Crisis won't upset US dominance

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends Crisis won't upset US dominance The American economy has been battered by the present financial crisis. It could take several years for it to get back to normal. Some commentators and political leaders have suggested this could be the beginning of the end of America’s dominance of the global economy. Wrong, says historian Niall Feguson. In an article in the Harvard Business Review (July-August 2009), Ferguson argues that, while America’s financial sector may be end up weaker, American dominance of the global economy is likely to continue. Ferguson is an unabashed Americo-phile and something of an icon to the neo-conservatives in the US. He is the author of a book, Colossus, in which he argued that America’s problem is not that it is imperialist but that it does not take its imperial role seriously enough. Those who contend that the present crisis will be a huge setback for the US put forward several reasons: --> The US economy could take several years to come back to normal. Meanwhile, rivals like China will power ahead. --> America’s national debt is set to explode and this will limit its future growth. --> The US dollar will lose its status as the reserve currency in the near future. --> The American financial system will soon be a pale shadow of what it has been. The IMF expects the US economy to shrink by 2.6% in 2009. Recovery will be slow in coming - in 2010, the US economy is projected to grow by just 0.8%. Many think this could alter the race between the US and its principal economic rival, China, to China’s advantage. In 2007, Goldman Sachs had forecast that China’s GDP would equal that of the US in nominal terms by 2027. If the US economy suffers low to zero growth over the next four years while China grows by 6%, one would think that China could catch up with the US even earlier. Not really. Ferguson points out that, going by the IMF’s forecast (of April 2009), US growth rate will be lower than the growth rate of 2007 by 4.6 percentage points. But that of China would be lower by 6.3 percentage points. So, the present crisis could mean that China won’t catch up with the US until much later than forecast earlier, say, 2040. The crisis will have stretched out America’s dominance instead of abbreviating it. (The IMF’s July forecast raised the growth forecast for China in 2009 but growth will still be 5.5 percentage points lower than in 2007). This applies with greater force to America’s other rivals. Growth in the European Union is expected to shrink this year by 3.2%, in Japan by 5.8% and in Russia by 6.5%. The present crisis has highlighted how central the US is to the world economy. A serious recession in the US and one arising from problems in its financial sector impacts on other economies in two ways. It lowers exports to US and it reduces capital flows from the US and other advanced countries. That is why the present US crisis has translated into a global crisis. Even more perversely, many economies are hurting more badly than the US, which is the source of the crisis. Indeed, there is no dearth of conspiracy theorists who believe the US is interested in prolonging the crisis - and may have even engineered it - knowing that its principal rivals, especially China, would be severely impacted. China has used its double-digit economic growth rate to contain discontent. A decline of five percentage points or so in its growth rate risks fuelling serious disaffection within the country. America’s public debt is set to rise sharply following the resort to a fiscal stimulus as a means of reviving the economy. The federal deficit is expected to exceed 12% of GDP in 2009. Federal debt is expected to rise from 89% of GDP in 2009 to 101% of GDP in 2019, even on the optimistic assumption that the US economic growth rises to over 4% by 2011. India’s combined debt to GDP ratio of the Centre and the states was 73% last March. The consolidated fiscal deficit is expected to be around 12% of GDP in 2009-10. We worry, despite the fact that we can count on a long-term growth rate of 8% and we know that a growth rate of this order renders the fiscal problem self-correcting. Surely, the US should have a problem given its lower growth potential? There are differences in the two situations. The US is still regarded as a safe haven by investors whereas confidence about the Indian economy is nowhere as strong. More importantly, the dollar is the reserve currency and even America’s rivals prefer to invest overwhelmingly in dollars. This gives the US enormous borrowing potential. It can simply print dollars which others will gladly pick up. For all the talk of the dollar losing its primacy, no alternative is in sight. Indeed, the present crisis has underscored the inherent attractiveness of the dollar. The dollar rallied in the face of bad news about the US economy and has defied predictions of a steep decline since. As Ferguson notes, there are practical obstacles to switching to the Special Drawing Rights issued by the IMF. A senior Chinese mandarin summed up the situation very well earlier this year: “Except for US Treasuries, what can you hold? Gold? You don’t hold Japanese government bonds or UK bonds... We hate you guys....but there is nothing much we can do.” Because the problems of the US economy hurt the rest of the world, the US appears set to retain its primacy in the world economy. The dollar will remain the dominant currency and the world resigned to financing America’s deficits. If there is a question mark, it is over the future of the American banking system. For the US banking system to regain its vitality, the US government will have to assume control of the top banks at least for some time, organise the disposal of banks’ toxic assets, put in place rules that rein in high leverage in the banking system and get a lot tougher with executive pay in banking. But the Obama administration has so far lacked the will take such decisive steps. This undermines the chances of an early recovery in the US economy and hence the world economy. But for the reasons mentioned above, it does not pose a threat to America’s dominance of the world economy. When the US catches a flu, the rest of the world goes down with pneumonia and the US ends up looking stronger.

America's socialism for the rich

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends America's socialism for the rich 31 Aug 2009, 0124 hrs IST, Joseph E Stiglitz, With all the talk of “green shoots” of economic recovery, America’s banks are pushing back on efforts to regulate them. While politicians talk about their commitment to regulatory reform to prevent a recurrence of the crisis, this is one area where the devil really is in the details — and the banks will muster what muscle they have left to ensure that they have ample room to continue as they have in the past. The old system worked well for the banks (if not for their shareholders), so why should they embrace change? Indeed, the efforts to rescue them devoted so little thought to the kind of post-crisis financial system we want that we will end up with a banking system that is less competitive, with the large banks that were too big to fail even larger. It has long been recognised that those America’s banks that are too big to fail are also too big to be managed. That is one reason that the performance of several of them has been so dismal. When they fail, the government engineers a financial restructuring and provides deposit insurance, gaining a stake in their future. Officials know that if they wait too long, zombie or near zombie banks — with little or no net worth, but treated as if they were viable institutions — are likely to “gamble on resurrection.” If they take big bets and win, they walk away with the proceeds, if they fail, the government picks up the tab. This is not just theory; it is a lesson we learned, at great expense, during the Savings & Loan crisis of the 1980s. When the ATM machine says, “insufficient funds,” the government doesn’t want this to mean that the bank, rather than your account, is out of money, so it intervenes before the till is empty. In a financial restructuring, shareholders typically get wiped out, and bondholders become the new shareholders. Sometimes, the government must provide additional funds, or a new investor must be willing to take over the failed bank. The Obama administration has, however, introduced a new concept: too big to be financially restructured. The administration argues that all hell would break loose if we tried to play by the usual rules with these big banks. Markets would panic. So, not only can’t we touch the bondholders, we can’t even touch the shareholders — even if most of the shares’ existing value merely reflects a bet on a government bailout. I think this judgement is wrong. I think the Obama administration has succumbed to political pressure and scare-mongering by the big banks. As a result, the administration has confused bailing out the bankers and their shareholders with bailing out the banks.

