Search Results for: United Nations

BY DAVID HAWORTH, IN BRUSSELS

‘CELEBRITY’ fragrances have become such a huge industry that even the Pope now has his own eau de cologne – according to Italian perfumer Silvana Casoli, (whose clients include Madonna and the King of Spain), this unique blend reflects the German pontiff’s love of Bavarian forests and their flora and fauna, creating an aura of "peace and tranquility".…

BY LEAH GERMAIN

WITH what was once an estimated net worth of over USD2 billion, R. Allen Stanford was once revered as one of the wealthiest men in America. Yet a Texas court has now heard in detail that his wealth, which he displayed in both opulent and lavish ways, was derived from ill-gotten gains.…

BY LEAH GERMAIN

AN INDEPENDENT panel of scientific and medical experts in the United States has approved the use of parabens preservatives in personal care products, despite health concerns being raised in Europe. The US government-backed Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was asked by the US-based Personal Care Products Council in December to reexamine the use of parabens following concerns expressed by the European Union’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS).…

BY LEAH GERMAIN

SWINDLER, liar, bully and briber, R. Allen Stanford was once one of the world’s wealthiest men. With a net worth of USD 2 billion, the Texas-born financier lived a life of lavish luxury, with yachts, airplanes and an international bank to call his own.…

BY DAVID HAWORTH, IN BRUSSELS

Improving research cooperation between South Korea and the European Union (EU) was a key focus of a summit in Seoul this week (Wednesday, 28 March). In a speech in South Korea, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso noted higher education links between both sides were weak: "There are fewer researchers from South Korea participating in EU research programmes than researchers from many other countries."…

BY KACI RACELMA, IN TIZI OUZOU, ALGERIA; AND PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT

COMMERCIAL crime may not be as omnipresent in North Africa as in some other parts of the world, but companies operating in the region have risks to contend with.…

BY LEAH GERMAIN

THE GOLDEN rule of investments has and continues to be – if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. The most recent example of this advice being disregarded causing a high profile court case involves R Allen Stanford, Texan-banker and former multi-millionaire.…

BY MARTIN FOSTER, IN TOKYO

AN AMERICAN government minister told a Tokyo-based seminar on the strategic implications of shortages in rare earth that consumer nations faced the need to reduce and over the near to medium term.

US energy secretary Steven Chu said that in the short term it is important to develop technologies to reduce rare earth use, and that rare earth elements should be "used as sparingly as you can."…

BY LEAH GERMAIN

DESPITE winning import duty concessions under the newly enforced free trade agreement between the US and South Korea, American beef producers will still not be able to export beef over the age of 30 months. The import of older beef remains banned under Korean health rules to prevent the spread of BSE.…

BY LEE ADENDORFF, IN LUCCA

The threat of increased fees for Italian students looks set to become a reality in the near future as universities wrestle with shrinking state funding and budget shortfalls. While the technocrat government headed by Mario Monti tries to pass a massive reform package liberalising diverse sectors of the economy and jump-starting growth, the issue of university funding and competitiveness is coming to a head.…