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.
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.
London Welsh 29 Cornish Pirates 20 (agg 66-41): Championship heads to Old Deer Park - Daily Mail
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London Welsh have done all they can on the field to win promotion to the Aviva Premiership, after beating Cornish Pirates over two legs to win the Championship.
Now the club need another significant victory off the pitch if they are to claim a place among England's elite clubs next season.
London Welsh have outlined their determination to appeal the decision - made by the Professional Game Board and approved by the Rugby Football Union - to block their promotion.
We are the champions: London Welsh get the party started at the Kassam Stadium
Chairman Bleddyn Phillips vowed before the game that London Welsh, if crowned champions, would do 'everything within our power' to overturn the RFU's decision.
London Welsh came into the second leg of the play-off final at Oxford's Kassam Stadium - their proposed Premiership home - with a 16-point advantage.
They overcame a spirited Pirates performance to seal victory on the night with tries from Hudson Tonga'hui and Jack Moates and 19 points from the boot of full-back Alex Davies.
The Pirates had threatened a comeback when wing Matt Evans finished an electric breakaway try to put them 13-6 ahead.
But by the time Ryan Storer drove over for a try five minutes from time, the Championship title was already heading to Old Deer Park.
Victory salute: Ed Jackson and team-mates savour a memorable evening
The result will extend the uncertainty for Newcastle, who finished bottom of the Premiership but do not yet know whether they will be relegated.
'Hopefully everything off the pitch will get sorted now. We have given the RFU something to think about,' London Welsh captain Jonathan Mills told Sky Sports 1.
London Welsh had finished fourth in the league season but timed their run of form to perfection to win the title through the controversial play-off system.
The club were told four hours before the first leg that they had failed to meet the minimum standards required to attain a place in the Premiership.
That only served to galvanise the team and they needed all that desire to douse the early fire from the Pirates, who threw everything at London Welsh.
Teenage fly-half Aaron Penberthy proved to be an inspired selection and his drop-goal, plus a penalty from Rob Cook, helped the Pirates open an early 6-0 lead.
Trusty right boot: Alex Davies converts
Davies pegged it back before the Pirates forced a turnover inside their own 22 and hit London Welsh on the counter-attack.
Cook surged over the halfway line, kicked for the corner and Evans raced past a napping Tonga'uiha to score the try.
London Welsh were not content to preserve their advantage and wing Joe Ajuwa, a try-scorer in the first leg, was heavily involved and a Davies penalty reduced the arrears to 13-9 on the night.
Two more penalties from the full-back eventually edged London Welsh into the lead just after the hour mark and they took control of the match with Tonga'huia's converted try.
The Pirates refused to buckle and Storer crashed over from close range but London Welsh rounded off the victory with Moates racing away for their second try.
'We took last week as a semi-final and tonight we took as a final," said man of the match Lee Beach. We had a 0-0 policy going in and it was a must-win game.
'The Pirates are a great team. We knew they would be coming hard at us for 30 minutes. We finally put their fire out and the gaps appeared and we took our opportunities.'
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