafferty said.
"Some have suggested it's the worst financial crisis since the Second World War," he added.
"I think one of the key characteristics is that it will go on for quite some time to come."
The financial crisis, which began after banks made huge losses on investments backed by US mortgages, has caused chaos on US and global markets.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 321948.stm
Published: 2008/03/31 08:05:13 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 126
มันจะเกิดข้าวยากหมากแพงมั๊ยนี่ คนกินข้าวทั่วโลกต้องจ่ายค่าข้าว และ ค่ากับข้าวแพงขึ้นมากๆ
India introduces rice export ban
The Indian government has banned the export of non-basmati rice to try and control soaring domestic food costs.
The decision, one of a series of measures to curb inflation, was taken during an emergency cabinet meeting.
The price for exports of aromatic basmati rice has also been raised to $1,200 per tonne to discourage exports.
The move could have an impact on rice prices globally as the country is the third largest exporter of the grain - a staple food in many countries.
The move is the latest in a series of increases in the export price of non-basmati rice.
The price of such rice was increased from $650 to $1,000 per tonne in the month of March alone.
Global problem
The government imposed a total ban on non-basmati rice exports last October but lifted it following protests from exporters.
India is the second-largest rice producer in the world. It usually exports more than four million tonnes of rice a year.
The government also announced that it would be scrapping import duty on all crude edible oils as part of its inflation-curbing measures.
India ended its reliance on food imports in the 1970s, largely to the government's so-called Green Revolution.
But two years ago, it imported wheat for the first time in six years following a significant drop in its stockpiles.
The government wants to avoid a similar situation for its rice stocks.
In mid-March, in an attempt to bolster its stocks, India abolished import duties on rice.
The problem is an international one, as global rice stocks have reached a 25-year low.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/s ... 323713.stm
Published: 2008/04/01 00:20:41 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
India introduces rice export ban
The Indian government has banned the export of non-basmati rice to try and control soaring domestic food costs.
The decision, one of a series of measures to curb inflation, was taken during an emergency cabinet meeting.
The price for exports of aromatic basmati rice has also been raised to $1,200 per tonne to discourage exports.
The move could have an impact on rice prices globally as the country is the third largest exporter of the grain - a staple food in many countries.
The move is the latest in a series of increases in the export price of non-basmati rice.
The price of such rice was increased from $650 to $1,000 per tonne in the month of March alone.
Global problem
The government imposed a total ban on non-basmati rice exports last October but lifted it following protests from exporters.
India is the second-largest rice producer in the world. It usually exports more than four million tonnes of rice a year.
The government also announced that it would be scrapping import duty on all crude edible oils as part of its inflation-curbing measures.
India ended its reliance on food imports in the 1970s, largely to the government's so-called Green Revolution.
But two years ago, it imported wheat for the first time in six years following a significant drop in its stockpiles.
The government wants to avoid a similar situation for its rice stocks.
In mid-March, in an attempt to bolster its stocks, India abolished import duties on rice.
The problem is an international one, as global rice stocks have reached a 25-year low.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/s ... 323713.stm
Published: 2008/04/01 00:20:41 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 128
UBS doubles sub-prime writedowns
Swiss financial giant UBS has reported that its writedowns as a result of the sub-prime crisis have more than doubled to about $37bn (£18.5bn).
It is the largest writedown by any bank since the credit crunch began.
UBS also announced that its chairman and former chief executive Marcel Ospel would not be seeking re-appointment.
The bank has announced $19bn of fresh asset writedowns on top of the $18.4bn it wrote off in 2007, as the value of its assets has plummeted.
UBS added that it was seeking to raise 15bn Swiss francs ($15bn; £7.5bn) in capital by issuing new shares.
Its losses dwarf those declared by US banks such as Citigroup ($21.1bn) and Merrill Lynch ($22bn).
Widespread damage
The UBS announcements came as it said it expected to post a first-quarter net loss of $12.1bn.
The firm said that the next chapter of the firm's history would be one of "discipline and determination".
"There will be other chapters which will not be perfect but none will be like the ones we have just written".
The US sub-prime problems have hit the balance sheets of banks worldwide and have cost several leading bankers their jobs.
Mr Ospel had previously said that he wanted to stay at the company for another year.
"I have always stated that I ultimately take responsibility for the bank's situation," he said.
"We have worked very hard and have been able to address the firm's most pressing problems, thereby laying the foundation for the long-term success of the bank."
He will be replaced by Peter Kurer, a 58-year-old Swiss lawyer who has spent the last seven years as the bank's main legal adviser.
Mr Ospel said that his successor had considerable experience of the banking sector "and importantly of this bank".
Difficult year
UBS has also unveiled plans to create a new business that would handle US property assets which had become worthless.
It said that it was confident that this would "deal effectively with the firm's real estate exposures and allow the bank to focus on strengthening its core operations".
Mr Osler said that a decision would be made "within weeks" about how many jobs would go at the firm.
UBS management warned that it expected 2008 to be a difficult year for the firm and the industry as a whole.
In 2007 it reported its first annual loss since UBS was created from the merger of Union Bank of Switzerland and Swiss Bank Corporation in 1998.
Sub-prime loans were lent to US homebuyers with low incomes or with patchy credit ratings. These investments quickly soured as higher interest rates pushed up mortgage payments and triggered a wave of defaults.
As well as resulting in the collapse of Bear Stearns, it has also hit other big Western banks, including Wall Street giants Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase, and BNP Paribas, France's biggest bank.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 323809.stm
Published: 2008/04/01 14:09:41 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Swiss financial giant UBS has reported that its writedowns as a result of the sub-prime crisis have more than doubled to about $37bn (£18.5bn).
It is the largest writedown by any bank since the credit crunch began.
UBS also announced that its chairman and former chief executive Marcel Ospel would not be seeking re-appointment.
The bank has announced $19bn of fresh asset writedowns on top of the $18.4bn it wrote off in 2007, as the value of its assets has plummeted.
UBS added that it was seeking to raise 15bn Swiss francs ($15bn; £7.5bn) in capital by issuing new shares.
Today's announcement will alarm both UBS shareholders and the markets
Robert Peston
BBC Business editor
Its losses dwarf those declared by US banks such as Citigroup ($21.1bn) and Merrill Lynch ($22bn).
Widespread damage
The UBS announcements came as it said it expected to post a first-quarter net loss of $12.1bn.
The firm said that the next chapter of the firm's history would be one of "discipline and determination".
"There will be other chapters which will not be perfect but none will be like the ones we have just written".
The US sub-prime problems have hit the balance sheets of banks worldwide and have cost several leading bankers their jobs.
Mr Ospel had previously said that he wanted to stay at the company for another year.
MAIN CREDIT CRUNCH LOSSES
UBS: $37.4bn
Merrill Lynch: $22bn
Citigroup: $21.1bn
HSBC: $17.2bn
Morgan Stanley: $9.4bn
Deutsche Bank: $7.1bn
Bank of America: $5.3bn
Bear Stearns: $3.2bn
JP Morgan Chase: $3.2bn
BayernLB $3.2bn
Barclays: $2.6bn
IKB: $2.6bn
Royal Bank of Scotland: $2.6bn
Credit Suisse:$2bn
Source: Company reports
"I have always stated that I ultimately take responsibility for the bank's situation," he said.
"We have worked very hard and have been able to address the firm's most pressing problems, thereby laying the foundation for the long-term success of the bank."
He will be replaced by Peter Kurer, a 58-year-old Swiss lawyer who has spent the last seven years as the bank's main legal adviser.
Mr Ospel said that his successor had considerable experience of the banking sector "and importantly of this bank".
Difficult year
UBS has also unveiled plans to create a new business that would handle US property assets which had become worthless.
It said that it was confident that this would "deal effectively with the firm's real estate exposures and allow the bank to focus on strengthening its core operations".
Mr Osler said that a decision would be made "within weeks" about how many jobs would go at the firm.
UBS management warned that it expected 2008 to be a difficult year for the firm and the industry as a whole.
In 2007 it reported its first annual loss since UBS was created from the merger of Union Bank of Switzerland and Swiss Bank Corporation in 1998.
Sub-prime loans were lent to US homebuyers with low incomes or with patchy credit ratings. These investments quickly soured as higher interest rates pushed up mortgage payments and triggered a wave of defaults.
As well as resulting in the collapse of Bear Stearns, it has also hit other big Western banks, including Wall Street giants Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase, and BNP Paribas, France's biggest bank.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 323809.stm
Published: 2008/04/01 14:09:41 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 129
Iceland's economy 'under attack'
Iceland is considering intervention in its currency and stock markets to fight hedge funds that it says are attacking its financial system.
The country's prime minister, Geir Haarde, told the Financial Times that it was being unfairly targeted.
The Icelandic currency has lost a quarter of its value against the euro this year as rumours of a financial and banking crisis have swirled.
Last week, the country's central bank made an emergency interest rate rise.
"The central bank and the government have several means at their disposal to influence this situation and we have not used all of them yet," Mr Haarde said.
"We would like to see these people off our backs and we are considering all the options available."
Rumours swirl
The government believes that speculators may have spread false rumours to create fears of a banking crisis in order to profit from short positions on the Icelandic krona and stock market.
Short positions are bets that a stock or currency will fall in value.
The country's financial watchdog has launched an investigation into the the alleged market manipulation.
Concerns
Credit ratings agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor's have signalled concern about the health of Iceland's economy and its three main banks - Kaupthing, Glitnir and Landsbanki.
The three banks have funded expansion overseas by selling debt but the rise in the cost of credit worldwide has raised concern that their strategy could falter.
But Fitch said that Iceland's banks had sufficient liquidity and were able to operate without recourse to global capital markets for "some months to come".
The ratings agencies have expressed concern that Iceland may have to support the country's banks to avert a possible financial crisis.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 326063.stm
Published: 2008/04/02 15:04:11 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Iceland is considering intervention in its currency and stock markets to fight hedge funds that it says are attacking its financial system.
The country's prime minister, Geir Haarde, told the Financial Times that it was being unfairly targeted.
The Icelandic currency has lost a quarter of its value against the euro this year as rumours of a financial and banking crisis have swirled.
Last week, the country's central bank made an emergency interest rate rise.
"The central bank and the government have several means at their disposal to influence this situation and we have not used all of them yet," Mr Haarde said.
