Nestlé
Nestlé compró el 60% de la confitera Hsu Fu Chi- Internacional por US$1.700 mlls. .. Nestlé pagó cerca de 3,3 veces el valor de las ventas por esta participación en la firma asiática, en contraste con el pago de 2,4 veces el total de las ventas que el grupo estadounidense KraftFoods erogó por la dulcera británica Cadbury.
Brazil bullet train project fails to attract bidders
An auction to build a major high-speed rail link between Brazil's two main cities, Sao Paulo and Rio, has failed to attract any bidders. The rail link is a key infrastructure project for Rousseff's government, made even more important with Rio set to host the 2016 Olympics. Bidding for the project, estimated to cost 38bn reais ($24bn), will now be split into two stages. Foreign firms had found it difficult to form a consortium with Brazilian companies, a condition of the bidding process.
Carrefour shares fall on deal worries
Shares in French supermarket giant Carrefour have fallen as much as 4.6% amid reports that a merger deal in Brazil may have stalled. Brazil's government is said to have withdrawn its financial and political support for a controversial tie-up between retailer Pao de Acucar and the local unit of Carrefour. The deal depended on financing from Brazil's BNDES state development bank. Carrefour's French rival Casino has strongly opposed the merger. The two French companies, along with America's Wal-Mart, are competing vigorously in Brazil's fast-growing grocery market.
Wikileaks' Assange in extradition challenge
Lawyers representing Wikileaks founder Julian Assange have asked the High Court to block his extradition to Sweden on sexual assault allegations. They claim his arrest warrant was "flawed" as it failed to fairly describe the claims against him. They said Assange was a victim of a "mismatch" between English and Swedish law on what constituted a sex crime. Assange says the case is politically motivated, as his website has leaked a mass of sensitive US diplomatic cables.
EU court ruling 'blow' for eBay
Websites such as eBay may be liable for trademark infringements if they play an "active role" in promoting fake goods, the European Court of Justice says.
'Sister Wives' family to challenge anti-bigamy law
The Brown family has become a reality TV star on the show Sister Wives. Now, the 21-member nuclear family is poised to file a lawsuit in federal court in Utah. The family members say the state's anti-bigamy law is unconstitutional and that the Supreme Court backs them up.
Indiana latest US state to drop handwriting requirement
Indiana is the latest US state which will not require its schoolchildren to learn joined-up, or cursive, writing. But students will have to learn basic typing skills, which education officials say are more useful in the modern employment world. The move is part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, which aims to ensure consistency in US education and makes no mention of handwriting. Critics say writing well is a vital skill for life and builds character.
Jewish rights groups appeal to Israel Supreme Court over boycott ban
A coalition of Israeli rights groups led by Gush Shalom filed a challenge Tuesday in the Supreme Court of Israel to a new law banning boycotts to Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The Israeli Knesset passed the law Monday making it illegal to boycott the West Bank settlements and its products in protest of further settlements in the contested region. The challenge argues that the law harms democracy by silencing people who have a certain position and violates the freedom of expression and right to equality.
Germany appeals court upholds conviction of UK bishop for Holocaust denial
The Regensberg Court of Appeals in southern Germany on Monday upheld the conviction of British Bishop Richard Williamson for incitement for denying the Holocaust. The court reduced his punishment, however, to a fine of 6,500 euro from the initial 10,000 euro fine as a result of Williamson's financial circumstances. The conviction stemmed from an interview to Swedish TV channel SVT1, broadcast in January 2009, in which Williamson said he doubted that six million Jews were killed in gas chambers. The interview was rebroadcast over the Internet in Germany, where Holocaust denial is a crime. When Williamson gave the interview to the Swedish TV channel he asked the crew not to broadcast the interview in Germany. In 2009, the same court issued a 12,000 euro fine against Williamson in connection with this case, but Williamson contested the decision, forcing the public trial. The lifting of Williamson's excommunication following the conviction by Pope Benedict XVI caused international outrage.
