• Canada: Recovery increasing pace, latest data shows
• Europe shares to 17-month closing high
• Global fund company Fidelity says decades of potential in solar, wind

• US: Washington, DC green real estate developer 'works smarter not harder'
• Transcendental Meditation helps retailing expert become 'balanced, thoughtful leader'
• Management consulting CEO: Transcendental Meditation brings more resilience to stress, inner and outer fulfilment

• Russia corruption 'may force Western firms to quit'
• Venezuelan officials take control of 2 sugar mills
• US: Minneapolis Grain Exchange lifts restriction on deliveries of GMO wheat

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Positive Trends
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Canada: Recovery increasing pace, latest data shows
18 March 2010 - Canada's economic recovery is picking up pace with January manufacturing sales higher than expected and labour productivity rising for the first time in more than a year, official data showed on 16 March. Analysts enthused about the figures, saying it showed Canada was well over the worst of the recession. (more)

Europe shares to 17-month closing high
18 March 2010 - European shares hit a 17-month closing high on Wednesday, gaining from the US Federal Reserve's pledge to keep interest rates near zero for an extended period. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index of top shares rose to its highest close since early October 2008. The European benchmark is up more than 65 per cent from its lifetime low of 9 March 2009. (more)

Global fund company Fidelity says decades of potential in solar, wind
18 March 2010 - Demand for power from China and other big countries with strong economic expansion is going to sustain the earnings growth of renewable energy companies, a Fidelity fund manager said on 17 March. (more)

Italy: Solar power project for Central region of Marche
18 March 2010 - US SunPower Corp will supply photovoltaic panels for a 5.23 megawatt solar power project in Italy, expanding in Europe's third-biggest solar market, its Italian partner Energy Resources said on 17 March. The project in the central Italian region of Marche will cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 3,300 metric tonnes a year, it said in a statement. (more)

Japanese automaker Nissan to build electric car in UK plant from 2013
18 March 2010 - Nissan Motor Co said on 18 March it would begin building the Leaf electric compact car at its Sunderland plant from early 2013, making Britain its third global production site for the zero-emission vehicle. Nissan said in a statement it would start with annual production of about 50,000 Leaf cars in Sunderland. (more)

US: Dow hits 17-month high on energy, financials
18 March 2010 - Stocks gained on Wednesday, pushing the Dow to a 17-month high, after a benign February inflation reading supported the Federal Reserve's renewed pledge of low interest rates. On Tuesday, the Standard %26 Poor's 500 rose above the 1,150 level that analysts had targeted as a critical resistance point, which once surpassed, could push the market higher. (more)

Canada: January wholesale trade leap confirms recovery
17 March 2010 - Canadian wholesale trade jumped by a much greater-than-expected 3.0 per cent in January from December, providing more proof that the recovery is well underway. The increase, the strongest since the 5.0 per cent leap recorded in December 2006, was far larger than the 0.5 per cent rise forecast by market operators. (more)

Ethiopia wants to attract tourists from China, India
17 March 2010 - Ethiopia hopes to develop growing business ties with China, India, and Turkey to attract middle class visitors from those countries and boost its largely untapped tourism sector. The country managed to protect its tourism earnings during the global downturn. Some 430,000 tourists visited Ethiopia in 2009 and the government aims at one million visitors in 10 years. (more)

India: BSE Sensitive Index set to rise 11 per cent by end-2010 - poll
17 March 2010 - The BSE Sensitive Index was set for solid gains in 2010, driven by earnings optimism and supported by robust economic growth, a Reuters poll found. Asia's third-largest economy will expand by more than 7.2 per cent in the year to March 2010, with growth accelerating to 8.5 per cent in 2010-11 and 9 per cent in 2011-12, according to government forecasts. (more)

Small, energy-efficient vehicles help China's Build Your Dreams profits soar
17 March 2010 - BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, the Chinese automaker with backing from billionaire Warren Buffett, says its net profit more than tripled last year as the company's F3 sedan topped the country's list of best-selling autos. In 2008, BYD became the first automaker to launch mass production of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle that's sold in China and can be charged off a standard home outlet. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

US: Washington, DC green real estate developer 'works smarter not harder'
6 March 2010 - Marnie Abramson is a principal and third-generation owner of The Tower Companies, the largest green real estate developer in the Washington, DC area. In 2008, Ms Abramson received the Women Who Mean Business award from the Washington Business Journal and was named one of the '35 most influential people under 35' by a prominent DC real estate publication. Transcendental Meditation has been a way for her 'to come back into myself' and to 'work smarter not harder'. (more)

