NEW DELHI, Wed Aug 13,(bdnews24.com/Reuters) - India's diesel demand is growing at an unexpectedly high rate of 23-24 percent, the oil minister said on Wednesday, causing shortages in some regions.

RAYONG, Thailand, Aug 13 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - GM chief Rick Wagoner said there was significant interest in the auto maker's planned sale of up to $4 billion of assets as it battles record losses and falling sales, but no deals were expected soon.

New York, Aug 13 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - A consortium led by Goldman Sachs Group Inc has agreed to pay about $1.5 billion for a number of ABN AMRO's private equity assets, the Wall Street Journal said Wednesday.

AP, NEW YORK  -- The dollar rally took a breather Tuesday after Washington said the U.S. trade deficit shrank and exports rose to a record high, while oil futures edged higher.

The 15-nation euro traded almost flat at $1.4926 early in New York, edging lower from $1.4928 in late New York trading Monday. Earlier, the euro zone currency hit a new six-month low of $1.4813.

The 15-nation euro fell below $1.50 on Friday for the first time since February.

Emily Kaiser

WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - It has been one of the most predictable trades on Wall Street all year. When oil prices go down, stock markets go up, and vice versa.

SINGAPORE, Tue Aug 12,(bdnews24.com/Reuters) - Oil fell more than $1 a barrel on Tuesday as part of a broader commodities sell-off on the firmer US dollar, which countered concerns over possible supply disruptions due to the Russia-Georgia clash.

AP, NEW YORK -- Stocks pulled back Tuesday as oil prices rebounded and losses from JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised more concerns about the financial sector.

Oil rose after BP Plc said it shut down an oil pipeline that runs through Georgia as a precautionary measure due to the fighting between Georgian and Russian troops.

AP, BEIJING  -- China's politically volatile inflation eased in July as sharp rises in food costs slowed, according to data reported Tuesday, giving Beijing more leeway to try to boost slowing economic growth.

AP, LONDON  -- Consumer price inflation rate leapt to 4.4 percent in July, the government said Tuesday, making it difficult for the Bank of England to consider lowering interest rates to ward off the risk of recession.

AP, DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. is releasing new, more fuel-efficient versions of its full-size pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles later this fall.

AP, SINGAPORE -- Oil prices fell Tuesday in Asia to a 3-month low as a stronger dollar and weakening crude demand from China weighed on investor sentiment.

AP, CHICAGO -- Corporate America may have turned its back on traditional pensions but it appears to be embracing 401(k)s more than ever.

AP

WHAT'S NEW: In tough economic times, men are traditionally the first to cut back on buying clothes, but there's been a major shift. Over the past year, men -- enticed by a new slimmed-down silhouette -- have been on a buying spree, while women have pulled back even more. The lopsided fortunes is creating a rare sales disparity that hasn't been seen in years.

AP, WASHINGTON  -- Federal regulators have formed a task force to investigate and prosecute fraud in the retail market for trading foreign currencies outside of commodity exchanges, a field they say is riddled with unscrupulous operators.

AP, FORT WORTH, Texas  -- From his office overlooking the runways of one of the nation's busiest airports, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Chief Executive Jeffrey Fegan sees the slowdown coming this fall.

Mirza Azam gets bail

Desk Report

The High Court granted two months' interim bail to on Monday to Jubo League general secretary Mirza Azam.

Bdnews24.com

The Anticorruption Commission has discovered that Tk 15 crore was misappropriated in eight years at Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board, now Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd, an official said Monday.

AP, NEW YORK  -- Wall Street extended its advance Monday as the price of crude oil fell briefly below $113 a barrel, easing investors' concerns about the impact of inflation on the economy.

Zero-duty and quota-free access for local goods

Says adviser

Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh broke new ground in the WTO negotiations on zero-duty and quota-free access for local goods into US and exploring new markets, the commerce adviser said on Sunday.

Agency

The government alone cannot meet the growing demands of the infrastructure sector, finance and planning adviser AB Mirza Azizul Islam said Sunday, adding that it was in the private sector's own interests to expand road and power networks.