· March, 2013

Stories about Economics & Business from March, 2013

As Liberal Russia's Secret Superhero ‘KermlinRussia’ Unmasks, Some See Evil

RuNet Echo

Arseny Bobrovsky, the owner of a Russian PR firm called “Daily Communications,” would be a thoroughly typical example of Moscow’s “creative class” liberals, were it not for one thing: Bobrovsky has a secret identity. At least he did, anyway, until March 25, 2013, when he and his accomplice Katya Romanovskaya outed themselves to the world as the authors of KermlinRussia, one of the most popular accounts on Russian Twitter.

30 March 2013

Europe for the People, Not the Markets

From March 11 to 17 European citizens organized a week of protests against austerity measures imposed on the countries of the European Union, know as the European Counter Summit. People from different countries have protested in the streets and commented on the events through Twitter under the tag #EuropeanSpring.

29 March 2013

Migration a ‘Tragedy’ for Kyrgyzstan

About 2,000 young and well-educated professionals leave Kyrgyzstan every year. Begimai Sataeva on NewEurasia.net calls the outward migration of the bright and skilled young people a ‘real tragedy’ that affects...

28 March 2013

Global Voices at OECD Global Forum on Development

Global Voices bloggers have been commissioned to liveblog the OECD Global Forum on Development in Paris on April 4-5, 2013. Leading up to the meeting, our team is submitting posts that help serve as weekly online discussion topics.

27 March 2013

Russians Can't Agree on Billionaire's Suicide

RuNet Echo

When Alexander Dobrovinsky, lawyer to Russia's rich and famous, announced on his Facebook that Boris Berezovsky, controversial Russian oligarch living as a refugee in London, had committed suicide, RuNet reacted with disbelief.

27 March 2013

Tunisia: “No to IMF Loan”

As Tunisia works to secure a US$1.78 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to cover next year's budget, the government has ignited anger across the country raising taxes and cutting subsidies at a time when the economy is struggling to recover from the country's Arab Spring uprising.

25 March 2013

The Criminal Economics of Kremlin Propaganda

RuNet Echo

Anti-corruption blogger Alexey Navalny is causing more waves at Aeroflot Airlines, where he has called for an internal investigation into a contract worth 64 million rubles awarded without competition to Apostol Media Group.

23 March 2013

China's $20 Billion Pledge to Africa

Deborah Brautigam from China in Africa: The Real Story looks into the nature of China's pledge of $20 Billion to Africa at the fifth ministerial meeting of the Forum on...

20 March 2013

Myanmar: ‘Save Our Zoo’ Campaign

Arguing that it is already a health threat, the government of Myanmar wants to relocate the Yangon Zoological Gardens which has been a city landmark since 1906. Residents and netizens are opposing the proposal and they suspect that the relocation is being pursued to build hotels in the area.

18 March 2013