UPDATE 3-GM to close down Hummer after China understanding fizzles

Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:07pm EST Related News UPDATE 2-China rejects Tengzhong"s Hummer bid -sourceWed, Feb 24 2010Official denies China has rejected Tengzhong"s Hummer bidTue, Feb 23 2010Chinese regulators reject Tengzhong"s Hummer bid -sourceTue, Feb 23 2010UPDATE 2-Tengzhong may buy Hummer via offshore vehicle -sourceTue, Feb 23 2010Tengzhong may buy Hummer via offshore vehicle -sourceMon, Feb 22 2010 Stocks & &

* GM says could not complete deal to sell Hummer to China

Stocks&&&&Currencies&&&&Regulatory News&&&&Mergers & Acquisitions

* Tengzhong says Beijing rejected its bid to buy Hummer

* Closure puts about 3,000 jobs at stake (Recasts first sentence, adds details on Hummer, GM comments,reasons for Beijing rejecting the deal)

By Soyoung Kim and David Bailey

DETROIT, Feb 24 (Reuters) - General Motors Co [GM.UL] willwind down its iconic but tarnished Hummer brand after Chineseregulators rejected a $150 million bid by an obscure Chinesemachinery maker to buy the money-losing SUV line.

GM had been trying to complete the deal by the end ofFebruary after reaching a definitive agreement in October tosell Hummer to Tengzhong, a little-known heavy machinerycompany based in Sichuan province.

The collapse of the deal represents another setback for GM,which had been working to shed unprofitable brands and focus onits four core brands -- Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC --after emerging from bankruptcy in July.

Closure of Hummer would put about 3,000 jobs at stake,including manufacturing workers, dealers, staff members, andother areas, GM spokesman Nick Richards said. The brand has 153U.S. dealers.

A brand that grew out of the U.S. military multipurposevehicle known as the Humvee produced by AM General, Hummer waslauded early on for a tough image but became synonymous withgas-guzzling excess when consumers became more interested inhigh oil prices and environmental responsibility.

GM bought the Hummer brand from AM General in 1999 and wenton to produce several civilian models.

"We have considered a number of possibilities for Hummeralong the way, and we are disappointed that the deal withTengzhong could not be completed," John Smith, GM vicepresident of corporate planning and alliances, said in astatement.

"GM will now work closely with Hummer employees, dealersand suppliers to wind down the business in an orderly andresponsible manner," Smith said.

Tengzhong, in an emailed statement to Reuters, said it andGM have decided to terminate the agreement after failing to winChinese regulatory approval within the proposed time frame.

"Tengzhong worked earnestly to achieve an acquisition thatit believed to be a tremendous opportunity to acquire a globalbrand at an attractive price," the company said.

Industry experts and sources with knowledge of thesituation told Reuters Tengzhong had faced questions in Chinaover how a little-known heavy machinery maker with nointernational experience could buy and turn around a strugglingforeign brand like Hummer.

Many also said that regulators might balk at letting aChinese firm acquire a U.S. brand known for making gas-guzzlingvehicles at a time when China was emphasizing the developmentof more environmentally friendly technologies.

The privately owned Tengzhong was formed in 2005 throughseveral mergers and has fewer than 5,000 employees.

THIRD FAILED SALE BY GM

GM said it will continue to honor warranties and provideservice support and spare parts to current Hummer owners.

This marks the third sale of a GM brand that has fallenthrough or been abandoned by the automaker, which wasrestructured in bankruptcy last year, backed by some $50billion in U.S. taxpayer funding.

A tentative deal reached by GM to sell its Saturn brand toPenske Automotive Group Inc (PAG.N) also collapsed at the endof September, just before it was expected to close.

GM also scrapped a plan to sell its Germany-based Opel unitto a group led by Magna International (MGa.TO) last year.

The wind-down of Hummer is expected to take several monthsand GM will continue to entertain viable offers early in theprocess, Richards said.

GM has not built any new Hummers at its plant inShreveport, Louisiana, since mid-January and currently hasabout 2,500 vehicles in dealer inventory.

The Shreveport plant continues to build the GMC Canyon andChevrolet Colorado mid-sized trucks.

