Centre gives Rs.117 crore to six states for rural roads

NEW DELHI – The central government has released Rs.116.88 crore to six states under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to build rural roads, the rural development ministry said Friday.

The states are Haryana (Rs.17 crore), Tripura (Rs.35 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs.13.75 crore), Nagaland (Rs 25.13crore), Manipur (Rs.21 crore), and Andhra Pradesh (Rs.5 crore), the …. Original article  : Centre gives Rs.117 crore to six states for rural roads.

Amid economic woes, support for ethnic Russian party surges prior to Latvia’s election

Ethnic Russian party gains before Latvian vote

RIGA, Latvia – The implosion of Latvia’s economy has propelled an unlikely candidate to the front ahead of Saturday’s national election: a left-leaning party rooted in the country’s ethnic Russian minority.
The fault lines between ethnic Latvians and the Russian minority run deep in this small Baltic nation, and the …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Amid economic woes, support for ethnic Russian party surges prior to Latvia’s election.

iXiGO.com named one of the fastest growing Indian brands on Facebook

New Delhi, Oct.1 (ANI-Business Wire India): A recent in-depth independent study conducted by Iffort Consulting, a Noida-based leading web strategy and social media consulting firm, has described iXiGO.com as one of the fastest growing Indian brands on Facebook, through its fan page presence at https://www.facebook.com/ixigocom.

iXiGO.com is South Asia’s leading online and mobile …. Read the original article  : iXiGO.com named one of the fastest growing Indian brands on Facebook.

World stock markets rise as Chinese manufacturing activity picks up pace in September

World stocks rise as China manufacturing jumps

SINGAPORE – World stock markets rose Friday as stronger growth in Chinese manufacturing suggested the world’s No. 2 economy isn’t slowing as sharply as feared.
European markets opened higher, following Asia’s advance, while oil prices extended gains to rise above $80 a barrel on hints in U.S. economic indicators of …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

US businessmen to meet in Sri Lanka

WASHINGTON – A second annual conference to attract US investment to Sri Lanka will be held in Colombo Oct 12-14, giving business executives a chance to expand businesses in the island.

The conference is organised by the Sri Lankan embassy here and the Office of the US Trade Representative, the US Department of Commerce, the …. Source  : US businessmen to meet in Sri Lanka.

Maruti Suzuki records highest ever monthly sales

MUMBAI – Car market leader Maruti Suzuki Friday reported its highest ever monthly sales in September, rising 29.6 percent to 1,08,006 units from 83,306 a year earlier.

“This is the highest ever total monthly sales by the company. Previous highest was 1,04,971 units in August 2010,” the company said in a regulatory filing.
September … Read more : Maruti Suzuki records highest ever monthly sales.

Oil rises to near $81 in Asia amid positive signs on US economy, crude demand

Oil rises to near $81 on US economy, demand signs

SINGAPORE – Oil prices rose to near $81 a barrel Friday in Asia as traders bet improving signs from the U.S. economy signal a growing appetite for crude.
Benchmark oil for November delivery was up 61 cents to $80.59 a barrel at late afternoon Singapore time in …. Read the original article  : here.

Japan imposes record 40 percent tax hike on cigarettes to encourage people to quit smoking

Japan hikes taxes on cigarettes to curb smoking

TOKYO – Japan imposed a record 40 percent tax hike on cigarettes in a bid to curb the nation’s smoking rate – the highest among major industrialized nations.
The hike, effective from Friday, will raise the price of Japan’s most popular brand, Mild Seven, by a third to 410 … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Japan imposes record 40 percent tax hike on cigarettes to encourage people to quit smoking.

Report: IMF’s Strauss-Kahn doesn’t see Ireland tapping eurozone rescue fund

Report: IMF doesn’t see Ireland tapping fund

BERLIN – The head of the International Monetary Fund is quoted as saying that he doesn’t expect Ireland will have to seek help from a ???750 billion ($1 trillion) rescue fund for indebted eurozone countries.
Ireland said Thursday it will have to pump ???12 billion more into its crippled banking …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

German retail sales down 0.2 percent on month, up 2.2 percent on year in August

German retail sales slightly lower in August

BERLIN – Preliminary data show that German retail sales were down 0.2 percent on the month in August, although they rose 2.2 percent compared with a year earlier.
The Federal Statistical Office said Friday sales of goods other than food rose by a strong 5.3 percent in year-on-year terms. Sales …. Read the original article  : German retail sales down 0.2 percent on month, up 2.2 percent on year in August.

