Business

February 7, 2011

Japan and Australia to talk trade amid farm sector row

Japan and Australia will hold talks in Tokyo on Monday aimed at securing Japan's first free-trade agreement with a major agricultural exporter. Negotiations fell apart last April over calls to open up Japan's farming sector. For years Japan has…

February 7, 2011

US unemployment down in January as jobless give up

US unemployment fell in January to 9% from 9.4% a month earlier, the Department of Labor said. It is the second such monthly fall, after unemployment fell from a rate of 9.8% in November. But despite this, the number of jobs created, at 36,000, was…

February 7, 2011

India’s economic growth under ‘threat’ from inflation

India's prime minister has warned that the country's rapid economic growth is under "serious threat" from inflation. Manmohan Singh said getting inflation under control was a matter of urgency, raising the prospect of an eighth interest rate rise in…

February 7, 2011

Egypt unrest: Mubarak moves to restart economy

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has held talks with ministers to try to revive an economy hit by a wave of anti-government protests. Banks will reopen on Sunday. Finance Minister Samir Radwan says the economic situation is "very serious". Analysts…

February 6, 2011

Nasdaq hackers target service for corporate boards

Hackers broke into a Nasdaq service that handles confidential communications for some 300…

February 4, 2011

Lawsuit: JPMorgan was warned on Madoff

JPMorgan Chase executives suspected that Bernard Madoff's investment strategy was…

February 4, 2011

Credit boom in Barbados

BUSINESSES ARE REPORTING a significant increase in debit and credit card use for customers’ purchases, as strict measures remain in place for the acceptance of cheques. More customers have apparently been flashing plastic in supermarkets and…

February 4, 2011

How federal spending cuts trickle down to you

In their push to downsize the federal bureaucracy, Republican lawmakers are flooding the field with proposals to lower federal spending. But, in a twist, their cuts could hit state and local budgets the hardest. Congress is singling out a tiny…

February 3, 2011

Oil hits US$101 a barrell as Egypt crisis mounts

Oil prices smashed through $100 a barrel Monday for the first time since the 2008…

February 3, 2011

Chinese government committed to strengthening Jamaica partnership

THE GOVERNMENT of China says it remains committed to strengthening the China-Jamaica partnership of common prosperity in the Chinese New Year, which begins today. His Excellency Chen Jinghua, ambassador of the People's Republic of China to…