Reuters: Basic Materials

Australia shares extend losses on Bernanke comment, China PMI

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:01:54 -0400

SYDNEY, May 23 (Reuters) - Australian shares fell 1.5 percent in late morning trade on Thursday, after Wall Street retreated over worries that the U.S. Federal Reserve may consider winding back its economic stimulus programme, and weak data from China.

RPT-Ford to close Australia auto plants

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:14:27 -0400

SYDNEY, May 23 (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 to close Australia auto plants

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:53:51 -0400

SYDNEY, May 23 (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.

UPDATE 1-Ford to close Australia auto plants - reports

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:24:30 -0400

* Strong Australia dollar, cheaper imports hurt local manufacturers

Australia's James Hardie Q4 profit down 11 pct, outlook cautious

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:19:11 -0400

SYDNEY, May 22 (Reuters) - Australian building materials group James Hardie Industries Ltd reported an 11 percent fall in fourth-quarter profit after declines in sales prices in the United States and Europe offset improved sales volumes in those markets.

EXCLUSIVE-Glencore, Trafigura deals with Iran may have skirted sanctions -UN

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:42:39 -0400

* Iran violates sanctions using front firms, false papers -report

EXCLUSIVE-Glencore, Trafigura deals with Iran may have skirted sanctions -UN

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:02:54 -0400

* Iran violates sanctions using front firms, false papers -report

UPDATE 1-UK, France to join resource transparency initiative

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:22:41 -0400

GENEVA/LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - The UK and French governments will join a global initiative that will require oil and mining firms to comply with new disclosure measures aimed at tackling corruption, British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday.

EXCLUSIVE-Glencore, Trafigura Iran deals may have skirted sanctions-UN

Wed, 22 May 2013 17:18:38 -0400

UNITED NATIONS, May 22 (Reuters) - Metals swap deals with Iran by Switzerland-based commodities giants Glencore Xstrata and Trafigura could have been a way of skirting international sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program, according to a confidential U.N. Panel of Experts report seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

In China, food scares put Mao's self-sufficiency goal at risk

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:55:32 -0400

BEIJING, May 23 (Reuters) - The discovery of dangerous levels of toxic cadmium in rice sold in the southern city of Guangzhou, the latest in a series of food scandals, has piled more pressure on China to clean up its food chain - possibly at the expense of Mao Zedong's cherished goal of self-sufficiency.