The Supreme Court of Canada made a decision favoring the First Nations. This decision could potential be the milestone between government and native people. In its ruling, the Supreme Court established that “Xeni Gwet’in people have title to 1,750 square kilometers of land west of Williams Lake.” In other words, Xeni Gwet’in people have the right to decide how the land will be used and use the land for economic benefit. This is an external factor because its not within the business control and it was an effort by part of the Xeni Gwet’in people and to a certain extent the Supreme Court. In my opinion, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Just as mentioned in the article, the Xeni Gwet’in people are interested in using their land for economic gains, but they want to establish that its their land ,and because its their land they want a say in how the land will be used, and a share of the benefits. 

References:

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Premier+urges+cooperation+more+litigation+government+natives+reach+fork+road/10194776/story.html

http://fonv.ca/media/SCC_June_26/photo-3.jpg

Yahoo plans to invest $20 million dollars in the mobile messaging app, Snapchat. Recently, Yahoo has made more than $9bn when it sold part of its stake in Alibaba, which it purchased earlier for approximately $1bn. In addition to investing in Snapchat, Yahoo has purchased many other startup companies and other online service companies. According to the article, this is an attempt by Yahoo’s CEO to transition from “…its reliance on search and make it more of a content provider.”

In my opinion, this is a smart move by part of Yahoo’s CEO  Marissa Mayer. In this era of transient advantages, Yahoo is paving its way for future in other “arenas”. Rather than competing with Bing and Google on the search engine industry, Yahoo sets itself apart by offering services in other “arenas”.

Reference:

http://online.wsj.com/articles/yahoo-nears-investment-in-snapchat-1412361684

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29502069

Hong Kong has captured the world’s attention with the recent, ongoing pro-democracy protest. This incident was sparked because the Chinese government said that it would screen the candidates running in the direct election, which is different from a system of open nomination which most people had in mind. What has caught most international attention was the act of occupying the Central District, which is the main business district in Hong Kong.

I believe this is a struggle between democracy and economic growth. Due to the Occupy Central protest, stocks market value have fallen. If the protest drag on for even longer, there will be major impacts on Hong Kong’s economy.

Reference:

http://www.ibtimes.com/hong-kong-occupy-central-protests-what-you-need-know-1696477

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-27921954

China is now one of the world largest markets, and video game console companies fight for a slice of the pie. Xbox, a video game console by Microsoft, succeeded in being the first to make it to this large, lucrative market. Previously, game consoles sales were banned in China due to concerns about the violent content of the games, but now the ban is lifted.

In my opinion, there are certainly many advantages to being the first in a market. Microsoft essentially has a monopoly. Consumers are more open to experimentation. However, there are many drawbacks. Such drawbacks would include restriction on the content of the games, lack of knowledge in consumers’ taste among other factors.

Reference:

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29410358