CHICAGO, April 16 (Xinhua) — Japanese automaker Toyota said Friday it will recall around 600,000 Sienna minivans in the United States, to address potential corrosion in the spare tire carrier cable.

\”This condition may appear on certain 1998 through 2010 model year Siennas that have been operated in cold climate areas with high road salt use,\” Toyota\’s U.S. subsidiary said in a statement posted on its website. It said road salts may corrode the carrier cable.

\”In the worst case, the carrier cable may fail and the spare tire could become separated from the vehicle, a road hazard for following vehicles that increases the likelihood of a crash,\” it said.

The recall of the Sienna raises the number of Toyota\’s U.S. vehicle recalls to around 6.6 million since November, 2009, according to the Detroit News.

Toyota is working on a remedy for the corrosion problem. In the meanwhile, it will write to customers, asking them to bring Siennas to their dealers for a preliminary inspection.

Once the remedy has been developed, Toyota will notify customers again.

Vehicles sold or currently registered in several cold climate states, including Michigan, are covered by the recall.

Related:

Toyota to repair stability control systems in Lexus GX 460 SUVs

TOKYO, April 15 (Xinhua) — Toyota Motor Corp. will reportedly repair possible defects in approximately 6,000 models of their high-end Lexus GX 460 sport utility vehicles (SUV), sources with knowledge of the matter said Thursday.

The world\’s largest automaker halted global sales of the model following the U.S. Consumer Reports magazine calling the GX 460 SUV a \”safety risk,\” citing the potential for the vehicle to roll over when cornering at high speeds. The magazine assigned a \”don\’t buy\” recommendation to the vehicle. Full story

Toyota to halt sales of Lexus GX 460 SUV in U.S.

CHICAGO, April 13 (Xinhua) — Toyota Motor Corp. told its dealers late Tuesday to stop selling its Lexus GX 460 SUV, after an influential magazine in the United States urged consumers not to buy the vehicle, the Detroit News reported.

The automaker has sold about 6,000 of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 model since it was introduced last fall. It is unclear how many vehicles are on dealer lots. Full story

Toyota\’s U.S. March sales up 35.3%

CHICAGO, April 1 (Xinhua) — Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc.,March sales reaches 186,863 units, an increase of 35.3 percent over the same period last year, on a daily selling rate ( DSR) basis,Toyota U.S.A. said on its website Thursday.

On a raw volume basis, unadjusted for 26 selling days in March 2010, compared to 25 selling days in March 2009, TMS sales were up 40.7 percent for the month, compared to the same period last year, according to TMS. Full story

BERLIN, April 16 (Xinhua) — Germany’s annual investment in renewable energy will be doubled to 28 billion euros (37 billion U.S. dollars ) by 2020, and the industry will become a main creator of jobs and an investment growth point.

That\’s according to the latest report from the German Association of Renewable Energy (BEE).

The report, conducted by consulting company Prognos AG at the request of the BEE, said Germany’s renewable energy industry would attract up to 235 billion euros in the next 10 years, and the green industry by 2020 would witness a fast-paced expansion in the sectors of electricity, heat and transport.

\”With the upcoming investment worth of billions of euros, the renewable energy sector will increase employment and add new values to Germany, without polluting the environment and wasting resources,” said Bjoern Klusmann, CEO of the BEE.

A stable political environment, such as the protection from the German Renewable Energy Act,“is a prerequisite for this positive development,” the CEO said in a statement.

Germany\’s alternative energy sector was expected to create 500,000 new jobs in the next 10 years, most of which would be created by German companies and be needed outside the county, the study said.

“The results of our study show that renewable energy can play an increasingly important role for Germany in the coming years, if the industry develops as expected,” Jens Hobohm, an energy expert from Prognos said in a statement.

The BEE released another forecast earlier, saying that renewable energy power plant capacities in Germany would almost triple by 2020, and the average annual growth would be 9 percent.

The quantity of power produced from renewable energies in 2020 is expected to equal 47 percent of the gross electricity production and to “guarantee a secure and affordable power supply\”, avoiding more than 200 million tonnes of carbon emissions, the forecast said.

Germany is considered one of the world leaders in developing renewable energy industry and ready to put green ideas and technologies into practice.

The Environmental Ministry reported in March that Germany last year produced 10.1 percent of its overall energy from renewable sources, such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydroelectric, up from 9.3 percent in 2008.

http://www.marconimedical.com

CANBERRA, April 16 (Xinhua) — Former Rio Tinto executive, John Francis O\’Reilly avoided jail and was released on an 18-month good behavior bond for insider trading in the Australia\’s state of Victorian Supreme Court on Friday.

