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Newpark Resources turned to JPMorgan to secure a $150 million term loan to redeem $125 million of 8 5/8% bonds.

Brazil ranked 121st among 175 countries in the World Bank’s “Doing Business” survey. In Latin America, Brazil ranked before Suriname in 122nd place, Ecuador in 123rd, Bolivia in 131st, Guiana in 136th, Haiti in 139th and Venezuela in 164th. The other Latin American countries, namely Chile, Mexico and Uruguay, ranked 28th, 43rd and 64th, respectively. The leader in the ranking is Singapore, followed by New Zealand, the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, Norway and Ireland.

Malaysia's Maxis Communications has had a particularly good run, but things are looking tougher in a busy market. And its overseas operations are by no means an easy growth solution. Chris Wright reports.

Mongolia's financial industry is rudimentary, unpredictable and sometimes lethal. The banking system is in dire need of consolidation and, in a macabre twist, a recent investigation into savings and loan co-operative bankruptcies led to the murder of a high ranking financial regulator. Richard Morrow reports.

Asiamoney's inaugural list of the 100 most powerful and influential people in business and finance throughout the Asia-Pacific highlights the individuals who are driving economic and, consequently, social change in the region. Some have fought their way to the top of major corporations, some have founded their own firms while others have invested and bought wisely. Yet all have one thing in common: their actions affect the region's economies, its business environment and the people who live here. Leigh Powell reports.

Italian Sardegna island and regione of Italy, second in size only to Sicily among the islands of the western Mediterranean. It lies 120 miles (200 km) west of the mainland of Italy, 7.5 miles (12 km) south of the neighbouring French island of Corsica, and 120 miles (200 km) north of the coast of Africa. The capital is Cagliari.

Italian Sardegna island and regione of Italy, second in size only to Sicily among the islands of the western Mediterranean. It lies 120 miles (200 km) west of the mainland of Italy, 7.5 miles (12 km) south of the neighbouring French island of Corsica, and 120 miles (200 km) north of the coast of Africa. The capital is Cagliari.

Sri Lanka's rusting metal cannons facing the Indian Ocean are long defunct, but the hefty Chinese-manufactured Kalashnikovs look real enough. So do the taught, tense expressions on the faces of the gun-toting soldiers charged with protecting ministerial offices, high-end hotels and leading corporates from bomb attacks. Conflict has returned to Sri Lanka, and foreign investors have been the first to cut and run. Elliot Wilson reports.

Far-reaching changes in the telecoms industry mean companies that have done well in the past year are not guaranteed future success. Times are particularly interesting in Asia, where demographics make all the difference. Chris Wright reports.

After winning an eight-year battle for control of Thai Petrochemical Industry (TPI), a new management team led by Dr Piti Yimprasert aims to turn around the country's largest integrated petrochemical producer. But with memories of the conflict still fresh, can the new team deliver? Ben Davies reports.

An economic evolution is gathering steam in Vietnam, where new factories, manufacturing plants and private enterprises are changing the landscape forever. Being rich is no longer a crime, but foreign investors remain wary of an environment in which solid returns are hard to come by. Chris Cockerill reports on a private equity firm in Ho Chi Minh City that's immersing itself in the nascent market.

An orgy of deal-making looms on the horizon as John Howard strives to repeal the country's cross-media ownership laws. But what may prove too tempting for Australia's power-hungry moguls to resist has been denounced as madness by two former prime ministers and sparked fears for the future of press freedom. Giles Parkinson reports.