In Monday's South Asia papers

12 May 2008 04:30  [Source: ICIS news]

THE TIMES OF INDIA

Front Page

N-deal in limbo, but full steam ahead on defence agreements
The death knell may have been sounded for the Indo-US nuclear deal, with the equally contentious Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) already in cold storage, but both New Delhi and Washington are moving forward to ink two other crucial defence pacts.

IB blames 'slack' BSF for infiltration
Intelligence Bureau has blamed the renewed infiltration - which saw jehadis belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba taking hostages on Sunday - on the dip in the alertness of Border Security Force during the five-year-long restraint observed by Pakistan.

Business

'Futures trading ban won't curb inflation'
Commodity market regulator Forward Market Commission on Thursday raised doubt over government's decision on Wednesday to ban futures trading in four agricultural commodities to control inflation.

Global cues, inflation, crude pull down markets
The sensex slid 259 points to close at 17,081 on Thursday--its fourth straight losing session. The index opened 127 points lower and kept sliding from that point, as negative global cues, rising crude prices, and the rupee’s sharp depreciation dampened sentiments.

THE ECONOMIC TIMES

Front Page

Oil Prices, Inflation to set market course
Equities are likely to trade in a narrow range, but this time, with a downward bias, as investors assess the impact of spiralling crude prices and unrelenting inflation.

GE Money finds no takers for personal loans, mortgage biz
GE Money India is learnt to have found no takers for its wholly owned personal loans and mortgages portfolios with the interested parties quoting nearly half of the company's expectation. The bidders say this could eventually lead to the proposed divestment plan being scrapped. 

THE BANGLADESH TODAY

Front Page

CA expected to address nation this evening
Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed is expected to address the nation today (Monday) evening. This was stated by Communication Adviser Major General Ghulam Quader, LGRD Adviser Anwarul Iqbal and Commerce Adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman after a meeting held at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday.

Wage movement to realise demand for polls schedule: Hasina
Detained Awami League President Sheikh Hasina on Saturday called upon her partymen to do whatever it is necessary to press home their demands, especially polls schedule, within the shortest possible time.

Business

Advertisement firms under strict NBR monitoring
Advertisement firms are now under strict surveillance by the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of National Board of Revenue (NBR) amid allegations of VAT evasion.

BD's manpower market expanding
Bangladesh's manpower market is expanding around the world with workers going to different countries over the recent months.

DAILY MIRROR

Front Page

Pillayan, Hizbullah tussle for CM post
The tussle between TMVP leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan and UPFA Muslim leader MLAM Hizbullah for the hotly contested post of the Eastern Provincial Council Chief Minister intensified yesterday after the preference votes were counted and the victorious UPFA council members were named.

Clear mandate from East: President
A jubilant President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday the results of the Provincial Council Election showed that the Eastern people had endorsed the policies of the UPFA government.

Business

Usaha to expand his presence in SL
Maxis Telecom, owned by Asia’s second richest man, Usaha Tecas, that has bought a stake in Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), said here in Kuala Lumpur that the company is looking forward to invest $500m to $600m in Sri Lanka and indicated that it would be interested in TV, Internet services, Radio sectors though no decision has been taken on its investment plans in Sri Lanka yet.

HNB and CMC to free Colombo from Dengue
Hatton National Bank (HNB) and the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) yesterday revealed that they will be launching an aggressive educational and awareness campaign to create a healthy mosquito free setting in the city.

DAWN

Front Page

Judges reinstatement hopes shattered
The PPP and the PML-N all but announced the end of their short-lived political honeymoon here on Sunday as their negotiators jointly told the media after their last round of talks that they had failed to bridge differences over the route to take for the reinstatement of the deposed judges.

PML-N meets today to decide coalition's fate
A crucial meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-N's central working committee and parliamentary group will be held here on Monday amid fears that the two major parties in the ruling coalition may part ways after the expiry of the second deadline for reinstatement of the judges.

Business

Incentives for manufacturing
A zero-rated import duty on raw materials has been proposed by the Planning Commission as part of the budget 2008-09 to improve the performance of the faltering manufacturing sectors.

How to make power cost affordable?
The industry is angry over abrupt and arbitrary decision of the privatised Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) for increasing the Fuel Adjustment Surcharge (FAS) by almost 100% from March.

BUSINESS RECORDER

Front Page

No deal over reinstatement of judges
Ruling coalition has not reached an agreement to reinstate judges ahead of a looming deadline. Zardari, again met Nawaz in London this week to resolve the issue, which threatens their fragile alliance.

One illegal act can not set right another: Zardari
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman, Asif Ali Zardari has said that he couldn’t do another illegal act for setting the one illegal work right and added that the compromise and conciliation demand giving due respect to each other’s views.

Business

Sell-off list: Privatisation Commission directed to drop PSO, PS and OGDC
On the direction of PPP co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari, the government has redefined the term 'National Strategic Assets', and directed the Privatisation Commission to drop a number of short-listed entities, including Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Pakistan Steel Mills, from the sell-off programme.

Maintaining foreign exchange reserves around $15bn level biggest challenge
The biggest challenge for management of short-term balance of payments is to maintain foreign exchange reserves to a level of around $15bn over the next few months while financing the substantial uncovered gap in financing.

ICIS Copyright © Reed Business Information 2009

Author: Staff Reporter
+44 20 8652 3214

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