The risk of a double-dip recession is rising

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends The risk of a double-dip recession is rising Posted by Philip Dru on 8/24/09 • Categorized as Economy T? he global economy is starting to bottom out from the worst recession and financial crisis since the Great Depression. In the fourth quarter of 2008 and first quarter of 2009 the rate at which most advanced economies were contracting was similar to the gross domestic product free-fall in the early stage of the Depression. Then, late last year, policymakers who had been behind the curve finally started to use most of the weapons in their arsenal. That effort worked and the free-fall of economic activity eased. There are three open questions now on the outlook. When will the global recession be over? What will be the shape of the economic recovery? Are there risks of a relapse? On the first question it looks like the global economy will bottom out in the second half of 2009. In many advanced economies (the US, UK, Spain, Italy and other eurozone members) and some emerging market economies (mostly in Europe) the recession will not be formally over before the end of the year, as green shoots are still mixed with weeds. In some other advanced economies (Australia, Germany, France and Japan) and most emerging markets (China, India, Brazil and other parts of Asia and Latin America) the recovery has already started. On the second issue the debate is between those – most of the economic consensus – who expect a V-shaped recovery with a rapid return to growth and those – like myself – who believe it will be U-shaped, anaemic and below trend for at least a couple of years, after a couple of quarters of rapid growth driven by the restocking of inventories and a recovery of production from near Depression levels. There are several arguments for a weak U-shaped recovery . Employment is still falling sharply in the US and elsewhere – in advanced economies, unemployment will be above 10 per cent by 2010. This is bad news for demand and bank losses, but also for workers’ skills, a key factor behind long-term labour productivity growth. Second, this is a crisis of solvency, not just liquidity, but true deleveraging has not begun yet because the losses of financial institutions have been socialised and put on government balance sheets. This limits the ability of banks to lend, households to spend and companies to invest. Third, in countries running current account deficits, consumers need to cut spending and save much more, yet debt-burdened consumers face a wealth shock from falling home prices and stock markets and shrinking incomes and employment. Fourth, the financial system – despite the policy support – is still severely damaged. Most of the shadow banking system has disappeared, and traditional banks are saddled with trillions of dollars in expected losses on loans and securities while still being seriously undercapitalised. Fifth, weak profitability – owing to high debts and default risks, low growth and persistent deflationary pressures on corporate margins – will constrain companies’ willingness to produce, hire workers and invest. Sixth, the releveraging of the public sector through its build-up of large fiscal deficits risks crowding out a recovery in private sector spending. The effects of the policy stimulus, moreover, will fizzle out by early next year, requiring greater private demand to support continued growth. Seventh, the reduction of global imbalances implies that the current account deficits of profligate economies, such as the US, will narrow the surpluses of countries that over-save (China and other emerging markets, Germany and Japan). But if domestic demand does not grow fast enough in surplus countries, this will lead to a weaker recovery in global growth. There are also now two reasons why there is a rising risk of a double-dip W-shaped recession. For a start, there are risks associated with exit strategies from the massive monetary and fiscal easing: policymakers are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. If they take large fiscal deficits seriously and raise taxes, cut spending and mop up excess liquidity soon, they would undermine recovery and tip the economy back into stag-deflation (recession and deflation). But if they maintain large budget deficits, bond market vigilantes will punish policymakers. Then, inflationary expectations will increase, long-term government bond yields would rise and borrowing rates will go up sharply, leading to stagflation. Another reason to fear a double-dip recession is that oil, energy and food prices are now rising faster than economic fundamentals warrant, and could be driven higher by excessive liquidity chasing assets and by speculative demand. Last year, oil at $145 a barrel was a tipping point for the global economy, as it created negative terms of trade and a disposable income shock for oil importing economies. The global economy could not withstand another contractionary shock if similar speculation drives oil rapidly towards $100 a barrel. In summary, the recovery is likely to be anaemic and below trend in advanced economies and there is a big risk of a double-dip recession.

Analyst Bove sees 150-200 more U.S. bank failures

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends Analyst Bove sees 150-200 more U.S. bank failures Posted by Philip Dru on 8/24/09 • Categorized as Economy NEW YORK (Reuters) – A prominent banking analyst said on Sunday that 150 to 200 more U.S. banks will fail in the current banking crisis, and the industry’s payments to keep the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp afloat could eat up 25 percent of pretax income in 2010. Richard Bove of Rochdale Securities said this will likely force the FDIC, which insures deposits, to turn increasingly to non-U.S. banks and private equity funds to shore up the banking system. "The difficulty at the moment is finding enough healthy banks to buy the failing banks," Bove wrote. The FDIC is expected on August 26 to vote on relaxed guidelines for private equity firms to invest in failed banks, after critics said previously proposed rules were too harsh and would actually dissuade firms from making investments. Bove said "perhaps another 150 to 200 banks will fail," on top of 81 so far in 2009, adding stress to the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund. Three large failures this year — BankUnited Financial Corp in May, and Colonial BancGroup Inc, Guaranty Financial Group Inc in August — collectively cost the fund roughly $10.7 billion. The fund had $13 billion at the end of March. Regulators closed Guaranty’s banking unit on Friday and sold assets of the Texas-based lender to Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA. The FDIC agreed to share in losses with the Spanish bank. Bove said the FDIC will likely levy special assessments against banks in the fourth quarter of this year and second quarter of 2010. He said these assessments could total $11 billion in 2010, on top of the same amount of regular assessments. "FDIC premiums could be 25 percent of the industry’s pretax income," he wrote. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel; editing by Gunna Dickson)

Do You Make These 7 Body Language Mistakes?3

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends * of them plus the ones above to find which one(s) fit you the best. 7. Holding yourself back. So, let’s say you know most of the things above already. It isn’t exactly rocket science. So why are you still not using those tips - or tips from somewhere else - to change and experiment with how you communicate? One big reason may be that you are holding yourself back. You may hold yourself back from becoming more expressive over all or, for instance, with your hands. Or you may hold yourself back completely from taking up more space or making more eye-contact. Holding yourself back may be because of a few different reasons. The most common one is probably the one already described in the previous mistake: a fear of what others may think, say or do. Yes, people may react negatively. And yes, you might exaggerate your body language a bit too much at first by for instance sitting with your legs almost ridiculously far apart. However, people aren’t looking at you as much as you may think. They are like you. They have their own stuff to think and worry about. If you experiment with your body language, then sure, you might seem a little strange sometimes. But most of the time people will probably not even notice that you have changed something. They aren’t standing around watching your every move all day long. Also, keep in mind that if you for example are normally not that expressive then what might feel weird to you isn’t necessarily that weird to others. It’s just you comparing the old way to the new way in your own head. It’s just you getting used to being more expressive. If you change your body language for the better, most people will only react in a more positive way towards you. Because as mentioned in mistake #1, how you live your life and how you feel comes through in your body language. And if you feel great then that comes through. And emotions are contagious. So now, people you interact with feel better too. And just about everyone wants to feel positive emotions. So, yeah, you may look like fool a few times if want to change. But that’s OK. It’s a lot better than going around all of your life and holding yourself back. And if you don’t take yourself and life too seriously – mistake #3 – then your fear of looking like a fool and being rejected in some way will decrease.