"We would like to see these people off our backs and we are considering all the options available."
He said hedge funds wanted to make a profit "by hook or by crook".
Rumours swirl
The government believes that speculators may have spread false rumours to create fears of a banking crisis in order to profit from short positions on the Icelandic krona and stock market.
Short positions are bets that a stock or currency will fall in value.
The country's financial watchdog has launched an investigation into the the alleged market manipulation.
Concerns
Credit ratings agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor's have signalled concern about the health of Iceland's economy and its three main banks - Kaupthing, Glitnir and Landsbanki.
The three banks have funded expansion overseas by selling debt but the rise in the cost of credit worldwide has raised concern that their strategy could falter.
But Fitch said that Iceland's banks had sufficient liquidity and were able to operate without recourse to global capital markets for "some months to come".
The ratings agencies have expressed concern that Iceland may have to support the country's banks to avert a possible financial crisis.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 326063.stm
Published: 2008/04/02 15:04:11 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
humdrum
- Verified User
- โพสต์: 1961
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 130
The government believes that speculators may have spread false rumours to create fears of a banking crisis in order to profit from short positions on the Icelandic krona and stock market.
อาวุธสำคัญที่น่ากลัวที่สุดของคน คือ "ปาก" นั่นเองนะครับ.....
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 131
Thailand's wealthy untouchables
By Jonathan Head
BBC News, Bangkok
Sometimes a single incident manages to shine a spotlight deep into the soul of a society.
There was just such an incident in Thailand last year, which has just gone to court, and which speaks volumes about the dislocating impact of more than four decades of break-neck economic growth.
It was a seemingly routine accident along Sukhumvit Road, one of Bangkok's busiest and most traffic-clogged thoroughfares.
A Mercedes-Benz was pulled up alongside a city bus, and a young man was having an angry exchange with the bus driver, whom he accused of scraping against his car.
The passengers started shouting at the man, who got back into his car and appeared to be about to leave.
But instead he accelerated forwards onto the pavement and into the crowd of passengers, crushing several of them under his vehicle.
One woman later died, and several other passengers were seriously injured.
A fit of road rage perhaps? The police charged the young man, Kanpitak Pachimsawas, with murder.
But the case very quickly turned into one about class differences, about the perceived arrogance of Thailand's rich, towards the poor.
'Bad attitude'
Kanpitak, it turned out, was the 20-year-old son of a former Miss Thailand beauty queen and a wealthy businessman.
The bus driver reported that his father had arrived at the scene and threatened to use his police connections against the passengers.
"He thinks he has money and a big family name, so he can do things like this to poor people," the bus conductor told reporters at the scene.
Kanpitak's father was unrepentant. Speaking on a TV chat show two days later, he showed more concern for his son than his victims.
Responding to the bus conductor's comments he said: "They are uneducated. That's how they are.
"They think they are abused, that rich people are bad, that the police are bad. Lower class people have a bad attitude towards police officers and rich people. They hate us and curse us."
Suddenly we were witnessing something you do not see much in Thailand - open class conflict.
Inequality
Thailand has one of the most unequal distributions of wealth anywhere on the planet, despite some recent improvements.
And that yawning gap between rich and poor is most openly on view in Bangkok, where ostentatious displays of wealth are commonplace alongside the grinding poverty experienced by millions of migrant workers who have come from the countryside.
Luxury cars costing more than the entire annual income of a village rub up against the battered carts of street vendors.
New shopping centres and apartment blocks are crowding out what little open space remains in the city, projects that help the rich get even richer.
It should come as no surprise that it is in Bangkok that a five-star hotel is offering its 50 highest-spending guests what it calls the meal of a lifetime, prepared by a team of Michelin-starred chefs and preceded by the guests being flown by executive jet to a village in eastern Thailand to witness a little poverty before tucking into their 10-course feast.
Total cost: around US$300,000 (£150,000). The event has barely raised an eyebrow in Thailand, but caused such an uproar elsewhere over its questionable taste that many top chefs in France have decided to boycott it.
What is so striking about Thailand's inequality is how little visible social tension there is.
For the most part people appear to accept their lot without resentment. Some put this down to Buddhist concepts of fate and karma, others, to Thailand's deep-rooted sense of hierarchy, with the king at its apex.
Social activist and former Senator Jon Ungpakorn sees more prosaic causes.
"Because of the high growth rates in Thailand there is a sort of buffer," he says.
"Even the poor feel they are doing better than they would have done many years ago. They still see that they have opportunities ahead."
'Damage is done'
The case of Kanpitak Pachimsawas has struck a raw nerve.
Websites in Thailand are filled with comments demanding that the young man face the full force of the law, regardless of his family connections.
Some poke fun at his father's claim that it was mental stress that caused him to drive his car into the crowd.
But there is little of the blistering anger that erupted in China after a similar case four years ago, when a woman who drove her BMW at a farmer she had been arguing with, killing his wife, was given only a suspended jail sentence.
It forced the Chinese authorities to reopen the case, and to close down websites carrying the online debate over the case.
In Thailand, Kanpitak Pachimsawas was released on bail and, amazingly, even allowed to continue driving.
On his first day in court he was apparently overcome by nerves and said he was unable to answer any questions. The judge adjourned the case until November. He may never go to prison.
Suchira Insawan, the daughter of the woman he killed, says she feels no anger towards him.
She has yet to receive any compensation from the Pachimsawas family - she has asked for 7m baht ($222,000; £111,000) but is likely to get less, perhaps even less than the list price of the Mercedes-Benz that crushed her mother.
"The damage is done," she told me. "I forgive him. I don't want to destroy his future, I don't want him to be jailed. I don't want bad karma."
She also had little faith that the courts would find against such a privileged young man.
"Many parts of the Thai bureaucratic system favour rich people. If you are not one of them, you will always be left at the back of the queue."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/a ... 328054.stm
Published: 2008/04/07 01:42:37 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
By Jonathan Head
BBC News, Bangkok
Sometimes a single incident manages to shine a spotlight deep into the soul of a society.
There was just such an incident in Thailand last year, which has just gone to court, and which speaks volumes about the dislocating impact of more than four decades of break-neck economic growth.
It was a seemingly routine accident along Sukhumvit Road, one of Bangkok's busiest and most traffic-clogged thoroughfares.
A Mercedes-Benz was pulled up alongside a city bus, and a young man was having an angry exchange with the bus driver, whom he accused of scraping against his car.
The passengers started shouting at the man, who got back into his car and appeared to be about to leave.
But instead he accelerated forwards onto the pavement and into the crowd of passengers, crushing several of them under his vehicle.
One woman later died, and several other passengers were seriously injured.
A fit of road rage perhaps? The police charged the young man, Kanpitak Pachimsawas, with murder.
But the case very quickly turned into one about class differences, about the perceived arrogance of Thailand's rich, towards the poor.
'Bad attitude'
Kanpitak, it turned out, was the 20-year-old son of a former Miss Thailand beauty queen and a wealthy businessman.
He was also the nephew of a powerful police officer.Many parts of the Thai bureaucratic system favour rich people - if you are not one of them, you will always be left at the back of the queue
Suchira Insawan
The bus driver reported that his father had arrived at the scene and threatened to use his police connections against the passengers.
"He thinks he has money and a big family name, so he can do things like this to poor people," the bus conductor told reporters at the scene.
Kanpitak's father was unrepentant. Speaking on a TV chat show two days later, he showed more concern for his son than his victims.
Responding to the bus conductor's comments he said: "They are uneducated. That's how they are.
"They think they are abused, that rich people are bad, that the police are bad. Lower class people have a bad attitude towards police officers and rich people. They hate us and curse us."
Suddenly we were witnessing something you do not see much in Thailand - open class conflict.
Inequality
Thailand has one of the most unequal distributions of wealth anywhere on the planet, despite some recent improvements.
And that yawning gap between rich and poor is most openly on view in Bangkok, where ostentatious displays of wealth are commonplace alongside the grinding poverty experienced by millions of migrant workers who have come from the countryside.
Luxury cars costing more than the entire annual income of a village rub up against the battered carts of street vendors.
New shopping centres and apartment blocks are crowding out what little open space remains in the city, projects that help the rich get even richer.
It should come as no surprise that it is in Bangkok that a five-star hotel is offering its 50 highest-spending guests what it calls the meal of a lifetime, prepared by a team of Michelin-starred chefs and preceded by the guests being flown by executive jet to a village in eastern Thailand to witness a little poverty before tucking into their 10-course feast.
Total cost: around US$300,000 (£150,000). The event has barely raised an eyebrow in Thailand, but caused such an uproar elsewhere over its questionable taste that many top chefs in France have decided to boycott it.
What is so striking about Thailand's inequality is how little visible social tension there is.
For the most part people appear to accept their lot without resentment. Some put this down to Buddhist concepts of fate and karma, others, to Thailand's deep-rooted sense of hierarchy, with the king at its apex.
Social activist and former Senator Jon Ungpakorn sees more prosaic causes.
"Because of the high growth rates in Thailand there is a sort of buffer," he says.
"Even the poor feel they are doing better than they would have done many years ago. They still see that they have opportunities ahead."
'Damage is done'
The case of Kanpitak Pachimsawas has struck a raw nerve.
Websites in Thailand are filled with comments demanding that the young man face the full force of the law, regardless of his family connections.
Some poke fun at his father's claim that it was mental stress that caused him to drive his car into the crowd.
But there is little of the blistering anger that erupted in China after a similar case four years ago, when a woman who drove her BMW at a farmer she had been arguing with, killing his wife, was given only a suspended jail sentence.
It forced the Chinese authorities to reopen the case, and to close down websites carrying the online debate over the case.
In Thailand, Kanpitak Pachimsawas was released on bail and, amazingly, even allowed to continue driving.
On his first day in court he was apparently overcome by nerves and said he was unable to answer any questions. The judge adjourned the case until November. He may never go to prison.
Suchira Insawan, the daughter of the woman he killed, says she feels no anger towards him.
She has yet to receive any compensation from the Pachimsawas family - she has asked for 7m baht ($222,000; £111,000) but is likely to get less, perhaps even less than the list price of the Mercedes-Benz that crushed her mother.
"The damage is done," she told me. "I forgive him. I don't want to destroy his future, I don't want him to be jailed. I don't want bad karma."
