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Dutch MPs Vote to Ban Religious Slaughter

June 29, 2011
The Dutch parliament approved a bill, 116 to 30, banning halal and kosher slaughter. The bill moves on to the Dutch Senate. Jewish and Muslim leaders contend the ban on slaughtering conscious animals limits religious freedom. The European Convention on Human Rights describes when limits can be...

The Box That Makes the World Go Round

November 29, 2005
When the ocean-freight industry was born, no one predicted how rapidly it would grow as a result of globalization. In particular, the division of labor that is a function of globalization has dramatically affected the industry. China especially serves as the world’s manufacturing center, with the...

From Shoes to Aircraft to Investment, Zimbabwe Pursues a Made-in-China

July 27, 2005
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has earned the scorn of most Western countries for his brutal suppression of human rights.. As a result, amidst calls for democratic reforms, Zimbabwe’s trade has dwindled. However, China, in constant search for natural resources and markets to fuel its economic...

Imagined in America

October 24, 2011
China and the US are enmeshed in an unsustainable trade relationship with no quick fixes. Often on the losing side, the US considers protectionist measures, such as a bill just approved by the US Senate allowing targeted tariffs if China balks at revaluing its currency. “China is spending tons of...

Buy Now, Profit Later

October 8, 2004
Over the past eight years, German companies have invested more than US$9 billion in China, the world's largest recipient of foreign direct investment. Unfortunately, only six of the 23 German companies that responded to a Deutsche Bank survey claimed to be earning money in China. Last year,...

What Next?

July 17, 2003
In an interview with the Straits Times, Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew expresses his views on the recent protests in Hong Kong against the proposed anti-subversion legislation. Lee predicts that Hong Kong’s special legal status is unlikely to be threatened, as it is based on the Basic...

The Case Against War in Syria

August 29, 2013
Scenes of lifeless bodies and Syrian children suffering from a chemical attack trigger an urge for immediate action. The most likely suspect behind the attacks is Syrian forces protecting dictator Bashar al-Assad. At the very least, the regime failed to protect its stockpiles of chemical weapons....

The Food Crisis

September 10, 2010
The world’s food supply is based on limited natural resources. Any disruptions in water supplies or weather patterns – exacerbated by growing populations and increased development of land – can quickly lead to food shortages, high prices and unrest. Martin Walker, writing for UPI.com, predicts “...
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