Do You Make These 7 Body Language Mistakes2

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends 3. Taking yourself or life too seriously. Generally, taking yourself or things too seriously isn’t a great idea for several reasons. It can cause you to get offended and angry or resentful for the smallest negative thing someone says or does. It can make it hard for you to let things go and instead you let them fester. It can make tasks a whole lot harder to get done as you might see everyday life as a bitter struggle. It can help you reinforce and strengthen victim thinking. This isn’t good for your interactions. And it isn’t good for your body language as your negative feelings will come through to others. It’s also not a helpful attitude to have if you want to change your body language as it can make you take this challenge all too seriously. That can cause you to get upset with yourself when you make a mistake. And make you think so much about the challenge that your thoughts get stuck in self-conscious loops. A few tips for adopting a lighter attitude towards yourself and life are to not identify so much with your thoughts and emotions, to realize that you are not you ego and to develop an abundance mentality. You can read more about those three suggestions in Lighten Up!. 4. Moving too fast and fidgety. If you move too fast you can feel stressed. The stress can then reinforce how fast you move. Or make you more fidgety. Moving fast and fidgeting around can make people around you feel stressed, nervous, distracted and uncomfortable. Shaking your leg while seated or tapping your fingers against the table rapidly are two fidgety habits. Touching your face a lot is another one. Instead of fidgeting with your hands and scratching your face you can use them to communicate what you are trying to say. Use your hands to describe something or to add weight to a point you are trying to make. But don’t use them to much or it might become distracting. And don’t let your hands flail around, use them with some control. If you have a tick or feel fidgety then learning to relax more can help you out. You can, for instance, become more relaxed by just moving slower. This will also make you seem more calm and confident. Or you can weed out your habit of touching your face simply by keeping it in mind and avoiding it. There might also be larger issues in your life that you need to resolve to decrease or remove your bad habit. You can find 36 tips for decreasing stress in your life in this article. 5. Not keeping your posture in mind. From time to time that is. You shouldn’t make mistake #2 and getting obsessed with it. Sitting or standing up straight in a relaxed manner with your head up has a few benefits: * It creates positive emotions such as alertness and feeling focused. * It can help you with first impressions as it makes you seem more interesting/attractive. * It can sometimes help you avoid pain in your back, shoulders etc. 6. Closing up. Being open and conveying that you are open is one of the most important parts of communication. If you start to close up or walk into an interaction closed up then it will be hard to establish a genuine connection. If you feel a bit wary and closed up inside then it will not only stop you from being open. It will also keep you from relaxing, smiling and laughing and having fun. A few common ways to close up is to: * Cross your arms and/or legs. You have probably already heard you shouldn’t cross your arms as it might make you seem defensive or guarded. This goes for your legs too. Keep your arms and legs open. Taking up space by for example sitting or standing with your legs apart a bit signals self-confidence and that you are comfortable in your own skin. * Not keeping eye contact. If there are several people you are talking to, give them all some eye contact to create a better connection and see if they are listening. Keeping too much eye-contact might creep people out. Giving no eye-contact might make you seem insecure. If you are not used to keeping eye-contact it might feel a little hard or scary in the beginning but keep working on it and you’ll get used to it. * Hold your drink at your chest. Don’t hold your drink in front of your chest. In fact, don’t hold anything in front of your heart as it will make you seem guarded and distant. Lower it and hold it beside your leg instead. Closing up often comes from feeling nervous or insecure. You may in some way perceive the people you are meeting as a threat. Perhaps you’re afraid that they will mock you, not like you or that you will make a fool of yourself in some way. A few tips to a shake these thoughts and feelings out of yourself is to: * Belly breathe. This is one of my favourite tips to make myself feel more relaxed and calm in just a minute or two. Read about it here. * Assume rapport. Just before a meeting, you just think that you’ll be meeting a good friend. Then you’ll naturally slip into a more comfortable, confident and enjoyable emotional state and frame of mind. This also helps you and the other people to set a good frame for the interaction. A frame is always set at the start of an interaction. It might be a nervous and stiff frame, a formal and let’s-get-to-the-point kind of frame or perhaps a super relaxed one. The thing is that the frame that is set in the beginning of the conversation is often one that may stay on for a while. First impressions last. With some practise - to remove inner resistance towards this idea and get you to feel more like you know what you’re doing – you may become pretty surprised at how effective assuming rapport is. I was. * Experiment. Have a look at a few more ways to handle nervousness. And a few tips for putting a stop to anxiety. Try a few of them plus the ones above to find which one(s) fit you the best.

Do You Make These 7 Body Language मिस्ताके

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends You Make These 7 Body Language Mistakes? Published by Henrik Edberg September 17th, 2008 in Relaxation, Personal Development, People Skills and Success. Do You Make These 7 Body Language Mistakes? When you talk you aren’t just communicating with your words. In fact, you are communicating with your whole body. According to research done by Albert Mehrabian, currently Professor Emeritus of psychology at UCLA, words are only 7 percent of your communication. The rest is your voice tonality (38 percent) and your body language at 55 percent. These numbers may vary depending upon the topic, situation and how something is communicated (for instance, talking over the phone is obviously different from talking face to face) but body language is still a very important part of communication. Three good reasons to improve your body language: * Improve your communication skills. If you improve your body language you can get your thoughts across in a more effective way. You can create a connection to another person more easily. When using more powerful and appropriately balanced body language your communication skills become better and more focused. * Emotions are linked to your body language. Emotions work backwards too. If you feel good you’ll smile. If you force yourself to smile you’ll feel good too. If you feel tired or down you might sit slumped down. If you sit slumped down you’ll feel more tired and negative. Just try to sit straight up for 5 minutes and feel the difference in energy from half-lying in your chair. * Increase your attractiveness. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. A better posture and a more enthusiastic and focused body language will make anyone more attractive. And not just in a sexual way but also when talking to new friends or in job interviews and business meetings. These 7 common body language mistakes is a mix of deeper things that control our body language. And a few tips where you manually correct and stop reinforcing certain old habits. 1. Not keeping your emotions and focus in the right place. It seems to me like the biggest part of your body language is how you feel. When you feel open, positive and confident that will come through in your body language. You’ll smile and laugh more and gesture confidently and openly. So to improve your body language in a consistent way in your day to day life the major part consists of improving your life. For example to sleep enough, to eat right, to work out and to get the things you want to get done handled. When you live the life you want to live, when are going about your daily life being your “best self” then you tend to feel good or great. And that comes through in your body language. As expected, no quick fixes will solve your problem. They can help though. You can for instance change how you feel temporarily and then build on that feeling by acting as you would like to feel. Once example would be to take kind actions towards someone even though you might feel envious. And then build on that kind feeling your kind action generates. Here are few more ways to quickly change how you feel and a few tips on how to turn a bad day around to a good one. 2. Becoming too self-conscious. To keep your feelings, thoughts and body language in the right place or to make a change you need to monitor yourself. However, over-doing it will quickly turn your ambitions into feeling self-conscious and nervous. If your inner dialogue goes ”Am I doing it right? Am I sitting right? Am I walking too slow? Or too fast?” then you are feeling worried and anxious. That comes through in your body language. So you need to learn to check your feelings/thoughts or the part of your body language you want to change once in a while. And learn to not let this desire to change spiral out of control into babbling thought patterns in your head that just go around and around and make you feel bad. More on this in the next section.

Fidel Castro has slept with 35,000 women

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro has slept with 35,000 women in his 82 years of life, according to an upcoming documentary. "He slept with at least two women a day for more than four decades - one for lunch and one for supper," The New York Post quoted an ex-Castro official named "Ramon" as telling filmmaker Ian Halperin. "Sometimes he even ordered one for breakfast," the official said. "I don''t think he would have stayed on as long as he did if not for all the incredible women he had access to as president," the official added. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz or Fidel Castro led his country from December 1959 until his resignation in February this year. Castro came to power as a result of the Cuban revolution that overthrew the dictator Fulgencio Batista, and shortly thereafter became Prime Minister of Cuba. Although the US has tried hard to get rid of him, Castro outlasted no fewer than nine American presidents since he took power. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Castro_slept_with_35000_women/articleshow/3500538.cms Be the first to rate this [?]

