The heart of steel
AssmangÔÇÖs properties are in the Kalahari manganese field in South AfricaÔÇÖs Northern Cape Province, which contains some 80 per cent of the world's known high-grade manganese ore reserves, vital to the worldÔÇÖs steel industry. John OÔÇÖHanlon reports on major recent and projected investment at one of AfricaÔÇÖs largest manganese mines.

US mining company Peabody Energy has submitted an unsolicited $3 billion bid for Australia's Macarthur Coal.

Bharti Airtel has signed a deal to buy most of the African operations of Kuwait's Zain for $9 billion (Ôé¼6.7 billion), making it AfricaÔÇÖs number two mobile phone operator.

Montreal-based Domtar is selling its forest products business to lumber company Eacom Timber Corp. for $80 million, it has been announced.

The Swedish telecoms equipment group Ericsson has announced deals with China Mobile and China Unicom worth a total of $1.8 billion (Ôé¼1.3 billion).

Ford is to sell its Swedish subsidiary Volvo to the Chinese car manufacturer Geely in a deal that values the company at up to $1.8 billion.  Under the terms of the deal, Geely will acquire 100 percent ownership of Volvo, its assets and intellectual property rights. The acquisition is the biggest overseas purchase by a Chinese car manufacturer.

UK pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline is seeking partnerships with small and medium sized companies in Japan to assist it in developing and distributing new medicines, according to a report in the Financial Times.

The casting vote In need of greater capacity and the ability to manufacture special alloys, National Bronze & Metals elected to build a complete new foundry in Lorain, Ohio, president Michael Greathead explains to Ruari McCallion. National Bronze & Metals, Inc. (NBM) has been in the business of brass, bronze and copper alloys since 1983.