Worldcrunch
In the early 1990s, planners in Shanghai envisioned a trio of mammoth skyscrapers that would symbolize the Chinese city’s rebirth. Nearly 20 years later, two of those towers are built. The third is 109 stories to go. Our writer strolls through this 21st c
Though proud of their food and wine, French don’t have a reputation for flag waving on the industrial front. But a movement to label all products “Made in France” – complete with a tiny tri-color flag – has begun to catch on. Will it have the sam
Rising foreign investment and steady growth have created a real need in Brazil for qualified executives. Foreigners – even those with less-than-stellar Portuguese skills – are encouraged to apply.
The French and Swiss firms have a longstanding presence in China, but are still outstripped by local competitors. Add to that rising land and labor costs, and foreign food giants must recalibrate their strategies in the world’s No. 2 economy.
Fukushima raised serious questions about nuclear safety and prompted a global building freeze on new atomic power plants. But as 2012 begins, it is becoming clear that the freeze is beginning to thaw. And the BRICS nations will lead the way.
Splitsville for Sarkozy and Bruni, Germany buys its way to a soccer championship, Greece can’t kick the habit, China stimulates itself to new heights. Meanwhile, Paul Krugman can’t be satisfied, even as Sarko finds a new bride. These and
Analysis: Looking ahead to the next 12 months, European business leaders are hoping the current economic slowdown will be more manageable than the crisis four years ago. Fear of a worst-case scenario, however, is part of everyone’s calculation.
Famous for its chocolate production, Switzerland relies on Ghana for half its supply of cocoa beans, even as the West African nation now focuses on other export products. A new public-private Swiss partnership aims to inject new life into cocoa bean farmi
Op-Ed: Things look gloomy indeed as Europe’s single currency marks exactly 10 years since going into circulation. But even in this lowest moment, we can pinpoint the path forward. And it may start by acknowledging that Greece, for the good of all
After four people were killed recently while crossing the street in Bern, the Swiss city looked to the Austrian luxury crystal maker’s affiliate that mixes Swarovski glass beads into road surfacing to increase visibility. It’s a top-end
For those in the know – and with the willpower not to drink up their assets – fine whisky can be quite a rewarding investment. A bottle of 1995 Brora, for example, was worth 100 euros in 1998. Now it sells for five times as much.
In latest sign that US-style mass consumerism is breaking through European traditions, American food giant General Mills is outperforming rivals in France.
FIFA and Budweiser are lobbying hard for Brazil to loosen its beer regulations ahead of the 2014 Soccer World Cup. Under normal circumstances, the country’s soccer stadiums don’t sell beer. A bill pending approval by Congress could change that.
The Chinese business world has seen several recent examples of how bad management of customer relations can inflict serious damage on the social web. But will the big corporations see the upside in time?
Seven grandchildren of French carmaker Louis Renault are challenging the confiscation of property from the company’s 1945 forced nationalization. As the courts decide whether to hear the case, historians raise old questions about French industry’s role in
Op-Ed: Turkey’s economy grew by 8% in the third quarter of 2011, the world’s fastest growth rate after China. At the same time, however, its trade deficit is ballooning. A hard landing awaits. When it arrives, Turkish policy makers must accept re
Op-Ed: Emerging countries are wobbling, Italy is paying record interest rates, and the Germans are on alert. With the next economic crisis gathering like a winter storm, politicians must act quickly – never forgetting the lessons of a certain 20th-century
From the Philippines to Mexico, things like extreme poverty, topography and security problems often make traditional banking a serious challenge. Global cell phone penetration, however, has opened up a new option: mobile banking.
Op-Ed: To save the euro, the struggling southern countries must tighten their belts and modernize their economies. But the northern euro zone must change too. If Germany jacked up salaries rather than sitting on its export success, it might just set off a
Italy is in hot water with EU authorities over its insistence that chocolate be classified as “pure” or “less pure” depending on its vegetable fat content. According to the European Commission, chocolate is chocolate – and should be labeled as such.