Transcendental Meditation helps retailing expert become 'balanced, thoughtful leader'
5 March 2010 - Carole Couture has held senior management positions, including president, CEO, COO, and EVP, at many leading companies. A multi-channel retailer, she works with stores, catalogs and e-commerce, and has helped build several companies while also maintaining a wonderful family life. She feels Transcendental Meditation has greatly contributed to her success as a business leader, and her increasing ability to balance business and family. (more)

Management consulting CEO: Transcendental Meditation brings more resilience to stress, inner and outer fulfilment
4 March 2010 - Martha Batorski is CEO of a nationally recognized management consulting firm launched in 2003. For 25 years Ms Batorski has consulted across multiple industry sectors including government, electronics and high tech, healthcare, utilities, entertainment, retail, and financial services. Practising Transcendental Meditation since age 17, she continues to experience 'greater resilience to stress and more inner and outer fulfilment' through the technique. (more)

Success defined by 'the quiet stillness that hums in my heart': Consultant describes Transcendental Meditation benefits
3 March 2010 - Many leading women professionals are practising the Transcendental Meditation Programme. Jennifer Meyer began the technique in 1992 and has seen the power of its positive influence in both her personal and professional life ever since. (more)

Transcendental Meditation brings clarity, focus, energy to professional women: Financial services executive praises technique
1 March 2010 - Jannette Gordon is Vice President and Section Manager of a large financial services group. She has held other similar positions and has more than 23 years of securities experience. Ms Gordon has been practising the Transcendental Meditation Technique since 1979 and is featured in a new website for Transcendental Meditation and women professionals. (more)

US corporate executive: Transcendental Meditation makes him a better manager
9 February 2010 - The former vice-president of a major American auto company says that in business 'you are playing for high stakes, and there's a lot of pressure.' He relates how practising Transcendental Meditation enables him to go smoothly from one situation to the next, making level-headed decisions. (more)

Sweden: Offering Transcendental Meditation to benefit employees, students
3 January 2010 - Businesspeople at a company in Sweden now have the opportunity to learn and enjoy the Transcendental Meditation Programme with their company's support. Transcendental Meditation is also featured in a new book about business management. Interest in the technique is growing throughout the nation, and a large school is considering the programme for its students. (more)

Vietnam: Crowd of 350 attends Transcendental Meditation talk in Ho Chi Minh City
1 January 2010 - Three hundred fifty people recently attended an introductory presentation on Transcendental Meditation at a business leaders association in Ho Chi Minh City. (more)

Mauritius: Businesspeople enjoy Transcendental Meditation
28 December 2009 - Employees of a business in Mauritius are enjoying the benefits of the Transcendental Meditation Programme, thanks to the inspiration of a co-worker who is a long-time practitioner of the technique. (more)

Sustainable capitalism: Expert to present lectures at Maharishi University of Management
5 December 2009 - Dr John Ikerd, author of four books on sustainability, economics, and agriculture, will speak at Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA, as well as in the town of Fairfield. Dr Ikerd is a professor at the University of Missouri. Maharishi University of Management is renowned for its comprehensive approach to sustainability, including both BS and MBA degree programmes. (more)

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Flops
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Russia corruption 'may force Western firms to quit'
15 March 2010 - Extortion by corrupt officials in Russia has got so bad that some Western multinationals are considering pulling out altogether, the head of a US anti-bribery group said in an interview. Alexandra Wrage, whose non-profit organization TRACE International advises firms on how to avoid bribery, told Reuters the 'rampant endemic' corruption in Russia was much worse than in other big emerging economies. Berlin-based NGO Transparency International rates Russia joint 146th out of 180 nations in its Corruption Perception Index, saying bribe-taking is worth about $300 billion a year. Corruption in emerging market economies typically involves payments to secure business but in Russia most bribes go to officials to stop them from abusing their office. (more)

Venezuelan officials take control of 2 sugar mills
10 March 2010 - Venezuela's government seized control of two sugar mills Tuesday and threatened to expropriate them, accusing managers of hoarding a basic good and violating the labour rights of employees. Commerce Minister Richard Canan said authorities were taking over management of the Santa Elena and Santa Clara mills in the central state of Portuguesa for 90 days 'to guarantee the operations of the mills, so our people don't go without sugar'. The government raised the price of sugar by 30 per cent Tuesday. Sugar -- one of dozens of foodstuffs subject to price controls -- has become scarce at some stores and supermarkets. Mr Canan threatened mill owners who fail to observe regulations with possible expropriation of the businesses. Jose Ricardo Alvarez, president of the National Federation of Sugar Growers, said Tuesday's sugar price increase would do little to help mill owners who are struggling to turn a profit due to price controls. (more)