O\’Reilly had pleaded guilty and was fined 30,000 dollars (27, 915 U.S. dollars) for insider trading.

Justice Terry Forrest said he accepted O\’Reilly\’s action was fueled by his \”acrimonious\” departure from the board of Indophil in 2007. And the misconduct was an \”aberration\” and O\’Reilly was unlikely to ever offend again.

If O\’Reilly breached his good behavior bond he would be required to serve a 10-month prison sentence, Justice Forrest said as reported by Australian Associated Press Friday.

O\’Reilly has bought 50,000 ordinary shares in his former company, Indophil Resources on May 13, 2008, knowing the share price would rise.

The Rio Tinto Group is a diversified, British-Australian, multinational mining and resources group with headquarters in London and Melbourne.

http://www.tbogg.com

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) — Lu Zhou Lao Jiao Co. Ltd., a well-known maker of Chinese liquor, also known as \”baijiu\”, said Friday its 2009 net profit soared 32.18 percent.

The Sichuan-based company\’s net profit jumped to 1.67 billion yuan (245 million U.S. dollars) last year, according to its annual report filed with the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Earnings per share rose 31.87 percent to 1.2 yuan.

The company, which has inherited a 400-year-old liquor-making technique, said its profit growth was largely due to increased marketing efforts and its acquisition of talent.

As of 10:30 a.m. Friday, shares of the company had risen 0.53 percent to 32.55 yuan on the report.

China has a long tradition of serving its unique clear liquor in small shot glass that are often gulped all at once at the dinner table. As clear as vodka, baijiu has a taste all unto itself.

http://www.chinacourse.com

BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) — Air China said Friday it has canceled the majority of its flights to Europe due to the enormous ash clouds from an Icelandic volcano.

The company said it will keep close watch on developments of the volcano to adjust its flights.

Passengers could log on wwww.airchina.com.cn or dial 4008100999 for the latest information.

Related:?

Widespread airline cancellations imposed in LAX due to volcanic ash in Europe

LOS ANGELES, April 15 (Xinhua) — All flights originated from the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to British airports were canceled on Thursday until at least 10 p.m. Pacific time ( 0500 GMT) due to the volcanic ash hung in the atmosphere above British and European airports, airlines and airport officials said.Full story

Icelandic authorities say volcanic eruption stabilizing

STOCKHOLM, April 15 (Xinhua) — The Icelandic Civil Protection Authorities said Thursday evening that the force of the volcanic eruption under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in southern Iceland appeared to be steady, according to reports from Reykjavik.?Full Story

Volcanic ash from Iceland halts air traffic in Finland

HELSINKI, April 15 (Xinhua) — An ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Iceland on Wednesday shut down all of Finland\’ s airports on Thursday, halting air traffic in the country.Full story

Paris suspends flights to north Europe over volcano eruption

PARIS, April 15 (Xinhua) — Paris Roissy Airport said Thursday it had suspended all flights to the United Kingdom and Scandinavia from 12:00 (1000 GMT) because of an erupting volcano in Iceland.Full story

All British airports closed due to Iceland volcano ash

LONDON, April 15 (Xinhua) — All British airports were closed on Thursday after a massive cloud of ash from an erupting volcano in Iceland drifted into Britain\’s airspace.Full story

Iceland volcanic ash grounds flights across northern Europe

LONDON, April 15 (Xinhua) — Drifting clouds of volcanic ash from Iceland grounded hundreds of flights in northern Europe on Thursday, closing airspace in Britain, Germany, and Scandinavia.Full story

Kenya Airways says UK flights affected by Iceland volcano

NAIROBI, April 15 (Xinhua) — Kenya\’s national carrier, Kenya Airways said Thursday its flights to Britain will be affected due to volcanic eruption in Iceland which sent clouds of volcanic ash towards the airspace across Europe.Full story

Iceland volcanic ash to ground flights in Germany

BERLIN, April 15 (Xinhua) — Due to the drifting volcanic ashes from Iceland, air space over northwestern Germany will be closed from 14:00 local time (1200 GMT) on Thursday, German media quoted European air control authorities Eurocontrol as saying.Full story

Iceland volcanic ash suspends flights in London, Norway, Sweden

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) — China\’s coal output grew 28.1 percent year on year to well over 751 million tonnes in the first quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Thursday.

The increase indicates China has built up a large coal production capacity after a rapid growth in fixed asset investment for coal, according to an analysis by the China National Coal Association (CNCA).

The report estimates China\’s total coal production capacity has exceeded 3.6 billion tonnes.

Mergers and acquisitions in coal-rich areas such as Shanxi Province, Henan Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are expected to create large coal mine groups and further raise the nation\’s coal production, the report said.

http://www.marconimedical.com

HOUSTON, April 15 (Xinhua) — Two major U.S. carriers, Continental Airlines and United Airlines, are in merger talks, a move which could result in the world\’s largest airline, a source close to the talks said Thursday.

