BRUSSELS - Six world powers are meeting in Brussels to discuss possible measures against Tehran for its refusal to halt nuclear enrichment activities. The EU said senior diplomats from the U.N. Security Council's five permanent members plus Germany are taking part in Friday's meeting.
|
The award for Cindy Naugle, 61, is the largest to date among thousands of lawsuits filed in the state against tobacco companies.
|
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Florida jury on Thursday ordered cigarette maker Philip Morris USA to pay $300 million in damages to a 61-year-old ex-smoker named Cindy Naugle who is wheelchair-bound by emphysema.
|
KATMANDU, Nepal - A Hindu festival in which hundreds of thousands of animals are expected to be sacrificed will go ahead as scheduled in southern Nepal despite protests, organizers said Friday.
|
BRUSSELS - The United States and five other world powers will meet Friday in Brussels to discuss what measures can be taken to punish Tehran for its refusal to halt its nuclear enrichment program.
|
BELGRADE, Serbia - Hundreds of thousands of people joined a somber funeral procession Thursday for Patriarch Pavle, the leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church through its post-Communist revival and the Balkans' bloody ethnic conflicts in the 1990s.
|
BRUSSELS - Six world powers will meet in Brussels to discuss what measures could be applied against Tehran for its refusal to halt its nuclear enrichment program, an EU official said Thursday.
|
BELGRADE, Serbia - Hundreds of thousands of people joined a somber funeral procession Thursday for Patriarch Pavle, who led the Serbian Orthodox Church through its post-Communist revival and the bloody Balkan ethnic conflicts in the 1990s.
|
BELGRADE, Serbia - Tens of thousand of people are lining Belgrade's streets for a funeral procession for Patriarch Pavle who died at the age of 95 after 19 years as the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
|
A line of more than a thousand people — some sporting Palin Power stickers and Palin T-shirts — moved slowly into a Barnes & Noble store Wednesday to see the former Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor on the first stop of her "Going Rogue" book tour. During the hours they waited, some broke out in chants of "Palin! Palin! Palin!"
|
JERUSALEM - The Israeli military says its aircraft have struck a weapons-manufacturing facility and two smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip. The military says Thursday's airstrikes were in response to recent rocket attacks on Israel. No injuries were reported in the Israeli attacks or from the rocket fire.
|
JERUSALEM - Israel broke ground on a new housing complex for Jews in east Jerusalem on Wednesday, brushing off President Barack Obama's criticism that construction in the disputed part of the holy city undermines efforts to relaunch Mideast peace talks.
|
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama warned Israel Wednesday its approval of new construction in a Jewish settlement could prove "very dangerous" by fuelling Palestinian anger and harming prospects for peace.
|
BEIRUT - An Iranian doctor who treated victims of torture at Tehran's most feared prison has died, amid conflicting reports of a heart attack, a car accident or suicide - raising opposition accusations that the 26-year-old was killed.
|
Maya Moore had 20 points and 11 rebounds and top-ranked Connecticut cruised in its first test of the season with an 83-58 win over Texas (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 10 AP) on Tuesday night.
|
NEW DELHI - Thousands of stargazers across Asia stayed awake overnight to catch a glimpse of what was advertised as an intense Leonid meteor shower, but the show fizzled rather than sizzled for many because of cloudy conditions.
|
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - An aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday dismissed U.S. anger at Israel's approval for new homes in a settlement near Jerusalem, saying it was part of a routine building program.
|
Seven of those killed in Saturday's blaze in the southern city of Busan were Japanese tourists, who visited the shooting range as part of a group tour.
|
The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, is expected to reveal hundreds of thousands of dark asteroids lurking undetected in the solar system, and millions of elusive stars and galaxies farther out in space.
|
The biting response from President Barack Obama's administration came after the Israeli interior ministry gave the green light for the construction of 900 new units in Gilo, one of a dozen Jewish settlements in east Jerusalem.
|
The interior ministry said it approved the construction of 900 new units in Gilo, one of a dozen Jewish settlements in east Jerusalem, in a move that flew in the face of Palestinian calls -- that had had US backing -- for a complete freeze on new building ahead of fresh peace talks.
|
BEIRUT - An Iranian doctor who treated victims of torture at Tehran's most feared detention facility has died, amid conflicting reports of a heart attack, a car accident or suicide - raising opposition accusations that the 26-year-old was killed.
|
NEW DELHI - Thousands of stargazers stayed awake overnight for what was forecast as an intense Leonid meteor shower over Asia this year, but the show fizzled rather than sizzled for many viewers - partly due to cloud cover.
|
The White House rebuked Israel with heavy criticism Tuesday after the Jerusalem city government moved toward the construction of 900 additional housing units in a Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim for the capital of their future state.
|
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel triggered a fresh rift with Washington over settlement building on Tuesday by approving the building of 900 homes for Jews on West Bank land it occupied in a 1967 war and annexed to its Jerusalem municipality.
