Commercial farming

KANCHANPUR: Various speakers stressed the need of implementing commercial agriculture development plan in Saptari to boost the rural economy. At the workshop organised here on Thursday by Commercial Agriculture Development Project, Biratnagar to clarify objectives and activities of the project, participating speakers expressed confidence that the living standard of rural populace would enhance after the creation of employment opportunities. — RSS

US adds 1,66,000 jobs

WASHINGTON: US job growth accelerated by more-than-expected in October as 166,000 new posts were created in a sign that the economy is weathering housing and credit woes. October’s nonfarm payroll growth caught most Wall Street analysts off guard and was more than double what most economists had anticipated. The national unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 per cent. — AFP

Indian inflation steady

NEW DELHI: India’s inflation rate is pursuing a steady decline around five-year lows. Annual inflation fell slightly to 3.02 per cent for the week ended on October 20 from 3.07 per cent for the previous week.

Inflation stood at 5.46 per cent a year ago but has gradually dropped from two-year highs of nearly seven per cent earlier this year. Interest rates are at four-year highs and the RBI,

the central bank, held rates steady at 7.75 per cent. — AFP

China regrets EU call

SHANGHAI: China said on Friday it regretted European steelmaker calls this week for the EU to take anti-dumping action against imports from the Asian giant. “We express regrets over the appeals by the European Confederation of Iron and Steel Industries and will pay close attention to development of these two cases,” the commerce ministry said. The EU steel industry association, Eurofer, said it had filed two dumping complaints with the European Commission targeting cold-rolled, stainless flat steel and galvanised steel products from China. — AFP

‘Liberalise air service’

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s prime minister on Thursday urged Southeast Asian countries to fully liberalise air travel, as the region’s transport ministers gathered in the city-state for a two-day long meeting. Transport officials of the ASEAN have been discussing the final text on the implementation of a roadmap that will allow all regional airlines to operate unlimited services on routes between their capital cities in 2008. — AP