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World business quick take

■Free trade
Bush champions Russia
Russia must make a commitment to stick to WTO rules if it wants to join the body, US President George W. Bush said Thursday ahead of a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It's in our national interest that Russia joins the WTO. And Russia will have to make some internal decision whether they are willing to conform to the guidelines of the WTO," Bush told reporters. Russia is negotiating with 64 members of the WTO on the conditions for its accession to the global trade body and hopes to wrap up bilateral talks by the end of the year. Talks have been going on for 10 years. Talks on liberalizing service sectors such as finance, tele-communications and transportation have proven to be the main sticking points.

■ SARS closures
Matsushita to open plants
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, the world's biggest consumer-electronics maker, will today reopen two Beijing plants that were closed May 17, after five employees were found to have SARS. Earlier this month, Matsushita Electric said four of the SARS patients worked at a television display factory and one at a fluorescent lamp plant. All five workers were locally hired, according to Matsushita. SARS typically has up to 10 days until symptoms appear. Matsushita asked its employees to stay home for 14 days and avoid contact with others. The Osaka-based company halted an inspection line on April 21 at another Beijing plant that makes electric components, after learning the husband of a worker came into contact with someone infected with the deadly respiratory disease.

■ Airlines
US Air sells in-flight meals
US Airways said Thursday it plans to start selling breakfast, lunch and dinner to its economy class passengers on certain domestic flights beginning next month. The carrier plans to replace com-plimentary snacks on 360 routes with an in-flight catering service offering seven-dollar breakfast packs or 10-dollar lunch and dinner meals. The move follows a two-month trial in select markets and reflects a growing trend among cash-strapped airlines: bankrupt United Airlines ran a similar pilot project last month. The US Airways service is expected to roll out to additional routes June 18 and go systemwide July 1, the carrier said in a statement. "Our two-month test with LSG Sky Chefs has proven this product to be popular both with our customers and with our flight crews that have participated," said Sherry Hendry, US Airways vice president of in-flight services.

■ Asian cities
Urban hotspot list released
Asia will be one of the best places to be an urban dweller with China and India ranked among the top hotspots, property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle said in a study on yesterday. The firm looked at key indicators in 500 cities worldwide and turned up a list of 24 dubbed the "future rising urban stars," with 11 in Asia. China topped the list with eight cities including Beijing, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Suzhou and Xian. India's Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi were also mentioned. The research team identified technology, the environment and the economy as three aspects that will define urban life.

Agencies
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