International Business News - FRA http://www.ibtimes.com All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 400 100 http://www.ibtimes.com/ http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif A Dutch man, his son and two daughters fell to their deaths Thursday while climbing near Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak, Italian rescuers said. The climbers, connected by rope, plunged 1,600 feet down a slope of rock, ice and snow while the children's mother watched from below, said Oscar Tajola, head of the mountain rescue corps in the nearby town of Courmayeur. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/4-dutch-climbers-killed-near-mont-blanc.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:59:28 EDT Fourteen-year-old Thula Martin knows exactly what she'll say if her teacher asks the class what they did this summer: "I ran away and joined the circus." http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/kids-run-off-to-join-the-circus-for-the-summer.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:39:46 EDT Europe's economic outlook blackened Thursday, raising questions about its ability to help prop up the United States' own feeble economy by buying its goods. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/europes-economic-outlook-darkens.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:32:12 EDT Iran signaled Thursday that it will no longer cooperate with U.N. experts probing for signs of clandestine nuclear weapons work, confirming the investigation is at a dead end a year after it began. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/97120-austria-iaea-iran.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/iran-ends-cooperation-with-un-nuclear-arms-probe.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/iran-ends-cooperation-with-un-nuclear-arms-probe.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:30:45 EDT European Union nations made little progress Thursday on a plan to introduce an Europe-wide crackdown on illegal workers and on employers that hire them or abuse their rights. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/illegal-workers-issue-stymies-european-union.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:07:53 EDT The dollar rose Thursday against the euro after new reports showed eroding business confidence in Germany and France, the euro zone's biggest economies, amid pessimism over economic prospects. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/dollar-edges-up-against-euro-in-european-trading.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:40:42 EDT French media and telecommunications giant Vivendi SA said sales grew 15.1 percent in the second quarter thanks to strong growth in its French SFR mobile telecoms business, and confirmed its target for full-year earnings growth. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/vivendi-sales-rise-in-second-quarter.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:40:30 EDT British Energy Group PLC, the largest producer of electricity in Britain, confirmed Thursday that it is in "advanced" takeover discussions with an unidentified suitor. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/british-energy-says-in-advanced-takeover-talks.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:45:30 EDT German business confidence sank last month on concerns over higher oil prices, slipping consumer spending and weakening exports, a survey showed Thursday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/survey-german-business-confidence-plunges.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:55:43 EDT Nordic telecommunications operator TeliaSonera AB reported a 7.8 percent rise in second-quarter profit on Thursday, mainly due to stronger revenues and margin improvements. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/teliasonera-says-2q-profit-rose-7-8-pct.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:43:49 EDT Budget airline easyJet PLC said it will cut flights over winter to trim costs as it revealed on Thursday it expects full-year pretax profit to fall as much as 45 percent because of higher fuel expenses. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/easyjet-to-cut-winter-flights.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:38:21 EDT Even as Renault SA reported a 37 percent increase in six-month net profit Thursday, the French carmaker said it plans to cut jobs and scale back production to adjust for lower-than-expected sales volumes and slowing economic growth. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/renault-sees-higher-profit-lowers-sales-target.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:00:47 EDT The operator of Paris' Euro Disney theme park said its sales growth slowed sharply in the third quarter, mostly because of this year's early Easter holiday. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/euro-disney-3q-sales-growth-slows.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:36:30 EDT Aircraft and automotive parts manufacturer Mecachrome International will cut 41 jobs in Canada and 150 in France as part of a restructuring amid lower demand for its products. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/mecachrome-to-lay-off-41-workers-in-canada.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:45:44 EDT French lawmakers took a step toward ending the country's decade-long experiment with a 35-hour work week, passing a bill that gives companies greater latitude to extend working hours. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/france-steps-back-from-35-hour-work-week.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:34:17 EDT Stocks skidded lower Thursday after a steeper-than-expected decline in existing home sales wiped away some of the market's optimism about upbeat earnings reports. The major indexes fell more than 1 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which fell more than 200 points. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/97009-japan-markets.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/stocks-head-for-mixed-open-ahead-of-housing-data.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/stocks-head-for-mixed-open-ahead-of-housing-data.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:25:24 EDT The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/97032-cell-phone-warning.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/pittsburgh-cancer-center-warns-of-cell-phone-risks.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/pittsburgh-cancer-center-warns-of-cell-phone-risks.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:13:28 EDT IN THE HEADLINES On first leg of his European tour, Obama discusses war and economics with Merkel ... Rice not worried by Obama's foreign policy forays overseas ... Poll: Obama builds support among Hispanic voters ... Obama wraps up tour of Israel with visit to Jerusalem holy site ... Police seek to soften protesters' disruptions at GOP convention http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/97076-mccain-2008.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/today-on-the-presidential-campaign-trail.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/today-on-the-presidential-campaign-trail.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:32:19 EDT From the solemnity of a Holocaust museum to a dusty village battered by Hamas rockets, Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama on Wednesday professed "an unshakable commitment to the security" of Israel, whether the threat comes from terrorists, Iran or elsewhere. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/96831-mideast-israel-palestinians-obama.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/obama-tells-israel-hes-committed-to-its-security.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/obama-tells-israel-hes-committed-to-its-security.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:18:34 EDT The weak U.S. dollar has not dissuaded Americans from planning trips abroad this year, but they may be heading to destinations closer to home, according to a survey released Thursday by Visa Inc. http://www.ibtimes.com/data/articleimgs/96977-olympic-advertising.jpg http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/visa-survey-shows-foreign-travel-remains-popular.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20080724/visa-survey-shows-foreign-travel-remains-popular.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:14:39 EDT