Newly wed royal couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton, are set to become “ambassadors” for British business around the world, according to a report from The Telegraph.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will travel the world on royal tours designed to boost the commercial interest of the United Kingdom abroad.
Here’s a weekly look at the top business, finance and world economy news.
The green movement is one of the most under-rated issue in global economics today. If we ruin the planet to live on, where would we do business then? The rise of green technologies and increasing investment in the sector over the years is a good sign that conservation is being taken seriously by the powers that be – but let’s face it, anything as controversial as this can be taken a bit too seriously, or erm, passionately.
Here’s a few jokes to take to the bar this weekend:
Top Russian business leaders from 27 leading companies were caught by surprise on Monday when a discussion over Russia’s investment climate with President Dmitry Medvedev turned into a political campaign for Medvedev to remain in office – as the Russian President prepares for a possible confrontation with his predecessor and former mentor, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in next March’s presidential elections.
The Internet is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Keeping track of its growth is often an incredibly difficult task as the environment continously changes – with new technology, new providers, new resources and new methods.
As the Internet gets bigger, faster and more mobile each day, the biggest challenge for analysts is how to follow the progress and also on how to present the information in a way where others can follow the data.
According to the latest report by the United Nations Environment Programme, developing countries have overtaken advanced economies as the largest investors in clean energy projects.
In 2010, global investments in renewable energy rose to US$211 billion – one third more than the US$160 billion invested in 2009, and a 540 percent rise since 2004.
Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks Corp. will introduce a new global operational structure in September this year, as it moves ahead with plans to increase its current international revenues from 20 percent per annum to more than 50 percent.
Presently, The company has around 11,000 outlets in the US and Canada, compared to just 6,000 outlets in the rest of the world.
Facebook may be the world’s most popular social media platform – with more than 750 million registered users, US$2 billion in annual revenues and even an award-winning movie based on its founders – yet for all the “like” buttons in the world, the company was listed among the most hated companies in America according to a recent Business Insider report.
Shares in China’s top carriers – namely Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines – rose yesterday as reports emerged citing the government’s interest to invest 1.5 trillion yuan (US$232 billion) in the aviation industry.
According to a Reuters report, the investment “will push consolidation among airlines to hone their international competitiveness.”
Japan’s Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Banri Kaieda told fellow ASEAN trade ministers last Saturday that the Japanese economy was recovering from the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and tsunami at a faster rate than initially expected.