The talks between Houston-based Continental and Chicago-based United are in the very early stages, though much of the groundwork was laid in 2008, the source was quoted by U.S. media as saying.

The two carriers came very close to a merger in 2008, but their talks were suspended at the request of Continental\’s board, and Continental chose to pursue an alliance instead.

The United-Continental talks come after news reports said last week that United and Arizona-based US Airways are engaged in similar talks.

Those merger discussions are aimed at cutting costs and competing with the now merged Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines, sources said.

United\’s talks with both carriers are expected to progress rapidly, and a decision is expected within 30 days, a well-informed source was quoted by local media as saying.

All three carriers declined to comment.

Analysts believe the airlines have ample reasons to act swiftly and consider mergers to make them profitable.

The industry, which is struggling with high fuel prices and a pullback in consumer consumption due to a weak economy, has lost some 50 billion U.S. dollars in the past decade.

Observers believe Continental would be a better choice for United since their merger would form the world\’s largest airline, with relatively little overlap in their networks.

A Continental-United deal would also be easier to get through the labor unions, which can be a major force in getting a deal approved. United\’s pilot union on Thursday voiced support for a United-Continental merger.

A United-US Airways deal would create the world\’s second-largest airline.

http://www.gemuhope.com

Video: More measures to regulate property market

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) — The Chinese government has raised the down payment for second-home buyers to a minimum 50 percent of the value from 40 percent, in a bid to curb property speculation.

The decision was announced in a statement released Thursday after conclusion of an executive meeting of the State Council, the Cabinet, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, on Wednesday.

First-home buyers must pay no less than 30 percent of the the property price if the area is above 90 square meters, the statement said.

The government was stepping up the introduction of tax policies to influence purchases and adjust property investment returns, said the statement.

Nationwide, land use for the construction of low-income housing, shanty town renovation and small and medium-sized homes (below 90 square meters) should account for at least 70 percent of the land approved for property development, the statement said.

It also urged local authorities to accelerate housing construction approvals to ensure effective land supply, and crack down on land hoarding and speculatory behavior.

Related:

China to increase land supply for housing to guide property market

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) — The Chinese government said Thursday it plans to increase the land supply available for residential property, in a bid to guide the country\’s runaway property market into more healthy development.

China will supply 180,000 hectares of land nationwide to build houses this year, excluding the Tibet Autonomous Region, compared with an area of 76,461 hectares in 2009, the Ministry of Land and Resources said.? Full story

Chinese city home prices soar nearly 12% in March as property market continues to hot up

BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) — China\’s property market continued to hot up in March with home prices in major cities growing at a double-digit pace, even as the government tries to rein in prices, official data released Wednesday showed.

Home prices in China\’s 70 large and medium-sized cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou increased 11.7 percent in March from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement on its website.? Full story

China\’s economic recovery momentum strong, difficulties remain: Cabinet

BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhua) — China\’s economic development environment remains \”very complex\” with difficulties and problems persisting in the process of its economic recovery, said the State Council Wednesday.

The national economy was heading toward the goal of macroeconomic regulation, with a strong foundation for economic recovery, said a statement released after a Wednesday executive meeting of the State Council, the Cabinet, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao.? Full story

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) — Japan\’s automaker Mazda Motor would recall 54,641 1.6-liter Mazda3/Axela compact cars in China from Friday, according to China\’s quality inspection authorities Thursday.

Mazda Motor said it had asked its two Chinese joint ventures to recall the cars, said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

According to the administration, an oil hose and a radiator shroud panel have been placed too close together, which may result in oil leaks. The affected cars may fail to run properly in extreme cases.

The recall covers 10,346 imported Mazda3 sedans produced between

February 12, 2008 and March 31, 2009, and 44,295 home-made ones produced

between November 29, 2006 and October 30, 2009.

The AQSIQ said Mazda Motor\’s two joint ventures in China, FAW Mazda and Chang\’an Ford Mazda, would fix the faulty oil hose of the recalled cars for free.

http://www.gemuhope.com

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) — The Chinese government said Thursday it plans to increase the land supply available for residential property, in a bid to guide the country\’s runaway property market into more healthy development.

China will supply 180,000 hectares of land nationwide to build houses this year, excluding the Tibet Autonomous Region, compared with an area of 76,461 hectares in 2009, the Ministry of Land and Resources said.

Areas for low-cost housing, renovated shanty houses and small- and medium sized apartments will be allocated more than 70 percent of the total land supply, the ministry said.

http://www.qb-china.com