Monday, 11 April, 2005

FYI - our economic and news search is based upon GEM's Economic Rankings of Economies, we monitor and report news sources from the top two countires on each continent. BTW the United States has slipped from 4th to 11th in the last year - inspiring news. Sunday morning commentary - a new feature - reviews the same publications' editorial sections as well as my short list of thought leaders. For specific business news and commentary visit our other sites:hyper-growthcenter for inspired performance Have a great business week - success, wealth & health - Ciao 8:15:56 AM    comment []

IRS Chief Tries Fixing U.S. Tax Agency, Lives to Tell the Tale Lets end here with the joke of the day.....you say didn't get it, read the title again. April 11 (Bloomberg) -- Heading up the U.S. Internal Revenue Service has never been easy. As IRS Commissioner (1973- 77) Donald Alexander once quipped: ``The hours are impossible, the pay is lousy -- but you get lots of abuse.'' 8:14:13 AM    comment []

UPS plans expansion in Singapore Sure sign of the times and a good choice of partner by UPS United Parcel Service Inc.'s Supply Chain Solutions unit will build a 425,000-square-foot facility distribution and logistics hub within the Airport Logistics Park of Singapore. 8:09:35 AM    comment []

US dollar loses steam after slight gains in Asian dealings Wonder if this trend is sustainable - look for commentary this Sunday from the free-market trinity of Larry Kudlow, Thomas Sowell, and Walter Williams SINGAPORE : The US dollar was losing steam against the major currencies in Asian trade Monday ahead of the release of US trade data which, if it shows another massive blowout, could undercut the US unit's recent gains. 8:07:14 AM    comment []

Campaign in Britain stays clear of ‘Europe’ As more than a causal observer, when are the Brit's going to come to their senses about being 'Europeans'. It is a fantasy and when is the US going to demonstrate leadership by expanding NAFTA to real  partners: England and Ireland. LONDON At the start of Britain's election campaign, for all the daily sound and fury, there is one word that has barely been heard. Call it the E-word. 8:03:02 AM    comment []

Lopata: Bush visit to Latvia would show ‘weakest link’ This story needs more development space. Did you know that Estonia is in the top 5 countries for freedom; economic and personal? Raimundas Lopata, director of the Vilnius International Relations and Political Science University, said on Wednesday that, “Bush's route will show which of the Baltic states is the weakest link. By coming to demonstrate support, the U.S. president would point to the weakest link at the same time.” Reports this week have speculated that Bush might visit Riga before continuing on to Moscow, where he will take part in ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII. President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, contrary to her Lithuanian and Estonian counterparts, has said she would go to Moscow to take part in the ceremonies. In Lopata's words, the problem is that Russia often does not perceive signals from the West, and western countries do not realize this. Both sides have failed to come to an understanding on the significance of the “overlapping” of western and eastern structures currently in progress as a result of development of euro-Atlantic institutions. 7:57:15 AM    comment []

Last lap for Rover as talks collapse Great case study for business leaders - post-war British automotive industry, 'how to go out of business by really trying.' Workers arriving at MG Rover's Longbridge plant in Birmingham today were concerned that it could be the end of the line for the last remaining major British car manufacturer. Workers at the company's huge Longbridge plant in Birmingham said that they had believed that a deal with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation was about to be signed. But they conceded that the talks had now collapsed. 7:52:43 AM    comment []

Two new major gas discoveries in Egypt Wonder if this will positively affect the Egyptian economy. They need indigenous revenue instead of just US aid and tourism to create a middle class and reduce the disparity between rich and poor. afrol News, 5 April - A US company today announced two major natural gas discoveries in Egypt, one onshore at the Mediterranean coast and another in Egypt western desert region, close to the Qasr field. The Syrah discovery in the western desert was described as one of region's largest ever, with "estimated reserves of 2 trillion cubic feet of gas and 45 million barrels of condensate." 7:49:55 AM    comment []

Nigeria President continues corruption crackdown This should be interesting, is he going to arrest himself and every former and living Nigerian leader? Misanet/IRIN, 4 April - In the latest corruption scandal to rock Nigeria, President Olusegun Obasanjo has cancelled the sale of 207 government houses at knockdown prices after discovering that close relatives of his wife and several cabinet ministers were to have been among the beneficiaries of this controversial deal. 7:44:55 AM    comment []

