LCD firms in $553m US price fixing settlement

The world's largest electronics manufacturer, Samsung, and six other LCD screen manufacturers have settled claims they conspired to fix prices.

Fujifilm: too early to say if it will invest in Olympus

(Reuters) - Japan's Fujifilm Holdings is watching developments at scandal-ridden Olympus Corp but it is too early to say if it will invest in the rival endoscope maker, a senior executive told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

Tepco seeks an extra $9bn in aid to pay compensation

Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has asked the government for an extra 690bn yen ($9bn; £5.6bn) to compensate victims of the nuclear crisis.

Samsung buys Sony's entire stake in LCD joint venture

Samsung Electronics has agreed to buy out Sony's entire stake in their liquid crystal display (LCD) joint venture.

Investors brace for a rocky 2012

Investors face yet another year of uncertainty in 2012, but this time around, they don't appear as willing to wait to see how things will play out.

After a year of disasters, Toyota sees record sales

(Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp forecast a 20 percent jump in global sales to a record 8.48 million vehicles next year as it claws back from this year's output losses caused by natural disasters in Japan and Thailand.

Prosecutors raid the HQ of Olympus in earnings probe

Japanese prosecutors have raided the headquarters of camera and medical equipment maker Olympus as part of an ongoing investigation.

U.S. Backs Apple in Patent Ruling That Hits Google

A federal agency ruled on Monday that a set of important features commonly found in smartphones are protected by an Apple patent, a decision that could force changes in how Google’s Android phones function.

Osborne confirms banks must ringfence retail banking

Chancellor George Osborne has backed most of the recommendations in the Vickers' banking report, including protecting retail banking from riskier investment activities.

Cable & Wireless Worldwide: a call for more reinvention or break up?

Gavin Darby, installed this month as chief executive of Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW), is keen to distance himself from the financial excesses of the previous regime, which saw senior managers take £88m of cash out of the struggling business in just five years. During contract negotiations, Darby set a new tone, declining the offer of a chauffeur-driven car as part of his pay package.

Olympus retains listing but shares fall again

Japan's scandal-hit camera maker Olympus has retained its listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange but has seen its shares fall sharply again.

Kodak Shifts Focus, Zooms In On Commercial Printing

The photography pioneer Kodak has been dogged by bankruptcy rumors, its stock has tumbled, and its cash reserves have shrunk.

China-Based Hacking of 760 Companies Shows Global Cyber War

Dec. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Google Inc. and Intel Corp. were logical targets for China-based hackers, given the solid-gold intellectual property data stored in their computers.

Insurers face ratings downgrade threat from S&P

Some of Europe's top insurance companies have been warned their credit rating could be downgraded as a result of the European financial crisis.

HP donates WebOS to open sourcers

The code behind the mobile operating system, WebOS, is being released to open source software developers by Hewlett Packard.

Olympus Auditors Face Scrutiny

TOKYO—In May 2009, Olympus Corp.'s external auditor was so troubled by transactions it had found while going through the company's books that it asked Olympus's top executives to resign.

Multinational firms placing less importance on China -survey

Dec 7 (Reuters) - Multinational companies operating in China are placing less importance on the world's second-biggest economy amid rising local competition and concern over intellectual property (IP) rights, a survey showed on Wednesday.

Exclusive: Apple vs. Samsung ruling divulges secret details

(Reuters) - A U.S. court error on Friday offered a brief glimpse at information that Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics have tried to shield from the public during their high-stakes patent litigation.

Let Companies Manage Their Own Risk: Donohue, Engler and Timmons

In the coming months, regulators will address many critical and complex issues in the new financial reform legislation, but perhaps none as misunderstood as the regulation of derivatives.

Palm Oil Companies Slow in Meeting Sustainability Goal

JAKARTA — Sustainability is the catchword in the palm oil industry these days, with many multinational companies having pledged to use oil only from sustainable sources by 2015. But with only three years left, they will have to move a lot faster to achieve that goal.

Gucci sales not slowing yet, has plan B ready

PARIS (Reuters) - Luxury brand Gucci has not seen any impact on its business from global economic woes but it would be prepared to react quickly and cut costs if sales slowed, its chief executive said in a newspaper interview.

The best way to play emerging markets

FORTUNE -- Ever since the great crash of 2008, when emerging markets plummeted more than 50%, one strategy has jumped in popularity: buying multinationals to play the fast-growing markets.

Multinational Mining Companies Operating in the Western Mozambican Province of Tete to Buy Foodstuffs Locally

Multinational mining companies operating in the western Mozambican province of Tete will henceforth buy foodstuffs locally, rather than importing all their food from South Africa, under an agreement signed between the companies and the Tete provincial government, state news agency AIM reported on Monday citing the Permanent Secretary of the Tete government, Albertina Tivane.

This Week In Small Business: What Would Canada Do?

Congress balks at across-the-board cuts set off by the supercommittee’s failure. Barry Ritholtz says don’t blame the president. Michael Moran says it’s just politics. This guy doesn’t believe they failed at all.

Backlash grows over Indian retail reform

(Financial Times) -- A fierce political backlash against a decision to allow foreign retailers to enter the Indian market gained momentum on Sunday when the leader of Tamil Nadu adamantly opposed the liberalisation.

Thomas Cook in new £200m credit facility

Travel firm Thomas Cook has reached agreement with its bankers to provide it with new access to funding.

China Workers Strike at Companies That Make IBM Parts, Lingerie November 24, 2011, 10:38 PM EST

Nov. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Thousands of workers in southern China went on strike in the last week to demand higher pay and better treatment, disrupting work at companies including one that supplies equipment to International Business Machines Corp.

U.S. Firms Keen to Add Foreign Jobs

U.S.-based multinational corporations added 1.5 million workers to their payrolls in Asia and the Pacific region during the 2000s, and 477,500 workers in Latin America, while cutting payrolls at home by 864,000, the Commerce Department reported.

What Constitutes Sustainable Tea?

A battle between Unilever and an Amsterdam-based non-governmental group over the rights of workers on tea plantations in India and Kenya shows the difficulties facing multinational companies that are trying to ensure their products are ethically produced.nilever, which makes the popular Brooke Bond and Lipton brands, has committed to sourcing all its tea sustainably by 2020.

Obama Finds Better Business Ties With Boeing in Asia-Pacific Trade Moves

President Barack Obama traveled to the Asia-Pacific region and found something that’s eluded him at home: accolades from the business community.

Google to open a new data centre in Dublin

Internet giant Google is to open a new data centre in Dublin to run its search engine, Gmail and Google Maps services.

The best way to play emerging markets

FORTUNE -- Ever since the great crash of 2008, when emerging markets plummeted more than 50%, one strategy has jumped in popularity: buying multinationals to play the fast-growing markets.Giants like Coca-Cola rarely collapse like their developing markets-based competitors.

Coca-Cola to Invest $2 Billion Over Five Years in India

BANGALORE - Coca-Cola Co. said Monday it will invest $2 billion in India over five years, as the soda giant and its bottling partners plan to spend $30 billion to build capacities and on marketing in emerging economies.

China Telecom Americas Continues to Expand

China Telecom Americas, a wholly-owned North American-based subsidiary of China Telecom Corp. Ltd. (NYSE: CHA) has announced the opening of a new full-service office in Chicago. China Telecom Americas is a provider of data, IP and voice wholesale services to multinational companies, organizations and international carriers requiring China domestic services and international access to China and the Asia Pacific region.

China ‘Basically Ready’ to Allow Foreign Firms to Sell Stock

Nov. 14 (Bloomberg) -- The Shanghai Stock Exchange said it’s “basically ready” to let foreign issuers sell stock, paving the way for companies from HSBC Holdings Plc to Coca-Cola Co. to list in the world’s second-biggest equity market.

Why Wall Street Isn't Bullish On The Collapse Of Semi-Communism In Europe

When communism was collapsing back in the 1980s and the early 1990s in Eastern Europe, equity markets around the world cheered.

ACE Launches Multinational Practice in Continental Europe; Remy Massol to Lead Unit, Clive Hassett to Broaden Area of Responsibility

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ACE today announced that it has created a new practice designed to meet the needs of multinational companies that are based or operating in Continental European countries.

The Multinational Myth And Getting Growth Abroad

If you think investing in Coca Cola gives you international exposure in your portfolio, it’s time to reevaluate your global investing strategy.

Stocks: Jeremy DeGroot of Litman Gregory picks the best of the best

FORTUNE -- Litman Gregory aims to be the all-star team of the mutual fund world. The firm, which has $6 billion in assets, scours the industry for top managers, then commissions each to run a mini-portfolio for its Masters funds.

Many companies pay no income taxes, study finds

The corporate tax rate  is 35%. But an examination of 280 of the nation's largest corporations suggests that many aren't paying anything close to that.

Best Multinational Companies to Work For

Looking for a great company to work for, one where you'd have the potential to work with people from different cultures or even take an overseas posting? The Great Place to Work Institute has just released its 25 Best Multinationals list--and the winner is a very familiar U.S. company.

As they lobby for a tax holiday, some big multinational players say they've got plenty of cash on hand

As select U.S. multinational corporations push for a tax holiday on a trillion dollars parked overseas, their own recent financial reports undermine the arguments they are making for preferential treatment on Capitol Hill.