GM put Hummer up for sale initially in summer 2008, a fullyear before the automaker fell into a government-supportedbankruptcy reorganization in which it planned to divest Hummer,Saturn, Saab and a controlling stake in Opel.

Hummer"s U.S. sales have plunged to just above 9,000 lastyear from nearly 56,000 in 2007. About two-thirds of its saleshave been in the United States and one-third internationally. (Reporting by Soyoung Kim and David Bailey, editing by MatthewLewis)

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VIDEO: Manchester City trainer Roberto Mancini declares Wayne Bridge ready to face John Terry at Chelsea

Wayne Bridge will play for Manchester City at Chelsea. Although Bridgepulled out of the World Cup, City boss Roberto Mancini feels he is inthe right frame to play at Stamford Bridge - and face John Terry.

More...Wayne Bridge to face John Terry after Roberto Mancini confirms defender"s place in Manchester City squad at ChelseaBridge can"t wait to play against Terry at Chelsea, says Man City stopper Given

I instruct I didnt have to set upon says British Airways stewardess

Philip Pank & , : {}

After twelve years as a BA stewardess, Kate is ready to stick on the blocking and mount shoulder to shoulder with colleagues at one of multiform criticism areas around Heathrow.

We are all disturbed about the loss of gain and the stroke this will have on the jobs, she told The Times. I goal the kinship and BA can sort things out prior to Saturday, but things are not seeking good.

She feels so in jeopardy by BA and the cost-cutting bulletin that she has concluded as a have a difference of last review to set upon opposite the association she loves. At the finish of the day, it is my pursuit I am fighting for, but I can additionally assimilate the business point of perspective and how they are going to get messed around. I am not a belligerent person. I unequivocally instruct I was not carrying to take piece in this. I dont assimilate since they cant only sort it out.

The kinship says BA has got the own agenda. They contend it is their way, or no way. I do assimilate that income needs to be saved, but there was no negotiation. It was only imposed.

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"I thought, Hang on a minute, if Willie Walsh is peaceful to deliver that with no consultation, what is he going to do next? The deception of these changes will only lead to more. I do not think he wants to negotiate.

I think Willie Walsh was brought in to get cabin crew. They hold we are over-paid and that is since Willie Walsh was brought in. I think he has been thinking, let them set upon so that I can have these changes. A lot of cabin organisation are frightened to quarrel behind since they are disturbed about the consequences. It is horrible that we are carrying to fight.

The stewardess is assured that BA managers are vigilant on violation the hold of the union. Ninety-seven per cent of BA cabin organisation go to Unite.

When I assimilated BA, I assimilated the kinship true afar since I thought if anything happens to me and my pursuit I would need that cover. If anything went wrong you only went true to the union. It right away seems that the association is not happy about that and they are perplexing to pull them out more.

Its one big kinship fighting opposite one big association and I goal we do not get lost in the middle.

hair wig

Wing masters Shane Williams and Tommy Bowe done for Bill McLaren sorcery Six Nations Rugby

Commentary: Gerald Davies & , : {}

At Murrayfield yesterday dusk a reverence night was hold for Bill McLaren, whose stoical criticism and understand carried rugby to an assembly far over the bobble top and be-scarfed tanner bank devotee. He finished clarity of a scabby diversion and finished a clearly unlovely competition loveable. His soft cadences were those of copperplated poetry.

Of Ieuan Evanss try opposite his dear Scotland in 1988 he evoked the golden difference of myth. As the Wales wing glided along a mesmerising and circuitous trail of sidestep, from right to left, to leave unfortunate defenders floundering in his arise and to hold down nearby the posts, McLaren prisoner the impulse in that it was magic, sorcery all the way, not even Merlin the wizard could have finished any better. It was one of most McLarenisms parched in the memory.

Evans was a stimulating wing. Shane Williams is the benefaction phenomenon of the crafty and smart rugby bent in the carmine of Wales. Tomorrow an additional player of radiant brilliance, Tommy Bowe, will straddle Croke Park and wear the immature of Ireland. What a competition lies in wait for and one wonders what difference the good writer would have conjured up to report the special gifts of dual of the most appropriate players in their on all sides in the world.

