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$1.8 billion revenue; $348 million profits

LOMÉ, Togo - Thursday, March 28th 2013 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ecobank, the leading pan-African banking group, today announced its results for the year ended December 31, 2012. They represent Ecobank’s strongest financial performance in its 25 years of operation.

Financial Highlights:

• Revenues grew by 46 % to $1.8 billion (2011: $1.2 billion)

• Pre-tax profits rose by 25% to $348 million (2011: $277.4 million)

• Net income advanced by 39% to $286.7 million (2011: $206.8 million)

Thierry Tanoh, Ecobank’s Group CEO, commented:

"These very pleasing results reflect the successful integration of our two major acquisitions in Ghana and Nigeria, strong demand for retail banking services across our 33 country platform, increasing trade and commercial flows between Middle Africa and the rest of the world, together with the strong performance of our dedicated staff.”

"We ar ... Read more »

TOKYO & ESPOO, Finland & PARIS - Thursday, March 28th 2013 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- G-cluster Global is glad to announce the launch of Konami’s famous soccer title Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 on the Orange cloud gaming service. This is the result of a great collaboration between G-cluster Global and Konami studios.

G-cluster offers operators the most deployed cloud gaming platform that allows users to play across the TV. G-cluster instantly turns the TV into the equivalent of a game console without the need to buy costly equipment.

"With Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 on our platform, fans will be able to play without having to buy any expensive console. No installation is required, the game starts immediately. This opens new boundaries to sport games on the market and the ability for people to play together in a very large scale” said Sevan Kessissian, Senior Vice President of content and strategy at G-cluster.

G-cluster will continue working closel ... Read more »

ME Newswire / Business Wire

OSAKA, Japan - Thursday, March 28th 2013

Milano Salone 2013

Milano Salone - held every April in Milan, Italy - is one of the world's largest design exhibitions. This year will mark the sixth consecutive year of Panasonic's participation in the event, which attracts next-generation creators and pundits from around the globe. As a corporation firmly at the forefront of developing energy solutions for the future, Panasonic (NYSE:PC)(TOKYO:6752) is continually evaluating its presence on the world stage.

For the second straight year, architect Akihisa Hirata was chosen to design Panasonic's installation, which will be a massive 30-meter energy landscape that leads into a hallway of a building at the prestigious University of Milan.

[VIDEO] Architect, Akihisa Hirata explains the concept, "Energetic Energies"

[FEATURE STORY] Solar Panels Shaping the Look of Cities and Energy Resources in the Future

[PRESS KIT] Milano ... Read more »

WESTON, Mass. - Thursday, March 28th 2013 [ME NewsWire]

- Offers a Broad Spectrum of Patients with Relapsing Forms of MS an Effective and Convenient Treatment Option -

- Reduces Relapses and Disability Progression -

- Strengthens Biogen Idec’s Portfolio of Innovative Treatments for People Living with MS -

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TECFIDERA™ (dimethyl fumarate), a new first-line oral treatment for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Biogen Idec will make this oral capsule available to people living with MS in the United States in the coming days.

TECFIDERA has been clinically proven to significantly reduce important measures of disease activity, including relapses and development of brain lesions, as well as to slow disability progression over time, while demonstrating a favorable safety and tolerability profile.

"With the FDA ap ... Read more »