Twenty Five Tips to Stay Married

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends Twenty Five Tips to Stay Married Listen to this article. Powered by Odiogo.com I came across a great little online article this morning giving twenty five tips for a lasting successful marriage. I wanted to share the great advice given by Sharon Randall from The Standard Times. If your relationship is in need of lots of work, pick one or two of Sharon's tips and get going! Twenty Five Tips on How to Stay Married * "1. Always put her first - before work, friends, even basketball. Act as if she's the best thing that ever happened to you, because we all know she is. 2. Keep no secrets. Pool your money. Allow nothing and no one to come between you. 3. Pick your fights with care. Play fair. Show some class. Hurtful words can be forgiven, but they're hard to forget. 4. Fall in love again every day. Kiss her in taxis. Flirt with her at parties. Tell her she's beautiful. Then tell her again. 5. Never miss an anniversary or a birthday or a chance to make a memory. Memories may not seem important now, but one day they'll be gold. 6. Never give her a practical gift. If she really wants a Shop-Vac, let her pick it out herself. 7. Go to church together, and pray every day for each other and your marriage. 8. Pay your bills on time and make sure you each have a living will, a durable power of attorney and life insurance, lest, God forbid, you need them. 9. Love her parents as your own, but don't ask them for money. Never criticize her family or friends. On her birthday, send flowers to her mother with a note saying, "Thank you for giving birth to the love of my life." 10. Always listen to her heart; if you're wrong, say you're sorry; if you're right, shut up. 11. Don't half-tie the knot; plan to stay married forever. 12. Never go to bed mad; talk until you're over it, or you forget why you were mad. 13. Laugh together a lot. If you can laugh at yourselves, you'll have plenty to laugh about. 14. Never criticize, correct or interrupt her in public; try not to do it in private either. 15. Remember that people are the least lovable when they are most in need of love. 16. Never fall for the myth of perfectionism; it's a lie. 17. When you don't like each other, remember that you love each other; pray for the "good days" to return and they will. 18. Tell the truth, only the truth, with great kindness. 19. Kiss at least 10 seconds a day, all at once or spread out. 20. Memorize all her favorite things and amaze her with how very well you know her. 21. Examine your relationship as often as you change the oil in your car; keep steering it on a path you both want it to go. 22. Be content with what you have materially, honest about where you are emotionally, and never stop growing spiritually. 23. Never raise your voice unless you're on fire. Whisper when you argue. 24. Be both friends and lovers; in a blackout, light a candle, then make your own sparks. 25. Finally, be an interesting person, lead your own life. But always save your best for each other. In the end, you will know you were better together than you ever could've been apart. Here's to happily ever after.

Stock Market Looking for a Bottomworldwide

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends 17/07/2008 | Moscow News №28 2008 Stock Market Looking for a Bottom > print version Last week, the Russian stock market was involved in a series of cash-outs, caused by the mounting concern over the stability of the U.S. financial system, as well as the increasing signs of a slowing down of the global economy, against the backdrop of the ongoing inflationary trends. Reports of an easing in the tax burden on the oil and natural gas sector, which prompted the May rally, have this time served as a life buoy for domestic shareholders. LATEST NEWS Russia insists on Georgian troop pullout to end Abkhazia conflict 10:48 19/07/2008 |Russia's president told Germany's foreign minister at talks on the conflict between Georgia and its rebel region Abkhazia that Tbilisi must pull its troops out of the province before a peace deal can be reached. Medvedev urges Iran to fully cooperate with IAEA 22:26 18/07/2008 |Russia's president on Friday urged Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over its nuclear program, the Kremlin press service said. Russia, China to sign agreement to end border dispute in July 20:44 18/07/2008 |Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit China on July 21-22 to sign a document delineating a long-disputed border between the two countries, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Russia concerned over U.S.-Ukraine Black Sea military exercises 20:34 18/07/2008 |Russia's Foreign Ministry voiced on Friday its concerns over the U.S.-Ukrainian Sea Breeze naval exercises currently underway in the Black Sea. more news The flight from stock risks has become widespread amid the worsening condition of the U.S. mortgage market linchpins Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. This is due to the fact that in a shrinking real estate market, the risk of the beleaguered lenders defaulting on $5.2 trln of the $11.2 trln mortgage debts threatens a sharp worsening of the situation in the troubled sectors of the economy - construction and finance, thus increasing the risks of an economic slowdown. That is why investors paid such close attention to a recent Lehman Brothers memo suggesting that as much as $75 bln will need to be raised in additional capital. Such moves are designed to increase transparency, while the effects from the easing of monetary policy have yet to kick in to improve lending terms. The fact is that at a time when real estate prices were soaring, virtually all financial market agents were expanding their portfolios with mortgage backed securities, which have now significantly depreciated. In a bid to cover their losses, financial institutions started reporting such mortgage loans as off-balance sheet items. The demand to return them to the regular balance sheets can, therefore, potentially help recover the credibility of the financial system, but at the same time will encumber banks with additional write-downs on their holdings, which have already passed the $400 bln mark. Taking into consideration the nature of the lenders' operations and their key role in the mortgage market, this may have grave consequences for the U.S. economy. Spooked, stock market players started assuming the worst-case scenario in share quotes, with market value losses hitting 45 percent last week. Understanding the danger of the situation, financial regulators made an attempt to put out the fire. First, James Lockhart, director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), said that the new accounting procedure will not affect Fannie and Freddie's capital requirements. But passions were only cooled after a U.S. Treasury and FRS program was made public. It aims to restore investor trust in these U.S. mortgage securities by opening access to the discount window and expanding credit lines; if necessary, the U.S. Treasury is ready to buy shares in the lenders and underwrite their ballooning debts. Amid a decline in demand for high risk assets, the Russian stock market has stayed within global market trends. Sell-offs were registered also among nonresidents, who were reducing long positions, despite reports of upcoming amendments to the RF tax code easing the tax burden on oil and natural gas enterprises. According to Lukoil CEO Vagit Alekperov, the proposed tax incentives will enable the industry to funnel an additional 400 billion rubles ($17 bln) into capital investment. But even the positive developments on the hydrocarbons market proved insufficient in the face of the external negative trends: under their impact, the MICEX index fell to a three-month low. This week one should pay attention to the financial performance of Citigroup, Merrill Lynch and the Bank of America, which could produce some unpleasant surprises. Price dynamics in the consumer sector and the housing market will attract special attention. Considering its significant overheating, the market should be expected to look for a ‘rock bottom' to stage a tangible rebound. An indication of that will be either the 1600 point mark (MICEX), i.e., the bottom of the downtrend, or a rise above 1675 points. The majority of traders will stay out of stock market battles, while speculators will have a good opportunity to cash in on volatility.

The 3 smart tips about online dating

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends ashington, May 18 (ANI): For a lonely soul, online dating is a god sent 'cupid', for you can find the partner of your dreams courtesy the Internet world. Although the whole idea of hunting for a spouse is enthralling, they're few things you should keep in mind. They include - 1. The Net is just as good as church when you're hunting for a spouse. eventeen percent of online daters have turned virtual winks into marriage or long-term relationships; that's 3 million people. 2. Love is blind - or gullible. The typical bachelorette's profile claims that she's 20 pounds lighter than the average American woman. And the average bachelor's profile says he's more than an inch taller than the average American man. 3.Don't sweat it. Women don't care about size -as long as you clock ducats. A 5'8" beau can score as many dates as a 6' gent if he makes 146,000 dollars more a year. And the ladies are equally attracted to 5'2" men who make 277,000 dollars more than Mr. Lanky. (ANI)

