International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes
There is a special place called the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, or ICSID for short. It was made in 1966 to help solve problems between countries and people who invest money in these countries. This place is part of the World Bank Group and is found in Washington, D.C., in the USA. Countries join ICSID, and when they do, they agree to follow the rules and decisions it makes. By May 2016, 153 countries had joined.
A long time ago in the 1950s and 1960s, a group tried to make rules to protect money that people invest in other countries, but they couldn't agree on how to do it.
Then, in 1961, a man named Aron Broches, who worked at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, had an idea. He wanted to make an agreement where countries and investors could solve their problems case by case. He talked to many legal experts from all over the world and made a first version of this agreement. After more work and talks, the final agreement was ready and approved.
ICSID also gives advice and writes different things to share information.
Food from different countries and places can be mixed together to make something new and exciting. This kind of food is called "fusion cuisine." It's when you take parts from different kinds of cooking and put them together. Chefs have been doing this for a long time, and it's very popular in restaurants today.
"Mixing" food like this doesn't follow any strict rules. It's just about using different ingredients and ways of cooking from around the world. Sometimes, people mix foods from close places, like two countries in Asia or Europe. Other times, they mix food from very far away places, like Asia and America.
For example, in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, people like to go to "Asian fusion" restaurants. These are places where you can eat dishes from many parts of Asia all together. Another example is California, where they make new types of food by using ideas from Italy, France, Mexico, and Asia. In Australia, many cafes and restaurants mix Asian foods in new ways and people really enjoy it.
Even in the United Kingdom, there is a simple mix called "fish and chips" that many people love. Fusion cuisine is all about making delicious new foods by combining what we like from different cultures.
A chain store is a shop that has other shops like it with the same name and the same way of working. These chain stores are very common all over the world, and you can find them in many places like shopping areas and train stations. One very big chain store is called Walmart. It started a long time ago and now it makes lots of money.
Long ago, in 1792, a man named Henry Walton Smith and his wife Anna started selling newspapers in London. Their grandson later took over, and when trains became popular, they started selling newspapers at train stations too. Now, they have over 1,400 shops and are called WHSmith.
In the United States, chain stores began around 1860 with a few tea shops in New York City. By 1900, there were many chain stores selling groceries, medicines, and other things. Some people were worried that chain stores were getting too big, so the government made some new rules.
In Belgium, in 1868, two brothers named Isidore and Modeste Dewachter thought of opening several department stores. They opened four stores and later on, they made their business a family one, calling it Dewachter Brothers.