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The future for electric vehicles is looking bleaker than ever.According to a Gallup poll published this week, the number of Americans who own an electric vehicle has indeed increased in the last year. However, the number of those interested in buying one is on the decline despite efforts from the federal government to transition the entire automobile market within the next decade. Seven percent of Americans, up from 4% a year ago, report that they own an electric vehicle. That increase is matched by an equal decline in the percentage saying they are seriously considering buying one, from 12% to...

Saving The Planet: It used to be said that socialism was the opium of the liberal intelligentsia. But now the drug of choice for the elite is environmentalism. The dirty little secret of the modern green movement is that it's become a luxury good for the uber-rich who espouse policies — from carbon taxes to renewable energy standards to closing down coal plants — that impose high costs on poor people who can least afford to pay the green tab.

The uncertain financial markets and the euro crisis have left many Germans feeling nervous. Franz Herrmann, head of the German Association of Savers (BDS), is convinced that he'd lost money and cancelled his insurance policies, while the small interest earnings from his remaining savings accounts were "eaten up by inflation." To fight back, Herrmann formed the BDS. Now he makes appearances around the country, warning of "money-destroying instruments." He's certain that saving is "state-sanctioned robbery."Becoming poorer by saving? Savings and fixed deposit accounts yield pathetic interest earnings, and the never-ending euro crisis feeds fears of inflation or even a currency...

Seoul to enforce new restrictions on goods going into N. Korea By Tony Chang SEOUL, July 9 (Yonhap) -- Seoul will stiffen control of South Korean goods going into North Korea, mostly banning luxury items such as wine and fur, the Unification Ministry said Thursday. The restrictions, to take effect as of Friday, are in accordance with U.N. Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1874 adopted after North Korea's second nuclear test on May 25. The resolution prohibits weapons trade with Pyongyang and calls on member states to tighten the sanctions imposed on Pyongyang after its first nuclear test in October 2006....

FRANCE is the birthplace of luxury fashion, and here the recession biting the world has the feel of a morality play. As high-end consumers everywhere have suddenly suppressed their appetite for luxury goods, what was once considered a recession-proof industry has been hardhit. High-end stores in the United States watched in horror as holiday sales tanked, while in Tokyo, Louis Vuitton canceled plans for what would have been its largest and most glittery store anywhere. For the French, each wave of bad news has brought high anxiety here. When Chanel recently announced the layoff of 200 temporary employees — only...

The Possible Embargo List of Japanese Luxury Goods The following items are from the list compiled by Segye Ilbo. I only included Japanese products which are reviewed by Japanese government to be banned for export to N. Korea, in compliance with U.N. sanction slapped against luxury goods destined for N. Korea. The original list also contains some products from S. Korea or European countries. Some items below are really cheap, and may not make the final list, such as Kikkoman soy sauce and Rawang instant noodle. I added a picture of each item to show what it looks like....

NEW YORK, March 18th (Reuters) - Conspicuous consumption is back, but luxury goods makers could find themselves with a glut of designer purses and deluxe mobile phones if Americans lose their urge to splurge. More companies are rolling out high-end goods -- a market that includes everything from $69 margaritas at Chicago's swanky Nine Steakhouse to $5,500 Viking refrigerators for the well-appointed home kitchen to $30,000 platinum-encased cell phones from Nokia unit Vertu. One of the most coveted items is DaimlerChrysler's Products like these are debuting as affluence is becoming more widespread, thanks in part to baby boomers who...

MILAN - The big spenders are back. As the economy picks up and confidence returns, the U.S. luxury goods business is sprinting out of a three-year slump with a vengeance, retailers said at Milan fashion week. According to a study by Italian luxury body Altagamma, sales of upmarket goods in the United States grew 27.7 percent in the first five months of this year and although most people expect that rate to tail off, growth is seen staying strong. It is a stark contrast from last year when luxury players were desperately trying to eke out growth and scrutinizing the...