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1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Hong Kong's embarrassment of riches will take centre stage on Wednesday when Financial Secretary Donald Tsang finally reveals the exact size of the territory's surplus and reserves. | Hong Kong's embarrassment of riches will take centre stage on Wednesday when Financial Secretary Donald Tsang finally reveals the exact size of the territory's surplus and reserves. The magnitude of wealth lining the coffers of Hong Kong is one of the budget's last and most sensitive secrets following a series of offic... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Hong Kong business groups hit back on Wednesday at U.S. attempts to link China's most favoured nation (MFN) trading perks with how Beijing handles Hong Kong after it reverts to Chinese control later this year. | Hong Kong business groups hit back on Wednesday at U.S. attempts to link China's most favoured nation (MFN) trading perks with how Beijing handles Hong Kong after it reverts to Chinese control later this year. U.S. Congressman Jim Kolbe, leading a 22-member delegation from the House of Representatives to Beijing, said ... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Stock market gyrations on the rumoured ill-health of China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping were welcomed by many Asian fund managers on Wednesday. | Stock market gyrations on the rumoured ill-health of China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping were welcomed by many Asian fund managers on Wednesday. Although many Asian markets have regained much of the ground lost on Tuesday when the rumours hit, the remaining discount suggests any announcement of Deng's death will now... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Blink and you missed it. | Blink and you missed it. The much anticipated correction in Hong Kong stocks on Thursday on news of the death of China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping gave fund managers all of 10 minutes to do some much-anticipated bargain hunting. "This was not my expectation," said Ambrose Chang, chief investment officer at Daiwa C... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: World bankers and economic chiefs held Hong Kong up as a financial showcase with a rosy future on Friday, but a clash of views between Britain and China over democracy augured a politically bumpy ride. | World bankers and economic chiefs held Hong Kong up as a financial showcase with a rosy future on Friday, but a clash of views between Britain and China over democracy augured a politically bumpy ride. Speaker after speaker at a one-day International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting stressed the importance of the economic p... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Hong Kong fund managers and life insurers are smacking their lips in anticipation of a very promising pie -- Hong Kong's public pension plan. | Hong Kong fund managers and life insurers are smacking their lips in anticipation of a very promising pie -- Hong Kong's public pension plan. Although much uncertainty still hangs over the proposed Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), Hong Kong-registered pension assets could triple if MPF regulations are passed by July 1, ... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: An uneventful week of sideways trade is expected on most Asian markets following news that China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping had died on Wednesday. | An uneventful week of sideways trade is expected on most Asian markets following news that China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping had died on Wednesday. Although many of the smaller Asian markets virtually ignored the news, Hong Kong and Taiwan surprised some investors by trading higher. A strong week in Tokyo is not e... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Hong Kong's hefty cash reserves offer a comfortable cushion for children born in 1997, the year the British colony returns to Chinese sovereignty. | Hong Kong's hefty cash reserves offer a comfortable cushion for children born in 1997, the year the British colony returns to Chinese sovereignty. According to Wednesday's 1997/98 budget figures, thrifty Hong Kong will confront its future as part of China with HK$330 billion (US$42 billion) in total fiscal reserves. Th... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Hong Kong people seemed to forget politics and other worries as the tiny colony geared up to welcome the Year of the Ox, its last Lunar New Year celebrations under British rule. | Hong Kong people seemed to forget politics and other worries as the tiny colony geared up to welcome the Year of the Ox, its last Lunar New Year celebrations under British rule. With the clock ticking towards transition to Chinese sovereignty at midnight on June 30, Hong Kong's 6.3 million people took time out from hec... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Now that China's Deng Xiaoping is dead, Hong Kong faces a future without the figurehead who helped to assure the territory's confidence and stability, among the two most important words in the investor's lexicon. | Now that China's Deng Xiaoping is dead, Hong Kong faces a future without the figurehead who helped to assure the territory's confidence and stability, among the two most important words in the investor's lexicon. As the architect of the "One country, two systems" policy, Deng provided the framework that will guide Hong... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Investing in Asian telecommunications stocks is full of hazards as the region grapples with a general lack of sophistication and wide discrepancies in demand and regulation, analysts say. | Investing in Asian telecommunications stocks is full of hazards as the region grapples with a general lack of sophistication and wide discrepancies in demand and regulation, analysts say. Views differ greatly on the potential of individual stocks and countries, but analysts generally agree that telecom regulation is th... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Thailand's banking sector crisis brought repeated calls for an upgrade of Asia's immature financial infrastructure at an International Monetary Fund-Hong Kong Monetary Authority meeting on Friday. | Thailand's banking sector crisis brought repeated calls for an upgrade of Asia's immature financial infrastructure at an International Monetary Fund-Hong Kong Monetary Authority meeting on Friday. "Asia needs a stronger, more dynamic financial infrastructure," IMF managing director Michel Camdessus told the conference ... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Foreign cash is holding steady in Thailand, hoping for economic and stock market recovery even though there are few signs of either so far. | Foreign cash is holding steady in Thailand, hoping for economic and stock market recovery even though there are few signs of either so far. "I think a lot of fund managers will be doing a lot of wishful thinking, but at the end of the day I don't think (Thailand) will be going anywhere in a hurry," Christopher Day, joi... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: The recent Asian tour by U.S. fund managers representing $234 billion in assets, including the hefty California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), has whetted Hong Kong fund managers' appetites. | The recent Asian tour by U.S. fund managers representing $234 billion in assets, including the hefty California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), has whetted Hong Kong fund managers' appetites. "CalPERS has this innate ability of raising everybody's blood pressure because they've got so much money to invest... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Fallout from a scandal involving late allocation of trades at Jardine Fleming was still attracting attention in Hong Kong on Wednesday, but the company escaped further sanctions and said business continued as usual. | Fallout from a scandal involving late allocation of trades at Jardine Fleming was still attracting attention in Hong Kong on Wednesday, but the company escaped further sanctions and said business continued as usual. "We've had some redemptions. We've also had some subscriptions," a company spokesman told Reuters. "The ... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Hong Kong conglomerate Wheelock & Co Ltd has launched a search for a new partner for its fledgling Hong Kong fund management company following NatWest Group's decision to pull out. | Hong Kong conglomerate Wheelock & Co Ltd has launched a search for a new partner for its fledgling Hong Kong fund management company following NatWest Group's decision to pull out. "We've got nobody on the hook but there are people with whom we're having discussions," said Nicholas Sibley, deputy chairman of Wheelo... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Zero tax and limited regulation are luring billions of dollars into offshore mutual funds, spurring a growth industry in famed tax-free locations such as the Cayman Islands, according to a mutual fund legal expert. | Zero tax and limited regulation are luring billions of dollars into offshore mutual funds, spurring a growth industry in famed tax-free locations such as the Cayman Islands, according to a mutual fund legal expert. "I think every indication is that the offshore part of the mutual fund industry will grow. In the offshor... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Ambitious plans to establish Islamic mutual funds in Indonesia include the "cleansing" of profits disallowed under Islamic law, a senior fund manager told a mutual funds conference on Tuesday. | Ambitious plans to establish Islamic mutual funds in Indonesia include the "cleansing" of profits disallowed under Islamic law, a senior fund manager told a mutual funds conference on Tuesday. Islamic law prohibits Moslems from earning interest on bank deposits or investing in certain types of equities. But Nik Ezar Ni... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Thailand's banking sector crisis brought repeated calls for an upgrade of Asia's immature financial infrastructure at an International Monetary Fund-Hong Kong Monetary Authority meeting on Friday. | Thailand's banking sector crisis brought repeated calls for an upgrade of Asia's immature financial infrastructure at an International Monetary Fund-Hong Kong Monetary Authority meeting on Friday. "Asia needs a stronger, more dynamic financial infrastructure," IMF managing director Michel Camdessus told the conference ... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Guinness Flight Asia said on Thursday that the selection of Hong Kong's new chief executive next month could give further support to the territory's soaring Hang Seng Index, which it expects to rise to 14,000 points soon. | Guinness Flight Asia said on Thursday that the selection of Hong Kong's new chief executive next month could give further support to the territory's soaring Hang Seng Index, which it expects to rise to 14,000 points soon. "Once the chief executive is chosen, the direction of economic policy after the handover will be c... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Asia can expect to see a long-term inflow of money from a group of huge California pension funds now on an eight-day swing through the region, Asian fund managers said last week. | Asia can expect to see a long-term inflow of money from a group of huge California pension funds now on an eight-day swing through the region, Asian fund managers said last week. "The very positive thing is they've come to Asia and issued a clean bill of health in that they've pencilled in large amounts that will come ... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Twentieth Century Fox joined the hunt for a larger slice of the Asia-Pacific video market on Thursday by announcing a new regional office in Hong Kong for its home entertainment division. | Twentieth Century Fox joined the hunt for a larger slice of the Asia-Pacific video market on Thursday by announcing a new regional office in Hong Kong for its home entertainment division. "We believe this is an under-developed market and therefore represents one of the best growth opportunities we have," said Jeffrey Y... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: NatWest Markets, the investment banking arm of National Westminster Bank, said on Tuesday it had agreed to buy out Wheelock and Company Ltd's stake in their 50-50 joint venture, Wheelock NatWest. | NatWest Markets, the investment banking arm of National Westminster Bank, said on Tuesday it had agreed to buy out Wheelock and Company Ltd's stake in their 50-50 joint venture, Wheelock NatWest. The announcement ends a short and bumpy association between one of the world's biggest banks and Wheelock, a Hong Kong-based... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: As Hong Kong speeds towards its return to Chinese rule, questions are being asked about the fate of its largest expatriate community -- tens of thousands of Filipina maids, or amahs. | As Hong Kong speeds towards its return to Chinese rule, questions are being asked about the fate of its largest expatriate community -- tens of thousands of Filipina maids, or amahs. Hong Kong relies upon its army of Filipina "domestic helpers". There were 140,000 of them at last count among the territory's 6.2 million... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Hong Kong Financial Secretary Donald Tsang painted a rosy picture of an expanding economy on Thursday, just two weeks before he presents the budget that will straddle the territory's handover to Chinese rule. | Hong Kong Financial Secretary Donald Tsang painted a rosy picture of an expanding economy on Thursday, just two weeks before he presents the budget that will straddle the territory's handover to Chinese rule. With economic growth forecast at 5.5 percent this year and the trade picture improving, Hong Kong's economy is ... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Zero tax and limited regulation are luring billions of dollars into offshore mutual funds, spurring a growth industry in famed tax-free locations such as the Cayman Islands, according to a mutual fund legal expert. | Zero tax and limited regulation are luring billions of dollars into offshore mutual funds, spurring a growth industry in famed tax-free locations such as the Cayman Islands, according to a mutual fund legal expert. "I think every indication is that the offshore part of the mutual fund industry will grow. In the offshor... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: The architect of Hong Kong's currency link to the U.S. dollar on Wednesday defended the peg's continued existence well beyond the British colony's return to Chinese sovereignty next year. | The architect of Hong Kong's currency link to the U.S. dollar on Wednesday defended the peg's continued existence well beyond the British colony's return to Chinese sovereignty next year. John Greenwood, the author of the 1983 paper upon which the peg was based, said China must uphold the currency link to comply with t... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Jardine Fleming Holdings Ltd said in Hong Kong on Thursday that clients should be reassured that revelations of front-running by one of its fund managers had prompted much greater emphasis on regulatory compliance. | Jardine Fleming Holdings Ltd said in Hong Kong on Thursday that clients should be reassured that revelations of front-running by one of its fund managers had prompted much greater emphasis on regulatory compliance. "Clients must look at this going forward," Alan Smith, chairman of Jardine Fleming Holdings Ltd, told Reu... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Hong Kong business groups on Thursday lauded Deng Xiaoping as a great leader but said the short-term impact of his passing would be limited. | Hong Kong business groups on Thursday lauded Deng Xiaoping as a great leader but said the short-term impact of his passing would be limited. "He was a great man. We are naturally saddened from a human point of view. But as regards business, I have to say it's business as usual," said Brigadier Christopher Hammerbeck, e... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Economic commentators in Hong Kong are sounding alarms about the unbridled optimism spurring stock and property prices to new highs ahead of the British colony's return to Chinese sovereignty on July 1. | Economic commentators in Hong Kong are sounding alarms about the unbridled optimism spurring stock and property prices to new highs ahead of the British colony's return to Chinese sovereignty on July 1. Concerns are mounting that rising price pressures could inflate a collapsible bubble on the assumption that China wil... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: A festive calm settled over Hong Kong on Thursday as people prepared to welcome the Year of the Ox, the territory's last Lunar New Year celebration under British rule. | A festive calm settled over Hong Kong on Thursday as people prepared to welcome the Year of the Ox, the territory's last Lunar New Year celebration under British rule. With the clock ticking towards transition to Chinese sovereignty at midnight on June 30, Hong Kong people took time out from hectic schedules for the Ch... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Economic commentators in Hong Kong are sounding alarms about the unbridled optimism spurring stock and property prices to new highs ahead of the British colony's return to Chinese sovereignty on July 1. | Economic commentators in Hong Kong are sounding alarms about the unbridled optimism spurring stock and property prices to new highs ahead of the British colony's return to Chinese sovereignty on July 1. Concerns are mounting that rising price pressures could inflate a collapsible bubble on the assumption that China wil... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Regulations issued by Indonesia earlier this year promoting the creation of mutual funds have become a landmark for the local industry, delegates to a conference said on Wednesday. | Regulations issued by Indonesia earlier this year promoting the creation of mutual funds have become a landmark for the local industry, delegates to a conference said on Wednesday. "The recognition of open-end funds or mutual funds by the Capital Market Law has been quite instrumental in the development of the Indonesi... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Rival fund managers in Hong Kong condemned Jardine Fleming Investment Management (JFIM) on Friday and expressed shock at revelations of front-running at the British territory's biggest and most prominent fund manager. | Rival fund managers in Hong Kong condemned Jardine Fleming Investment Management (JFIM) on Friday and expressed shock at revelations of front-running at the British territory's biggest and most prominent fund manager. "It's appalling that a leading, well-respected portfolio manager was profiting at the expense of his c... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Pegged currencies are common in Asia, with its fondness for order and authoritarianism. | Pegged currencies are common in Asia, with its fondness for order and authoritarianism. But to peg one's currency is always a drastic step with heavy consequences. While a fixed exchange rate might reassure foreign investors about currency stability, it can also prompt a slew of unruly side effects. "What you ultimatel... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Hong Kong is among the world's most efficient economies but its continued success as a global financial centre and entrepot is far from certain, Harvard-based economic adviser professor Jeffrey Sachs said on Monday. | Hong Kong is among the world's most efficient economies but its continued success as a global financial centre and entrepot is far from certain, Harvard-based economic adviser professor Jeffrey Sachs said on Monday. Uncertainty associated with the British colony's return to Chinese rule next year could compromise Hong ... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Indonesia's nascent funds industry will remain dormant until the government steps in and provides a boost, experts attending a mutual fund conference said on Monday. | Indonesia's nascent funds industry will remain dormant until the government steps in and provides a boost, experts attending a mutual fund conference said on Monday. "There needs to be somebody giving them a push. The push can come not just from banks, not just from private institutions, but from the government," said ... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Indonesia's infant mutual funds industry is poised for rapid growth with far-reaching consequences for the country's financial markets and economy, a mutual funds conference in Jakarta was told on Monday. | Indonesia's infant mutual funds industry is poised for rapid growth with far-reaching consequences for the country's financial markets and economy, a mutual funds conference in Jakarta was told on Monday. "There is enormous potential for change," John Booth, Asia managing director for the mutual funds services firm DST... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: Growing numbers of impoverished women from mainland China are flocking to Hong Kong to work as prostitutes following a deportation policy that is driving away Thai and Filipina women, police said on Monday. | Growing numbers of impoverished women from mainland China are flocking to Hong Kong to work as prostitutes following a deportation policy that is driving away Thai and Filipina women, police said on Monday. Arrest data supplied by the Royal Hong Kong Police show that mainland Chinese now dominate the prostitution workf... | |
