· February, 2013

Stories about Economics & Business from February, 2013

Is Mexico Really “Back in the Game”?

  26 February 2013

In his latest column, renowned New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman argues that Mexico “will become the more dominant economic power in the 21st century.” Twitter immediately reacted to his piece, and journalist David Agren aggregated some of these positive and negative reactions posted on the microblogging site.

Russia's New Media: Too Clique to Fail?

RuNet Echo  25 February 2013

The previous version of OpenSpace.ru was much less political in nature and was presumably shut down for financial reasons. It reopened a month later with a revamped website and a new team at the helm. It also didn't last as long as the old.

As Japan's Star Fades, Many Struggle for Hope

  24 February 2013

As Japan's economic growth continues to shrink each year, the Japanese, who find themselves more and more disconnected from their families and friends thanks to grueling works days and the Internet's erosion of personal relationships, are finding it difficult to put on a happy face.

Request Google to Look into Myanmar

  23 February 2013

Many Burmese netizens requested[my] the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Information who met with Google's Southeast Asia Country lead for Public Policy and Government Affairs to convince the company not to block Google Play in Myanmar and to put Burmese (Myanmar) language in Google Translate.

The Worst Companies of the Year

  22 February 2013

Here were the nominees for the Public Eye Awards, a contest listing the worst companies of the year, was published by the website Public Eye. Organized by the Berne Declaration and Pro Natura, since 2000, the awards is a counter-summit critique of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum...

SenseCamp Berlin: a Social Entrepreneurship Gathering

  22 February 2013

Berlin held its second SenseCamp on February 8 and 9, 2013, a barcamp dedicated to social entrepreneurship. The program included workshops, meetings and conferences, to raise the impact of social entrepreneurial start-ups. Creative types, entrepreneurs and those who were interested, were invited to register in order to participate in this...

Will High Speed Rail Improve Singapore-Malaysia Ties?

  22 February 2013

The Prime Ministers of Malaysia and Singapore announced a high speed train project which will provide a mere 90 minute link between the two countries. The rail link is expected to improve economic and social ties between the two neighbors which used to be part of a single federation.

Is Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Spread Racist?

  22 February 2013

Mitch Blatt from China Hush takes a look at debate over the appropriateness of Sports Illustrated magazine's set of photos for its swimsuit edition that feature ethnic minorities in China. While some think that the photos disparage minority culture in China, the blogger argues that such comments stem from a desire...

Spanish Parliamentarians Tweet Secret Mario Draghi meeting

  18 February 2013

El Presidente del Banco Central Europeo (BCE) Mario Draghi pidió que su intervención en el Congreso español se realizara a puertas cerradas. Pero dos diputados desobedecieron la petición de Draghi y transmitieron en tiempo real en Twitter las intervenciones de Draghi bajo la etiqueta que ellos mismo crearon #OpenDraghi.

Tax Holiday for Albanian Youth?

  18 February 2013

THREE YEAR TAX LIFT FOR EMPLOYED YOUTH In a significant boost to youth employment, the government will decide during the coming weeks about the lifting of taxes (social security, health and personal income tax) and expenses of new trainings of those employed in the private sector. We keep our promises! The...

Eurovegas in Spain: Panacea or Plunder?

  17 February 2013

Officials have announced that Eurovegas, the future city of leisure that will supposedly create hundreds of thousands of jobs for Spain, will be built on the outskirts of Madrid. Why, then, are so many people raising their voices against the project, which should be a godsend for a country with more than five million people out of work?

Singapore Looks to Bolster Population with Foreigners

  17 February 2013

The government of Singapore has introduced a new plan to increase the population, triggering debate over the value of welcoming more foreigners to solve the country's ageing demographics. Singaporeans are now taking a closer look at what constitutes Singaporean identity.

Lies, Damned Lies, and Turkmen Statistics

  16 February 2013

When it comes to statistics, the Turkmen government remains committed to the time-honored Soviet principles of book-cooking, data fudging and avoiding the uncomfortable truth at all costs. 'Good' statistics, such as the rising grain harvests, are triumphantly covered by state-run media, while bad news are never reported.

Who Owns the Copyright for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival?

  15 February 2013

It has been popular in recent years for photographers (professional and amateur alike) to publish their pictures of Trinidad and Tobago's various Carnival activities online, especially on social media sites like Facebook. But now, the Trinidad & Tobago Copyright Collection Organization (TTCO) considers this to be a possible copyright infringement. Netizens weigh in on the issue.