As Americans celebrate Labor Day, the laborers being celebrated are ever fewer in number, with the US economy having lost over 8 million jobs since the recession took hold and national unemployment standing at almost 15 million people.

Last week’s figures from the US Labor Department revealed that the economy lost another 54,000 jobs in August, with the unemployment rate now standing at 9.6 percent.

UK oil giant BP has revived the sale of its Alaskan assets after failing to sell them to US oil and gas company Apache in July, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Houston-based Apache is said to be still in the running to purchase the assets, while US-based Occidental Petroleum is also seen as a potential bidder.

The FT said it is not yet known whether BP is planning to sell its entire 26 per cent stake in the giant Prudhoe Bay oilfield, which includes the operating rights.

Canadian mining giant Goldcorp has agreed to buy Andean Resources Limited for C$3.6 billion, thereby adding the Cerro Negro gold deposit in Argentina to its assets.

The Cerro Negro gold project is an advanced-stage, high-grade vein system in the Santa Cruz province of Argentina, with indicated resources of 2.54 million ounces of gold and 23.56 million ounces of silver. Inferred resources total 523,000 ounces of gold and 3.12 million ounces of silver.

The government of Liberia has embarked upon a $1.6 billion palm oil project with Golden Agri-Resources (GAR), the subsidiary of Singapore palm oil producer Golden VerOleum.

The 25-year concession granted by the government, which is believed to be one of the biggest investments in Liberian agriculture, will create some 35,000 jobs in the south-eastern regions of the country.

Retailers from Europe and Asia are in an auction battle for the south-east Asian assets of the French supermarket chain Carrefour.

The French company put the stores on the market after a strategic decision to withdraw from Asian countries where it stood no chance of becoming market leader.

The portfolio consists of 40 supermarkets in Thailand, 19 in Malaysia and two in Singapore; and is expected to fetch around €780 million.

Automaker Nissan has announced a partnership with the state of Hawaii to promote electric vehicles (EVs) and their supporting charging network across the state.

The partnership was announced at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit and Expo in Honolulu, and is Nissan’s first definitive agreement in the United States. The zero emission all-electric Nissan Leaf will be available in Hawaii beginning in January 2011.

Africa-focused oil company Afren has announced strong interim results on the back of higher oil prices, and looks set to double production this year.

The London-based company recorded pre-tax profits for the six months to 30 June of $75.4 million (approximately €59.2 million).

Egypt’s retail scene has barely changed in decades; but that hasn’t stopped Procter & Gamble from trying to help modernise from within, as Alan Swaby learns.

In recent times Ghana has emerged as a potential major new oil player in West Africa’s resource-rich region. Tullow Oil Ghana’s Stuart Wheaton tells Andrew Pelis of the challenges at the forefront of discovery.

Andy Haslam, managing director of iron ore producer Territory Resources, is delighted to be mirroring the growth of Asia’s resurgent economies. Jayne Flannery reports.