The privately-owned company, which specialises in drugs used in the treatment of lung disease and asthma, will be acquired in a deal worth up to $1.15 billion.

AstraZeneca, the UK's second largest drugs company, has been trying to gain a foothold in the emerging market for a new class of lung treatments known as LABA/LAMA drugs, administered via an inhaler. In purchasing Pearl Therapeutics it hopes to tap into a market where such drugs are used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which affects about 210 million people worldwide.

The economy grew by one percent between January and March, compared to the previous three months, indicating an annualised growth of 4.1%, the cabinet office said, adding to hopes of a recovery in the world's third-largest economy.

The data follows a series of aggressive policy moves aimed at spurring growth in Japan's economy. Since the re-election of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in December last year, Japanese policymakers have introduced a slew of measures aimed at reviving the Japanese economy from years of stagnation.

The company is talking to Cuadrilla Resources about buying a stake in its licences in the Bowland shale formation in Lancashire.

The news comes just days after IGas, one of the companies granted a licence to explore parts of the UK, speculated that the UK could be sitting on top of untold shale gas resources.

Cuadrilla is among a small number of companies exploring the UK's shale gas potential. The company estimates that there may be as much as 200 trillion cubic feet of shale gas in its licensed areas.

Sustainable opportunities

While Guatemala’s enormous mining wealth is no longer the well-kept secret that it once was it is still an industry very much in its infancy. Through its Marlin Mine operations, Montana Exploradora de Guatemala, a subsidiary of the Canadian firm Goldcorp, is working to ensure the country will soon be able to unlock its potential.

It is estimated that India has in excess of 50 million active internet users, with around 40 percent of those having previously made purchases online, making it a market of huge potential value for the online retailer.

Initially Amazon will only sell books, films and TV shows but plans to offer mobile phones and cameras within weeks. In addition, third party retailers will sell their goods through Amazon's site using a "marketplace" model, a familiar retail concept in India.

It was in July of 1969, during the presidency of Juan Velasco Alvarado, that Petroperu was created based on La Pampilla Sate Refinery and expropriated refineries. In the more than four decades since the company has been a major contributor to the country’s economy.

It’s becoming axiomatic, if not an absolute cliché, to talk about how Africa has leapfrogged the ‘north’ in adopting and developing mobile technology. How the continent’s need for growth has thrown up new paradigms that rely on lateral rather than linear modes of thought. It is certainly true that the sudden appearance of Africa as a technology leader has made even the more agile old world corporations rethink how they do product development.

As with any country’s main airport JKI is the gateway to the country, and the people who fly in and out from all over the world, fairly or not, will judge Kenya by their first impression, gained as they struggle through the baggage reclaim and immigration checks. The first Kenyans they meet will be the airport staff. What greater PR opportunity could there be for a country and its people?

The Davie shipyard at Lévis, just across the Saint Lawrence River from Quebec City, traces its origins back to 1825 when it was founded by an English sea captain called Allison Davie. Over its long lifetime it has built more than 700 vessels and drilling and production platforms and seen shipbuilding technology develop from wood and sail. During World War II, Davie built 35 warships (mine sweepers, corvettes and destroyers). Davie has also fabricated numerous other products for a variety of industries including power, defence and transport.