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Ford to close Australia auto plants

Thu, 23 May 2013 01:59:50 +0100

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it is closing its two Australian auto plants and will cease production in the country in October 2016. Ford Australia Chief Executive Bob Graziano said the company will close its engine plant in Geelong and its assembly plant in Broadmeadows, both in the state of Victoria. The car manufacturer has struggled with sliding sales, high costs and a strong Australian dollar. (Reporting By Jane Wardell; Editing by Michael Perry)

Possible Nigerian link probed in London attack

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:30:26 +0100

LONDON (Reuters) - A possible Nigerian link to attackers suspected of hacking a soldier to death in London while shouting Islamic slogans is being probed, two sources with knowledge of the investigation told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Two suspects have been taken into custody after the attack, which the British government said appeared to be an act of terrorism. Police have not identified the suspects. The sources, speaking independently, said a Nigerian link was being investigated but gave no further details about the nature of the link. Police spokesmen declined to comment. ...

New EU climate policy unlikely before 2015: Poland

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:29:10 +0100

The European Union is unlikely to hammer out its new policy on global warming ahead of a global climate deal that could be clinched in 2015, Poland's environment minister said Wednesday.

Italy steel businessman Riva probed for tax evasion - sources

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:23:43 +0100

ROME/MILAN (Reuters) - Milan prosecutors are investigating the chairman of Italian steel group Riva for tax evasion and police have seized 1.2 billion euros of cash from a tax haven, judicial sources said on Wednesday. Emilio Riva, whose company controls Europe's largest steel plant in southern Italy (ILVA), is being probed along with his brother Adriano, the sources said. A statement from Milan tax police on Wednesday, said the police were seizing 1.2 billion euros held in eight trusts. ...

Iran pushes ahead with nuclear plant that worries West

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:58:25 +0100

By Fredrik Dahl VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran is pressing ahead with the construction of a research reactor that Western experts say could offer it a second way of producing material for a nuclear bomb if it decides to make one, a U.N. report showed on Wednesday. Iran has transported the reactor vessel - which would hold the fuel - to the heavy water plant near the central town of Arak but has not yet installed it, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a report issued to member states. ...

Even top Europe steel firms at risk unless output cut

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:06:16 +0100

LONDON (Reuters) - The European steel sector in under pressure to cut production quickly as overcapacity and weak global demand threaten even some of the most important plants, the chief executive of Italian steel manufacturer Marcegaglia said. Italy, Europe's second-largest producer, has been hit particularly hard by the demand slowdown, and the future of some of its biggest steel operations including the Riva-owned Ilva plant, stainless steel plant Acciai Speciali Terni and steel producer Lucchini is at risk. ...

Total says to invest 1 billion euros in its Antwerp plant

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:00:47 +0100

By Muriel Boselli PARIS (Reuters) - Total is going ahead with a plan to invest 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) at its Belgian refining and petrochemical complex to boost diesel-making capacity and cut costs, the head of refining at the French major said on Wednesday. The investment will double revenues at the 340,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) plant to $500 million a year, Patrick Pouyanne, head of the refining and petrochemical branch, said in an interview. ...

Sudan dreams of becoming global sugar player

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:27:30 +0100

By Ulf Laessing NEAR SOFIYA, Sudan (Reuters) - In a hangar-shaped factory hall in central Sudan a dozen workers rush to pack refined white sugar gushing from a funnel into paper bags to be loaded on three trucks parked outside. Next year, the management at Kenana Sugar Company hopes the plant will be even busier as it plans to boost its output as the African country seeks to increase sugar exports. Faced with the loss of most oil production after South Sudan seceded in 2011, Sudan has been scrambling to find new sources for state revenues and dollars to pay for imports. ...

Ireland calls for global clampdown on aggressive tax planning

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:35:19 +0100

DUBLIN (Reuters) - The international community needs to work together to stop large multinationals aggressively playing one country's tax code off against another, Ireland's Minister for Enterprise said on Wednesday. "They play the tax codes one against the other, that is tax planning and I think we do need international cooperation through the OECD to deal with the aggressive nature of that," Richard Bruton told national broadcaster RTE. (Reporting by Carmel Crimmins; editing by Keiron Henderson)

Revenue raids illegal fuel plant

Wed, 22 May 2013 10:02:40 +0100

A large scale illegal fuel laundering plant has been uncovered by customs.

Rubber bullets fired at South African mine strikers, several hurt

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:42:32 +0100

By Wendell Roelf CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Ten striking South African miners were taken to hospital on Tuesday after being hit by rubber bullets, police said, as labour strife spread ahead of mid-year pay negotiations. As well as the violence at a chromium mine, the National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA) said it wanted a 20 percent industry-wide salary rise after a two-day stoppage at a Mercedes-Benz plant in East London. "If our demands are not met we will have no option but to go to the streets," union treasurer Mphumzi Maqungo told Reuters. ...

