The presence of thousands of brothels and hundreds of thousands of prostitutes has heightened competition and pushed prices down steeply in the German sex trade. One tourist from Florida, who visits the country three times annually to pay for cheap sex, compares the scene to a discount supermarket: “Germany is like Aldi for …
Europe
Guess Who’s Bullish on Europe? China’s New Investment Play
Another day in Europe, another Chinese acquisition: over the first June weekend it was the turn of three prestigious Bordeaux wine châteaus, Bon Pasteur, Rolland-Mallet and Bertineau St.-Vincent, to be acquired by the Hong Kong–based Goldin Group for an undisclosed amount.
A new wave of Chinese investment is rolling across the …
Draghi Defends Bond Program Ahead of Court Hearing
(FRANKFURT, Germany) — European Central Bank head Mario Draghi is defending a central bank program that has been credited with calming market turmoil over the continent’s debt crisis, ahead of closely watched hearings in a court challenge to the program next week.
In the text of a speech to a conference in Shanghai, China, Draghi on …
Japan Market Crash: A Slow Leak in the “Central Bank Bubble”
There’s a truism in investing that the last one into a market is the first one out. And that certainly seems to be the case today, with Japan’s Nikkei index crashing off the back of two things: First, hints from the Federal Reserve that the U.S. economy is improving enough to justify a slow pull-back from the central bank’s …
Too Cold for a Cold One? Big Beer Companies Blame Mother Nature for Slumping Sales
Does bad weather correlate with less drinking? Well, perhaps it does with certain kinds of drinking. Unseasonably cold weather in Brazil, Europe and the U.S. is being blamed as one of the reasons sales are down in early 2013 for …
Is the Price of Gold Signaling an Economic Slowdown?
Gold and other commodities seem to be signaling that the U.S. economy is sluggish and will get weaker still.
Europeans Are Thinking the Unthinkable: That Debt Defaults Might Make Sense
Instead of struggling to keep the euro zone together, default may be less painful in the long run for the people of overindebted countries
Was Thatcherism Good (or Bad) for the Economy?
Margaret Thatcher was known as the woman who, from 1979 to 1990, brought austerity and — at least for part of her tenure — economic growth to a stagflation-riddled Britain. She’s also known as a heedless free-market …
Boob Tube Saturation: After TV Sales Decline Worldwide, Will Price Drops Follow?
Consumers aren’t falling out of love with their TVs. More likely, they can’t justify replacing the big new TV they purchased not long ago, or they’ve run out of places to put yet another screen.
Is the Global Economy Slowly Falling Apart?
For Americans, the economy is likely to remain sluggish for several years, but the long-term outlook isn’t nearly as bad as the pessimists say
Why Derivatives May Be the Biggest Risk for the Global Economy
Since the recession, the value of derivatives outstanding has grown, and they remain very risky with the potential for large, unpredictable losses.
Can the U.S. Dollar Become Almighty Once Again?
A stronger dollar could be a bellwether of an improving economy and a brighter outlook for U.S. stocks.
