EIU Country Analysis

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Independent (UK)] Royal Bank of Scotland#;s new chief executive Stephen Hester will have to earn every penny of his controversial £#.#m pay packet in turning the bank around, after a respected industry magazine revealed it

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The following is an extract from our full Healthcare Report for this country Colombia spent around US$##.#bn on healthcare in ####, equivalent to #.#% of GDP, or US$### per capita. The

FROM THE ECONOMIST America#;s health care is the costliest in the world, yet quality is patchy and millions are uninsured. Incentives for both patients and suppliers need urgent treatment NO ONE will be astonished to hear that health care

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [New York Times] IF a marketer asked people to hand over a list of all their friends so it could show them ads, few would comply. On social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, though, friendships are

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] The European Union said Thursday it will give China up to euro## million ($## million) to build a carbon capture and storage plant that will test a technology aimed at limiting climate change. The EU

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Daily News (White Plains, NY)] Arden Asset Management, a hedge fund of funds manager, and JPMorgan Chase, the second-largest U.S. bank, struck a deal on Thursday [June ##] in which the hedge fund firm will

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Hindu (English) (India)] Bharti Airtel on Tuesday joined hands with Taiwan-based smartphone manufacturer HTC Corporation to launch India#;s first #;Android#;-powered mobile phone HTC Magic. Google#;s Android is an open-source platform running on

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] Chinese herbal shampoo maker Bawang International Group drew nearly $# billion in retail orders for its initial public offering in Hong Kong, reports said Friday, amid signs of renewed investor confidence. The strong response was

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] President Barack Obama has learned the lessons of Bill Clinton#;s failed bid to overhaul America#;s health care system. Too well, in fact, say fellow Democrats angry over his refusal to intervene while a

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Financial markets rallied through early June, but the rise was spurred by greater optimism for the world economy, higher commodity prices and hopes that Australia could avoid a recession. The domestic economy is still expected

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia In Focus] Taiwan#;s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) signed an exchange of letters (EOL) Wednesday with its Belgian counterpart -- the Banking, Finance and Insurance Commission (CBFA) -- charting the way to strengthen cooperation on financial supervision. The

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] Auto parts maker Delphi Corp. defended the sale of a portion of its assets to a private equity firm on Thursday, saying it has been open to other buyers since it first entered bankruptcy protection

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia Pulse Businesswire] State electricity company PLN said it will issue global bonds valued up to US$# billion to finance its investment to cost Rp## trillion (US$#.# billion) this year. PLN president Fahmi Mochtar

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Immigrants are trimming the funds they send home, which will deepen downturns in developing countries. Remittances from overseas workers, a financial lifeline for many developing countries, are under pressure as a result of the downturn

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AFP World News (English)] France may sell ## percent of nuclear energy group Areva to strategic investors in Asia and the Middle East and elsewhere, and is preparing a capital increase, a newspaper report said on Friday

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT China#;s economy will manage to grow by #.#% this year. That will feel like a hard landing after years on quicker expansion. Despite clear signs that the government#;s fiscal stimulus plan is

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Consumer prices in Japan dropped by #.#% year on year in May, signalling that deflation has taken hold after a period of several months during which prices changed only marginally. Consumer prices fell by

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Daily Telegraph (UK)] UBS, the Swiss bank, has confirmed a Swf#.#bn ( £#.#bn) share placing to shore up its balance sheet. The troubled financial group said in a statement late last night that it was currently

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [MarketWatch Bullets] Genzyme Corp. genz said Thursday that it has resumed shipping of finished lots of its flagship product Cerezyme from its Allston, Mass., plant after test showed the lots were free of a certain virus that

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Hungarian News Agency (Hungary)] Retail sales volume in Hungary fell a calendar year-adjusted #.#pc yr/yr in April ####, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) reported on Thursday. Retail sales dropped #.#pc from March according

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AFP World News (English)] The World Bank said Thursday it had approved a ## million-dollar farming loan for the Philippines aimed at boosting output in the world#;s largest rice importer. The ##-year "adaptable programme

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Guardian (UK)] Traffic lights will communicate directly with cars, if an Intel research project comes to fruition. Also, "my taillight will communicate with your headlight," says Intel#;s Vu Nguyen, "using Visible Light Communication (VLC): imagine morse

FROM THE ECONOMIST A Chinese oil firm buys an exploration outfit willing to drill almost anywhere MOST firms making an acquisition want, at the very least, to buy assets protected by strong legal systems in stable countries. But when it

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] Daiwa Securities Group Inc. (####.TO) said Friday it will raise up to Y### billion through a public offering plan for the first time in nearly ## years to strengthen its financial base

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [OsterDowJones Select] Polish retail sales rose #.#% on the year in May, more than expected and above a #% annual increase in April, as supermarket, clothing and pharmaceuticals sales rose significantly compared with the previous month

