Mum stabbed son, 7, more than 100 times

Elzbieta Plackowska, 40, who was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of her 7-year-old son and a 5-year-old girl. Source: AP

PROSECUTORS say a suburban Chicago woman stabbed her 7-year-old son more than 100 times and a 5-year-old girl about 50 times and slit both their throats because she was angry with her husband.

A DuPage County judge ordered 40-year-old Elzbieta Plackowska of Naperville held without bond.

Prosecutor Robert Berlin says Ms Plackowska gave investigators several stories about Tuesday's killings but eventually said she killed her son, Justin, because she was angry that her truck driver husband left her alone to care for the child.

Mr Berlin says Ms Plackowska then killed the girl she was babysitting, Olivia Dworakowski, because the child had witnessed the attack on her son.

Ms Plackowska didn't speak during the hearing overnight other than to indicate she could not afford an attorney.

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India's carmakers post improved sales

AUTOMAKERS in India have reported better-than-expected sales in the month of October, with a slew of new vehicle models also set to be launched in the upcoming festive season.

India's largest passenger carmaker Maruti Suzuki, recovering from riots at one of its plants, posted a smart 85.5 per cent year-on-year rise in October sales.

Its rivals also showed improved sales, despite hefty taxes, elevated fuel prices and stubborn inflation that has kept interest rates high, pushing up the cost of auto loans.

Maruti Suzuki India, majority-owned by Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp, said car sales in October soared to 103,108 vehicles due to a low base effect from last year, when sales were down due to protracted labour troubles.

It was hit again by labour unrest in July - the worst ever in its three-decade history - that left a manager dead and nearly 100 other executives injured at its Manesar plant, which is responsible for 40 per cent of its output.

The local unit of Hyundai Motor showed a 21 per cent rise in total sales to 58,785 vehicles in October.

Ford India sales edged up 5.35 per cent to 10,948 vehicles in October, while Honda reported a 46 per cent rise in sales, led by Honda City and Brio models.

Tata Motors, which owns British luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover, said its October car sales rose six per cent to 71,771 vehicles, with growth seen across all segments.

India, which has been one of the world's fastest-growing car markets in recent years, has been suffering a slowdown in demand as some buyers defer purchases due to expensive loans and high fuel costs.

Many new models will be launched in the country in the coming weeks, with the Diwali festival on November 13 seen as an auspicious time for major purchases.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers had predicted sales growth of between one and three per cent in October, down from an earlier 10-to-12 per cent projection.

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Sandy toll rises to 34 in NYC

THE number of deaths in New York City from superstorm Sandy has risen again, from 24 to 34, city police say.

The increase raises the national toll to 82 across 15 US states hit by the storm, according to US media reports.

The overall toll from the storm thus went up to 154, including fatalities in Canada and the Caribbean, where Haiti and Cuba were hit particularly hard.

In New York the majority of those killed were hit by trees that fell on their homes or cars as the storm whipped into the city.

Others were electrocuted when they stepped in water electrified by downed power cables, or drowned in the storm surge that flooded into homes at the peak of the storm.

Sandy hit the east coast on Monday night, with violent winds that carried unprecedented amounts of water into parts of New York City. The storm caused massive power outages, plunging much of lower Manhattan into darkness.

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Mulally to stay on as Ford chief

FORD says Alan Mulally will remain as president and chief executive through at least 2014, as Americas chief Mark Fields was promoted to chief operating officer, putting him in line to succeed Mullaly.

Mulally, 67, will continue to lead the automaker's long-term development strategy while Fields, 51, will be responsible for all business operations at the number-two US automaker.

"I have a great opportunity to focus even more on the long-term development," Mulally said in a conference call on Thursday.

Fields has been with Ford since 1989 and will take his new position on December 1. He has been executive vice-president and president of Ford's Americas operation for the past seven years and will continue to report to Mulally.

Ford recruited Mulally from Boeing in 2006 as the company was struggling with bloated operations, unpopular vehicles and a steady loss of market share to Asian competitors.

