CASPIAN BUSINESS NEWS - The business news of the Caspian Sea Region

IFC forms group for creation of private credit bureaus in Azerbaijan

The International Financial Corporation (IFC) will render assistance to establish private credit bureau in Azerbaijan.
IFC informed that in partnership with the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) it carried out the first round table to discuss benefits of credit bureaus and has started creation of the first private credit bureau in the country with representatives of the government and financial sector. The event covered discussions of best practices on regulation of credit bureaus, presentation of the local Draft Law on Credit Bureaus and further development of exchange system of credit information in the country. As a key outcome, participants of the round table agreed to create a task force on establishing and developing private credit bureaus in the country. Read more >

Posted by CBN Extra Staff on 03 Mar 2010 [06:54] | Tell a friend | Comments 0

Azerbaijan: enhancing protection of cultural property

Baku (ICRC); Azerbaijan's Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are holding a round table today on the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict.
Over 50 participants, including noted experts in international law from various government ministries and academic institutions, are attending the event in Baku. Abulfaz Garayev, Azerbaijan's minister of culture and tourism, and Antoon Vandenhove, the ICRC's head of delegation in the country, are among those addressing the participants. Read more >

Posted by CBN Extra Staff on 03 Mar 2010 [06:52] | Tell a friend | Comments 0

USA-Georgia Working Group meeting held in Tbilisi

USA proceeds with its economic assistance to Georgia - Jose W. Fernandez, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, said following the three-hour meeting of the US-Georgia Economic Working Group, operating within the Strategic Partnership Charter, signed between the two countries in January 2009. Read more >

Posted by CBN Extra Staff on 03 Mar 2010 [06:56] | Tell a friend | Comments 0

Protests Mount Over Tajik Newspaper Lawsuits

To media-watchers, series of libel actions looks suspiciously like concerted campaign against free press ahead of election.
Libel actions against leading newspapers in Tajikistan have sparked concerns that the authorities are trying to muzzle the press ahead of the February 28 parliamentary election. Read more >

Posted by CBN Staff on 26 Feb 2010 [08:22] | Tell a friend | Comments 0

Former Bosnian vice president arrested

Ejup Ganic, pictured in 1993, was regarded by many as a relatively moderate Bosnian leader.
The former vice president of Bosnia was arrested Monday in London on a request from Serbia, where he is wanted for conspiracy to murder and breach of the Geneva Convention.
Metropolitan police arrested Ejup Ganic at Heathrow Airport on Monday afternoon, and he appeared at the City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, the United Kingdom Foreign Office said in a news release. Read more >

Posted by CBN Extra Staff on 03 Mar 2010 [06:44] | Tell a friend | Comments 0

Great Britain restricts student visa: This will allow the Kingdom to curb the ‘permit to work visa’ to foreign students unless they have a qualification of GCSE

Foreign students from outside Europe wanting to come to the United Kingdom to study will be required to meet stricter entry criteria, the British Home Secretary Alan Johnson announced.
The new regulations will ensure that students studying below degree level have a limited ability to work in the UK, and that their dependants cannot work here at all. Read more >

Posted by Elnoor Anverson on 24 Feb 2010 [05:02] | Tell a friend | Comments 1

For General Growth creditors: cash vs stock?

NEW YORK/TORONTO (Reuters) - Brookfield Asset Management Inc's interest in bankrolling General Growth Properties Inc's independent exit from bankruptcy raises what may be a crucial question in the battle for the No. 2 U.S. mall operator: Would creditors prefer stock or cash?
Creditors who hold about $7 billion of General Growth's unsecured debt would get a full price for their bonds in cash under an unsolicited offer by Simon Property Group Inc for its smaller rival. Simon has also said it is open to giving its shares to certain creditors instead of cash if they wanted. Read more >

Posted by CBN Staff on 26 Feb 2010 [08:14] | Tell a friend | Comments 0

Icahn launches offer to up stake in Lions Gate

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Billionaire financier Carl Icahn on Tuesday said he would tender for more shares of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp, in a move seen aimed at curbing potential purchases of studios like Miramax or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Sources have listed Lions Gate as among interested parties for Walt Disney Co's Miramax or troubled studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
And last week, Lions Gate management told analysts that Miramax fits into its criteria for acquisitions. Read more >

Posted by CBN Staff on 22 Feb 2010 [06:14] | Tell a friend | Comments 0

Azerbaijan sends youngest finalist - Safura to the ESC 2010

Safura won the Azerbaijani national selection final, however the jury could not make up their minds as to what song Safura will sing in Oslo on 27th May during the second semifinal of the Contest.
According to the Head of Azerbaijani Delegation Adil Kerimli, all 4 songs presented during the national final were outstanding and performed very strongly, so the jury decided to scrutinize the professional studio recordings of the songs prior to choosing the winner. The intrigue is expected to be resolved on 19th March when the winning song will be announced. Read more >

Posted by CBN Extra Staff on 03 Mar 2010 [08:18] | Tell a friend | Comments 0

Angelina as Kay Scarpetta angers Cornwell book fans

Angelina Jolie has been cast to play Kay Scarpetta but fans of the book series claim she doesn't fit the description
It's official. Angelina Jolie has signed on to play medical examiner Kay Scarpetta in an as-of-yet untitled movie based on Patricia Cornwell's 17-book series.
Cornwell is pretty pumped about the choice. "When Angelina came out of the left field last year, I was floored," she said. "Angelina had pithy things to say about what she wanted to do. She was direct and goal-oriented." However, the fans of the books -- let's just say they're not too happy. Read more >

Posted by CBN Extra Staff on 03 Mar 2010 [07:28] | Tell a friend | Comments 0

With mom in 'heart and soul,' Rochette goes for medal

Joannie Rochette performed in the first phase of the Olympic women's figure skating competition two days after her mom died.
Things were good for Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette in the weeks before the Winter Olympics. She had a 2009 world silver medal. Training was going well. And, she told her agent, she had her confidante and source of strength by her side. Read more >

Posted by CBN Extra Staff on 03 Mar 2010 [07:30] | Tell a friend | Comments 0

Azerbaijan National team earned a win

A friendly match between Jordan and Azerbaijan has been held at «King Abdulla» Stadium in Amman on 25th February. Azerbaijan National team earned a 2-0 win. Fabio Luis Ramim opened the score in the 46th second, Afran İsmailov scored Azerbaijani team second goal in the 31st minute. Read more >

Posted by CBN Extra Staff on 26 Feb 2010 [07:49] | Tell a friend | Comments 0