She also had little faith that the courts would find against such a privileged young man.
"Many parts of the Thai bureaucratic system favour rich people. If you are not one of them, you will always be left at the back of the queue."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/a ... 328054.stm
Published: 2008/04/07 01:42:37 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 132
'Outcast' Lehmann blasts Wenger
Out-of-favour goalkeeper Jens Lehmann claims he could have prevented Arsenal going out of the Champions League - if only he had been given the chance.
In German magazine Kicker, Lehmann, 38, hit out at manager Arsene Wenger and first-choice keeper Manuel Almunia, 30, after the defeat by Liverpool.
"For me it is a tragedy since I did not have a chance to prevent it," he said.
"I stayed here to win the competition and saw good chances to play but I've not had them. It makes me very angry."
During the Bundesliga's winter break, the German number one rejected a return to Borussia Dortmund in an effort to regain his starting place with the Gunners.
But this has not happened and Lehmann is concerned that a lack of first-team action could cost him any chance of playing at Euro 2008.
"To be sitting on the bench behind somebody who only started to play when he was 30 is not funny," he added. "I am very angry."
He also laid into Wenger over his handling of the situation.
"If the coach had spoken to me before the start of the season then I would have been able to decide if I wanted to sit on the bench," he stated.
"He has a different opinion and I don't really believe he can be happy with it."
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2 ... 340652.stm
Published: 2008/04/10 13:15:40 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Out-of-favour goalkeeper Jens Lehmann claims he could have prevented Arsenal going out of the Champions League - if only he had been given the chance.
In German magazine Kicker, Lehmann, 38, hit out at manager Arsene Wenger and first-choice keeper Manuel Almunia, 30, after the defeat by Liverpool.
"For me it is a tragedy since I did not have a chance to prevent it," he said.
"I stayed here to win the competition and saw good chances to play but I've not had them. It makes me very angry."
During the Bundesliga's winter break, the German number one rejected a return to Borussia Dortmund in an effort to regain his starting place with the Gunners.
But this has not happened and Lehmann is concerned that a lack of first-team action could cost him any chance of playing at Euro 2008.
"To be sitting on the bench behind somebody who only started to play when he was 30 is not funny," he added. "I am very angry."
He also laid into Wenger over his handling of the situation.
"If the coach had spoken to me before the start of the season then I would have been able to decide if I wanted to sit on the bench," he stated.
"He has a different opinion and I don't really believe he can be happy with it."
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2 ... 340652.stm
Published: 2008/04/10 13:15:40 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 133
Burma migrants suffocate in lorry
Fifty-four Burmese migrants have been found dead after suffocating in a lorry smuggling them into southern Thailand.
More than 100 people were packed into a container measuring 6m by 2m. Many of the survivors are seriously ill from dehydration and lack of oxygen.
The driver opened the doors of the vehicle after the migrants banged on the walls - but he fled on foot when he saw what had happened.
Thousands of Burmese risk the trip to Thailand in the hope of better wages.
Police said the Burmese had crossed by boat to the Thai town of Ranong from Burma's southern tip at Victoria Point - a route often used by illegal migrants.
They had then been packed into an airtight container on a lorry for the journey to the resort island of Phuket.
Police detention
Local police chief Col Kraithong Chanthongbai said the ventilation in the container had failed.
"The [survivors] said they tried to bang on the walls of the container to tell the driver they were dying, but he told them to shut up as police would hear them when they crossed through checkpoints inside Thailand," he told the French news agency AFP.
Police said at least 47 migrants survived and 54 died - 37 women and 17 men.
The survivors who did not need hospital treatment were detained by the Thai authorities.
Saw Win, a 30-year-old survivor, told the Associated Press from police custody how he believed everyone would perish in the lorry.
"I thought everyone was going to die. I thought I was going to die. If the truck had driven for 30 minutes more, I would have died for sure," he said.
It is thought the migrants paid between 5,000 baht ($155; £75) and 10,000 baht for their passage into Thailand.
There are thought to be up to two million Burmese workers in Thailand, more than half of whom are in the country illegally.
They fill the low-paid, often dangerous jobs in sectors including textiles, construction and fisheries that Thai workers do not want.
But these jobs offer the migrants salaries that far exceed what they could earn in military-ruled Burma, one of South East Asia's most impoverished nations.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/a ... 339939.stm
Published: 2008/04/10 09:50:09 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Fifty-four Burmese migrants have been found dead after suffocating in a lorry smuggling them into southern Thailand.
More than 100 people were packed into a container measuring 6m by 2m. Many of the survivors are seriously ill from dehydration and lack of oxygen.
The driver opened the doors of the vehicle after the migrants banged on the walls - but he fled on foot when he saw what had happened.
Thousands of Burmese risk the trip to Thailand in the hope of better wages.
Police said the Burmese had crossed by boat to the Thai town of Ranong from Burma's southern tip at Victoria Point - a route often used by illegal migrants.
They had then been packed into an airtight container on a lorry for the journey to the resort island of Phuket.
Police detention
Local police chief Col Kraithong Chanthongbai said the ventilation in the container had failed.
"The [survivors] said they tried to bang on the walls of the container to tell the driver they were dying, but he told them to shut up as police would hear them when they crossed through checkpoints inside Thailand," he told the French news agency AFP.
Thailand : 141,000 refugees in camps, about 500,000 registered migrants, up to 1,350,000 unregistered
Bangladesh : 27,000 refugees in camps, 200,000 unregistered
Malaysia : 30,000 refugees, several thousand unregistered
India and China : Tens of thousands of unregistered workers in border states of Mizoram and Yunnan respectively
Sources: UNHCR, NGOs
Police said at least 47 migrants survived and 54 died - 37 women and 17 men.
The survivors who did not need hospital treatment were detained by the Thai authorities.
Saw Win, a 30-year-old survivor, told the Associated Press from police custody how he believed everyone would perish in the lorry.
"I thought everyone was going to die. I thought I was going to die. If the truck had driven for 30 minutes more, I would have died for sure," he said.
It is thought the migrants paid between 5,000 baht ($155; £75) and 10,000 baht for their passage into Thailand.
There are thought to be up to two million Burmese workers in Thailand, more than half of whom are in the country illegally.
They fill the low-paid, often dangerous jobs in sectors including textiles, construction and fisheries that Thai workers do not want.
But these jobs offer the migrants salaries that far exceed what they could earn in military-ruled Burma, one of South East Asia's most impoverished nations.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/a ... 339939.stm
Published: 2008/04/10 09:50:09 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 134
Japan shies away from shrine film
By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Tokyo
An old man wearing a white tunic and a dark apron, steps into the frame from the right of the cinema screen.
From a scabbard he pulls a long ceremonial sword. Calmly and with precision, he carves an arc in the air above his head with the blade, before bringing it down firmly, deliberately in the space in front of him.
Naoji Kariya, who is 90, is the last living swordsmith at the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, the place where Japan remembers its war dead.
He is one of the characters interviewed at length for a new documentary, simply entitled Yasukuni, made by Chinese film-maker Li Ying.
The film has attracted criticism from some lawmakers in Japan, who have described it as "anti-Japanese."
Those comments have been blamed for inciting right-wing activists to make threats of violence and stage protests against cinemas that planned to show the movie this weekend.
Five have cancelled screenings.
Publicly funded
For the moment, the film - which has won awards at festivals elsewhere in the world - will not be released in Japan.
But the criticism of his documentary has disappointed Li Ying - particularly the comments from some lawmakers, who demanded a special screening before it went to the cinemas.
"It was used to encourage nationalism. It's a very dangerous phrase. Those who use it are irresponsible."
The joint Sino-Japanese production was partly financed by the Japanese taxpayer. The film-makers were given a grant of 7.5 million yen.
Some politicians have questioned whether this was an appropriate use of public funds, claiming that the film should have been more balanced.
In all, Li Ying has spent 10 years, on and off, making the film.
During visits to Yasukuni he says he was at times threatened, abused, and on occasion had his equipment confiscated. Newspapers here have reported that he has received death threats.
He says he set out to try to understand better what the shrine means to Japanese people.
Those who gave their lives in the service of the Japanese emperor are honoured at the shrine. Among them are 14 class A war criminals, convicted after the end of World War II.
It was the place where the kamikaze pilots promised each other they would meet again once their deadly missions were complete.
To many it is one of the most sacred places in Japan. To others it is a place they feel glorifies war.
Legacy of war
Li Ying includes both supporters and opponents of Yasukuni in his film.
Some incidents are hard to watch. In one scene, left-wing activists trying to disrupt the singing of the national anthem during a public meeting at the shrine are pulled away and beaten up by right-wingers.
Others incidents are compelling. The camera lingers as it watches the swordsmith carefully sharpening the blade of a ceremonial sword he has fired in a brazier.
Shinto priests stride through the darkness towards the innermost sanctum of the shrine to carry out their devotions.
A lone soldier, dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Army marches through the rain to salute his fallen comrades.
"The subject of the film is the aftermath - the legacy of the war, as defined in the space of Yasukuni," Li Ying says.
"The debate over Yasukuni is a debate over symbols. That's why I focused on the swordsmith. The sword is the symbol of Yasukuni."
Some cinemas have been reluctant to show the film due to the public debate surrounding its content.
One is the Humax Cinema in Tokyo, where Akio Nakamura works.
"We had right-wingers with a loudspeaker van outside the cinema for three days," he says.
"Since we can't stop them and it annoys our customers, we have had to give in."
Right-wing objections
Japan's right-wing activists are noisy - and sometimes violent. Although they are a tiny minority here, they know how to intimidate.
"Yasukuni has become the touchstone of the Japanese right wing," explains Professor Phil Deans, from Temple University in Tokyo.
"They are very concerned that a documentary made by a Chinese film-maker, a foreigner, will be critical, and that's why it is such an important issue for them."
But Masahisa Sato, a law-maker from the governing Liberal Democratic Party who is a defender of the shrine, believes the fault lies with the cinemas, not with the politicians who criticised the film.
"I don't think the pressure of the protesters was that great," he argues.
"Lots of cinemas decided themselves to cancel the film to avoid trouble. Those who say politicians added to the pressure on them are wrong."
However, the row may yet backfire on the film's detractors.