Investors (and the Fed) are addicted to liquidity

The best you can say about "The Godfather: Part III" is that Sofia Coppola recognized her limitations and now spends more time behind the camera than in front of it. "Superman III" proved that Richard Pryor was no Gene Hackman.

The Noman Group extends Monforts line-up

The Noman Group, Monforts' largest customer in Bangladesh and in 2010, the country's largest exporter of garments, has invested in new Monforts technology to ensure that the group retains its premier position.

Saab story getting happy ending?

An 11th-hour offer by Chinese investors to buy Swedish Automobile, the parent of Sweden's ailing Saab, apparently will keep the automaker from possible liquidation.

Camp’s Territorial Proposal May Complicate Push for Tax Holiday

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp’s proposed rewrite of the U.S. approach to international taxation will require multinational companies to decide whether to continue a push for a repatriation holiday or wait for a broad overhaul of the tax code.

Samsung pips Apple

The South Korean electronics giant Samsung has overtaken Apple to become the world’s top maker of smartphones.

Tax havens: Is the tide turning?

Around the world, grassroots opposition to tax avoidance is on the rise. But a survey shows that all but two of the UK's biggest 100 companies have subsidiaries in tax havens, from the Cayman Islands to Singapore. So is big business out of step with public opinion?

Global Crises are Spiritual: A Time for Awakening

In modern economic thinking, greed and selfishness are upheld as guiding the ‘invisible hand’ of the market and are therefore exempt from moral consideration. It is time for us to redefine our values and build a just economy for the common good, says Kamran Mofid.

Libya set to get back $37 billion from U.S.

Even before Moammar Gadhafi's death Thursday, the Treasury Department was already starting to thaw some $37 billion worth of frozen Libyan assets to make them available to the new government in Tripoli. The new Libyan government will get all the money. Eventually.
Earlier this year, the United States froze its piece of what some analysts believe to be as much as $150 billion in assets that had been available to the Gadhafi regime around the world.

China 'losing edge' as low-cost manufacturer, says KPMG

China is losing its edge as the world's cheapest place to manufacture goods, a new report suggests.

Small companies weigh in on IFRS move

The transition to IFRS is a hot-button issue once again, as the SEC has floated the idea of "condorsement" as a possible path to adoption in the United States.

Steve Jobs, Capitalist Tool

Maybe this is the least important thing that can be said about Steve Jobs right now. But it’s true. He was a good capitalist, and that means he was a good loser.

Forbes Leadership Highlights of the Week: The World Loses Steve Jobs

One of the all-time great corporate leaders and innovators died this week, much too soon, and at Forbes Leadership we all paused to reflect on and sum up what Steve Jobs had been and done. Within hours of the news, Carmine Gallo gave us “Steve Jobs: He Saw Genius in Our Craziness,” with terrific video on what you can learn from how the Apple chief did it. I followed with “What Steve Jobs Really Gave Us: Joy.” Scott Davis added “Steve Jobs, Inspired and Inspiring.” John Ellett considered “Steve Jobs’ Legacy for Marketers.” William Duggan asked, “Steve Jobs: Visionary or Opportunist?,” and answered opportunist—but in the best possible way. E. D. Kain took a personal view, with “Remembering Steve Jobs: How Apple Helped Shape My Childhood” and also gathered some of the best writings from beyond Forbes Leadership with “10 Must-Reads and Other Tributes to the Life of Steve Jobs.” The day before Jobs’ death, Carmine Gallo responded to the announcement of the new iPhone by filing “Apple’s Tim Cook Does His Best Steve Jobs.” Now Cook will have to keep doing his best Steve, but none of us will soon be forgetting the great man himself and all he did for us and showed us. I expect we’ll continue to draw what wisdom we can from his example at Forbes Leadership.

Apple full-year profits rise 85%

The world's biggest technology company Apple has reported full year results, showing net profit for the year to 25 September at $25.9bn (£16.5bn), up 85% from the previous year.

Even that was not enough to satisfy Wall Street, with the shares falling nearly 5% in after-hours trading.

There was some disappointment with the fourth quarter of the year, when no major new products were released.

Taiwan's HTC loses Apple patent infringement case in US

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has been dealt a big blow in its legal battle with Apple involving patent infringement claims.

The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that Apple did not violate patents as claimed by HTC in a complaint lodged last year.

Citigroup's third quarter earnings beat expectations

Citigroup has reported a 74% increase in its third quarter profit.

The US bank reported net income of $3.8bn (£2.4bn), marking its seventh consecutive quarter of being in profit.

The earnings were helped by the fact that the business set aside less money to cover bad loans.

Apple wins battle to block Samsung tablets in Australia

An Australian court has temporarily banned the sale of Samsung Electronics' tablet computer in Australia, a victory for Apple in its global patent dispute with the South Korean company.

Apple has accused Samsung of copying its touch-screen technology for its Galaxy Tab 10.1.

The two companies are embroiled in legal battles in nine countries.

Rolls-Royce sells its share in IAE to Pratt & Whitney

Rolls-Royce is selling its share in the International Aero Engines (IAE) joint venture to Pratt & Whitney.

Rolls-Royce owns 32.5% of IAE, which makes the V2500 engines for the Airbus A320.

It will be paid $1.5bn (£956m) and receive future payments based on the use of the engines.

Steve Jobs 'died of respiratory arrest'

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died of respiratory arrest linked to the spread of his pancreatic cancer, his death certificate has revealed.

The certificate, filed in Santa Clara County, California listed his occupation as "high-tech entrepreneur".

The Apple co-founder died on 5 October at the age of 56 at his home in Palo Alto.

Dexia bank gets massive bailout

France, Belgium and Luxembourg are to bail out the troubled bank Dexia, following fears it could go bankrupt.

The Belgian government will buy the bank's division in Belgium for 4bn euros ($5.4bn; £3.4bn).

And Luxembourg's finance minister said a Qatari investment group was ready to buy the bank's Luxembourg unit.

Wayne Says Co-Founding Apple Like ‘Having a Tiger by the Tail’

Oct. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Ron Wayne, who sold his stake in Apple Inc. two weeks after founding it with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, said he knew the company would be a rollercoaster and also very successful.

“They were absolute whirlwinds aside from the fact they were intellectual giants, which I recognized, and it was like having a tiger by the tail; you can’t hang on and you can’t let go,” said Wayne, 77, in an interview with Bloomberg Television. “If I’d stayed with them, I was going to wind up the richest man in the cemetery, so I figured it was best for me to go off and do other things.”

Apple unveils refreshed iPhone 4S, but no iPhone 5

Apple has unveiled the latest iteration in its iPhone range, but there was no sign of the widely rumoured iPhone 5.

The iPhone 4S, as the model will be known, boasts an improved camera and significantly extended battery life.

It will run the latest iOS5 operating system, which is set for release on 12 October.

Ford strikes 'tentative' pay deal with UAW union

US carmaker, Ford, says it has agreed in principle to a four-year pay deal with the United Auto Workers union.

Ford says the settlement will make it more competitive in its home market.

Exact details are being withheld until the UAW's members have a chance to review the contract.

Financial services firms 'plan job cuts'

Financial services firms are expected to cut jobs in the next three months after recent volatility on the stock markets "darkened the mood" in the sector, a report has said.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers and CBI survey said that in the three months to September growth in the sector was at its slowest pace since June 2010.

A further slowdown is expected in the coming quarter, the study said.

Facebook rumors: Fact vs. fiction

(CNN) -- The recent deluge of Facebook changes -- both those that have already happened and those that are on the way -- have people talking.

OK ... that's an understatement. They have people shouting (with either glee or fury). And fuming. And, sometimes, freaking out.

Felixstowe opens new berths for giant container ships

The Port of Felixstowe will formally open the UK's first shipping berths capable of taking the next generation of giant container ships later.

The ships, which are due to arrive in 2013, can carry 18,000 containers.

But they need deeper water to dock, and bigger cranes to be unloaded than are needed for the current biggest ships.

iPad has '80% of North American tablet market'

Apple's iPad captured 80% of the tablet computer market in the US and Canada in April to July, a report has said.

The iPad accounted for six million of all 7.5 million tablets shipped in North America during the second quarter of 2011, according to research group Strategy Analytics.

Samsung and Apple warring over patents again

Samsung and Apple have gone to court once again in their ongoing, tit-for-tat patent war.

The companies went before judges in Australia and the Netherlands on Monday, each asking for the other's products to be banned from sale.

Apple's lawyers in Sydney claimed that Samsung's Galaxy Tab infringed patents relating to its touchscreen interface.

Libya: Italian oil firm Eni resumes Abu Attifel pumping

Italian oil firm Eni has restarted production at an oil field in Libya, as opponents of Col Muammar Gaddafi tighten their control on the economy.

Eni, which was the biggest foreign oil producer in Libya before Col Gaddafi was overthrown, said it planned to reopen other fields in the coming days.

Hewlett-Packard replaces Leo Apotheker with Meg Whitman

Leo Apotheker has been replaced as chief executive of Hewlett-Packard by Meg Whitman, the former head of eBay.

Mr Apotheker was in the job less than a year, but had overseen a collapse in the share price and a fall in sales.

