Lindwedel, Germany - Four young Polish nationals doing casual farm work we

Munich - German carmaker BMW and its Italian rival Fiat disclosed Tuesday that they were studying whether to link up to make a small car that could be marketed as both a Mini and an Alfa Romeo.

The announcement, issued in Munich and in Turin, said a cooperation deal between the two marques to share "platforms and components" was conceivable. Mini is BMW's bottom-of-the-range brand.

The firms said they had already signed a declaration of intent but would not be releasing any more details yet. They would disclose by the end of the year how far the talks had proceeded.

Munich - Two young men who beat up an elderly former school principal were given severe jail terms Tuesday, closing a case that triggered debate in Germany about violence by minorities.

Serkan A, aged 21, who is a Turkish national, was jailed for 12 years. Spyridon L, aged 18, who has Greek nationality, was jailed for eight and a half years. Both grew up in Germany. Politicians had demanded earlier they be expelled to their parents' homelands.

They were convicted of attempted murder in the Munich attack, which was filmed by closed-circuit TV security cameras on December 20, 2007, and aired for weeks on German television, arousing rage among many Germans during the Christmas season.

Munich  - German electronics giant Siemens AG could face industrial action as the group prepared Tuesday to unveil a tough restructuring plan aimed at slashing 17,000 jobs worldwide.

The announcement by Siemens chief Peter Loescher that the Munich- based group proposes to cut 4 per cent of the group's global 435,000- strong workforce comes as the company struggles to lay aside a far- reaching corruption scandal.

The allegations of corruption, which have rocked the more than 160-year-old company, have already led to several resignations among top management, including former chief executive Klaus Kleinfeld.

Berlin  - Germany Tuesday welcomed the formation of a Serbian government pledged to closer ties with the European Union, but called on the new government in Belgrade to cooperate fully with the int

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