Fireworks factory explosion claims 6th victim

35-year-old Peter Paul Micallef from Fontana became the sixth victim of last Sunday’s fireworks factory explosion close to Għarb when he passed away at Mater Dei Hospital . Mr Micallef was the son-in-law of fireworks factory owner Nenu Farrugia, who also lost his sons Noel and Raymond, his daugher-in-law Antoinette and Jean Pierre Azzopardi. The police reported that Mr [...]

Jordan Industrial Production Drops 6.3% in July as Manufacturing Declines

Jordanian industrial production fell 6.3 percent in July from a year earlier as manufacturing and electricity output declined.

BP report on Gulf oil disaster to accept 'some blame' (AFP)

AFP - An internal BP inquiry due on Wednesday into what caused the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is expected to accept that BP staff made mistakes before the disaster, the Financial Times reported.

Drilling makes progress towards trapped Chile miners (AFP)

AFP - A truck convoy bearing a huge oil drilling machine is expected to arrive Wednesday to offer a third rescue option, or "Plan C," for the 33 men trapped for a month at the bottom of a Chilean mine.

Drilling makes progress towards trapped Chile miners (AFP)

AFP - A truck convoy bearing a huge oil drilling machine is expected to arrive Wednesday to offer a third rescue option, or "Plan C," for the 33 men trapped for a month at the bottom of a Chilean mine.

Hungary' industrial output up 9% YoY, but drops 1.1% MoM in July

Hungary's industrial gross output increased 9% in July 2010, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year,according to preliminary data published by the Central Statistics Office (KSH) on Wednesday. Seasonally and by working-day adjusted indices show that output fell 1.1% from the previous month.

Europe bank fears hit shares (Reuters)

Reuters - Asian stocks fell on Wednesday, led by shares in Japan's big exporters as a rise in the yen to a new 15-year high threatened to erode their overseas earnings.

Foster's knocks back $2.5 billion offer for wine (Reuters)

Reuters - Foster's Group Ltd , Australia's largest brewer, knocked back an offer worth up to $2.5 billion for its wine business as too cheap, but the approach could flush out offers for the entire group.

Romania Industrial Output Increases In July

(RTTNews) - Romania's industrial production rose 3.4% on an annual basis in July, the National Institute of Statistics said Wednesday. Manufacturing production grew 3.5% annually, while mining output rose 1.3%.

Spanish Industrial Output In Surprise Fall

Industrial production in Spain declined 1.6% year-on-year in July, in contrast to the 3.2% rise in the previous month, the Madrid-based National Statistics Institute said on Wednesday. Economists had forecast a 2.8% increase.

Abstinent Mormon farmers grow barley for beer (AP)

AP - Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo might seem like an unlikely person to be pushing a bill to cut federal taxes on small beer-makers: A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he abstains from alcohol.

All eyes on BP report on Gulf oil spill disaster (AP)

AP - BP says it plans to release results of its internal investigation into the rig explosion that killed 11 workers and led to the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

EU official calls for regular bank 'stress tests' (AFP)

AFP - The European Union's financial services chief called on Wednesday for so-called "stress tests" on banks to be carried out on a regular basis, to judge their resilience in the event of another crisis.

Slovak Industrial Production Rises In July

(RTTNews) - Slovakia Industrial production increased a working-day adjusted 16.8% year-on-year in July compared to a 23.5% growth in the previous month, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovakia said Wednesday.

Light bulb factory closes; End of era for U.S. means more jobs overseas

The last major U.S. factory making ordinary incandescent light bulbs is slated to close this month. How the manufacturing jobs in the next lighting technology, compact fluoresecents, ended up overseas. Light - Business - Business and Economy - China - Incandescent light bulb

6 killed in 2 separate bomb attacks in Baghdad (AP)

AP - Iraqi police and health officials say at least six people have been killed and 35 wounded in two separate attacks in Baghdad.

2 Asteroids to Zoom Between Earth and the Moon's Orbit (SPACE.com)

SPACE.com - Two asteroids will zip close by the Earth Wednesday and may be visible in telescopes as they zip between our planet and the orbit of the moon.

LEGO MoonBot From New Jersey Wins Competition (SPACE.com)

SPACE.com - A team of eighth-grade students from New Jersey has won first place for its miniature lunar rover made entirely out of LEGO pieces.

Big quake aftershocks plague New Zealand city (AP)

AP - A powerful new 5.1-magnitude aftershock rattled terrified residents of New Zealand's earthquake-stricken city of Christchurch on Wednesday, as officials doubled their estimate for repairing the damage from nearly 300 aftershocks in five days.

Kazakhstan Expects Industrial Production to Expand Annual 7.5% This Year

Kazakhstan expects industrial output to jump 7.5 percent this year on higher mining output and a “recovery in manufacturing,” Economic Development and Trade Minister Zhanar Aitzhanova said.

Japan's intervention hints fail to stop yen rally (Reuters)

Reuters - Japan's government sharpened its rhetoric on foreign exchange intervention on Wednesday as a rise in the yen to a 15-year high underlined concerns that the currency's strength could threaten the economic recovery.

BP probe to spread blame for spill: report (Reuters)

Reuters - BP Plc's internal probe of the deadly April 20 blowout that unleashed the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill will assign blame to BP as well as other companies involved in the well's operations, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

Obama pitches spending and tax incentives in Ohio (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama will push billions of dollars in new business tax incentives and spending on big construction projects on Wednesday, as he tries to convince a balky Congress to pass measures intended to spur the economy and create jobs.

Hermine lashes south Texas (Reuters)

Reuters - Tropical Storm Hermine barely maintained its tropical storm status on Tuesday as 40 mile per hour winds kept lashing south Texas and the storm moved further inland about 15 miles south-southeast of San Antonio, Texas, the National Hurricane Center said.

