On Tuesday, Ms O'Neill said that she would press for a hardship payment for farmers at an executive meeting.

BBC: Deep snow still lying in some areas of Northern Ireland

Brands and McDonald's, agreed to worker representation in 2007 after being slammed in the Chinese press for breaking the law in their payment of students (the charges turned out to be false).

ECONOMIST: Trade unions in China

Earlier this week, NTP co-founder Donald Stout told the press that RIM could avoid that fate if it makes one giant payment, no strings attached, for 5.7% of RIM's projected U.S. sales through the life of the contested patents, which expire in 2012.

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