Japaness jobless rate rise

Japan's unemployment rate rose to 5.2 percent in November from 5.1 percent in October, worsening for the first time in four months, the government said Friday. The latest rate was in line with the average market forecast. Figures released by the labour ministry showed there were 45 job offers for every 100 jobseekers in November, slightly up from 44 in the previous month. Many Japanese companies, particularly exporters, moved swiftly to cut jobs and production in response to a slump in demand caused by the global economic downturn, which triggered Japan's worst post-war recession.

Toyota Motor increase its business

Japan's Toyota Motor plans to boost its global production in 2010 by 17 percent to about 7.5 million units, Japanese media reported Saturday. The output target -- which does not include Toyota group firms Daihatsu Motor and Hino Motors -- is still down about one million units from the peak year of 2007 and matches the level of 2005 , the business daily Nikkei said. But Toyota may raise its 2010 output further after taking into account the impact of the government's decision to extend subsidies for purchases of environmentally friendly vehicles by six months to September 2010 , the paper said. Following the global sales slump due to the financial crisis, Toyota early this year embarked on steep production cuts centred on its major markets -- Japan, the United States and Europe. But sales in major markets have recovered gradually and with demand picking up in China and other emerging markets, Toyota's global sales recorded their first year-on-year rise in 15 months in October.

South Korea will build world’s biggest nuclear po wer plant

South Korean president Lee Myung-bak visited the United Arab Emirates on Saturday in a push to win one of the world's biggest nuclear power plant contracts. The UAE is expected to award the contract estimated to be worth $40 billion to build several nuclear reactors 'possibly early next week,' industry sources have said. A South Korean consortium of Korea Electric Power Corp, Hyundai Engineering and Construction, Samsung C&T Corp, and Doosan Heavy Industries is in the running to win the largest-ever energy deal of the Middle East. Other bidders include a consortium of General Electric Co and Westinghouse Electric, a subsidiary of Toshiba Corp, and a French consortium led by EDF and GDF Suez and including Areva and oil group Total. Lee is scheduled to hold a summit meeting with UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al- Nahayan during his two-day visit, the South Korean presidential Blue House said in a statement. 'It remains unclear whether South Korea will win the final contract to build nuclear power plants and President Lee's visit to the UAE is part of summit diplomacy to win the final ticket in the bidding,' Lee's office said. The French consortium was initially seen as a front-runner for the deal but it recently appeared to be losing ground to the Korean. On the Korea Exchange earlier this week, shares of Korea Power Engineering and Doosan Heavy Industries rallied on expectations for the deal, analysts said. IBK Securities analyst Yoon Jin-il said the contract is expected to be split in three stages with the initial order to be worth about $5 billion, but the first-phase winner is likely to take home the remaining two. Work is expected to begin in 2012, UAE state news agency WAM said. The UAE is the world's third-largest oil exporter, but it is planning to build a number of nuclear reactors to meet an expected need for an additional 40,000 megawatts of power. South Korea's commerce and energy ministry said on Monday that it would focus on the nuclear power sector in 2010 and step up work on a plan to develop nuclear reactors with indigenous technology, as it outlined next year's policy objectives.

Emirates give a package offer

Emirates has offered exceptional value for money Dubai Shopping Festival packages this year. With prices starting from as little as $47 per person per night sharing a twin room on a three nights package, these exceptional value for money packages must begin and end within the validity of the offer, ie, January 28 to February 28, 2010, both days inclusive, said a news release. Guests can stay three nights for the price of two nights on meal plan booked and in multiples, ie, six nights for the price of four and nine nights for the price of six etc. The DSF has over the years grown phenomenally to become the biggest shopping extravaganza in the world, and DSF 2010 will be even bigger and better than ever before, the release said.

7 UP awared in Bangladesh

7 UP, a brand in the PepsiCo portfolio, has recently been awarded 'top soft drink in Bangladesh' award in the beverage category by Bangladesh Brand Forum. PepsiCo and Transcom Beverages with focus on brand 7 UP have managed to help 7 UP attain and sustain dominance in Bangladesh market, said a news release. Transcom Beverages chief executive officer GQ Chowdhury, PepsiCo International country manager Tejinder Khurana, Transcom Beverages general manager Khurshid Irfan Chowdhury, and Transcom Beverages market development manager Arif Hossain, were present at the award giving ceremony held in Dhaka.

Vietnam's team visit Pacific Pharmaceuticals

A high-powered team of the Drug Administration Authority of Vietnam led by Chu Dang Trung visited the state-of-the-art plant of Pacific Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Friday. During the visit they were 'very satisfied' to observe the facilities and production and quality control processes followed by the company and expressed their deep desire to import different life saving drugs to Vietnam from Pacific, said a news release. Pacific Pharma managing director KR Chowdhury, Khondaker Sagir Ahmed, Nurul Islam, Akib Hossain of Drug Administration Authority of Bangladesh were present along with the team.

Bangladesh govt don't give any credit facilities to polluting indu stries

In an initiative to protect environment and combat climate change, the government has decided to restrict credit facilities for polluting industries. 'No more credit facilities for the industries which will pollute environment,' Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman said while speaking at a seminar on climate change management for the central bank officials at Bangladesh Bank Training Academy in Dhaka on Saturday. The governor warned that action would be taken against those banks which would provide credit facilities to the industries responsible for environment pollution. Atiur Rahman said Bangladesh Bank had created a fund of Tk 200 crore to address the environmental issues and climate change. Every industry might have Tk 1 crore loan for setting up effluent treatment plant from the fund, he said. The central bank is ready to increase the size of the fund and give up-to Tk 5 crore if the industrialists agree, he said urging the schedule banks to come up with more credit facilities for environment friendly industries. Noted economist and members of Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund Dr Quazi Khaliquzzaman Ahmad also spoke in the seminar while executive director of the BBTA Debaki Kumar Saha was in the chair. The governor laid importance on dredging of rivers and canals to ensure water security of the people and boost country's agro- based economy. He urged the private banks to help the local dredging companies with necessary financial support for river dredging. He said the central bank had taken an initiative to create fund to help farmers produce organic fertiliser. Any people to take any such project with at least four cattle-heads might get credit from the fund, he said. Atiur Rahman said a coordinated policy should be put in place considering the affects of climate change and the country's economic development. He asked the bankers to make their best efforts to improve financial system to the challenges of climate change.