GM's Vauxhall announces new Astra at UK plant - Yahoo Finance
LONDON (AP) -- General Motors' Vauxhall plant in northern England will build the company's top-selling Astra vehicles, the automaker said Thursday — a relief for U.K. politicians who had lobbied its American owner to keep the plant open.
The announcement comes after workers at the Ellesmere Port plant, near Liverpool, overwhelmingly backed a job deal which turned the factory into a 24-hour-a-day operation, a key cost-cutting measure pursued by parent company GM Europe.
GM Europe lost $700 million in 2011 and has been struggling to turn around its Opel and Vauxhall brands. It had been feared the company would close the Ellesmere Port facility in favor of consolidating production elsewhere — such as its headquarters in Ruesselsheim in Germany or Gliwice in Poland.
In a separate announcement, Opel said that the Ruesselsheim plant would switch to producing other models.
GM's announcement — which comes with a 125 million pound (nearly $200 million) investment and 700 extra jobs — is a break for leaders such as British Business Secretary Vince Cable, who fought to keep the British plant open.
Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking from the northern city of Manchester, called the decision "a fantastic vote of confidence."
"The U.K. government gave this its full backing. The unions supported the necessary changes. The workforce has responded magnificently. It is a British success story," he said.
Cable, who at one point traveled to the U.S. to plead the plant's case, told BBC television that no financial inducements were offered to General Motors Corp. to keep the U.K. facility open, saying the move underlined that Britain is "a good business environment for the motor industry."
Production of the new car is due to begin in 2015, with at least 160,000 vehicles scheduled to be produced every year.
Vladimir Putin to snub London 2012 Olympics - The Guardian
Vladimir Putin will not be coming to the London Olympics, diplomatic sources have said, in an apparent signal of the Russian president's continuing displeasure and irritation with Britain.
Putin will not attend the London 2012 opening ceremony on 27 July, sources confirmed, despite the fact that Moscow will host the Winter Olympics in 2014 in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Instead, the Russian president is likely to dispatch his prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, to London.
The snub follows Putin's controversial decision earlier this month to boycott the G8 summit hosted by the US president, Barack Obama. Putin claimed he was too busy forming his new government to attend, and sent Medvedev instead. He has accused the US of inciting street protests against him and is unhappy with Washington's missile defence plans in Europe.
Putin has a long list of grievances against Britain. As well as the unresolved Alexander Litvinenko affair – a source of smouldering tension – the Kremlin has been infuriated by calls to ban senior Russians accused of human rights abuses.
In March, a group of backbench MPs voted to refuse visas to officials implicated in the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who died in prison in 2009. The Foreign Office has so far ignored the non-binding vote and ruled out a Magnitsky ban.
Putin was inaugurated for a third time as president on 7 May. Soon afterwards, he announced that one of Moscow's top foreign policy priorities was to prevent government and other officials from being placed on visa blacklists abroad. Campaigners say visa bans are one of the few effective measures against bureaucrats who enjoy visiting London and other EU capitals and typically hold bank accounts in the west.
On Wednesday, Denis MacShane, the former Labour Europe minister, said he welcomed Putin's decision to avoid the Games. Earlier this year, the MP said Downing Street should make it clear Putin was not welcome at the Olympics.
The threat of Magnitsky sanctions has received "phenomenal coverage" in the Russian press, he said, probably contributing to the decision to stay away. "I think Putin doesn't want to come to Britain and face difficult questions," he said.
He went on: "This is further evidence of the turning inwards of Putin towards a more nationalistic authoritarianism and a rejection of western values. He doesn't want to come to a democratic country and realise how unpopular he now is, because of his refusal to uphold the rule of law and justice back in Russia."
Putin attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games in August 2008. At the time Putin was prime minister, having installed his protege Medvedev as president. The ceremony was dramatically overshadowed by events in Georgia, which came under Russian air and artillery bombardment after Georgian troops briefly seized back the rebel province of South Ossetia. Putin and Bush were seen having a heated conversation about who was to blame for the unfolding war.
Since David Cameron's coalition government took over in 2010 there has been a modest improvement in bilateral relations, with foreign secretary William Hague – who was in Moscow on Monday – keen to promote bilateral trade. But Putin remains incensed about Britain's refusal to extradite leading Kremlin critics based in London, including the fugitive oligarch Boris Berezovsky and the Chechen separatist leader Akhmed Zakayev.
There are also major differences on international affairs, with the west exasperated by Moscow's stalwart support for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and its spoiling role at the UN security council. Russia, for its part, sees US and UK support for Syria's rebels as part of a western-engineered plot to force regime change in Damascus.
Since returning to the Kremlin this month, Putin has kept a surprisingly low profile. There have been none of the stunts or photo opportunities that characterised his election campaign. Kremlin minders are apparently keen to avoid spontaneous – and potentially risky – encounters with ordinary Russians. Street protests in Moscow that began last December continue, with anti-Kremlin activists organising an Occupy-style camp and holding spontaneous mass walks.
Some 120 heads of state have said they will attend the London 2012 opening ceremony. It will be the largest top-level international gathering in diplomatic history, the Foreign Office believes.
The number far exceeds the 87 leaders who travelled to Beijing in 2008. Several controversial leaders on an EU blacklist will also not be coming: they include Assad, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, and Belarus's Alexander Lukashenko.
