Australia: The services sector was sluggish in August with the gradual withdrawal of fiscal stimulus and the uncertainty surrounding the national political landscape continuing to impact on demand. The latest seasonally adjusted Australian Industry Group/Commonwealth Bank Australian Performance of Services Index (Australian PSI®) rose slightly to 47.5 in August remaining below the critical 50 point [...]

Australia: “Ai Group welcomes new initiatives by the Queensland government to channel investments into infrastructure projects and skills development,” Ai Group Queensland Director Matthew Martyn-Jones said.
“The plans outlined in the Connecting SEQ 2031: A South East Queensland Integrated Regional Transport Plan (IRTP), are important for the long-term interests of the $224 billion Queensland economy.
“Queensland businesses, [...]

Australia: Uncertainty related to the federal election was among the factors dampening demand in the manufacturing sector during August. The latest Australian Industry Group – PricewaterhouseCoopers Australian Performance of Manufacturers Index (Australian PMI®) fell 2.7 points to 51.7 in August partly due to slower growth in new orders and production (readings above 50 indicate an [...]

India: Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority (PFRDA) will shortly link ‘National Pension Scheme (NPS)’, with employment guarantee programme like ‘MNREGA (Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act)’ to ensure that each of its beneficiary becomes entitled to pension facilites under NPS, says PFRDA, Executive Director, Mr. P.K. Tiwari.
Delivering his keynote address at ASSOCHAM organized “6th [...]

Birmingham’s business community is “overwhelmingly” in favour of proposals prepared for the creation of a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
A 9,000-word document will shortly go to the Government advocating an LEP comprising business leaders and the local authorities in Birmingham and Solihull.
Birmingham and Solihull Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCI) has been a partner in preparing [...]

Birmingham: West Midlands business leaders welcome the news that nearly seven out of ten entries in this year’s GCSE results (over 69%) have been awarded a C grade or above.
The increase in the numbers of students taking up science is particularly good for the high number of manufacturing and engineering companies in the city, says [...]

Australia: If you live in a rural or regional town, or an out of town rural area, and have a normal electricity supply of 240 volts, you can help the Alternative Technology Association by taking part in a survey.
We are looking for 250 volunteers and the survey will take about 25 minutes to complete.
To complete [...]

London, UK: Commenting on the news that the RMT is to announce a series of 24-hour tube strikes in September, Colin Stanbridge, Chief Executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) said:
“If these strikes go ahead it will cause massive disruption to London’s firms and damage our city’s reputation as a reliable place [...]

July 2010:
UK BPI -1.5%
London BPI -1.5%
June 2010:
UK BPI -1.8%
London BPI -1.8%

Thursday 12 August [...]

Pakistan : By installing water tanks, pumps and water distribution points and by disinfection measures, the SDC is strengthening its emergency aid for Pakistan in the particularly urgent area of water supply. Five experts from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit will be deployed in Pakistan for this purpose. Two of the experts arrived in Pakistan [...]