Stories about Economics & Business from April, 2021
Could the sargassum plaguing Tobago's beaches be an opportunity?
As sargassum continues to be a seasonal crisis for many tourism-dependent Caribbean islands, people have been wondering about the possibilities of putting the seaweed to good use.
A sex worker from North Macedonia speaks: ‘Those who pay us do not own us’
"Those who think if they pay, they own us are wrong. When we go to a café we pay for the coffee, that's it, we don't own the entire café."
Experts warn Turkey's ambitious Istanbul Kanal will result in environmental destruction—and open a geopolitical can of worms
A new link between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara will open a geopolitical pandora box—and poses serious environmental threats to its immediate surroundings.
As Brazil increases exports to China, politicians play the blame game
"The problem is Brazil's current development model that turns it into a large farm," said Evandro Menezes de Carvalho, a specialist in Chinese law and international trade.
Czech-Russian relations hit new low after Prague accuses Moscow of ‘state-sponsored terrorism’
On April 17, the Czech government announced it would expel 18 Russian diplomats, following revelations by its intelligence agency that Russian agents played a role in the 2014 explosions at an arms depot.
Nepali migrant worker goes home after spending 40 years in the Indian prison system
Durga Prasad Timsina, who never faced trial for an alleged murder, has been freed on bail after a campaign started by a former cellmate.
Hong Kong customs raids pro-democracy retail chain, sparking sympathy
About 100 custom officers stormed AbouThai’s warehouse and its 26 stores confiscating goods worth more than a million Hong Kong dollars, due to missing Chinese labels of 14 types of products.
Serbian freelancers protest new taxation law that threatens to push thousands into poverty
Told for years that their line of work was not regulated by law and had no framework for taxation, digital workers are now expected to pay hefty taxes in retrospect.
‘Our homeland is where the money is': pragmatic citizenship in Tajikistan
Every year, thousands of Central Asian citizens try to overcome the restrictions attached to the citizenship they acquired at birth and apply for a Russian passport.
Income, age and obesity: South Asia's advantages in the COVID-19 pandemic
Poverty, lack of public medical facilities, lower levels of adult literacy, and less medical expertise would, it was assumed, work strongly against the ability of South Asia to weather the COVID-19 storm.
China’s Xinjiang-cotton debacle unleashed fierce patriotism and ethnic policy support
China has mobilized online patriots to support the use of Xinjiang cotto, arguing that allegations of forced labour along with other human rights violations are false information
