EU ready to grant Italy’s ‘public deficit’ request

STRASBOURG. – The European Commission said yesterday it was ready to accept an Italian request to modify the way public deficits are calculated, which would give Rome more leeway in spending while still respecting EU demands to keep the deficit below 3 percent of gross domestic product.

Eurozone recession eases: Survey

BRUSSELS. — The eurozone recession eased at the end of the second quarter, opening hope of a return to growth in the second half of the year, final data from a key survey signalled yesterday.

Chinese firm eyes PSA Peugeot stake

SHANGHAI. — China’s second biggest carmaker has held talks about buying a stake in troubled French car firm PSA Peugeot Citroen, a state-backed newspaper said yesterday.
Thierry Peugeot, chairman of Peugeot’s supervisory board, had “pinned his hopes” on Dongfeng Motor, which already has a joint venture with the group, the 21st Century Business

Shell worried over vandalism

LAGOS. — Shell Petroleum Development Company  of Nigeria Limited has raised concern over the rising cases of sabotage on its facilities.
The oil giant said that it recorded eight incidences of vandalism on its pipelines at the Adibawa field in Eastern Niger Delta recently, leading to the spilling of about 500 barrels of

German minister due in Greece

BERLIN. — German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle was due in Greece yesterday for talks with its reshuffled government ahead of a progress report which conditions the next payment of bailout cash.

EU leaders tackle youth joblessness

BERLIN. — German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted European leaders yesterday to jointly tackle mass youth unemployment but the show of unity was clouded as EU heavyweights Berlin and Paris differed in their response to US spying claims.

The art of getting debtors to talk

Tonderai Gwangwawa Business Correspondent
GETTING debtors to open up and share their RFDs (reason for default) is an art. Instead, many debtors use excuses and broken promises so as to cover up any payment inadequacy.

US services sector slows down

WASHINGTON. — The US services sector slowed in June but there were was a pick-up in hiring, according to an ISM report released yesterday.
The Institute for Supply Management said business activity in the massive services sector fell to 52,2 on its purchasing managers index from 53,7 in May.

Stand out: Be persistent, creative

Zachary Aldwin

A YOUNG lady came to my office this week unannounced and uninvited.  Almost wordlessly, she handed over a list of supplies that I may find useful, a rather bland black and white list clipped to a business card so that I could call if I needed anything.

Moody’s downgrades rescued Spanish banks’ junk debt

MADRID. – Moody’s has downgraded three nationalised Spanish banking groups, sending their debt deeper into junk bond territory on fears that private investors may get burned in case of trouble.

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