Columbia and China 5 year Free Trade Deal Not much to say - in stocks the trend is your friend - here I don't know. Yesterday's commentary covered what happens when one player is a free trader and the other is unsavory. The rapid development of China's economy is not a threat, but rather an opportunity for co-operation with a huge market, said visiting Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez yesterday. The two sides on Wednesday signed five agreements on plants and animals quarantine, information and telecommunications, film exhibition, economy and technology, said Uribe during a press conference at Colombia's Embassy in Beijing. 7:41:13 AM    comment []

Japan eyes free trade pact with Chile, Uruguay Do we see a trend here? GINOWAN, Japan: Japan told Chile on Saturday that it would look thoroughly at the possibility of a free-trade agreement, while Uruguay also called for ways to boost commercial links with the Asian economic power. 7:36:17 AM    comment []

[The Nation] Leading on Free Trade Taking a page from the Japanese and Chinese, the Koreans are taking advantage of their price leadership and become integral to the developing world. The Roh administration has not had an easy time handling the foreign policy file. But for all its faults and foibles, there is one very important portion of that file in which the president has provided some strong leadership: free trade. 7:34:36 AM    comment []

Royal Bank of Scotland eyes foothold in China Lets see whether this goes through and how much control RBScotland has - this could amount to a reverse takeover London - Britain's Royal Bank of Scotland was mulling a £2.13-billion (R24.6-billion) stake in the Bank of China, the Financial Times said on Monday. Several international banking groups were vying for a slice of China's second largest bank because of the country's rapid rate of economic growth, the business daily added. 7:29:06 AM    comment []

Zimbabwe faces food shortages over prices row Once again Robert Mugabe is a poster child for all the ills of Africa and what happens when the government attempts to run an economy - it couldn't find its own ass with both hands and that includes Washington. Fun to get the blood boiling first thing in the morning. Harare - Zimbabwe's government and the country's businesses have clashed over prices of basic commodities, now blamed for widespread shortages days after disputed polls won by President Robert Mugabe's ruling party. Prices shot up by as much as 100 percent after the March 31 parliamentary elections in which Mugabe's ZANU-PF government defeated the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), but the government swiftly moved in, ordering businesses to reverse the increases. 7:23:43 AM    comment []

Chinese hunger fuels demand I wonder if this is how the United States looked to the rest of the world in the late 19th century? CHINA’S booming economy lies behind the surging price of aluminium. Strong demand from the Asian giant last year helped to push the price of the metal up 20 per cent. Last month the London Metal Exchange’s three-month aluminium price hit a new peak of $2,016 a tonne — a ten-year high. 7:19:30 AM    comment []

Opec likely to boost supplies Not allot of oil except at the margin - this should take 10 to 20% of the pump price out barring any other disruptions in the market. KUWAIT CITY: Opec may boost oil supplies by a further 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) next month to help meet an anticipated demand surge in the second half of the year, the organisation's president said. 7:12:57 AM    comment []

China-India 'must lead the world in IT' Oh yeah - lets pick up where we left off last week - China is going to be our face on every front for the next 2 decades - get used to it. BANGALORE: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said yesterday that China and India should work together to lead the world in information technology, jointly heralding a new "Asian century." On a visit to India's southern technology hub of Bangalore, Wen said the two nations should put aside their historic rivalry and instead pool their resources. 7:10:26 AM    comment []

Protesters embrace National Unity Festival As a runner - what a thought - running for freedom, perhaps we need to schedule something in Washington, Atlanta, Richmond.... BEIRUT: Demonstrators at Martyrs' Square see the National Unity Festival, begun Friday, as a natural extension of their protest following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The protesters, who are demanding the full withdrawal of Syrian troops and intelligence agents from Lebanon and the resignation of the country's pro-Syrian political leaders, have encouraged the various opposition factions to abandon their groups' slogans and banners and unite under the Lebanese flag. 6:55:42 AM    comment []

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