– The prostitute insult has jumped the aisle. Democrat Robert Kennedy Jr. is calling Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe a hooker for getting into bed with Big Oil. “Speaking of prostitutes, Big Oil’s top call girl, Sen. Inhofe, wants to kill fuel economy backed by automakers, small biz, enviros, and consumers,” tweeted Kennedy, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council who also happens to be a syndicated radio host. The tweet was apparently in response to a letter the GOP senator sent to the EPA, accusing the administration of “recklessly” implementing emissions standards for cars, reports ABC.

– Another ghost from Mitt Romney’s business past may be coming back to haunt him. Romney has long maintained close ties with Marriott International, and he led its audit board for several years, Bloomberg points out. During that time, Marriott instituted a tax maneuver it nicknamed “Son of BOSS,” in which it used newly created partnerships to record a $71 million tax loss, even though the company actually profited. A court later struck down the maneuver, calling it a “scheme,” “fictitious,” “artificial,” and an “illusion.”

During Romney’s tenure, Marriott also took deductions that eventually led to a $220 million settlement with the IRS, and reaped hundreds of millions from a fuel subsidy program that John McCain once criticized as a “scam.” The company’s effective tax rate at times fell as low as 6.8%. A

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GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat government has pinned hopes of 90 to 95 lakh bales of cotton by the end of this year. Though figures from cotton traders in Gujarat vary, Agriculture Minister, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said the government estimates a minimum of 87 lakh bales in 32.90 lakh hectares area during the current financial year.Not only that, cotton exports from Gujarat has already surpassed the export figure of previous year as Gujarat has exported 30 lakh bales worth Rs. 2,700 crore so far during the year to countries like China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey.He also informed that the cotton production declined by five per cent due to non-availability of fertilizers on time.

– Chipotle gained success by serving up Mexican food assembly-line style, and a new crop of Indian restaurants is now following that model. The New York Times takes a look at the growing niche, focusing in particular on Bombay Bowl in Denver, where the employee T-shirts promise “Simple Food. Endless Choices,” and the sleeves wrapped around the Indian flatbread cheekily state, “All for me and naan for you.” Customers can follow a step-by-step menu to create their meal, and employees will guide them to build a bowl, a plate, a salad, or a roti roll by choosing a protein, a sauce, a chutney, and of course, a level of spiciness. Another restaurant suggests adding a steamed dumpling to create a “value meal.”

“We realize that some of this food can be intimidating to non-Indian consumers,” says the proprietor of a similar restaurant in Massachusetts. “

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Balaji Amines Limited (BAL) (BSE: BALAJIAM : 530999, NSE: BALAMINES) exports registered a 24.42% growth Rs. 76.01 Crores in third quarter 2012 despite global economic slowdown.

The company has gained a turnover of Rs 112.60crin the Q3 2012, increase of 16% over the last year corresponding period.

“We are extremely happy with the results. More so because of the significant increase in our export earnings in the face of uncertain global conditions. W

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– The Occupy movement has hit Davos ahead of the World Economic Forum, and this time protesters aren’t pitching mere tents in the frigid weather. Instead, they’re building an igloo village near where the WEF is set to convene, the New York Times reports. The igloos are half as big as a small car and hold two people each; about 50 Occupiers are expected to show.

“Every year, self-proclaimed ‘global leaders’ allegedly committed to improving the state of the world meet up for the World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountains to propagate their own businesses and network amongst the so-called global economic elite,” the group says on its website. “This year, we will not let them exclude us, the 99%! We say: occupy WEF!”