Bank sees Asia leading global recovery

Asia is set to lead the world out of the global financial crisis in spite of the slow recovery in the US and Europe, according to the latest forecasts by the Asian Development Bank. In a dramatic contrast to its view in March, when it slashed 2009 growth forecasts for Asia excluding Japan from 7.2 per cent to 3.4 per cent, the ADB on Tuesday said the region would grow more strongly than expected both this year and in 2010.

Share

State Dept.: Policy against new Israeli settlements stands

The State Department is sticking with a strict no-new-settlements policy toward Israel, its spokesman said Thursday, but he held out the possibility that Israelis and Palestinians might eventually take a different path. “The position that the secretary has stated remains our position,” spokesman P.J. Crowley said at his daily briefing

Share

The Rage over Goldman Sachs

Lloyd Blankfein, the 54-year-old chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs, is powerfully perplexed. In the past six months, his investment-banking and securities-trading firm has roared ahead in profitability by taking risks — that other firms would not — for itself and its clients in an edgy market. It has paid back the billions of dollars, and then some, of taxpayer money the government forced it to take last October; raised billions of dollars in capital from private investors, including $5 billion from Warren Buffett; and urged its cadre of well-paid and high-performing executives to show some restraint on the conspicuous-consumption front.

Share

China eases restrictions on flotations

One of the world’s hottest spots for raising capital is back in business. Ten months after halting initial public offerings, or flotations, on Chinese bourses, the government has cleared the way for Guilin Sanjin Pharmaceutical, a maker of traditional Chinese medicines, to list on the Shenzhen exchange. The company plans to raise $133 million with the IPO, which offered subscriptions to retail investors Monday

Share