IN BRIEF

Canadian company to start manganese mine in Arizona

A Canadian company intends to initiate the only manganese mining operation in North America in northwest Arizona. American Manganese Inc. is engaged in preparation and exploration for manganese mining near Alamo Lake, about 60 miles southeast of Kingman.

"The property is very prolific in manganese showings," company President Larry Reaugh said. He added that processing of at least 3,500 tons per day should produce about 110 million pounds of electrolytic manganese a year for 17 years.

The company plans an open-pit mining operation spread over 20 to 30 acres, with a maximum excavation depth of 200 feet. The company intends to file a mining plan with the state of Arizona this fall that will be one of the steps in a lengthy project development and permitting process.

"The time line that we have is that we'd be in construction by no later than the mid-third quarter of 2012 and we'd be in production in the first or second quarter of 2013," Reaugh said.

He said about 100 employees would work the mine site.

Manganese is a critical component in the production of steel and Reaugh said more than 95 percent of it is mined in China with the closest mine on the continent in Mexico.

LONDON

Last-ditch talks collapse; strike by British Airways crew still on

A three-day strike by British Airways cabin crew affecting thousands of travelers is proceeding today after last-ditch talks between the airline's management and union leaders collapsed.

The walkout has forced British Airways, which operates a daily flight to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, to cancel thousands of flights, but it still hopes to operate around 65 percent of its international schedule over the period.

The Unite union has gathered some support from unions in the United States, Germany and Spain for its action -- taken to protest a pay freeze and changes to working conditions -- but the other unions have so far stopped short of pledging direct action that would affect British Airways' ability to refuel and service its planes.

A total of 1,100 flights out of the 1,950 flights scheduled to operate during the walkout will be canceled, but the airline has leased planes and crew from rival carriers to take up some of the shortfall.

WASHINGTON

Data show four cities suffering less joblessness in recession

Minneapolis, Buffalo, N.Y., Oklahoma City and Rochester, N.Y., have made it through the recession with the smallest increases in unemployment.

A government report shows that the four cities have had the smallest increases in joblessness over the past two years among cities with at least 1 million people.

They don't have much else in common. But none of the four relies on heavy manufacturing industries, such as autos or steel, which have been hit hard by the downturn. And all have avoided the extremes of the housing boom and bust that devastated much of Nevada, California and Florida.

NEW YORK

Worries about Greek debt return; stock indexes slide

Stocks halted their steady climb Friday after renewed concerns about Greece's ability to pay its debts left investors questioning a global economic recovery.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 37 points after advancing for eight straight days. Broader indexes also fell. Major indexes posted gains for the week.

Greece said it might need to turn to the International Monetary Fund for support if European leaders can't agree on a bailout plan next week. Worries about the country's ability to handle its massive debt load have set off periodic bouts of stock-selling in the U.S. and overseas over the past two months.

NEW YORK

Icahn launches hostile bid
to take control of Lions Gate

Activist shareholder Carl Icahn raised the stakes in his yearlong dispute with Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. on Friday, launching an all-out bid to take over the movie studio following disagreements over its spending.

The hostile bid comes a week after Lions Gate rejected Icahn's offer to buy a larger minority stake and rewrote its bylaws to make such a takeover attempt more difficult in the future.

The new offer for all outstanding shares also raised the specter of Canadian government involvement because Icahn, an American, could own the Vancouver, British Columbia-based company and cause friction with the country's cultural policies.

Icahn in February bought the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas for
$150 million in bankruptcy court.

NEW YORK

Boeing will accelerate plans for production of 777s, 747s

Boeing Co. will speed up production plans for its 777 and 747 models in anticipation of greater demand from commercial airlines.

Both are wide-body planes capable of carrying more than 300 passengers and flying longer routes. Several Asian airlines have ordered the planes, which are also more fuel-efficient than other aircraft models.

Asian and Latin American carriers have led the way for a surprisingly strong recovery from the travel slump caused by the recession, while improvement at U.S. carriers has lagged.

Boeing Co. shares fell 15 cents, or 0.21 percent, Friday to close at $70.72 on the New York Stock Exchange.

BRUSSELS

European Union Commission calls for loans for Greece

The European Commission urged Germany and other eurozone governments Friday to put up a package of government-to-government loans to ease Greece's financial plight and end weeks of financial turmoil and speculation.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said European aid is necessary because "we cannot prolong any further the current situation."

He spoke of "coordinated bilateral loans" that would not have to be paid out immediately.

Regulators shut down banks
in Utah, Ohio and Georgia

Regulators on Friday shut down seven banks in five states, bringing to 37 the number of bank failures in the U.S. so far this year.

The closings follow the 140 that succumbed in 2009 to mounting loan defaults and the recession.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over First Lowndes Bank, in Fort Deposit, Ala.; Appalachian Community Bank in Ellijay, Ga.; Bank of Hiawassee, in Hiawassee, Ga.; and Century Security Bank in Duluth, Ga.

The agency also closed down State Bank of Aurora, in Aurora, Minn.; Advanta Bank Corp., based in Draper, Utah; and American National Bank of Parma, Ohio.

The FDIC was unable to find a buyer for Advanta Bank, which had $1.6 billion in assets and $1.5 billion in deposits. The regulatory agency approved the payout of the bank's insured deposits and it said checks to depositors for their insured funds will be mailed on Monday.

SAN FRANCISCO

Small businesses sue Yelp, say they were pressured to buy ads

Yelp, one of the most popular Web sites that let people post opinions about restaurants, shops and local services, is being sued by several small businesses that claim they've been pressured to advertise on the site in exchange for getting negative reviews squashed.

Yelp denies the claims, but exactly what happened may never be clear. And regardless of what happens in court, the lawsuits could taint Yelp's reputation as a leader in online reviews.

Yelp has faced many complaints since it began letting consumers post reviews about local businesses ranging from all-you-can eat buffets to zip line operators six years ago. Often businesses have complained about how reviews on the site -- positive or negative -- can mysteriously disappear and reappear.

But since late February, at least three lawsuits seeking class action status have been filed against the site by a dozen companies, complaining that reviews are manipulated depending on which companies advertise on the site and which ones do not.