TRADE WARS - BIO FUEL DAILY

Merkel pushes EU, Southeast Asia free trade pact

Jul 11, 2012 (AFP)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday said Europe must step up its efforts to establish a free trade pact with booming Southeast Asia. "I am deeply convi...

Myanmar to charge Thai rubber workers

Jul 11, 2012 (UPI)

Myanmar will charge up to 61 illegal Thai nationals working on secret rubber plantations near the Thai-Myanmar border. In a detailed report, Myanmar's state-run...

40% of degree-holders from China, India in 2020: OECD

Jul 11, 2012 (AFP)

Emerging powerhouses China and India will lead the way in churning out university graduates by the end of the decade, the OECD said Wednesday. Forty percent of ...

Paraguay not facing suspension: OAS

Jul 11, 2012 (UPI)

Paraguay is not facing suspension from the Organization of American States because of the way in which its Congress removed Fernando Lugo from the presidency, O...

Bolivia mine in crisis after protest death

Jul 10, 2012 (UPI)

Bolivia's mining industry is in crisis after the death of a protester and government moves to salvage the situation by considering seizure of a Canadian silver ...

Philippines issues new mining policy

Jul 10, 2012 (UPI)

Philippines President Benigno Aquino has signed an executive order that bans mining in prime agricultural and fishing areas as well as in 78 designated eco-tour...

Romney lays into 'outsourcer-in-chief' Obama

Jul 10, 2012 (AFP)

Republican Mitt Romney, facing a Democratic assault over his business record and charges that he helped ship US jobs overseas, hit back Tuesday by pegging Presi...

Merkel signs cooperation agreement with Indonesia

Jul 10, 2012 (AFP)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel signed an agreement Tuesday for wide-ranging cooperation with Indonesia, saying it would take bilateral ties "to a higher compre...

Australia eyes expanding Asian middle class

Jul 10, 2012 (AFP)

Asia's rapidly expanding middle class will become a key market for Australia's goods and services this decade, the country's Treasurer Wayne Swan will tell busi...

Myanmar president reschedules Thai visit

Jul 09, 2012 (UPI)

Myanmar's President Thein Sein will visit Thailand for three days later this month, a trip that he has twice postponed. His arrives July 22, a government offici...

Brazil OKs Amazon iron ore mining project

Jul 06, 2012 (UPI)

Brazil is going ahead with a controversial iron ore mining development in its Amazon region as it weighs export potential for what may become one of the largest...

Paraguay-Venezuela row deepening

Jul 06, 2012 (UPI)

Paraguay's diplomatic row with Venezuela is deepening amid accusations the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is seeking to overturn political chang...

US online-deals firm eyes road less traveled

Jul 03, 2012 (AFP)

Online coupons are last year's news. That is the view from number two US online deals firm Living Social, which is battling sector leader Groupon by offering wh...

China steel mill scraps Brazil plant: report

Jul 03, 2012 (AFP)

A major Chinese steelmaker has scrapped a plan to build a five-billion-dollar factory in Brazil due to high costs and a slump in global prices for the metal, st...

Google touts economic impact in US of ad efforts

Jul 02, 2012 (AFP)

Google said Monday its search and advertising operations generated $80 billion for 1.8 million US businesses in 2011. The annual report from the Internet search...

Manila maintains anti-corruption drive

Jul 02, 2012 (UPI)

The Philippines has made progress against corruption in political life but more work is needed to keep the momentum going, President Benigno Aquino said. "Clear...

Taiwan retires 20 fast attack missile boats

Jul 01, 2012 (AFP)

Taiwan on Sunday decommissioned the last 20 of a fleet of ageing missile boats as part of ongoing efforts to modernise its military forces against former rival ...

Haier aims for Europe and 'Made in China' upgrade

Jul 01, 2012 (AFP)

Chinese appliance and electronics giant Haier is aiming to expand into Europe with higher-end products, helping to upgrade China's reputation for churning out m...

China manufacturing falls to seven-month low

Jul 01, 2012 (AFP)

China's manufacturing activity fell to a seven-month low in June, official figures showed Sunday, despite government efforts to arrest a slowdown in the world's...

Japan's industrial production tumbles in May

Jun 29, 2012 (AFP)

Japan's factory output tumbled 3.1 percent in May, official data showed Friday, a bigger-than-expected drop as a slump overseas hurt exports but other figures p...