SBWire

An investigation on behalf of investors, who currently hold shares of AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASIA) was announced concerning whether the offer by CITIC Capital Holdings Ltd to acquire AsiaInfo-Linkage, Inc. for $12.00 per NASDAQ:ASIA share and the takeover process are unfair to investors in AsiaInfo-Linkage shares.

Tiles have always been a popular choice for many homeowners. A large percentage of houses opt to have tiles installed in their kitchens, living rooms, and bathrooms. These homeowners now have a lot of tiling options to choose from.

Appco group is one of the world’s top sales and marketing companies. They offer their services in more than 800 locations in 25 countries on 5 continents. Appco continues to expand as they hit not just Europe and Asia Pacific but also the US, Canada, Russia, China and Brazil. The company has proven its cost-efficiency and best value for money in the field of sales and marketing.

The breast implant surgery conducted by Dr Kristi Fisk on Angelina Jolie has reignited the debate over the potential health risks of breast implants.

Many people across the United States struggle with obesity and are looking for education on how to lose weight safely and rapidly. Unfortunately, crossing initial weight loss thresholds can be challenging and may demotivate people to continue their journey toward healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. A new study discussed this week on Medical News Today offers credence to the testimony indicating that learning how to lose weight and actually losing those initial pounds can prove extremely difficult.

E-CIG HUB is a new website that reviews the most popular brands of electronic cigarettes . The purpose of the website is to offer readers an informed, unbiased review of e-cig brands. E-CIG HUB is dedicated to proving their readership with top quality reviews so that potential customers can make the best informed decision.

The employers' liability insurance market remains dominated by a group of large insurers retaining corporate books and municipal business. This report will look at the expected top 10 insurers in the market by GWP but also the top insurers selected for placement by surveyed brokers, as well as the insurers of choice according to SME responses.

Parents find in this sector the right products to fulfil their children's desire to play and be creative. In fact colouring benefits from the need of parents to save money on their children's recreational time without actually depriving them form experiencing it.

Hillshire Brands is the result of a spin-off by Sara Lee to create two independent publically traded companies. Hillshire Brands is a "meat-centric" packaged food player, which focuses on its key brands Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farm. It also maintained its Sara Lee brand in the frozen processed food category in a number of markets. The company remains very US focused with only a marginal presence in emerging markets.

In 2012, yoghurt and sour milk products is set to grow by 5% in constant value terms, marking an increase of almost two percentage points from 2011. Per capita consumption of yoghurt in Norway was relatively modest compared to other European countries over the review period. In 2012, retailers have expanded their assortments of yoghurt to include a wider range of products to appeal to health-conscious Norwegians.

Tourism significantly affected the AFH channel in 2012, but with varying results for the hygiene and tissue categories. The recent civil war in Libya has forced at least 500,000 Libyans to flee their homes and seek refuge in Tunisia. In turn, they have obtained health care aid from the Tunisian government. AFH incontinence products have seen a rise in demand because many fighters and elderly Libyans have been hospitalised with severe medical conditions. In addition, many Libyans have continued...

Air care sales remains remain limited in Iran. The bulk of sales continue to be made within standard spray/aerosol air fresheners, which enjoys higher awareness and better distribution. In contrast, other areas suffer from very limited awareness which hampers growth. Products like gel air fresheners and candle air fresheners are very new and have been discovered only by a small group of consumers who are more concerned about the interior design of their homes. The rapid expansion of cars (70%...

Colombians will increase their consumption of sugar-free and light spreads in response to worries about weight control. The National Survey of the Nutritional Situation in Colombia 2010 - ENSIN-published in 2011 reveals that 62% of women and 40% of men have abdominal obesity. At the same time, health concerns also led to a decrease of 1% in nut and seed based spreads, which are dominated by arequipe, a local caramel spread popular as a lunchtime treat for schoolchildren and dessert for the...

