Business

The World Bank''s report Doing Business in the Arab World 2009 says the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the easiest country to do business in the Middle East. The report ranked UAE in the 14th place globally in its assessment of 181 countries.

"Economies that have efficient customs, good transport networks and fewer document requirements, making compliance with export and import procedures faster and cheaper, are more competitive globally," the report said.

Dolls have taken a big leap towards reality with stores selling ''Baby Alive''-a doll that can not only eat but also tell that she wants to go for "potty".

The animatronic baby doll chirps in a singsong voice -"Sniff sniff! I made a stinky!"-when she wants to use her pink plastic toilet that comes with it.

Also come with the doll special "green beans" and "bananas" that, once fed to the doll, actually, well, come out the other end.

Ferrari’s ace driver Felipe Massa has rejected calls for Formula One teams to slash the wages of their drivers to try to reduce costs.

The Ferrari driver is believed to earn around 8million pounds a year, while his Scuderia teammate Kimi Raikkonen is reputedly paid at least three times that sum, The Independent reported.

Maldives President Mohammad ''Anni'' Nasheed extended an invitation to Indian industrialists and entrepreneurs to invest in state owned industries in Maldives.

Nasheed, who is on a three-day visit to India, said his government was seeking Indian industrialists, entrepreneurs to be partners in joint ventures in running the present state owned industries in Maldives.

Scientists are worried that the ongoing financial crisis may expose children to socio-economic adversity, which may in turn have lasting effects on their mental health.

Researchers from Iowa State University''s Institute for Social and Behavioral Research say that children from families that fall into poverty can show poor mental health by the time they become teens.

They came to this conclusion after carrying out a study of 485 Iowa adolescents over a 10-year period (1991-2001).

Traditional Paithani saris that were once patronized by the royalty, have continued to maintain its charm among the women in contemporary India.

Paithani saris are today a prized possession and have survived the test of time.

It is said that the erstwhile Maratha rulers of Maharashtra had a special preference for Paithani textiles and patronized them.

The traditional Paithani saris have continued to attract women by its distinct appeal even in cotemporary times.

Shahbaz Sharif Sasta Bazaar is selling substandard items at higher rates than other markets.

Consumers are blaming shopkeepers of this market for selling used and second grade clothes on the pretext of new and branded clothes. They also complained that the rates of other commodities were also around 20 percent higher than other markets, The Daily Times reported.

Efforts to salvage a proposed 14 billion dollar rescue plan for the American auto industry collapsed on Thursday as both Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on the timing of deep wage cuts for union workers.

They have effectively killed the legislative plan and threatened America''s carmakers with bankruptcy, the Washington Post reports.

Volvo has launched the market''s first coach with a multi-axle configuration, taking the inter-city luxury AC coach segment to its next level, which is coinciding with the Volvo Ocean Race in Kochi.

The auto manufacture company Volvo on Thursday offered a special signature series in memory of the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Kochi.

India will get 14 billion dollars from the World Bank over the next three years to facilitate infrastructure development projects and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

The World Bank Group’s new Country Strategy for India, discussed by the Institution’s board, envisages a total proposed lending program of 14 billion dollars for the next three years, the World Bank said in a statement.

The bulk loan offered to India is for developing its infrastructure projects and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.