International news agency

Archive

International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.

EIF FUND



BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Fund has agreed to invest Euro 25 million in “Merlin Biosciences III,” a pan-European scheme investing on infant companies that develop human healthcare products or allied technologies. Merlin Biosciences III will exclusively focus on biosciences, with particular attention to post-genomics, cell therapy, computational approaches to biosciences, bionics, nano-technology and system biology.…

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FRANCE - ECJ



BY KEITH NUTHALL
RESTRICTIONS imposed by the French government on personal imports of standard and homeopathic medicines via the post, from other European Union Member States, are to be challenged at the European Court of Justice. The European Commission is bringing a case against Paris, claiming that the rules “constitute a disproportionate obstacle to free movement of medicinal products in the internal (EU) market.”…

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STEM CELLS



BY MATTHEW BRACE
A PIONEERING Australian stem cell company is teaming up with an international Japanese biopharmaceutical firm to build Japan’s first dedicated embryonic stem cell company. The expansion into Japan is part of Melbourne-based Stem Cell Sciences’ strategy to create a global cell therapy company.…

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SNAIL VENOM



BY MATTHEW BRACE
UNIVERSITY of Melbourne scientists have high hopes for a compound from a toxic marine snail that could relieve chronic pain. The venom – from the beautiful but deadly coneshell, found on the Great Barrier Reef – is forming the base for a powerful new pain drug.…

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RULES OF ORIGIN



BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Trade Organisation’s general council has been asked to approve global trading laws stating that “the production of tablets, capsules, granules, or other administrable forms of medicaments, such as in diffusion, dissolution, osmotic and other systems,” should result in a legally defined new product being created.…

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GENERAL PUBLISHING



BY MONICA DOBIE, in Montreal, and ALAN OSBORN, in London
CANADIAN publishers may have to pay the insolvent General Publishing up front to have their books moved from its warehouse floor, even though many publishers have not received payment from General since last autumn.…

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CARIBBEAN APPAREL



BY PHILIP FINE

AMERICAN clothing manufacturers are lamenting amendments passed to the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act by US House of Representatives to clarify the definition of US fabric bought by Caribbean clothing manufacturers wishing to take advantage of the law’s preferential trade terms.…

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AMAZON



BY PHILIP FINE

AMAZON – the world’s largest online book retailer – could soon be selling clothes. The New York Times has reported several unnamed retail industry executives being approached by the on-line giant. Retailers Nordstrom, Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy are expected to be first on board for a launch in the coming months.…

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DAEWOO - GM



BY ALAN OSBORN AND PHILIP FINE

THE EUROPEAN Commission’s competition authority has cleared the purchase

by General Motors of a series of production and sales outlets of the South

Korean car manufacturer Daewoo.

GM is to acquire some of Daewoo’s production facilities for passenger cars

and light commercial vehicles in Korea and Vietnam together with sales

subsidiaries in Austria, the Benelux region, (Belgium, Netherlands and

Luxembourg), France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.…

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US DUTY FEARS



BY PHILIP FINE

ALTHOUGH the US textile lobby is breathing a sigh of relief over the recently delayed European Union tariffs textiles and clothing, it is warning that job losses would follow any final decision to go ahead with retaliation to the US steel safeguard duties.…

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