Stories about Economics & Business from September, 2012
Anniversary Interview with Occupy Wall Street Movement Activist
David DeGraw, one of the early participants of the 99% movement explains about the birth and development of the Occupy Wall Street movement around its one year anniversary. He touches on the organization's pitfalls and challenges as well as the future of the movement.
Bolivia: 4 Injured in Clash Between Miners
Clashes between private cooperative miners from the La Paz Departmental Federation of Mining Cooperatives (Fedecomin in Spanish) and unionised miners from the state-run Bolivian Mining Corporation (Comibol in Spanish) are reported from downtown La Paz, Bolivia's seat of Government. The confronted groups are attacking each other using dynamite. Four injured...
Italy: Workers Occupy Sardinian Coal Mine
When threatened with the future closure of Carbosulcis coal mine in Italy, miners from the pit occupied their workplace some 373 metres underground in protest. The occupation may have ended but over all the situation remains uncertain.
Serbia: Gastarbeiters’ Houses
Nothing Against Serbia posts photos of the migrant workers’ houses in Eastern Serbia and explains the “Gastarbajterske Kuće” phenomenon: […] the effort to make money in the West (under arduous circumstances) has to be showed off back home as a reward for the hassle! […] The houses itself are made...
Nigeria: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Declines WTO High Post
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria's Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy is not interested in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) top job. Pascal Lamy will retire soon and there's been speculations that Okonjo-Iweala may seek to replace him.
China: RMB 4 Trillion Stimulus Package Questioned
In the past few months, some online public opinion leaders have openly criticized the Chinese government's RMB 4 trillion stimulus package introduced in 2008 during the global financial crisis. But Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has stressed that the government "will not hesitate to use" the surplus in the upcoming budget year.
Bangladesh: Mismanagement In The Banking Sector
An ordinary citizen reflects on the recent huge bank loan scam in Bangladesh and the blogger is worried about the mismanagement in the banking sector.
India: Husbands to Pay Wives for Doing Household Chores?
The Union Women and Child Development Ministry in India is considering a draft bill which, if passed by parliament, would make it legally compulsory for husbands to pay out a portion of their monthly income to their homemaker wives, for doing household chores.
Armenia: A New Transit Route?
The Armenian Observer reports that construction has started on upgrading Armenia's highways. Effectively connecting Iran with Georgia via Armenia more efficiently, the blog notes the Armenian government's hopes that the road will make the landlocked country an important transit route between Europe and Asia.
Bolivia: Miners’ Dispute Holds La Paz Under Siege
Hundreds of miners are continuing to block the main access roads to La Paz. The blockade was sparked by a dispute between private cooperative miners and unionised miners over which group should control the recently expropriated Colquiri mine.
Peru: Gastronomy and Culture in Mistura 2012 Fair
"Mistura", Peru's Gastronomy Fair, opened its doors in Lima for the fifth consecutive year. On social networks, Peruvians and foreigners alike share their opinions and offer their advice.
Eastern Europe: An Informal Economy Develops in Times of Crisis
“Governments should be worried about this [trend], because it leads to potentially negative consequences for competitiveness and growth, harms social programs, undermines social cohesion and law and order, and erodes tax revenues.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Section 34? Last Straw!
Political bloggers in Trinidad and Tobago are having a field day with the government's latest missteps - from a failed motion to remove the Minister of National Security from his post because of corruption allegations to the possibility of the accused in the airport corruption scandal walking free thanks to a section of the Indictable Offences Act.
Palestine: Demonstrations Against Rising Living Costs Continue
Protests against high prices and unemployment that started almost a week ago are continuing in major cities in the West Bank. Ola Anan updates us in this post.
Russia: New Competition in Social Media Analysis & Big Data Analytics
Former presidential staff member Konstantin Kostin [ru] and pro-Kremlin blogger Stanislav Apetian (online moniker: PoliTrash) have released new details about an upcoming initiative from their think tank [ru], the Civil Society Development Foundation. In an interview [ru] with Izvestia newspaper, Apetian says the group is deploying technology developed by the American firm Crimson...
Spain: Investment Scheme of the Rich and Famous Makes Headlines
Discussion of the SICAV investment scheme reignited this summer in Spain, with the debate focusing on some of the well-known people and companies that take advantage of this fiscal tool in order to avoid paying taxes, such as the sister of King Juan Carlos, Infanta Pilar, and filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar.
China in Africa: The Real Story
Hibiscus is a Global Voices project designed to encourage conversations between bloggers who write about the China-Africa relationship. As part of this project, we will regularly feature key blogs or other social media; today we are introducing to you to the blog China in Africa: The Real Story.
Myanmar: New Foreign Investment Law Passed
The Union Parliament of Myanmar has already passed the new foreign direct investment law without the controversial provisions which included the requirement of a US$5 million minimum investment.
Myanmar: Increase in Insurance Buyers Due to Natural Disasters
Ko Ko Aung blogs [my] about the increasing number of insurance policy buyers due to natural disasters in Myanmar, although numbers remain relatively small compared to other countries.
Yemenis Organize Marches to ‘Reclaim’ Country's Wealth from Regime
Over the past two months, Yemen's revolutionary youth and activists have been organizing marches demanding an end to all corrupt deals deals made during President Ali Abdullah Saleh's reign.
