FEATURE-Rural towns struggle in two-speed Britain

(Reuters) - "I want to go to university and stay there, wherever I am."




She is not alone. Thousands of young Britons are deserting
rural towns such as Melton in search for opportunity in bigger
cities such as London and Manchester.


Read more at Reuters.com Economic News

Chinatrust Financial, HSBC, Muhibbah, Posco: Asia Ex-Japan Equity Preview

(Bloomberg) -- The following stocks may rise or fall
in Asian markets, excluding Japan, on July 9. This preview
includes news that broke after markets closed. Prices are from
the local market's last close. Stock symbols are in parentheses
after company names.

Chinatrust Financial Holding Co. (2891 TT): Chinatrust,
which owns Taiwan's largest credit-card issuer, posted a first
half profit of NT$8.17 billion ($249 million), the company said
in an e-mailed statement. The unaudited profit compares with a
loss of NT$2.25 billion in the same period a year earlier.
Chinatrust slipped 20 cents, or 0.8 percent, to NT$26.20.


Read more at Bloomberg Stocks News

ITW shares seen rising more than 20 pct: Barron's

(Reuters) - Shares in Illinois Tool Works, which have risen about 21 percent so far this year, closed on Friday at $55.81.




"It's exceptionally attractive," Barron's quotes Goldman Sachs analyst Deane Dray as saying. "It has had a nice pop, but has a lot more room to run."


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Algeria, KBR sign $2.88 bln LNG plant deal

(Reuters) - Algerian state energy firm Sonatrach signed a $2.88 billion contract with U.S. firm KBR Inc

to build a liquified natural gas (LNG) plant at eastern Skikda port, a state-owned newspaper reported on Sunday.


Read more at Reuters Africa

Total Doesn't Plan to Buy Stakes of U.S. Oil Companies Leaving Venezuela

(Bloomberg) -- Total SA, Europe's third-largest oil
company, isn't planning to take over the stakes of U.S. oil
companies that are quitting projects in Venezuela, Chief
Executive Officer Christophe de Margerie said.

The Venezuelan government took control of four oil ventures
last month. ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil Corp. refused to sign
deals, while Chevron Corp., Statoil ASA, Total SA and BP Plc
agreed on terms with the authorities.


Read more at Bloomberg Energy News

VW mulls N. America plant due to dollar weakness

(Reuters) - The euro is near an all-time high against the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen, making it harder for European-made cars to compete with those produced in the United States and Japan and causing concern among some euro-zone politicians.




Volkswagen has only one factory in North America currently, in Puebla, Mexico, which manufactures its Jetta and New Beetle cars as well as buses and trucks.


Read more at Reuters.com Business News

Qantas orders 20 more 787s for total of 65

(Reuters) - Qantas Airways Ltd. said on Friday it has made a firm order for 20 more of Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner airplanes, worth more than $3 billion at list prices, raising its total firm orders to 65 of the new planes.

The order, announced by Qantas' chief executive at a Boeing event in Seattle, Washington, makes the Australian airline operator the second-largest buyer of Boeing's new plane behind aircraft lessor International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC)


Read more at Reuters Africa