BI's interest rate falls again<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: The weighted average interest rate on one-month
\nSertifikat Bank Indonesia notes fell slightly to 11.26 percent
\nfrom 11.31 percent at a weekly auction, the central bank said on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
The rate cut was in line with market expectations.<\/p>\n
Bank Indonesia said it accepted Rp 24 trillion at the auction,
\nor 75.5 percent of total bids.<\/p>\n
The central bank has been cutting rates as inflationary
\npressure abates to help reduce the government's bank bailout
\ncosts and stimulate economic growth. -- Dow Jones<\/p>\n
British unemployment edges up 1,800<\/p>\n
LONDON: Unemployment in Britain inched up by 1,800 during March
\nto 939,900, official figures showed on Wednesday, continuing a
\nweak trend which is defying the global economic gloom.<\/p>\n
The small increase left the jobless rate steady at 3.1
\npercent, the National Statistics office said.<\/p>\n
The International Labor Organization's broader measure of
\nunemployment fell by 22,000 in the three months to February from
\nthe previous quarter to 1.49 million.<\/p>\n
The ILO figure equates to an unemployment rate of 5.1 percent,
\na 0.1 percentage point fall from the three months to January.<\/p>\n
The annual growth rate of headline average earnings fell to
\n3.0 percent year-on-year in the three months to February, from
\n3.6 percent in the quarter to January, remaining well below the
\nBank of England's 4.5-percent comfort level.<\/p>\n
Unemployment remains just a little above a 27-year-low
\nrecorded in January, when the figure registered a surprise drop
\nof 3,500. -- AFP<\/p>\n
Malaysian consumer prices up 1.4%<\/p>\n
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's consumer prices rose 1.4 percent in the
\nfirst quarter from the same period last year, the Statistics
\nDepartment said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Most prices were higher in the three months to March except
\nfor clothing and footware which fell by 2.3 percent and furniture
\nwhich was down by 0.5 percent, it said.<\/p>\n
Transport and communication prices rose 3.7 percent, medical
\ncare and health expenses were up 2.2 percent and miscellaneous
\ngoods and services rose 1.8 percent.<\/p>\n
The index rose 0.7 percent in March compared to a year earlier
\nbut fell 0.2 percent from February. -- AFP<\/p>\n
Australian consumer sentiment soars
\nSYDNEY, Australia: Australian consumer sentiment has surged after
\nit became clear the war in Iraq would be over quickly, a survey
\nshowed on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The Westpac-Melbourne Institute index of consumer sentiment
\nrose a seasonally adjusted 10.9 percent to 108.2 points in April,
\nup from 97.6 in March.<\/p>\n
The rise effectively brings the index back to its January
\nlevel, before war dominated the economic agenda.<\/p>\n
Westpac global head of economics Bill Evans said the April
\nrise was the fourth largest since the survey began in 1974 and
\nwas comparable to an 11.1 percent climb after the first Gulf War
\nin 1991. -- AFP<\/p>",
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