Plans to show the film this weekend might have been dropped, but the distributors are confident that once the dust has settled, the film's new-found notoriety will mean it gets shown in more than 20 cinemas nationwide.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/w ... 342952.stm
Published: 2008/04/11 15:04:57 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Tokyo
An old man wearing a white tunic and a dark apron, steps into the frame from the right of the cinema screen.
From a scabbard he pulls a long ceremonial sword. Calmly and with precision, he carves an arc in the air above his head with the blade, before bringing it down firmly, deliberately in the space in front of him.
Naoji Kariya, who is 90, is the last living swordsmith at the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, the place where Japan remembers its war dead.
He is one of the characters interviewed at length for a new documentary, simply entitled Yasukuni, made by Chinese film-maker Li Ying.
The film has attracted criticism from some lawmakers in Japan, who have described it as "anti-Japanese."
Those comments have been blamed for inciting right-wing activists to make threats of violence and stage protests against cinemas that planned to show the movie this weekend.
Five have cancelled screenings.
Publicly funded
For the moment, the film - which has won awards at festivals elsewhere in the world - will not be released in Japan.
But the criticism of his documentary has disappointed Li Ying - particularly the comments from some lawmakers, who demanded a special screening before it went to the cinemas.
"'Anti-Japanese' was a phrase that was used here often before the Sino-Japanese War," the director says.Lots of cinemas decided themselves to cancel the film to avoid trouble. Those who say politicians added to the pressure on them are wrong
Masahisa Sato, MP
"It was used to encourage nationalism. It's a very dangerous phrase. Those who use it are irresponsible."
The joint Sino-Japanese production was partly financed by the Japanese taxpayer. The film-makers were given a grant of 7.5 million yen.
Some politicians have questioned whether this was an appropriate use of public funds, claiming that the film should have been more balanced.
In all, Li Ying has spent 10 years, on and off, making the film.
During visits to Yasukuni he says he was at times threatened, abused, and on occasion had his equipment confiscated. Newspapers here have reported that he has received death threats.
He says he set out to try to understand better what the shrine means to Japanese people.
Those who gave their lives in the service of the Japanese emperor are honoured at the shrine. Among them are 14 class A war criminals, convicted after the end of World War II.
It was the place where the kamikaze pilots promised each other they would meet again once their deadly missions were complete.
To many it is one of the most sacred places in Japan. To others it is a place they feel glorifies war.
Legacy of war
Li Ying includes both supporters and opponents of Yasukuni in his film.
YASUKUNI SHRINE
Built in 1869 to honour victims of the Boshin Civil War
Now venerates the souls of 2.5m of Japan's war dead
Those enshrined include 14 Class A war criminals
Some incidents are hard to watch. In one scene, left-wing activists trying to disrupt the singing of the national anthem during a public meeting at the shrine are pulled away and beaten up by right-wingers.
Others incidents are compelling. The camera lingers as it watches the swordsmith carefully sharpening the blade of a ceremonial sword he has fired in a brazier.
Shinto priests stride through the darkness towards the innermost sanctum of the shrine to carry out their devotions.
A lone soldier, dressed in the uniform of the Imperial Army marches through the rain to salute his fallen comrades.
"The subject of the film is the aftermath - the legacy of the war, as defined in the space of Yasukuni," Li Ying says.
"The debate over Yasukuni is a debate over symbols. That's why I focused on the swordsmith. The sword is the symbol of Yasukuni."
Some cinemas have been reluctant to show the film due to the public debate surrounding its content.
One is the Humax Cinema in Tokyo, where Akio Nakamura works.
"We had right-wingers with a loudspeaker van outside the cinema for three days," he says.
"Since we can't stop them and it annoys our customers, we have had to give in."
Right-wing objections
Japan's right-wing activists are noisy - and sometimes violent. Although they are a tiny minority here, they know how to intimidate.
"Yasukuni has become the touchstone of the Japanese right wing," explains Professor Phil Deans, from Temple University in Tokyo.
"They are very concerned that a documentary made by a Chinese film-maker, a foreigner, will be critical, and that's why it is such an important issue for them."
But Masahisa Sato, a law-maker from the governing Liberal Democratic Party who is a defender of the shrine, believes the fault lies with the cinemas, not with the politicians who criticised the film.
"I don't think the pressure of the protesters was that great," he argues.
"Lots of cinemas decided themselves to cancel the film to avoid trouble. Those who say politicians added to the pressure on them are wrong."
However, the row may yet backfire on the film's detractors.
Plans to show the film this weekend might have been dropped, but the distributors are confident that once the dust has settled, the film's new-found notoriety will mean it gets shown in more than 20 cinemas nationwide.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/w ... 342952.stm
Published: 2008/04/11 15:04:57 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 135
US consumer mood at 26-year low
US consumer sentiment is now at its lowest level in 26 years, a closely-watched survey has found.
With sentiment knocked by recession fears, the University of Michigan's index of confidence fell to 63.2 for April from 69.5 in March.
This month's figure is the lowest since March 1982, when the US economy was deep in an economic downturn.
It is just the latest study to show that US consumer confidence has fallen sharply in recent months.
The news hit the markets, with America's main Dow Jones index ending Friday down 2%, while the Nasdaq gave up 2.6%.
'Recession territory'
It found that respondents were concerned about "persistently high food and fuel prices, as well as rising unemployment".
The figure for April was much worse than analysts' expectations.
The increasing indications of possible recession in the US first started last summer when the revelation of billions of dollars of bad debt in the US housing market sparked the current credit crunch.
With banks much less willing to lend to each other, businesses and consumers, the credit squeeze has spread to the wider economy.
With consumer sentiment hit further by high food and fuel prices, it is starting to hit retail spending, which is the main bedrock of the US economy.
US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson admitted earlier this week that the US economy has "turned down sharply".
To try to alleviate the situation, the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, has now cut interest rates six times since mid-September.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 343001.stm
Published: 2008/04/11 20:45:35 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
US consumer sentiment is now at its lowest level in 26 years, a closely-watched survey has found.
With sentiment knocked by recession fears, the University of Michigan's index of confidence fell to 63.2 for April from 69.5 in March.
This month's figure is the lowest since March 1982, when the US economy was deep in an economic downturn.
It is just the latest study to show that US consumer confidence has fallen sharply in recent months.
The news hit the markets, with America's main Dow Jones index ending Friday down 2%, while the Nasdaq gave up 2.6%.
'Recession territory'
"There have only been a dozen other surveys that have recorded a lower level of consumer sentiment in the more than 50-year history of the survey," said the University of Michigan.
It found that respondents were concerned about "persistently high food and fuel prices, as well as rising unemployment".
The figure for April was much worse than analysts' expectations.
Bad debt"We are definitely in recession territory," said Carl Lantz of Credit Suisse.
"It confirms what we already know, that we are in consumer-led recession, and it's going to be a pretty protracted one."
The increasing indications of possible recession in the US first started last summer when the revelation of billions of dollars of bad debt in the US housing market sparked the current credit crunch.
With banks much less willing to lend to each other, businesses and consumers, the credit squeeze has spread to the wider economy.
With consumer sentiment hit further by high food and fuel prices, it is starting to hit retail spending, which is the main bedrock of the US economy.
US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson admitted earlier this week that the US economy has "turned down sharply".
To try to alleviate the situation, the Federal Reserve, the US central bank, has now cut interest rates six times since mid-September.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 343001.stm
Published: 2008/04/11 20:45:35 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 136
Tyson offers to counsel Gascoigne
Mike Tyson has offered to provide counselling and support to troubled Paul Gascoigne when he tours the UK.
The former Newcastle United player recently suffered a mental breakdown and had to spend two weeks in a psychiatric hospital.
Former heavyweight champion Tyson believes his own chequered past could help the 40-year-old.
Tyson is holding a series of speaking engagements in the North in May, including a date in Gateshead.
The 41-year-old said: "I know all about Gazza and I feel I can help him. A lot of top sportsmen have suffered in their private lives, including me, and that is why I want to help.
"I still see him as a superstar and would like to meet him if he feels up for it."
'On a downer'
He has already met England striker, and boxing fan, Wayne Rooney several times.
Their first meeting three years ago was a boost for the young footballer at a time when he was under fire for his aggressive style of play.
Tyson said: "Back in 2005, Wayne Rooney was on a downer and I met him and lifted his spirits.
"I am sure I can do the same for Paul Gascoigne."
Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and jailed for a day in November 2007 for driving while under the influence of drugs.
Gascoigne was detained in February after Northumbria Police were called to a Newcastle hotel following reports he was acting erratically.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/u ... 346858.stm
Published: 2008/04/14 14:29:00 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Mike Tyson has offered to provide counselling and support to troubled Paul Gascoigne when he tours the UK.
The former Newcastle United player recently suffered a mental breakdown and had to spend two weeks in a psychiatric hospital.
Former heavyweight champion Tyson believes his own chequered past could help the 40-year-old.
Tyson is holding a series of speaking engagements in the North in May, including a date in Gateshead.
The 41-year-old said: "I know all about Gazza and I feel I can help him. A lot of top sportsmen have suffered in their private lives, including me, and that is why I want to help.
"I still see him as a superstar and would like to meet him if he feels up for it."
'On a downer'
He has already met England striker, and boxing fan, Wayne Rooney several times.
Their first meeting three years ago was a boost for the young footballer at a time when he was under fire for his aggressive style of play.
Tyson said: "Back in 2005, Wayne Rooney was on a downer and I met him and lifted his spirits.
"I am sure I can do the same for Paul Gascoigne."
Tyson was convicted of rape in 1992 and jailed for a day in November 2007 for driving while under the influence of drugs.
Gascoigne was detained in February after Northumbria Police were called to a Newcastle hotel following reports he was acting erratically.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/u ... 346858.stm
Published: 2008/04/14 14:29:00 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 138
IBM profits surge despite economy
Computer giant IBM has reported a 26% rise in first-quarter profits despite fears of a faltering US economy.
Net income rose to $2.32bn (£1.18bn) in the first three months of 2008 from $1.84bn in the same quarter a year earlier.
IBM's US business performed well despite the problems facing many of the firm's financial sector clients.
Revenue was also boosted by weakness in the US dollar, which inflates the value of overseas sales.
Revenue grew 11% to $24.5bn, beating analysts' expectations.
