January 2005 - January 29 2005

January 29 2005

• A low-key and tightly controlled funeral is held for purged Chinese Communist leader Zhao Ziyang.(AP)(BBC)
• Procter & Gamble plan to purchase competitor Gillette in a deal worth $52.4 billion. Industry experts, including Gillette CEO Jim Kilts, expect further industry consolidation this year, spurred in part by a 40% rise in oil prices last year and the need to gain clout against economic giant Wal-Mart. (Bloomberg)
• The first direct flights between mainland China and Taiwan since 1949 will take place in time for the Chinese New Year.(Reuters) (BBC)
• A series of moderate-intensity aftershocks rattle the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Sumatra in Indonesia over a month after the region was devastated by a quake-generated tsunami. No casualties or damage is reported. (Times of India)