They are really opposite in style. Bowes bent emerges from a still impulse as if carrying surveyed the theatre after wordless contemplation. When Bowe strikes, he does so from a point of proof and calculation; no darting and flickering. There is a ease in the heart of Bowe as he chooses his moment. He never overdoes what is compulsory of him. He is a ease presence.

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He is most the bigger man of the two. He can run and follow with the energy we should design from a player of his size, as he showed in the initial of his dual tries at Twickenham a fortnight ago. He ran with ease and joy but at any theatre forcing his run. There is economy, too; no clarity of squandered effort. His footwork is light and he is nimble, as demonstrated in his second try. He has scored 6 in his past eleven RBS Six Nations Championship matches.

Williams, with twenty-one tries in his past twenty-five matches for Wales, can be fidgety, desirous to get on with counts compared with the some-more totalled Bowe.

No one plays utterly similar to Williams. What he does and how he does it cannot be created down. To try to insist what he does can go usually half the way. To know what he does, he contingency be seen. Against France in the shutting mins he sidestepped, afterwards leapt over the deviate leg of a untimely defender but losing his change and defended carry out to measure his 50th try for his country.

It is the synchronisation of the multiform actions, of the stroke and the dash of the total deed, that accomplishes the sorcery of the deception; and of the gigantic variety. There is no still finish of the day when Williams is prowling mischievously around. He is a free spirit. There are times when he fails, perplexing to do as well much. Thats his nature.

Yet he has supposing the impulse of the championship so far. Not the tries he has scored or the feeling he has hidden himself in to the assorted critical moves and so contributed almost to reviving Waless fortunes after their puzzling lapses in to their seasons unchanging catch-up game. It was that jump of his to reach higher than dual taller Scotsmen to waylay the round with his fingertips to win the contest. He afterwards had the participation of mind in mid-air, when there was so most else to take up him, to call symbol in the singular space nearby the dilemma posts.

There is economy of transformation in Bowe, imprudence in Williams. There is childish merriment in the Welshman even though he is right away 33, discriminating majority in the Irishman who is 7 years his junior; enthusiasm in the one, ripeness in the other. Eager frolic for Williams, whilst Bowe is patiently calm in external appearance, meaningful that his time will certainly come. Both have a competitiveness that hides at the back of a smiling face and excellent demeanour. They have conviction in themselves. They are a pleasure to watch and of good credit to a rough-and-tumble sport.

One of the most joys of a Lions debate is the friendships struck. For the mindful at a duty after the Twickenham centenary compare opposite Wales, it was of no small stress to see players from the dual sides who were companions together for 7 weeks with the Lions sell chaff and tall tales. After the feverishness of the afternoons battle, to declare the togetherness was heart-warming.

Doubtless it will be the same for Bowe and Williams. They were excellent tourists in South Africa. Williams competence cruise himself unlucky, the round not issuing his approach until he strutted his things with dual tries in the last international. Bowe, throughout, had his moments in the object and played in all 3 internationals. He is mending with each game.

McLaren would be anxious in a much-changed diversion to see the often abandoned on all sides of wing being so expertly highlighted, in their apart ways, by dual such excellent practitioners.

hair wig

Fashion Statement at Paris conform week Life and character

FASHION DILEMMA

Was Alexander McQueen"s post-mortem show a wise farewell?

Alexander McQueen"s last collection. Photograph: Catwalking.com

Jess Cartner-Morley witnessed an disdainful phenomenon of sixteen looks accomplished by Alexander McQueen"s group after his death:

"For fifteen mins today, in a grand Paris sketch room with mountainous white ceilings gloriously flounced with gilt, Alexander McQueen came behind to life.

When the initial indication walked in to the room, there was an heard money coming in of breath. Four weeks after the designer"s death, the pick up he had been operative on was eventually unveiled. And his suggestion was right there - in the skullcap of bandages dissected by a mohican of lacquered feathers, in the extreme black boots with bullion angels sculpted in to the heels, in the robust energy of the parsimonious flush bodice and the approach the pleated and stormy dress appeared to have come not from the past or the destiny but from a little alternative dimension where the dual meet. Every square was cut on the mount by McQueen, the assembly was told beforehand; once the garments appeared, there could have been no doubt.

