Today World 04-07-2008

SoE loss up 132pc in FY 08
Rejaul Karim Byron
The net loss of the state-owned enterprises (SoEs) increased by 132 percent in 2007-08 fiscal mainly due to increased price subsidy for petroleum products.
65,400 Titas Gas shares traded on second day
Petrobangla re-fixes selling price at Tk 500
Star Business Report
A total of 65,400 of shares of the state-run Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company were offloaded yesterday on the second day of the company's stock exchange debut.
Bangladesh to keep enjoying GSP facilities in US
Foreign adviser says
Unb,Dhaka
Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury yesterday said Bangladesh would "continue to enjoy the GSP facilities as before” in the United States.
Local sanitary napkins now hold 80pc market share
Sayeda Akter
The country's local sanitary napkin industry has grown fast in the past 15 years, as consumers are increasingly getting locally made products at competitive prices.
Inflation biggest challenge: Aziz
Star Business Report
The biggest challenge for Bangladesh's economy at the moment is containing inflation, observed both the government and International Monetary Fund (IMF) yesterday.
Oil soars past $146
Afp, Singapore
Oil surged past $146 per barrel for the first time yesterday as the weak US dollar and Middle East tension stoked black gold's record-breaking run, analysts said.
New World Bank VP for South Asia
Unb, Dhaka
World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick has appointed Isabel Guerrero as vice president for South Asia Region.
NBR calls upon taxpayers to be more responsive
Staff Correspondent, Ctg
National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman here yesterday called upon the taxpayers to be more responsive to tax payment to help the government reduce its bank borrowing and stay away from increasing taxes or imposing new taxes.
Global businesses seek successful completion of Doha round
Star Business Report
The leaders of the global business community urged the governments, especially those of the biggest trading nations, to bridge their longstanding differences for a successful deal in the Doha round of world trade negotiations.
India, Iran to seal gas pipeline deal by next month
Says Indian oil minister
Afp, Madrid
India expects to finalise a deal "by next month" on a pipeline that will transport gas from Iran, Indian Oil Minister Murli Deora told AFP on Thursday.
Manpower
A day of day labourers
Refayet Ullah Mirdha
Though it was before noon, yet Abdus Samad was in waiting at the city's Jatrabari Crossing along with his colleagues hunting jobs for the day at any construction site.
Avian Flu
Hong Kong chicken industry faces cull in bird flu clampdown
Afp, Hong Kong
The familiar clucking of chickens returned to Hong Kong's markets on Wednesday after a three-week ban, but bird flu fears may soon consign the local preference for freshly-killed meat to history.
Asian stocks mostly down
Afp, Hong Kong
Asian stocks closed mostly down Thursday as some markets tumbled to their lowest levels for years after a record-breaking surge in oil prices deepened fears for the world economy.
US economy loses jobs for sixth straight month
Afp, Washington
The world's biggest economy lost jobs for a sixth straight month in June as US employers shed 62,000 nonfarm jobs amid a lingering slowdown, a Labor Department report showed Thursday.
Jakarta raises interest rates on inflation fears
Afp, Jakarta
Indonesia's central bank raised its key interest rate by 25 basis points Thursday following a spike in inflation caused by a government hike in the price of fuel.
New chairman, vice chairmen of Islamic Finance
SM Bakhtiar Alam has recently been elected chairman of Islamic Finance and Investment Ltd, while Anis Salahuddin Ahmad and Md Shamsuzzaman have been elected its vice chairmen, says a press release.
Kenyan economy to grow by 4pc: IMF
Afp, Nairobi
Kenya's economy is expected to expand by four percent in 2008 -- in line with a government forecast -- owing to the impact wrought by the post-election violence, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday.
International Business News
Brazil dreams of oil riches but experts urge caution
Afp, Madrid
The discovery of massive oil reserves under the Brazilian seabed has raised prospects that Brazil will become a new Latin American oil power, but experts warned this week against premature exuberance.
International Business News
Sarkozy-Mandelson tensions flare as WTO talks loom
Afp, Brussels
The European Commission rallied on Wednesday behind EU trade chief Peter Mandelson, under fire from French President Nicolas Sarkozy as WTO trade talks reach a make-or-break point.
International Business News
China faces serious challenges on grain supply: premier
Afp, Shanghai
China faces serious challenges in ensuring it will have enough grain to feed its population in the decades to come, with urbanisation and climate change two major problems, Premier Wen Jiabao said.
International Business News
German power group RWE unveils 3.2b euros grid investments
Afp, Berlin
The German power group RWE said on Thursday it would invest 3.2 billion euros (five billion dollars) in its electric grid, a move expected to be followed by competitors under pressure to extend high-power lines.