US auto manufacturer, General Motors, has announced that it will spend $449m on next-generation electric vehicles and advanced battery technology production.

The rising cost of manufacturing in China has dented the country's competitive advantage as a manufacturing location, according to the Global Manufacturing Cost-Competitiveness Index by the Boston Consulting Group.

A recent survey by the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce shows that German investors are optimistic about the investment opportunities in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The Global Cities Initiative has selected another member area, Portland, Oregon, for its economic project.

A new book, co-authored by a consulting professor at Stanford University’s Precourt Institute for Energy and the director of consultancy McKinsey & Company, has dismissed concerns about resource scarcity, and said that innovation will enable continued productivity.

New York's corporate tax climate has been enhanced by changes announced in the state's new budget, according to think tank the Tax Foundation.

There was a dramatic decrease in the number of acquisition deals closed by UK companies in 2013, compared with 2012, according to the Office for National Statistics.

There has been no investment in Indian multi-brand retail since September 2012, with investors likely to be holding off on deals until the results of the April election.

Increasing investor confidence led to a marked increase in M&A activity in the Middle East and north Africa in 2013.