Melbourne, Nov 16 (PTI) Over one million small business owners in India will be provided financial help by an Australian social investment company.
The microfinance provider targets poverty alleviation using a commercial approach. It has raised about USD 30 million from Australian donors in the last 12 months and the money would be used to supply financial loans and business services to budding entrepreneurs in India to help break the poverty cycle.

Opportunity International Australia aims to fund five million entrepreneurs in India over the next five years.

"With this initial tranche of money leveraged at a rate of up to six times by debt funding from the major Indian banks, we will be able to reach one million small business owners," Opportunity Australia chief executive Paul Peters said, according to 'The Age' report today.

(AFX UK Focus) 2007-11-16 06:03 GMT: WMB's senior unsecured long-term debt ratings upped to 'Baa3' - Moody's

BANGALORE (Thomson Financial) - Moody's Investors Service said it raised the senior unsecured long-term debt ratings on Williams Cos Inc (WMB) to 'Baa3' from 'Ba2' reflecting the benefits from sale of the power business, improvement in three core natural gas businesses and expected improvements in the credit momentum in 2008.

The ratings agency also upgraded the senior unsecured ratings of the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Williams' natural gas pipeline subsidiaries, Transcontinental Gas Pipeline and Northwest Pipeline Corp, to 'Baa2' from 'Ba1' reflecting substantial scale, supply diversity and growth potential, and financial strength.

Moody's said the natural gas company's midstream energy subsidiary, Williams Partners LP, remains under review for possible upgrade pending completion of the Wamsutter transaction announced on Nov 1.

Where to Find the Money to Finance Your Dreams

(ARA) - Michele Broulliard of Berkley, Mich., really loves animals. So much so that for years, she has dreamed about opening a bed and breakfast that would double as a daycare and spa for dogs -- a place where they could hang out with each other while their owners are unavailable. Where they could be with caretakers who would love and bond with them.So how, she wondered, was she going to finance this ambitious endeavor? Brouillard considered the options: taking out a loan from a family member or friend, charging the start up costs on her credit card, tapping into her retirement funds, or taking out a home equity loan. She ultimately decided on the latter."I wasn't sure it was the right time to refinance, but my 3-year adjustable rate was rising and I decided I either had to refinance or sell the house.

Fannie Under Fire Over Accounting Change

Fannie Mae's bookkeeping is drawing scrutiny from Wall Street -- again.

Three years after a stunning accounting scandal that forced it to restate earnings by $6.3 billion, the giant government-sponsored company that buys and sells home loans is on the defensive over a change in how it calculates potential losses from the growing mortgage crisis.

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