IBM said its revenue would have risen just 4% if not for currency gains.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 351678.stm
Published: 2008/04/16 22:06:48 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Weak dollar boosts eBay profits
Profits at online auction site eBay have risen 22% as the weak dollar helped boost the value of the firm's international sales.
EBay's net income rose to $459.7m (£233m) in the first three months of 2008 from $377.1m in the same period a year earlier.
It also gave a rosy outlook for the rest of the year, forecasting annual revenues between $8.7bn and $9bn.
The firm now makes the bulk of its money outside the US.
Revenue rose 24% to $2.19bn, benefiting from growth in eBay's international businesses.
The effect of translating overseas currencies into dollars boosted quarterly sales by $110m.
EBay's figures surpassed analysts' expectations.
"I would say the international markets are important and right now they are benefiting from a weak dollar," said Martin Pyykkonen, internet analyst at Global Crown Capital.
The firm recently introduced pricing changes and customer service standards for eBay sellers that have raised the cost for some sellers to do business on eBay.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 351637.stm
Published: 2008/04/16 21:28:17 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Computer giant IBM has reported a 26% rise in first-quarter profits despite fears of a faltering US economy.
Net income rose to $2.32bn (£1.18bn) in the first three months of 2008 from $1.84bn in the same quarter a year earlier.
IBM's US business performed well despite the problems facing many of the firm's financial sector clients.
Revenue was also boosted by weakness in the US dollar, which inflates the value of overseas sales.
Revenue grew 11% to $24.5bn, beating analysts' expectations.
IBM said its revenue would have risen just 4% if not for currency gains.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 351678.stm
Published: 2008/04/16 22:06:48 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Weak dollar boosts eBay profits
Profits at online auction site eBay have risen 22% as the weak dollar helped boost the value of the firm's international sales.
EBay's net income rose to $459.7m (£233m) in the first three months of 2008 from $377.1m in the same period a year earlier.
It also gave a rosy outlook for the rest of the year, forecasting annual revenues between $8.7bn and $9bn.
The firm now makes the bulk of its money outside the US.
Revenue rose 24% to $2.19bn, benefiting from growth in eBay's international businesses.
The effect of translating overseas currencies into dollars boosted quarterly sales by $110m.
EBay's figures surpassed analysts' expectations.
"I would say the international markets are important and right now they are benefiting from a weak dollar," said Martin Pyykkonen, internet analyst at Global Crown Capital.
The firm recently introduced pricing changes and customer service standards for eBay sellers that have raised the cost for some sellers to do business on eBay.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 351637.stm
Published: 2008/04/16 21:28:17 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 139
Google shrugs off ad sales fear
Google has reported market-beating results for the first three months of the year, easing worries of a slowdown in online advertising.
The owner of the most popular online search engine, said first-quarter profits rose to $1.31bn, up 30% from the same period a year ago.
Google boss Eric Schmidt said "innovation in search, ads, and apps" helped to boost earnings growth.
There have been fears that the firm was being hit by the slowing US economy.
Google said sales were up 42% to $5.19bn for the quarter ended 31 March.
Its shares fell $5.50, or 1.2%, to $449.50 before its results were released, but they rebounded sharply after the closing bell which means that when New York trading begins on Friday, they will rise.
It's a good time to be a Google bull," said Colin Gillis, an analyst with Canaccord Adams. "The boys delivered."
Bright future?
Shares in Google, the darling of the technology sector in 2007, saw its shares reach a peak of $741.80 in November last year, making it the fifth biggest US company by market capitalisation.
But since then, its shares have been hammered on worries that it faced an advertising slump amid mounting evidence that the US is slipping into a recession.
Recent data from research firm comScore showed that fewer web searchers were viewing these, fanning fears that the company's best days were behind it.
Clicks on Google's sponsored links in the US slowed from a growth rate of 25% in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 1.8% in the first quarter of this year, according to comScore.
But its upbeat results suggest the reason for this reflects a deliberate reduction in the number of ads on each search results page to deliver to advertisers better matched visitors who are more likely to buy their products.
Analysts say Google's strong performance could strengthen Microsoft's resolve to buy Yahoo even if it means raising its $44.6bn offer - a move that it has so far rejected.
Yahoo, keenly looking at ways to escape being bought by Microsoft, has even teamed up with rival Google in a two-week experiment which will see search-driven Google adverts alongside the search results of Yahoo's website.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 353677.stm
Published: 2008/04/18 00:37:36 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Google has reported market-beating results for the first three months of the year, easing worries of a slowdown in online advertising.
The owner of the most popular online search engine, said first-quarter profits rose to $1.31bn, up 30% from the same period a year ago.
Google boss Eric Schmidt said "innovation in search, ads, and apps" helped to boost earnings growth.
There have been fears that the firm was being hit by the slowing US economy.
Google said sales were up 42% to $5.19bn for the quarter ended 31 March.
For the first time, the California-based firm earned more revenue abroad - 51% of total sales - compared to its home market. This was partly due to a slump in the weak dollar which increases the value of non-US earnings.It's a good time to be a Google bull
Colin Gillis
Analyst, Canaccord Adams
Its shares fell $5.50, or 1.2%, to $449.50 before its results were released, but they rebounded sharply after the closing bell which means that when New York trading begins on Friday, they will rise.
It's a good time to be a Google bull," said Colin Gillis, an analyst with Canaccord Adams. "The boys delivered."
Bright future?
Shares in Google, the darling of the technology sector in 2007, saw its shares reach a peak of $741.80 in November last year, making it the fifth biggest US company by market capitalisation.
But since then, its shares have been hammered on worries that it faced an advertising slump amid mounting evidence that the US is slipping into a recession.
The California-based company makes money when internet surfers click on the paid-for-links on the right hand side of the website which takes them through to the adverts.US SEARCH MARKET SHARE
Google: 59.8%
Yahoo: 21.3%
Microsoft: 9.4%
AOL: 4.8%
Source: comScore March figures
Recent data from research firm comScore showed that fewer web searchers were viewing these, fanning fears that the company's best days were behind it.
Clicks on Google's sponsored links in the US slowed from a growth rate of 25% in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 1.8% in the first quarter of this year, according to comScore.
But its upbeat results suggest the reason for this reflects a deliberate reduction in the number of ads on each search results page to deliver to advertisers better matched visitors who are more likely to buy their products.
Analysts say Google's strong performance could strengthen Microsoft's resolve to buy Yahoo even if it means raising its $44.6bn offer - a move that it has so far rejected.
Yahoo, keenly looking at ways to escape being bought by Microsoft, has even teamed up with rival Google in a two-week experiment which will see search-driven Google adverts alongside the search results of Yahoo's website.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 353677.stm
Published: 2008/04/18 00:37:36 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 140
Video games immune to US slowdown
US sales of video game consoles and software have grown 57% over the past year, defying the economic downturn.
Consumers snapped up consoles, games and accessories worth $1.7bn during March, according to research firm NPD.
Nintendo's Wii came top with 720,000 units. Microsoft sold 262,000 Xbox 360 consoles, ahead of Sony's PlayStation 3 which found 257,000 customers.
Nintendo executives said Wii sales had been driven by the release of Super Smash Bros Brawl, which was the best-selling game in the US in March with 2.7 million copies sold.
Runner-up in the games hit list was the Xbox version of Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, with 752,000 sales.
Microsoft also celebrated overtaking arch rival Sony in the console wars. Sales of its Xbox 360 had been lagging during the past two months, mainly due to a "supply issue".
Although there were "still pockets of shortages" these had been solved, said David Dennis at Microsoft .
Sony for its part said that sales of its relatively new PlayStation 3 had doubled over the past year, and predicted that new games such as Gran Turismo 5 and Metal Gear Solid 4 would help to sustain momentum.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 353841.stm
Published: 2008/04/18 06:31:28 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
US sales of video game consoles and software have grown 57% over the past year, defying the economic downturn.
Consumers snapped up consoles, games and accessories worth $1.7bn during March, according to research firm NPD.
Nintendo's Wii came top with 720,000 units. Microsoft sold 262,000 Xbox 360 consoles, ahead of Sony's PlayStation 3 which found 257,000 customers.
"You'd never know the US economy was under distress by looking at the sales figures," said NPD's Anita Frazer.
Nintendo executives said Wii sales had been driven by the release of Super Smash Bros Brawl, which was the best-selling game in the US in March with 2.7 million copies sold.
Runner-up in the games hit list was the Xbox version of Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, with 752,000 sales.
Microsoft also celebrated overtaking arch rival Sony in the console wars. Sales of its Xbox 360 had been lagging during the past two months, mainly due to a "supply issue".
Although there were "still pockets of shortages" these had been solved, said David Dennis at Microsoft .
Sony for its part said that sales of its relatively new PlayStation 3 had doubled over the past year, and predicted that new games such as Gran Turismo 5 and Metal Gear Solid 4 would help to sustain momentum.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 353841.stm
Published: 2008/04/18 06:31:28 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
-
Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 141
World 'could see 70s-style slump'
Singapore's investment agency GIC has warned that the world is in danger of sinking into the worst recession in 30 years if swift action is not taken.
As the global supply of money shrinks, Tony Tan, GIC's deputy chairman, said the world faced a period of "extreme uncertainty".
GIC was formed to manage Singapore's vast foreign currency reserves.
It has invested billions of dollars recently buying into troubled western banks, including UBS and Citigroup.
Swiss banking giant UBS and Wall Street heavyweight Citigroup have suffered substantially from failed investments linked to the US housing market which has slumped since last August.
Citigroup posted a second massive loss for its latest three month period last week after writing down by $12bn (£6bn) the value of investments linked to US mortgages and other risky assets.
As a result of the problems, Citigroup said it would cut 9,000 jobs.
The problems afflicting the banks and many of their rivals has resulted in heightened volatility in financial markets, and a freezing up in the supply of money as banks become more risk averse.
GIC said it managed assets with a value of "well above $100bn".
Analysts said the fund's assets could be more than $300bn, making it one of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 357998.stm
Published: 2008/04/21 06:52:48 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Singapore's investment agency GIC has warned that the world is in danger of sinking into the worst recession in 30 years if swift action is not taken.
As the global supply of money shrinks, Tony Tan, GIC's deputy chairman, said the world faced a period of "extreme uncertainty".