Ms Whitman, who once ran for governor of California, resigned from eBay in 2008 and is credited with building it into a global force.

Nike profits from increased sales

Nike's latest profits have met market expectations, sending its shares up more than 5% in after hours trading.

The US sportswear giant made a net profit of $645m (£420m) in the three months to 31 August, up 15% from its same first quarter period last year.

Its revenues rose 18% to $6.1bn, as Nike said demand for its products remained strong around the world.

Google denies 'cooking' search results

Google's executive chairman has denied that the company fixes its search results to promote its own websites and services.

Eric Schmidt told a congressional hearing in Washington: "May I simply say that I can assure you we're not cooking anything."

Facebook focuses on media sharing and adds timeline

Facebook has outlined plans to encourage users to share more of the media they consume - including music and movies - with friends.

Its founder Mark Zuckerberg also unveiled a dramatic redesign to the website, replacing user profiles with an audio visual timeline of their life.

Saab wins bankruptcy court appeal decision

Troubled carmaker Saab will seek bankruptcy protection after winning a court appeal against a decision earlier this month preventing it from doing so.

The court of appeal said its decision "reverses the district court ruling and allows Saab to reorganise".

The carmaker has been trying unsuccessfully to get new funding to ensure the business's survival.

Siemens to quit nuclear industry

German industrial and engineering conglomerate Siemens is to withdraw entirely from the nuclear industry.

The move is a response to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in March, chief executive Peter Loescher said.

He told Spiegel magazine it was the firm's answer to "the clear positioning of German society and politics for a pullout from nuclear energy".

Jaguar Land Rover 'to build major engine plant'

Luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to announce plans for a major new engine plant in the West Midlands.

The development, which is expected to take up to two years, will be on the i54 business park in Wolverhampton, confirmed as one of several new enterprise zones in July.

Technology firm Cisco more than halves revenue targets

Technology company Cisco Systems has more than halved its revenue forecast amid slowing economic growth and increased competition.

Cisco said annual revenues would increase by between 5-7% over the next three years, down from a previous target of 12-17%.

Intel and Google in Android chip-making partnership

Chipmaker Intel has set up a development partnership with internet giant Google to improve its mobile phone and tablet processors that run on the Android system.

The move is aimed at giving Intel greater access to one of the industry's fastest-growing segments.

Intel is the world's biggest chipmaker in the computer and server market.

Suzuki seeks end to Volkswagen alliance

Suzuki Motor is seeking an end to its partnership with Volkswagen, after the German carmaker accused Suzuki of breaking the terms of their agreement.

Suzuki will ask Volkswagen to sell its 19.9% stake in the firm, the company said in a statement.

The Japanese car company, in turn, will offload its 1.5% stake in Volkswagen.

Microsoft unveils its new Windows 8 operating system

Microsoft has taken the wraps off the next generation of its Windows operating system.

Windows 8 is designed to run on tablet computers, as well as desktop and laptop PCs.

The software, which is due to be released in 2012 will work on the popular ARM-designed low power processors for the first time.

HTC sues Apple after Google sells tech patents

Taiwanese smartphone firm HTC has fired a fresh salvo in its continuing war with Apple over patent infringement.

HTC has used patents it bought from Google last week to lodge a fresh complaint against Apple with the US International Trade Commission (ITC).

It has alleged that Apple's computers and mobile devices infringe patents involving wi-fi capability and processor communication technology.

Saab bankruptcy likely 'in days'

The carmaker Saab's application for protection from its creditors to help it avoid being pushed into bankruptcy has been rejected by a Swedish court.

In response, Swedish trade unions said they could demand that Saab be declared bankrupt within days.

Saab had applied for protection while trying to secure additional funding.

Saab seeks protection from its creditors

Struggling Swedish carmaker Saab is seeking protection from its creditors.

The move should help its owner Swedish Automobile avoid being pushed into bankruptcy while trying to secure additional funding.

Saab had to suspend production in April when its suppliers stopped deliveries after not being paid. Its workers have also had their pay delayed for three months in a row.

Apple to open first store in Hong Kong to boost sales

Apple is planning to open its first store in Hong Kong as it seeks to capture a greater share of the booming Asian market.

The store comes as Apple's outlets in Beijing and Shanghai continue to be among the best performing ones across the globe.

Toyota to make hybrid car parts in China to boost sales

Toyota is planning to manufacture key components for its hybrid cars outside Japan for the first time, in a bid to boost sales.

It will start making parts at its research and development facility in China to cater for growing demand from the mainland.

China is one of the world's biggest polluters but sales of hybrid vehicles are expected to grow steadily in the coming years.

Apple defends itself after pollution allegations

Apple has defended its environmental record after allegations that some of its suppliers are polluting in China.

The technology giant said that it was committed to the highest standard of social responsibility.

The comments come after a report by Chinese environmental groups claimed a number of Apple manufacturers were discharging harmful pollutants.

Toshiba, Hitachi and Sony to form LCD display company

Hitachi, Sony and Toshiba are planning a joint venture to make small and medium-sized LCD displays for tablet PCs and smartphones.

They will use money from the Japanese government to help them compete with rivals from Taiwan and South Korea.

Land Rover confirms new version of its Defender model

Land Rover will release an all-new version of its Defender model in 2015, it has confirmed.

The carmaker has also released the first images of the concept car upon which the new Defender will be based, the DC100.

Banking reforms 'may not happen until 2015'

Any shake-up of British banks may not come into force for several years, government sources have indicated.

Although legislation could be passed to "split up" leading banks before 2015's scheduled general election, changes may not take effect until after that date.

Business Secretary Vince Cable has said changes will go ahead and denied any splits with the Tories on the issue.

Mobile firm on rural net crusade

Mobile operator Three is giving away 3G broadband to rural areas struggling to get fixed line services.

Initially it plans to give 11 communities in the UK free dongles and access for a year.

It claims the initiative is part of its commitment to government, which wants to ensure isolated communities have decent broadband services.

Google boss 'knew about' unlicensed pharmacy adverts

Google's chief executive Larry Page knew that adverts for unlicensed Canadian pharmacies were running on its US site, according to a government prosecutor.

Rhode Island attorney Peter Neronha told the Wall Street Journal that incriminating emails had been uncovered as part of an official investigation.

RBS agrees to end work for Belarus

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has said it will no longer do fundraising work for the Belarus government following a campaign by human rights groups.

Free Belarus Now and Index on Censorship argued that companies such as RBS were helping to support the regime of "Europe's last dictator".

Bank regulation 'risks recovery' says Angela Knight

UK banks need to focus on lending and paying back taxpayers, and should not be distracted by more regulation, the head of the British Bankers' Association has said.

Angela Knight said regulatory change could undermine the recovery.

BT to increase phone call charges by 5%

Telecoms giant BT is to raise call charges for residential customers by up to 5% on 3 December - the second increase this year.

UK landline calls will go up from 7.6p a minute to 7.95p a minute. Line rental prices will also rise, but calls to mobiles will be unchanged.

The changes come after a 10% rise in call charges a year ago, and a 9% increase in April.

JP Morgan pays $88.5m to settle sanction violations

JP Morgan Chase has agreed with the US Treasury Department to pay $88.3m (£54.2m) to avoid liability for "apparent violations" of sanctions against Cuba, Sudan, Liberia and Iran.

The Treasury said such violations, which took place between March 2005 and March 2011, were "egregious".

Diageo boosted by emerging markets

Diageo, the drinks group behind brands such as Guinness, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker has reported a 5% rise in annual profits.

Pre-tax profits for the year to the end of June came in at £2.36bn, as growth in emerging markets and North America made up for problems in Europe.

Warren Buffett invests $5bn in Bank of America

Warren Buffett's company Berkshire Hathaway has announced it is investing $5bn (£3.1bn) in Bank of America.

News of the world famous investor's decision sent Bank of America's shares more than 25% higher.

Steve Jobs quits as Apple chief

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has resigned as chief executive of the technology giant and will be replaced by chief operating officer Tim Cook.

Mr Jobs, who underwent a liver transplant following pancreatic cancer, said he could no longer meet his chief executive's duties and expectations.

The Silicon Valley legend will become chairman of the firm.

Acer shares fall after warning of further losses

Shares in Taiwanese PC maker Acer fell after the company posted worse-than-expected losses and said it was "impossible" to break even this year.

The firm posted a net loss of 6.8bn Taiwanese dollars ($234m;£143m) from April to June, compared with a profit of NT$3.6bn a year earlier.

Google pays $500m to settle drug advertising case

Internet giant Google has agreed to forfeit $500m (£306m) for publishing online adverts from Canadian pharmacies selling illegal drugs to US customers.

By reaching a settlement, Google will avoid criminal prosecution in the US for profiting from the adverts.

Euro ban for Samsung Galaxy phone

Samsung has been banned from selling three models of its Galaxy smartphones in a number of European countries.

The preliminary injunction was handed down by a court in the Netherlands after Apple filed a claim for patent infringement.

It claimed that Samsung had copied technology owned by Apple relating to the way photos are displayed on mobile devices.

UBS to cut 3,500 jobs worldwide

Swiss banking group UBS has announced it is to cut 3,500 jobs globally as part of its cost savings programme.

Some 45% of the job losses will fall on its investment bank.

