USA and Canada

As Canadian mining companies continue to prosper from high mineral prices, more technically-challenging mining projects have become attractive. Andy Keough at Manroc Developments tells Andrew Pelis how the Ontario-based contractor is enjoying its own boom as a result of its specialty mining services.

The US antidumping law is not working, says William E. Perry. It destroys US jobs instead of protecting them, while Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) could be just what they need.

GE has entered an agreement with international energy services company Wood Group to acquire its Well Support Division for $2.8 billion.

Wood Group's Well Support division comprises three business platforms: ESP (electric submersible pumps), Pressure Control (surface wellhead and flow control systems) and Logging Services (wireline logging).

Over 40 years after the original Boeing 747 stunned the world in September 1968, Boeing unveiled its new 747-8 Intercontinental yesterday at the same factory in Everett, Washington.

Sunday's event, branded "Incredible, Again", took place in front of a crowd of almost 10,000 Boeing employees, their families, government officials, partners, suppliers and industry VIPs.

Microsoft and Nokia today announced plans to form a broad strategic partnership to create what they describe as “a new global mobile ecosystem” to take on Google and Apple in an all-out phone war.

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop (who left Microsoft to join Nokia last September) and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer have issued an “open letter” outlining a summary of their plans. Here is the letter in full:

Coca-Cola has reported soaring profits ahead of expectations in 2010, largely due to a revitalized North American market and the buyout of its main bottler last year.

The Atlanta, Georgia based drinks maker enjoyed worldwide growth of 6 percent in the fourth quarter and 5 percent for the whole year.

Fourth-quarter profit more than tripled to $5.8 billion, from $1.5 billion in the same period a year earlier, pushing earnings per share to $2.46. The average analyst estimate was 72 cents.

Siemens Energy, Inc. has been awarded a contract for gas-insulated transmission lines by Northeast Utilities as part of the New England East-West Solution (NEEWS).

Siemens will produce 115 kV and 345 kV gas-insulated transmission lines (GILT) for the Agawam (Massachusetts) and North Bloomfield (Connecticut) substation additions as part of the Greater Springfield Reliability Project, one of four major transmission projects comprising the New England East-West Solution.

First Liberty Power Corp, a Nevada based mineral exploration company, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to sell its Uravan vanadium and uranium claim to a non related party, New America Energy Corp.

UK oil company Ensco is buying its US rival Pride International for around £4.5 billion in a deal that will create the world's second largest offshore oil and gas driller.