USA and Canada

The deal, valued at $225 million, is expected to be complete by the end of the year and follows Nike’s earlier announcement that is looking to sell off the firm, which specialises in the manufacture of football kits.

"It is difficult to divest any business, but this action will enable us to focus on our highest-potential growth opportunities," said Nike boss Mark Parker. "Umbro has a great heritage but, ultimately, as our category has evolved, we believe Nike football can serve the needs of footballers on and off the pitch."

Westshore, with a capacity of 29 million tonnes per annum, is far and away the largest coal terminal in Canada handling more than the combined capacity of other ports on the North American west coast.

Zinc, one of Nyrstar's primary products, is vital to America's industrial regeneration, and one of the most reliable and highest grade sources comes from its underground mines in Tennessee.

In a move that further demonstrates how agricultural companies have increasingly become takeover targets as a result of rising demand for food from emerging markets, ADM has offered $2.77 billion to acquire the business.

Reacting to the news, analysts believe the move signals ADM’s determination to break into fast growing Asian markets. Some however have been quick to point out that ADM could face competing bids for GrainCorp.

Experiencing 11.6 percent unemployment, young women in the US overwhelmingly favor lower taxes and less government spending to help job creation.

Generation Opportunity, the largest non-profit, non-partisan organization in the United States engaging and mobilizing young Americans (ages 18-29) on the important economic issues facing the nation, released new polling data today on young women (18-29) as the 2012 presidential election nears.

Ron Tremblay, president and chief executive officer, discusses the progress of the Cordero Project in Mexico and the exciting future ahead for this high value asset.

Although gold and silver mining in Mexico pre-dates the conquest of the Spanish, it was the arrival of Hernando Cortez in 1521 that sparked the lucrative exploitation of these precious metals. Today Mexico remains one of the world’s largest producers of these minerals and is recognised as a major destination for companies targeting exploration opportunities.

From its headquarters in Quebec, Canada, one company is revolutionising the way in which alumina and other high value materials are recovered from the earth. President, chief executive officer and director, Richard Boudreault explains.

Rising by 1.1 percent, sales were driven by the increased purchase of electronic goods, cars and petrol. With August’s retail sales figures also being revised up to 1.2 percent, the increases in both months represent the largest rises seen since October 2010.

Through this agreement, Marathon, a refining, marketing and transportation company headquartered in Florida, will pay $600 million in cash, $1.2 billion for the plant’s inventories and a further $700 million depending upon future output and margins.

Deutsche Telekom, Europe’s largest telecommunications company, has announced it is in talks to buy US wireless carrier MetroPCS.

The fifth largest carrier in the US, boasting more than nine million subscribers, MetroPCS is the country’s leading provider of non-annual-contract mobile phone services.

While it is keen to stress that the potential takeover is still in its early stages, Deutsche Telekom’s plans to merge MetroPCS with its T-Mobile USA unit sent the company’s up 17 percent.