PARIS (AFP) ― Emerging economies China, Russia and Brazil are showing signs of slowing down but advanced economies are growing steadily, the OECD said on Tuesday.The findings of these so-called leading indicators is in line with a general picture that emerging economies have lost some of the driving steam which helped the world through a recent downturn in advanced economies. Among advanced countries, the United States and Canada are showing stable growth momentum, the 18-member eurozone as a wh

Facebook Inc. and Chairman Mark Zuckerberg’s program of letting company directors set their own pay, capped at stock currently worth $145 million per person, wastes corporate assets, an investor said in a lawsuit. Facebook’s board paid non-employee directors an average of $461,000 last year in stock, exceeding industry peers by as much as 43 percent, shareholder Ernesto Espinoza said in a lawsuit filed in Delaware Chancery Court. “Moreover, the members of the board are free to continue to award

WELLINGTON (AFP) ― Internet mogul Kim Dotcom said Monday he was offering a $5 million “bounty” to whistleblowers for information to help fight an online piracy case brought by the United States.The Megaupload founder, who is resisting extradition from New Zealand, said he had to resort to offering the money because the deck was stacked against him in one of the largest copyright infringement cases ever brought.“My case is unfair,” the German national tweeted. “I was declined discovery, I didn’t

WASHINGTON (AP) ― U.S. economic growth should accelerate in the second quarter and remain healthy for the rest of this year, according to a forecast by a group of U.S. business economists. Still, growth for the full year will likely come in lower than they previously estimated. Job growth should remain steady and consumer spending will also likely pick up, a survey by the National Association of Business Economists said Monday. The survey of 47 economists from companies, trade associations and a

TOKYO (AFP) ― With a hopeful eye on the approaching World Cup, Japan’s embattled TV makers are hoping the key to their rescue can be found on the second floor of Bic Camera’s downtown Tokyo outlet.Sales of big-screen televisions with super-high definition 4K technology are picking up at the nationwide electronics retailer, and their fatter profit margins are offering a lifeline to one-time industry giants Sony and Panasonic.Retailers report that demand for the cutting-edge technology ― with four

India’s new Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn’t waste much time: Among his first acts on his first day in office was to make it a priority to recover billions of dollars stashed overseas to avoid taxes. Within 24 hours of his May 26 inauguration, Modi created an investigative team of former judges and current regulators to find the concealed assets, known as black money, and bring them back. At stake is what’s estimated to be as much as $2 trillion, more than India’s annual gross domestic produc

DUBLIN (AFP) ― Standard & Poor’s on Friday revised up Ireland’s sovereign credit rating to “A-” with a positive outlook from its previous “BBB+” assessment, citing the eurozone member’s improved domestic prospects.In contrast, the ratings agency held Italy’s credit rating at ’BBB’, which is two notches above junk level, and maintained its negative outlook.“The (Irish) upgrade reflects our view of the brightening prospects for Ireland’s domestic economy, which we expect to underpin further improv