Stories about Economics & Business from April, 2012
Argentina: Bloggers React to Announcement of Nationalization of Oil Company YPF
The announcement of the nationalization of the oil company YPF, controlled by Spain's Repsol, and the transfer of 51% of its shares to the Argentinean government, sparked many reaction on the Argentinean blogosphere. Jorge Gobbi shares some of these opinions, which in general, are divided between those in favor and those opposed to the government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.
Bahrain: Police Help Thugs Vandalize Shiite-Owned Shop
The owners of the Jawad Business Group, a Shiite-owned company in Bahrain, have released a video of one of their shops being stormed, robbed, and vandalized by a group of thugs on April 10, as policemen watched and even helped.
Nigeria: Was Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's Candidacy Symbolic?
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the only African and woman running for the World Bank presidency, has lost the race to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, a Korean-American physician. Should this have been the time for global governance values to triumph over the long-standing tradition of an American leading the institution?
Serbia: May 6 Parliamentary Vote Roundup
Bill Kralovec posts a short roundup on the upcoming parliamentary elections in Serbia, scheduled for May 6, and shares his “political platform,” asking Serbian readers to help him “match which party most resonates with [his] opinions.”
Spain: Faces of the victims of the economic crisis
Al bloc "Els nous pobres" es recullen testimonis de persones que s'han vist afectades per la crisi, que ha limitat considerablement les seves possibilitats econòmiques i personals.
Business Prospects in Myanmar
Aim Sinpeng writes about the booming business prospects in Myanmar. Foreign investments have risen especially after the government has pledged to implement some key political and economic reforms
Spain: King Juan Carlos and the Elephant in Botswana
Days after Felipe Juan Froilan accidentally shot himself in the foot during shooting practice, his grandfather, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, fell while he was hunting and broke his pelvis. This would have been minor news, had it not been for the fact that he was hunting elephants in Botswana on...
United Kingdom: Cases of Child Malnutrition on the Rise
El col·laborador del portal Kaoesenlared, Charlie Cooper, va publicar el 13 de març un article sobre l'augment dels casos de malnutrició infantil al Regne Unit.
Internet Campaigns Invite Tourists to Visit Latin America
There are many web pages and blogs used to promote tourism in Latin America. We provide links to some of these pages here, and share a conversation with Global Voices author Jorge Gobbi, who is a specialist blogger on the subject of tourism.
Czech Republic, Ukraine: Migrant Domestic Workers’ Rights
GV Author Tetyana Bohdanova, who blogs at Good Girl Gone Ukrainian, writes about a video created as part of the campaign [cs] for the rights and better treatment of Ukrainian migrant workers in the Czech Republic. The video [cs] shows a Czech teenager yelling at the Ukrainian cleaning lady who...
Beating China's Book Bans in Hong Kong
Lam Li from Asia Sentinel explains how Hong Kong has turned into a center for distributing China banned books.
Global Voices ‘Europe in Crisis’ Coverage Shortlisted for Award
Thanks to the work of dedicated volunteers, Global Voices special coverage of “Europe in Crisis” has been named a national winner for the European Charlemagne Youth Prize. The final winners for all of Europe will be announced in Aachen, Germany in May 2012. The award aims to encourage a European...
Africa: Access to Water and Sanitation Services Still a Burden
Babatope Babalobi, Secretary General WASH-JN [Water, sanitation and Hygiene journalists network (WASH)] discusses two meetings on water and sanitation held in Marseilles last month: “It seems that the organisers of the two events wrongly assumed that all citizens are able to access water and sanitation services through public or privately...
Myanmar: Suspended Dam Project May Reopen Again
The Democratic Voice of Burma reports about a leaked government document which suggests the reopening of a suspended dam project in Myanmar. The dam construction was suspended after it was actively opposed by local communities.
Philippines: Netizens Unite to Save Pine Trees
Filipino netizens are using the hashtag #savebaguiopinetrees to protest the plan of a mall owned by the country's richest man to cut 182 pine trees in order to construct a parking lot in Baguio City in northern Philippines
Colombia: Award Winning Journalism Video Making Rounds on the Web
The award winning video [es] of 2011 that tries to explain why Colombians are poor despite the natural wealth of the nation has strongly made its rounds on the web, getting close to a million views.
Argentina: The Price of the Popular Yerba Mate Goes Up
Mate is a deep-rooted tradition in Argentina that begins in adolescence and continues on through adulthood. A price increase in the yerba mate (the leaf used to make the beverage) has directly affected Argentinians' wallets, provoking numerous reactions on social networks.
Armenia: Straight to the village
With a GDP per capita estimated at just $5,400 in 2011, Armenia is one of the poorest countries in the former Soviet Union. The situation is particularly noticeable in the villages of the landlocked country, but one foreign diplomat hopes to change all that.
Brazil: Indigenous Rights and the Suspension of the Teles Pires Dam
Brazilian blogger Sonia Martuscelli reproduces [pt] an open letter on the suspension of the license for the construction of the controversial Teles Pires Dam, in an area of the Amazon forest inhabited by the indigenous peoples of Kayabi, Apiaka and Mundukuru ethnicities. The natives require measures to ensure their rights...
Georgia: Forbes magazine accused of self-censorship
The Transparency International Georgia blog examines the case of the Georgian edition of the influential Forbes magazine following the resignation of its editor-in-chief who alleges that the magazine's publishers are practicing self-censorship ahead of parliamentary elections to be held later this year.
Myanmar: New Currency Exchange Rate
The Central Bank of Myanmar set the new currency exchange rate of 818 Kyats per 1 US Dollar, as part of the move to implement a new floating currency exchange system. Previously, the official rate was 6.4 Ks. per 1 US Dollar.
