Search Results for: Russia

BY JULIAN RYALL, in Tokyo

THE OBSESSION among many European women for tanned skin is fading, particularly among women in their late 30s, according to a new study by Japan’s Kanebo Cosmetics, meaning there is a small but growing market for whitening products.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

TRANSPARENCY International, the business and government openness campaigner, has attacked international oil companies for being secretive about commercial dealings. The body rated 42 leading oil and gas firms operating in 21 countries, finding a "lack of data on oil and gas revenues and how they are managed", fuelling mismanagement and possible graft.…

BY MARK ROWE

THE OST-group – one of Russia’s largest alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks firms – has announced plans to secure a portfolio investor during the initial public offering (IPO) of its business this year. Speaking to just-drinks.com, a spokeswoman for OST group, which has more than 30 companies, said that IPO "was still in the early stages", but added: "We think this is an important development for us and we are anticipating strong interest from portfolio investors.…

BY MARK ROWE

NUCLEAR energy production costs a lot of money and so it makes some economic sense for smaller countries interested in this climate-change friendly power supply to combine forces on major projects. So it is in eastern Europe, where in February 2007, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland provisionally agreed to build a new nuclear plant at Lithuania’s existing Ignalina site, initially with 3,200 MWe.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A DEAL has been struck at the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers over unbundling of gas (and electricity) networks, which will allow formal ownership of production and distribution operations.

However, this compromise option will insist on transmission systems being managed by an independent operator.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

WITH Dmitry Medvedev becoming Russia’s new president, the European Union (EU) has been pushing ahead to secure oil and gas supplies independent of Moscow. EU energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and external relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner met with Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey diplomats and officials to discuss gas pipeline links.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

LEATHER and leather goods exporters could see decisions slashing tariffs on their goods worldwide this year, as the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Doha Development Round approaches its conclusion. WTO director general Pascal Lamy this month directed senior trade officials to start debating swapping liberalisation concessions for trading industrial goods (with includes leather, hides and products made from them), with those for food, drink and services.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

KNITWEAR exporters could see decisions slashing tariffs on their goods worldwide this year, as the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Doha Development Round approaches its conclusion. WTO director general Pascal Lamy this month directed senior trade officials to start debating swapping liberalisation concessions for trading industrial goods (with includes knitted clothes, accessories, wool, dyes and other inputs), with those for food, drink and services.…

By Keith Nuthall

A UNITED Nations-sponsored global initiative to encourage business schools to teach and promote social and environmentally responsible commercial practices has gathered a critical mass of support. More than 100 business schools worldwide have now signed up to the Principles for Responsible Management Initiative.…

BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Damascus and Beirut, and HELENA FLUSFELDER, in Jerusalem

INTRODUCTION AND THE GULF

THE DENIM sector in the Middle East is as diverse as it is fragmented, with strong demand in the Gulf and Israel for major brand names and the latest trends, while in the less economically developed parts of the Levant international brands are of less importance than style.…