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Iran’s state TV is reporting the country has produced laser-guided artillery shells, capable of hitting moving targets with high accuracy.
The Monday report quoting Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi also says that the shell was an “intelligent” munition with the capability to identify its own targets.
The report was accompanied by footage showing an artillery piece firing […]

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The official in charge of rescue efforts for the Costa Concordia says unregistered passengers might have been aboard the cruise liner when it struck a reef and capsized.
Civil protection chief Franco Gabrielli also told reporters Sunday that relatives of a Hungarian woman have told Italian authorities that she had telephoned them from aboard the ship […]

South Korea and Indonesia will probably keep interest rates unchanged this week as a drop in their currencies risks heightening inflationary pressures even as the faltering global economy undermines growth prospects.
All 14 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News expect the Bank of Korea to keep the benchmark seven-day repurchase rate unchanged at 3.25 percent on […]

+%3Cp%3E+Who+says+American+salaries+are+stagnating.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EAfter+two+years+of+lower+pay+packages%2C+chief+executives+at+the+nation%27s+major+companies+enjoyed+a+36.5%25+jump+in+pay+last+year%2C+according+to+a+leading+survey+of+CEO+compensation.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EThe+average+pay+hike+is+for+the+top+executive+at+each+of+the+Standard+%26amp%3B+Poor+500+companies%2C+according+to+GMI%2C+the+research+group+formerly+known+as+the+Corporate+Library.+A+broader+survey+of+CEO+pay+at+3%2C000+companies+posted+an+average+27%25+increase.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EPaul+Hodgson%2C+senior+research+associate+at+GMI%2C+said+the+sharp+rise+in+pay+was+out+of+line+with+the+relatively+modest+improvement+that+companies+typically+achieved+in+profits+or+share+price+during+2010.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EThe+most+lucrative+sector+for+CEO+pay+was+health+care%2C+which+included+three+of+the+nine+top-paid+executives%2C+including+the+two+most+lucrative+packages%3A+%3C%2Fp%3E%24145+million+for+John+Hammergen+of+McKesson+Corp.+%28%2C+Fortune+500%29%2C+which+distributes+drugs+and+health+and+beauty+care+products+to+pharmacies%3B+and%2498+million+for+Joel+Gemunder%2C+who+retired+in+July+2010+as+CEO+of+Omnicare+%28%2C+Fortune+500%29%2C+which+provides+drugs+to+nursing+homes+and+other+long-term+care+facilities.Top+paid+CEOs%3Cp%3EBoth+companies%2C+in+public+filings%2C+actually+reported+lower+pay+packages+for+the+two+executives.+McKesson+listed+Hammergen%27s+total+compensation+package+as+%2446.1+million+for+the+most+recent+fiscal+year%2C+while+Omnicare+listed+Gemunder%27s+pay+package+at+%2432.8+million.+Neither+company+returned+calls+seeking+comment.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EBut+GMI%27s+analysis+adds+up+total+%26quot%3Brealized+pay%26quot%3B+–+which+includes+not+just+salary%2C+bonus+and+the+estimated+value+of+stock+options+granted%2C+but+also+the+value+of+profits+from+exercising+those+options+and+pension+payments.+Those+items+are+not+typically+included+in+the+reports+companies+file+with+the+Securities+and+Exchange+Commission.+%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3E+%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EGMI+also+said+Hammergen+exercised+more+than+3.3+million+stock+options+during+the+year%2C+netting+him+%24112+million.+His+retirement+benefits+also+grew+in+value+by+%2413.5+million.+And%2C+GMI+added%2C+his+severance+package+would+be+worth+%24469+million+if+he+were+fired.%3C%2Fp%3E%3Cp%3EGemunder+also+benefited+from+a+large+exit+package+that+wasn%27t+included+in+the+company%27s+listing%2C+as+did+two+of+the+other+executives+who+made+GMI%27s+top+10+list.%26nbsp%3B+%3C%2Fp%3E++%3Cp%3E%3Ca+href%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fmoney.cnn.com%2F2011%2F12%2F15%2Fnews%2Fcompanies%2Fceo_pay%2Findex.htm%27+rel%3D%27nofollow%27%3ESource%3C%2Fa%3E%3C%2Fp%3E+

A former board member of Olympus Corp. said Friday that he launched an online petition to persuade the Japanese company to bring back Michael Woodford, the British executive fired for questioning payments made to cover up huge investment losses.
Koji Miyata, who served on Olympus’ board from 1995 to 2006, told The Associated Press that he […]

Nigeria’s government has fined air carriers British Airways $135 million and Virgin Atlantic Airways $100 million over what it describes as unfair trade practices that hiked up airfare prices in the oil-rich nation, an official told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The official said the fines came after a six-month investigation into fuel charges added to […]

Contradicted by key former executives and challenged by his company’s ex-lawyers, James Murdoch is expected back for a second grilling in Britain’s Parliament Thursday over the phone hacking scandal that has shaken his father’s media empire.
Although the senior News Corp. executive has long insisted he knew nothing of the culture of criminality whose exposure has […]

Stocks edged between small gains and losses Friday afternoon as traders scrutinized a plan to contain Europe’s debt crisis that sent the market soaring a day earlier.
The Dow Jones industrial average ended up nearly 23 points at 12,231. The Dow surged 339 points the day before, its biggest gain since Aug. 11. The Dow is […]

U.S. stock futures are mixed after European leaders said they made progress on resolving the region’s debt problems at a weekend summit but delayed offering any details.
European leaders say they will unveil plans to help resolve the crisis by Wednesday. Worries about Europe’s debt problems have helped drag global stocks up and down over the […]