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Gulf News (United Arab Emirates)] Investments in the Arab energy sector, especially in the oil industry in the Gulf, have undergone a major decline due to the global financial crisis, which could endanger the future of the

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] Venezuelan officials plan to invalidate some pharmaceutical patents and allow domestic manufacturers to produce licensed medicines, an action that could cause shortages and scare off foreign investment, industry leaders said Sunday. Edgar Salas, president of

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] Citigroup (C) is in final talks with Japan#;s Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co. (####.TO) to sell its Nikko Asset Management unit for around Y### billion, according to people familiar with the situation

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Itar-Tass via World News Connection] Russia#;s gas giant Gazprom plans to adjust its budget and investment program for #### in August-September, the company#;s deputy CEO and chief of the financial and economic department

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] Michigan has won the high-stakes competition with two other states to build General Motors Corp.#;s next-generation subcompact car, a person briefed on the decision said Thursday. The announcement that the car will

FROM THE ECONOMIST SOURCE: The Economist

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia In Focus] COCA-COLA CO, the world#;s largest beverage maker, will focus on organic growth for its juice business in China and on its own juice brand, Minute Maid, a top executive said Wednesday. The

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asian News International] Texas billionaire businessman and alleged fraudster, Sir Allen Stanford, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he orchestrated a seven billion dollars fraud at his sprawling financial empire. The cricket entrepreneur has been charged

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia In Focus] Australian-listed health insurer NIB HOLDINGS LTD (SAX:NHF) is warning its shareholders they may be targeted for unsolicited, below-market offers for their stock. The health fund says a company called HASSLE FREE

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] Investors Friday warmed to a report that Volkswagen AG (VOW.XE) might consider taking a ##% stake in Suzuki Motor Corp. (####.TO) to tap into the latter#;s expertise in small cars

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AFP World News (English)] The price of shares in French pharmaceutical group Sanofi-Aventis slumped in morning trade on Friday on concerns over its diabetes drug Lantus despite company assurances it was a safe treatment. The company

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AllAfrica.com] For sometime now near total darkness has engulfed the entire Nigerian nation owing to the collapse of the electricity-generating sub-sector. All Nigerians hear is that by December #,###MW will be achieved to

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia Pulse Businesswire] Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd (ASX:CCL) chief executive Terry Davis has reiterated that the Australian bottler of Coca-Cola and other beverages expects to post a record first half profit result. "In profit terms

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The latest quarterly data shows the global downturn has less impact than expected on Colombia. Colombia#;s statistics agency (DANE) has reported that economic output in the first quarter contracted by #.#% year on

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia Pulse Businesswire] Vietnam earned US$# billion from apparel exports in the first half of the year, #.# per cent down on the same period last year, the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association reported. The

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The resilient Australian economy managed to avoid a technical recession, posting a #.#% quarter-on-quarter rise in the January-March period. Exports rose strongly, while imports declined, despite the fact that government stimulus

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Thai Press Reports (Thailand)] Vietnam#;s retail sales and services revenues are estimated to have jumped ## per cent on-year in the first six months to VND###.# trillion (approx US$##.### billion). Vietnam#;s

FROM THE ECONOMIST Can Asians replace Americans as a driver of global growth? ASIA#;S emerging economies are bouncing back much more strongly than any others. While America#;s industrial production continued to slide in May, output in emerging Asia

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] President Barack Obama pushed urgently Thursday for passage of legislation to confront global warming. He telephoned wavering Democrats on the eve of what could be a historic vote in the House of Representatives. Speaking in

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Marketwatch] ConAgra Foods Inc. reported Thursday its fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell ##% even as sales for its consumer food segment continued to grow. For the quarter ended May ##, net income was $### million, or ##

FROM THE ECONOMIST Demography means virtually all of us will have to work longer. That need not be a bad thing. WHEN Otto von Bismarck introduced the first pension for workers over ## in ####, the life expectancy of a

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Marketwatch] Long a pioneer in wireless telecommunications technology, Qualcomm Inc. is looking to expand its business beyond cell phones into a new category of portable computing devices -- potentially setting the company up for a rivalry with Intel

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] [From Wall Street Journal: Heard on the Street] As Asian energy firms compete with Chinese oil companies for energy assets, they are finding themselves outbid at every turn. But they are having success

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Sponsored by SAS Executive summary Almost two years since the financial crisis first emerged from the sub-prime mortgage business in the US, the repercussions continue to be felt. Despite unprecedented efforts by governments, central

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Indo-Asian News Service] Leading Italian coffee brand Caffe Pascucci has entered India by setting up its first outlet here to retail imported blended coffee. The euro ###-million (Rs.#,###-crore) Pascucci has roped in

