In The News

Pope Condemns Bangladesh “Slave Labor”

May 9, 2013
Pope Frances, an advocate for the poor, has stepped up on May Day to denounce workers conditions in Bangladesh and compare their condition to “slave labor.” He linked work with dignity and argued that providing extra work for others is a higher purpose than making profits, reported BBC news and Vatican Radio. More than 700 people died in a building collapse near Dhaka, the country’s worst...

China Property Developers Seek US Growth

Pan Kwan Yuk May 8, 2013
Chinese property developers are taking a lead from wealthy Chinese investors and state-owned Chinese banks by investing in US properties. Xinyuan Real Estate is planning a condominium development in a trendy Brooklyn neighborhood. “With Beijing redoubling its efforts to rein in housing prices – most recently unveiling plans for a tougher real estate capital gains tax in March – the pressure is...

Cameron's Rift With China Could Cost UK Billions

Malcolm Moore, James Quinn May 7, 2013
China’s tough reaction to international leaders’ meeting with the Dalai Lama threatens to hit where it hurts – the economy, reports the Telegraph. British Prime Minister David Cameron met privately with the Tibetan spiritual leader in 2012. The Chinese foreign ministry then summoned the British ambassador to China and explained that “meeting with the exiled Tibetan leader had ‘seriously...

Japanese Consortium Set for Turkish Nuclear Power Deal

Daniel Dombey, Jonathan Soble, Hugh Carnegy May 6, 2013
Ample energy is necessary for strong economic growth, and Turkey is moving ahead on a deal to construct a second nuclear power plant in cooperation with Japan and France. It’s the first overseas project for Japan since the Fukushima disaster in 2011 and the second nuclear plant for Turkey. Russia is constructing Turkey’s first nuclear power plant and is absorbing all risk to establish itself as a...

China's Imperial New Consumers

May 2, 2013
The world’s most populous nation has 1.3 billion consumers and plenty of purchasing power – enough to buy one seventh of the world’s total products by 2015, reports the Asia Sentinel. Foreign investors should be aware of trends in the Chinese market, as identified by a study from the Samsung Economic Research Institute. Hundreds of millions of young Chinese have migrated from rural to urban...

Can Western Companies Put an End to Bangladesh Factory Disasters?

Pramila Jayapal May 1, 2013
Responsible corporations prioritize workplace safety. Building-structure codes, fire and smoke alarms, multiple exits, limited work hours and other standard safety regulations are documented to prevent accidents. Consumers may appreciate low prices, but will avoid brands that become associated with brutal workplace conditions. A factory fire in November and a building collapse in April have put...

Water, Down The Drain

Nayan Chanda April 30, 2013
Subsidies can lead to excess and waste. India is an export leader in water-intensive crops like rice and cotton due to subsidy-driven overproduction, aiming to provide low-cost grain. “Huge subsidies and wastage of food grains belie record exports and reckless use of India’s precious water patrimony,” argues Nayan Chanda, YaleGlobal editor, in his column for Businessworld. One study suggests...