Stories about Economics & Business from August, 2010
Trinidad & Tobago: Educating the Ministry
“Somebody needs to go to the Ministry of Education…and screech loudly to the folks in there: ‘MoE, we have a problem!'”: KnowTnT.com explains, here and here.
India: Recyclers – The Invisible Heroes
Anna da Costa at India Climate Solutions writes about the Indian recycling industry which is contributing in India's economic boom and the slum dwellers who provide cheap labors for this industry.
Singapore: Should food bloggers get free meals?
Singaporean food blogger, Brad Lau, was accused by a restaurant of bad behavior when he and his friends initially refused to pay for the food they ordered. The incident sparked a heated online debate about the ethics of food blogging.
Chile: Strong Citizen Response Against Thermal Energy Project
The approval of a thermal energy project sparked a strong online and on-the-ground citizen response; the plant was to be built near the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve and Punta de Choros, a small beach town known for its natural beauty and rich biodiversity. The announcement mobilized unprecedented numbers of protesters in one of the most successful instances of online organizing carried out in Chile.
South Korea: Controversy Overshadows Woman Climber’s World Record
South Korea's Oh Eun-sun is believed to be the first woman to have climbed the world's 14 highest mountains. One of her peaks was being disputed and bloggers have delved deeper into how this unseemly incident got formed from the start.
Russia: Porsche Cayenne and Firefighting
The Moscow Diaries re-posts LJ user fichetto‘s photos (RUS) of a 2007 Porsche Cayenne of Yevgeny Chernyshev, head of Moscow's firefighting service – “retrofitted to…fight fires?”
Poland: Open-Air Market in Krakow
A walk through Krakow's Hala Targowa market – at Polandian.
Haiti: Shifting Focus
The Haitian Blogger suggests that the mainstream media is focusing on the wrong thing: “Attention should focus less on the distraction of WyClef Jean’s failed presidential bid…and more on the desperate humanitarian situation on the ground…”
Trinidad & Tobago: CoP
Plain Talk weighs in on the controversy surrounding the appointment of a non-national to the position of Commissioner of Police.
India: Do Politicians Deserve Pay Hikes?
Reacting on the recent increase in salary of the lawmakers in India, Being Cynical at Desicritics debates whether or not politicians deserve pay hikes.
Bermuda: Facts of Life?
“Our community is more divided- and ANGRY – than in decades…Our economy is a mess…”: Vexed Bermoothes thinks that “no spin can override these facts. In my opinion, Dr. Brown is a failed leader whose tenure has been a disaster for Bermuda.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Unique Deal
Afra Raymond says that comparing the CL Financial bailout to the US situation is “nothing less than public mischief”: “The only resemblance to the US bailout is in name only. Real Trini-ting. Duprey and his cohorts negotiated a Blank-Cheque Bailout at zero interest, without losing any of their assets. That...
Taiwan: Let’s go poking around under the rock of ECFA
The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) between Taiwan and China was signed. The process seems smooth and efficient at the surface, but the story is not simple. Many Taiwanese have poked around under the rock of ECFA and ask their government why.
Barbados: CARICOM Pappyshow?
As the Secretary General of CARICOM takes his leave, B.C. Pires is more convinced than ever that “the whole enterprise is one big pappy-show, an elaborate skulls that mocks integration of a people while enriching the lifestyles of a few persons…”
South Korea: Civil Service Exams Removed, Years of Studies Wasted?
Many South Koreans are angry over a government's decision to replace the civil service exam with open recruitment. The exam has been praised for giving equal opportunities to applicants regardless of their education and family background. The online space is exploding with enraged bloggers' condemnations of the reform as a way of stalling the nation’s already flatlining social mobility.
Africa: Ukash: ideal online payment solution for Africa
Ukash is the ideal online payment solution for Africa, argues Malawian blogger Nyirenda: “As some African geeks are trying to come up with their own solutions, it is interesting to see the emergence of the Ukash service, currently the the world’s fastest growing prepaid-cash issuing network.”
Angola: The biggest open-air market in Africa
Mark and Jana writes about the the biggest open-air market in Africa, the Roque Santeiro Market in Angola:”…is known for being the biggest open-air market in Africa, for transacting thousands of dollars a day, and for being the main stage for the sale of every imaginable product.”
Sri Lanka: The Different Aspects Of Colombo
Portrait Blog shares the different aspects of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. It depends on you how you look at it.
China: Finland Bath
Carrie Yang and Katrien translated Han Han's short story, I want to talk to this world, which describes Finland Bath business and a police crackdown incident.
The Real India
Radio Open source is producing a series of articles and podcasts on the theme ‘Real India’.
Paraguay: Soaring Soybean Production Prompts Clashes
As the global demand for soy rises, Paraguay has become the world's fastest-growing producer of the crop. But with resulting riches have also come battles over land rights and environmental concerns.