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Even as it grapples with the GCC rejecting its bid to host the monetary council, Abu Dhabi is vying to capture another multilateral institution: the future headquarters of the new International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Datamonitor Pharmaceutical & HealthWire] Eisai Co, a Japanese pharmaceutical comapny has established its new subsidiary, Eisai GesmbH in Austria. Eisai Austria is a subsidiary wholly-owned by Eisai Europe, the European subsidiary of Eisai. With the establishment

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Yomiuri Shimbun (Tokyo, Japan)] About ## percent of woody biomass power station operators have suspended or reduced operations due to a shortage of thinned wood and wood chips used for generating power, according to a recent survey

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Marketwatch] Palm Inc.#;s new chief executive Jon Rubinstein did not spend his years at Apple Inc. for naught. On his first conference call as CEO of Palm PALM, which just released a fiscal fourth quarter loss

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] Oklahoma has vast potential for the development of the renewable resource and it could be a boon to the state#;s economy, speakers at a wind energy conference said Tuesday. About ### people are expected

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [New York Times] The Lear Corporation, one of the world#;s largest makers of auto seats, is preparing to file for bankruptcy as soon as next week, according to a person briefed on the matter. A bankruptcy

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Itar-Tass via World News Connection] The conflict over the Kovykta gas condensate field remains unresolved, Natural Resources Minister Yuri Trutnev told the media. He is a member of the Russian presidential delegation touring Africa. "The conflict

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Thai Press Reports (Thailand)] Thanachart Bank plans to float up to ## billion baht in debentures to raise its capital base to support future business growth, the Bangkok Post reports. Bank chairman Banterng Tantivit said TBank wanted

Industry Report Healthcare Colombia June #### Economist Intelligence Unit ## Red Lion Square London WC#R #HQ United Kingdom Economist Intelligence Unit The Economist Intelligence Unit is a specialist publisher serving companies establishing and managing operations across national borders. For ##

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia In Focus] Fresh fruit from southern Taiwan#;s Pingtung County will debut in Shanghai Sunday and will be offered as free samples to consumers in China#;s largest city in an effort to crack that potentially

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AllAfrica.com] Telkom Kenya chief executive officer, Mr Dominique -Saint Jean, is retiring on Tuesday next week. He will be replaced by Mr Mickael Ghossein from Orange#;s Jordan operations. The board of directors approved the retirement

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [ADP Nordic News] Norwegian drug developer Clavis Pharma ASA (OSL:CLAVIS) said Friday it raised NOK ### million (USD ##m/EUR ##.#m) to fund the development of its pipeline of novel anticancer drug candidates. Clavis Pharma

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AAP News (Australia)] Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd (CBA) is in talks to sell its Fijian banking and insurance business to Bank of South Pacific Ltd. CBA said in a statement on Thursday that Bank of South

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Russian Finance Report] Despite that Gazprom increased the forecast of the average price of gas for Europe from $### to $### per #,### cubic meters in ####, the export revenue of the gas monopoly will decrease

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] Days before a deadline abruptly imposed by China, computer makers are scrambling to comply with an order to supply Web-filtering software with PCs amid concerns about what it might do to their reputations. Dell

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [World News Connection] China has allocated a favourable credit of four billion US dollars to Turkmenistan. A corresponding intergovernmental agreement was signed on Wednesday on the results of talks between Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Chinese Deputy

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The following is an extract from our full Healthcare Report for this country In recent years, the pharmaceuticals industry has been plagued by low profitability, liquidity problems and smuggling. However, its fortunes have improved since

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] California air regulators voted unanimously Thursday for a mandate requiring auto manufacturers to include sun-reflecting glass on all vehicles sold within the state by ####. The move by the California Air Resources Board was

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The following is an extract from our full Healthcare Report for this country Demand. The expansion of sales of cheaper generic drugs will contribute to volume growth in both prescription and OTC sales. The consumption

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] The Bank of England warned Friday that Britain#;s banks are far from getting a clean bill of health despite signs of improvement in the economy and in financial markets - and said that no bank

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] PepsiCo Inc. on Wednesday said it struck a deal to buy ## percent of Japan#;s largest snack company, with which it will produce and sell snacks and other foods in the Asian nation. PepsiCo

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AFP World News (English)] Nigerian rebels said Thursday they carried out a pre-dawn attack against Royal Dutch Shell facilities as part of a drive to cripple their country#;s multi-billion-dollar oil industry. The Movement

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] Yahoo Chief Executive Carol Bartz echoed the turnaround promises of her predecessors as she presided over the first shareholder meeting since her hiring, yet she left little doubt the slumping Internet company#;s new boss

