Egypt - Mubarak 'not a tyrant', defence lawyer tells trial

Published on Jan 17, 2012 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.net/ Hosni Mubarak was a 'just man, not a tyrant', according to his lawyer.

The former Egyptian President was again wheeled into court on a hospital trolley for his latest appearance at his trial.

He listened to the defence argue there was no legal case against him.

Unlike previous occasions when cameras have been present, this was a closed session.

Mubarak is a man with clean hands and a pure heart, the lawyer said, claiming the case was only brought because of public pressure.

USA - Gallup Reports Improvement in Unemployment

Uploaded by FinancialNewsOnline on Jan 17, 2012

U.S. unemployment is 8.3% in mid-January -- a slight improvement from 8.5% in December -- as measured by Gallup. This is without seasonal adjustment. The 8.3% is down from 9.9% in January a year ago. Gallup's mid-month unemployment reading, which is based on the 30 days ending January 15, serves as a preliminary estimate of the U.S. report. Gallup suggests the Bureau of Labor Statistics will likely report on the first Friday of February that its seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined once again in January.

Gallup also reports that the percentage of U.S. employees who are working part time but want full-time work is at 9.8% in mid-January, the same as in December. The mid-January reading is considerably higher than the 9.1% in January 2011.

Latin America - PepsiCo and Ocean Spray Cranberries Form Strategic Alliance

Uploaded by FinancialNewsOnline on Jan 17, 2012

PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) and Ocean Spray Cranberries announced Tuesday they have formed a strategic alliance in Latin America. As part of the deal, PepsiCo will have exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute a portfolio of cranberry- and blueberry-based beverages through its Latin America Beverages division.

The companies will share marketing responsibilities for the products and intend to collaborate on product innovation.

President of PepsiCo's Latin America Beverages Division Luis Montoya said, "We see tremendous opportunities to grow our beverage business in emerging markets throughoutLatin America, and we continue to take steps to strengthen our brand portfolio through product innovation, marketing and strategic partnerships. Ocean Spray is already a great PepsiCo partner in the U.S., and we believe this will be a winning combination for Latin American consumers and customers. It positions us well to continue to gain share of the growing juice category."

PepsiCo (NYSE:PEP) has potential upside of 7.3% based on a current price of $64.98 and an average consensus analyst price target of $69.75.

USA - Burger King tests out delivery service at some stores in Virginia and Maryland

Uploaded by FinancialNewsOnline on Jan 17, 2012

The operator of 7,500 fast-food restaurants in the U.S. and Canada is trying out delivery service at some stores in Virginia and Maryland as a way to boost sales, according to a report by Bloomberg. Burger King Holdings Inc. is offering delivery service from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. in select stores in those states. Burger King's website says deliveries cost $2.00 and there is a minimum order of $8.00 to $10.00, depending on the market. The report says that 3G Capital Inc., a New York-based private-equity firm, bought Burger King for about $3.93 billion in 2010. It goes on to say that revenue rose 1.4% to $608.1 million in the three months ending September 30, compared with the year before.