Companies looking for offshore energy invested some £11.4 billion in 2012, a figure that will rise to £13 billion.

On a quarter-on-quarter basis, Singapore’s economy grew 3.3 percent, boosted by a rebound in the country’s manufacturing sector.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the sector expanded by an annualised rate of 3.1 percent in the October to December period, compared with the previous three months.

The ministry said the rebound was helped by growth in the biomedical manufacturing and transport engineering sectors, which helped offset a decline in the output of the electronics sector.

In a joint statement, the companies said the deal would create "a stronger, more efficient global provider better able to compete in the rapidly changing office solutions industry".

The combined company would have had combined revenues of about $18 billion in 2012, the firms said.

Under the terms of the all-stock deal, Office Depot will issue 2.69 shares for each OfficeMax share. That is equal to about $13.50 per share, based on Office Depot's closing share price on Tuesday of $5.02.

In the present century alone Brisbane’s population has grown from 3.5 million to more than 4.5 million. That is projected to double by 2031 requiring at least 156,000 additional dwellings to be built. With this growth comes an inevitable increase in traffic congestion. A recent report found that 340 kilometres of Brisbane’s roads are at or above or capacity, and estimates this will jump to 720 kilometres by 2031. 

In previous articles, we’ve written about the emerging competitors from China, firms that are beginning to expand their reach from that country’s broad middle market to even the well-established markets of North America and Europe.  We have characterized these companies as Second Mouse firms, drawing upon the saying “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese” in recognition of their strong fast follower and fast learner competencies.  In fact, it has been the ability of these firms to learn best-in-class manufacturing skills from western firms an

Like its neighbours Oman developed its economy on oil and gas, and like them it is now trying to diversify that economy by establishing industries that will sustain its growth over decades to come. Oman occupies a favourable position on the east coast of the Arabian desert peninsula so in 2004, with the strategically placed Port of Sohar designated as a major industrial hub it made sense to set up an aluminium smelting operation there.

Set Point Group is a South African company, comprising seven distinct businesses serving mainly the mining industry and a few unrelated sectors. It’s an interesting mix, with a rather unusual genesis. 

Seeing as Africa produces more than 60 different metal and mineral products, and is a major source of several of the world’s most important commodities, it is little wonder that it remains an area of profound interest for mining companies. While exploration and mining developments across the continent have undoubtedly increased in recent decades, there is still considerable scope for expansion. 

The Canadian government’s recent approval of China National Offshore Oil Corporation’s (CNOOC) bid to buy Nexen, Inc. set oil and gas insiders abuzz: is it another smart strategic move in China’s massive chess game to ensure adequate and stable energy supplies for its ever-growing needs, or a calculated effort to gain entry to the North American, and more worrisome, the US energy patch?