But other authoritarian rulers not on the list are likely to travel to London. They include Uzbekistan's despotic leader, Islam Karimov, and his counterpart from Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Both visited the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
London 2012 Olympics: best of British food? Locog are taking the tea and biscuit - Daily Telegraph Blogs
Best of British not on offer in copious amounts on the Olympic Park
For some time now London Olympic Games organisers have been insisting that food at the London Olympics would be the best of British.
There were visions of high tea, Sunday roast, Beef Wellington, steak and kidney pie, Cornish pasty, fish and chips, Eton Mess all washed down with a nice hot cup of tea, or a pint of ale.
But it’s not to be, sadly.
The scale and complexity of feeding hundreds of thousands of people at speed means the London 2012 Olympic Games threatens to be like every other recent Games before it: a poor convergence of the expensive and the pedestrian.
Most spectators might accept the higher prices if the quality and consistency was apparent, but if the catering at the Olympic test events were a taster then prepare to be underwhelmed.
The Olympic Park offerings were bland and overpriced, with only the tucker on offer at Horse Guards Parade – where the beach volleyball will be played – the only exception.
Let’s look at the expense first. Locog released its pricing card on Wednesday and immediately the chief executive Paul Deighton was on the defensive, claiming the cost was similar to those found at other major sporting events and the premium was justified because "their temporary nature are often more expensive than the high street".
He forgot to mention the Games’ food suppliers don't pay rent. Or perhaps they do – it’s called 'sponsorship'.
So how much more expensive is it to queue at Olympic Park, rather than bring in food to the Olympic Park from the Local Sainsbury's?
The cost of a 500ml bottle of water (£1.60), an Innocent orange juice (£2.50), a blueberry muffin (£2.50), some oats with maple syrup (£2.20) and a gourmet cheese sandwich (£3.80) at the Olympic Park will cost £12.60 in total.
The same five items from the Sainsbury's en route to the train station cost £5.69.
But I can't bring my four-pack of Heineken 330ml beers (£4.49 for the lot) to the Olympics as they will be confiscated by security.
I would be forced, therefore, to shell out £4.20 for one small bottle at the Olympic Park. Forget ale, unless you happen to be at Lord’s – the archery venue – where it will be available, but only from unmarked taps.
The line at the supermarket might be too long, so consider the High Street alternatives. Olympic coffee priced at £2.60 is £2, and Olympic Coca Cola costing £2.30 is £1.60. At Pret A Manger the water is 95p. At Upper Crust the tea is £1.65.
Next, consider the lack of variety – the very spice of life – as English poet William Cowper famously said.
"We have gone to great lengths to find top quality, tasty food that celebrates the best of Britain," insists Deighton.
The menu – and this comes from the sample provided by the organisers because the whole list is too big and complex to release in its entirety, apparently - is as follows: Singapore noodles; chicken wings; pizza; penne pasta; and chicken burrito. There is Coke and Heineken to drink.
Best of British? No wonder McDonald’s has built its world's biggest restaurant on the Olympic Park capable of seating 1,500.
Geneva motor show 2012: Vauxhall Ampera wins Car of the Year - Daily Telegraph
"This is one of proudest moments of my career," said Karl-Friedrich Stracke, chief executive of Opel/Vauxhall as he received the award with Susan Doherty, president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe. The Ampera's sister car, the Chevrolet Volt, which has been on sale for 18 months in the USA, won the North American Car of the Year award in 2011.
London Walk for Muscular Dystrophy - Market Wire
LONDON, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 30, 2012) - On Saturday, June 16th London will be moving its muscles to make an impact in the fight against muscular dystrophy. The community will be joining together for the annual London Walk for Muscular Dystrophy to support over 50,000 children, teens and adults who are affected by neuromuscular disorders in Canada.
Leading the London event will be this year's Walk Ambassadors, the Fritz family, who know first hand how important this community event is to families affected by muscular dystrophy. "As a family, we enjoy showing our support for each other and our friends. We enjoy the community involvement, meeting other families who understand our journey, fears and concerns," says Diane Fritz, whose son Bryce was diagnosed with CMT-X at the age of six.
Muscular dystrophy refers to a group of progressive muscle disorders that weaken the muscles that control body movement. These disorders can have devastating effects, resulting in the loss of most abilities we take for granted. Over time, many people with neuromuscular disorders are unable to walk, speak or ultimately breathe. For some, the disorder is fatal.
The Walk for Muscular Dystrophy is "an opportunity for the community to come together and support those affected by neuromuscular disorders at the local level." describes Stacey Lintern, Muscular Dystrophy Canada Ontario Executive Director. The Walk is a fun-filled, fully accessible event the entire family can enjoy, regardless of fitness level. The event will include activities for kids, food and refreshments, and a prize raffle.
Proceeds from the event support various programs including funding equipment and support services for individuals and families faced with financial hardships, information and advocacy initiatives that highlight the needs of those living with neuromuscular disorders, and fund research to one day find a cure. All of Muscular Dystrophy Canada's programs are made possible by donations. The organization receives less than one percent in government funding.
Festivities will be taking place on Saturday, June 16th at Gibbons Park in London. Participant registration begins at 10:00am and the walk, wheel and roll begins at 11:00am.
To take part in the London Walk for Muscular Dystrophy or for more information, please visit www.muscle.ca/walk.
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