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India benefits from a billion brains

India benefits from a billion brains

Clip on a harness, lift your legs and hurtle down a wire towards the sharp corners of a 15th-century Rajasthani fort. As you whizz, you might have a few niggling doubts. Was the zip-wire serviced by someone who knew what they were doing? Is the safety adviser any good? Who is trained in first aid? […]
Global trade enters new era

Global trade enters new era

Historic news this August, as Russia officially became a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) after 20 years of negotiations and debates over preferential treatment for domestic manufacturers. A spate of major deals involving its oil, petrochemical and metals industries no doubt greased its path to WTO accession. Putin has since done something of […]
Plans for quotas for women on boards dropped by Brussels

Plans for quotas for women on boards dropped by Brussels

The original plan obliged all publicly traded companies to fill a quota of 40 percent of women by 2020 or risk incurring fines and sanctions, has now been scrapped. EU lawyers have ruled that mandatory gender quotas are not allowed under the region’s treaties. The EU justice commissioner, Viviane Reding, announced the suspension of the […]
Japanese exports tumble amid territorial dispute

Japanese exports tumble amid territorial dispute

Not since the earthquake and tsunami in 2011 have Japanese exports declined so sharply as this past September, figures from the Ministry of Finance confirm. Overseas shipments from Japan have fallen 10.3 percent year-on-year. The drop in exports is being attributed to the difficult diplomatic relations between China and Japan following a tense stand-off over […]
Australia unveils budget cuts to spur Central Bank

Australia unveils budget cuts to spur Central Bank

Australia’s government has announced AUS$16.4bn in new cuts in order to do good on its promise of budget surplus. The price of commodities in the global market is sliding fast, depriving Australia of billions of dollars worth of taxes. The cuts, to be implemented over four years, are meant to protect against any future economic […]
Results confusion causes Google stocks to plummet

Results confusion causes Google stocks to plummet

An accidental email containing Google’s incomplete financial report was sent to the US stock market ahead of scheduled revealing that the internet giant missed growth forecasts. It caused a wave of stunned investors to rush to sell their Google stocks at up to eight percent lower prices, until trading was suspended on the stocks. Larry […]
New home construction surge in US

New home construction surge in US

Data released by the US Department of Commerce has revealed that new home construction has surged in September, growing at its fastest in four years. Housing starts were up 15 percent from August, with a seasonably adjusted annual rate of 872,000. The figure is well above analysts’ expectations of 765,000 new units starting construction. Building […]
Moody’s reinforces Spain’s low investment grade rating

Moody’s reinforces Spain’s low investment grade rating

Moody’s has confirmed it is keeping Spain’s credit rating at Baa3 with a negative outlook, the lowest level of investment grade, based partly on the prospect of the European Central Bank will make a move to buy Spanish bonds in order to contain the volatility afflicting the market. The agency opted against lowering the country’s […]
Singapore clamps down on foreign tax dodgers

Singapore clamps down on foreign tax dodgers

A deal between Germany and Singapore will help Berlin track down potential tax evaders, using Singaporean banks to hide away assets. It was announced by Germany’s finance minister Wolgang Schäuble, who is visiting Singapore, and local authorities. The deal follows another announcement in early October by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) which plans to […]
India ends infrastructure investment draught

India ends infrastructure investment draught

The Indian government has announced plans to award $2.3bn worth of state-sponsored highway contracts in the next six months in a bid to boost the quality of infrastructure in the country. The country has previously operated under a system that saw private investors fund the construction of highways through bank loans, and recouped their investment […]