Business roundup for the month

Published February 23, 2013
A general view shows the city center of the winter sport resort of Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics near Sochi late evening. Although many complexes and venues in the Black Sea resort of Sochi mostly resemble building sites that are still under construction, there is nothing to suggest any concern over readiness. Construction will be completed by August 2013 according to organizers. The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics opens on February 7, 2014.
A general view shows the city center of the winter sport resort of Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics near Sochi late evening. Although many complexes and venues in the Black Sea resort of Sochi mostly resemble building sites that are still under construction, there is nothing to suggest any concern over readiness. Construction will be completed by August 2013 according to organizers. The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics opens on February 7, 2014.
A package of Birds Eye Beef Lasagne 400g is displayed in the freezer of a convenience store in London. Frozen food maker Birds Eye on Friday said it would withdraw some products in Britain and Ireland, including traditional spaghetti bolognese (340g), shepherd's pie (400g) and beef lasagne (400g), after it found traces of horse DNA in one of its ready meals sold in Belgium.
A package of Birds Eye Beef Lasagne 400g is displayed in the freezer of a convenience store in London. Frozen food maker Birds Eye on Friday said it would withdraw some products in Britain and Ireland, including traditional spaghetti bolognese (340g), shepherd's pie (400g) and beef lasagne (400g), after it found traces of horse DNA in one of its ready meals sold in Belgium.
A piece of malachite, a copper ore, is seen at the bottom of Congolese state mining company Gecamines' Kamfundwa open pit copper mine. At its peak, Gecamines was almost a state within a state. It directly employed more than 30,000 people and ran schools, hospitals, flour mills and vast swathes of arable land, much of which it still maintains, further draining its stretched finances. Its roots are in the mining company set up at the turn of the last century by statesman Cecil Rhodes and Belgian King Leopold II, whic
A piece of malachite, a copper ore, is seen at the bottom of Congolese state mining company Gecamines' Kamfundwa open pit copper mine. At its peak, Gecamines was almost a state within a state. It directly employed more than 30,000 people and ran schools, hospitals, flour mills and vast swathes of arable land, much of which it still maintains, further draining its stretched finances. Its roots are in the mining company set up at the turn of the last century by statesman Cecil Rhodes and Belgian King Leopold II, whic
Light shines on a column of highrise residential towers during sunset in Hong Kong. Hong Kong will impose new measures, including raising buyers' stamp duties, to cool its overheated property sector, which has some of the world's most expensive apartments, officials said on Friday.
Light shines on a column of highrise residential towers during sunset in Hong Kong. Hong Kong will impose new measures, including raising buyers' stamp duties, to cool its overheated property sector, which has some of the world's most expensive apartments, officials said on Friday.
Employees work on an assembly line at a shoe factory in Tan Lap village, outside Hanoi.  Vietnam has approved a broad plan to boost its economy to 2020, focusing on restructuring public investment, banks and state-owned enterprises while controlling inflation and maintaining growth.
Employees work on an assembly line at a shoe factory in Tan Lap village, outside Hanoi. Vietnam has approved a broad plan to boost its economy to 2020, focusing on restructuring public investment, banks and state-owned enterprises while controlling inflation and maintaining growth.
The walls of a toilet are decorated with a mountain panorama wallpaper and skis on the floor at the "Red Fox" restaurant in the winter sport resort of Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics near Sochi February 21, 2013. Although many complexes and venues in the Black Sea resort of Sochi mostly resemble building sites that are still under construction, there is nothing to suggest any concern over readiness. Construction will be completed by August 2013 according to organizers. The Sochi 2014 Winter
The walls of a toilet are decorated with a mountain panorama wallpaper and skis on the floor at the "Red Fox" restaurant in the winter sport resort of Rosa Khutor, a venue for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics near Sochi February 21, 2013. Although many complexes and venues in the Black Sea resort of Sochi mostly resemble building sites that are still under construction, there is nothing to suggest any concern over readiness. Construction will be completed by August 2013 according to organizers. The Sochi 2014 Winter
A man drinks est soda in Bangkok. Serm Suk Pcl, Pepsi's bottler and partner of 59 years, has launched "est", its own soft drink, that has knocked Pepsi off store shelves, saying that it garnered 19 per cent of Thailand's $1.8 billion cola market in just two months following its November 2, 2012 launch.
A man drinks est soda in Bangkok. Serm Suk Pcl, Pepsi's bottler and partner of 59 years, has launched "est", its own soft drink, that has knocked Pepsi off store shelves, saying that it garnered 19 per cent of Thailand's $1.8 billion cola market in just two months following its November 2, 2012 launch.
A slab steel is seen during processing at PT Krakatau Steel Tbk plant in Cilegon, Indonesia's Banten province. PT Krakatau Steel Tbk, the Southeast Asia's largest steelmaker, plans to spend $674 million in capital expenditure this year, according to Irvan K Hakim, Krakatau Steel's president director.
A slab steel is seen during processing at PT Krakatau Steel Tbk plant in Cilegon, Indonesia's Banten province. PT Krakatau Steel Tbk, the Southeast Asia's largest steelmaker, plans to spend $674 million in capital expenditure this year, according to Irvan K Hakim, Krakatau Steel's president director.
A visitor walk through solar panels donated by Japan's government at a solar plant in Diriamba. According to the facility, built at a cost of $11.9 million, Japan's government donated the 5,880 solar panels which will generate 1.38 Mw, enough to power 1,100 homes.
A visitor walk through solar panels donated by Japan's government at a solar plant in Diriamba. According to the facility, built at a cost of $11.9 million, Japan's government donated the 5,880 solar panels which will generate 1.38 Mw, enough to power 1,100 homes.
Employees cross an overpass at the Indian headquarters of iGate in the southern Indian city of Bangalore. A former Infosys Ltd executive is challenging the IT outsourcing industry's billing model by charging for results instead of basing fees on the time and labour put in by the armies of staff working for India's big firms.
Employees cross an overpass at the Indian headquarters of iGate in the southern Indian city of Bangalore. A former Infosys Ltd executive is challenging the IT outsourcing industry's billing model by charging for results instead of basing fees on the time and labour put in by the armies of staff working for India's big firms.
General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeff Immelt speaks with the media as John Flannery, head of GE in India, watches in New Delhi. General Electric Co expects revenues from the company's Indian business to grow between 15 and 20 per cent on a "sustainable basis", Immelt said on Friday. GE, which installed India's first hydro power plant in 1902, has Indian revenues of about $2.8 billion and employs about 15,000 people there.
General Electric Co Chief Executive Jeff Immelt speaks with the media as John Flannery, head of GE in India, watches in New Delhi. General Electric Co expects revenues from the company's Indian business to grow between 15 and 20 per cent on a "sustainable basis", Immelt said on Friday. GE, which installed India's first hydro power plant in 1902, has Indian revenues of about $2.8 billion and employs about 15,000 people there.
India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath, President Pranab Mukherjee, Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar and India's Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari walk past a statue of former prime minister Indira Gandhi at the parliament on the first day of the budget session in New Delhi February 21, 2013.
India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath, President Pranab Mukherjee, Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar and India's Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari walk past a statue of former prime minister Indira Gandhi at the parliament on the first day of the budget session in New Delhi February 21, 2013.

—All images by AFP

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