From the category archives:
IBM announced that it is going to lay off 5,000 U.S. workers and shift many of those jobs to India.
Did you know that 71% of IBM’s 400,000 employees work outside of North America? That ups from 65% in 2007.
Getting computer nerd training was a sure-fire way to a successful technology career a few years ago. [...]
{ 4 comments }
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, one of the world’s largest architectural firrm and a big beneficiary of the China building boom, is laying off people because of the lack of work in China. “Six months ago we were turning down work,” says Silas Chiow, SOM’s China director, and “the next six months are going to be [...]
{ 1 comment }
Japan just won the World Baseball Classic yesterday but its exporting companies are conquering anything.
The Japanese Finance Ministry reported that exports shrunk by 49.4% in in February from the previous year. That is, by the way, the biggest drop in two decades.
That puts Japan on course for its worst depression since WWII.
By the way, the [...]
{ 0 comments }
If you’ve never enjoyed a Chinese ‘hot pot’ dinner, you’re missing out on one of the greatest meals in all of China. You do need a cast iron stomach and an affinity for HOT food. But I absolutely love them.
Yum Brands (YUM: 35.73 +0.08 +0.22%)is pay $63 million for a 20% stake in Little Sheep [...]
{ 0 comments }
You’ve probably never heard of him but Zhou Xiaochuan is the Governor of the People’s Bank of China, which makes him the Chinese equivalent of Ben Bernanke and Alan Granspreen. Except even more powerful.
Zhou is recommending a new “super-sovereign reserve currency” to replace the dollar as a the main global currency and “create an international [...]
{ 2 comments }
For all the criticism we hear about the U.S. health care system, our system compares pretty favorably toward socialized medicine. For example, a whopping 25% of Chinese have no health care coverage whatsoever and hundreds of millions have the barest bones of coverage.
The concept of socialized medicine is getting some pretty good political traction in [...]
{ 0 comments }
Coca Cola had struck a deal to buy Huiyan Juice, China’s largest juice company, for $2.4 billion. All it was waiting for was approval from Chinese regulators.
Nope! The Chinese government denied the takeover and told Coke to go pound sand.
The reason given was that it would give Coke too big of an advantage, but the [...]
{ 0 comments }
Even mighty Toyota is stumbling from the U.S. recession.
Due to slumping sales, Toyota reported its first annual loss in 59 years — $3.6 billion of losses. Business is so bad that Toyota has its hand out for some government money.
I believe that Toyota is the very best car company you could own…but I wouldn’t want [...]
{ 1 comment }
Communications chip-maker Altera (ALTR: 20.67 -0.13 -0.62%) reported better-than-expected profits today. Positive earnings surprises are few and far between but I’ve noticed that the companies reporting strong results often do so because of their strong Asia sales.
AThe improved outlook was “largely attributable to better than expected” demand for products for China’s 3G wireless networks.”
{ 0 comments }
The smoking rate for Chinese males is over 90% and even physicians smoke like chimneys.
A staggering 56% of Chinese doctors smoke and the Chinese government is now asking doctors to quit smoking to set a good example for their patients. I suspect that the socialized medicine costs of smoking-related diseases is getting out of control.
By [...]
{ 0 comments }
