Corporations

Business Monitor International - Mexico's Grupo Modelo and Swiss group Nestlé Waters have finalised, and legally closed, their joint venture for the Mexican bottled water market. The two companies, which signed a letter of intent on the venture in late 2006, aim significantly to increase sales of Nestlé Waters' brands in Mexico, the world's second-largest bottled water market.

The New York Times - Coca-Cola chairman and chief executive Neville Isdell earned $US7.5 million ($9.62 million) in salary, incentive pay and perks in 2006, the soft drink maker reported.

Martin Hickman - March 10, The Independent - Students at Manchester University have banned Coca-Cola in protest at the American company’s alleged abuses of human rights and the environment.
A motion banning the company’s fizzy drinks from the student union’s shops and bars because of its behaviour in Colombia, Turkey and India won over-whelming support at a meeting this week.

Marc Champion and Betsy McKay, The Wall Street Journal, Davos, Switzerland -- The World Economic Forum's annual Davos gathering is billed as an intimate brainstorming session for business and political leaders. These days, it serves another purpose: polishing corporate and national images.

Jeff Alexander Newhouse News Service - Jay Peasley lives in the kind of place nature lovers dream about: a house so close to the White River he can hear its gurgling waters from his couch and fish for trout and salmon a stone's throw from the back door.

Just-Drinks

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are looking to expand their presence in the European water market, where they both lag some way behind market leaders Danone and Nestlé. Coca-Cola has made a number of important acquisitions over the past year, writes Catherine Mars of Euromonitor International, and PepsiCo is looking to make up ground.

THE SKEPTIC: When France's Arranged Marriages Go Wrong

Matthew Curtin - Dow Jones International News
  
PARIS (Dow Jones)--Poor GdF and Suez. France's constitutional court has ruled they can get married, but can't live together until next July.

Nestlé Press Release (Vevey)

Nestlé Waters, the world leader in bottled water, has today signed a letter of intent with Grupo Modelo to establish a strategic bottled water alliance in Mexico. Grupo Modelo owns the well-known Corona brand and is the leading beer producer and distributor in Mexico. The aim of the alliance is to further develop Nestlé Waters'existing bottled water business in Mexico, which includes household brands such as Santa Maria, S. Pellegrino, Perrier and Nestlé Pureza Vital, sister brand of Nestlé Pure Life already sold in 21 countries across the world.

Kerala authorities move court against Pepsi, Coke products

The Press Trust of India Limited
 
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 24 (PTI) Two months after a state-wide ban on Coca Cola and Pepsi was quashed by the Kerala High Court, authorities have filed cases against the soft drink giants alleging that some of their products contain traces of pesticides.

Unions win delay of Suez-GDF merger: Appeals court blocks crucial board meeting Opposition mounts on all fronts as elections loom

David Gow - The Guardian

It was a marriage made by politicians in the Elysee and Matignon palaces, the summation of French "economic patriotism". But exactly 10 months later the euros 80bn merger between energy groups Suez and Gaz de France is on the rocks.