The move was widely anticipated after the banking group announced plans last month to find 2bn Swiss francs ($2.5bn, £1.5bn) of annual savings.

Foster's reports annual loss of $93m

Australian brewer Foster's has reported an annual loss as it tries to fend off a hostile takeover bid by SABMiller.

Foster's reported a loss of 89m Australian dollars ($93m; £56.5m) for the year ending 30 June.

Despite the loss, Foster's said it planned to return A$500m to shareholders.

Toyota and Ford to collaborate on hybrid SUVs

Carmakers Toyota and Ford have agreed to collaborate a new hybrid system for SUVs and light trucks.

The two said they will work as equal partners under a memorandum of understanding they have signed.

They will jointly develop a rear-wheel drive powertrain to be available later this decade, which they will then each install in their own separate vehicles.

Google to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5bn

Internet giant Google has announced a deal to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5bn (£7.7bn).

A joint statement said the boards of both companies had unanimously approved the deal, which should be completed by the end of this year, or early in 2012.

Earlier this year, Motorola split into two separate companies.

AIG sues Bank of America for $10bn bad debt losses

Insurance group AIG is suing Bank of America (BoA) for $10bn (£6.1bn), accusing the lender of carrying out a "massive fraud" on bad mortgage debt.

AIG alleges that BoA exaggerated the quality of the $28bn worth of mortgage-backed investment products it bought from the bank prior to the 2008 turmoil in the financial markets.

US man charged over Facebook spam turns himself in

A US man charged with sending more than 27 million spam messages to Facebook users has turned himself in.

Sanford Wallace, who is known as the "Spam King", surrendered to FBI agents in California.

Google hits out at rivals over 'bogus patents'

Google has accused rivals Microsoft and Apple of buying up technology patents in a bid to hold back Android.

In a blog post, one of Google's top lawyers accused the firms of using "bogus patents" to crank up the cost of Android-powered devices.

Total and Eni blame profit falls on conflict in Libya

Oil companies Total and Eni have both blamed profit falls on the conflict in Libya disrupting their production in the north African country.

France's Total saw its net profit decline 12% to 2.73bn euros ($3.89bn; £2.4bn) in the three months to 30 June.

BMW unveils electric car division

German carmaker BMW has unveiled two new models to launch its electric motoring division BMWi.

The i3 is an all-electric small city car, while the i8, a powerful sports car, combines an electric motor with a three-cylinder combustion engine.

BSkyB to return £1bn to its shareholders

Satellite broadcaster BSkyB is returning £1bn to shareholders angered by the recent fall in share prices.

Its shares have fallen sharply in the past month after News Corporation abandoned its bid for BSkyB amid the phone-hacking scandal.

The company said it had gained 426,000 customers over the past year.

Apple overtakes Nokia and Samsung as smartphone maker

Apple has become the world's biggest seller of smartphones, according to industry analysts.

The US firm overtook both previous leader Nokia and Samsung in the second quarter of the year, when total smartphone sales hit a record 110m.

The figures from Strategy Analytics also showed that 361m handsets were shipped, up 13% on the previous year.

Alibaba launches new mobile operating software

China's Alibaba has taken on established players such as Google and Apple in the mobile operating system market.

It has launched its own operating system, Alyun OS, in a bid to capture the fast-growing Chinese market.

The launch comes as sales of smartphones in China, the world's largest mobile handset market, are expected to grow rapidly.

Apple now holds more cash than US government

Apple is now more cash-rich than the United States government, figures from the US Treasury department show.

The figures, released by the US Treasury department this week, show the country currently has a total operating cash balance of $73.7bn (£44.85bn).

Siemens, Volkswagen and BASF see shares fall

Several German industrial giants have seen their share prices fall after reporting disappointing results.

Siemens, Europe's largest engineering conglomerate, reported a drop in third-quarter profits, sending shares down 0.8%.

Chemical firm BASF and carmaker Volkswagen also saw their stocks drop.

Toyota to double production in India

Toyota, the world's biggest carmaker, has said it plans to nearly double its production capacity in India by 2013.

The Japanese firm said it would invest a further 17.2bn yen ($220m; £135m) and hire new employees "to meet the rapid growth of India's automobile market".

Morgan Stanley has seen its second quarter revenues rise by 17%, beating market expectations.

Morgan Stanley has seen its second quarter revenues rise by 17%, beating market expectations.

The US bank's net revenues totalled $9.3bn (£5.7bn) in the three months to 30 June, up from $8bn a year earlier.

Morgan made a net loss of $558m, or 38 cents per share, during the quarter. However, the loss was caused by a one-off $1.7bn charge, without which Morgan would have made a profit of 64 cents.

The charge was caused by an investor converting its Morgan shares.

McDonald's profits rise 15% on higher global sales

Fast food giant McDonald's has seen its quarterly profits soar 15% on higher sales across all its global regions.

Its net profit for the three months to 30 June totalled $1.41bn (£866m), compared with $1.23bn a year earlier.

Revenue growth was led by Europe, where McDonald's same-store sales increased by 5.9%. They rose by 4.5% in US, and by 5.2% for the rest of the world.

The US technology giant Microsoft said its annual revenues hit a record of $69.94bn (£43.4bn).

The US technology giant Microsoft said its annual revenues hit a record of $69.94bn (£43.4bn).

Sales of the company's Xbox 360 videogame console and its Office software helped fuel the growth.

Net income at the world's biggest software maker jumped 23% to 23.15bn for the year.

Fake Apple stores found in Kunming city, China

An American blogger has discovered three fake Apple stores operating in Kunming city, China.

Pictures of the stores, their staff and a description of a stroll around them was posted on the BirdAbroad blog.

In the article, she writes about conversations with staff, many of whom were convinced that they were employed by the US electronics firm.

Nokia suffers heavy loss as sales slip

Mobile phone giant Nokia has plunged into the red as sales fell and margins were squeezed in the second quarter.

The firm made a net loss of 368m euros ($521m; £323m) in the three months to the end of June, compared with a profit of 227m euros a year earlier. Net sales fell by 7% to 9.3bn euros.

It had warned that its second quarter results would be disappointing.

Marks & Spencer gains share in tough clothes market

Marks and Spencer has reported sales growth and a bigger market share despite the stagnant UK clothes market.

Like-for-like UK sales excluding VAT in the 13 weeks to 2 July rose 1.7% versus a year ago, in line with expectations.

The growth was entirely driven by food sales. Non-food like-for-like sales saw zero growth - an improvement on the 3.9% fall in the previous quarter.

Entrance into HDTV market seen boosting Apple's market cap by $100B

Categorizing Apple's rumored entrance into the high-definition television market as an "eventual" next step, a new analysis concludes that such a move could increase the company's market capitalization by $100 billion, or $100 per share in incremental value.

Analyst Maynard Um with UBS Investment Research does not believe it is a foregone conclusion that Apple will enter the television market by manufacturing its own HDTV. But he does believe the "logic is sound" for Apple to enter the market with a new product differentiated enough to stand out from the competition.

Beko fridge-freezer fires began four years ago

Some faulty Beko fridge-freezers began catching fire as long ago as 2007, the BBC has learned.

Nevertheless most consumers were only warned this week that some of their appliances were potentially lethal.

The Fire Brigade said 15 people had been injured, and one person had died, as a result of fires in London alone.

Secret agents raid Apple store webcam 'artist'

The US Secret Service has raided the home of an artist who collected images from webcams in a New York Apple store.

Kyle McDonald is said to have installed software that photographed people looking at laptops then uploaded the pictures to a website.

Mr McDonald said he had obtained permission from a security guard to take photos inside the store.

JP Morgan agrees further fraud settlement

JP Morgan Chase is to pay $228m (£143m) to settle claims it rigged auctions, its second fraud payout in a month.

The deal was reached with regulators, tax authorities and 25 US states, who accused it of fixing bids for state and municipal contracts on 93 occasions.

Facebook adds Skype video chat feature

Facebook has announced a partnership with Skype to add video chat to the social networking site.

The move is likely to be seen as a shot across the bow of Google, which recently launched a Facebook rival, Google+, also featuring video calling.

This is not the first time Facebook and Skype have teamed up - they already share some instant messaging tools.

It’s None of Our Business Whether China Wants to Buy Shares of Facebook

Last week, the story “leaked out” that a China sovereign wealth fund had expressed interest in purchasing a significant stake in Facebook. Lots of chatter then ensued about whether it was true, what it meant, and what “we” should do about it. (No, I don’t really know who “we” are.)

Allow me to be blunt on this issue: from a legal/investment perspective, I don’t give a shit if China wants to buy part of Facebook. Their motives for doing so are irrelevant as long as no laws are broken, and all the chatter about whether such a deal is a good idea is a negative influence on inward foreign investment in the U.S., and possibly corresponding deals in China by U.S. firms.

China state fund eyes Facebook stake

A state-owned fund in China is reportedly interested in buying a stake in social network Facebook, said a media report. A source told US business magazine Business Insider that China's sovereign wealth fund - the China Investment Corp - is hoping it could buy a stake in Facebook, large
enough "to matter", the Shanghai Daily reported.

Financial firm Citibank is reportedly trying to acquire as much as $1.2 billion worth of Facebook stock on behalf of two sovereign wealth funds - one from China and another from the Middle East, the daily said.

