INSTABILITY: Thai business leaders voiced little confidence that the economy would pick up next year as the foundation for the next coalition government appears shaky
Business leaders voiced pessimism over the outcome of Thailand's first post-coup polls yesterday, saying it would not likely ease the political uncertainty that has plagued the economy for two years.

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ROME ONLY: Air France, the ailing Alitalia's preferred bidder, plans to do away with the Italian airline's hub in Milan, which has been criticized as costly and impractical
Officials in northern Italy are uniting in opposition to Air France-KLM's bid for ailing Alitalia SpA, which would make Rome the nation's only hub at the expense of Milan.

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Qantas Airways Ltd, Australia's biggest airline, is preparing a plan to minimize flight disruptions in the face of any action by 1,700 of its engineers seeking bigger raises and an improvement in working conditions.

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Vietnam's economy is estimated to grow 8.4 percent this year, but inflation is expected to rise even faster, with prices shooting up 12.6 percent in the same period, state media quoted the government as saying yesterday.

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The partners in the giant Gorgon gas project off the coast of western Australia will seek approval to add a third processing plant to boost production of liquefied natural gas (LNG), Chevron Corp said yesterday.

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■ STEEL

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