In The News

Strict CO2 Limits Will Send Work Abroad

David Gow August 20, 2003
Strictly enforcing a new emissions policy could cause a mass exodus of jobs and energy business from Britain. The German-owned energy company Innogy – one of the country's largest energy suppliers – is concerned that the United Kingdom will apply the EU's new carbon emissions trading scheme more stringently than other member states. The new scheme caps the amount of carbon dioxide...

Goodbye America, Hello India

Roger Mitton August 19, 2003
The dotcom boom made California the premier destination of Indians coming to the US. Now that the bubble has burst, however, more and more Indians are reversing their trip, leaving sunny, but jobless California and seeking employment in India. Many of these highly-skilled, expatriate engineers believe that their return home is temporary. "They think they will return later when things get...

Indian Companies Are Adding Western Flavor

Saritha Rai August 19, 2003
American corporations are increasingly sending service-oriented, knowledge-intensive jobs to India. The new employees are well-educated, English-speaking, and fully prepared to answer any technical question an American customer might ask. Just don't expect them to know how to sip wine at a business party or the appropriate way to greet an American colleague. Such subtle, Western, cultural...

Helped by Technology, Piracy of DVD's Runs Rampant in China

Chris Buckley August 18, 2003
Few Chinese wait for the latest American film to open in local theatres to see it on big screen. Thanks to the internet and computer technology, pirated films are readily available throughout China long before their scheduled premiers. Small, locally owned pirate stores have emerged in cities and towns across the country, catering to China's growing market for pirated DVDs and costing the...

Cleaner Air, Courtesy of California

August 14, 2003
The US may make headway on increasing automotive efficiency without federal support. Automakers General Motors and DaimlerChrysler dropped a lawsuit against a California rule requiring them to produce millions of cleaner, more efficient "hybrid" cars that operate on a combination of gas and electricity. At a time when Americans are continuing their love affair with the SUV and the...

Antitobacco Trend Has Reached Europe

Lizette Alvarez August 11, 2003
A sip from a pint and a drag on a cigarette are almost ritualistic in pubs across Ireland. Yet, come January 1, the Irish government will impose a ban on smoking in pubs and perhaps permanently change an age-old part of Irish culture. Ireland will be the first country to impose such a ban in Europe. However, its strict new law is merely the most recent development in a growing wave of anti-...

German Companies Look to Iraq

Aaron Kirchfeld August 1, 2003
Germany's efforts to rebuild its once extensive trade relationship with Iraq face many obstacles, not the least of which is residual tensions with the US from the Iraq War. The US and Britain remain reluctant to contract with companies from countries that did not support the coalition. At the same time, the German companies that are receiving contracts remain reluctant to discuss their...