| US expects fair treatment for its cos. in Russia - Gutierrez
MOSCOW, April 4 (RIA Novosti) - The United States expects Russia to treat U.S. companies doing business in the country fairly, including embattled auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), the U.S. Commerce Secretary said Wednesday. PwC, a respected international auditing firm, has been accused by Moscow city tax officials of helping the bankrupt Yukos oil company evade taxes, and it may as a result lose its operating license in Russia. Carlos Gutierrez, who arrived in Moscow Monday to discuss Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and bilateral investment, said after a meeting with Russia's economics minister, German Gref, that Washington expects any investigation into alleged violations of Russian tax legislation by PwC to be even-handed. The Moscow Arbitration Court held hearings into the PwC case March 20 and ruled that the company violated professional standards while conducting audits for Yukos in 2002-2004.
Federal judge: 38 more Miss. Katrina court cases settled
GULFPORT, Miss. -- Thirty-eight more Hurricane Katrina insurance cases of Mississippi residents have been settled during court-order mediation, says U.S. District Judge L.T. Senter Jr. More mediations will begin in May, according to information Senter's office released Wednesday. Some cases also might be sent to a new nonbinding arbitration process established by Insurance Commissioner George Dale. Mississippi Department of Insurance records show that of the 3,381 cases sent to its program, 2,797, or 83 percent, have been settled. Mediations ordered in U.S. District Court totaled 153 with 74 settled, or 48 percent. In mediation, the policyholder and insurer work toward an agreement with the help of a qualified mediator. In arbitration, the policyholder and insurer each present their case to a qualified arbitrator, who offers a nonbinding opinion on the insurance claim's value.
Deadline looms for transit strike
Bus and C-Train drivers could vote on a strike as early as May 1 unless last-ditch efforts to hammer out a collective agreement succeed, the transit union's president says. The city will present a new offer today, but Mike Mahar, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 583, said unless there is a significant change in the city's stance, a strike vote is imminent. "There's no question we'd look at a strike vote if there's nothing here to work with," he said. "If you look at how our dealings have gone with the city, we certainly have no reason to be optimistic." Transit workers have been on a work-to-rule campaign for almost a month to force the city to renew talks. But after two unsuccessful days of mediation last week, the union walked away from the table.
Religious Leader of Caucasus Muslims assures Non- Exhaustive Ways ...
Georgia, Tbilisi / corr Trend N.Kirtzkhalia / Peaceful solutions to the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict have not yet been exhausted. Sheik-ul-Islam Haji Allahshukur Pashazade, the Head of the Caucasus Muslims Board, made this statement in Tbilisi on 20 April in a joint a news conference with the Catholic Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II. In reply to the question by Trend Correspondent in Tbilisi, Sheik-ul-Islam stated that numerous meetings held with the religious leader of Armenia through mediation of the Catholics-Patriarch yielded no results. Despite the achievement of an agreement on exchange of POWs, Armenia still has not fulfilled its obligations he stressed. Pashazade noted that two Armenian POWs were released at his initiative, while the Armenian religious leaders did not make a reply step.
|
