· January, 2009

Stories about Economics & Business from January, 2009

Russia: Putin in Davos

  31 January 2009

Leopolis writes about Putin's appearance at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos: “Despite being lost in translation, the Putin-Dell exchange illustrates the fact that Russia and the West are...

Bangladesh: The Future Of Jute In Peril?

  30 January 2009

With both the demand and prices of jute falling in the International market, many of the jute mills in Bangladesh are facing closure. At Muktangan, Monjuraul wonders whether the jute industry...

Trinidad & Tobago: Carnival Slump?

  30 January 2009

With just three short weeks until the big event, Discover TnT Blog and Trinidad Carnival Diary report that the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival season has been slow.

Bermuda: No Thank You?

  30 January 2009

Vexed Bermoothes is sceptical about the Premier's “kind offer” to subsidize the University of the West Indies, saying: “It’s more ideology than about educational opportunity.”

Tajikistan: Terrible Tajik-Uzbek relations

  30 January 2009

Vadim says that Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have chronically had bad relations since early history of the two countries, and the most recent actions of Uzbekistan made these relations even worse.

Japan: Blurry Lines Between Buzz and Truth – McDonald's Quarter Pounder Debut

  30 January 2009

Cultivating imported products into megahits is a big part of creating consumer trends in Japan, and food is no exception to the rule. Last year, it was the American donut shop, Krispy Kreme. The year before that, it was the American ice cream shop, Cold Stone Creamery. Both are Western foods that are familiar to the Japanese, with a unique twist. Both gained fame for long lines in front of their stores. And both were carefully cultivated hits.

Moldova: A “Stable” Economy

  30 January 2009

Moldova's economy has been declared “well-protected […] from the slowdown” by London-based magazine The Banker. Eternal Remont comments: “This one gets filed under, ‘I've been down so long it looks...

Latvia: Snap Election?

  30 January 2009

All About Latvia thinks the country is “heading for snap elections” and this may be a good thing: “While the IMF sees an election as a liability because it ushers...

Guadeloupe: A new social movement

  29 January 2009

Guadeloupe has been in a state of social unrest for about a week now as record numbers of trade unions, cultural and political associations have united around a motto: "Lyannaj kont pwofitasyon", Creole for “Let's gather up to fight against all sorts of abuses.”

Trinidad & Tobago: Construction Confusion

  29 January 2009

“Some of the things being revealed are proving to be so massively embarrassing, so massively corrupt that it boggles the mind”: Trinidadian diaspora blogger Jumbie's Watch is following the Commission...