Closing the tax loophole on speculators
Futures contracts, which are essentially bets on the price of commodities, stock indexes and the like, receive more favorable U.S. tax treatment than stocks.
Civil suit against Strauss-Kahn still viable: experts
The question has floated tantalizingly in the background for nearly two months, ever since New York City police arrested Dominique Strauss-Kahn on charges of sexually assaulting a hotel maid: Would his accuser pursue her own civil suit against him? The answer took on renewed relevance after serious doubts about the woman's credibility pushed the criminal case against the former International Monetary Fund director to the edge of collapse earlier this month. Civil litigators say the accuser, whose account of what happened has remained steadfast, would still have viable civil claims against Strauss-Kahn even if the criminal charges against him are dismissed. But any judgment against him would prove difficult to enforce if the prosecution ends and he returns home to Paris. There is no shortage of examples where civil lawsuits proceeded after criminal prosecutions of the same incidents failed.
Apple chief patent lawyer to leave
Apple Inc's chief patent counsel will soon leave the company, at a time when the iPhone maker is fighting numerous legal battles around the world, according to a source familiar with the situation. Apple is engaged in an expanding web of litigation concerning smartphone patents, mostly with phone makers using Google's rival Android software. It was unclear why Richard "Chip" Lutton Junior, who manages the iPhone maker's patent portfolio, is leaving the company.
Obama says he cannot guarantee Social Security checks will go out on August 3
Obama on Tuesday said he cannot guarantee that retirees will receive their Social Security checks August 3 if Democrats and Republicans in Washington do not reach an agreement on reducing the deficit in the coming weeks.
Amazon fights sales-tax law
Earlier this month, Amazon.com Inc. cut ties with 10,000 small firms in California after the state passed a bill requiring sales tax on Internet purchases. Small firms in California expressed worry that their business would fall substantially and, as a result, they would have to shrink operations and lay off employees. But the story is still unfolding. Amazon filed a petition Friday to start the process of getting a measure on the California ballot that would overturn the law.
Dr Pepper vs. Dr Pepper in court
Tiny Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co. has been selling the sweet-tasting Dr Pepper soft drink from this small town since 1891. A handful of diehard fans love the soda so much they regularly make pilgrimages to the rural community, and some buy the cane-sugar-sweetened "Dublin Dr Pepper" off the Internet. Now the world's oldest Dr Pepper bottler is locked in an escalating dispute with the owner of the Dr Pepper brand over modern-day trademark rights, Internet sales and cane sugar as it tries to extend its reach across the country. Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc., which owns the brand and licenses territory to Dublin Dr Pepper, sued the bottler, with sales of $7bn a year, in late June. Dr Pepper Snapple—the third-largest U.S. soda company, with revenue of $5.6bn last year—says Dublin Dr. Pepper is diluting the Dr Pepper brand, as well as stealing sales from other Dr Pepper bottlers by selling outside its approved territory. In a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Sherman, Texas, Dr Pepper Snapple Group is demanding the bottler remove "Dublin'' from its "Dr Pepper'' labels and stop selling the soda beyond a 44-mile radius around Dublin.
Citigroup faces lawsuit on foreclosure
A sergeant in Texas's National Guard sued Citigroup, alleging the bank foreclosed on and auctioned his home while he was in training to deploy to Iraq, a possible violation of a law meant to protect military borrowers.
Shareholders sue News Corp. over phone-hacking allegations
A group of News Corp. shareholders led by Amalgamated Bank filed an amended complaint in Delaware yesterday, accusing the media company of a "complete failure" of oversight in connection with phone-hacking allegations involving the News of the World.