GIC was formed to manage Singapore's vast foreign currency reserves.
It has invested billions of dollars recently buying into troubled western banks, including UBS and Citigroup.
Swiss banking giant UBS and Wall Street heavyweight Citigroup have suffered substantially from failed investments linked to the US housing market which has slumped since last August.
Citigroup posted a second massive loss for its latest three month period last week after writing down by $12bn (£6bn) the value of investments linked to US mortgages and other risky assets.
As a result of the problems, Citigroup said it would cut 9,000 jobs.
The problems afflicting the banks and many of their rivals has resulted in heightened volatility in financial markets, and a freezing up in the supply of money as banks become more risk averse.
Mr Tan defended his purchase of UBS and Citigroup shares: "We regard our investments in UBS and Citigroup as long term investments which will give us good returns when markets stabilise and economic conditions return to more normal levels.""We could be facing a recession which is longer, deeper and wider than any recession we have encountered in the last 30 years," said GIC's Mr Tan.
GIC said it managed assets with a value of "well above $100bn".
Analysts said the fund's assets could be more than $300bn, making it one of the world's biggest sovereign wealth funds.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 357998.stm
Published: 2008/04/21 06:52:48 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
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Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 142
Yahoo reports a jump in profits
Yahoo, fending off a takeover bid from software giant Microsoft, said its profits tripled in the first three months of 2008.
The internet firm reported income of $542.2m (£271.5m) compared with $142.4m in the same period a year earlier.
Yahoo is seeking to prove it is worth more than Microsoft's unsolicited $44.6bn (£22.3bn) offer.
But despite beating forecasts, Yahoo's performance did not convince analysts that the firm merited a better bid.
"This is better than (Wall) Street was expecting. This might pose some issues for Microsoft," said Jeffrey Lindsay, analyst at Sanford C Bernstein & Co.
"It's less likely Microsoft would succeed with a lower bid. They wouldn't be able to reduce their price."
Yahoo's profits were helped by a $401m gain from the sale of a stake in Chinese internet company Alibaba.com.
"Microsoft is breathing a sigh of relief. Even though these are solid results, given long and short term challenges, there's been no overall shift in Yahoo's business," said Jim Friedland, analyst at Cowen & Co.
Yahoo chief executive and co-founder, Jerry Yang, said the firm remained opened to forging a deal with Microsoft but it is also continuing to explore other options.
"Our board and management team continue to be open to any and all alternatives, including a Microsoft deal," Mr Yang said.
Earlier Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said the company will hold firm on its offer for Yahoo regardless of whether Yahoo's quarterly results impress or disappoint investors.
Microsoft has warned if its deal is not accepted by 26 April, it would mount a hostile takeover at a lower price.
To frustrate Microsoft's bid or extract a higher offer, Yahoo has sought to strike alliances with other firms.
Earlier this month, Yahoo announced a two-week experiment that will see the firm share advertising space with rival Google.
During the pilot, Google will be able to place ads alongside 3% of search results on Yahoo's website.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 361931.stm
Published: 2008/04/22 22:45:01 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Yahoo, fending off a takeover bid from software giant Microsoft, said its profits tripled in the first three months of 2008.
The internet firm reported income of $542.2m (£271.5m) compared with $142.4m in the same period a year earlier.
Yahoo is seeking to prove it is worth more than Microsoft's unsolicited $44.6bn (£22.3bn) offer.
But despite beating forecasts, Yahoo's performance did not convince analysts that the firm merited a better bid.
"This is better than (Wall) Street was expecting. This might pose some issues for Microsoft," said Jeffrey Lindsay, analyst at Sanford C Bernstein & Co.
"It's less likely Microsoft would succeed with a lower bid. They wouldn't be able to reduce their price."
Perhaps these figures don't change the game much. Yahoo is still being backed into a corner by its giant unwelcome suitor, and nobody is rushing to its rescue.
Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC technology correspondent
Yahoo's profits were helped by a $401m gain from the sale of a stake in Chinese internet company Alibaba.com.
"Microsoft is breathing a sigh of relief. Even though these are solid results, given long and short term challenges, there's been no overall shift in Yahoo's business," said Jim Friedland, analyst at Cowen & Co.
Yahoo chief executive and co-founder, Jerry Yang, said the firm remained opened to forging a deal with Microsoft but it is also continuing to explore other options.
"Our board and management team continue to be open to any and all alternatives, including a Microsoft deal," Mr Yang said.
Earlier Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said the company will hold firm on its offer for Yahoo regardless of whether Yahoo's quarterly results impress or disappoint investors.
Microsoft has warned if its deal is not accepted by 26 April, it would mount a hostile takeover at a lower price.
To frustrate Microsoft's bid or extract a higher offer, Yahoo has sought to strike alliances with other firms.
Earlier this month, Yahoo announced a two-week experiment that will see the firm share advertising space with rival Google.
During the pilot, Google will be able to place ads alongside 3% of search results on Yahoo's website.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 361931.stm
Published: 2008/04/22 22:45:01 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
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Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 143
Page last updated at 10:31 GMT, Wednesday, 23 April 2008 11:31 UK
Rice at fresh peak on supply fear
Rice importing countries are being hit by export bans in key producers
Rice prices have scaled fresh heights in Asian trade amid concern that export bans by key producers will hit supply.
Rough rice for July delivery touched $24.745 per 100lb for the first time, before falling slightly.
Curbs are in place in India and Vietnam to protect domestic supply and there are fears that Thailand, the world's largest producer, could follow suit.
The global food crisis is a "silent tsunami" with an extra 100 million people facing poverty, the UN said.
The international price of rice - a staple food for half the world - has risen about 68% since the beginning of the year.
The prices of soybeans, corn and wheat have also been marching higher and are currently near their all-time peaks.
A combination of high fuel costs, bad weather and land allocated to biofuels is constraining food supply. At the same time, producer countries are seeking to conserve food for their own people by curtailing exports.
But Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Thailand would continue to be known as the "world's kitchen", as the government considers using abandoned government land to increase agricultural output.
Thailand's Office of Agriculture Economics projected that rice production after milling would be 20.4 million tonnes from this year's crop, with 55% for domestic consumption and the remainder for export.
Thailand produced 19.6 million tonnes last year.
Rice at fresh peak on supply fear
Rice importing countries are being hit by export bans in key producers
Rice prices have scaled fresh heights in Asian trade amid concern that export bans by key producers will hit supply.
Rough rice for July delivery touched $24.745 per 100lb for the first time, before falling slightly.
Curbs are in place in India and Vietnam to protect domestic supply and there are fears that Thailand, the world's largest producer, could follow suit.
The global food crisis is a "silent tsunami" with an extra 100 million people facing poverty, the UN said.
Perfect storm"This is the new face of hunger - the millions of people who were not in the urgent hunger category six months ago, but now are," said the head of the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP), Josette Sheeran.
The international price of rice - a staple food for half the world - has risen about 68% since the beginning of the year.
The prices of soybeans, corn and wheat have also been marching higher and are currently near their all-time peaks.
A combination of high fuel costs, bad weather and land allocated to biofuels is constraining food supply. At the same time, producer countries are seeking to conserve food for their own people by curtailing exports.
But Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said Thailand would continue to be known as the "world's kitchen", as the government considers using abandoned government land to increase agricultural output.
Thailand's Office of Agriculture Economics projected that rice production after milling would be 20.4 million tonnes from this year's crop, with 55% for domestic consumption and the remainder for export.
Thailand produced 19.6 million tonnes last year.
Rabbit VS. Turtle
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Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 144
Wheat prices down 40% from peak
The price of wheat has fallen 40% from a record peak set in February on expectations of a bumper harvest.
The slide could ease sky-high global food prices but analysts said it did not mean that the price of other grains like rice would fall.
Soft red winter wheat on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) fell to its lowest level since November at $8.01 a bushel on Friday.
It hit a record peak of $13.50 a bushel in February.
Prices reached record levels as poor weather hit production and big exporters like Kazakhstan, Russia and Argentina put restrictions on wheat shipments to control domestic inflation.
Demand from Asia's fast growing economies for wheat, which is used to make bread, pasta and noodles, has also pushed up prices.
Record crop predicted
However, farmers have responded to higher prices by planting more of the crop, which is expected to lead to a bumper harvest this year and next.
The International Grains Council has projected a record world wheat crop of 645 million tonnes in 2008/9.
"The big rise in prices in 2007 and early 2008 was a strong incentive to increase the planting of wheat," said Sudakshina Unnikrishnan, an agricultural analyst at Barclays Bank.
"The market is pricing-in expectations of a bigger crop from summer onwards."
But Mr Unnikrishnan said the price of other grains like rice, sugar and corn could remain high:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 367757.stm
Published: 2008/04/25 17:04:40 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
The price of wheat has fallen 40% from a record peak set in February on expectations of a bumper harvest.
The slide could ease sky-high global food prices but analysts said it did not mean that the price of other grains like rice would fall.
Soft red winter wheat on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) fell to its lowest level since November at $8.01 a bushel on Friday.
It hit a record peak of $13.50 a bushel in February.
Prices reached record levels as poor weather hit production and big exporters like Kazakhstan, Russia and Argentina put restrictions on wheat shipments to control domestic inflation.
Demand from Asia's fast growing economies for wheat, which is used to make bread, pasta and noodles, has also pushed up prices.
Record crop predicted
However, farmers have responded to higher prices by planting more of the crop, which is expected to lead to a bumper harvest this year and next.
The International Grains Council has projected a record world wheat crop of 645 million tonnes in 2008/9.
"The big rise in prices in 2007 and early 2008 was a strong incentive to increase the planting of wheat," said Sudakshina Unnikrishnan, an agricultural analyst at Barclays Bank.
"The market is pricing-in expectations of a bigger crop from summer onwards."
But Mr Unnikrishnan said the price of other grains like rice, sugar and corn could remain high:
Story from BBC NEWS:"The increase in wheat planting could come at the expense of other crops - it's a zero sum game," Ms Unnikrishnan said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 367757.stm
Published: 2008/04/25 17:04:40 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
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humdrum
- Verified User
- โพสต์: 1961
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 145
"
ขอบพระคุณมากครับคุณอา.......