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends Why is the India's nuclear deal with US pros and cons Benefits for India? Ans. Nuclear Agreement between India - USA :MUST READ BY EVERY INDIAN There are lot of talks about 1 2 3 Agreement between India & USA and it almost led to the topple of Central Government. In this mail I am trying to explain the commercial & technical aspects relating to this Agreement which I have read and sharing with you. What is 123 Agreement? This is called 123 Agreement because this comes under USA's Atomic Power Act Section 123. Let's see how India's (Indians?) Sovereinty & Independence are pledged... (1) After this Agreement USA will supply all fuel, machinery / equipment & technology to India for producing Nuclear Power. (2) All these days from about 22 Nuclear Power Plants, India is producing power as well as Atom. It's a high security / secret that from where which is produced, how much is produced, where it is supplied, what research is being done with that, etc. to anybody. But if we sign this Agreement, we have to disclose these secrets and also agree to 14 of our Nuclear Power Plants to be under the scanner of International Atomic Power Organisation. (3) The fuel utilised to produce Atomic Power can be recycled for reuse and this plant will be under direct supervision of IAPO. If India does nuclear test, this agreement gets cancelled. But (1) USA will take back all the machinery / equipments / technology supplied to India thus far. (2) Those 14 plants will continue to be under scanner irrespective of the status of the agreement. On the other hand, if any of the commitments given by USA is breached by them, then there is no clause for cancelling this agreement. The agreement is apparently like this... USA can either hug India or slap India. India will not ask why are we hugged or why are we slapped. On the other hand, India cannot hug or slap USA for breach of agreement. This is only capsule so that easy to read and digest. Subject: India Pledged.... Part 2 Requirement of Power The most important requirement for India's Economic Growth in the coming years will be the power & infrastructure. The argument put forth favouring the 123 Agreement says that we need Nuclear Power Production to be increased to meet the demand. Power Production in India Presently following are the figures: Thermal Power 66% Hydel Power 26% Solar & Wind Power 5% - Presently Rs.600 Crores are spent for producing this power. Nuclear Power 3% - If this is to be increased to 6%, it requires additional Rs.50,000 Crores. Naturally it will be wise to increase other 3 modes of power production rather than the expensive & dangerous Nuclear Power. Isn't?? URANIUM We used to import Uranium from various other countries. After the Pokran Test, we are not getting it. To augment the supply, we need to sign the 123 Agreement to get Uranium from USA. But we will have to declare to USA from which power plant India takes raw material for producing Atom Bomb. Why should we disclose our internal secrets to those rascals ? Will any one allow an outsider to continuously monitor what's happening in your Hall & Kitchen of your house? Other study reveals that Uranium is available in India aplenty. Only hurdle is the acquisition of land. To produce Atomic Power & Bomb in the next 40 years, the requirement of Uranium is 25,000 MT whereas the availability is 78,000 MT across India. PLUTONIUM Presently 35% of Plutonium is used to produce Atomic Bombs. After signing the Agreement, we will be allowed to use only 10%. Who are those rascals to restrict the usage of our natural resource ? That is though you are capable of cooking & eating 10 idlis as your breakfast, you are allowed only 3 idlis henceforth. How can it be? Why should we accept this? THORIUM As told by Dr.APJ, we have abundant Thorium. In fact we are the 2nd largest producer of Thorium next only to Australia. India has to explore this further for producing power. For your information, in South India - particularly around Kanyakumari, the availability of Thorium is abundant. INDIA-IRAN-CHINA USA does not like the amicable relationship between India-Iran and also India-China. If India-China relationship gets stronger, then both these can rule the Eastern Part of the Globe which USA wants to break as per their divide & rule. By signing this agreement, USA wants India to depend on it for producing power which is going to be a crucial factor in future. There is a talk of bringing Natural Gas from Iran to India with a big pipeline project. USA doesn't like this proposal. Atomic Power Technology Whether power is produced or Bomb is produced, using Atomic power without spoiling the infrastructure and without allowing the radiation is always under threat. Moreover preserving the wastes coming out of Atomic Power Plants is expensive & unsafe. There was an accident in Three Miles Island in USA. To close this plant nearly USD 200 Crores spent with tons & tons of concrete but yet to be fully closed. In an another accident at Soviet Union's Serbia Plant, even the next generation child are affected due to the radiation. It will be very very expensive to defuse & close down an Atomic Power Plant than its construction cost. France France has got 56 Nuclear Power stations producing 73% of the country's total power requirement. They are catching up the problem of eliminating the wastes / emissions from out of those plants at the same time increase the power production capacity. Government of France is now thinking how to reduce the power consumption in the country. Conclusion In view of the above danger, rather than signing the agreement and pledging India to USA, it will be prudent to increase the Solar & Wind Energy and more importantly Hyder Power Production can be increased by linking all rivers across India and by constructing DAMS. (Ofcourse Dam construction projects can be given to L&T's B&F Sector:-) The whole process of this Agreement started in the year 2005 when Manmohan visited USA. In a span of just 2 years a major decision of signing this agreement has taken place with political motive. On the contrary, neither this Government nor any other earlier Central Government could not amend the Constitution thereby nationalise the rivers across the country thereby effectively utilise the water resources for both Agriculture purpose and producing Hydel Power. What an irony? Whenever someone is helping the needy, you can't expect the TERMS AND CONDITIONS BETWEEN THE needy and the helper to be EQUAL??? BUT (1) the helper's ulterior motive should be seen with broad eye because he is capable of digging a grave behind you and (2) better to be self-sufficient and explore new avenues with available resources. INDIA-CHINA-USA India is very rich in Culture, follow Religions, Value Ethics, Level of Education is Very Good. China is also rich in Culture, follow Religion, better disciplined. USA does not have Culture, does not have Ethics, only want power over others. Particularly wants a firm footing in South Asia. Remember the introduction EURO by European Countries and it is stronger than Dollar? So their "DAL" cannot be boiled at "EUROPE". They are trying in India as already Pakistan is in their clutches. Safe Harbor Statement: Some forward looking statements on projections, estimates, expectations & outlook are included to enable a better comprehension of the Company prospects. Actual results may, however, differ materially from those stated on account of factors such as changes in government regulations, tax regimes, economic developments within India and the countries within which the Company conducts its business, exchange rate and interest rate movements, impact of competing products and their pricing, product demand and supply constraints. Nothing in this article is, or should be construed as, investment advice.

Why is the India's nuclear deal with US pros and cons Benefits for India?

