Opaque business in post-crisis Asia A private think-tank has said transparency in the business environment of Asia's more robust post-crisis economies leaves much to be desired.
Political and Economic Risk Consultancy reported that a poll of more than 1,200 expatriates showed that the mainland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea all scored lower this year than last year.
The report said: 'When Asia was booming, it was easy to overlook systematic idiosyncracies. Now . . . conditions are so much more difficult however, people doing business in the region want to kick the tyres of the deals they are looking at.' Antitrust case judge wins wide approval The appointment of Judge Richard Posner - described both as a conservative and an 'antitrust sceptic' - won approval from both sides in the Microsoft antitrust case. Judge Posner, chief judge of the 7th United States Circuit Court of Appeals and a free-market advocate, was appointed two weeks after District Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson declared Microsoft a monopoly that bullies competitors.
Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona said the government looked forward to finding 'ways to address the serious competitive problems identified in the court's findings of fact'.
She added that the Justice Department 'has always been willing to seek a settlement that would promote competition, innovation and consumer choice'.
Outside observers also praised the appointment of a mediator. 'It's hard to see how they would get off the dime without some sort of mediator,' said Washington antitrust lawyer Mark Schechter.
