Morning business round-up: Strike over India retail reform

Japan’s exports and imports dipped in August, raising fears about the impact of a global slowdown on its economy.

Exports fell 5.8% from a year earlier, hurt by slowing demand from the European Union (EU) and China.

Imports fell 5.4% from a year ago, indicating that domestic demand continues to remain weak.

The data comes amid fears that Japan’s trade with China, its biggest trading partner, may be hurt by the continuing territorial dispute between them.

China’s premier Wen Jiabao is to take part in his last EU-China summit before handing over power later this year.

His talks in Brussels with senior EU figures, including European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, are expected to focus on economic issues.

Beijing has previously expressed concerns about Europe’s economic slowdown and offered to help.

Mr Wen is seen as having played a key role in building Chinese-EU relations.

UK media regulator Ofcom has concluded that BSkyB is “fit and proper” to hold a broadcasting licence but criticised ex-chairman James Murdoch for “ill-judged” conduct.

Ofcom was investigating the broadcaster in the wake of the phone hacking scandal that engulfed Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, which owns 39% of BSkyB.

However, the regulator also criticised former BSkyB chairman James Murdoch, Rupert’s son, for his role in the scandal.

Ofcom said his actions “repeatedly fell short of the conduct” expected of a chief executive officer and chairman.

The latest Business Daily programme on the BBC World Service looks at the recent turmoil in South Africa’s Marikana mine as miners return to work, and asks if the solution to industrial unrest could lie in economic diversification.