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends Why is the India's nuclear deal with US pros and cons Benefits for India? Ans. Nuclear Agreement between India - USA :MUST READ BY EVERY INDIAN There are lot of talks about 1 2 3 Agreement between India & USA and it almost led to the topple of Central Government. In this mail I am trying to explain the commercial & technical aspects relating to this Agreement which I have read and sharing with you. What is 123 Agreement? This is called 123 Agreement because this comes under USA's Atomic Power Act Section 123. Let's see how India's (Indians?) Sovereinty & Independence are pledged... (1) After this Agreement USA will supply all fuel, machinery / equipment & technology to India for producing Nuclear Power. (2) All these days from about 22 Nuclear Power Plants, India is producing power as well as Atom. It's a high security / secret that from where which is produced, how much is produced, where it is supplied, what research is being done with that, etc. to anybody. But if we sign this Agreement, we have to disclose these secrets and also agree to 14 of our Nuclear Power Plants to be under the scanner of International Atomic Power Organisation. (3) The fuel utilised to produce Atomic Power can be recycled for reuse and this plant will be under direct supervision of IAPO. If India does nuclear test, this agreement gets cancelled. But (1) USA will take back all the machinery / equipments / technology supplied to India thus far. (2) Those 14 plants will continue to be under scanner irrespective of the status of the agreement. On the other hand, if any of the commitments given by USA is breached by them, then there is no clause for cancelling this agreement. The agreement is apparently like this... USA can either hug India or slap India. India will not ask why are we hugged or why are we slapped. On the other hand, India cannot hug or slap USA for breach of agreement. This is only capsule so that easy to read and digest. Subject: India Pledged.... Part 2 Requirement of Power The most important requirement for India's Economic Growth in the coming years will be the power & infrastructure. The argument put forth favouring the 123 Agreement says that we need Nuclear Power Production to be increased to meet the demand. Power Production in India Presently following are the figures: Thermal Power 66% Hydel Power 26% Solar & Wind Power 5% - Presently Rs.600 Crores are spent for producing this power. Nuclear Power 3% - If this is to be increased to 6%, it requires additional Rs.50,000 Crores. Naturally it will be wise to increase other 3 modes of power production rather than the expensive & dangerous Nuclear Power. Isn't?? URANIUM We used to import Uranium from various other countries. After the Pokran Test, we are not getting it. To augment the supply, we need to sign the 123 Agreement to get Uranium from USA. But we will have to declare to USA from which power plant India takes raw material for producing Atom Bomb. Why should we disclose our internal secrets to those rascals ? Will any one allow an outsider to continuously monitor what's happening in your Hall & Kitchen of your house? Other study reveals that Uranium is available in India aplenty. Only hurdle is the acquisition of land. To produce Atomic Power & Bomb in the next 40 years, the requirement of Uranium is 25,000 MT whereas the availability is 78,000 MT across India. PLUTONIUM Presently 35% of Plutonium is used to produce Atomic Bombs. After signing the Agreement, we will be allowed to use only 10%. Who are those rascals to restrict the usage of our natural resource ? That is though you are capable of cooking & eating 10 idlis as your breakfast, you are allowed only 3 idlis henceforth. How can it be? Why should we accept this? THORIUM As told by Dr.APJ, we have abundant Thorium. In fact we are the 2nd largest producer of Thorium next only to Australia. India has to explore this further for producing power. For your information, in South India - particularly around Kanyakumari, the availability of Thorium is abundant. INDIA-IRAN-CHINA USA does not like the amicable relationship between India-Iran and also India-China. If India-China relationship gets stronger, then both these can rule the Eastern Part of the Globe which USA wants to break as per their divide & rule. By signing this agreement, USA wants India to depend on it for producing power which is going to be a crucial factor in future. There is a talk of bringing Natural Gas from Iran to India with a big pipeline project. USA doesn't like this proposal. Atomic Power Technology Whether power is produced or Bomb is produced, using Atomic power without spoiling the infrastructure and without allowing the radiation is always under threat. Moreover preserving the wastes coming out of Atomic Power Plants is expensive & unsafe. There was an accident in Three Miles Island in USA. To close this plant nearly USD 200 Crores spent with tons & tons of concrete but yet to be fully closed. In an another accident at Soviet Union's Serbia Plant, even the next generation child are affected due to the radiation. It will be very very expensive to defuse & close down an Atomic Power Plant than its construction cost. France France has got 56 Nuclear Power stations producing 73% of the country's total power requirement. They are catching up the problem of eliminating the wastes / emissions from out of those plants at the same time increase the power production capacity. Government of France is now thinking how to reduce the power consumption in the country. Conclusion In view of the above danger, rather than signing the agreement and pledging India to USA, it will be prudent to increase the Solar & Wind Energy and more importantly Hyder Power Production can be increased by linking all rivers across India and by constructing DAMS. (Ofcourse Dam construction projects can be given to L&T's B&F Sector:-) The whole process of this Agreement started in the year 2005 when Manmohan visited USA. In a span of just 2 years a major decision of signing this agreement has taken place with political motive. On the contrary, neither this Government nor any other earlier Central Government could not amend the Constitution thereby nationalise the rivers across the country thereby effectively utilise the water resources for both Agriculture purpose and producing Hydel Power. What an irony? Whenever someone is helping the needy, you can't expect the TERMS AND CONDITIONS BETWEEN THE needy and the helper to be EQUAL??? BUT (1) the helper's ulterior motive should be seen with broad eye because he is capable of digging a grave behind you and (2) better to be self-sufficient and explore new avenues with available resources. INDIA-CHINA-USA India is very rich in Culture, follow Religions, Value Ethics, Level of Education is Very Good. China is also rich in Culture, follow Religion, better disciplined. USA does not have Culture, does not have Ethics, only want power over others. Particularly wants a firm footing in South Asia. Remember the introduction EURO by European Countries and it is stronger than Dollar? So their "DAL" cannot be boiled at "EUROPE". They are trying in India as already Pakistan is in their clutches. Safe Harbor Statement: Some forward looking statements on projections, estimates, expectations & outlook are included to enable a better comprehension of the Company prospects. Actual results may, however, differ materially from those stated on account of factors such as changes in government regulations, tax regimes, economic developments within India and the countries within which the Company conducts its business, exchange rate and interest rate movements, impact of competing products and their pricing, product demand and supply constraints. Nothing in this article is, or should be construed as, investment advice.

SP targets pvt oil फिर्म्स wants PM to take cognizance

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends : Targeting Mukesh Ambani group, the Samajwadi Party has demanded windfall profit tax and withdrawal of concessions to private sector oil firms saying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should take cognizance of its wish list as seriously as its support for the nuclear deal. "If I take the Prime Minister's suggestion on nuclear deal seriously, I hope Prime Minister will take cognizance of what I raised," Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh said. Also targeting the Petroleum Minister, Singh said Murli Deora "continues to favour only one well-known private operator". He said no individual in private sector "should be allowed this kind of loot." While the country is reeling under the "spectre of unaffordable petrol, diesel and cooking gas prices," these oil companies were enjoying "double mazaa and indirect loot", he said. Singh said the petrol pumps started by the private firms have been converted into real estate and pointed out that "they (private refiners) are earning USD 15 per barrel margin and a profit of six billion dollars." Singh, however, debunked reports that he was working at the behest of his close friend and Reliance ADA Group Chairman Anil Ambani, who is at loggerheads with elder brother Mukesh. "Finance Minister is perceived to be close to Anil Ambani if Murli Deora is perceived to be close to Mukesh Ambani. Public perception is not good," the SP leader said. Suggesting a windfall profit tax of up to 50 per cent on both upstream and downstream operators, Singh said the levy will immediately cover the under-recoveries of the oil marketing companies by Rs 100,000 crore.

Subprime fallout could last two years: Singapore bank head

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your friends SINGAPORE: The global fallout from the US subprime mortgage crisis could last another two years, the chairman of Singapore-based United Overseas Bank said in a newspaper report on Tuesday. "I hope I am wrong, but my view is that this crisis will take one to two years to stabilise," Wee Cho Yaw, a banker for almost 50 years, told a university commencement ceremony, reported. A bank spokeswoman confirmed the quotes when contacted by AFP. The default crisis in the US subprime -- or higher risk mortgage sector ballooned into a world credit squeeze as banks tightened lending criteria. The crisis has also battered financial markets. "What worries me is that no one seems to know the full amount of off-balance sheet securities circulating in the financial markets," Wee was quoted as saying. The subprime homeloans were repackaged into securities and sold to investors around the world. The wave of defaults led to billions of dollars in losses on those securities, damaging the balance sheets of major international banks. "And this is what frightens me most no one can tell me how much more will be written off...," The Straits Times quoted Wee as saying. Wee said regulators will need to ensure closer supervision of financial institutions and the "exotic trades" that have arisen over the past decade, the newspaper reported. UOB has a regional presence, including subsidiaries in Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Thailand.

Multinational Corporations Step Up the Search for the Next China

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your फ्रिएंड्स

By Jason Simpkins

As far as foreign direct investment in Asia is concerned, China is still the undisputed leader, drawing approximately $42.78 billion in just the first five months of the year, an increase of 55% from the same period a year ago.

But China is coping with a number of growing pains that include higher wages and a strengthening currency. That has left a void for other emerging markets to step up and take the place of a multinational corporation’s best friend.