Of the outfits, sixteen were 80% accomplished - they were accomplished by his group and seen for the initial time today. The pick up was indeed spectacular; the mood, in the face of the justification of what conform has lost, was bleak."

Read Jess"s full inform here and perspective some-more cinema of the pick up here.

FASHION HIGHS Blinging it up at Balmain. Photograph: Jacques Brinon/AP

The soundtrack at Balmain Held in a whim Parisian dance hall with a candelabrum the distance of a black taxi swinging over the catwalk, the Balmain show was a two-fingered salute to the pared-back, despotic cultured that pervaded Paris. The show was as OTT as it gets - lots of tacky gold, big shoulders (still), and brocade tailoring. Sort of disco-highwaymen-meets-glam-rockers. But the soundtrack had the majority impact. Even the some-more concerned members of the front row were bopping along to Prince"s "Let"s Go Crazy". The assembly left and duly downloaded.

Celine Celine Celine The conform universe has the greatest ever vanquish on Phoebe Philo at the moment, and don"t pattern us to be all formidable and contrary, since we"re all besotted too. Throughout the week the conform press armed forces was in and out of the Celine boutique, ferreting around for despotic camel coats, the undiluted Breton tee and beautifully tedious handbags. By the time of the show, hold at the Tennis Club de Paris, the fad was hectic - or as hectic as minimalist Celine-ites get. And we weren"t disappointed: from the gold-heeled roving boots to the stand-up neck cuff army nap coats, the show was perfection. Even the dark orange runner on the catwalk filled the hearts with joy. Merci, Phoebe!

Loewe"s café catwalk We utterly enjoyed the lightbox grid-come-catwalk fabricated in the Hotel de Crillon for the Balenciaga show, but on change the prime catwalk was the runway agreement at Loewe. Round cafe-style tables lined the room, mixing the dual prime Parisian things - sipping champagne in cafes and catwalk-watching. Did we similar to the 40s-inspired show? Yes. Did one British slick repository editor bluster to take the pleasing champagne eyeglasses afterwards? Yes, she did.

FASHION LOWS Rick Owens: headache-inducing. Photograph: Eric Ryan/Getty Images

The Rick Owens soundtrack First up, because did roughly each part of of the assembly see similar to they were associated to the long-haired designer? But some-more to the point, because on earth did he have a soundtrack that was so unbelievably shrill and assertive that we felt ill? Now, we similar to the thought of a second skin tanned hide Rick Owens coupler with a strap of a lapel as majority as the subsequent girl, but the 4am Berlin coma song was distracting to contend the least. We"re not as well penetrating on the hair steel piece hoods, either.

No French Vogue at Balenciaga A bit similar to carrying a croissant but the jam - someway not utterly the same. We desired the participation of Charlotte "she desirous the perfume" Gainsbourg, but we longed for the participation of La Roitfeld. The reason for the blacklisting is rumoured to be a malfeasance with a representation that someway found the approach to the Maxmara pattern college of music - where Carine is a expert - and was copied. But zero has been reliable by possibly side. "Ask them", was Carine"s puzzling reply to traffic piece WWD.

Absent friends Two British-based designers paid reverence to Alexander McQueen in their show notes. Stella McCartney wrote: "This one is additionally for Lee - you"re missed", and Roland Mouret simply typed "Goodbye Lee" at the dilemma of his.

TRENDWATCH

Hidden knees. A somewhat 70s, below-the-knee hemline is the New Length according to Ms Philo, and she is the character lawmaker right now. You competence wish to think about wearing it with a accurate discriminating tanned hide tip to keep things the pointy side of dowdy, mind.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Since "tis nature"s law to change, being continuous alone is strange.

John Galliano receiving a bow. Photograph: Thibault Camus/AP

That"s John Galliano quoting Jon Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester and a 17th-century poet. You see - he"s not only the Dior engineer with issuing locks, a arrogant beard and a gusto for receiving the longest, majority over-dramatic crawl in fashion. He"s deep.

