US trade judge rules for Apple in Nokia dispute

AFP, WASHINGTON, MAR 27: A judge with the US International Trade Commission ruled in Apple's favor in a patent dispute with Finland's Nokia over mobile phones, portable music players and computers. Judge James Gildea denied Nokia's claim that Apple had violated five patents held by the Finnish company. The judge did not provide an explanation for his ruling and the full six-member commission now has 60 days to review his determination. The ITC has the authority to...

US trade judge rules for Apple in Nokia dispute

AFP, Washington, Mar 27: A judge with the US International Trade Commission ruled in Apple's favor in a patent dispute with Finland's Nokia over mobile phones, portable music players and computers. Judge James Gildea denied Nokia's claim that Apple had violated five patents held by the Finnish company. The judge did not provide an explanation for his ruling and the full six-member commission now has 60 days to review his determination. The ITC has the authority to...

Currency flexibility key in LatAm: World Bank chief

AFP, Calgary, Canada, Mar 27: Latin American nations should allow their currencies to firm if needed to help cool overheated economies, the International Monetary Fund chief said Saturday. "A range of policies could be used to prevent overheating and dampen the credit cycle, including upward exchange rate flexibility, a more appropriate mix of monetary and fiscal policies, and adequate financial regulations," IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn told finance...

Indian PM commits to reforms

AFP, New Delhi, Mar 27: India's prime minister has reaffirmed his Congress-led government's commitment to economic reforms as the administration battles a host of corruption scandals. The new thrust on reforms is seen by analysts as an attempt by the government to re-energise its legislative programme and take away the focus from the corruption storm. "I confirm our commitment to new wave of reforms," Singh, widely credited with opening up India?s economy in 1991...

Auditor raps India's ONGC over 'inflated' claims

AFP, New Delhi, Mar 27: India's auditor has rapped state-run ONGC over its $2.12 billion purchase of Imperial Energy, saying unrealistic output forecasts were made to justify the energy giant's costliest ever acquisition. The harshly-worded condemnation comes only months before Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) is slated to hold a share sale targeted to raise around $2.7 billion for government coffers. The government auditor said Russia-focused Imperial, whose main...

Philippine carrier gets green light to cut units

AFP, Manila, Mar 27: National flag-carrier Philippine Airlines has won government approval to hive off some units to cut costs, but the staff must get higher severance pay, President Benigno Aquino's chief aide said Saturday. The government ruling gives the struggling company a free hand to farm out its in-flight catering, airport services and call centre reservations to other companies, to cut its long-terms costs. However the government also ordered PAL to pay a...

Brown urges G-20 to seal 'global growth pact'

AP, Dallas, Mar 27: Alaska Airlines and its Horizon Air affiliate canceled 95 flights Saturday because a computer system used for flight planning failed. The outage lasted intermittently for about seven hours and resulted in the two airlines scrapping about 12 percent of their combined schedule before technicians fixed the system, which returned at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Company spokesman Paul McElroy said many other flights were delayed, and customers had trouble...

Brown urges G-20 to seal 'global growth pact'

AP, Brussels, Mar 27: Less than a week ahead of a meeting of the Group of 20 rich and developing nations in China, former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged the world's most powerful economies to seal a "global growth pact" to fight unemployment. Brown was joined on Saturday by other top economic policymakers in his call for a transformation of the G-20 to help it remain relevant in a global economy torn by clashing national interests — although their focus...

London's biggest protest since Iraq war in 2003

AP, London, Mar 26: More than 250,000 people took to London's streets to protest the toughest spending cuts since World War II — one of the largest demonstrations since the Iraq war — as riot police clashed with a small groups. More than 200 people were arrested. Although most of Saturday's demonstration was peaceful, clashes continued into the night as dozens of protesters pelted officers with bottles and amonia-filled lightbulbs. Groups set several fires and smashed...

'Brain waste' thwarts immigrants' career dreams

AP, New York, Mar 27: After finishing medical school in Bogota, Colombia, Maria Anjelica Montenegro did it all — obstetrics, pediatrics, emergency medicine, even surgery. By her estimate, she worked with thousands of patients. None of that prepared her for the jobs she's had since she moved to the United States: Sales clerk. Babysitter. Medical assistant. That last one definitely rubbed raw at times. 'I know I was working in my field,' the 34-year-old New York resident...