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Arms Crossed, Heels Dug In: French Not in the Mood for Reforms

In his pristine dispensary on a quiet corner in Paris, chemist Antoine Louguot never thought he would hang up his white coat in protest and go on strike.

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Japan Tobacco Eyes Closure of Two European Plants

Japan Tobacco said it may close two European factories and cut production at a third in a move that could see about 1,100 layoffs, citing a "challenging operating environment".

The company plans to hold talks with unions representing workers in Lisnafillan, Northern Ireland, and Wervik, Belgium about shutting the sites, while some production at its Trier plant in Germany will be relocated, it added.

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French Baguettes Rise to the Occasion in Emerging Markets

The perfect baguette has long been the ultimate test for aspiring bakers the world over.

And now the ability to produce this long, thin loaf is in global demand because the appetite for baked delights from France is surging in regions with burgeoning middle classes -- notably Asia and the Middle East.

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EU Puts Divisions on Display at Latest Jobs Summit

Deep divisions within the European Union over the rules governing the euro will be aired once more at an emergency jobs summit here on Wednesday.

Italy's energetic young prime minister, Matteo Renzi, has billed the meeting, the latest in a long series of similar gatherings, as an opportunity to begin a debate on how to reshape the bloc's policies towards measures to bolster demand and growth, although the official agenda is supposed to be all about youth unemployment.

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Lego Lays Building Blocks for Asian Dominance

Lego is making global domination look like child's play, as the world's biggest toy-maker puts the building blocks in place to lead rivals in Asia and buck an industry-wide revenue dip.

The Danish toys juggernaut overtook Mattel in the first half of the year.

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Family behind BMW Tops Germany's Rich List

The Quandt family, shareholders of carmaker BMW, have overtaken the founders of discount supermarket chains Aldi and Lidl as Germany's wealthiest family, weekly Manager Magazin said on Tuesday.

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Philippines Rice Self-Sufficiency Target Pushed Back

The Philippines has pushed back its 2013 target to attain self-sufficiency in rice production by another two years, an official said Tuesday, adding that the country will likely have to import hundreds of thousands of tonnes next year.

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Boeing: Global Air Cargo Traffic to Double in 20 Years

Global air cargo traffic will double in the next 20 years, enjoying annual growth of 4.7 percent as international trade picks up after a long period of stagnation, U.S. aerospace giant Boeing predicted Tuesday. 

Major airline operators were severely hit by the global financial crisis in 2008 and, despite a rebound in 2010, worldwide air cargo traffic has remained flat in recent years.

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London Underground Workers Declare 48 Hour Strike

Workers on London's Underground train system will stage a 48 hour strike next Tuesday, the transport union said, risking travel chaos in a long-running dispute over ticket offices closures.

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Report: EU to Probe Amazon Tax Deals with Luxembourg

European Union anti-trust regulators are to challenge Luxembourg over its tax deals with Internet shopping giant Amazon that Brussels believes amount to illegal state aid, a report said on Tuesday.

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