A Spanish university and Catholic clergy in Cuba have joined forces to help train Cuba’s business leaders of the future — even if ‘What Future?’ remains a looming question as regulations still restrict free enterprise from bloo
Banana Republic is sparing no expense for Thursday’s grand opening along the Champs-Élysées, where big-name apparel companies now occupy close to 50% of the highly coveted real estate. That’s in part because few others can afford the chic avenue’s sky hig
Colombia, already the fourth-largest oil producer in Latin America, is hoping to reach the million-barrel-a-day mark by Christmas. The holiday wish may come true, but there are still major obstacles in Colombia’s path to oil riches.
The first ever Sino-German car is being launched in China by Daimler, but won’t be a Mercedes brand. As a foreign business, Daimler had to pick a Chinese partner to launch the all-electric auto, opting for BYD (Build Your Dreams), the world’s lar
Going vegan may be a healthy choice, but it’s not an easy one, particularly when it comes to squinting at labels to ferret out the animal byproducts hidden within. But in Berlin, at least, vegan shopping just got a lot easier thanks to Veganz, a pioneer s
Throughout the euro zone, banks are quietly hemorrhaging money as nervous clients seek safer havens for their cash. Some large companies deposit directly with the European Central Bank. Other clients are looking north, to the presumably more secure Scandi
By acting more like its American counterpart, the European Central Bank (ECB) can help calm the continent’s shaky markets. But don’t expect it to “solve” the crisis – at least not without cooperation from Europe’s stingy commercial banks.
Chinese manufacturers have figured out a way to cash in on Brazilian Catholicism, flooding the market with inexpensive images of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil’s patron saint. Local producers can’t compete, and want the government to intervene.
Op-Ed: With the euro on the brink of collapse, German Chancellor Merkel wants to exploit the acute crisis to impose strong fiscal discipline across the currency union. But facing a vicious cycle of low confidence, now may actually be the wrong time to tig
Petrobras and other Brazilian firms are using sports sponsorships to up their international profile. Brazil’s booming economy gives them extra leverage in places like Argentina and Chile, but it may also be pricing them out at home.
Op-Ed: The euro zone can’t survive intact without Germany. And yet the more Europeans count on Germany, the quicker they are to criticize. Germany may now be to Europe what the United States has long been to the rest of the world: the powerhouse
Germany had been seen as a healthy heart in the troubled body of the euro zone. But when not enough buyers lined up for its 6 billion euro debt auction, it was seen as yet another sign that the single-currency union is facing a fight for its survival.
Today it sounds a bit stuck-up, cheeky maybe. But when it was created in 1971, L’Oréal’s “Because I’m Worth It” slogan was downright revolutionary. Invented by a young woman not unlike Mad Men’s Peggy Olson, the catch phrase is still a L’Oréal standard.
Boom times in Brazil have pushed several of its cities up the annual AméricaEconomía urban competitiveness ranking. Other Brazilian towns made it on to the list for the first time. But it is another country that boasts Latin America’s most competitive cit
Op-Ed: Except for soccer and the Eurovision Song contest, there isn’t much common ground holding Europe’s diverse nations together. Then there are problems like trust, language and mobility – plenty of reasons, in other words, why the euro was a bad idea
Chinese carmakers have made some inroads in the automotive industry, but don’t yet pose much of a threat to their major European, Japanese and American counterparts. That could change – and quickly.
Brazil’s richest 10% earn in one month what the poorest 10% make in more than three years. To find out how much the richest 1% earn, multiply that figure by three, according to the South American giant’s latest census numbers.
Around Germany’s Eichstätt region, unemployment hovers just above 1%, with industry booming despite the euro debt crisis. Across southern Germany, the overall economy has largely recovered, especially as the auto sector is rebounding. A good sign for the
Outside creditors aren’t the only ones loathe to throw money Greece’s way. Would-be taxpayers have been unwilling to part with their cash, according to a new EU Commission report that found the Greek government may have to write off some 30 billion euros
Europe’s “systematic crisis,” as EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso recently described the situation, has banks across the region preparing for widespread layoffs. Just this week France’s BNP Paribas gave word it’ll be letting 1,400 employees go.