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MICHAEL
BEGLEY talks on a phone as he works on the floor of the
New York Stock Exchange on Friday. The US stock market is
off to the worst start since 2000 after government reports
on jobs and manufacturing added to concern the economy
will sink into recession. -- BLOOMBERG |
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Oil-price ‘relief’ menu up |
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ALL measures
to ease the impact of high oil prices must be focused on
Juan de la Cruz, and must be felt as soon as possible. It
would seem this is the senators’ counter view to a
Malacañang oil summit that would discuss such high subjects
as improving policy and programs, attracting technology
investments—among others—as actions to cope with soaring oil
prices, reaching $100 to a barrel last week, that impact
severely on the common man. |
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$100/barrel oil puts rates at risk |
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THE Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) remains hopeful the benign
outlook on inflation over the policy horizon will allow it
to keep its policy-rate settings at current levels.
But senior
government officials fear that with oil at $100 a barrel,
the stability of interest rates is at risk, requiring
immediate review of the year’s macroeconomic assumptions. |
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‘Looming farm crisis’ to hurt poor |
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AN agrarian
crisis is now brewing in the Philippines because of the
accelerating increase in temperature, drought and massive
desertification brought about by global warming and climate
change that will severely impact on the “poorest of the
poor.” |
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RP
has most optimistic bizmen for 2008 |
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THE
Philippines ranked first together with India as the
countries with the most number of optimistic businessmen for
2008 in a survey conducted by global organization of
accounting and consulting firm Grant Thornton International. |
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Higher GDP growth projection goes vs global pull-down
factors |
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THE national
government’s upward revision of growth projections for 2008
may not be justified according to some economists, who
project economic growth to be lower than planned and believe
that balancing the budget may not be feasible this year. |
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Soon
from Lenovo: your face as your ‘password’ |
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CHINA-BASED
Lenovo Group Ltd. will be selling computers that recognize
the owner’s face, doing away with typing passwords and
enhancing security.
In a
statement three days after the new year, the company that
bought IBM’s consumer personal-computer unit said that it
has launched its new line of laptop and desktop computers
under the Idea brand. |
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Skyway workers vow fresh protest actions Monday |
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EMPLOYEES of
the Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC) Skyway
Corp. announced Sunday plans to stage another protest action
today, Monday, to push for their reinstatement to their
former posts. |
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SPV
Round 2 sold only P30B of P100-B goal |
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THE banks
have exhausted half of the two-year period within which the
sale of soured assets to special-purpose vehicles enjoy
certain perks, but sold only a third of their stated goal
for the period.
According to
the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the banks sold only
around P30 billion worth under SPV-2, substantially less
than the P100-billion aggregate target. |
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RP
still on list of media danger zones |
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THE
Brussels-based International News Safety Institute (Insi)
said at least 171 journalists and other news
professionals—144 journalists and 27 support staff such as
drivers, technicians, etc—died in the line of duty in 2007
with Iraq, Mexico, Somalia and the Philippines as the worst
killing grounds. |
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MORE STORIES ... |
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Holiday’s end.
Actors garbed as
the Three Kings (Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar) greet
youngsters as they parade around San Marcelino toward the
Casino Español in Manila to celebrate the Feast of the
Epiphany marking the end of the long Christmas season.
--RHOY COBILLA |
