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Australia's prime minister appointed Gary Gray, a former adviser to the country's largest oil and gas firm Woodside Petroleum, as resources minister on Monday.
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LONDON, May 23- Copper reversed the week's gains, sliding as much as 3 percent on Thursday after a survey showed factory activity in top metals consumer China shrank for the first time in seven months. China is the world's biggest consumer of industrial metals, taking 40 percent of the global supply of refined copper.
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LONDON, May 23- The yen vaulted against the dollar and the euro on Thursday as a slide in equities prompted investors to take profits on the safe-haven Japanese currency's recent sharp falls.
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*Coming Up; U.S. jobless claims 1230 GMT. LONDON, May 23- Copper reversed the week's gains, sliding as much as 3 percent on Thursday after a survey showed China's manufacturing sector contracted, but a shutdown at one of the world's biggest mines in Indonesia helped cap losses.
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EPS 238.7 U.S. cents vs 239 Thomson Reuters forecast. *Main growth in Latin America, Africa. BRUSSELS, May 23- SABMiller, the world's second-biggest brewer, forecast margin expansion in the year ahead after profit grew in line with expectations thanks to a surge in earnings in Latin America and Africa.
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LONDON, May 23- The yen vaulted to two-week highs against the dollar and the euro on Thursday as a slide in equities encouraged profit-taking on the safe-haven currency's recent sharp falls.
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*Copper falls as much as 3 pct, oil down for third day. SINGAPORE, May 23- Copper fell 3 percent and oil dropped for a third day on Thursday after a factory survey suggested China's economic recovery has stalled and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke hinted at possible cutbacks in the U.S. stimulus plan.
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JAKARTA, May 23- All investigations into a tunnel collapse that killed 28 people at the world's No.2 copper mine, run by Freeport McMoRan Copper& Gold Inc in Indonesia, must be completed before workers return, a trade union official said on Thursday.
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TOKYO, May 23- The yen gained across the board on Thursday, bouncing sharply off a 4-1/ 2- year low against the dollar and notching up a two-week high against the euro after a whiplash move in stocks prompted investors to scramble for safety in Japanese bonds.
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The world's biggest investors are seeking more stable cash income at home, as aging societies and tighter regulation dull risk appetite.
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--Clyde Russell is a Reuters market analyst. LAUNCESTON, Australia, May 23- The delay or cancellation of A $150 billion of resource projects in Australia in the past year is being viewed as proof that the commodities boom is well and truly over.
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SINGAPORE, May 23- Japanese government bonds plunged on Thursday, taking yields to their highest in a year and leading a selloff in bonds globally after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's remarks sparked worries of a reduction in U.S. monetary stimulus.
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*Aussie approaches 1- year low after China factory activity drops. TOKYO/ SYDNEY, May 23- The dollar bounded up to a three-year high against a basket of major currencies in Asia on Thursday, squeezed higher after Treasury yields jumped on the prospect that the Federal Reserve might scale back its stimulus programme this year.
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*Ford to end Australia production in Oct 2016. Ford Australia will close its engine plant in Geelong and its vehicle assembly plant in Broadmeadows, both in Victoria state, with the loss of 1,200 jobs, Ford Australia Chief Executive Bob Graziano said on Thursday, the latest election-year blow to the struggling Labor government.
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SINGAPORE, May 23- London copper fell more than 2 percent on Thursday after a preliminary survey showed China's factory sector contracted in May, hitting sentiment already soured by concerns the United States may pull back on its bond-buying program.
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SYDNEY, May 23- Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it is closing its two Australian auto plants and will cease production in the country in October 2016. Ford Australia Chief Executive Bob Graziano said the company will close its engine plant in Geelong and its assembly plant in Broadmeadows, both in the state of Victoria.
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PERTH, May 23- U.S. crude futures prices dropped to around $94 a barrel on Thursday after data showing U.S. gasoline supplies rose and on concerns that the U.S. July oil futures contract fell 26 cents to $94.02 a barrel by 0035 GMT. *Brent also dropped 26 cents to $102.34 a barrel.
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*Ford to end Australia production by 2016- reports. CANBERRA, May 23- Ford Motor Co is set to announce it is closing its two Australian auto plants and will cease production in the country by 2016 as it struggles with sliding sales, high costs and a strong Australian dollar, local media reported on Thursday.
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*HSBC's early report on China's factory sector next in focus. SYDNEY, May 23- The dollar hovered at a near three-year high against a basket of major currencies in Asia on Thursday, having risen broadly as Treasury yields jumped on the prospect that the Federal Reserve might scale back its stimulus programme this year.
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GENEVA/ LONDON, May 22- The UK and French governments will join a global initiative that will require oil and mining firms to comply with new disclosure measures aimed at tackling corruption, British Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday.
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SHANGHAI, May 23- The rolling green hills and gurgling blonde toddlers in the ads for Yashili International Holdings Ltd underscore how keen China's biggest milk powder producers are to appear global to emerge from the shadow of a fatal baby formula scandal.