Apple consortium beats Google to Nortel patents

A group of technology companies including Apple, Microsoft and Research in Motion have paid $4.5bn in cash for a collection of strategically vital patents from Nortel in a blow to Google and its fast-growing Android operating system.

Google had opened the bidding for the remaining portfolio of the bankrupt Canadian telecoms equipment maker in April, with an offer of $900m for the more than 6,000 patents which cover wireless, 4G, data networking, internet and semiconductor technologies.

BYD shares jump on China debut despite weak earnings

Shares in Chinese carmaker BYD have risen sharply on their debut on the Shenzen stock exchange, despite the company reporting a drop in profits.

BYD shares jumped as much as 39% to 25 yuan, compared with the listing price of 18 yuan.

The company had raised 1.42bn yuan ($219m; £136m) from the share issue to fund its expansion plans.

Moody's cuts Toyota credit rating on strong yen

Car giant Toyota has had its credit rating cut by the ratings agency Moody's on worries that the strong yen and rising raw material costs will hit profitability.

Moody's cut the car maker's credit rating one notch to Aa3 from Aa2.

The ratings agency, which had put Toyota under review in April, said further cuts remained a possibility.

Saab says a big order means it can pay employee wages

The Swedish carmaker Saab has announced a big order from a Chinese company, which means it now can afford to pay its staff.

Last week, the company said it was too short of cash to make the payments.

Now it has said that the pre-payment on a 13m euro ($18m; £12m) order for 582 Saab vehicles would give it the short-term funding it needs.

Apple removes 'offensive' Intifada application

Computer firm Apple has removed an Arabic-language application from its App Store called ThirdIntifada, after Israel said it incited violence.

"We removed this app from the App Store because it violates the developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people," Apple said.

Winklevoss twins end legal row with Facebook

The Winklevoss brothers, Harvard contemporaries of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, have ended their legal battle with the social network.

They reached a $65m (£41m) settlement in 2008, after claiming that Mr Zuckerberg stole their idea.

The legal spat was immortalised in the film "The Social Network".

Google facing US antitrust probe - reports

US federal regulators are preparing to issue court orders to Google and other companies as part of a probe into practices in Google's search engine business, US media report.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is expected to open a formal inquiry within the next several days, the Wall Street Journal said.

The FTC is looking at whether Google manipulates its search results to steer users to its own sites and services.

FTC steps up probe of Google

WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is moving forward with an antitrust investigation of Internet giant Google, sources told The Wall Street Journal.

The regulator has been making inquiries about Google's business behavior in recent months, but is now issuing subpoenas to collect a broad swath of information from the company and from others that do business with Google, the Journal said Thursday.

Samruk-Kazyna plans to acquire up to 25% in Alliance Bank, BTA Bank, Narodny Bank and Kazkommertsbank, advisor to Kazakhstan prime minister says

Samruk-Kazyna, a Kazakhstan state-owned fund, is planning to acquire up to 25% of the ordinary voting shares in the four largest banks in Kazakhstan, said Alexander Mirtchev, one of the directors of Kazyna Fund and advisor to the prime minister of Kazakhstan.

Google to digitise British Library collection

Thousands of books and papers from the British Library’s collection will soon be made available online through a new partnership with Google.

Google and the British Library will work together to digitise 250,000 out-of-copyright texts from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Sega says hackers stole data of 1.29 million users

Sega has confirmed that the personal data of 1.29 million of its customers was stolen in an attack on its systems.

It comes after the computer games firm said on Friday that e-mail addresses and dates of birth stored on the Sega Pass database were accessed by hackers.

However, Sega continues to say that payment information, such as credit card numbers, remained safe.

Blackberry firm shares fall sharply on poor results

Shares in Blackberry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) have fallen by more than a fifth since it announced disappointing results on Thursday.

The company said that it had missed even its lowered expectations and reduced its profit forecasts.

RIM's net profit was $695m (£430m) in the three months to 28 May, down from $769m in the same period last year.

Toyota targets full North American output by September

Toyota Motors has said it expects its North American factory output to return to full capacity as early as September, faster than it had earlier forecast.

Toyota had curbed production at its factories in the region due to a shortage of parts in wake of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Honda warns of profit slump due to earthquake

Honda has become the second major Japanese carmaker in a week to warn of dramatically lower profits due to reduced production resulting from March's massive earthquake.

It forecast net profits of 195bn yen ($2.4bn; £1.5bn) for the year to the end of March 2012, down 64% on the 534bn yen the company made last year.

Nokia and Apple settle patent dispute

Nokia and Apple have agreed a technology licensing agreement that ends the long-running legal dispute between the two firms.

"The agreement will result in settlement of all patent litigation between the companies," Nokia said.

Nokia sued Apple for patent infringements in 2009 and extended the action in December last year.

Lending to firms can bring tasty returns, but there are risks for ordinary investors

Pioneering investors have turned the traditional idea of bank borrowing on its head.

Rather than borrowing from the banks, they hope to make solid returns by lending their own money to companies including Lloyds TSB and Tesco Bank.

These are among the growing number of businesses raising money by issuing corporate bonds aimed directly at ordinary investors. As Financial Mail reported in the Midas column last week, housing association

Toyota forecasts profits slump after earthquake

Japanese car giant Toyota has said it expects profits for this financial year to be sharply lower than last year, due in large part to the massive earthquake in March that disrupted production.

The carmaker forecast net profits of 280bn yen ($3.5bn; £2.1bn) for the year to the end of March, down a third on the 408bn yen it made last year.

Facebook sorry over face tagging launch

Facebook has apologised for the way it rolled-out a new system that recognises users' faces.

The social network said that it should have done more to notify members about the global launch.

Its Tag Suggestions feature scans photos and automatically picks out existing friends.

Although users have the option to switch it off, some complained that they were not explicitly asked if they wanted it activated.

Ford looks to Asia to grow sales by 50% in four years

The US car giant, Ford, has said it wants to boost sales from 5.3 million vehicles a year to eight million - a number that would pull it level with rival car maker, Toyota.

But the trouble with forecasting is that predictions often miss the mark.

That has not stopped Alan Mulally, the chief executive of Ford from making a few bold ones.

Apple boss Steve Jobs shows off iCloud service

Apple has unveiled its much-anticipated iCloud service at its annual developers' conference.

Apple boss Steve Jobs returned from medical leave to show off the features of the web-based service.

He said iCloud was necessary because the PC was no longer the digital hub of users' digital lives.

The web-based service aims to synchronise and co-ordinate the key content people store and share across their devices

9 things Weinergate tells us about Twitter

(CNN) -- By now, unless you live under a boulder large enough to block data signals, you know that New York Rep. Anthony Weiner is embroiled in a scandal involving an extremely personal picture sent from his Twitter account to a Seattle college student.

'Ethical’ charity has to sack staff after the Prince of Wales resigns

While the Prince of Wales has the power to attract attention to causes close to his heart, the withdrawal of his patronage can be devastating.

Mandrake hears that a charity from which the heir to the throne resigned as president is struggling to survive.

This week, staff at the Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum were told they may lose their jobs.

China Foreign Stocks Board ‘Very Close,’ Shanghai’s Fang Says

China is “very close” to starting a board for the listing of overseas companies in Shanghai and global manufacturers will have priority, according to the head of Shanghai’s financial services office.

The so-called international board will be a success because of pent-up demand for “high-quality” companies, Fang Xinghai, director general of the office, said in an interview today at Bloomberg’s Shanghai office. Coca-Cola Co., the world’s largest soft-drink maker, said this week it’s in talks to list shares in Shanghai, while HSBC Holdings Plc, Europe’s biggest bank, said in June 2010 it aims to raise a “significant amount” of funds.

Seven Latin American CROs Launch Multinational Company

South Cone Alliance LLC launched operations last April. Its members –seven CROs located in Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Perú and Panama- joined their efforts under the banner “One contract, multinational reach, local focus”

To deliver integral corporate solutions through the merging of their services and the standarization of their operating procedures and rates, is the core of the strategy developed by the new venture, according to Carlos Cáceres, CEO of Clinical Trials Support (CTS), one of the founding members of South Cone Alliance.

Skype hit by global service crash

Skype has moved quickly to fix problems that hit users around the world.

Many people started to report that they had problems making calls via the net-based phone system earlier today.

The problem did not seem confined to one group, with users on machines running Windows, OS X and Linux all reporting trouble.

Scholar offers tips for major firms in China

China's nonstop economic growth presents multiple opportunities for companies that understand the ins and outs of China, said scholar Kenneth Lieberthal during a discussion on his new book Managing the China Challenge: How to Achieve Corporate Success in the People's Republic.

The event, held on Tuesday night at the New York Times Building, was organized by the National Committee on United States-China Relations.

Chinese firms gain ground

Many multinational corporations believe their Chinese rivals will pose an increased threat due to improving brand recognition levels, wider product portfolios and stronger marketing capabilities.

Trade body the European Chamber, representing 1,600 regional firms active in China, worked with consultancy Roland Burger to survey 598 of its members. In all, 79% of featured organisations agreed the outlook for their category in China should remain positive over the next two years.

