Stories about Economics & Business from November, 2021
Barbados forges a digital path by becoming the first country to establish an embassy in the metaverse
While operational specifics are still unclear, Michael J. Casey, Chief Content Officer at CoinDesk, which broke the story, says the Barbados government's move has the potential to be "quite disruptive."
Press freedom and the Indian judiciary
In India, journalists are being unfairly charged with defamation, sedition, and publishing fake news. Despite the constitutional guarantee of press freedom, threats to the press are rampant in the country.
‘Bitcoin City’ in El Salvador seen through local memes
Most memes highlight the stark contrast between the government's over-the-top efforts to attract foreign investors and its limited investment in lowering crime rates.
Protests sweep Turkey as Lira plummets to an all-time low
Protests erupted across several cities in Turkey in the evening hours of November 23 after the Turkish national currency hit a record low against foreign currencies earlier in the day.
‘Neglect at home, profits abroad': Cuba's medical system
"The contradictions in the Cuban healthcare system have worsened with the pandemic. COVID-19 also enabled the government to relaunch its missions around the world."
A ‘new deal’ for Africa: Is this the best chance for a generation?
The pressure is now “on Europe, on the developed countries, and on governments, to seize this opportunity to deliver a generational change in Africa.”
More leeway to the ship recycling industry from the environmental authorities in Bangladesh triggers criticism
Activists in Bangladesh are criticising the recent decision of the environmental authorities who downgraded the status of the ship recycling industry from red to orange.
Paper lives: Turkey's trash collectors face deportations, arrests, and midnight raids
Istanbul police conducted raids on waste collectors' depots last month, allegedly to address potential health hazards, public security concerns, and the employment of unregistered migrants.
Japan named ‘Fossil of the Day’ for ‘clean coal’ plans
Efforts by Japan to reduce carbon emissions over the next decade appear to be marginal at best.
The EU and Armenia, partners in reform?
Recent promises of multi-billion-euro investments in Armenia by the European Union signal a deepening relationship between Yerevan and Brussels and renewed EU confidence in the legacy of the 2018 Armenian revolution.
The Dhimal art of weaving
Sixty-five-year-old Chandra Kala Dhimal is one of the last few weavers from Nepal's indigenous Dhimal community keeping traditional wooden weaving alive.
Rooppur: Little Russia in Bangladesh
As part of the project's support system, there has been massive infrastructural development in the surrounding areas, and cultures have become so integrated that the area's demographics look very different.
What can we expect from Russia at COP26?
As COP26 continues, Open Democracy asks experts whether the Kremlin’s latest moves on climate, including its 2060 net-zero target, heralds genuine change or more greenwash.