OFFCUTS

Who wore what to the Oscars 2010? Rachel Dixon assessed all the outfits on the night, whilst Jess Cartner-Morley and Imogen Fox chose the twenty best-dressed celebs the subsequent day.

Why didn"t Lindsay Lohan spin up at the Ungaro show? Looks similar to the actor/designer has been sensitively dropped.

Want ideally made eyebrows? Check out makeup artist Alex Byrne"s video guide to brow beauty.

Are you a man? Then grow a beard! Imogen Fox explains what your character of facial hair says about you.

Interested in shoes? Of march you are, so take a see at the video about John Lobb, one of the last superfluous bespoke shoemakers in Britain.

For all the ultimate conform news, revisit guardian.co.uk/fashion

News to discuss it us? Email kate.carter@guardian.co.uk

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Tessa Jowell speaks of happiness after David Mills is privileged of corruption

Richard Owen in Rome and David Brown & , : {}

Tessa Jowell spoke yesterday of her happiness after her disloyal father was privileged of crime among conjecture that they might be reconciled.

The Olympics Minister distant from David Mills 4 years ago when she certified being unknowingly that he had paid off piece of their debt with $600,000 (�390,000) at the centre of an Italian temptation case.

Ms Jowell described the past 4 years as a calamity but pronounced she had not had a probability to cruise what the destiny would right away hold.

At the time of their separation, she was being investigated by parliamentary authorities for unwell to jot down sum of her husbands monetary affairs, whilst Mr Mills was confronting the probability of a extensive jail sentence. The integrate have often been seen together, and a close crony pronounced last night that he hoped they would get behind together.

Related LinksJowells father faces eighteen months residence detain Decision day for David Mills on temptation chargeThe tip of Berlusconi"s recognition

Ms Jowell, 62, yesterday suggested her service after the temptation charges opposite her counsel father were discharged on a technicality.

I am gay for him and I am gay for my total family: for him and them it is the finish of what has been a prolonged nightmare, she pronounced whilst on vacation her subdivision in Dulwich, South London.

Ms Jowell, who is additionally a Minister for the Cabinet Office, pronounced she did not instruct to plead the prospects of returning to normal tied together hold up with her husband. Asked about plans for their destiny together she replied: I dont know, I have no thought about that.

Mr Mills, 65, had changed to farming Warwickshire after the subdivision in Mar 2006, whilst his mother remained at the family home in Highgate, North London. But there have been countless sightings of the integrate together, and Mr Mills helped his mother to move to a new prosaic last year, and there was an unconfirmed reported that he had stayed the night. A close crony of Mr Mills reliable that the integrate were in unchanging contact. They do see each other, and are still really lustful of each other. I would not be astounded if they got behind together.

The integrate were tied together in 1979 and have dual young kids together, whilst Mr Mills has 3 young kids from a prior relationship. They were both key total in the new Labour round around Tony Blair, and Ms Jowell was done a health apportion in 1997 prior to being promoted to Culture Secretary in 2001. Ms Jowell was described as carrying felt really really bad let down and tricked by her husbands behaviour, but had one after another to love him. They have distant all their monetary affairs to equivocate any serve domestic embarrassment. Ms Jowell was not concerned in the liaison over MPs expenses, and will not wish to risk any uninformed debate over her husbands activities prior to the election.

Italys top justice on Thursday threw out charges opposite Mr Mills for usurpation a cheat to give dubious sworn statement on interest of Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister, in crime trials since they occurred outward a ten-year government of limitations.

Post your open photographs on the Flickr organisation Environment

Snowdrops flourishing in Suffolk. Photograph: Graham Turner

Despite a sincerely late attainment this year since of cold continue (in new years the deteriorate has been starting eleven days progressing than usual), the signs of open are once again on us.

To celebrate, we"re pciking up photos of the deteriorate by asking you to supplement your photos to the Flickr group. We"re meddlesome in both flora and fauna and all locations are of interest, but the organisation is usually for photos of this year"s spring.

We"ll underline a little of the favourites on guardian.co.uk and may be in the journal version of the Guardian as well. By posting your cinema in this organisation you determine to let this occur (though copyright stays with you at all times).