Category: News Desk

Alibaba Shake-Up Boosts China Anti-Fraud Image


Alibaba.com, one of China’s most successful Internet start-ups, shook up its top management yesterday

after an internal investigation revealed on-going fraud at the company.

The fast-growing Chinese e-commerce site, partly owned by Yahoo, said its long-time CEO, David Wei, and COO, Elvis Lee, had resigned.

In a statement released late Monday, Alibaba said they had not been involved in the fraud,

but had resigned after accepting responsibility for failing to stop it.

Mid-East Upset Used To Hike Oil, Food Prices


 

The turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East has helped drive oil prices up to more than $102 a barrel for an important benchmark crude, Brent,

although so far there have been no significant disruptions in production or supply, according to experts at the International Energy Agency.

While Egypt and Tunisia have little oil,

Bahrain Sunni / Shiite Strife Echoes Throughout “Oil Gulf”


At the heart of the Bahrain crisis is a Sunni / Shia Muslim split

that is not limited to the small island off Saudi Arabia,

but extends throughout the Persian Gulf region, home of most Arab oil wealth.

The Sunni al-Khalifa family has ruled Bahrain since 1782

despite a clear majority of the population being Shia.

There have always been tensions between the two communities,

with the Shia accusing the royal family of packing the higher echelons

Gene Sharp: Theorist of People Power Revolutions


“If people are not afraid of the dictatorship, that dictatorship is in big trouble.”

Halfway around the world from Tahrir Square in Cairo,

an aging American intellectual shuffles about his cluttered brick row house in a working-class neighborhood here.

His name is Gene Sharp.

Stoop-shouldered and white-haired at 83, he grows orchids, has yet to master the Internet and hardly seems like a dangerous man.

But for the world’s despots, his ideas can be fatal.

Fuel Report: Global Shale Gas Technologies and Markets


 

Shale gas has the potential to dramatically impact global energy markets with its increasingly significant role in global natural gas markets.

Especially as nations seek lower-carbon fuels while ensuring energy security and economic development.

Demand for natural gas is expected to account for nearly 24 percent of global energy supplies by 2020.

With increase in demand for gas, supplies from conventional sources are depleting- hence driving the gas industry to unconventional sources, such as shale.

Airport Retail Sales Flying High


 

The airport retail market has seen massive growth – all around the globe, with Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa being particularly robust.

Datamonitor Retail reported over 60 percent growth forecast (to US$44.1 billion) in the global airport retail market by 2015.

In addition, the study concluded Asia-Pacific is set to overtake Europe for world’s leading airport market in 2015, doubling sales from US$7.8 billion to US$15.2 billion.

Tunisia Aftermath Holds Lessons For Egypt


A month after Tunisians toppled their authoritarian president, sending shock waves across the Arab world,

many are discovering that may have been the easy part.

With restrictions on the media lifted and freedom of speech flourishing,

the cork has popped on years of bottled-up demands over salaries, working conditions and other grievances.

Tunisians seem torn between a desire to fully eradicate the remnants of the previous government and a pining for stability.

The Financial Crisis in Motion (Picture)


Taken from What Went Wrong Blog:

Mubarak Family Money


 

With former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak now out of power, there are growing calls for an accounting of the relationship between his family and the Egyptian economy.

Within hours of Mr. Mubarak’s resignation on Friday, Swiss officials ordered all banks in Switzerland to search for — and freeze — any assets of the former president, his family or close associates. 

Tracing the money is likely to be difficult because business in Egypt was largely conducted in secret among a small group connected to Mr. Mubarak.

World’s Top 50 Advertising Agency Companies in 2010


 

Which advertising agencies came up tops in 2010?

 

Find out which advertising agencies (listed by network/holding company) raked in the highest revenues (US$ Millions) in 2010 according to AdAge Data Centre:

 

1.      WPP, $13,600

2.      Omnicom Group, $11,720

3.      Publicis Groupe, $6,290