1 | Write an article that starts with the following: The longer-term interests of a US$1 billion stake in Russian equity markets dictated last week's decision to unwind a controversial fund that planned to invest in Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, Regent Pacific Group Ltd said on Monday. | The longer-term interests of a US$1 billion stake in Russian equity markets dictated last week's decision to unwind a controversial fund that planned to invest in Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, Regent Pacific Group Ltd said on Monday. "We've had to sacrifice the smaller interest in Gazprom to the much bigger interest we... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Deregulation of the $100 billion local telephone market is progressing -- but not according to the script written by the Federal Communications Commission. | Deregulation of the $100 billion local telephone market is progressing -- but not according to the script written by the Federal Communications Commission. Although the Supreme Court Tuesday declined to revive key parts of the FCC's landmark rules for prying open local phone monopolies, the march to competition is not ... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: An obscure part of the new telecommunications law could restrict how phone companies use confidential customer data to peddle everything from calling plans and caller I.D. | An obscure part of the new telecommunications law could restrict how phone companies use confidential customer data to peddle everything from calling plans and caller I.D. to Internet access and credit cards. The law pits consumer advocates who fear an onslaught of telemarketers and a loss of personal privacy against l... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: A television industry group is set to formally unveil its controversial system for rating programmes on Thursday so parents can better control the shows their children tune in. | A television industry group is set to formally unveil its controversial system for rating programmes on Thursday so parents can better control the shows their children tune in. The group of broadcast, cable-TV and Hollywood executives has been meeting privately since March to fashion a motion-picture style system to ra... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: President Clinton and Congress are again set to look to airwave sales to cut the deficit, although analysts note the radio spectrum is not a bottomless money pit and prices should fall as more space is sold. | President Clinton and Congress are again set to look to airwave sales to cut the deficit, although analysts note the radio spectrum is not a bottomless money pit and prices should fall as more space is sold. "They need to be careful that they're not killing the golden goose," said Joe Boyer of Hatfield Associates Inc.,... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Lawmakers and law-enforcement officials voiced support Wednesday for tougher laws to bar eavesdropping on cellular phone calls, following the uproar over Newt Gingrich's intercepted call. | Lawmakers and law-enforcement officials voiced support Wednesday for tougher laws to bar eavesdropping on cellular phone calls, following the uproar over Newt Gingrich's intercepted call. A House telecommunications subcommittee is training its sights on a little-enforced law banning the sale, manufacture and importatio... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Ameritech Corp. Thursday became the first Baby Bell phone company to seek federal approval under the new telecommunications law to offer long-distance service from its regional calling area. | Ameritech Corp. Thursday became the first Baby Bell phone company to seek federal approval under the new telecommunications law to offer long-distance service from its regional calling area. The Chicago-based carrier asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to provide long-distance service to resident... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Federal and state regulators raced Wednesday to finalise a multi-billion dollar proposal to ensure all Americans get quality and affordable phone service and that schools and libraries can hook up to the Internet. | Federal and state regulators raced Wednesday to finalise a multi-billion dollar proposal to ensure all Americans get quality and affordable phone service and that schools and libraries can hook up to the Internet. An eight-member board of state regulators and members of the Federal Communications Commission is trying t... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The Federal Communications Commission's new rules opening the local telephone market to competition are likely to survive a slew of legal challenges leveled by state regulators and local phone companies, lawyers predicted Wednesday. | The Federal Communications Commission's new rules opening the local telephone market to competition are likely to survive a slew of legal challenges leveled by state regulators and local phone companies, lawyers predicted Wednesday. They said it is unlikely a federal court would overturn the core of the "interconnectio... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The government's largest wireless phone auction ended Tuesday, with prices taking a U-turn back toward earth after 125 companies bid a total of $2.5 billion to offer a new generation of cellular service. | The government's largest wireless phone auction ended Tuesday, with prices taking a U-turn back toward earth after 125 companies bid a total of $2.5 billion to offer a new generation of cellular service. The total was down 75 percent from a similar Federal Communications Commission auction that raised $10.2 billion las... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The brouhaha over Newt Gingrich's intercepted telephone call has shed light on how easy it is to eavesdrop on cellular calls and how seldom cases are prosecuted -- even though the law is violated daily. | The brouhaha over Newt Gingrich's intercepted telephone call has shed light on how easy it is to eavesdrop on cellular calls and how seldom cases are prosecuted -- even though the law is violated daily. "It's had the chilling effect of reminding us all that anyone at any time could be listening to our most private conv... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Responding to a dispute with the United States, Canada said Tuesday it plans to develop its own satellite-TV industry rather than rely on U.S. companies such as Tele-Communications Inc. to jump-start the business. | Responding to a dispute with the United States, Canada said Tuesday it plans to develop its own satellite-TV industry rather than rely on U.S. companies such as Tele-Communications Inc. to jump-start the business. The announcement came just hours after the Federal Communications Commission rejected for a second time a ... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The U.S. communications revolution is off to a slow start, unleashing more hype than competition among local and long-distance carriers, cable-TV firms, utilities and others. | The U.S. communications revolution is off to a slow start, unleashing more hype than competition among local and long-distance carriers, cable-TV firms, utilities and others. But experts say that, just one year after passage of the huge telecommunication reform bill, it is too early to judge it a failure. Most predict ... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Regulators this week gave final approval to a technology standard for a new generation of high-definition digital television, setting off a race between computer makers and TV manufacturers to woo viewers. | Regulators this week gave final approval to a technology standard for a new generation of high-definition digital television, setting off a race between computer makers and TV manufacturers to woo viewers. The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday approved the compromise standard hammered out last month between ... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The television industry's new ratings system is a bust and is rife with inconsistencies that make it tougher for parents to pick shows appropriate for kids, a conservative media watchdog group charged in a new study on Tuesday. | The television industry's new ratings system is a bust and is rife with inconsistencies that make it tougher for parents to pick shows appropriate for kids, a conservative media watchdog group charged in a new study on Tuesday. The Media Research Centre reviewed 150 hours of shows in the two weeks that ended Jan. 16 on... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The federal government's bid to pry open the phone business has hit a snag that could postpone the onset of full-blown competition in the local and long-distance markets and delay cheaper phone service. | The federal government's bid to pry open the phone business has hit a snag that could postpone the onset of full-blown competition in the local and long-distance markets and delay cheaper phone service. The snag came when a federal appeals court Tuesday suspended, or stayed, key parts of a Federal Communications Commis... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The Federal Communications Commission reined in its regulation of long-distance telephone rates Tuesday by scrapping a Depression-era rule requiring phone carriers to tell the agency beforehand of rate changes. | The Federal Communications Commission reined in its regulation of long-distance telephone rates Tuesday by scrapping a Depression-era rule requiring phone carriers to tell the agency beforehand of rate changes. FCC officials said the move was designed to inject more competition into the $70 billion long-distance market... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The Federal Communications Commission is expected to curb its power to approve or reject long-distance rates by ending a Depression-era rule requiring telephone carriers to notify the FCC before rate changes. | The Federal Communications Commission is expected to curb its power to approve or reject long-distance rates by ending a Depression-era rule requiring telephone carriers to notify the FCC before rate changes. The new rules, set to be adopted on Tuesday, are meant to pump more competition into the $70 billion long-dista... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The television industry's controversial system for rating programs is set to begin airing Wednesday on the big networks ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. | The television industry's controversial system for rating programs is set to begin airing Wednesday on the big networks ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. Broadcast and cable networks will carry the ratings, though start dates will vary. Time Warner Inc.'s upstart WB network began rating shows on Dec. 22. Cable network Black Enter... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Regulators are set to kick off a two-part plan to slash rates on overseas phone calls, a move that could save American consumers and companies billions of dollars but ruffle the feathers of foreign governments. | Regulators are set to kick off a two-part plan to slash rates on overseas phone calls, a move that could save American consumers and companies billions of dollars but ruffle the feathers of foreign governments. The Federal Communications Commission is expected Tuesday to make it simpler for U.S. and foreign phone compa... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Federal regulators are set to kick off a two-part plan to slash rates on overseas phone calls, a move that could save consumers and companies billions of dollars but may ruffle the feathers of foreign governments. | Federal regulators are set to kick off a two-part plan to slash rates on overseas phone calls, a move that could save consumers and companies billions of dollars but may ruffle the feathers of foreign governments. The Federal Communications Commission is expected Tuesday to make it simpler for U.S. and foreign phone co... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: U.S. Vice President Al Gore on Wednesday defended last year's telecommunications law against critics who charge it is a failure, saying that the Clinton administration has no plans to try and reopen the act. | U.S. Vice President Al Gore on Wednesday defended last year's telecommunications law against critics who charge it is a failure, saying that the Clinton administration has no plans to try and reopen the act. "This is the first year of a process of change that will take quite some time," Gore told a group of reporters. ... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Negotiations between American Airlines and its pilots union continued into the early hours of Friday, with neither side reporting any breakthrough that would avert a midnight strike at the nation's No. | Negotiations between American Airlines and its pilots union continued into the early hours of Friday, with neither side reporting any breakthrough that would avert a midnight strike at the nation's No. 2 carrier. A federal mediator refereeing the talks at a downtown hotel informed the pilots that American had rejected ... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Deregulation of the $100 billion local telephone market is progressing -- but not by the script written by the Federal Communications Commission. | Deregulation of the $100 billion local telephone market is progressing -- but not by the script written by the Federal Communications Commission. Although the Supreme Court Tuesday declined to revive key parts of the FCC's landmark rules for prying open local phone monopolies, the march to competition is not dead, indu... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Regulators proposed Thursday to set aside $2.3 billion a year to link schools and libraries to the Internet at discounted rates, but declined to endorse President Clinton's call to hook them up free of charge. | Regulators proposed Thursday to set aside $2.3 billion a year to link schools and libraries to the Internet at discounted rates, but declined to endorse President Clinton's call to hook them up free of charge. Eligible institutions could buy access to the computer network at discounts of 20 percent to 90 percent, under... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The television and entertainment industries vowed Thursday to use only their system for rating TV programs and promised to reject -- by legal means, if necessary -- any government-imposed plan. | The television and entertainment industries vowed Thursday to use only their system for rating TV programs and promised to reject -- by legal means, if necessary -- any government-imposed plan. Following months of work, a group of TV and Hollywood executives are scheduled next week to unveil plans for a system to rate ... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Television executives have tentatively agreed to rate shows based on their suitability for kids of different age groups, industry sources said Tuesday, disappointing advocates of a ratings system that would specify the level of sex, violence and bad language. | Television executives have tentatively agreed to rate shows based on their suitability for kids of different age groups, industry sources said Tuesday, disappointing advocates of a ratings system that would specify the level of sex, violence and bad language. The new ratings system is expected to be completed by year's... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The nation's top communications regulator Friday appealed to nearly 1,200 television stations nationwide to adhere to a voluntary ban and refrain from airing liquor advertisements. | The nation's top communications regulator Friday appealed to nearly 1,200 television stations nationwide to adhere to a voluntary ban and refrain from airing liquor advertisements. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt, speaking a day after a liquor industry group said it would end its own voluntary ban... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Ameritech Corp. won an important endorsement Wednesday from Michigan regulators in its bid to become the first Baby Bell to offer long-distance telephone service from its local calling region. | Ameritech Corp. won an important endorsement Wednesday from Michigan regulators in its bid to become the first Baby Bell to offer long-distance telephone service from its local calling region. The Michigan Public Service Commission voted to advise the Federal Communications Commission that it appears Ameritech has met ... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Federal regulators are set to kick off a two-part plan to slash rates on overseas phone calls, a move that could save consumers and companies billions of dollars but may ruffle the feathers of foreign governments. | Federal regulators are set to kick off a two-part plan to slash rates on overseas phone calls, a move that could save consumers and companies billions of dollars but may ruffle the feathers of foreign governments. The Federal Communications Commission is expected Tuesday to make it simpler for U.S. and foreign phone co... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The television and entertainment industries vowed Thursday to use only their system for rating TV programmes and promised to reject -- by legal means, if necessary -- any government-imposed plan. | The television and entertainment industries vowed Thursday to use only their system for rating TV programmes and promised to reject -- by legal means, if necessary -- any government-imposed plan. Following months of work, a group of TV and Hollywood executives are scheduled next week to unveil plans for a system to rat... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Television industry moguls crafting a ratings system should spell out sexual and violence content of shows, not rely solely on a system like the motion picture code, a survey of parents issued Thursday concluded. | Television industry moguls crafting a ratings system should spell out sexual and violence content of shows, not rely solely on a system like the motion picture code, a survey of parents issued Thursday concluded. The nationwide survey of 679 parents showed 80 percent preferred a system that specified the level of viole... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The nation's distillers Thursday formally reversed their 48-year-old voluntary ban on broadcast advertising of liquor, saying whiskey and gin should be treated just like beer and wine. | The nation's distillers Thursday formally reversed their 48-year-old voluntary ban on broadcast advertising of liquor, saying whiskey and gin should be treated just like beer and wine. The announcement -- coming two days after the presidential election and just ahead of the holiday season -- affirms the decision by Sea... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The state of Alaska has asked the Federal Communications Commission to ban broadcast advertising of hard liquor, adding to the controversy over whether liquor ads should be allowed on television and radio. | The state of Alaska has asked the Federal Communications Commission to ban broadcast advertising of hard liquor, adding to the controversy over whether liquor ads should be allowed on television and radio. Lawyers said the state's petition -- backed by former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop -- was significant. It ... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Regulators took the first of two steps Tuesday to slash the cost of overseas phone calls for consumers and businesses, making it easier for U.S. and foreign carriers to negotiate cheaper international rates. | Regulators took the first of two steps Tuesday to slash the cost of overseas phone calls for consumers and businesses, making it easier for U.S. and foreign carriers to negotiate cheaper international rates. The Federal Communications Commission hopes to save U.S. callers billions of dollars by backing up the new rules... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court Thursday to lift a lower court suspension of landmark federal rules aimed at prying open the nation's local telephone monopolies to competition. | The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court Thursday to lift a lower court suspension of landmark federal rules aimed at prying open the nation's local telephone monopolies to competition. The department, acting on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission, said the lower court's "stay" could hurt consumers by... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Regulators took the first of two steps Tuesday to slash the cost of overseas phone calls for consumers and businesses, making it easier for U.S. and foreign carriers to negotiate cheaper international rates. | Regulators took the first of two steps Tuesday to slash the cost of overseas phone calls for consumers and businesses, making it easier for U.S. and foreign carriers to negotiate cheaper international rates. The Federal Communications Commission hopes to save U.S. callers billions of dollars by backing up the new rules... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Television and Hollywood moguls on Thursday formally unveiled their controversial system to rate TV programmes, ushering in a new era meant to enable parents to control their kids' viewing habits better. | Television and Hollywood moguls on Thursday formally unveiled their controversial system to rate TV programmes, ushering in a new era meant to enable parents to control their kids' viewing habits better. Broadcast and cable-TV networks will begin displaying the six ratings categories at the start of shows as soon as Ja... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court Thursday to lift a lower court suspension of landmark federal rules aimed at prying open the nation's local telephone monopolies to competition. | The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court Thursday to lift a lower court suspension of landmark federal rules aimed at prying open the nation's local telephone monopolies to competition. The department, acting on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission, said the lower court's "stay" could hurt consumers by... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Regulators proposed Thursday to set aside $2.3 billion a year to link schools and libraries to the Internet at discounted rates, but declined to endorse President Clinton's call to hook them up free of charge. | Regulators proposed Thursday to set aside $2.3 billion a year to link schools and libraries to the Internet at discounted rates, but declined to endorse President Clinton's call to hook them up free of charge. Eligible institutions could buy access to the computer network at discounts of 20 percent to 90 percent, under... | |
44 | Write an article that starts with the following: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas refused Thursday to reinstate landmark federal rules aimed at prying open the nation's $100 billion local telephone market to full-fledged competition. | Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas refused Thursday to reinstate landmark federal rules aimed at prying open the nation's $100 billion local telephone market to full-fledged competition. Thomas let stand, without comment, a U.S. appeals court order suspending key parts of the Federal Communications Commission's "int... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Shares in British insurer Commercial Union (CU) jumped on Friday amid renewed speculation the insurance group may become the next victim in the industry's push to consolidate. | Shares in British insurer Commercial Union (CU) jumped on Friday amid renewed speculation the insurance group may become the next victim in the industry's push to consolidate. Rumours that a merger were in the offing were given a new lease of life after buying of CU shares late on Thursday. The shares rose on Friday, j... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Fund manager Nicola Horlick's row with her ex-employer Morgan Grenfell Asset Management (MGAM) continued to be played out in public on Wednesday as she admitted that she had been in talks with a rival banking group until several days before she was suspended. | Fund manager Nicola Horlick's row with her ex-employer Morgan Grenfell Asset Management (MGAM) continued to be played out in public on Wednesday as she admitted that she had been in talks with a rival banking group until several days before she was suspended. But Horlick stressed that the talks with Dutch firm ABN AMRO... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Prudential Corp Plc, Britain's biggest life insurance group, reported a healthy rise in profits on Wednesday and said British operations were expected to perform strongly again in the coming year. | Prudential Corp Plc, Britain's biggest life insurance group, reported a healthy rise in profits on Wednesday and said British operations were expected to perform strongly again in the coming year. But the company made no comment about negotiations with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) over the ownership of so... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: The London Stock Exchange launched its new integrated trading and information computer system, Sequence 6, on Tuesday, the last stage in a three-year programme to take the London stock market into the next century. | The London Stock Exchange launched its new integrated trading and information computer system, Sequence 6, on Tuesday, the last stage in a three-year programme to take the London stock market into the next century. The new system completes the introduction of electronic trading begun at the time of the Big Bang' shake ... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Abbey National on Monday called for Scottish Amicable to put on hold proposals to drop its mutual status and allow policyholders time to consider last week's offer for the life assurance group. | Abbey National on Monday called for Scottish Amicable to put on hold proposals to drop its mutual status and allow policyholders time to consider last week's offer for the life assurance group. But ScotAm were quick to reject the demand together with renewed requests by Abbey for access to its books. ScotAm said it had... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Stiff competition and severe weather in the U.S. led to a 15 million pound ($24.2 million) fall in 1996 profits from British insurer General Accident Plc on Tuesday, despite a record final quarter. | Stiff competition and severe weather in the U.S. led to a 15 million pound ($24.2 million) fall in 1996 profits from British insurer General Accident Plc on Tuesday, despite a record final quarter. The weather-related losses knocked 30 million pounds off operating profits which slipped to 421 million pounds over the ye... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Scottish Amicable's plans to float on the stock market were under threat on Friday after Abbey National launched a surprise bid for the mutually-owned life assurance company. | Scottish Amicable's plans to float on the stock market were under threat on Friday after Abbey National launched a surprise bid for the mutually-owned life assurance company. The offer from the retail banking group values ScotAm at up to 1.4 billion pounds ($2.25 billion) and includes an immediate minimum payout of 400... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Britain's Ladbroke Group Plc on Monday concluded a long-awaited global alliance with Hilton Hotels Corp (HHC) of the U.S., reuniting the Hilton brand worldwide for the first time in 32 years. | Britain's Ladbroke Group Plc on Monday concluded a long-awaited global alliance with Hilton Hotels Corp (HHC) of the U.S., reuniting the Hilton brand worldwide for the first time in 32 years. Despite the tie-up, which covers 400 hotels in 49 countries, the two companies denied there was a hidden agenda to progress to a... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: British life assurer Scottish Amicable said on Thursday it planned to shed its 170-year-old mutual status in favour of a stock market flotation aimed at taking advantage of opportunities for profit growth. | British life assurer Scottish Amicable said on Thursday it planned to shed its 170-year-old mutual status in favour of a stock market flotation aimed at taking advantage of opportunities for profit growth. The Stirling-based group outlined plans to float on the London Stock Exchange in three to five years' time and sai... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: British insurer General Accident PLC reported a fall in annual profits on Tuesday, despite a record final quarter in 1996. | British insurer General Accident PLC reported a fall in annual profits on Tuesday, despite a record final quarter in 1996. Operating profits slipped 15 million pounds to 421 million ($680 million) although a rise in weather-related losses of 30 million pounds more than accounted for the decline. The recent strength of ... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Britain's Ladbroke Group Plc Monday concluded a long-awaited global alliance with Hilton Hotels Corp., reuniting the Hilton brand worldwide for the first time in 32 years. | Britain's Ladbroke Group Plc Monday concluded a long-awaited global alliance with Hilton Hotels Corp., reuniting the Hilton brand worldwide for the first time in 32 years. Despite the tie-up, which covers 400 hotels in 49 countries, the two companies denied there was a hidden agenda to progress toward a full merger of ... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Scottish Amicable on Monday confirmed that three companies had submitted final offers for the mutually-owned insurance group by last Friday's bid deadline. | Scottish Amicable on Monday confirmed that three companies had submitted final offers for the mutually-owned insurance group by last Friday's bid deadline. High street bank Abbey National plc and insurers Prudential Corp plc and Australian Mutual Provident (AMP) must now wait until the end of the month to find out who ... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Britain's B.A.T Industries said on Monday it was keeping an open mind about opportunities to restructure its operations after news reports that the group is continuing its search for a partner for its financial services businesses. | Britain's B.A.T Industries said on Monday it was keeping an open mind about opportunities to restructure its operations after news reports that the group is continuing its search for a partner for its financial services businesses. Tobacco and financial services company B.A.T, however, refused to comment directly on re... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Britain's NatWest Group said on Thursday it was setting up a new business grouping, NatWest Wealth Management, to tap the potential of private banking, long-term savings and investment markets. | Britain's NatWest Group said on Thursday it was setting up a new business grouping, NatWest Wealth Management, to tap the potential of private banking, long-term savings and investment markets. The unit will bring together asset management company Gartmore, life insurance and pensions unit NatWest Life and Investment S... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: British telecoms regulator OFTEL said on Wednesday it proposed to reduce the regulatory demands which were imposed on telephone group Mercury Communications in the early 1980s. | British telecoms regulator OFTEL said on Wednesday it proposed to reduce the regulatory demands which were imposed on telephone group Mercury Communications in the early 1980s. OFTEL said Mercury, part of the Cable & Wireless Group, would have a simplified licence covering both domestic and international operations... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Britain's largest insurance group Prudential Corp has become early favourite to win the auction for Scottish Amicable after its 1.9 billion pound ($3.0 billion) bid for the mutually owned life assurance group. | Britain's largest insurance group Prudential Corp has become early favourite to win the auction for Scottish Amicable after its 1.9 billion pound ($3.0 billion) bid for the mutually owned life assurance group. Industry analysts said the offer, which uses excess capital in the Pru's 50 billion pound life fund, will make... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Prudential Corp Plc, Britain's largest life insurance group, reported a healthy rise in profits on Wednesday and said it expected British operations to continue to perform strongly in the coming year. | Prudential Corp Plc, Britain's largest life insurance group, reported a healthy rise in profits on Wednesday and said it expected British operations to continue to perform strongly in the coming year. But the company remained tight-lipped about negotiations with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) over the owner... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Royal & Sun Alliance Group plc , one of Britain's leading insurers, on Thursday unveiled its first set of annual results following last year's merger and said it would be seeking shareholders' permission to buy in up to five percent of its shares. | Royal & Sun Alliance Group plc , one of Britain's leading insurers, on Thursday unveiled its first set of annual results following last year's merger and said it would be seeking shareholders' permission to buy in up to five percent of its shares. But large provisions for U.S. environmental claims and the impact of... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: Commercial Union (CU) became the latest victim of sterling's recent strength on Wednesday, as the British insurance giant reported a sharp fall in profits for 1996. | Commercial Union (CU) became the latest victim of sterling's recent strength on Wednesday, as the British insurance giant reported a sharp fall in profits for 1996. A 64 million pound ($104.8 million) currency loss by the company, three-quarters of whose profits come from outside Britain, largely accounted for a near 1... | |
42 | Write an article that starts with the following: The head of the Securities and Investments Board (SIB), Britain's top financial regulator, on Friday criticised slow progress made in compensating victims of pensions mis-selling in Britain, and called on all parties to ensure a speedy conclusion to the situation. | The head of the Securities and Investments Board (SIB), Britain's top financial regulator, on Friday criticised slow progress made in compensating victims of pensions mis-selling in Britain, and called on all parties to ensure a speedy conclusion to the situation. SIB chairman, Sir Andrew Large, said that progress had ... |
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