Multinational Companies Riding China’s Economic Wave Take a Hit in the Talent Market

Organizations from the US and around the world who expanded into China to leverage its powerful economy are lagging behind their local competitors when it comes to leadership talent, according to a trend research report from Development Dimensions International (DDI).

Multinational firms in Turkey owe success to local staff

A recent poll carried out by Msearch INAC among 70 top-level executives of multinational companies operating in Turkey has found that 75.7 percent of the executives preferred hiring local people with multinational work experience, a major factor that the company heads cited behind success both in Turkish and surrounding markets.

GE Joins Intel to Advise Obama as Overseas Holdings Expand

Seven publicly traded U.S. corporations represented on President Barack Obama’s advisory council for jobs and competitiveness -- including General Electric Co. (GE) and Intel Corp. (INTC) -- have devoted a growing pool of their non-U.S. earnings to investments in other countries.

As a group, multinational companies with current or former chief executive officers on Obama’s jobs council have, over the past four years, almost doubled the cumulative amounts they’ve reinvested overseas, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Drug MNCs play safe on licensing

Drug multinationals are treading with caution on the molecules to license from Indian companies, meaning Glenmark’s deal with France’s Sanofi may not be a forerunner to a clutch of similar agreements benefiting local firms.

Indian pharmaceutical companies outlicense a drug under development to foreign players with deep pockets as it is an expensive process. The latter undertakes trials to develop the drug.

Baxter Canada closes Sherbrooke, Que., plant and lays off 135 workers

Medical device company Baxter Canada will close its Sherbrooke, Que., plant on Dec. 9, putting 135 people out of work.

The company plans to relocate production to other plants in the United States, Costa Rica and Singapore that are already making its products.

Companies warned over bribery precautions

Overzealous cuts to compliance departments after the financial crisis have left multinational companies exposed to fraud prosecutions, according to data released on Wednesday.

Compared with 2009, twice as many employees of multinationals surveyed by Ernst & Young reported that their company had no anti-fraud measures in place, even as the Bribery Act is due to take effect this summer.

US multinationals acquire foreign companies to avoid tax

US MULTINATIONAL companies are putting more of their overseas earnings into cross-border mergers and acquisitions to avoid tax.

A Financial Times report claimed that the companies are concerned over tax bills incurred through repatriating so-called "trapped cash" in other jurisdictions. This has prompted a debate about whether companies are prioritising tax issues over business decisions.

Multinationals Push Key Services Into The Cloud

It’s no longer just SMBs that are keen on the cloud. Multinational companies want a piece of the action too

Cloud services are gaining momentum among large organisations, marking an expansion from the traditional user base of small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), according to new research.

Securing global economic security

Inflation is a significant factor of global economic security and has the innate capacity to upend carefully laid plans

Market agency plans to woo more multinationals

Following the delisting plan of the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), the bottlers of Coca Cola products, from the Nigerian capital market, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), stock market regulator, said part of its "key plans" this year is to woo more multinationals to the market.

Daisy Ekineh, SEC's executive commissioner in charge of operations, said recently at a closed-door meeting with market operators that the Commission is working at "promoting more listings of oil and gas companies, telecoms companies, small scale enterprises, and privatised enterprises" while it will keep "encouraging companies to stay listed" in the market.

How Rasna is taking on competition from multinational companies

As the number of players in the mass end of the packaged beverage market keeps rising, Rasna, the largest and the oldest player in the powdered ready-to-drink market in the country, is sprucing up distribution and scouting for regional buys.

From being the first player in the powdered beverage segment over 25 years ago, the creator of iconic ‘I Love You Rasna’ marketing slogan now has multinational players such as Kraft Foods India, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to fight in order to maintain its market leadership.

British Baptists urge end to tax-dodging by multinational corporations

An annual assembly of British Baptists called on the government to crack down on strategies used by multinational corporations to avoid paying taxes in the Third World.

While not illegal, a Baptist Union of Great Britain resolution said that tax-avoidance strategies cost developing countries about $160 billion in lost tax income that could help them build financial sustainability.

Mercer: Multinational employers must face up to healthcare reforms

Companies in the UK should consider taking advantage of increased state investment in cancer and cardiac care by amending their employee benefits, according to Mercer.

However, the firm is warning that multinational companies should also be aware that in many other European countries, state-funded care is in retreat, with responsibility for healthcare and rising costs “shunted onto employers and individual employees”.

'Private sector' includes small local business, not just multinationals

At the recent World Economic Forum in South Africa, Shanta Devarajan, the World Bank's chief economist for Africa, told a colleague of mine: "There is a palpable sense of optimism around Africa and the private sector at the Forum, with delegates referring to Africa as an investment destination."

The 2011 Africa Progress Report, launched at the forum, confirms this message, saying that private sector partnerships are experiencing a "well-deserved renaissance".

Corporate tax reform - lower rates, close loopholes

Tax the rich!

This rallying cry has long been a popular, populist solution to the national economic crisis except, as a new report suggests, it doesn't work, especially when applied to multinational corporations.

New Report Showcases Growth of African Multinational Corporations

The Initiative for Global Development in conjunction with Dalberg Global Development Advisors today released a groundbreaking report detailing how homegrown multinational corporations (MNCs) have expanded and flourished throughout Sub-Saharan Africa—despite an historic economic downturn in developed countries and slow growth in other emerging markets. The report, Pioneers on the Frontier: Sub-Saharan Africa’s Multinational Corporations, is the first of its kind to look at homegrown Sub-Saharan African MNCs and highlight steps taken by CEOs at some of the top companies to expand their businesses across the continent and beyond, while contributing to the development of the communities in which they operate.

New PCAOB Chairman Pushes for Audit Overhaul

Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Chairman James Doty plans to unveil a new model for the auditor's report and said he wanted to see disciplinary proceedings for auditing firms to be made public.

Doty took over the chairmanship of the government regulatory board that inspects and disciplines auditing firms earlier this year. During a speech Thursday at a Baruch College financial reporting conference, Doty also discussed problems he has seen with audits of multinational companies, particularly in China, and in the way that audit firms communicate with audit committees on public company boards.

Multinationals face more tax audits

The drive by governments around the world to collect taxes from corporations as they attempt to close yawning budget deficits has sparked a rise in the number of tax authority audits of multinationals, research shows.

A survey by Taxand, a network of global tax professionals, found 82 per cent of multinational companies saw a rise in the number of government audits they were subject to, and 84 per cent said that as a result they had experienced a rise in compliance costs.

Multinational Companies Target Developing Cities for Increased Profits

A recent article in Forbes highlighted the role that multinational companies play in improving quality of life for the lowest-income neighborhoods of developing countries. The rapid growth of cities and the expanding informal housing sections have proven to be a lucrative opportunity for companies like General Electric, Sweden’s ABB, France’s Alstom and Schneider Electric, and finally, Siemens, the German engineering conglomerate.

Rise of affluent middle class in India attracting upscale restaurants

Restaurateurs of upmarket and franchise chains are increasingly turning towards southeast Asia where the economy in India is growing at a breakneck pace.

And the brands that are eyeing the Indian market aren't just multinational corporations but trendy, fine dining establishments, points out a story in The Times of India.

Placement fair at GU on Saturday

Over 400 students have registered for the 'Placement Fair, 2011' being organized by the Goa University in collaboration with The Times of India, on April 30. Careers in mining, pharma, BPOs and banking, in nearly 30 Goan as well as multinational companies, await students at the fair.

Baucus Targets Billions in U.S. Oil Tax Breaks as Gasoline Prices Increase

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, citing rising gasoline prices and corporate profits, said he will seek to repeal billions of dollars in tax breaks for multinational oil and gas companies.

Baucus, a Montana Democrat, released yesterday what he called a blueprint for legislation that his tax-writing committee will craft. The proposal, offered the day Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) reported its highest net income in almost three years, seeks to eliminate a manufacturing tax deduction, reduce a tax credit for royalties paid to other governments and impose an excise tax on “certain Gulf leases,” according to an e-mailed statement.

XL Insurance Introduces XL WorldPath, a Set of Global Insurance Solutions for Multinational Companies

XL Insurance, the global insurance operations of XL Group plc (NYSE: XL), today announced XL WorldPath™, a set of global insurance solutions for North America-based multinational companies with cross-border insurance coverages to help address international legal, regulatory and tax compliance considerations.

Chief Executive visits multinational corporations

The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, visited two multinational corporations today ( April 27 ) to keep abreast of their businesses in Hong Kong and the job opportunities they bring to young people.

The tour started with Microsoft Hong Kong Limited in Cyberport. Accompanied by the Director-General of Invest Hong Kong, Mr Simon Galpin, the Chief Executive was briefed on the company's operations as well as the latest technological trends including cloud computing technology.

MNCs eye emerging markets worth 45% global GDP over a decade

Business in fast growing markets like India has become a priority for multinational firms, as the developing world is expected to produce nearly one billion households with earning more than $ 20,000 in next 15 years.

According to global management consultancy McKinsey & Co, "creating a powerful emerging-market strategy" has moved to the top of the growth agendas of many multinational companies.

Tax managers propose FBR to amend transfer pricing laws

Officials have suggested the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to amend the income tax laws on transfer pricing to check tax avoidance by multinational through manipulation of profits.

If applied, the change will bind a company to provide a certified accountant report for every international transaction.

