Stories about Economics & Business from May, 2013
Are Indian Companies “Land Grabbing” in Africa?
As foreign companies and governments buy or lease land in countries across Africa, the debate continues as to whether this will encourage development or is simply land grabbing. The Hindu's Addis Ababa correspondent Aman Sethi has taken part in a Q&A session on Facebook on the issue of Indian "land grabs" in African countries.
Does Kyrgyzstan need Russia's Customs Union?
Discussions surrounding potential membership of the Customs Union that currently comprises Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan are not new to Kyrgyzstan's public. Having come into effect in July of 2011 the union aims to bring member states into a common economic zone, establishing a tariff-free platform for regional trade.
Indonesia: Petition to Save the Forest of Aceh
Rudi Putra initiated an online petition asking the Indonesian government to block the expansion of mining and palm oil activities in Aceh and to protect the country's remaining rainforest. More than one million people around the world have already signed the petition: I live and work in the last place...
Brunei: ‘Slow Internet is Almost Like Censorship’
Brunei internet users are complaining against the slow and unreliable internet connection in their country. Brunei has one of the most expensive internet rates in Southeast Asia but many Brunei netizens feel they are getting poor internet service for the high fees they are paying.
Blogshops are Popular in Singapore
Lucas Chua writes about the blogshop phenomenon in Singapore. A blogshop is an online fashion store that uses a blog. In Singapore, four of the country’s ten most-searched stores are blogshops.
Saint Lucia Jazz Festival's Controversial Couture
This year's Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival featured a fashion show dubbed “Hot Couture”, intended to boost the island's burgeoning fashion industry by creating a showcase for local models and for designers both in Saint Lucia and throughout the region - but it was filled with controversy and behind-the-scenes wrangling.
Russia's State-Contracted Revolutionaries
When Vladislav Surkov left the government last week, it triggered an avalanche of speculation about what the loss of “the grey cardinal” means for Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev in particular and his “liberal” political clan in general. At the center of an ongoing related police probe is Duma Deputy and anti-Putin protest movement leader Ilya Ponomarev, who earned a surprising $750,000 for his work for the Skolkovo innovation center.
Peru: “Freedom Camp” Raises Awareness of Possible TPP Consequences
The "Campamento por la Libertad" ("Freedom Camp") took place last weekend in Lima, focusing on raising awareness of the consequences that the signing and implementation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) could bring. Find out here about what transpired and what was created.
Caribbean: Can CARIBCAN Happen?
Blogger Kevin Edmonds examines the impending Canada-CARICOM Free Trade Agreement.
Schools Close in Panama Due to Energy Crisis
The severe drought that is affecting Panama has motivated the government to take several measures, including suspending classes in public and private schools.
Trinidad & Tobago: Smoking Ad Loophole
I don’t think this cigarette newspaper ad was necessary and it was in very poor taste. aka_lol takes issue with a cigarette advertisement, which apparently found loopholes around the prohibitions applied to such advertising under the Tobacco Control Act.
Lebanon's Happy Offshore Oil Billboards
Qifa Nabki writes: “Lebanon’s Ministry of Energy and Water has launched a new [billboard] campaign promoting the benefits of off-shore oil exploration for the average citizen. The ads contain shots of smiling people aside captions like: “My children and I are staying in Lebanon“ or “I’m going back to work in Lebanon!“”...
China's Unfair Pension System
The Economic Observer[zh] ran a piece on China's dual-track pension system, which reveals the huge inequality between migrant workers and civil servants. ChinaSmack has translated the Chinese article as well as some online comments.
Singapore’s May Day Protest Against Population Policy
An estimated crowd of 5,000 gathered in Singapore’s Hong Lim Park on May 1, 2013 to protest the government’s White Paper on population. The May Day protest was the second time that a big crowd gathered in the park to speak out against the population program.
Australia: National Disability Insurance Scheme Funding At Last
The funding of a National Disability Insurance Scheme has been a political football in Australia after legislation for the NDIS passed with unanimous support in Australia earlier in 2013. Both sides of politics had argued that it should be funded from general revenue.
Brewery Lifts Seizure of Panamanian Football Federation
Baru Brewery lifted the seizure that it had over the Panamanian Football Federation after a controversial message on President Ricardo Martinelli's Twitter account.
‘Agroam’ Lends Hand to African Farmers
Agroam is a website designed to help African farmers market their products as efficiently as possible and give more opportunities to match buyers and sellers at fair prices.
South Korea Pulls Out of Joint Industrial Complex in North Korea
The nearly decade-old, jointly run Kaesong Industrial Complex in North Korea, a place often referred as “last bastion of hope” for Korean reunification, is on the verge of a shutdown after the South Korean government ordered the withdrawal of South Korean workers in the face of increased cross-border tensions.
