Indian inflation dips

NEW DELHI: Wholesale price inflation in India eased to its lowest levels in a year led by a fall in food staples such as lentils, fruits and vegetables, official data showed. Weekly wholesale price index was up 4.85 per cent for the week ended May 26, down from 5.06 per cent the previous week, the Press Trust of India news agency said, citing official figures. — AFP

FDI rises in P’pines

MANILA: Foreign direct investments in the Philippines in the first three months of 2007 rose to $710 million, an 18.5 per cent increase over the same period last year, the central bank said. FDI in the month of March alone amounted to only $48 million, a sharp 61.6 per cent reduction from the same month in 2006, the central bank said in a statement.— AFP

Hybrid sales increase

TOKYO: A decade after the first Prius went on sale, Toyota’s global sales of hybrid vehicles have hit a landmark 1 million, underlining the Japanese automaker’s lead in “green” technology that has changed the face of the auto industry. Toyota Motor Corp.’s cumulative sales of gas-and-electric-powered vehicles totaled 1.047 million as of the end of May. Of those.— AP