Five years after the plan for an India-Bangladesh railway network was approved, uncertainty persists over the project as no funds have been allocated yet, authorities said, reports Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) from Agartala. "It is not certain when the work for the project would start. No funds…

AFP, ATLANTA: Twelve Pacific rim countries sealed the deal yesterday on creating the world’s largest free trade area, delivering President Barack Obama a major policy triumph, a US Official said. The deal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, led by the United States and Japan, aims to set the rules…

AFP, BRUSSELS: Eurozone economic activity slowed more than first thought in September, a key business survey showed yesteday, adding to concerns over the outlook. Data monitoring company Markit said its revised September Purchasing Managers Index fell to 53.6 points, compared with a first reading of…

International Business Forum of Bangladesh (IBFB) expressed concern and shock over the killings of two foreigners in Bangladesh. The IBFB noted that, “Such unacceptable barbaric killings have tarnished the image of the country in the international arena, which may adversely affect our overall…

Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman left Dhaka for Lima Sunday night to attend the Annual Meetings of the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) , says press release. The three-day annual conference is scheduled to be held at Lima Convention Center in the capital of Peru from October…

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan yesterday said the government will procure 20 dredgers at a cost of Tk 2048 crore for improving navigability of rivers across the country, reports BSS. "Presently, Tk 1150 crore worth dredging works are ongoing in 53 waterways of the country," he said while…

Swedish Ambassador in Dhaka Johan Frisell said his country wants to further diversify trade relations between the two countries to the benefit of people from both Bangladesh and Sweden, reports UNB. The Swedish Ambassador said this while making a presentation on Bangladesh-Sweden relations at a function…

AFP, PARIS: The world’s advanced economies announced yesterday a long-awaited plan to close the loopholes on tax-avoiding multinationals that cost…

Pakistani mobile operators Mobilink and Warid Telecom have reportedly agreed to merge to create an operator with a presence in both 3G and 4G. Mobilink parent VimpelCom and Warid's major shareholder the Abu Dhabi Group have completed negotiation and due diligence on the deal and expect to be ready…

AFP, TAIPEI: Taiwan’s struggling smartphone maker HTC yesterday reported a second straight quarterly loss in the three months to September, just weeks after  announcing job cuts as it tries to turn around its business. The after-tax net loss in the third quarter was Tw$4.48 billion ($137.1…

Muhammad A (Rumee) Ali joined Bangladesh Inter-national Arbitration Centre (BIAC) as the chief executive officer, reports UNB.  He started his career…

AFP, LONDON: British engine maker Rolls-Royce will axe another 400 jobs at its marine division, it said yesterday, as slumping oil prices weighs on demand for vessels. Rolls announced in a statement that it will reduce its number of employees by 400 by the end of next year, on top of 600 job cuts already…

Growth in the UK service sector slowed further in September to its lowest rate in nearly two and a half years, a survey has indicated, reports BBC. The latest Markit/CIPS service sector purchasing managers index (PMI) fell to 53.3 last month from 55.6 in August. Although above 50, indicating growth,…

AFP, SINGAPORE: The World Bank yesterday cut its growth forecasts for developing economies in East Asia and the Pacific but allayed fears of a hard landing…

AFP, KUALA LUMPUR: Looking out nervously from her pink headscarf, Malaysian single Siti Aisha chats with a man she has never met, but who could become her husband following their Islamic speed-dating session. The pair talk shyly for a few minutes under the watchful eyes of Siti’s parents until…

AFP, NEW DELHI: Narendra Modi yesterday hailed Germany as a “natural partner” of India after signing deals with Angela Merkel on clean energy…

AFP, LUXEMBOURG: Eurozone finance ministers yesterday meet for the first time since Greek voters re-elected leftist premier Alexis Tsipras, who now faces…