Tuesday, November 03, 2009 SINGAPORE: Oil rose further in Asian trade Tuesday, underpinned by a better-than-expected expansion in the US manufacturing sector, analysts said. A weak greenback, which makes dollar-priced crude cheaper for holders of stronger currencies, was also an extra factor behind the higher futures, they added. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for December delivery, advanced 26 cents to 78.39 dollars a barrel. Brent North Sea crude for December delivery gained 19 cents to 76.74 dollars. The two contracts closed firmer Monday, buoyed in part by the US manufacturing expansion.The Institute of Supply Management said Monday its factory index, also known as the purchasing managers index, grew for a third consecutive month in October with a reading of 55.7 percent. It was stronger than market expectations for a reading of 53 percent and the highest rate of growth since April 2006. Any number above 50 indicates growth. "The reading marks the highest point in three and a half years," said Dariusz Kowalczyk, chief investment strategist with SJS Markets securities firm. Among the sub-indexes in the survey, the employment index was 53.1 percent, marking a sharp turnaround from last month's 46.2 percent and suggesting that factories are starting to add jobs. "This is the first time in a year and a half that US manufacturers increased employment, a factor that bodes well for Friday's payrolls report," said Kowalczyk.
Friday, August 14, 2009 MUMBAI: A 26-year-old woman died Thursday of H1N1 swine flu in the southern city of Bangalore, raising India's death toll from the virus to 20, authorities said.The death was the first reported in India's information technology capital, the Press Trust of India reported.Meanwhile in Pune, the worst-affected in India, two more victims of the virus died Thursday, raising the death toll in that western city near Mumbai to 12, the report said. The victims were an 11-month-old boy and a 75-year-old old woman.US media reported movie halls, schools and colleges were ordered closed Thursday for three days to a week in Mumbai, the commercial and financial capital of the country, as fear of the pandemic spread.Prajakata Lavangare, a spokeswoman for the government of Maharashtra state of which Mumbai is the capital, said similar orders were issued in Pune, which is also located in the state.The woman who died in Bangalore was identified only as Roopa, a teacher in...
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