Wipro appoints Sid Nair as Chief Sales and Operations Officer for USA, Canada

Bangalore, Oct.1 (ANI-Business Wire India): Software giant Wipro Technologies has appointed Sid Nair as the company’s Chief Sales and Operations Officer for USA and Canada.

In his new role, Sid will focus on driving value to customers’ business and growing Wipro’s market presence across all business units for the region.

Sid replaces Manoj Punja, who …. Read the original article  : Wipro appoints Sid Nair as Chief Sales and Operations Officer for USA, Canada.

Euro steady against dollar after better US economic data, buys $1.3642

Euro steady at $1.3642 after better US data

BERLIN – The euro is steady against the dollar after an upbeat round of U.S. economic data nudged it off five-month highs.
The 16-nation euro bought $1.3642 in Friday morning European trading, barely changed from $1.3643 in New York late Thursday.
The currency has hit a string of five-month highs … Read more >>.

Indian exports rise 22.5 percent to $16.64 bn in August

NEW DELHI – India’s exports rose for the 10th consecutive month in August, growing an annual 22.5 percent to $16.64 billion (Rs.77,509 crore), official data showed Friday.

Exports for August 2009 stood at $13.58 billion (Rs.65,670 crore).
Imports during the month under review rose 32.2 percent at $29.67 billion (Rs.138,211 crore), widening the country’s trade …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

POLITICAL INSIDER: O’Donnell says filibuster her first priority if elected senator

POLITICAL INSIDER: Filibuster the top priority

WASHINGTON – Republican Senate hopeful Christine O’Donnell says her first priority if elected would be to help the GOP block Democrats’ priorities in a lame-duck session.
O’Donnell, the tea party-backed nominee in Delaware, said in an interview that she would work to stop any Democratic legislation proposed between the Nov. 2 … Read more : POLITICAL INSIDER: O’Donnell says filibuster her first priority if elected senator.

NALCO gears up for expansion,to enter metal and power sectors

BHUBANESWAR – State-owned National Aluminium Company (NALCO) is gearing up for its third phase expansion at an investment of at least Rs.6,000 crore and planning to venture into metal and power sectors.

The Bhubaneswar-headquartered company, which is Asia’s largest integrated aluminium producer, has completed the second phase of expansion recently with an investment of Rs.7,800 … Read more >>.

Punjab’s Sonalika tractors to till South America and Africa

HOSHIARPUR – Punjab-based International Tractors Ltd (ITL) is looking at South America as the next big market for its Sonalika brand tractors and lining up a complete range of farming solutions in several countries in the continent and Africa.

“We are looking at South America as the next big market for exports. With vast land …. Read the original article  : here.

Many US wheat growers won’t cash in on soaring prices after drought halts Russia’s exports

Many wheat growers won’t benefit from price jump

WICHITA, Kan. – Vance Ehmke tracks global grain markets as closely as he watches the weather forecasts, so when his winter wheat crop was nearly double its normal size, he hoped all those extra bushels would make up for lackluster prices amid a global grain glut.
Then Russia announced …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Many US wheat growers won’t cash in on soaring prices after drought halts Russia’s exports.

Sensex soars in noon trade

MUMBAI – A benchmark index of Indian equities Friday soared in noon trade and was ruling 262 points higher. The buying spree spread to broader markets as well.

The 30-share sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) opened at 20,094.1 points, and around noon was ruling at 20,331.36 points, up 262.24 points or … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Sensex soars in noon trade.

Schwarzenegger vetoes bill requiring high-speed rail bidders to disclose Holocaust role

Governor vetoes bill seeking companies’ WWII roles

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday vetoed a bill requiring companies seeking high-speed rail contracts with California to disclose any role they played during the Holocaust.
Under the measure, companies vying for a piece of California’s $45 billion high-speed rail project would have to reveal any involvement in …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Opium yield halved in Afghanistan: UN

New York, Oct 1 (IANS/AKI) Afghanistan’s opium harvest was almost halved in 2010 as a widespread plant infestation took its toll on the war-torn country’s largest source of revenue, a UN report has said.

The total yield in 2010 was estimated at 3,600 tonnes, down 48 percent from 6,900 tonnes in 2009, according to the …. Original source  : Opium yield halved in Afghanistan: UN.