China used to be thought of as the world’s factory floor - a haven of cheap labor and minimal regulatory oversight for large multinational companies. The result was a massive influx of foreign investment and rapid gross domestic product (GDP) growth. But the country has outgrown this model and is shifting from low-skill, labor-intensive industries to a higher standard of living.

A recent study by the Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. consulting firm found that wages in China rose 9.1% for white-collar managers and 7.6% for blue-collar workers over the past year, the San Diego Tribune reported.

“The days of massive labor oversupply are over,” Cai Fang from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences [CASS], said at a recent economic forum. “According to my research and relevant surveys, the wages of China’s migrant workers rose 2.8% in 2004, 6.5% in 2005, 11.5% in 2006 and 20% in 2007.”

Part of the reason is that China’s notorious one-child family planning policy is beginning to cause a labor shortage.

Last year, Zhang Yi from the Institute of Population and Labor Economics, told Asia News that the one-child policy has produced an effect where fewer rural workers are going into cities to work.

“In the beginning, it was believed that our big population would be a hindrance to our economic development. But over the past decades, experience has told us otherwise,” Zhang said. “Japan, for instance, has little in the way of resources and boasts one of the highest population densities in the world, but it is a thriving economy and one of the richest nations. Labor is the most important source of wealth.”

By 2025, China’s labor force will have been shrinking in total size for more than a decade, according to Zhang.

Another problem is inflation, as high consumer and producer prices are spilling over into wages. Consumer prices rose 7.7% in May after inflation reached a 12-year high of 8.7% in February. China’s producer price index rose 8.2% in May, the highest in more than three years.

Inflation also makes exports more expensive for foreign nations, particularly the United States. The Labor Department said last week that prices for Chinese-made goods were 4.6% higher in May than a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the dollar has fallen 20% versus the yuan since 2005. Yesterday (Thursday), The yuan rose to its strongest position ever, trading at 6.8762 against the U.S. currency as of 11:53 a.m. in Shanghai, Bloomberg News reported.

Companies used to avoid higher wages by moving further inland, but even rural villages are finding it difficult to muster up enough manpower to furnish factories. And now new government regulations and labor laws have companies retreating beyond the country’s borders.

Earlier this year, revisions to China’s labor laws greatly expanded the rights of workers and increased their bargaining power. A loophole that had allowed companies to layoff employees hired on temporary or fixed-term basis without compensation has been closed. Workers employed by a company for 10 years are now entitled to one month’s severance pay for every year worked. And employers are required to consult an “employee representative congress” with regard to changes in hours, benefits and compensation.

Willy Lin, managing director of Milo’s Knitwear (International) Group, told the Financial Times that the new labor law could increase costs by as much as 8% in 2008. However, in collusion with a higher minimum wage, increased social security payments and outside factors such as the appreciation of the yuan, Lin thinks the price paid by Chinese employers could be much greater.

“We estimate that, added together, labor costs [in mainland China] will be close to 40% higher for this year,” he said.

China is also phasing out its practice of charging lower corporate tax rates for foreign companies. And while it does so, other Asian countries are beginning to look more appealing to foreign companies.

Here are a few:

The Next China

Vietnam had a banner year in 2007, attracting $20.3 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI). But the country already expects to have accumulated another $23 billion in FDI in just the first half of 2008.

Canon Inc. (CAJ), for instance, is no longer expanding its operations in China, but it is doubling its Vietnamese workforce to 8,000 at a printer factory outside Hanoi, the New York Times reported. Both Nissan Motor Co. (ADR: NSANY) and Hanesbrands Inc. (HBI) and China’s own Texhong Textile Group Ltd. are also reportedly expanding their operations nearby.

“We found more ready availability of both land and labor in both Vietnam and Thailand,” Gerald Evans, president of Asia business development at Hanesbrands, told The Times.

Where as unskilled Chinese workers now earn $120 a month for a standard 40-hour workweek, factory workers in Vietnam make as little as $50 a month for a 48-hour workweek that includes a full day on Saturdays, the paper said.

Other facts to consider about Vietnam:

• More than half its population is under 25-years old.
• At 2%, Vietnam’s unemployment rate is among the world’s lowest, trailing only Azerbaijan, Cuba, Iceland, Andorra and Liechtenstein.
• Its labor and production costs are roughly one-third of China’s, making Vietnam a worthy contestant in the contest for new production sites.
• Its economy was able to shrug off the 1997 “Asian Contagion” financial crisis and averaged 5.5% growth for each of the next two years - while other nations in the region saw their own economies contract.
• Since January 2007, it’s been member of the World Trade Organization.

The Next Vietnam

If Vietnam is the next China, then Cambodia may be the next Vietnam. Capital interests are beginning to take notice because of its prime location in the fast growing Asia-Pacific region, young and inexpensive work force, rising productivity, pro-business government, stable politics, and strong GDP growth.

In 2006, foreign direct investment totaled $2.6 billion, up from just $340 million in 2004, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Ironically, China has become one of Cambodia’s biggest investors. According to the official China News Agency, 3,016 Chinese companies had made cumulative investments of $1.58 billion by the end of the end of 2007.

With even lower wages, the nation is fast becoming a new Mecca for the world’s textile industry. The industry employs about 300,000 workers and generates annual revenue of more than $1 billion.

“[Cambodia] is where Vietnam was some 8 to 10 years ago,” Marvin Yeo, who co-founded Frontier, which manages the Cambodia Investment and Development Fund, told the International Herald Tribune.

Renowned investment luminaries Marc Faber and Jim Rogers, who are advising some of the private-equity firms that will pour upwards of $500 million into Cambodia, have also praised the country’s investment prospects, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“Cambodia offers an enormous potential for future capital gains,” Faber wrote in a recent newsletter for acolyte investors.

Cambodia’s GDP peaked at 13.5% in 2005 but is expected to slide to a still-impressive 7% or 8% percent in coming years.

U.S. Markets: A Ton of Doubt Calls for Caution

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your फ्रिएंड्स

Sentiment deteriorated further during the past week as oil prices rebounded, more bad news in the financial sector surfaced, economic woes mounted and inflationary pressures intensified, compounding the already-jittery investors’ anxiety.

Status Quo’s lyrics “Down down deeper and down” came to mind as global stock markets took a battering. For example, the Dow Jones Industrial Index, plunged by 3.8% over the week to below 12,000 – its lowest level since March. Commensurate with extremebearishness, short interest on the New York Stock Exchange jumped to an all-time high during the week.

At the center of investors’ angst was the perception that the credit crisis has not yet played itself out. These fears were supported by Goldman Sachs (GS) analysts who said last week they did not expect the credit crisis to peak before 2009, and that U.S. banks might need to raise $65 billion of additional capital (on top of $159 billion raised so far) to cope with additional losses from the sub-prime fallout.

On a related note, Moody’s downgraded the credit ratings of Ambac Financial (ABK) and MBIA (MBI), citing their limited ability to raise new capital and write new business. Banks were also in focus as analysts cut their price targets for, among others, Goldman Sachs (GS), Citigroup (C) and Wachovia (WB).

In one of the most bearish reports for a while, The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) advised clients to brace themselves for a full-fledged crash in global stock and credit markets over the next three months as inflation paralyses the major central banks. “A very nasty period is soon to be upon us – be prepared,” said Bob Janjuah, the bank’s credit strategist (who gained credibility after his warnings last year about an impending credit crisis).

Richard Russell, 83-year old author of the Dow Theory Letters, expressed concern about the stock market’s negative breadth and said:

I did a double-take when I read Lowry’s statistics … Buying Power Index at a multi-year low and Selling Pressure Index at a multi-year high. And the two Indices at about their widest (most bearish) spread in history or since the 1930s. What the devil could this mean? My guess can be summed up in one word – trouble.

