· June, 2007

Stories about Economics & Business from June, 2007

Iran: Protestors Torch Gas Stations

Enraged Iranian protesters torched several gas stations in Tehran and other cities on Wednesday, after the Iranian government announced fuel rationing for private vehicles. There is news item in Ilna [Fa], Iranian Labour news agency, reporting that people were killed in Yasouj, in southwestern Iran, during the protest. Iran is...

Haiti: Laid-off Teleco Haiti workers compensated

  30 June 2007

Collectif-Haiti-de-Provence writes about Haitian president Rene Preval's decision to compensate workers (Fr) who were illegally laid off from the state-owned telecom, Teleco Haiti. The government plans on privatizing Teleco, a move that will undoubtedly bring violent demonstrations from those who stand to lose out, Collectif writes, but that those who...

Bahrain: The Tale of a ‘Legal Slave’

No longer a tax haven, people in Bahrain are fuming at the introduction of a one per cent tax to benefit an Unemployment Fund. Bloggers caught on the bug and are ranting and fuming on their blogs in this report by Ayesha Saldanha. In other related matters, bloggers talk about a new law which bans workers from working between noon and 4pm in the summer heat, lavish weddings and the forgotten 'martyrs' of the civil unrest which rocked Bahrain in the 90s.

Russia: Sochi-2014?

Inside Krasnodar is “waiting with baited breath” for the July 4 announcement of the winner of the 2014 Winter Olympics bid: “Apparently the city of Sochi is also gearing-up for the announcement by declaring the 4th and 5th of July as holidays and preparing to have a free concert with...

Ukraine: A Spanish Embassy Ordeal

In an ideal world, there'd be no need for travelers to waste their time and money obtaining visas: buying a plane ticket and booking a hotel room would suffice. Tanya Kremen, a Ukrainian journalist, studies Spanish but feels that a plane ticket to Latin America costs too much. So she decided to go to Spain. She had a valid visa - unlike the two of her friends who wanted to go along. What follows is the story of their frustrating visit to the Spanish Embassy in Kyiv, posted by Tanya on her blog at Korrespondent.net.

Russia, Belarus: Blaming Putin and Lukashenko

Adam Goodman of Being Had admits that life is tough in Belarus and Russia, but disagrees with La Russophobe‘s perspective: “[…] I refuse to believe, just as I have since I started writing about Belarus, that it is appropriate to place the blame solely on Lukashenka or Putin.”

Russia: Volga Cars

The Turkish Invasion writes about and posts pictures of the Russian-made Volgas: “So you thought that the only machines Soviets built were Ladas and Tanks, but indeed they also had a superior brand called “Volga”, named after the biggest river in Europe (and also the farthest frontier the Germans ever...

Moldova: Development Strategy

“Moldova's development concept lacks any connection to the external environment, perpetuating isolation and self-centeredness,” Public Policy Watch writes about Moldova's “Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (EGPRSP), developed with the support of the World Bank.”

Russia: PwC Withdraws Yukos Audits

PricewaterhouseCoopers “now believes that information and representations which was provided to PwC by Yukos’ former management may not have been accurate.” Siberian Light comments: “If some of the biggest, and supposedly best auditors in the world can be so easily deceived, then there is absolutely no reason why anyone should...

Jamaica: Engaged Employees

  27 June 2007

Chronicles from a Caribbean Cubicle links to research which finds a connection between engaged employees and increased competitiveness: “Interesting, especially given my estimate that some 60-80% of Caribbean employees are disengaged.”