Gulf states to launch single currency
Gulf Arab foreign and finance ministers decided on Sunday to launch a single currency for their region as planned in 2010, starting with countries which are ready to take part, a delegate told AFP. .. more

Video game giants' $18bn merger
French group Vivendi announced Sunday that it is buying American video game maker Activision for 18. .. more

Gaza petrol stations shut for lack of fuel
Petrol stations closed across the Gaza Strip on Sunday as Israel continued to restrict the limited quantities of fuel being delivered to the Hamas-run Palestinian territory. .. more

India can sustain rapid growth for 20 yrs
India's economy can keep up its scorching growth for the next two decades as long as investment stays strong, the finance minister said on Sunday. .. more

Two Koreas agree on cross-border train
North and South Korea have agreed to run a regular daily cross-border freight train service from next week for the first time in over half a century, officials said Sunday. .. more

Economy dominates SKorean presidential race
The eyes of the world are on nuclear-armed North Korea, but south of the border there's only one issue that really matters in the upcoming election: the state of the economy. .. more

Apartment sales booming in Bangkok
Apinun Pongthavornsawas had to rush to beat a crowd of potential buyers hoping to snap up apartments in a new development in downtown Bangkok, near the city's elevated train line. .. more

IMF warns Sri Lanka of debt crisis
Sri Lanka plans to raise more money from overseas investors, officials said despite the International Monetary Fund warning that the island could be heading for a foreign debt crisis. .. more

Rising euro forces move for France's Dassault
France's Dassault Aviation will move some of its activities out of the eurozone because of the high level of the European currency against the dollar, the company's chairman said in an interview published Saturday. .. more

Rice export ban lifted for Bangladesh
India will allow cyclone-battered Bangladesh to import half a million tonnes of rice from New Delhi, an Indian minister said here Saturday, lifting a ban on exports of the food staple. .. more

Transport strike cripples Italy
Italy's largest transport strike in 25 years crippled the country Friday, with hundreds of flights cancelled and trains, buses, ferries, emergency services and even hearses out of action. .. more

Facebook adjusts ad platform after privacy protest
Facebook has changed its three-week-old advertising platform to soothe members outraged by what they saw as an assault on their privacy at the popular social networking website. .. more

US, China, to 'work through' naval row
The United States said Friday it still awaited China's reasons for turning some US warships away from Hong Kong but insisted the two powers would "work through" the simmering dispute. .. more

China to eliminate WTO-banned subsidies
The United States announced Thursday that China has agreed to eliminate a dozen WTO-banned subsidies that have given Chinese exports a broad, unfair trade advantage. .. more

US blasts Japan for trade stance
The United States lambasted key ally Japan Thursday for what it called lack of leadership in talks to forge a global trade accord, accusing the Asian economic powerhouse of behaving like a "protectionist" developing nation. .. more

EU to insist on fire-safe cigarettes
EU member states on Thursday endorsed plans to allow only fire-safe cigarettes to be sold in Europe, a move which could take two or three years to come into force. .. more