International Business News - ESP http://www.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://www.ibtimes.com/ http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif A trio of English cocaine smugglers who were caught after putting the wrong fuel into their boat received the longest drug-related prison sentences in Irish history Wednesday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/drug-smugglers-get-record-sentences-in-ireland.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:31:32 EDT Standard & Poor's Inc. included 4 U.S. materials companies among 73 companies based in the United States that made its annual Global Challengers, a list released Wednesday of mid-sized companies that show the "highest growth characteristics." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/s-p-names-4-us-materials-companies-likely-to-grow.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:49:01 EDT Standard & Poor's Inc. included 10 U.S. health care companies among 73 companies based in the U.S. that made its annual Global Challengers, a list released Wednesday of midsized companies that show the "highest growth characteristics." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/s-p-names-10-us-health-companies-as-likely-to-grow.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:41:13 EDT Standard & Poor's Inc. included 15 U.S. industrial companies among 73 companies based in the United States that made its annual Global Challengers, a list released Wednesday of mid-sized companies that show the "highest growth characteristics." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/s-p-names-15-us-industrials-as-likely-to-grow.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:29:50 EDT The darkness around Batman has deepened: While audiences were shattering weekend box-office records in the U.S., Christian Bale was in London, where his mother and sister reportedly leveled assault allegations against the star of "The Dark Knight" that have yet to become clear. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/96483-britain-dark-knight.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/christian-bale-arrested-released-denies-assault.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/christian-bale-arrested-released-denies-assault.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:12:34 EDT Cycling's image is in tatters, and authorities inside and outside the sport are being tougher than ever on doping. Yet it hasn't stopped the drug cheaters at the Tour de France. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/96537-tour-de-france-doping.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/why-dope-riders-dont-fear-tests-rewards-beckon.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/why-dope-riders-dont-fear-tests-rewards-beckon.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:36:34 EDT Mallorca chairman Vicente Grande has reached a preliminary agreement to sell the Spanish league club to a British investor for $57 million. Grande confirmed that Paul Davidson, who heads British-based pipefitting company Fluid Leader Group Plc., is ready to buy 93.6 percent of the club, with the two sides having until Sept. 1 to finalize the deal. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/british-investor-set-to-buy-mallorca-soccer-club.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:24:55 EDT Gov. Charlie Crist is coming home after wrapping up a 10-day European at a photovoltaic solar power plant near Madrid and announcing plans for a similar plant in Florida. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/florida-governor-ends-european-trade-mission.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:29:49 EDT More than 1,500 Spanish workers put out of work when U.S. auto parts maker Delphi Corp. closed a factory and moved the work to lower-wage Morocco will get $16.7 million to help pay for retraining, the European Commission said Wednesday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080723/eu-oks-aid-for-ex-delphi-workers-in-spain.htm Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:33:43 EDT Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd., one of the country's largest lenders, said Wednesday it has entered exclusive talks to buy the local arm of Netherlands-based investment bank ABN Amro. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/cba-seeks-abn-amro-australian-branch.htm Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:59:34 EDT As of Tuesday, July 22, 2008, at least 4,124 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/us-military-deaths-in-iraq-war-at-4-124.htm Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:27:34 EDT Israeli generic drug maker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. on Tuesday completed a $360 million acquisition of Bentley Pharmaceuticals Inc., which will expand its operations in Spain. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/teva-completes-bentley-pharmaceuticals-acquisition.htm Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:44:55 EDT Shares of heavyweight America Movil fell Tuesday, dragging down the Mexican stock market, as billionaire Carlos Slim's company failed to meet high profit expectations in the second quarter. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/america-movil-shares-fall.htm Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:42:23 EDT Turkey says it will purchase six submarines for its navy from a German-led joint venture. Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul says the Kiel-based Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH, or HDW, and its British partner, Marine Force International, were selected over France's DCNS and Spain's Navantia SA. Negotiation are continuing on the final details of the $4 billion deal. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/turkey-to-buy-6-submarines-from-german-led-venture.htm Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:58:19 EDT In rural North Carolina, Susan Rice is planning her attack on the French. Her strategy does not involve guns or soldiers. Instead, the assault is gastronomical, as she starts a 200-acre black truffle "farm" in hopes of earning beaucoup d'argent from the sale of the musky, earthy, aromatic fungi. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/95821-american-truffles.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/foodie-alert-nc-farm-plants-rare-french-truffles.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/foodie-alert-nc-farm-plants-rare-french-truffles.htm Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:11:46 EDT Advertising and marketing conglomerate Omnicom Group Inc. on Tuesday reported an 11 percent increase in second-quarter net income, propelled by strong international business. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/omnicom-group-2q-earnings-rise-11-percent.htm Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:48:13 EDT Unilever PLC said Tuesday it has signed a deal to sell its Bertolli olive oil and vinegar business to Spain's Grupo SOS for 630 million euros ($999 million). http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/unilever-disposing-of-bertolli-olive-oil.htm Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:26:56 EDT The darkness around Batman has deepened: While audiences were shattering weekend box-office records in the U.S., Christian Bale was in London, where his mother and sister reportedly leveled assault allegations against the star of "The Dark Knight" that have yet to become clear. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/95963-britain-dark-knight.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/report-actor-bale-accused-of-assaulting-mom-sis.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/report-actor-bale-accused-of-assaulting-mom-sis.htm Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:06:27 EDT The alleged leader of a Basque separatist cell believed responsible for a string of recent bomb attacks in Spain was arrested Tuesday along with eight other cell members, authorities said. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080722/spanish-police-arrest-8-in-basque-group-crackdown.htm Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:13:50 EDT Argentina's government is planning to buy airlines Aerolineas Argentinas and Austral from a Spanish travel conglomerate for an undisclosed price. Planning Minister Julio de Vido says he and executives from Spain's Grupo Marsans signed a deal Monday giving the government control of the airlines within 60 days. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080721/argentine-government-to-buy-out-airlines.htm Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:49:53 EDT