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.

The 278th birth anniversary of saint Loknath Brammachari will be observed at Loknath Dham, Rajapukur Lane, Anderkilla, on September 4-5, says a press release.

Chittagong Business

Ahsan Habibul Alam

Scores of adulterated food producing firms have begun to surface in Chittagong with an eye to making profit in the holy month of Ramadan.

The targeted locations of these dishonest traders are city's Chaktai, Khatungonj, Asadgonj and some other areas.

In the meantime, the firms have started producing very poor quality ghee, vermicelli, noodles, powder of pepper , tarmeric and other spices.

AFP, BERLIN - Former Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn insisted Monday he was not missing the game after hanging up his gloves following 20 years as a professional.

AFP, MANCHESTER - Manchester City have made a 30 million pounds (36.9 million euros) bid to sign Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov, according to a report on Monday.

Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra has agreed to sell the club to a Middle East company, reports BBC.

Tottenham Hotspur have signed Russia striker Roman Pavlyuchenko from Spartak Moscow on a five-year deal, reports BBC.

The club told the Stock Exchange they had signed the 26-year-old for £14m.

Skyrocketing prices of essentials, persistent power crisis, and deepening traffic congestion grip the people ahead of Ramadan all over the country, particularly in the city. It is very unfortunate that despite the government's firm pledge to address these problems specially during Ramzan it has failed to do anything tangible in these respect sand provide solace for the people. Advisers and other government officials have assured the people repeatedly that everything would be done to contain price hike, reduce load shedding and minimize traffic jam during the holy month.

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.

Increasingly unpopular 72-year-old steps down after less than year in office amid deadlock in coalition government

The Guardian Online

Japan's beleaguered prime minister, Yasuo Fukuda, resigned today less than a year after taking office in a shock move that threatens to plunge the world's second-biggest economy into a new round of political turmoil.

Speeches scrapped as Gustav threatens US Gulf coastline

Agencies

George Bush was today heading for Texas instead of the Republican party convention to inspect emergency efforts as hurricane Gustav raced towards the US Gulf coast.

Perhaps nothing reveals this country's kidnapping dread better than one product now on offer from a Mexican company: a tiny transmitter that is implanted under the skin to beam the person's whereabouts to a satellite, reports La Times.

Internet

Heavy rain hampers efforts to help Indian flood victims

REUTERS, MUMBAI - The Dalai Lama left hospital in Mumbai on Monday morning after being treated for abdominal pain, smiling and waving to waiting photographers.

REUTERS, RAMADI, Iraq- The US military handed over Iraq's western Anbar province to Iraqi security forces on Monday, less than two years after the region was all but lost to a Sunni Arab insurgency.

REUTERS, TEHRAN - Iran denied on Monday it had bought Russia's advanced S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, after Israeli defense sources said the Islamic Republic could take delivery of the weapons by the end of the year.

REUTERS, LONDON- A economic downturn in Britain could aggravate racial tensions and grievances that help to feed terrorist recruitment, according to a leaked government document.