South Korea's Pyeongchang awarded 2018 Winter Olympics
Al Arabiya, Online news, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Karzai's brother shot dead in Kandahar
Al Jazeera, Doha, Qatar
Brother's murder huge setback to Karzai
Arab News, Pro-government, Jidda, Saudi Arabia
French PM: Political solution in Libya taking shape
Egyptian Gazette, English-language, Cairo, Egypt
IAF strikes Gaza weapons manufacturing sites in response to rocket attacks
Haaretz, Liberal daily, Tel Aviv, Israel
Sinai gas pipeline hit for fourth time this year
JPost, Conservative, Jerusalem, Israel
Hamas: Abbas obstructing reconciliation deal over PM
Ma'an News Agency, Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories
Syria accuses Clinton of incitement
Times of Oman, English-language daily, Muscat, Oman
Menas leading funds maintain top ranking in first quarter
Times of Oman Business, English-language daily, Muscat, Oman
Yemen's defected army kills citizen 'peacefully'
Yemen Observer, Sana'a, Republic of Yemen
Hacking police round on news firm
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
Murdoch summoned over phone hacking
CNN International, London, England
First ladies lead tributes to Ford
Daily Express, Conservative tabloid, London, England
Google-style online maps in real-time video: Are you ready for your close up?
Daily Mail, Conservative daily, London, England
UK parliament bids to scupper Murdoch media deal
EuroNews, International news, Ecully Cedex, France
FRANCE: French parliament votes to extend Libyan military action
France 24, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France
WikiLeaks' Assange appeals UK extradition ruling
Hurriyet Daily News, (Liberal, English-language), Istanbul, Turkey
US drone strikes kill 48 suspected militants in Pakistan
Independent The, London, England
Aeroflot compensation claims at an end
Moscow News The, Independent, Moscow, Russia
Obama to attend Asia Summit in Bali: State Dept
Antara News, News agency, Jakarta, Indonesia
SET up 0.83% at opening
Bangkok Post, Independent, Bangkok, Thailand
Eurozone changes position to accepting possible Greek default
China Post, English-language daily, Taipei, Taiwan
SAP to argue for new trial in Oracle lawsuit
Computer World, IT information, Fairfax, New Zealand
Talk of drift, corruption is propaganda: Manmohan
Hindu The, Left-leaning daily, Chennai, India
British parliament to urge Murdoch to drop BSkyB bid
Hindustan Times, New Delhi, India
Winners and losers from the Cabinet rejig
India Express, News portal, Mumbai, India
Strict waste management plan launched
India Times, Conservative daily, New Delhi, India
11 dead as Kandahar clashes enter 2nd day
Pajhwok Afghan News, (Independent news agency), Kabul, Afghanistan
Syria slashes U.S. Secretary of State's statement
People's Daily Online, English-language, Beijing, China
Vote set on Israeli settlement boycott bill
Sify News, Chennai, India
UK government turns against Murdoch BSkyB bid
Straits Times, Pro-government, Singapore
Taiwan shifts into high gear with electric vehicles
Taiwan Today, Government Information Office, Taipei, Taiwan
Five of family die in Uttar Pradesh accident
Thaindian News, Bangkok, Thailand
China bank lending picks up; fans risk of further rate hike
The Economic Times, Business, Mumbai, India
US report proposes overhaul of nuclear rules
Times of India, Conservative, New Delhi, India
Canada Post pleads for patience over backlog
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto, Ontario
'Your check is in the mail', Foreign Relations Ministry tells its workers
Dominican Today, Independent daily, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Globe reporter Graeme Smith recalls his time with Ahmed Wali Karzai
Globe and Mail The, Centrist daily, Toronto, Canada
Europe and tech push Wall Street to 3rd day of losses
Reuters, Business News, New York, U.S
China's Jiang 'rested at home' during death rumours - report
Reuters, World News, New York, U.S
RIM facing challenges, CEOs tell shareholders
Toronto Star, Toronto, Ontario
Police plan five-day sickout
Trinidad Guardian, Independent daily, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
William and Kate return home after royal tour
Vancouver Sun The, Conservative, Vancouver, Canada
Thousands flee Nigerian attacks
BBC News, Centrist newscaster, London, England
TEIN Legon salutes president Mills
GhanaWeb, Online news portal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Afghan kingpin killed
iafrica, Online news portal, Cape Town, South Africa
Blue Nile governor warns resumption of war in Sudan
Sudan Tribune, Khartoum, Sudan
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