In a speech in Texas on Wednesday, President George W. Bush discussed the trade deficit, saying:
"We had a problem in our hemisphere about trade. I don't know if you realize it or not, but most of the goods from Central America came into this country duty-free. Yet eighty percent of our goods were taxed through tariffs in Central American countries. That didn't seem to make sense to me; it certainly wasn't fair. All I say to people is you treat us the way we treat you. If your goods can come into our markets duty-free, our goods ought to be ab
A Seattle man ticketed for speeding near Moorhead, Minnesota decided to pay up, but instead of paying by cheque or money notes, he paid in pennies at court. The judge reacted with this comment: "If the person is mad at the cop, why take it out on court administration?" said Clay County District Judge John Pearson. "They're punishing the wrong people.".
The man was made to wait for the pennies to be counted using a coin counting machine by a court clerk who left with the small garbage can of pennies for a bank. US$120 in notes, plus extra penni
Atkins Nutritionals Inc, the multi-million dollar company that supplies dieters with low carb foods designed for the famous Atkins diet has filed for bankruptcy. The popularity of the Atkins diet has fallen sharply so far this year leading to a drop in sales at Atkins Nutritionals Inc.
The company which has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Manhattan court lost over $340 million last year. This is despite the fact that there are now believed to be over 30 million followers of the diet in the USA.
Administrators were appointed to
Wim Duisenberg, the former head of the European Central Bank, has been found dead in his swimming pool at his house in south-east France, the French police say. No details were given about the cause of 70-year-old Mr Duisenberg's death.
However this was disputed by his wife, Gretta Duisenberg. She says she found her husband just outside the study in their villa and not in their swimming pool.
The former Dutch finance minister was the ECB's first president, and oversaw the introduction of the single European currency, the euro.
A woman from Limerick, in the Republic of Ireland
, has won a record European lottery win on the EuroMillions cross-European lottery draw. Delores McNamara won €115.6 million, tax-free in the game, after the jackpot had rolled over un-won for 9 weeks.
The Garryowen woman will have to wait until at least Tuesday, August 2nd, to claim her winnings, as the Irish National Lottery offices are closed for the August Bank Holiday.
Libya gave US-based Occidental Petroleum Corporation permission to resume business there for the first time in 19 years.
The company abandoned operations in the mid 1980's due to sanctions imposed on Libya by the United States.
The sanctions, enforced by Ronald Reagan's administration in 1986, were in response to Libya's backing of terrorist activities. The sanctions were lifted in 2004, giving the US companies opportunity to return.
Occidental is the first US oil company to resume operations in Libya. Daily output from their wells is expec
Two days of ministerial talks have ended without agreement and evidence of a possible deadlock between developing and developed countries.
148 member countries are trying to reach a consensus on how to proceed with the Doha round of talks which are scheduled to be agreed in 2006. However, they are now behind the deadlines they set and the Geneva meeting saw no progress.
Richer countries are being accused of demanding too many concessions in return for opening up trade and reducing subsidies while they say that the poorer countries are holdi
Beginning May 28, 2005, ultra-marathon cyclist Arvid Loewen cycled 7,000 km in 30 days across Canada raising money and awareness for an orphanage, MCF, in Kenya. Cycling 240 km a day, Arvid began in White Rock, British Columbia, and finished on June 26 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
MCF, or Mully Children's Family, was founded by Charles Mulli, a man who was abandoned on the streets in Kenya at the age of six. He fought through life on the streets and subsequently became wealthy. He sold all his wealth and businesses and began an orphanage in his o
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) early morning Thursday, with a narrow vote of 217 in favor, 215 against. Voting was held open for an hour, 45 minutes past the House's 15-minute voting rule as the President along with other supporters lobbied into the night.
The vote was so close, if one House member changed a "Yea" vote to a "Nay" vote, CAFTA would have failed in a 216-216 tie.
Republican vote breakdown
In tallying the votes, 25 Republicans, mostly from Midwest Corn Belt and Rust
Iceland's biggest bank, Kaupthing Bank, has released it's six month results. The net earnings before taxes were ISK 24,766 million ( EUR 315 million) up 280% since same time last year when they were ISK 6,500 million (EUR 83 million).
The net earnings after taxes were ISK 13,673 million (EUR 174 million) during the second quarter of 2005, soaring up 292% since same time last year.
'Performing well'
Hreiðar Már Sigurðsson, CEO of Kaupthing bank, says the bank is performing well in all key market areas. Sigurðsson also talked about the futur
Iceland's second largest bank, Landsbanki Íslands, has released it's six month results. The pre-tax profits were ISK (Króna) 13,100 million (Euro 168 million) and net profit of ISK 11,000 million (Euro 142 million) up from ISK 6,000 million same time last year.
The bank has been expanding to foreign markets by opening a bank in London as well as buying the security firm Teather & Greenwood.
CEOGMD Sigurjón Þ. Árnason said Landsbanki’s performance in the first half of 2005 were exceptional and that the core aspects of the bank's operations, ne
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The Provisional Irish Republican Army, in a statement released earlier today (in one form as a DVD, with the statement being read by Séanna Breathnach), has declared that it intends to end its campaign of violence and decommission its weapons.
The move comes after international pressure to decommission weapons and cease all violent activity, particularly after allegations regarding the murder of Robert McCartney in Short Strand, Belfast, and a burglary of the Northern Bank in December of last year.
Members have been ordered to dump
