Tuesday, 12 April, 2005

Good Morning from the front: Atlanta Slow news day around the world. Everybody wants to talk about a new pope or Michael Jackson's proclivities - nothing economic. I am starting to notice a general world response to China's fast move toward economic hegemony in Asia. A history lesson on foreign policy, the little island of England ruled the world because it was a merchant country supported by the best navy, and deft foreign policy. They always opposed the major European power (usually the French) and supported number two (Germany, Holland, etc.). We need to continue the same deft handling of the Asian economy. It is our best interest to keep Japan strong, South Korea expanding and Taiwan independent regardless of our economic ties with China. Helping them is not in our best interest. Just look at the support China provides when dealing with the crazies in North Korea where resolution is in everyone's best interest. 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 day - success, wealth & health - Ciao 8:42:03 AM    comment []

Role of SMIs analysed It is always refreshing to hear the truth restated, especially coming from the next Singapore, startups and small businesses are the economy. MANAMA: Scores of people learnt more about the role of small and medium industries (SMI) at a seminar held last night at the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), in Juffair. Industry and Commerce Ministry petrochemical and plastic industry head engineer Abdul Rahim Fakhroo spoke about the role SMIs play in generating employment through industrial development, their current profile and what can be done to increase employment generation in Bahrain through the development of this sector. 8:26:03 AM    comment []

Zimbabwe: Producers Raise Prices of Basic Goods The only reason to advocate or operate a command economy is for personal gain of the ruling elites. Somebody needs to take this crew out. Prices of basic commodities have increased sharply since Zimbabwe's 31 March legislative elections, causing panic buying and fears of a return to widespread shortages. Economist Dennis Nikisi told IRIN on Monday that the country's foreign currency shortages were to blame for the current situation, because "84 percent of inputs in the productive sector are sourced through foreign currency". 8:18:49 AM    comment []

Development-Malawi: Bad Policies, Not Drought, Leave Millions Hungry Here we go again - provide help and aid to the suffering is right morally but if it is at the hands of a political/economic system, when do you throw your hands up and say "we will help when you change systems?" Around two million Malawians need food aid this year, the sixth year in a row that food shortages have hit the country, due to a prolonged drought affecting the greater part of Southern Africa. But analysts blame policy failure as playing a major role in turning hunger into a perennial plague for millions of Malawi's poor. 8:15:31 AM    comment []

China raises stakes in dispute with Japan See this as huge, multi-player chess game by China: taking market share from Japan, stopping South Korea's expansion in competiting markets, threatening Taiwan and doing nothing about North Korea to tie down US military resources, and weakening European and American companies ability to compete by attacking them at home.... BEIJING China raised the stakes of its increasingly bitter dispute with Japan on Monday by saying that Japan itself was to blame for anti-Japanese violence that flared across China over the weekend. 8:08:05 AM    comment []

Russian gas to flow to Europe via Baltic Sea Could this be the basis for the nationalization of Yuko's? HANNOVER, Germany Germany and Russia announced agreement Monday to build a North European Gas Pipeline under the Baltic Sea that will allow Russia's energy giant Gazprom to deliver gas directly to Western Europe and sharply reduce its dependence on its traditional transit routes through Ukraine and Belarus. 8:03:58 AM    comment []

Bumper US sales boost textile trade Free-market meets command economy - and the winner is? Mainland textile exports rose 29 percent in the first three months of this year, with sales to the United States almost quadrupling in the period, according to the commerce ministry. 7:59:59 AM    comment []

Angel Investors Return, An essential element in the free-market (disclaimer - we are in the middle of this process) but don't hold your breath. If you think banks can be capricious just wait for the fun of this experience. Watch out for the angels: They're dusting off their calculators and starting to get serious. Angel investors are wealthy individuals who use their own money to help fund start-up companies at a very early stage -- usually after entrepreneurs have already hit up all their friends and family members, but before they move on to venture capitalists. A typical angel investment might be a few hundred thousand dollars, or a 10th of the amount that might be put in later by VCs, who have money from pension funds and the like to work with. 7:57:06 AM    comment []

Oil booms, but investors flee Russia This reminds me of a client 10 years ago that was moving from a regulated market and was trying to have a foot in both camps - it is like being half-pregnant. MOSCOW – The price of Russia's main export, oil, is hovering at record highs. The government is currently pocketing nearly $20 on every barrel produced. So why are foreign investors running for the exits, and the country's economy suddenly slowing? 7:52:44 AM    comment []

Freedom for China's Currency My god - people with stones in Washington. Imagine holding China accountable for various treaty agreements! The Senate shot a firecracker over Beijing last week. It voted 67-33 in favor of the US threatening China with a 27.5 percent tariff on its imports into the US if it didn't unfreeze its currency, the yuan. 7:49:58 AM    comment []

Microsoft cracks the whip, files cases against 8 Very interesting - two things, first we have developed business intelligence software to operate within MSSuite (I need to call our legal department and review), and second this action is contary to the 'open source' revolution. Even the biggest firms cannot fight the trend. REDMOND, Washington: Microsoft Corporation has moved the U.S. courts against a number of computer system makers and resellers for allegedly offering counterfeit software with the systems they make. 7:44:09 AM    comment []

Tory leader pledges tax cuts and action on crime I added a little political news this morning on the UK to make up for Sunday's Liberal Party screw-up (see 10 APR on Gladstone liberals). A lower tax country is a good thing for us all especially in the land of collectivists - joining the EU will be the demise of the great in 'Great' Britian. Britain's opposition Conservatives yesterday pledged to cut taxes and crack down on crime and immigration as they unveiled an election manifesto aimed at addressing "the simple longings" of the "forgotten majority".// Michael Howard, Tory leader, said the party's policy programme for the May 5 election could be boiled down to just 11 words: cleaner hospitals, more police, school discipline, controlled immigration, lower taxes, accountability."I'm going into battle for Britain," he said, echoingWinston Churchill's rhetoric that still delights Tory faithful. The goal was to put an end to the "smirking" of Tony Blair, prime minister, who had delivered nothing but "broken promises". 7:38:21 AM    comment []

India joins the scramble for oil Thought this news source didn't exist - something about the dust bin of history - wonder what type of vetting will be required to verify economic news from socilaists? India has recently joined the global scramble for oil and natural gas alongside other Asian states, including China, South Korea and Japan. Through diplomatic manoeuvres aimed at securing transnational pipeline routes and overseas crude oil and natural gas production deals, India is seeking to lay claim to a larger share of the world’s energy resources. It is also carrying out a major restructuring of the national energy industry. (See: “Indian government to merge state-run oil firms”). Thought this news source didn't exist - something about the dust bin of history - wonder what type of vetting will be required to verify economic news from socialists? India has recently joined the global scramble for oil and natural gas alongside other Asian states, including China, South Korea and Japan. Through diplomatic manoeuvres aimed at securing transnational pipeline routes and overseas crude oil and natural gas production deals, India is seeking to lay claim to a larger share of the world’s energy resources. It is also carrying out a major restructuring of the national energy industry. (See: “Indian government to merge state-run oil firms”). 7:28:34 AM    comment []

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