International Business News - Mass 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 The U.S. military says a mass grave containing 23 bodies has been found in Iraq. The military says the bodies were found Wednesday in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081126/us-mass-grave-with-23-bodies-found-in-iraq.htm Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:47:36 EST Two mass graves containing as many as 2,000 bodies have been discovered in eastern Congo, government officials said Wednesday. Justice Minister Luzolo Bambi told reporters the graves were found Saturday in the town of Bukavu in a plot of land formerly owned by a member of the Congolese Rally for Democracy, or RCD, a Rwandan-backed rebel group. At one point, the RCD controlled much of eastern Congo, but it became a political party in 2003. Many of its top leaders were integrated into the government, taking jobs as vice presidents and army chiefs. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081126/2-mass-graves-discovered-in-congo.htm Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:13:36 EST Sales of single-family homes in Massachusetts have jumped for the second straight month as median prices continued to drop. The Warren Group, a Boston-based publisher of real estate data, reported Tuesday that sales increased 13.7 percent in October compared with the same month a year ago. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081125/home-sales-in-mass-up-for-2nd-straight-month.htm Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:00:10 EST A high-ranking Vatican official says Pope Benedict XVI is considering introducing a change to the Mass liturgy. Cardinal Francis Arinze, who heads the Vatican office for sacraments, says the pope may move the placement of the sign of peace, where congregation members shake hands or hug. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081121/pope-pondering-change-to-mass-liturgy.htm Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:43:45 EST Foreclosure deeds spiked more than 24 percent between September and October in Massachusetts, but there were fewer petitions to foreclose, which is the first step in the process. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081120/foreclosures-spike-in-mass-fewer-petitions-filed.htm Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:32:42 EST New Hampshire officials have been trying to lure Massachusetts businesses over the border for years by touting the state's low taxes and high quality of life, but in this economic downturn, recruiters are turning to wining and dining. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081119/nh-offers-limo-tours-perks-to-woo-mass-companies.htm Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:55:20 EST A new report shows Massachusetts has remained at the top in economic competitiveness within the nation's 50 states. The state moved from second place to first in the latest edition of the Beacon Hill Institute's Competitiveness Report. Throughout the report's eight-year existence, the state has never ranked lower than third and usually has been first or second. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081119/report-mass-is-tops-in-economic-competitiveness.htm Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:46:20 EST Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi is offering reassuring words about the state's community banks and credit unions, saying they are in good shape and able to make car, home and business loans. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081110/dimasi-mass-banks-in-good-shape-able-to-lend.htm Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:27:16 EST Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has signed a law enacting emergency budget cuts, but he also vetoed a reduction in a pet project. The volunteer-promoting Commonwealth Corps will be cut from $3 million to $2.5 million. The Legislature wanted to cut it all the way down to $500,000. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081107/mass-gov-tweaks-budget-cut-bill-to-spare-program.htm Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:27:36 EST Massachusetts legislators have approved a package of emergency measures designed to ease a looming fiscal crisis. Some of the measures were proposed by Gov. Deval Patrick earlier this month when he announced he would eliminate up to 1,000 jobs and order state agencies to make more than $1 billion in cuts and spending controls. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081030/mass-lawmakers-ok-emergency-budget-measures.htm Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:28:35 EDT The Massachusetts House and Senate planned to meet Thursday in an informal session to pass emergency rescue measures designed to ease a looming fiscal crisis by cutting millions in spending. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081030/mass-house-senate-to-meet-on-fiscal-meltdown.htm Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:34:58 EDT Sales of single-family homes have jumped for the first time this year as the average home price dropped in September. The Warren Group, a Boston-based publisher of real estate data, reported Monday that sales increased 8.5 percent in September compared with the same month a year ago. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081027/home-sales-in-mass-jump-as-prices-decline.htm Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:50:44 EDT A new report says foreclosure deeds increased 72 percent in Massachusetts during the first three quarters of 2008, although the numbers have tailed off over the last four months. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081022/foreclosure-deeds-up-72-percent-in-mass-this-year.htm Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:05:18 EDT It wasn't so long ago that Massachusetts seemed to be swimming in cash. Month after month the state raked in tax revenues far ahead of predictions. By the end of the 2008 fiscal year, the state had collected more than $1 billion over its original estimate. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081016/for-mass-a-dramatic-drop-in-fiscal-fortunes.htm Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:48:15 EDT The unemployment rate in Massachusetts inched up to 5.3 percent in September, but remains below the national average. Preliminary September estimates released Thursday by the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development show the rate increased from a revised figure of 5.2 percent in August. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081016/unemployment-edges-up-in-mass-in-september.htm Thu, 16 Oct 2008 12:22:41 EDT Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, struggling to close a $1.4 billion budget hole brought on by plunging tax revenues, said Wednesday he would eliminate up to 1,000 jobs and order state agencies to make more than $1 billion in cuts and spending controls. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081015/mass-gov-orders-budget-job-cuts-to-close-deficit.htm Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:22:09 EDT Key players in Massachusetts' criminal justice system stepped forward with a series of budget cuts on Wednesday, just hours before Gov. Deval Patrick was to announce up to $800 million of cuts in other parts of the state budget to offset lagging tax collections. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081015/mass-gov-set-to-make-layoffs-budget-cuts.htm Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:00:56 EDT The hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts Massachusetts is facing because of a sharp drop in tax revenues will affect the core delivery of state services, not just the so-called "fat," Gov. Deval Patrick said Tuesday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081014/mass-gov-budget-cuts-will-hit-muscle-not-fat.htm Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:20:14 EDT As a candidate for governor, Deval Patrick vowed to reinvigorate the economy, usher in an era of green technology and make Massachusetts a biotech hub--all while fighting to lower property taxes. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081013/financial-meltdown-tests-patrick-mass-leaders.htm Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:16:40 EDT City and town leaders breathed a sign of relief Friday after hearing that while there may be sizable budget cutting at the Massachusetts state level next week, they will most likely be spared in the first round of fiscal pain. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20081010/mass-leaders-come-to-statehouse-for-budget-news.htm Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:22:58 EDT