|
JERUSALEM - Israeli officials on Tuesday deposited a plan to build 900 more housing units in a Jewish neighborhood in the part of Jerusalem claimed by Palestinians, drawing criticism from the Palestinians, the United States and Britain.
|
JERUSALEM - Israeli officials on Tuesday deposited a plan to build 900 more housing units in a Jewish neighborhood in the part of Jerusalem claimed by Palestinians, drawing criticism from the Palestinians and Britain.
|
Reality TV personality Tila Tequila has filed a lawsuit against Shawne Merriman over assault accusations from a September incident for which the San Diego Chargers linebacker wasn't charged with a crime.
|
LUSAKA, Zambia - A Zambian newspaper editor has been acquitted of pornography charges after she e-mailed officials photos of a woman giving birth unassisted to a baby who did not survive. The photos were taken in the streets of Zambia's capital to illustrate the consequences of a health workers strike.
|
JERUSALEM - The Israeli army has punished a group of soldiers for protesting the forcible evacuation of settler homes in the West Bank. The army says the troops refused to follow orders during the military's evacuation of settlers on Monday at an unauthorized outpost and hoisted a sign opposing settlement evacuations.
|
ROME - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has defended land reforms blamed for plunging his people into starvation and lashed out at the West for imposing "inhuman sanctions." Addressing a U.N. food summit Tuesday, Mugabe said the policy under which thousands of white-owned commercial farms were seized in 2000 was a quest for "equity and justice."
|
10. Indonesia, Grade 25.1/100
Assuming industry “best practices,” the first country on our list would actually be the 10th best country on the Policy Potential Index, according to the 658 survey responses the Fraser Institute received. That’s probably because Indonesia is one of the world’s largest producers of tin (ranked second after China), coal (ranked the third largest thermal coal exporter after Australia and South Africa) and copper (ranked third largest, after the USA and Chile). It also produces significant quantities of gold, nickel and sulfur (above).
Whereas Latin American countries so often struggle with indigenous opposition to mining companies holding lands, Indonesia has deep issues simply creating and managing a regulatory system. One CEO said, “In Indonesia, disputes between local and federal government have in several cases given two different companies access to the same ground.”
Major issues among respondents were security, political stability and infrastructure, which paint a familiar picture of the Indonesia we so often see in the headlines: Religious tension has increasingly brought violence; Indonesia has the largest population of Muslims in the world, and is increasingly a center for extremism.
9. DRC Congo, Grade 24.1/100
DRC Congo is another one of those countries that has vast potential. Assuming industry best practices, the Fraser Institute survey respondents ranked it 19 out of 71 countries. Diamonds, gold and rare minerals are plentiful. However, one of the most important minerals in the DRC is coltan, from which niobium and tantalum are extracted. The latter two minerals are important in the manufacture of cell phones, DVD players and computers.
The trouble in the DRC is a war that has raged on/off since 1996 that has claimed from five to six million lives, depending on the report you read. The conflict is complex, involves several neighboring countries and is partly rooted in disputes over land ownership, but mostly it is a battle for the vast natural resources the region possesses.
8. Kyrgyzstan, Grade 22.5/100
Kyrgyzstan was a new addition to the survey this year (as were Guatemala and Norway). Although this country is not particularly rich in resources, it still places fourth overall in the category of Room to Improve. One junior mining executive wrote, “Kyrgyzstan! The government is totally corrupt and ignorant of modern economics.”
While Kyrgyzstan enjoys fewer problems when it comes to relations with indigenous peoples and policy regarding protected wilderness areas, it’s in the realms of policy, taxation, political stability and infrastructure (for which Kyrgyzstan found itself in last place) that this nation shows its true colours.
After protesters and opposition party members deposed the last government in the 2005 Tulip Revolution, the country has struggled to stabilize – and modernize. Nevertheless, little historic exploration and substantial gold reserves make this an attractive target for some exploration companies.
7. Zimbabwe, Grade 19.1/100
Zimbabwe is one of the most tragic stories in most every regard. The country’s dictator is a complete nut-job who has abused his power more openly than just about any world leader outside of Saddam Hussein. Moreover, Zimbabwe once enjoyed a prosperity like few other countries in Africa. Today the country has little economy to speak of, almost no infrastructure and what political structures remain are of little actual benefit to anyone but a small group of Robert Mugabe supporters.
As the President of one company with over $50 million in annual revenues stated, “Zimbabwe—would anyone go there?”
6. Bolivia, Grade 16.5/100
In the 470 years since the Spanish Conquest, Evo Moralez is the first indigenous leader of Bolivia. For resource investors, that’s the end of the good news. Moralez, a leftist of the same stripes as Hugo Chavez, in his first term in office nationalized natural gas, mining and telecommunications companies. And he’s just getting going. With another election due to take place this December, most analysts expect more nationalization in a post Moralez victory. Although 79% of respondents realize that Bolivia has mineral potential — given no land use restrictions — this is simply not a safe place to put investment dollars.