EU swimming beaches get clean bill of health

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:58:50 +0100

The vast majority of some 22,000 swimming beaches in the EU are clean and safe, the European Environment Agency said Tuesday.

China factory blast leaves 13 dead, 20 missing

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:12:17 +0100

A blast which ripped through an explosives plant in China has left 13 people dead and another 20 missing, an official said Tuesday, compounding the country's poor industrial safety record.

UK first in EU to get Merck's new Schmallenberg vaccine

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:07:26 +0100

LONDON (Reuters) - British farmers will be the first in Europe to get a vaccine against Schmallenberg virus, a new livestock disease that hit the continent in 2011. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said on Tuesday that MSD Animal Health, a unit of Merck & Co, had been issued a licence for the new vaccine after an accelerated assessment to make it available this summer. As a result, farmers will be able to vaccinate sheep and cattle before most of them become pregnant, which is important as exposure to the virus can cause damage to foetuses. ...

Pepsi to march in, as foreign troops leave Afghanistan

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:17:19 +0100

KABUL (Reuters) - PepsiCo will open its first plant in Afghanistan in 2014, its Afghan partner said on Monday, the same year foreign troops complete their withdrawal from the country after 13 years of war. "It will go on stream in 2014," Hamed Kakar, head of marketing for Dubai-based Alokozay, which has an exclusive bottling agreement with PepsiCo in Afghanistan, told Reuters. As the NATO-led war winds down, investors are looking at Afghanistan as a potential source of business, though many are deterred by an uncertain future and instability. ...

Madeleine Suspects 'Not Fully Investigated'

Mon, 20 May 2013 07:01:24 +0100

Known paedophiles, holidaymakers and Ocean Club staff are thought to be among the dozen suspects identified in a Scotland Yard review of the Madeleine McCann case.

Eurovision winner gets triumphant welcome in Denmark

Sun, 19 May 2013 17:44:01 +0100

Exuberant Copenhageners braved the chill Sunday to celebrate Eurovision Song Contest winner Emmelie de Forest in Denmark's iconic Tivoli Gardens amusement park.

EU, China have 'much to lose' in case of trade war

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:34:39 +0100

Staff of a solar power plant work on solar panels in Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on May 8, 2013. The latest tit-for-tat EU-China trade disputes could signal worse to come but ...

Germans blame euro zone crisis for Eurovision debacle

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:23:00 +0100

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germans lamented their unexpectedly poor showing at the Eurovision Song Contest, blaming Chancellor Angela Merkel's tough stance in the euro zone crisis for their failure to win any points from 34 of the 39 countries voting. Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won the event, watched by around 125 million people across Europe, with 281 points while German act Cascada was 21st out of 26 countries, getting just 18 points from Austria, Israel, Spain, Albania and Switzerland. ...

Eurovision: Denmark's Emmelie De Forest Wins

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:31:30 +0100

Denmark's Emmelie de Forest has won this year's Eurovision Song Contest with her ethno-inspired flute and drum tune Only Teardrops.

Flax plant 'can fight infection'

Sun, 19 May 2013 07:25:13 +0100

A plant first used by prehistoric man 30,000 years BC can help fight infections, according to scientists following a four-year research project.

Denmark wins Eurovision on ABBA's turf with folksy ballad

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:04:39 +0100

By Mia Shanley MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won Eurovision on Saturday before an international TV audience of around 125 million, clinching the coveted crown of euro-pop with a folksy ballad backed by a wall of fire, flutes and drums. The barefoot 20-year-old blonde stole the show as predicted by bookmakers with "Only Teardrops" in a final that saw 26 countries battle it out in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the top prize in glitzy European pop music. ...

Denmark's folksy ballad wins Eurovision

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:50:31 +0100

By Mia Shanley MALMO, Sweden (Reuters) - Denmark's Emmelie de Forest won Eurovision on Saturday before an international TV audience of around 125 million, securing the coveted crown of euro-pop with a folksy ballad backed by flutes and drums. The barefoot 20-year-old stole the show as predicted by bookmakers with "Only Teardrops" in a final that saw 26 countries battle it out in the southern Swedish city of Malmo for the top prize in glitzy European pop music. "I could feel the fans and all the energy in the arena. ... It's a once in a lifetime experience. ...

Agonising family choice in Japanese film at Cannes festival

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:50:24 +0100

By Alexandria Sage CANNES (Reuters) - A film about baby-switching by Japan's Kore-eda Hirokazu that ponders nature versus nurture premiered at the Cannes film festival on Saturday, joining an Iranian challenger as contenders for the top prize. "Soshite Chichi Ni Naru" ("Like Father, Like Son") is one of two Japanese films out of the international roster of 20 vying to take home the Palme d'Or prize on May 26 from the world's largest film festival being held on the French Riviera. Japan has won four times before, most recently in 1997 with Shohei Imamura's "Unagi" ("The Eel"). ...

Oil laundering plant discovered

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:20:27 +0100

An oil laundering plant with the capacity to process more than 2.5 million litres of fuel a year has been discovered in Dublin.

