The first line on Madrid’s underground railway network, the Metro de Madrid, was inaugurated on the 17th October 1919 by King Alfonso XIII. It had eight stations along 3.3 kilometres of track. Ever since that date the Metro has experienced progressive growth, which has made access possible to the majority of the capital's districts and to some of the most important municipalities in the metropolitan area. Today it is the sixth longest metro system in the world, with 300 stations and 292 kilometres of track, 90 percent of it underground.

In 2012, MAXAM celebrated its 140th birthday. Founded by Alfred Nobel in 1872, the group today stands recognised as being one of the leading service and industrial organisations operating on a global scale, with a yearly turnover of approximately one billion euros.

Specialising in the development, manufacture and commercialisation of civil explosives and initiation systems for mining, MAXAM boasts a presence in all of the world’s major and developing mining areas.

While Macrotek has been marketing pollution control systems to every conceivable industry for more than 80 years – after all it’s hard to name a field of human activity that does not generate emissions – in recent years it has tended to focus on the mining industry. Indeed it has developed a relationship with that industry that could be described as symbiotic. Located in Toronto the company finds itself at the centre of a global technological and financial hub that has made it the city of choice for mining majors and juniors alike.

As the vast majority of experts, analysts and economic observers will attest, the mining sector offers the African country of Kenya the highest immediate growth potential, with its development expected to contribute significantly to driving economic growth in various industries including energy, construction, transportation and finance.

The margin of error when it comes to retaining the quality and freshness of perishable fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in general is minimal wherever you are on the planet. Nevertheless this small margin decreases further still when one is operating in high-temperature zones south of the equator.

Human capital is the single greatest expense for many organizations, and CFOs are looking to manage costs, so it would seem from the start that HR and finance executives are at odds. But it doesn’t have to – and shouldn’t – be this way. With new tax laws, healthcare reform, and looming mass retirement on our doorstep, it’s more important than ever for HR and finance executives to work together.

The position of Chief Financial Officer thirty years ago bears little resemblance to the position today. Even though the markets have experienced at least six major economic downturns since the 1960s, the macro-economic trends that are a consequence of this current global recession are having a significantly greater impact in comparison with any previous recession, particularly on the way in which businesses operate, the priorities they face and the strategies they need to develop to achieve success both on a national and global platform.

Power-One specialises in making “inverters”, which convert the direct current generated by solar cells into the alternating current needed by electricity grids.

ABB believes that demand for inverters will rise by 10 percent a year until 2021, due to rising energy demand, electricity prices and falling production costs.

The rare stone was recovered by Petra Diamonds at its Cullinan mine, located to the north-east of Pretoria, which is famed for its production of blue diamonds.

Experts believe that the diamond could be worth more than $10 million. Similar finds at the mine in recent years have commanded similarly high prices and the news of the latest discovery has resulted in Petra Diamond’s share price rising.