In Friday's South Asia papers

16 October 2009 05:00  [Source: ICIS news]

THE TIMES OF INDIA

Front page

Is Pak losing war against Taliban?
The brazen simultaneous suicide attacks at separate places in Pakistan on Thursday accompanied by guerrilla-style operations clearly demonstrate that the Taliban retain the might to take on the state at several fronts despite setbacks in Swat in Pakistan’s northwest.

Top 'Naxal couple' arrested
An agriculture scientist-cum-Maoist central committee member Ravi Sharma and his wife B Anuradha were arrested on 10 October, disclosed Hazaribagh SP Pankaj Kamboj late on Wednesday, adding the couple were responsible for a number of attacks on the security forces in Jharkhand.

Business

Equity mutual funds yet to recover lost ground
The stock markets may have delivered handsome returns in the past six months but many equity oriented mutual funds (MFs) are yet to recover their lost ground.

Citi posts $101m profit
Citigroup, the lender 34% owned by the US government, posted a $101m profit, defying expectations for a loss, as the company added the smallest amount to loan-loss reserves in two years.

THE ECONOMIC TIMES

Front page

Cognizant snaps up UBS' Indian captive for $75m
UBS, Switzerland’s biggest bank by assets, has sold its Indian back-office captive to multinational services firm Cognizant Technology Solutions for around $75m along with a five-year outsourcing contract worth up to $442m.

Top PSUs may have to justify bulging kitty or pay dividend
Blue chip state-run companies with cash reserves in excess of Rs10,000crore may have to deploy the fund in fresh ventures as the government moots a review of their business plans to ensure that public sector firms get more aggressive.

THE BANGLADESH TODAY

Front page

Arrest warrant against Jalil in tax evasion case
A Dhaka court has issued an arrest warrant against AL MP Abdul Jalil, whose controversial comments about his own party created a political storm in recent times, in a tax evasion case.

Hasina, Khaleda to be on the same dias tomorrow
Prime Minister and ruling Awami League president Sheikh Hasina, and leader of the opposition and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia have agreed to attend the anti-poverty rally at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) at 3pm tomorrow (Saturday), transcending their usual bitter political animosities.

Business

BB Governor asks bankers to enhance credit flow to potential sectors
Governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr Atiur Rahman here on Thursday called for expediting the credit flow towards the potential sectors for bolstering economic condition of the region side by side with its socio-economic development and making it free from the vicious cycle of poverty.

Committee formed to recommend export increase
The government on Thursday formed a committee headed by former finance minister M Saiduzzaman to increase export by fighting the global economic meltdown.

DAILY MIRROR

Front page

Two Canadian MPs claim they were denied Lankan visas
Two Canadian Conservative Members of Parliament Partick Brown (Barrie) and Paul Calandra (Oakridges Markham) claim they have been denied visas to Sri Lanka to visit the Internal Displaced Persons camps.

UN human rights chief criticises the Lankan government
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has criticised the Sri Lankan government for not responding “to our many requests for an international investigation of what we say is widespread acts of killing of civilians”.

Business

WB-IFC ranks BOI as best in South Asia
In a major boost to Sri Lanka’s profile globally, the World Bank’s Investment Climate Advisory Service has ranked Board of Investment of Sri Lanka as the best in South Asia for investor promotion and facilitation, the state investment body stated yesterday in a media release.

US companies tour SL for potential areas of business activity
The 7th joint annual meeting under the trade and investment framework agreement (TIFA) between Sri Lanka and the United States was held yesterday.

DAWN

Front page

Terrorists descend on Lahore; five civilians, 12 policemen killed
Terrorists targeted three symbols of law enforcement here on Thursday in an orchestrated attack that rudely shook the city and raised questions about the efficacy of government’s watch and guard machinery.

Obama signs Kerry-Lugar bill into law
US President Barack Obama on Thursday signed into law a bill that triples non-military aid to Pakistan to about $7.5bn over the next five years, the White House said.

Business

Foreign Direct Investment falls by 58% in first quarter
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by over 58% during the first quarter of the current fiscal amid deteriorating law and order situation which shattered the image of the country abroad.

Record petrol imports in Sept to meet demand
The country imported record 65,819 tonnes of petrol in September 2009 at higher rates to meet the surging demand, figures released by Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) showed on Thursday.

BUSINESS RECORDER

Front page

Deadly wave of attacks: gunmen, bombs hit five sites: 39 dead
Teams of gunmen launched coordinated attacks on three law enforcement facilities in Lahore and car bombs hit two other cities Thursday, killing a total of 39 people in an escalating wave of anti-government violence.

US drone attack kills four in North Waziristan
A suspected US drone aircraft fired two missiles at a house in Pakistan's North Waziristan region on the Afghan border on Thursday, killing four militants, intelligence officials said.

Business

Obama signs aid bill into law
President Barack Obama Thursday signed $7.5bn Kerry-Lugar-Berman Bill into a law, with the White House reaffirming strategic partnership with Pakistan, a day after Congress attached an explanatory statement to address the South Asian anti-terrorism ally's concerns over parts of the legislation.

Islamabad and Beijing to enhance trade to $15bn by 2011
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday expressed their resolve to further strengthen bilateral ties in economic, defence and energy sectors for mutual benefit of the two countries.
 

By: Staff Reporter
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