· January, 2007

Stories about Economics & Business from January, 2007

Poland: Sex Scandal and Cronyism

  31 January 2007

Traveling Life writes about Poland's ongoing sex scandal and about yet another case of cronyism: “I know that each political appointee has an army of advisers to make sure he doesn't screw up too much. But at some point we have to ask when the sheer incompetence of political appointees...

Poland: LOT Airline

  31 January 2007

“LOT's passenger numbers have risen by less than 2 percent last year at the time when millions of Poles are traveling to work in Irland and Britain.” Polish Matters writes about plans to revive the ailing airline.

Kurdistance: The Kirkuk Referendum

  31 January 2007

While the Kirkuk Referendum isn't expected to take place until December 2007, it is creating waves within Kurdistan, Iraq and their neighbors. Why the flurry of activity now? The Iraq Study Report recommended that the referendum be delayed, citing the the area as a “powderkeg”. The Republic of Turkey wants...

Africa: women's rights, Africa and China

  31 January 2007

Sociolingo's Africa blog has a post about a new book by Fahamu on Women's rights, Africa and China, “The traditional perception of African women is that they face grinding poverty and harsh cultural, traditional and social prejudices. Yet while it is true that African women are not equal to men,...

China: Out of Libya

  31 January 2007

It‘s [zh] since been disabled, but there was one especially eye-catching post on Tianya, one of China's most widely-read bbs forum sites last month. ‘Save us!’ it read. ‘We've been stuck in Libya for over a year and we're about to go crazy here!’ Racist attitude, seen further down, might...

Kazakhstan: Queuing for Profit

  30 January 2007

Ben Paarmann reports on a business so suited for post-Soviet countries that it's a wonder no one had already launched it in Kazakhstan: standing in line for cash. A new company launched by Ruslan Akkuzhin will allow people to hire someone to stand in lines for them. The person in...

Caucasus: iPod Purchasing Power Index

  30 January 2007

Social Science in the Caucasus posts on the idea of an iPod Purchasing Power Index and wonders why there is such a range of prices in Caucasus states. Onnik Krikorian responds to the post and looks at possible answers to why iPods are so expensive in Armenia.

Czech Rebublic: Dechovka Music

  30 January 2007

NvB: Bored in Brno writes about dechovka music and posts a YouTube video of Eva and Vasek, “the most successful musical group in the [Czech] Republic from the standpoint of record sales”: “Happy listening! And remember, every Czech is not just a musician but also a dancer.”

Swahili Blogosphere: CIA's Role in the Zanzibar Revolution, Bloggers Association, The Wretched of the Earth, and Protesting UK's $12M Secret Payment

  30 January 2007

Following their virtual conference last November, Tanzanian bloggers are currently discussing the details of the organization they are intending to form. A blog has been set up by the interim committe, to facilitate the process. So far, they have chosen the name for the organization, Jumuiya ya Wanablogu Tanzania (the...

Malaysia: Airline Fuel Surcharge

  30 January 2007

The blogger at Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin is asking the Malaysian Airlines to emulate other airlnes from the region and do away with the fuel surcharge as oil prices have come down. “Now the fuel price is down to about US$50 from the highs of US$70. The jet fuel price...

China: myspace.cn

  29 January 2007

myspace.cn is now under construction, it belongs to a company called Mai Sibei (Putonghua pronunciation of Myspace). More information from DANWEI.

Arabisc: Egyptian Bloggers Tie the Knot

  29 January 2007

Like in Egyptian movies, there is a thin line between imagination and reality in Egypt, where two politically active bloggers get close to each other at an anti-government rally, then fall in love and finally get married. Blogger Albara Ashraf reports this happy story, without failing to conjure some of...

India: Bangalore and 2 Blocks

  29 January 2007

Keith, a Hong Kong born New Zealand Chinese journalist on being in Bangalore during a riot. “Two blocks away, that very night, pro-Saddam mobs clashed with police while youths looted and burned stores. 40 people were injured, and an 11-year-old was killed when police fired at the crowd. In India,...