· December, 2011

Stories about Economics & Business from December, 2011

Brazil: “We Have Overtaken the United Kingdom's GDP. So What?”

  31 December 2011

The news, published in the international press and echoed by the country's media, filled nationalist Brazilians with with pride and optimism, and left those who analysed the numbers more closely concerned. Bloggers ponder the meaning of being the world's sixth largest country in terms of Gross Domestic Product, and occupying the 84th position in Human Development Index.

Online Highlights from the Portuguese-Speaking World in 2011

  31 December 2011

2011 has been another year in which bloggers and activists from a number of Portuguese-speaking countries have come together to report, translate and promote blogs and citizen media from all over the world. This article selects the highlights in the coverage of Lusophone countries on Global Voices over the last year.

China: Dairy Company's Website Hacked by Angry Netizens

  29 December 2011

The latest round of tainted milk scandals broke out last week in China. The country's biggest dairy producer, Mengniu Dairy Co., admitted that some of its milk products contained aflatoxin – a cancer-causing substance. To express their anger, Chinese info-activists hacked Mengniu's official website last night (December 28, 2011). Below...

China telecommunications market

  29 December 2011

Tricia wang discusses about the anti-monopoly infringement investigation against the China Telecom and its implications on the China telecommunications market.

Macedonia: Health System Software Vendor Lock-in

  29 December 2011

Novica Nakov warned [mk] that the state discriminates against users of operating systems like GNU/Linux or Mac OS X, purporting vendor lock-in by forcing medical doctors to use the latest version of Windows as the only platform for the obligatory e-health card software [mk] by the Fund for Health Insurance...

Lebanon: Electric Xmas Decorations

  28 December 2011

From Lebanon, Habib Battah draws our attention to Christmas decorations in Lebanon, where the decorations are lit and and the electricity in the street lamps is switched off during the night, and on during the day. Check out the photographs accompanying the post.

Cambodia: One Province, One Product Trade and Exhibit

  28 December 2011

Sreisaat blogs about the One Province, One Product Trade and Exhibit in Koh Pich, Cambodia. Some of the featured products were giant cassava crops and squash from Kampong Speu, assorted gemstones from the mine pits of Pailin, and mixed spices from Siem Reap.

Cambodia: Impact of Organic Farming

  28 December 2011

Maylee Thavat studies the impact of organic rice farming and fair trade production in Cambodia. The author warns that it could ‘impose First World consumer ideals and tastes that are out of step with the larger realities of agrarian transition’ in the country

Latin America: Youth Unemployment

  27 December 2011

Bloggings by boz looks at youth unemployment in Latin America, concluding that “with growth projections decreased for 2011 and 2012, the current situation for youth unemployment is almost certainly getting worse. That could have major economic, political and social implications moving into 2012.”

China: Qingdao's Real Estate Bubble

  21 December 2011

Steven Dickinson argues that China's real estate market has bursted by sharing his observations in Qingdao, where new residential real estate projects in have fallen an average of 30% within 6 months.

Cuba: owing obsolete rubles

  20 December 2011

Cuba has a longstanding debt to Russia of 20 million Soviet rubles — a currency that no longer exists. Machetera asks: “how and when do you decide what a vanished currency is really worth?”

Brazil: How Many Lives Does the Guarani-Kaiowá's Land Cost?

  20 December 2011

Last November, 42 gunmen attacked an indigenous reserve in Mato Grosso do Sul, executing Nísio Gomes, 59, chief of the Guaraní Kaiowá and several other villagers. These attacks take place at the same time as Brazil consolidates its position as one of the leading exporters of agricultural goods and biofuels in the world, and Mato Grosso do Sul one of its most productive states.