Private airlines United Airways launches a flight on the Dhaka-Kolkata route from Sept 24, chairman of the company Tasbirul Ahmed Chowdhury announced on Thursday, reports bdnews24.com

Staff Correspondent

Tax authorities would not ask new taxpayers about their income and would welcome any amount they pay for three years, the National Board of Revenue chairman said on Wednesday.

Desk Report

Commerce adviser Hossain Zillur Rahman on Wednesday expressed concern over disturbances in the readymade garment (RMG) sector in the wake of violent clashes in Gazipur the previous day.

Bdnews24.com

Bourses finished down on Wednesday as investor sell-offs continued from the previous day, leading nearly 70 percent of the traded issues to fall.

AP, NEW YORK -- Oil prices kept falling Wednesday as a stronger dollar and slowing demand for crude overshadowed an almost total shutdown of energy output in the Gulf of Mexico after the passage of Hurricane Gustav.

AP, TOKYO  -- Sales are improving in Japan for Sony Corp.'s PlayStation Portable handheld video game machine, and a beefed up version with a clearer display is expected to add momentum, a senior executive said Tuesday.

The portable game machine faces tough competition from Nintendo DS -- the handheld machine from the Japanese manufacturer of Pokemon and Super Mario games.

REUTERS, BANGKOK- Thailand's political turmoil is threatening its lucrative tourist industry as travelers cancel trips and foreign governments issue travel warnings, while business leaders fear foreign investors will be scared off.

REUTERS, WASHINGTON- Expensive advertising of prescription drugs directly to consumers may do little to encourage sales, US and Canadian researchers reported on Monday.

REUTERS, TALEGAON, India- General Motors Corp's most important priority is to turn around its North American business and it will continue investments in emerging markets, its chief operating officer said on Tuesday.

REUTERS, NEW YORK- The manufacturing sector likely stalled for a second straight month in August as the persistent housing slump and tight credit conditions crimped the overall business climate.

However, strong overseas demand thanks largely to a weak dollar has been a bright spot for exporters, analysts said.

AP, HONG KONG -- Stocks fell around the world Monday, led by Asian exchanges as concerns about a slowing global economy weighed heavily on the markets. Oil prices declined sharply as Hurricane Gustav weakened, but investors were still waiting to see how much damage the storm might do to Gulf Coast oil operations.

Essential Commodities

Staff Correspondent

The wholesale and retail traders in the city were caught ducking blames on Tuesday for the soaring prices of essential commodities.

Bdnews24.com

Stocks witnessed a downturn Tuesday as sell-offs after days of gains caused losers to outpace gainers on the country's twin bourses.

Dhaka Stock Exchange's indices ended nearly flat on a fall in blue chip shares.

Desk Report

Khaled Shams has been appointed country director of Nokia Siemens Networks for Bangladesh, effective from Sept 1, the multinational telecoms firm has announced.

REUTERS, LONDON - Oil slid towards $100 a barrel on Tuesday, after early reports showed Hurricane Gustav had spared major US Gulf oil facilities.

AP, FRANKFURT, Germany  -- Commerzbank's purchase of German rival Dresdner Bank AG will cost thousands of jobs, but analysts said Monday it will benefit insurer Allianz SE, which agreed to sell Dresdner over the weekend in a 9.8 billion euros ($14.44 billion) deal.

AP, TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran is considering lopping three to four zeros off its currency, a top official said Monday, in an apparent effort to fight out-of-control inflation that many critics blame on the country's hardline president.

AP, NEW YORK  -- At the Arden B clothing store on Fifth Avenue, dance music is pumping and sale signs are everywhere, but Sara Chidester walks out empty-handed.

Eve of Ramadan

Green chili, aubergine, ginger up

Staff Correspondent

Though prices of edible oil, onion and gram flour have registered falls on the eve of Ramadan, market prices of other essentials have risen—with the cost of green chillis being hiked a massive Tk 40 per kg within a span of two days.

Bdnews24.com

The government has decided to observe Sept 15 as the National Income Tax Day countrywide to encourage and motivate people to pay tax.