U.S. judge refuses to lift ban on government stem cell funds (Reuters)

Reuters - A U.S. judge refused on Tuesday to lift a ban on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research despite Obama administration warnings it would set back key research and cost more than a thousand jobs.

Industrial court hearing begins into gymnast's death

A hearing into the death of a teenage gymnast has begun in the Industrial Magistrates Court in Townsville in north Queensland.

Film industry hires cyber hitmen to take down internet pirates

The film industry is using pirate tactics to beat the pirates – by employing “cyber hitmen” to launch attacks that take out websites hosting illegal movies.

Gunmen burst into factory in Honduras, kill 18

Men armed with assault rifles burst into a shoe factory and opened fire Tuesday, killing at least 18 workers and wounding five, Honduran authorities said.

Defense industry at risk from slow demand

Washington (UPI) Sep 7, 2010 The U.S. defense industry, currently top of global rankings with a record $700 billion turnover in 2009, risks losing its pre-eminence due to slowing demand and growing competition from rivals in Asia and South America. Warnings of an impending slump followed a spate of defense cutbacks in Europe, the end of U.S. combat role in Iraq and predictions of a drop in U.S ...

Factory workers massacred

MEN armed with assault rifles have burst into a shoe factory in Honduras and opened fire, killing at least 15 workers.

Industry funds moving on retirement products

More than 80 per cent of industry superannuation funds expect to have some sort retirement solution product in place within the next three years – and half of those expect the services to be delivered by the funds themselves.

Eastday-Industrial production set to slow

China's industrial production growth may slow to about 10 percent in the second half of the year, compared to an average increase of 17.6 percent in the first six months, according to Xin Guobin, a department head at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Study of Men Dancing Reveals Moves Ladies Love (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - Using computer-generated avatars, psychologists say they have unlocked the dance moves that will capture a woman's heart. Apparently the speed of a man's right knee and the size and variety of movements of the neck and torso are key, they suggest.

HP sues to stop ex-CEO Hurd joining Oracle (Reuters)

Reuters - Hewlett-Packard Co sued former Chief Executive Mark Hurd and asked a court to block him from joining Oracle Corp, saying his hiring by the rival technology firm puts HP's trade secrets "in peril."

Flow International posts small 1Q loss (AP)

AP - Flow International Corp., a maker of industrial waterjet machines for cutting and cleaning, nearly washed away a first-quarter loss.

US judge denies request to lift stem cell funds ban (AFP)

AFP - A US federal judge denied Tuesday the White House's request to drop his decision to temporarily block federal funding for embryonic stem cell research pending an appeal of the decision.

Defense industry at risk from slowing demand

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- The United States defense industry, currently top of global rankings with a record $700 billion turnover in 2009, risks losing its pre-eminence due to slowing demand and growing competition from rivals in Asia and South America. United States - Asia - Defense industry - United Press International - South America

Microbes are eating BP oil without using up oxygen (AP)

AP - Government scientists studying the BP disaster are reporting the best possible outcome: Microbes are consuming the oil in the Gulf without depleting the oxygen in the water and creating "dead zones" where fish cannot survive.

Factory output seen at 10%

Annual growth in Chinese factory output will slow to 10% in the second half of this year, a government has said. Beijing's drive against property speculation will reduce demand for everything from steel and cement to furniture.

Gov't launches plan to help "underwater" borrowers (AP)

AP - The Obama administration is trying to jump-start its sputtering attempts to tackle the foreclosure crisis with an effort to assist homeowners who owe more on their properties than their homes are worth.

Post-holiday pump prices should slide (AP)

AP - Motorists should see pump prices slide again after spending a little more to fill their tanks over the Labor Day weekend.

Summary Box: Worried investors turn to gold (AP)

AP - SEEKING SAFETY: Gold settled at a record high Tuesday as more worries resurfaced about European banks and the global economy.

Gold settles at record high amid economic fears (AP)

AP - Gold prices settled at a record high Tuesday following renewed worries about European banks and the global economy.

Bullish or Bearish? The World's Greatest Investors Debate. (The Motley Fool)

The Motley Fool - The bears and bulls were battling as ferociously as ever over the past month. Let's dive right into the debate, through the words of some of the world's greatest investors.

INDUSTRY & ECONOMY

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS: Mining cos say no to sharing profits, offer more to royalty fund Mining outfits opposing the Government's proposal to share profits with land losers are now willing to increase their contribution from 10 to 26 per cent to a royalty-linked development fund for the welfare of such ...

Study Finds Industry-funded Drug Trials Yield More Favorable Results

Drug trials funded by industry are more likely to report positive outcomes than are trials funded by other sources. They also are less likely to be published within two years of completion of the study. Those findings come from a study published in the Aug. 3 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

Digital River buys Journey Education Marketing (AP)

AP - Digital River Inc. on Tuesday said that it has bought online software and book retailer Journey Education Marketing Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

SEC's Schapiro: "Flash crash" report expected by month end (Reuters)

Reuters - The top U.S. securities regulator said on Tuesday that the follow-up report on what might have caused the May "flash crash" is expected by the end of September.

Scientists Drill into Ancient, Underwater Coral Reef (LiveScience.com)

LiveScience.com - A voyage to the outer edges of Australia's Great Barrier Reef has brought back pieces of an ancient, fossilized ancestor to the vast, living ecosystem.

Kan. factory worker charged with murdering teen girl whose burned body was found at workplace

A 36-year-old factory worker who spent much of his adult life in prison was charged Tuesday with sexually assaulting and murdering a 14-year-old girl whose badly burned body was found behind gra...