5. India, Grade 16.2/100
Liquid metal ( iron ) being poured in a ladel in pig iron plant in India
India is a curious case when it comes to foreign investment in mining. While the pool of labour in the country is generally excellent, India’s infrastructure, existing geological database and regulatory duplication and inconsistencies make the place often a quagmire of red tape and chaos.
Nevertheless, mining in India is a huge industry. An estimated one million people, including contract workers, are engaged in mining in India, the world’s second largest mining workforce after China’s.
However, in mining, India has often presented unwieldy barriers to entry. Canadian mining companies have discovered it’s difficult to reach lease agreements on land. As a message on India’s Ministry of Finance website states, “Foreign investors should be prepared to take India as it is with all its difficulties, contradictions and challenges.” That’s as clear as mud!
4. Honduras, Grade 11.8/100
The National Palace of Guatemala City, which is located at the northern end of Plaza Mayor, serves both for official receptions and as an art gallery.
Here the score starts sinking rapidly. Honduras is one of the western world’s most underdeveloped countries. Hurricane Mitch destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure along with the banana crop, the country’s third most important source of agricultural export revenue — who hasn’t eaten Honduras bananas their whole life long?
Mining investment is seen as a potential boost to the economy; Honduras produces lead, zinc, silver as well as gold and copper. The Fraser Institute found that Honduras struggles in many respects including political stability, quality of infrastructure and concerns regarding aboriginal land claims.
3. Guatemala, Grade 5.1/100
There are just a handful of mining companies still operating in Guatemala, largely due to issues surrounding indigenous groups. While companies like Inco for years operated in Guatemala, which is rich in antimony, lead, tungsten, nickel and copper, the country’s weak governments are typically short on clear mining regulations. The result has too often led to disenfranchised and poor indigenous communities around mine sites. Today, new projects are often met with resistance.
To be sure, Guatemala has great promise: In the Fraser report, 74% of respondents stated that country has mineral potential — assuming no land restrictions were in place. However in every other respect, the CEOs questioned said the country did not encourage investment, particularly when it comes to agreements with the government and communities.
2. Ecuador, Grade 4.1/100
The second lowest scorer on the Policy Potential Index is Ecuador. Surrounded by Columbia to the north and Peru to the east and south, Ecuador is a mineral rich country, but with deep political fissures and indigenous struggles. Ecuador has one of the world’s worst policy environments, but would tie for top rank in investment attractiveness under a “best policy” regime.
|
A federal lawsuit accused the co-host of ABC's "The View" of lifting content from a book written by self-published Cape Cod author Susan Hassett on the digestive disorder celiac disease. Hasselbeck's book was called "The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide" and appeared on best-seller lists this year.
|
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States would veto a Palestinian declaration of statehood in the United Nations Security Council, U.S. senators visiting Israel said Monday.
|
LONDON - A British soldier convicted of a war crime said Monday some troops in Iraq frequently punched and kicked prisoners. Former Cpl. Donald Payne, who was jailed for a year in the death of hotel receptionist Baha Mousa and is now free, said that he had downplayed some of the abuses allegedly committed by his unit out of a sense of "misguided loyalty."
|
CHIANG MAI, Thailand - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Monday he had no regrets about his handling of the Iran hostage crisis more than 30 years ago, saying he didn't attack the country as his advisers proposed because thousands of people would have died.
|
LONDON - A British soldier convicted of a war crime in Iraq says troops there frequently punched and kicked Iraqi prisoners. Former corporal Donald Payne says he covered up some of the abuses out of sense of "misguided loyalty." Payne was court-martialed in 2007 for the death of hotel receptionist Baha Mousa, while the Iraqi man was in British custody in 2003.
|
BELGRADE, Serbia - Thousands of people have turned out at a church to pay their last respects to the late Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Pavle. Pavle's body remained on display in an open coffin at Belgrade's main Saborna Church on Monday. The 95-year-old died on Sunday after being hospitalized with heart and lung problems for two years.
|
Susan was sentenced to picking up roadside trash for shooting Katherine. But when Katherine drove by to taunt her and dumped her own trash, she, too, was sentenced to the same community service. Katherine later broke down and admitted that she'd lost Mike, but then let it slip that she and Mike were like rabbits when it comes to the bedroom. Of course, that was a challenge to Susan, and Mike was suddenly wondering why his wife was so frisky. She finally explained what Katherine had said, and Mike told her that sex was the only thing he and Katherine had in common, whereas he and Susan were soulmates.
|
HANOVER, Germany (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of fans joined family, friends and team mates of Robert Enke to pay their last respects to the Germany goalkeeper on Sunday, five days after his suicide shocked the country and soccer fans worldwide.
|
Records: 1 to 40 of 1959