However, there is still hope, according to David Fuller (Fullermoney), who pointed out that Investors Intelligence’s sentiment index (bottom section of the chart on the left) was extremely bearish.

There has never been a reading at current or lower levels that was not soon followed by a sharp rebound, including during the last bear market. This indicates to me that we are within a week or two of a bear squeeze, providing at least a tradable rally …

Lousy Fridays are often followed by rotten Mondays.

To which I add: When in doubt (and there is a ton of doubt), better to err on the side of caution than to do something stupid.

Let’s briefly review the financial markets’ movements on the basis of economic statistics and a performance round-up:

Economy

The Survey of Business Confidence of the World conducted by Moody’s Economy.com, reported that:

Global business sentiment appears to have turned a corner. It remains weak, but it has moved measurably higher since hitting bottom in late April. Confidence remains weakest in the U.S. where it suggests the economy is still contracting, and it is strongest in Asia where it is consistent with an economy growing near its potential.

Economic reports in the U.S. were largely overlooked last week as market participants focused on corporate news, although there were several notable releases:

• The NAHB Housing Market Index fell by 1 point to 18, bringing it back to the record low reached in December and before that not seen since 1985.
• After plummeting since the beginning of this year, consumer confidence is showing tentative signs of stabilizing, according to the ABC News/Washington Post Consumer Comfort Index.
• Industrial Production fell by 0.2% in May, following an outsized 0.7% decline in April. Overall, the report is consistent with continued modest declines in manufacturing.
• The Producer Price Index for finished goods rose by a large 1.4% in June as expected, following a 0.2% increase in April. Inflation was once again led by large price increases of food and energy products.

Summarizing the U.S. economic scenario, Paul Kasriel, chief economist of Northern Trust, said:

… despite the Fed’s aggressive Federal funds rate reductions, money and credit growth have slowed significantly … to absolutely low rates. The implication of this is that real economic activity is likely to be very sluggish until financial institutions rebuild their capital positions and that the inflationary flames are likely to subside as they are deprived of the ‘oxygen’ of credit growth.

The highlight of next week’s economic news will be the FOMC policy announcement on Wednesday. Economists expect the Fed funds rate to remain unchanged at 2.0%, but uncertainty regarding the wording of the policy statement means it has market-moving potential.

Kasriel also said:

We fully expect that the FOMC will devote a relatively large amount of ‘ink’ to the inflationary threats in its no-change policy statement on June 25, but we also expect the FOMC to reiterate that the downside risks to economic growth still dominate its policy decisions in the near term.

Elsewhere in the world, escalating inflation concerns are at the top of policymakers’ agendas. In addition to rampant inflation in emerging markets, the Eurozone and U.K. are also shouldering strongly rising prices.

• Consumer price inflation in the Eurozone was up 3.7% in year-ago terms in May. The rate is far above the European Central Bank’s 2% inflation target and, given the ECB’s more hawkish tone lately, markets are increasingly expecting the bank to tighten.
• Consumer prices shot ahead in May in the U.K., rising by 3.3% in year-ago terms. The deteriorating inflation outlook has reduced the likelihood of imminent monetary easing, while a recent statement by Bank of England Governor Mervyn King suggests that rate increases are also unlikely.

Despite Hard Times, U.S. Consumers Splurge on the Sexy Things in Life

hi, if you find this massage is interesting, share with your फ्रिएंड्स NEW YORK, NY -- 06/24/08 -- Economic pressures on consumers lately are not expected to impact the fashionable intimate apparel industry. According to Packaged Facts' "U.S. Market for Intimate Apparel," the market is appealing to retailers because it has higher profit margins than regular apparel, drives store traffic and boosts customer loyalty. In 2007, Packaged Facts estimates the lingerie market rang up nearly $10 billion in sales.

While the market grew modestly between 2002 and 2007, it seems that women's intimate apparel has found a hot spot. Sexy/fantasy/trashy lingerie has seen significant growth in small, specialty lingerie companies that link their undergarments with accessories, novelties and adult toys. Escalation in sales of these foxy garments can be attributed to the Internet, which has helped small start-up companies flourish.

Full-figured lingerie is another key factor in the intimate apparel market. With the expansion in the women's plus-size clothing market (which generates $22 billion in annual sales) comes lingerie that fits the full-figured woman. In 2007, intimate apparel sales accounted for more than 10% of all plus-size apparel and that number is expected to increase.

"In the battle for tightly held consumer dollars, size is no longer enough," notes Cathy Minkler, Editor of Packaged Facts. "Players in the apparel industry will need innovation and original business models to stay in fashion."

"U.S. Market for Intimate Apparel" analyzes the competitive landscape of the market, profiles the major lingerie makers and retailers and discusses their key business strategies. The report also analyzes the major trends prevalent in the lingerie market. The information contained in this study was compiled from both primary and secondary research, including consultations with industry experts, on-site inspections of major retail outlets, analysis of information from trade press, apparel and organic-product trade associations, retail journals, marketer publications and press releases, and other relevant sources. Sales figures are based on a comprehensive evaluation of various current market estimates and growth trends. For further information visit: http://www.packagedfacts.com/Women-Intimate-Apparel-1684530/

Packaged Facts publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer industries, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, demographics, pet, and financial products. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. For more information visit www.packagedfacts.com, or contact Jenn Tekin at 240-747-3015 or jtekin@marketresearch.com.

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Mumbai dabbawala shares secret of success with Dubai accountants

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DUBAI: Forget about the coding system that Mumbai's dabbawalas use to transport lunch boxes from homes to offices or the six-sigma and ISO certificates they have. The men who ensure workers in India's financial capital get their food on time credit their success to simple principles: stick to time and work is worship. A conference of chartered accountants in Dubai this week, which heard presentations on topics like wealth structuring crisis, India's cost competitiveness, Middle East equity markets and commodities cycle, was perked up by a presentation on Mumbai's ubiquitous dabbawalas. The men who transport lunch boxes have been a subject of study for management gurus like CK Prahalad and schools like Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and those in the American Ivy League. Invited by the Dubai chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Manish Tripathi, honorary director of Mumbai's dabbawalas, gave a presentation on the trade wearing a now globally recognizable dabbawala white cap and swearing with his hand on a tiffin box that he would “say the truth and nothing but truth” about his trade. “Believe me, I will give you so much knowledge about dabbawalas that any of you can come to Mumbai and start working as a dabbawala,” he told an over-1,000 strong audience at a five start hotel here. “Our work revolves around a few beliefs - the most important ones of which are sticking to time and believing that work is worship,” he said. “Annadan is mahadan (giving food is the greatest charity). We dabbawalas have a strong belief in god. But you don't see god, do you? So, whom do you worship? People - after all, they are creations of god. You worship god by ensuring that people get to eat their food on time,” he said while making the Powerpoint presentation that was prepared for the dabbawalas by an IIM student. “Time,” Tripathi said, “is the first thing any dabbawala has to stick to if he has to succeed in the trade.”

Russia's largest bank to induct Indian in supervisory board

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MOSCOW: For the first time in its history Russia's largest state-owned bank, Sberbank (Savings Bank) is inducting an Indian national Rajat Kumar Gupta on its supervisory board and his appointment is expected to be approved at the shareholders' meeting here on Friday. According to Sberbank press office Gupta, Senior Partner in McKenzie, would also be the first ever foreigner to be appointed on the bank's supervisory board. Sberbank President and former Minister of Economy and Trade German Gref had earlier said his bank plans to enter into the Indian financial market in a big way, which has already applied to the RBI seeking permission to open its branch in India.