Mulally led Ford through the 2008 financial crisis without seeking a government-backed bankruptcy and bailout, unlike General Motors and Chrysler, steering the company back to steady profits.

"There's been so much speculation on whether Alan is going to stay or leave," chairman Bill Ford said in the conference call.

"I'd like him to stay forever, but it's part of our job to develop a great team," he said, adding: "I'd be surprised if we don't have the next CEO coming from inside."

The announcement came two days after Ford posted a record third-quarter profit of $US1.6 billion ($A1.55 billion) as strong growth in North America offset major losses in Europe.

Ford has now posted pre-tax profits for 13 consecutive quarters as it reaps the rewards of major restructuring and product revamps in North America. But troubled Europe remains a dark cloud and the company's unit there is projected to post a $US1.5 billion loss this year.

Joe Hinrichs, 45, will replace Fields as president of the Americas after having led Ford's operations in Asia and Africa.

David Schoch, currently head of Ford China, will succeed Hinrichs in managing the Asia-Pacific region.

Responsibility for African operations will be transferred to Stephen Odell, who is currently in charge of Europe and the Middle East.

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Burma approves business-friendly laws

BURMA'S parliament has approved a revised, more business-friendly foreign investment bill aimed at boosting the struggling economy as it emerges from decades of junta rule, lawmakers say.

The bill is expected to be signed into law within days by reformist president Thein Sein, who sent an earlier draft back to parliament amid concerns that it was too protectionist.

"I think the law will be quite flexible and easier for foreign investors," Zaw Htay, an official at the presidential office, told AFP by telephone.

"The previous law had restrictions which could be barriers. Even some foreign experts described it as the 'No Investment Law'," he said.

An earlier limit of 50 per cent for a foreign investor's stake in a joint venture has been dropped at Thein Sein's request, and the new version allows the investment ratio to be decided by the foreign and local partners, MPs said.

More detailed rules for each sector will be drawn up by the Burma Investment Commission.

"The law became more flexible for foreign investors. The former version had many restrictions," said Myat Nyana Soe, a lawmaker with Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy opposition party.

The move comes as global corporate giants from Coca-Cola to General Electric line up to enter the impoverished but resource-rich nation, which is emerging from decades of military rule and international isolation.

One of the major complaints of businesses eager to enter the country has been the lack of a clear legal framework.

Burma is seen by many investors as the next regional frontier market as businesses eye its huge natural resources, large population and strategic location between China and India.

Thein Sein has vowed to put the economy at the centre of a new series of reforms, following dramatic political changes since almost half a century of outright military rule ended last year.

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US storm damage could hit $50bn

DAMAGE from the deadly mega-storm that blasted the US east coast could hit $US50 billion ($A48 billion), disaster estimator Eqecat says.

The company put total economic damage from Hurricane Sandy in the range of $US30-50 billion, and insured damages at $US10-20 billion, double its earlier estimate.

Eqecat said it had revised its estimates for the storm, which ploughed into the US Atlantic coastline at heavily populated New Jersey on Monday, because of the extensive losses from power and other utilities, which it said were much greater than those for most category one hurricanes.

It also cited the extended shutdowns of subways and road tunnels in the New York-New Jersey area due to flooding, and expectations there are many more losses yet unknown.

The storm devastated the New Jersey coastline and shut down New York City on Monday and Tuesday, leaving some 80 dead in the US; along the entire storm path from the Caribbean to Canada, at least 150 people were killed.

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Armed men protest Libya cabinet

ABOUT 200 mostly armed protesters have occupied an area near Libya's parliament building, blocking nearby roads and beating up journalists in protest of the country's new cabinet.

Thursday's action, in which an AP reporter was also beaten, is the third in a row staged by the group, which opposes the new government chosen Prime Minister Ali Zidan and endorsed by Congress.

They say the 30-member cabinet includes former members of Muammar Gaddafi's deposed regime, and should undergo screening by a state body tasked with barring such people from government jobs.

The armed protests highlight the mounting challenges Libya faces a year after the fall of Gaddafi's dictatorship. The country is awash with weapons and armed groups.

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