Government Finally Shows What We Already Know - Shipping Jobs Overseas is a Big Problem!

The BEA is finally giving us some interesting data in this BEA economic release, Summary Estimates for Multinational Companies: Employment, Sales, and Capital Expenditures for 2009. Their statistics show U.S. multinationals fired more Americans than those abroad during this recession, even while some of these companies were bailed out by U.S. taxpayers. Additionally, these same corporations clearly have been offshore outsourcing jobs over the last decade.

US multinational companies hiring abroad

Major American multinational companies which employ a fifth of all US workers are hiring people overseas, a US daily has said, adding that this report would sharpen the debate over globalization's effects on the country's economy.

Huawei: slowly turning multinational?

As Huawei edges closer to Ericsson as the world’s biggest maker of telecommunications equipment, it is also taking steps towards becoming the first true Chinese multinational.

On Monday the group announced a number of measures aimed at addressing foreign criticisms of its alleged lack of transparency. Though Huawei won’t turn into General Electric overnight, the moves are likely to help the group’s standing abroad.

Corporate Tax Hurdles: A World of Difference

Back in September 2008, during a presidential debate, Republican candidate John McCain declared: "American business pays the second-highest business taxes in the world, [at] 35%." Democrat Barack Obama, countered that, while on paper corporate taxes look high, "there are so many loopholes that have been written into the tax code that…we actually see our businesses pay effectively one of the lowest rates in the world."

Mining firm under fire over tax payments in Zambia

Five NGOs have filed a complaint to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) against a subsidiary of Glencore, the world's largest commodity trader, over allegations that a mine it owns in Zambia may not be paying enough tax on its profits.

The organisations – the Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD), in Zambia; Sherpa, a Paris-based non-profit organisation; Berne Declaration, a Swiss-based NGO; Mining Watch Canada; and L'Entraide Missionaire, also based in Canada – believe the operations of Mopani Copper Mines, in which Glencore has a 73% stake, may be at odds with OECD guidelines for multinational companies.

Translation Excellence Provides Certified Translations of Financial Statements for Multinational Companies

Translation Excellence is a translation and interpretation agency with headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Translation Excellence offers comprehensive language services for companies, individuals and government agencies across the United States and has years of experience in providing only the highest quality end products to clients.

One of the many services that are provided by Translation Excellence is the certified translations of financial statements for multinational and international companies. Translation Excellence has certified translators who are able to provide top quality written translations in over 135 different languages.

Expect 20-25% return in BASF: SP Tulsian

Expect 20-25% return in BASF, says SP Tulsian, sptulsian.com.

Tulsian told CNBC-TV18, "BASF is a multinational company. In the last couple of years the company has diversified its product range and now the products are all used in the leather, textile, dispersion, plastics and agrochemical. Earlier the focus of the company used to be more on the agrochemicals and the larger portion of the topline used to come from that due to which we used to see two better quarters working that was for June and September. But now we have been seen the working spread evenly on all the four quarters and that is the reason the company has been showing consistent and improved performance in the last couple of years."

Sony and Hotz settle hacking case

Sony has settled its lawsuit with an American hacker who unlocked the secure operating system on the PlayStation 3.

The company dropped its action against George Hotz, also known as Geohot, and secured an injunction that bans him from similar behaviour in future.

Mr Hotz, who is 21 years old, had been facing charges of copyright infringement and fraud.

Facebook shares green data centre technology

Facebook has announced that it will share the design secrets behind its new energy-efficient data centre with rival companies.

The social network's facility in Prineville, Oregon is said to use 38% less power than existing centres.

It hopes, by making the innovations public, to cut the amount of electricity the industry consumes.

Apple wins $625m Mirror Worlds patents appeal

A judge has thrown out a ruling that would have forced Apple to pay $625m (£383m) for alleged patent infringements.

A jury decided last year that Apple's Spotlight, Time Machine and Cover Flow systems violated three patents held by small technology firm Mirror Worlds.

Toyota Importer Warns that Shortage of Cars is Expected

Toyota Importer Warns that Shortage of Cars is Expected
Israel's importer of Toyota cars has warned its dealerships that car deliveries will be cut back and that the local market will see a shortage in May and June, Globes reports. Toyota manufactures cars after they have been orders, and the company's recent month-long shutdown could result in a shortage of some 2,000 cars – mostly Corolla models – even if the factory resumes full-scale production next week, as scheduled. Most Japanese car manufacturers shut down or cut back production after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that hit the country on March 11, resulting in an ongoing nuclear crisis, and other Israeli importers of Japanese vehicles have warned that the drop in production could result in shortages.

Google goes shopping for patents

Google has made a $900m bid for the patent portfolio of Nortel Networks, the bankrupt Canadian telecom equipment maker.

The patents could help arm it against potential lawsuits aimed at its Chrome browser and Android mobile operating system.

Patents are becoming highly prized pieces of intellectual property.

PwC: Budget was good for businesses

CHANCELLOR George Osborne received a boost today, when a poll revealed that three quarters (74 per cent) of businesses believe that the Budget made the UK a more attractive place to do business.

Osborne pledged several increments of cuts in corporation tax as well as reforms to Controlled Foreign Company rules, in last month’s Budget.

Privacy group wants Google cash

A leading US privacy group has filed an objection to agreements Google has reached over its social network Buzz.

The Buzz experiment was heavily criticised because it automatically enrolled all Gmail users without seeking prior permission.

Legal action was taken by a group of Gmail users, with Google agreeing to set up a $8.5m (£5.2m) privacy fund.

iPad 2 shortages delay paperless meetings

European companies, including at least one Swiss multinational, are being forced to delay a move to paperless board meetings because of the shortage of Apple’s recently launched iPad 2 tablet device .

Company secretaries in Europe and elsewhere quickly embraced the original iPad and a specialised iPad app called Boardbooks from Diligent, a New Zealand-based software developer, as a money and time-saving alternative to sending out bulky packages of board papers to directors each month.

Aviation company Chromalloy to expand in Palm Beach County, add 70 jobs

Add another multinational to the aviation services cluster in South Florida’s Palm Beach County.

Chromalloy, which provides coatings, repairs and replacement parts for gas turbine engines, announced plans to move its world headquarters to Palm Beach Gardens from Orangeburg, N.Y.

Microsoft spends $7.5m on net addresses

Microsoft has offered to pay $7.5m (£4.7m) for net addresses from bankrupt telecoms firm Nortel.

The 666,624 IP version 4 (IPv4) net addresses were put up for auction as part of the sell-off of Nortel's assets.

Blocks of IPv4 are valuable because the pool of this generation of address is close to running dry.

MPs call for inquiry into tax avoidance by companies

MPs are pressing for a Commons inquiry into levels of tax avoidance by multinational companies.

Public criticism is mounting over the tax arrangements of major companies including Vodafone, Arcadia and Barclays, which have been targeted for campaigns of civil disobedience by groups such as UK Uncut.

DTI eyes R40bn from multinationals

The department of trade & industry believes it can generate as much as R40bn of investment into the country through “equity equivalence” deals involving multinational corporations that operate in SA.

Trade & industry revealed the ambitious plan at the unveiling of the first phase of Microsoft’s R475m equity equivalence empowerment deal on Tuesday.

SSI hatches long-term multinational scheme

MIDDLESBROUGH : Sahaviriya Group of Companies, Thailand's largest steel maker, is planning to invest more in steel overseas, while looking to invest in iron ore mining after acquiring an English steel blast furnace company."If we were successful in developing a smelting plant in Thailand, we would have focused on local projects and never would have made this move. It was a turning point," said Win Viriyaprapaikit, president of Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), the SET-listed hot-rolled coil steel maker founded by his family.

The group struggled in the past as its planned smelting plant worth 500 billion baht stalled after protests by environmentalists and community leaders at Bang Saphan in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Budget 2011: UBM considers return to UK after tax changes

Business publisher UBM is considering relocating its tax status to Britain after proposed changes to the rules on controlled foreign companies (CFC) designed to stop multinationals relocating abroad.

The Government on Wednesday outlined a reform of the CFC and "foreign branches" rules that will cost the Exchequer £2.8bn over five years in lost corporation tax revenues but aims to land the bigger prize of making Britain far more competitive for multinationals. That came alongside a cut in corporation tax from 26pc in 2011 to 23pc by 2014-15.

MySpace loses millions of users in a few weeks

Latest statistics suggest attempts to kick new life into MySpace may be failing.

Tech industry analysts comScore say figures show MySpace lost more than 10 million unique users worldwide between January and February.

There were almost 63 million users of MySpace in February 2011, down from more than 73 million.

Twitter plays musical chairs as founders' roles shift

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Twitter's transition from "cultural force" to "actual moneymaking business" isn't going smoothly. A management shift is in the works, with one of the site's creators ramping up his involvement and another quietly stepping away.

Co-founder Evan Williams, who handed the CEO title over five months ago to then-COO Dick Costolo, is rarely in the office these days. He spent most of February away from San Francisco at a ski resort, a vacation he extensively documented with photo-sharing app Instagram.

Serious Fraud Office vows to pursue corrupt foreign companies

The head of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is at loggerheads with ministers who are seeking to exempt overseas companies from Britain's new Bribery Act.