โห.......ทำไมผมไม่เคยคิดเลยนะ ใกล้มากขนาดนี้ ทำไมผมไม่เคยมองเห้นเลยนะ เป้น zero-zum game ๆ จริง ด้วยครับThe increase in wheat planting could come at the expense of other crops - it's a zero sum game," Ms Unnikrishnan said.
ขอบพระคุณมากครับคุณอา.......
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Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 146
Online football tickets for £5,000
By Simon Atkinson
Business reporter, BBC News
Football fans are being offered tickets to Wednesday's crunch Champions League semi-final for more than £5,000 each.
The sell-out clash at Stamford Bridge will determine whether Chelsea or Liverpool will face Manchester United in the all-England final in Moscow next month.
And secondary ticketing websites are looking to cash in on demand, with another site demanding £1,230 for a seat among the Liverpool fans.
'Old Trafford, London'
Under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, it is illegal for UK firms to sell on football tickets over the internet.
However firms based outside the UK are not covered by the legislation.
US ticket website Cheap-tickets4u is advertising category one tickets for Wednesday's Stamford Bridge clash at $10,600 (£5,385)
Meanwhile, the price at 1st4 Football Tickets UK ranges from £422.50, for a seat with a restricted view, to £780 for a ticket that includes a pre-match meal
'Unprecedented'
Tickets for the Champion's League final, on May 21, are already on sale for between £1,300 and £5,100 even before tonight's match has been decided.
US website TicketSolutions.com is offering one ticket for £5,080, while Cheap-tickets4u has final tickets ranging from £1,250 to £3,171 - with a warning that they may not be delivered until shortly before the game.
Their face value price ranges from 80 euros to 200 euros (£63 to 158)
However, ticket costs are just the beginning for supporters hoping to see their side lift the trophy.
If they want a Russian visa, travelling fans will need to secure confirmed accommodation and a flight booking.
Shut shop
There are fears that the sheer volume of visas needed for the 40,000 fans travelling from England means that they will not be issued in time for the final - despite pledges from Russian authorities to fast-track applications.
Flights to Moscow on the day of the final, returning the following day cost more than £800 per person.
Supporters travelling with charter flights approved by the Manchester United have been told they will benefit from "an unprecedented facilitated visa procedure that will be detailed in the days to come".
If it qualifies for the final Liverpool is offering day and two night packages from a range of UK airports, starting from £846 per person inclusive of match ticket. Chelsea says it has similar plans in place.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 375218.stm
Published: 2008/04/30 11:58:15 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
By Simon Atkinson
Business reporter, BBC News
Football fans are being offered tickets to Wednesday's crunch Champions League semi-final for more than £5,000 each.
The sell-out clash at Stamford Bridge will determine whether Chelsea or Liverpool will face Manchester United in the all-England final in Moscow next month.
And secondary ticketing websites are looking to cash in on demand, with another site demanding £1,230 for a seat among the Liverpool fans.
'Old Trafford, London'
Under the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006, it is illegal for UK firms to sell on football tickets over the internet.
However firms based outside the UK are not covered by the legislation.
US ticket website Cheap-tickets4u is advertising category one tickets for Wednesday's Stamford Bridge clash at $10,600 (£5,385)
Meanwhile, the price at 1st4 Football Tickets UK ranges from £422.50, for a seat with a restricted view, to £780 for a ticket that includes a pre-match meal
'Unprecedented'
Tickets for the Champion's League final, on May 21, are already on sale for between £1,300 and £5,100 even before tonight's match has been decided.
US website TicketSolutions.com is offering one ticket for £5,080, while Cheap-tickets4u has final tickets ranging from £1,250 to £3,171 - with a warning that they may not be delivered until shortly before the game.
Their face value price ranges from 80 euros to 200 euros (£63 to 158)
However, ticket costs are just the beginning for supporters hoping to see their side lift the trophy.
If they want a Russian visa, travelling fans will need to secure confirmed accommodation and a flight booking.
Shut shop
There are fears that the sheer volume of visas needed for the 40,000 fans travelling from England means that they will not be issued in time for the final - despite pledges from Russian authorities to fast-track applications.
Flights to Moscow on the day of the final, returning the following day cost more than £800 per person.
Supporters travelling with charter flights approved by the Manchester United have been told they will benefit from "an unprecedented facilitated visa procedure that will be detailed in the days to come".
If it qualifies for the final Liverpool is offering day and two night packages from a range of UK airports, starting from £846 per person inclusive of match ticket. Chelsea says it has similar plans in place.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 375218.stm
Published: 2008/04/30 11:58:15 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
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Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 147
Shinawatra urged to keep Eriksson
Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra should reconsider his plans to sack boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, says the League Managers Association.
Eriksson has turned around the club's fortunes but BBC Sport understands Shinawatra still plans to replace the Swede at the end of the season.
"Success for Manchester City is getting into the top 10, Sven has done that," said LMA chief executive Richard Bevan.
"We implore Dr Shinawatra to rethink his strategy and to keep Sven."
Eriksson, who signed a three-year contract when he took over last summer, has guided City to a guaranteed finish of at least ninth.
However, his side have struggled in recent months after an impressive first half to the campaign and, according to a BBC source, was told by Shinawatra on Sunday he was "not the right man for the job".
Bevan has urged the Thai billionaire to take the example of Manchester United, who have the Premier League's longest-serving manager in Sir Alex Ferguson, and stick with Eriksson.
"I'm sure Sven will deliver, not only for the players, the club and the owners, but most importantly the fans," he added.
"We've got to look at getting better communication between the clubs' owners and the management," he said.
"In the last 12 months we've had over 150 coaches and managers sacked in our game, and around 60% of those ended up going through some sort of legal process.
"I think we have to remember that every time a manager gets sacked so do approximately two coaches.
"The public in Manchester want somebody looking after their club. Manchester City has been around for about a century, Dr Shinawatra has been around for about four months."
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2 ... 375249.stm
Published: 2008/04/30 11:14:54 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra should reconsider his plans to sack boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, says the League Managers Association.
Eriksson has turned around the club's fortunes but BBC Sport understands Shinawatra still plans to replace the Swede at the end of the season.
"Success for Manchester City is getting into the top 10, Sven has done that," said LMA chief executive Richard Bevan.
"We implore Dr Shinawatra to rethink his strategy and to keep Sven."
Eriksson, who signed a three-year contract when he took over last summer, has guided City to a guaranteed finish of at least ninth.
However, his side have struggled in recent months after an impressive first half to the campaign and, according to a BBC source, was told by Shinawatra on Sunday he was "not the right man for the job".
Bevan has urged the Thai billionaire to take the example of Manchester United, who have the Premier League's longest-serving manager in Sir Alex Ferguson, and stick with Eriksson.
"I'm sure Sven will deliver, not only for the players, the club and the owners, but most importantly the fans," he added.
Bevan also wants foreign owners to consider their responsibilities to ease the number of managerial and coaching departures."Just look across the way to Manchester United, one manager in almost 22 years, look what they have won and look what Manchester City have won in the last 20 years."
"We've got to look at getting better communication between the clubs' owners and the management," he said.
"In the last 12 months we've had over 150 coaches and managers sacked in our game, and around 60% of those ended up going through some sort of legal process.
"I think we have to remember that every time a manager gets sacked so do approximately two coaches.
"The public in Manchester want somebody looking after their club. Manchester City has been around for about a century, Dr Shinawatra has been around for about four months."
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2 ... 375249.stm
Published: 2008/04/30 11:14:54 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
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Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 148
Thailand calls for a rice cartel
Thailand wants to form an Opec-style rice cartel to give it more control over international rice prices.
The world's biggest rice exporter plans to talk to Laos, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam about co-operating on prices.
Rice prices have tripled so far this year with countries such as India and Vietnam restricting their exports.
A Thai government spokesman confirmed that the cartel idea had been discussed in talks between the prime ministers of Thailand and Burma on Wednesday.
Export cuts
"With the oil price rising so much, we import expensive oil but sell rice very cheaply and that's unfair to us and hurts our trade balance," spokesman Vichienchot Sukchokrat said.
Cambodia has supported the idea of a cartel in the past and the government of Laos has also said it would seriously consider the proposal.
"By forming an association, we can help prevent a price war and exchange information about food security," Cambodia's government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said.
Vietnam's government disputed claims that a cartel was close, telling the Bangkok Post that Thai negotiators scheduled to visit Vietnam to discuss the issue last month had not turned up.
Vietnam announced in March that it would cut its exports by 22% this year, although it said that was to make sure there was enough for domestic consumption rather than to manipulate prices.
The Philippines, the world's biggest importer of rice, also raised objections.
"Almost three billion people are rice eaters," said Edgardo Angara, chairman of its senate committee on agriculture.
"It's not a good idea, it's a bad idea. It will create an oligopoly and it's against humanity."
'Not like oil'
The president of Thailand's own Rice Exporters Association also criticised the idea.
"When there is a crisis with rice, they [the government] talk about this cartel," Chookiat Ophaswongse said.
"You cannot control farmers growing or not growing rice. It's not like oil."
The United Nations World Food Programme has described rising food prices as a "silent tsunami" hitting poor countries.
Poor harvests, rising demand from growing populations as well as hoarding on the expectation of further price rises have all been blamed for soaring prices.
The price of regional benchmark Thai grade B rice rose above $1000 a tonne for the first time last month, up from $383 in January.
The idea of a south-east Asian rice cartel has cropped up periodically for several years but political differences have so far prevented its creation.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 379368.stm
Published: 2008/05/02 09:01:07 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Thailand wants to form an Opec-style rice cartel to give it more control over international rice prices.
The world's biggest rice exporter plans to talk to Laos, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam about co-operating on prices.
Rice prices have tripled so far this year with countries such as India and Vietnam restricting their exports.
A Thai government spokesman confirmed that the cartel idea had been discussed in talks between the prime ministers of Thailand and Burma on Wednesday.
Export cuts
"With the oil price rising so much, we import expensive oil but sell rice very cheaply and that's unfair to us and hurts our trade balance," spokesman Vichienchot Sukchokrat said.
Cambodia has supported the idea of a cartel in the past and the government of Laos has also said it would seriously consider the proposal.
"By forming an association, we can help prevent a price war and exchange information about food security," Cambodia's government spokesman Khieu Kanharith said.