Hong Kong launches first electric taxis

Sat, 18 May 2013 07:49:37 +0100

People look at an electric taxi on a street in Hong Kong, on May 18, 2013. HK saw its first electric taxis hit the streets in a step towards reducing the city's high levels of roadside pollution. The 45 ...

Black Bear Shot Down From Back Garden Tree

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:43:03 +0100

A bear weighing nearly 300lb has been tranquillized and removed from a homeowner's backyard after it was discovered resting up a tree.

Tata Steel favours EU funds to soften impact of plant closures

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:09:52 +0100

By Silvia Antonioli BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Tata Steel , the second largest steel producer in Europe, supports proposals to use EU funds to soften the blow of steel plant closures, regional chief executive Karl-Ulrich Köhler said. A prolonged contraction in steel demand has led many producers to seek cuts in capacity, only to face political opposition to a rapid restructuring. ...

Texas Fertiliser Blast: Arson Not Ruled Out

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:24:09 +0100

Investigations into a deadly blast at a Texas fertiliser plant have failed to identify a cause.

Rescuers search for Australian father in snorkel tragedy

Fri, 17 May 2013 06:26:22 +0100

Two distraught Australian children who saw their mother drown and their father disappear at sea were reunited with relatives as police Friday continued to scour the ocean for the missing man.

UK-Odd Summary

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:55:58 +0100

From "bunga bunga" to "pianists" - Italy's political slang ROME (Reuters) - An encyclopaedia of Italian political slang has shone a light on a colourful and Byzantine world where lawmakers and journalists speak a language you won't find in any ordinary dictionary. The confusing nature of Italian politics has come to the fore in recent months, with an electoral result in which the leading party won the lower house but not the senate, a resulting two-month stalemate, and the final formation of a government led by none of the candidates who campaigned. ...

From "bunga bunga" to "pianists" - Italy's political slang

Thu, 16 May 2013 23:55:43 +0100

By Naomi O'Leary ROME (Reuters) - An encyclopaedia of Italian political slang has shone a light on a colourful and Byzantine world where lawmakers and journalists speak a language you won't find in any ordinary dictionary. The confusing nature of Italian politics has come to the fore in recent months, with an electoral result in which the leading party won the lower house but not the senate, a resulting two-month stalemate, and the final formation of a government led by none of the candidates who campaigned. ...

EU says emissions down, but pollution scheme falters

Thu, 16 May 2013 20:01:17 +0100

EU greenhouse gas emissions, blamed for global warming, dropped slightly last year but the much-vaunted system for cutting such pollution ran into even more trouble, the European Commission said on Thursday.

Nearly 1,000 protest against China chemical plant

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:04:52 +0100

Nearly 1,000 people took to the streets of the Chinese city of Kunming on Thursday in a renewed protest against a proposed chemical plant, media reports said, with Internet users voicing support.

Ocean liner QM2 docks in Dublin

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:09:01 +0100

One of the world's largest ocean liners has berthed off the coast of Dun Laoghaire.

Has Lost City Of Gold Been Uncovered?

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:57:29 +0100

Researchers believe they may have discovered an ancient city deep in the Honduran rainforest, which could be a legendary metropolis known as the City of Gold.

China warns EU to drop telecom probe, solar panel tax

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:34:58 +0100

Large solar panels are seen in a power plant in Hami, northwest China's Xinjiang region on May 8, 2013. China on Thursday warned the European Union against escalating bilateral trade disputes, urging Brussels ...

U.S. sees China launch as test of anti-satellite muscle -source

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:03:12 +0100

By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government believes a Chinese missile launch this week was the first test of a new interceptor that could be used to destroy a satellite in orbit, a U.S. defence official told Reuters on Wednesday. China launched a rocket into space on Monday, but no objects were placed into orbit, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. The object re-entered Earth's atmosphere above the Indian Ocean. ...

Petrofac expects modest growth hit by In Salah delays

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:44:22 +0100

LONDON (Reuters) - British oil services firm Petrofac said it expected modest growth in net profit this year after its books were hit by the shutdown of the In Salah gas plant in Algeria following an attack in January on the neighbouring In Amenas plant. Full operations at In Salah are expected to restart in the second half of this year, Petrofac said in a statement on Thursday. The company, which designs and builds oil and gas infrastructure and also invests alongside oil firms in oil fields, said it remained on track to meet its 2015 earnings target despite the setback at In Salah. ...

Daimler unveils make-or-break S-Class flagship

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:56:16 +0100

By Christiaan Hetzner HAMBURG (Reuters) - Germany's Daimler pulled the covers off its new flagship Mercedes-Benz S-Class luxury saloon on Wednesday, a critical product launch for a company struggling to make a dent in the lead that rivals BMW and Audi enjoy in sales and profit. Hosting over 500 international journalists in the cavernous halls of an Airbus jet plant in Hamburg and flanked by Alicia Keyes and the city's symphony orchestra, Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche revealed the first glimpses of a Mercedes that for decades has served the well-heeled. ...