Airbus A400M Needs States’ Help to Continue, CEO Says

BloombergDec. 11 (Bloomberg) — Airbus SAS’s A400M military transport, which performed its maiden flight today in Seville, isn’t viable without a “significant contribution” from government customers, the planemaker’s chief executive said.Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders said his company’s first military plane and thousands of jobs connected with depend on the governments’… Read more

Brown Defends Deficit Reduction Plan

Wall Street JournalLONDON — The U.K.’s deficit reduction plan is more “detailed” than those of most other countries, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday.Speaking at a press conference at the end of a European Council meeting in Brussels, Mr. Brown said he believes the markets understand that the U.K. must get the economy back to growth, as well as drive down its deficit over time.”I… Read more

EU offers 7.2 bln euros in climate aid

Yahoo! NewsBRUSSELS (AFP) – European Union nations have agreed to give 7.2 billion euros (10.6 billion dollars) to help developing nations tackle climate change, the Swedish EU presidency announced on Friday."The EU total is equal to 2.4 billion euros per year," over the next three years, with voluntary pledges coming in from all 27 EU member states, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik… Read more

EU vows climate aid to poor nations

Al Jazeera EnglishEuropean leaders have agreed to give $10.6bn to developing countries over the next three years in a bid to help them tackle climate change.The funding, agreed by all 27 member states at a meeting in Brussels on Friday, is also an attempt to encourage poorer nations to sign up to a deal at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen.Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, said the offer… Read more

KAR Auction IPO raises less than hoped

ForbesKAR Auction Services Inc. shares will make their trading debut Friday, but the auctioneer of used and salvaged vehicles raised less than it had hoped in its initial public offering. The company’s IPO priced well below its expected range at a time of deep uncertainty in the auto industry.Vehicle sales in the U.S. have been at historic lows this year as the recession weighed on consumers’… Read more