But the proposal has met with opposition from other quarters.It's not a good idea, it's a bad idea. It will create an oligopoly and it's against humanity
Edgardo Angara, Philippines senate committee on agriculture
Vietnam's government disputed claims that a cartel was close, telling the Bangkok Post that Thai negotiators scheduled to visit Vietnam to discuss the issue last month had not turned up.
Vietnam announced in March that it would cut its exports by 22% this year, although it said that was to make sure there was enough for domestic consumption rather than to manipulate prices.
The Philippines, the world's biggest importer of rice, also raised objections.
"Almost three billion people are rice eaters," said Edgardo Angara, chairman of its senate committee on agriculture.
"It's not a good idea, it's a bad idea. It will create an oligopoly and it's against humanity."
'Not like oil'
The president of Thailand's own Rice Exporters Association also criticised the idea.
"When there is a crisis with rice, they [the government] talk about this cartel," Chookiat Ophaswongse said.
"You cannot control farmers growing or not growing rice. It's not like oil."
The United Nations World Food Programme has described rising food prices as a "silent tsunami" hitting poor countries.
Poor harvests, rising demand from growing populations as well as hoarding on the expectation of further price rises have all been blamed for soaring prices.
The price of regional benchmark Thai grade B rice rose above $1000 a tonne for the first time last month, up from $383 in January.
The idea of a south-east Asian rice cartel has cropped up periodically for several years but political differences have so far prevented its creation.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 379368.stm
Published: 2008/05/02 09:01:07 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
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Mr. Boo
- สมาชิกกิตติมศักดิ์
- โพสต์: 1841
- ผู้ติดตาม: 0
บทความน่าสนใจทางธุรกิจจาก BBC Business
โพสต์ที่ 149
Oil hits new London record price
The price of a barrel of oil has passed $119 for the first time in London.
Brent crude reached $119.07 a barrel. US light, sweet crude also hit a new high of $120.93.
Oil has been rising because of fears over possible supply disruptions in Nigeria and in northern Iraq and predictions of higher US demand.
Economists have predicted higher oil prices will potentially "snuff out" any recovery in the UK economy and in economies around the world.
Oil has continued to hit record levels since it reached $100 a barrel for the first time in January 2008.
It has risen by 25% in the last four months and by about 400% in the last seven years.
Supply disruptions
Meanwhile in Northern Iraq, Turkish forces have renewed cross-border raids against Kurdish insurgents.
Optimism about the prospects for the US economy which may increase demand for oil, boosted the oil price in Asian trading.
"The bulls are in control of the market," said Victor Shum, energy analyst at Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.
"The economic report out of the US [on Monday] on the service sector seems to suggest the economic slowdown may not be as deep as initially thought," he said.
"The sentiment is that the oil pricing is likely going to stay quite strong, with a lot of volatility," Mr Shum said.
'Serious consequences'
Analysts at Goldman Sachs predicted oil could reach between $150 to $200 over the next six months to two years in a report on Monday.
If oil prices stayed at current levels of $120 or rose further to $150, this would have "serious consequences" for the strength of the economy, economic forecasters said.
Economists from the Ernst & Young Item Club said their forecasts for the recovery of the UK economy were based on oil prices below $100 a barrel.
"If it hits $200 per barrel, as one Opec minister recently predicted, then frankly, all bets may well be off," said Hetal Mehta, Item Club economist.
Securing supply
Demand for oil from the fast-expanding economies of India and China is one of the key long-term factors that has boosted the price of the commodity.
China will take further steps to secure a greater future supply of oil this week when it signs a deal with oil-producer Venezuela to build a refinery jointly in Guangdong province.
Under the deal, Venezuela will supply China with 400,000 barrels a day, five times the current amount.
"We want to co-operate with foreign firms in both the upstream and downstream business to take advantage of our respective strengths and secure steady oil supplies," said Shen Diancheng, vice-president of the largest Chinese oil and gas firm, Petrochina.
The company is also in talks with Qatar about building a refining and petrochemical complex in eastern China.
Last month, Petrochina signed a 25-year pact with Qatar to secure supply of liquified natural gas from the Gulf nation.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 385061.stm
Published: 2008/05/06 10:42:31 GMT
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The price of a barrel of oil has passed $119 for the first time in London.
Brent crude reached $119.07 a barrel. US light, sweet crude also hit a new high of $120.93.
Oil has been rising because of fears over possible supply disruptions in Nigeria and in northern Iraq and predictions of higher US demand.
Economists have predicted higher oil prices will potentially "snuff out" any recovery in the UK economy and in economies around the world.
Oil has continued to hit record levels since it reached $100 a barrel for the first time in January 2008.
It has risen by 25% in the last four months and by about 400% in the last seven years.
Supply disruptions
Royal Dutch Shell's production from Nigeria is down by about 164,000 barrels a day after its pipelines suffered a series of attacks by militant groups.The sentiment is that the oil pricing is likely going to stay quite strong, with a lot of volatility
Victor Shum, oil analyst
Meanwhile in Northern Iraq, Turkish forces have renewed cross-border raids against Kurdish insurgents.
Optimism about the prospects for the US economy which may increase demand for oil, boosted the oil price in Asian trading.
"The bulls are in control of the market," said Victor Shum, energy analyst at Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.
"The economic report out of the US [on Monday] on the service sector seems to suggest the economic slowdown may not be as deep as initially thought," he said.
"The sentiment is that the oil pricing is likely going to stay quite strong, with a lot of volatility," Mr Shum said.
'Serious consequences'
Analysts at Goldman Sachs predicted oil could reach between $150 to $200 over the next six months to two years in a report on Monday.
If oil prices stayed at current levels of $120 or rose further to $150, this would have "serious consequences" for the strength of the economy, economic forecasters said.
Economists from the Ernst & Young Item Club said their forecasts for the recovery of the UK economy were based on oil prices below $100 a barrel.
"If it hits $200 per barrel, as one Opec minister recently predicted, then frankly, all bets may well be off," said Hetal Mehta, Item Club economist.
Securing supply
Demand for oil from the fast-expanding economies of India and China is one of the key long-term factors that has boosted the price of the commodity.
China will take further steps to secure a greater future supply of oil this week when it signs a deal with oil-producer Venezuela to build a refinery jointly in Guangdong province.
Under the deal, Venezuela will supply China with 400,000 barrels a day, five times the current amount.
"We want to co-operate with foreign firms in both the upstream and downstream business to take advantage of our respective strengths and secure steady oil supplies," said Shen Diancheng, vice-president of the largest Chinese oil and gas firm, Petrochina.
The company is also in talks with Qatar about building a refining and petrochemical complex in eastern China.
Last month, Petrochina signed a 25-year pact with Qatar to secure supply of liquified natural gas from the Gulf nation.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 385061.stm
Published: 2008/05/06 10:42:31 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
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Indonesia mulls Opec withdrawal
Opec member Indonesia is considering leaving the oil cartel to concentrate on domestic production, the country's president has said.
Levels of oil production from its ageing wells are declining, making the country a net importer of oil when crude prices are at record levels.
It has had to cut subsidies on domestic fuel to avoid a massive budget deficit.
Some analysts have said the oil exporting group's reluctance to boost production has kept prices high.
Oil analyst Kurtubi said that - as an oil importer - Indonesia's concerns clashed with those of other Opec members.
Declining investment in Indonesia's oil infrastructure has seen its output drop below a million barrels a day from about 1.5m in the mid-1990s.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the government had begun talks as to "whether we should continue to stay with Opec or withdraw our membership".
Protests
The Indonesian government announced on Monday that it would have to cut subsidies on fuel to avoid a massive budget deficit.
The move led to a demonstration against the rising price of fuel in Makassar on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, according to one media report.
The decision to leave Opec will be a tough one for Indonesia, says Karishma Vaswani, one of the BBC's Asia business correpondents.
But it may be necessary because of the economic and political conditions the country is facing right now, she adds.
It spends billions of dollars every year subsidising fuel for its citzens, which is a huge drain on its economic resources and on the government's coffers, our correspondent points out.
However, raising fuel prices is a politically unpopular move, so it is choosing instead to focus its resources on investing in its domestic oil and gas production, she adds.
When Indonesia has had to raise domestic fuel prices in the past, this has led to big protests against the government, which faces an election in 2009.
Indonesia is South East Asia's only Opec representative and has been a member since 1962, two years after it was founded.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 384968.stm
Published: 2008/05/06 09:45:08 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Opec member Indonesia is considering leaving the oil cartel to concentrate on domestic production, the country's president has said.
Levels of oil production from its ageing wells are declining, making the country a net importer of oil when crude prices are at record levels.
It has had to cut subsidies on domestic fuel to avoid a massive budget deficit.
Some analysts have said the oil exporting group's reluctance to boost production has kept prices high.
Oil analyst Kurtubi said that - as an oil importer - Indonesia's concerns clashed with those of other Opec members.
"[Indonesia's] interests now are different. We want oil prices to come down as high oil prices put pressure on our budget. But exporters want a reasonable or even high price since it is their main source of revenue."Indonesia spends billions of dollars every year subsidising fuel for its citzens - which is a huge drain on its economic resources and on the government's coffers
Karishma Vaswani, BBC News correspondent
Declining investment in Indonesia's oil infrastructure has seen its output drop below a million barrels a day from about 1.5m in the mid-1990s.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the government had begun talks as to "whether we should continue to stay with Opec or withdraw our membership".
Protests
The Indonesian government announced on Monday that it would have to cut subsidies on fuel to avoid a massive budget deficit.
The move led to a demonstration against the rising price of fuel in Makassar on Indonesia's Sulawesi island, according to one media report.
The decision to leave Opec will be a tough one for Indonesia, says Karishma Vaswani, one of the BBC's Asia business correpondents.
But it may be necessary because of the economic and political conditions the country is facing right now, she adds.
It spends billions of dollars every year subsidising fuel for its citzens, which is a huge drain on its economic resources and on the government's coffers, our correspondent points out.
However, raising fuel prices is a politically unpopular move, so it is choosing instead to focus its resources on investing in its domestic oil and gas production, she adds.
When Indonesia has had to raise domestic fuel prices in the past, this has led to big protests against the government, which faces an election in 2009.
Indonesia is South East Asia's only Opec representative and has been a member since 1962, two years after it was founded.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/b ... 384968.stm
Published: 2008/05/06 09:45:08 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
Rabbit VS. Turtle
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