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT On June ##th China#;s biggest oil refiner, Sinopec, announced its acquisition of Addax, a Switzerland-based energy firm, for US$#.#bn. If it goes through, the deal will be China#;s biggest-ever

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AllAfrica.com] THE Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has warned that crude oil supply to refineries will dry up in ## days if the vandalism of oil pipelines in the Niger Delta continues unabated. In a related

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The following is an extract from our full Healthcare Report for this country Average life expectancy at birth was an estimated ##.# years in ####. Infant mortality, although it has declined, is still high

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [New York Times] Boston Scientific said on Thursday that its board had named Ray Elliott as president and chief executive to succeed James R. Tobin, who is retiring. For six years, Mr. Elliott, ##, led Zimmer Holdings

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] China#;s planning agency is likely to reject a Chinese company#;s bid to acquire General Motors Corp.#;s Hummer unit, in part because its gas-guzzling vehicles conflict with Beijing#;s conservation goals, state

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] Aozora Bank (####) and Shinsei Bank (####), which are in talks to merge as early as fall ####, are planning to adopt a committee-style management structure to bolster corporate governance. Both banks

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [New York Times] When Iraq puts development rights to some of its largest oil fields up for auction to foreign companies on Monday, the bidding will be a watershed moment, representing the first chance for petroleum giants

FROM THE ECONOMIST Barack Obama was elected in part to fix America#;s health-care system. Now is the time for him to keep his word DIAGNOSING what is wrong with America#;s health-care system is the easy part

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] The organic dairy industry was thriving when Allen and Jean Moody bought a ###-acre (##-hectare) Wisconsin dairy farm in #### and joined the ranks of farmers churning out milk raised without growth hormones

FROM THE ECONOMIST The car firms behind the big teams have taken the wheel at the racing series IT WAS ##am in Paris, but high noon for Formula One racing. On June ##th at the grand headquarters of the Federation

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Associated Press] Microsoft Corp. said Thursday that prices for the Windows # computer operating system are largely in line with those for Vista, and that people who buy PCs before the new system goes on sale in

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia Pulse Businesswire] The Department of Finance (DOF) is planning to dispose of the government#;s share in the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC) and the Food Terminal Inc. by end-third quarter this

SOURCE: The Economist

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [New York Times] Ben S. Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, staunchly denied on Thursday that he or anyone else at the Fed did anything improper in prodding Bank of America to complete its ill-starred

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] The Chinese government will let domestic and foreign financial institutions set up consumer credit companies, a move seen as aimed at giving a boost to consumer spending, The Nikkei has learned. China will

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT Recent stress tests suggest that Swedish banks can withstand strains. However, a surge of defaults in the Baltic countries could hobble them. Stress tests recently conducted by Sweden#;s central bank suggest that the country

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [New York Times] The American International Group, the insurance giant bailed out by the federal government, said Thursday that it had reached an agreement to reduce its debt with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York by

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] The food and beverage sector showed the most appetite in Japan for carrying out overseas mergers and acquisitions in the first six months of #### comprising more than half of deal outflow value

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] Japan#;s financial regulator will sanction Citigroup Inc. (C) over lax money laundering controls, a person familiar with the situation said Friday. The Financial Services Agency believes Citigroup didn#;t catch and report

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Daily Telegraph (UK)] THE Financial Services Authority (FSA) has outlined a radical shake-up of the investment, pension and life assurance industries by spelling out plans to ban independent financial advisers (IFAs) taking commission for selling savings

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [AFP World News (English)] Mexico and Chile#;s leaders Thursday stressed an "urgent" need for developing countries to find a vaccine against swine flu that has killed more than ### people and infected tens of thousands worldwide

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] The patent infringement dispute between Sharp Corp. (####) and South Korea#;s Samsung Electronics Co. underscores the growing importance of patent licensing strategies for manufacturers of flat-panel TV sets and other digital

FROM THE ECONOMIST INTELLIGENCE UNIT The escalation of violence across the Niger delta region in recent weeks and months is playing havoc with crude oil production. Attacks by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and other

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Irish Independent (Ireland)] THE Government needs to freeze a proposed EUR##bn investment in the Irish energy sector in light of the collapse in demand or the costs will fall on the consumer, a report from the Academy

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Toronto Star, The (Ontario, Canada)] Wireless subscribers at Bell Canada Inc. and Telus Corp. who have been yearning for an iPhone may not have to wait much longer to get their fix. Sources say the two former

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Asia Pulse Businesswire] Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said modern retail sales during the past five months had seen positive growth. "Retail sales have remained positive. Ramayana department store`s sales rose five per cent this

FROM DIALOG NEWSEDGE [Nikkei English News (Japan)] In a major about-face in strategy, Softbank Corp. (####) will on July # start selling fiber-optic broadband services for rival Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (####). Softbank, which offers its own