About 600 workers of the cashew processing factory Olam Mocambique, in the northern province of Nampula, have gone on strike in protest against cuts in their wages.
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The South African economy showed growth in the first quarter of 2011 of 4.8 percent, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said on Tuesday.
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UPS is known for its amazing level of efficiency, and that reputation could soon extend to fuel savings thanks to a prototype dubbed CV-23. The delivery company has ordered five of these prototypes to be tested through the end of 2011, but this is no ordinary next-generation package hauler.
The CV-23 weighs about a thousand pounds less than the typical UPS truck, thanks to the fact that it is made with composite materials instead of metal. The lightweight materials could help UPS deliver up to 40 percent better fuel economy than the current UPS fleet truck. Those kinds of fuel economy gains can pay huge dividends in rural areas where trucks are required to drive large distances. And since the body panels are plastic, bumpers, panels and other parts can be replaced easily.
Hit the jump to watch video of the CV-23 as it is tested by UPS management. If the company is sufficiently impressed, the guys and gals in brown could order more trucks, potentially saving 84 million gallons of fuel per year. We’re guessing drivers will want to see some crash test data before seeing what brown plastic can do for them, but otherwise, this seems like a pretty good idea.
Continue reading UPS testing plastic trucks that cut weight by 1,000 pounds [w/video]
UPS testing plastic trucks that cut weight by 1,000 pounds [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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US retail giant Walmart can go ahead and acquire a controlling stake in Massmart, with conditions, the Competition Tribunal said on Tuesday.
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Moscow's Domodedovo Airport had been planning to provide an initial public offering to investors this week, allowing folks from around the world to buy shares in the currently private company …
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Syria's official SANA news agency reports that President Bashar al-Assad has decreed a general amnesty for Muslim Brotherhood members and political prisoners after more than two months of …
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Filed under: Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Nissan, Renault
Renault has a new chief operating officer. Carlos Tavares, formerly the Chief Executive Officer for Nissan Americas, will now fill the void left by former Renault COO Patrick Pelata. Pelata left the French automaker amid a botched spy scandal investigation that saw a rash of Renault executives lose their positions. Taveres has a long history with Renault, having served with the company for 24 years before being assigned to the U.S. with Nissan Americas in 2003. His move back to Renault has been rumored for some time and the company hopes that its new executive can help point sales in a better direction.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Tavares’ old role will be handled by many hands. Colin Dodge will serve as chairman of the Americas in addition to retaining his title as Executive Vice President, Chief Performance Officer and Chairman of Nissan operations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and India. Dodge will be joined by Bill Krueger, who will now take up the mantle of Vice Chairman.
Krueger previously served as the Head of Manufacturing, Purchasing and Supply Chain Management for Nissan. TheDetroitBureau.com reports that Krueger will move farther up the chain should he be able to prove himself in his new role. Click past the break for a look at the full press release.
Continue reading Nissan Americas’ Tavares becomes Renault COO on heels of spy scandal
Nissan Americas’ Tavares becomes Renault COO on heels of spy scandal originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Chrysler, Dodge, Police/Emergency
Chrysler has agreed to replace a Dodge Charger Pursuit and all of the police gear inside for free after the vehicle mysteriously burnt to the ground. As you may recall, a Curry County, Oregon sheriff’s deputy saw his new cruiser (which had 6,000 miles on it) go crispy after stopping to assist in a search and rescue operation.
Patrick Combs, the rescuee, was found and taken to a local hospital by ambulance, but deputy Jared Gray’s new Charger Patrol didn’t survive the scene. The fire seemed to take hold in the passenger-side front wheel well and continued to reignite after fire crews extinguished the blaze.
There was one small caveat to the vehicle’s generous replacement, however. In exchange for the new set of wheels, the sheriff’s department had to agree to sign a non-disclosure, which means we may never know exactly what set the car ablaze.
As our friends at The J point out, no reports of toasty civilian Chargers have been made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Chrysler replaces Dodge Charger police car after ‘suspicious’ fire originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nissan‘s latest Leaf-related ad asks: “What would the world be like if gas powered everything?”
Well, according to the spot, a middle-aged man would wake up for work to the burning whistle of his gas-powered alarm clock, and with a few fierce tugs at his coffee maker’s rip cord, he’d manage to fire up the gas-gulping machine. That same man, while at the office, would walk up to a miniature gas pump to refuel his laptop computer.
Oh, and the owner of a Chevrolet Volt, while standing at the gas pump refueling his plug-in hybrid, would watch in envy as another man across the street unplugs his Nissan Leaf and drives off.
Well, as you may have guessed, some General Motors execs aren’t too thrilled that Nissan has taken a public shot at the Volt. Autoevolution says that in a “rare, but delicious unofficial reply on Twitter,” GM’s Executive Director of Product and Technology Communications, Jason Laird, tweeted:
“A carmaker poking gentle fun at our product ignores tow trucks they need and rental cars they recommend as backup to their product.“
On the other hand, GM spokesman Rob Peterson, called the commercial “cute,” but says that it’s “misleading and damaging to the electric vehicle movement,” according to Autoevolution.
Hit the jump to watch Nissan’s now-controversial “Gas Powered Everything” clip.
Continue reading GM responds to Nissan Leaf “Gas Powered Everything” ad [w/video]
GM responds to Nissan Leaf “Gas Powered Everything” ad [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Filed under: Sedan, Volkswagen, Diesel, Long-Term Garage
If you had told us last year that this year’s most controversial redesign would be the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, we would’ve politely walked away and laughed at your outrageous claim behind your back. We’re like that. But here we are, and the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta is, arguably, the most controversial redesign of the year.
Jetta fans and auto journalists have been less than enthused with the changes. Buyers, however, apparently disagree. Sales of the new Jetta through April are up 68.8 percent. So which camp is right?
After the untimely demise of our last long-term Jetta (follow the jump for the whole story), a 2010 model year TDI Cup Street Edition, we were offered a 2011 model to take its place. Driving these two diesel Jettas back-to-back will help us craft a before-and-after snapshot of what the car has gained and lost with this latest redesign.
Continue reading 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI joins Autoblog’s Long-Term Garage
2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI joins Autoblog’s Long-Term Garage originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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