Growth in toilet care has slowed as consumers begin to place less importance on the area in contrast to laundry care and dishwashing. In 2012, the area posted a 1% decline in current retail value sales - a performance which compares poorly with the review period CAGR of +2%. Toilet liquids performed the best due to sustained manufacturer activity. Harpic White and Shine was supported by heavy advertising spend while Unilever's Domestos expanded into the area and bleach heavyweight White King...

The economic outlook for Sweden at the start of 2011 was optimistic but this optimism failed to materialise, with economic developments in 2011 and 2012 increasingly influenced by a weakness and uncertainty in the economic climate. This served to slow the absolute magnitude of growth rates for AFH products in Sweden in 2012.

Sales through non-store retailing channels in Pakistan remained negligible. However, non-store retailing is gaining popularity due to higher penetration of modern communication technology such as cable television and the internet. The expansion of cable television, particularly into Pakistan's rural areas, has created opportunities to increase the customer base for home shopping through television home shopping. Internet retailing is growing, particularly among the younger generation of white...

Protext Mobility (OTC:TXTM) a solutions developer of innovative and trusted applications to the mobile communications market has today announced the appointment of Steve Berman ("Mr. Berman") as the Interim CEO.

BMI View: The Spanish market is highly developed from a global and regional perspective, with deep penetration of mobile, fixed-line and broadband services as well as high investment levels in nextgeneration services. However, in 2012 Spain was one of the worst performing telecoms markets globally, with large losses in the mobile market in terms of subscriptions, as well as a squeeze on revenues from market saturation, regulatory measures and the hostile economic environment. The outlook for the sector in the coming years is mixed, with growth potential remaining in the wireless data market and in high-speed broadband, particularly when bundled with pay-TV services. However, the market will continue to be affected by economic conditions, with rising consumer price sensitivity set to limit financial performance in the sector in the short to medium term.

The Polish Retail Report examines the long-term potential of the local consumer market, but flags shortterm concerns about the impact on Poland's economic outlook of government austerity measures coupled with a tailing off of investment after the European football championships in 2012, which will drag on domestic demand and consumer spending.

Core Views

BMI View: Infrastructure projects face strong headwinds in Bulgaria as lack of investor confidence and corruption continue to impede growth. We forecast year-on-year growth of 0.9% for 2013, rising to 2.1% in 2014. Over the 10-year forecast period, industry value will rise from US$2.9bn in 2013 to US$4.2bn by 2022.

BMI View: The government of President Santos continues to prioritise investment into the country's construction sector. Hence, backed by Colombia's national infrastructure agency (ANI)'s ambitious 2013 concessions programme, dubbed 4G, we maintain a healthy, if not attractive, outlook for the Colombian construction sector, with a real growth forecast of 5.5% for 2013. That said, we also continue to highlight persistent risks, such as corruption and security that could put a dent in Colombia's upward trend.

The accompanying tables present the latest economic data and five-year forecast scenario for the country's banking system. Also included is SWOT analysis of the commercial banking system as a whole.

BMI View: Iraq's healthcare and pharmaceuticals market has suffered from a lack of investment and the impact of war - much of the infrastructure is outdated; hospitals, clinics and pharmacies lack trained personnel; and the health insurance sector is immature and can offer the government little in terms of income. Other issues, such as continued security risks, also remain, holding back development and deterring multinationals. The government is taking steps to modernise healthcare facilities, however, and a combination of agreements with other governments (attracted by Iraq's natural resources), NGOs and public spending is funding new developments. There are several new hospital projects in the pipeline, and the government has also expressed plans to restructure and privatise state-owned enterprises - which has caught the interest of potential investors. Iraq's regulatory framework also needs strengthening, as, in its current state, there is little distinction between prescription and OTC drugs, while counterfeit medicines are rife.

We are relatively optimistic about the longer-term performance of the UK's pharmaceutical market, on account of rising demand for services and treatment, stimulated by factors such as an ageing population and increased health awareness. However, over the five years to 2017, we project that the market will decline in value terms, because of patent expirations and various cost-containment measures that include cost-effectiveness assessment of expensive treatments. Still, high per capita consumption of patented medicines, risk-sharing agreements with manufacturers and an increase in access to services are expected to provide positives for multinationals involved in the country.