The move comes after Beijing approved a £1 billion joint venture between the company and Chery Automobile. This milestone deal will initially see JLR construct a plant close to Shanghai, which will open in 2015.

A joint statement released by the Chinese and British companies said: "We are delighted to have reached this milestone, achieved thanks to the understanding and foresight of the Chinese authorities and we want to thank them for recognising the potential of our joint venture in the fast-growing Chinese market.”

First announced in February, the merger looks to have cleared its final hurdle with Qatar Holdings releasing a statement saying that it will vote in favour at a meeting next week. This shareholder decision comes in the wake of Glencore increasing the amount it will pay for each Xstrata share.

The merger does still need to receive competition approval from the European Commission and there are reports that, in a bid to secure this, Glencore has proposed to sell part of Xstrata’s German operations.

Estimated to cost around 16 billion euros, the South Stream pipeline will be jointly funded by Gazprom, Italy’s Eni, France’s EDF and a unit of Germany’s BASP, with the former expected to fund half of the capital expenditure.

Due to start operating in 2015, the pipeline will travel under the Black Sea via the Balkans, bringing up to 63 billion cubic metres of gas annually. Upon completion the pipeline will reach Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria and Italy in one leg, while a second will reach Croatia and Greece.

A new report from Roskill offers an insight into the dynamics driving the iron ore market, and a market outlook to 2020.

With the disruption of supplies from India, concerns over slowing economic growth in China, and the effects of large stockpiles forcing the price of iron ore through a series of supposed "price floors", the iron ore industry has faced a turbulent time during 2011 and 2012.

After twenty years of market creation in China, profound changes have taken place that affect how international companies need to operate there. Part two of our three part series examines the growth of national markets.

Nobody’s perfect. What quality or ability do you wish you had?

Patience, I am impatient. I also wish I was more in touch with my emotional side which would help me express feelings such as sympathy, etc.

What is the best business book you have ever read, and why?

Chief executive officer Francis Mawindi explains how Telecel Zimbabwe plans to deliver mobile phone coverage to 90 percent of the population by 2013.

Across Africa, the winds of change are being felt throughout the telecommunications sector. These winds are being driven by the rapid movement consumers have been making away from basic telephony services to data services. In response to this, operators have had to capacitate their data service provision capabilities in order to cater to the changing needs of their customers.

Chief executive officer Harri Natunen explains how the company is using bioheapleaching technology to get the most from its low grade nickel deposits.

Though it is perhaps not the first country that one associates with the industry, Finland’s mining history in fact dates back to 1540. Today the raw material base for its metal industry is made up from the exploitation of nickel, copper, cobalt, zinc and lead ores, as well as chromium, vanadium and iron deposits.

Kudumane Manganese Resources is developing its mining operation in one of South Africa’s poorest regions, and is keeping simplicity and the local community at its core.

In the deal which is valued at $500 million, BHP will sell its Ekati mine in Canada as well as its diamond marketing operations. The mine in question has produced in excess of three million carats of rough diamonds per year for the last three years.