MyNetLine

Pegasus passengers rise 29 pct
ISTANBUL – Pegasus Airlines, a Turkish low-cost carrier, said domestic passengers rose 29 percent in the first four months of the year compared to the same period last year.

Barclays unit to be acquired by US firm
Bloomberg
BOSTON – In need of raising capital against loan losses, Barclays, the third-largest bank in Britain, agrees to sell its investment unit to BlackRock. New York-based BlackRock will thus become the world’s largest money manager. The new company, in which Barclays will hold a 19.9 percent stake, will [...]

Ex-banker takes office as insurer
ISTANBUL – Renowned banker Akın Kozanoğlu leaves his vice president seat at Akbank to become the chief executive of ERGOİsviçre, an insurance company. Speaking to reporters, Kozanoğlu says the insurance sector in Turkey is expected to record rapid growth in the coming decades.

Turkey not on radar, Merck’s Turner says
Anatolia News Agency
ATLANTA, Georgia – Turkey has great investment potential, according to many companies that participated in the 2009 BIO International Convention, organized by the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

Agreement with IMF will not affect Turkey’s credit rating- Moody’s
ISTANBUL – Moody’s Turkey analyst Kristin Lindow said an agreement with the IMF would not affect Turkey’s credit rating, adding that measures that would remedy the uncertainty prevailing in the markets were necessary.

Bank Turmoil Fuels Phishing Boom
BBC NEWS Bank turmoil fuels phishing boom
Hi-tech fraudsters are taking advantage of the global financial turmoil, say governments and security experts. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning saying phishing gangs were using the turmoil to extract valuable information from consumers.

Bank of Japan sees recovery on horizon
TOKYO – Japan’s worst post-war recession appears to be easing, the central bank said Friday as it upgraded its assessment of the economy for the first time in almost three years.

Petrobras signs oil deal
ANKARA – TPAO and Petrobras, state-owned energy companies of Turkey and Brazil, will search for oil in the Black Sea in a $800 million investment. The giant investment is jointly announced by President Abdullah Gül and his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

Probing ’Vilnius way’ into the EU
by Evrim Sel
VILNIUS – Visiting Lithuania’s capital Vilnius, members of Turkey’s Young Executives and Businessmen’s Association strengthen links with their counterparts, hoping to raise support for Turkey’s European Union bid. But the country is so badly affected from the global crisis that it is hard to believe Vilnius is selected [...]

China may lose on rising lending
Bloomberg
The Chinese government is pushing state-owned banks to lend more to companies in an effort to battle the global slowdown. But the rapid rise in lending and weaker corporate profits may lead to significant credit losses for lenders, Fitch Ratings says