In The News

Debt Collection Done From India Appeals to US Agencies

Heather Timmons May 2, 2008
Making calls to remind borrowers about unpaid debts isn’t easy – and so it’s a natural job for outsourcing. With a sluggish US economy, there’s plenty of calls that need to be made, and debt collection represents growth for outsourcing firms, reports Heather Timmons for the New York Times. India has become a favorite source for debt-collection services because of low costs, automated systems and...

Hurrah! Oil Profits Are Up

Carl Mortished May 2, 2008
Climbing oil prices contribute to higher costs for food and anything else that requires transport. But the higher prices also spark debate over oil dependence and the need for alternative fuels. People who want greater conservation and a cleaner environment should celebrate the high prices, argues Carl Mortished, because those change behavior. It’s no surprise that fossil fuels are a limited...

The Russians Are Coming: Moscow Investors Go on Shopping Spree for German Companies

Alexander Jung May 1, 2008
Russia – the world’s largest exporter of natural gas and the second largest exporter of oil – is collecting big profits as importing nations scramble for supplies. As a result Russians have the money to invest in foreign markets. “Russian investors have been traveling through Germany for months, buying up companies, eyeing almost every industry,” reports a team of writers with Spiegel Online. “...

Putting Pollution on Grocery Bills

Elisabeth Rosenthal May 1, 2008
Shoppers like a steady stream of favorite fruits and vegetables year-round. “Consumers in not only the richest nations but also, increasingly, the developing world expect food whenever they crave it, with no concession to season or geography,” writes Elisabeth Rosenthal for the International Herald Tribune. Consumers get what they want with the help of global transportation systems combined with...

Real Message Is Clear

Jennifer Hewett April 30, 2008
China’s boom has filled its coffers with lots of cash. Some nations, including Australia, want to slow the fast pace of China’s foreign investment – taking time to assess consequences. The most recent takeover target is West Australian iron-ore producer Midwest by China's Sinosteel, and the latter could be on the hunt for other iron-ore producers, reports Jennifer Hewett for the Australian...

Baiting the Dragon: German Business Warns of Pushing China too Far

April 29, 2008
Taking a firm stand on human rights can require sacrifice. Like trade itself, boycotts that attempt to influence national behavior are a two-way street: As Europeans ponder boycotting the Beijing Olympics, German business leaders warn that more than 200,000 jobs in that nation depend on Chinese exports. Harsh criticism of China’s policy in Tibet could fuel calls from Chinese citizens to boycott...

Globalization’s Aftershocks

Temma Ehrenfeld April 29, 2008
The new world order born out of the fall of the Soviet Union triggered fundamental changes in the global economy, many out of the reach of government regulation. Italian economist and author Loretta Napoleoni, in an interview with Newsweek, defines this trend of trade in unregulated markets as the rise of “rogue economics” – including black market sales, poaching of fish or rare species, as well...