US: Minneapolis Grain Exchange lifts restriction on deliveries of GMO wheat
6 March 2010 - The Minneapolis Grain Exchange said on Friday it would lift a rule that requires a delivery warehouse to deliver non-genetically modified wheat against MGEX futures, if requested by the party taking the wheat. The regional US grain exchange said the rule, in effect since 2004, would be eliminated starting with its March 2012 spring wheat futures contract. 'The commercial marketplace will sort through the issues, should transgenic wheat enter into the supply chain,' MGEX President and Chief Executive Mark Bagan said in a statement. (more)

India tribes fight mining firm in real-life Avatar
5 March 2010 - In India's impoverished but mineral-rich state of Orissa, hundreds of indigenous tribespeople are battling to stop London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc from extracting bauxite from what they say is their sacred mountain. NGOs like ActionAid say around 8,000 people will be affected by Vedanta's mining plans which have been stalled since 2005 due to legal wrangles over environmental and social concerns. Vedanta says it expects approval from authorities in the coming months. Since 2007, four international investors -- including the Church of England -- have sold off their stock in the company citing ethical concerns over the project. Last month, Britain's Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust sold its 1.9 million pound share, saying Vedanta was 'pushing industrialization to the detriment of the lives of local people'. (more)

Finnish dock workers begin strike halting cargo
4 March 2010 - Dock workers stopped handling cargo at Finnish ports on Thursday after labour contract negotiations broke down, leading to the closing of most of the country's foreign trade. Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said he feared the long-term effects of the strike in the highly export dependent economy, adding that it is costing the country more than €100 million ($137 million) daily in lost earnings. 'This is a very serious situation. Our national economy is in recession and we need to participate in the budding global economic recovery,' Mr Vanhanen said. 'We didn't really need this homemade setback. We have enough problems as it is.' The Finnish economy shrank in the fourth quarter of last year, as the global downturn continued to hit the country. Finland's gross domestic product was down 5.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2008. In the full year, the Finnish economy shrank 7.6 per cent compared to 2008, its largest drop since 1918. (more)

Common weedkiller turns male frogs into females
2 March 2010 - Atrazine, one of the most commonly used and controversial weedkillers, can turn male frogs into females, researchers reported on Monday. The experiment is the first to show such complete effects of atrazine, which had been known to disrupt hormones and which is one of the chief suspects in the decline of amphibians such as frogs around the world. The European Union banned atrazine in 2004. More than a half million pounds (227 tonnes) of atrazine are precipitated in rainfall each year in the United States. Syngenta AG, one of several companies that makes atrazine, has long defended its safety. (more)

'Big Tobacco' still on the march, WHO warns
28 February 2010 - Developing countries are the new frontier for tobacco companies, which often target women and girls, and smoking rates remain high among poor people in affluent countries, World Health Organization said on Friday. Tobacco kills more than 5 million people a year from cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses, including about 600,000 from second-hand smoke, according to the United Nations agency. 'Most alarming of all, tobacco use is actually increasing in many developing countries. If Big Tobacco is in retreat in some parts of the world, it is on the march in others,' Dr Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, told a meeting to review implementation of a landmark tobacco treaty five years after it came into force. 'As we all know, the tobacco industry is ruthless, devious, rich, and powerful,' she said. (more)

Transport strikes lay bare Europe's malaise
23 February 2010 - With economic recovery barely there and talk of austerity spreading, many European workers are pushing back. French air traffic controllers walked off the job Tuesday just as Lufthansa pilots ended a strike and British Airways cabin crews voted to launch one of their own. Greek unions prepared to shut down much of their country Wednesday with wide-ranging strikes. These workers -- like those blockading the Athens stock market, and demonstrators angry at proposed delayed retirements in Spain -- fear for their hard-earned comforts as European governments and companies tighten belts to stay solvent. The walkouts are the latest signs of a broader unease about jobs and benefits, and what the future holds for a continent struggling to stay competitive on a global scale. (more)

UK: Jobless claimant count jumps to highest since 1997
18 February 2010 - The number of Britons claiming jobless benefit jumped unexpectedly in January and at its fastest rate in 6 months, raising fears that an improvement at the end of last year may have been little more than a blip. Figures from the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday showed claimant count unemployment rose by 23,500 last month, the biggest rise since last July. The rise wiped out the declines seen in the previous two months and took the total number of claimants to its highest since 1997, when the ruling Labour party came to power. (more)

UK: Imperial Tobacco to challenge vending ban
10 February 2010 - The country's biggest cigarette maker Imperial Tobacco Group Plc is to challenge the government by seek a judicial review of an impending ban on cigarette vending machines throughout Britain. The move to outlaw vending machines is due to take effect from October 2011 as part of the Health Act 2009 which aims to counter children buying cigarettes. Imperial, which controls around 45 per cent of the annual 45.5 billion cigarette market, says the ban is disproportionate and unnecessary. (more)