| Iran and its Economy
Many European and Asian banks have been forced to reduce or cut their financial ties to Iran. Even some Chinese banks have come under pressure to restrict their dealings with Iran, not to mention UAE and Bahraini banks. This coupled with two successive UN sanctions have been hurting the Iranian economy much more than the government has been willing to admit. Today, many Iranian businessmen find it increasingly difficult to do business with their foreign counterparts, simply because international business payments are mostly done through letters of credits which are issued by banks. In absence of a letter of credit, an importer has to pay cash; something that is risky and difficult. There are of course various ways to side-step these problems, but they all add to the cost of doing business, something that hurts the economy.
Hillary Stuns--Four Theories
Attention, Thomas O. Barnett: I went to Staples to buy a replacement cartridge for my HP printer. Usually I buy a "Staples" brand replacement--they're a little cheaper. But they were no longer on display. Only the pricier HP cartridges were for sale. I asked the store manager if this was because HP had sued Staples. No, she said--HP "paid us more" to carry only their brand. ... If true, isn't this a pretty clear antitrust violation? HP would seem to be trying to enforce a (presumably lucrative) semi-monopoly position in HP replacement cartridges. I don't think semi-monopolists can do that. Or am I misremembering antitrust law? ... Backfill: Business Week has covered this, and finds a prof who says there's no antitrust violation because "there are alternatives being sold at other office superstores, and other printer brands are being sold at Staples." Second opinion, please.
A tweener caucus?
Wouldn't it be great if your kids were just as informed, and they didn't tune out as election season tunes up? We talked to experts on the topic of kids and politics; here are their tips on how to get kids interested in Decision 2008, even if they won't be old enough to vote for another presidential election or two. The journalist: Linda Ellerbee. Through her "Nick News" program on Nickelodeon, the respected newswoman has spent nearly two decades giving kids a voice on current events. The latest production is "Kids Pick the President," a yearlong election-awareness campaign that aims to connect politics to kids' lives. It kicked off with "The Kids Primary" and an online primary election where they can cast their votes. Additional programs will run throughout the year.
CHEFS DIET(R) Introduces My Solution
NEW YORK, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Chefs Diet(R), the leading meal delivery service provider based on the Dr. Sears' Zone Diet in the nation, announces the launch of My Solution -- a nationwide program that provides chef-prepared, gourmet frozen meals for as low as $9.99 per day*. Chefs Diet(R) created My Solution in an effort to offer programs that meet a wider variety of dieters' needs. Daniel Taugher, Director of Public Relations for Chefs Diet(R), recognized the need for a diet food delivery service for consumers seeking more economical alternatives to the company's higher priced fresh food alternatives. "Over the past two years, we have received hundreds of requests from people who want to be on our program but were concerned with the financial commitment of our more comprehensive, fresh food services," said Taugher.
Microsoft's Gates looks to future
Gates, who will devote himself full time to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, starting in July, said he would keep his hands in a couple of Microsoft projects that particularly excited him, like developing tablet computers. He said seven million tablet computers had been sold last year, but they were not yet advanced enough to be a mainstream device - although he noted that his 11-year-old daughter and her classmates used only tablet PCs and no textbooks. Gates predicted that advances in software over the next 10 years - what he called the "second digital decade" - would not be held back by the hardware, as chip technology continued its surge toward ever smaller and ever faster processing power, and that changes in technology would be even more dramatic than in the past decade.
Unversity Place litigation settled
A settlement has been reached in litigation over the University of Idahos failed University Place real estate project in Boise. Under its terms, the UI Foundation will pay $2.5 million and the various parties insurers will pay $5.8 million, for a total $8.3 million mediated settlement. Of that, $5.8 million goes to the foundations Consolidated Investment Trust, and the other $2.5 million goes to the university. In a joint statement, the parties, who include law firms, insurance companies, the UI Foundation board, and former UI officials including former President Robert Hoover, said, The settlement is a reasonable resolution of an extremely complex matter, avoids substantial future litigation costs, and is in the best interest of the University community. The amount being paid by each party is being kept secret.
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