This edition of The Tablet highlights the recent scrutiny of the EU competition authorities on the pharmaceutical sector and steps companies should be prepared to take in response to information requests.

Only 12 months ago, companies were beginning to express a cautious optimism after several years of challenge. Companies saw a world where growth was strong, and emerging market growth was unprecedented. Today, much of that optimism has been deferred, if not abandoned. In established markets, sales are falling, investments are being reviewed, and some very large auto companies are close to insolvency.

This publication is based on a review of the latest consolidated financial statements of 25 power and utility companies from 16 countries.

IFRSs took a significant step forward in 2005 with the first wave of countries adopting the standards, and after three years of wide experience, now seems an opportune time to take stock of how oil & gas companies are applying IFRSs in practice.

The Global Manufacturing survey was undertaken by the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of KPMG International. It looks at how manufacturers are globalizing rapidly against a background of extremely fast growth in world trade.

European automotive manufacturers could learn from the challenges facing their American counterparts who face a time-critical challenge to address legacy issues and improve competitiveness and product efficiency as the competitive threat from the Asian brands grows stronger by the day.