http://www.thomaswhite.com/ Thomas White International Copyright (C) Thomas White International. All rights reserved. Thomas White RSS Generator en-us Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thomaswhite.com/explore-the-world/postcard/2010/portugal-gold-reserves.aspx Having always been a quiet performer in Europe, Portugal found itself unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight this year when attention was drawn to its budget deficit, which climbed to 9.4% in 2009. But with 382.5 tons of gold in its coffers, does Portugal have a safety net? Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thomaswhite.com/explore-the-world/economic-reviews/europe.aspx Economic sentiment in the Euro-zone posted a surprise increase in June after tumbling in May on renewed optimism about economic recovery and receding unemployment fears.While economic recovery remains tenuous, unemployment has remained steady at 10%,lifting hopes. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thomaswhite.com/explore-the-world/economic-reviews/middle-east-africa.aspx South Africa must ramp up its manufacturing output and strengthen its exports to achieve healthy economy growth even as Israel is suffering from a sliding PMI due to sluggish domestic and international demand. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thomaswhite.com/explore-the-world/global-players/jorma-ollila.aspx Jorma Ollila is the Chairman not only of Royal Dutch Shell but also cellphone mainstay Nokia. The Finnish cell phone maker has flourished under his aegis, now Ollila aims to do the same for the oil goliath, even as he promotes the usage of clean fuel. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thomaswhite.com/explore-the-world/economic-reviews/asia-pacific.aspx The Asian Development Bank (ADB) raised its 2010 forecast for Developing Asia from 7.5% to 7.9%, stating that strong exports, rising domestic consumption and stimulus initiatives in various countries could take the region’s growth trajectory higher. Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT http://www.thomaswhite.com/explore-the-world/postcard/2010/hong-kong-minimum-wage-law.aspx It was a marathon debate that lasted 41 hours. In the end, Hong Kong’s lawmakers passed into history the city’s first ever minimum wage bill, a law that will be brought into effect next year. But already the city’s trade union activists are celebrating. Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:00:00 GMT