Speaking at an anti-corruption conference in Russia last week, Richard Alderman said he wanted the act to have a "wide jurisdiction", allowing the SFO to pursue overseas companies listed in the UK – even if they had little business activity here – whenever it was in Britain's public interest.

Tax Holiday Rejected On Overseas Profits

The Obama administration on Wednesday rejected the idea of a tax holiday for U.S. multinationals' overseas income, criticizing a plan being floated by some House Republicans and multinational companies for a stand-alone relief measure.

Treasury officials said they would only consider letting U.S. companies pay a reduced tax rate on as much as $1 trillion of profits earned overseas as part of a broader overhaul of the U.S. corporate tax code.

Budget changes to tax haven rules could cost poor countries 4 billion pounds

Corporate tax reforms to be announced in today's Budget could cost developing countries up to £4bn, ActionAid said today.

The Treasury is relaxing a piece of anti-tax haven abuse legislation, the Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) rules, which apply to foreign subsidiaries of UK multinationals.

Exclusive: Osborne's Corporate Tax Charm Offensive

I have learned that George Osborne is mounting a pre-Budget charm offensive to lure back multinational companies which moved offshore for tax reasons under the last Labour government.

The Chancellor and Treasury officials have in recent weeks stepped up their efforts to persuade the likes of United Business Media and WPP Group – both of which are now domiciled in Dublin – to relocate their tax base back to the UK.

Microsoft aids shutdown of Rustock spam net

The sudden drop in activity of a major spam producer was the result of a larges co-ordinated attack on spammers, it has emerged.

At 15:30 GMT on 16 March, a network of spam-producing computers, known as Rustock, suddenly stopped.

Raids on the network's infrastructure were trigged by a long-running investigation by Microsoft.

Twitter boss on application snub

Twitter founder Biz Stone has rejected suggestions that the site is shunning developers in order to make money.

He told BBC News that attempts to dissuade companies from writing Twitter client applications were about improving the user experience.

Twitter has come under fire for suggesting that it did not want developers creating software which replicated its own interface.

Companies and embassies look to withdraw

Foreign embassies and multinational companies in Japan were on Tuesday scrambling to make sense of the escalating crisis and how to help staff after the earthquake, tsunami and explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The Chinese embassy offered to help evacuate its citizens from four of the areas worst hit by the tsunami – Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaragi and Iwate. A posting on its website said it would help Chinese citizens to leave the area “due to the uncertainties and severe situation due to the Fukushima nuclear plant accident”.

Renault apologises to staff sacked amid spying claims

Renault has apologised to three executives it sacked over spying allegations after French prosecutors found no evidence against them.

The three were sacked in January amid claims they were involved in passing Renault secrets to a third party.

Police were investigating alleged Swiss bank accounts linked to the executives.

Google execs get $8.9 million in bonuses

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Google must really appreciate the work its top executives are doing because it's giving them some pretty fat bonuses this year.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the search leader disclosed that Patrick Pichette, chief financial officer and Nikesh Arora, chief business officer, will each receive $2.7 million bonuses. Pichette will also get $15 million in equity while Arora banks $20 million.

Google aids Japan quake victims

Google has launched a version of its Person Finder service for people caught up in the Japanese earthquake.

The website acts as a directory and message board so people can look for lost loved ones or post a note saying they are safe.

It is designed to be embedded on websites and social network pages to reach as wide an audience as possible.

Demand for Twitter details in Wikileaks probe upheld

A federal judge has ruled that the US government may demand that three associates of Julian Assange hand over Twitter account information in the criminal investigation into Wikileaks.

The three users of the social network had appealed against an earlier ruling.

Friends to help police bullying and abuse on Facebook

Facebook users who are being bullied or abused can now report the problem to friends, as well as site moderators.

The option to contact a "trusted friend" has been added to the website's safety centre.

Facebook said that the system was designed to help people solve online problems "face to face".

Toyota eyes annual sales of 10 million cars

Japanese carmaker Toyota has said it is aiming for global sales of 10 million vehicles a year by 2015, compared with 8.7 million in 2010.

The company is also targeting annual operating profit of 1 trillion yen ($12bn; £7.4bn) "as soon as possible".

Firms blame high tariffs, lack of tech'l skills for low R&D investments

Local companies consider the high cost of equipment and technology and the lack of skilled manpower as major obstacles to investments into research and development (R&D), a government think-tank said.

The Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS), in a policy paper, said major constraints for home-grown companies and multinational corporations (MNCs) are "high tariffs" and the "lack of tax breaks," as well as the absence of technical manpower especially in the fields of engineering and science and technology.

Thai farmers and multinational companies

Can the US science-based products and service company DuPont help Indonesia stabilize the price of chilies throughout the year including during prolonged rainy seasons as Indonesia experienced in 2010? Chili prices skyrocketed up to Rp 100,000 (US$11.5) in December and January. The government blamed the drastic climate change for the flavor shortage.

The question is tempting because the company claims, “It is uniquely positioned to increase global food production across the value chain by boosting crop yields through advanced seed genetics, agronomic practices and product innovations that help farmers maximize productivity and quality; advancing the nutritional content derived from crops.”

Sri Lankan government accused of handing over land to multinational companies and setting up casino zone

The Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has accused the Sri Lankan government of handing over prime land to multinational companies and trying to set up a casino zone in Colombo.

JVP Propaganda Secretary and parliamentarian Vijitha Herath told a press conference today that the government was planning on creating a casino zone in D.R. Wijewardena Mawatha in Colombo.

iPad 2 tablet launched by Apple's Steve Jobs

Apple has launched the second generation of its iPad tablet computer at an event in San Francisco.

The company said the machine featured a faster processor, improved graphics, and front and rear cameras.

Apple leads the industry in sales of tablet devices, but has recently begun to lose share to rivals such as HP and Samsung.

Facebook buys group text service Beluga

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Facebook is making a play for a piece of the small but much-buzzed-about group text messaging market. On Tuesday, it announced that it has acquired eight-month-old Beluga.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Multinational investment a 'dog-eat-dog' business

Although the Montreal job market is relatively healthy, the biggest local employment story this winter has been a negative one - the decision by Electrolux of Sweden to close down its plant in the Montreal suburb of l'Assomption.

As a result of that decision on Dec. 14, more than 1,300 workers are going to lose their jobs next year. Electrolux is moving the work to Memphis, Tenn., where Electrolux is building a new plant and local and state authorities have pledged $165 million in subsidies and tax breaks.

Global drug makers making strong comeback in India

Armed with a product patent regime and a string of large acquisitions, multinational drug companies are making a strong comeback in India.

Ten multinational companies (MNCs) — Daiichi Sankyo-controlled Ranbaxy, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Abbott which owns Piramal’s domestic formulation business, Pfizer, Abbott and Solvay combine, sanofi-aventis, Novartis, Merck & Co, MSD and AstraZeneca — accounted for 25.4 per cent, or Rs 11,840 crore, of the Rs 47,690-crore domestic pharmaceutical market in 2010 calendar year, according to IMS India.

Apple beats off move to reveal Jobs succession details

Apple has beaten off efforts to reveal succession plans for the time when Steve Jobs is no longer in charge of the company.

The proposal was made by the Central Laborers' Fund during the company's annual shareholder meeting.

Steve Jobs, who is on his third medical leave of absence, did not attend the event at Apple's headquarters in California.

HP shares sink 12% on disappointing outlook

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Hewlett-Packard disappointed investors on Tuesday with an outlook and sales that badly missed Wall Street's expectations.

As a result, shares of HP (HPQ, Fortune 500) fell 12% after hours.

Multinational companies open doors to 15 students from Gujarat tech centre

Fifteen students of Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) were offered jobs by multi-national companies (MNCs) on the first day of the placements at the institute.

Talking about the offers received by students, Prof Saswat Bandopadhyay, head, environmental planning department and chairperson of placement committee, said, "Of the 132 students who have come for placements, around 15 have received job offers on day one of the placements. Among the companies that have offered jobs, GIFT and Atkins have offered employment opportunities to five students while GEC has offered jobs to two students."

Despite a visit from the great Polly Toynbee, UK Uncut protesters still don't understand how tax works

UK Uncut is back, and today’s victim is Barclays Bank. Inspired by the efforts of the Labour MP Chuka Umunna, who has forced the bank to reveal its low corporation tax bill, protesters have descended on branches of Barclays in outrage. Polly Toynbee herself even visited the one on Tottenham court road, tweeting about the “great comedy protest”. Just imagine the excitement! It must have been like a royal visit!

And it’s easy to understand the protesters. That Barclays has somehow managed to pay only around 2 per cent of its profits in corporation tax is astonishing. When the rest of us are paying ever more for deteriorating public services, this reinforces the idea that big corporations and the wealthy are being let off – in short, that we’re not “all in it together” after all.

Survey: Multinational corporations want better communications with managed service providers

Managed service providers have room to improve on their relationships with multinational customers, a survey of multinational corporations conducted by Virtela, an MSP with an international focus. Only one in five respondents gave its MSP high marks.

Better communications with customers could go a long way toward improving those results, the survey suggests. Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents said MSPs should have a better understanding of their requirements, 29% said MSPs could improve satisfaction through more proactive notification of problems, and 24% said MSPs should provide more timely communication of status and issues.