Stories about Economics & Business from April, 2009
Cuba: The Outside World
“The Summit of the Americas ended yesterday and it doesn’t appear that an urgent meeting of parliament…is being convened to discuss the proposals made by Obama”, writes Cuba's Generation Y,...
Russia: Hyde Park; WinRAR; Hot Water; etc.
A few links to recent posts at IZO: president Medvedev “to create a Russian Speaker's Corner, based on Hyde Park”; a Russian ad agency shows “how the WinRAR data compression...
Albania: Trees in Tirana
A Nevada Yankee in King Zog's Court writes about the efforts of the Tirana mayor's office to make the city greener.
UAE: Pirates Linked to the Gulf
The Grapeshisha Blog, from the UAE, comments on a news report linking the Somali pirates to Dubai and other Gulf states.
Fiji: Devaluation debate
The past week bloggers in Fiji have had a lot to say about the devaluation of the Fiji Dollar. On April 15, the Reserve Bank of Fiji devalued the Fiji Dollar by 20 percent, making it cheaper compared to other currencies. This means that more Fiji dollars are needed to purchase goods from outside the country. For overseas buyers, products in Fiji will now be less expensive.
Trinidad & Tobago: Return on Investment?
“Trinidadians always buy into this idea that hosting something will get us lots of free press. Thing is: no-one really cares all that much who hosts the summit. Perhaps you...
Russia: Bakhmina's Parole; Khodorkovsky's ‘Not Guilty’ Plea
Former Yukos lawyer Svetlana Bakhmina has been granted parole today, while former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky has pleaded not guilty before court, Robert Amsterdam's Blog reports.
Lebanon: Activists Experiment with Social Media
The use of social media tools such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and mobile technology has become increasingly popular in activism and advocacy work worldwide in recent years. In Lebanon, a group called Social Media Exchange teaches activists how to utilise social media to promote their work and reach a wider audience. Mohammmad Azraq digs into the Lebanese social networking and online scene to find out more.
Americas: 5th Summit Reactions
The much-hyped Fifth Summit of the Americas is now over, culminating with the Hemispheric leaders' adoption of the Declaration of Commitment of Port of Spain - albeit with one signatory - the Prime Minister of host country Trinidad and Tobago, who purportedly signed on behalf of all participating leaders. This signaled to many a clear lack of unanimity on the final declaration, hardly surprising given the differing agendas of the 34 participating nations. Bloggers were quick to post their impressions of the three-day engagement.
Bahamas: The Economics of Culture
“It is not foreign investment that economists and development agencies are suggesting is the engine of economic development in the 21st century; it’s culture”: Nicolette Bethel thinks that the Bahamian...
Haiti: Election or Selection?
Repeating Islands reports that Haiti's Senate elections this past weekend were “marred today by sporadic violence, forcing authorities to cancel polling in parts of the country”. Pwoje Espwa notes: “Fanmi...
Jamaica: Perspective on Pirates
Jamaica-based blogger Annie Paul happened to be reading a manuscript about pirates at a time when “the pirates of Somalia were rousing international consternation by capturing a US ship and...
Unemployment in Singapore
Tan Kin Lian believes unemployment rate in Singapore is “seriously under-reported.”
Kazakhstan: Blackout in Almaty
Last Wednesday, April 15, due to damage of the high-voltage power line Toktogul-Frunze (the largest line in the Kyrgyz Republic), most enterprises and even strategic buildings in towns of the...
Global crisis affects Cambodian migrant workers
Due to the global economic crisis, South Korea has reduced the number of migrant workers it will accept this year. This is bad news for Cambodia's migrant workers. Many Cambodians...
Kazakhstan: Kazakh party vs. Chinese companies
Arman tells about the demarche of the Kazakhstan opposition party against expansion of Chinese state corporations presence in the country’s economy.
Mongolia: Putin to visit Mongolia
Bilguun reports that Russian premier Vladimir Putin will visit Mongolia in May, on the eve of the presidential elections.
Turkmenistan: Turks Building in Ashgabat Again
Michael Hancock writes that Turkish construction companies are again receiving contracts to build more great buildings in Turkmenistan.
Kazakhstan: Team Astana in Trouble
KZBlog reports that cycling team Astana, which includes stars like Lance Armstrong, Contador and Leipheimer, has been having financial issues.
Kenya: Wangari Maathai on the Environment and African Leadership
On the blog Safari Notes, Omar Basawad writes some pertinent qoutes from a profile of Prof. Wangari Maathai, a Nobel Prize winning environmentalist.
Ghana: Tips for new visitors
After receiving a few emails asking how much it costs to travel and live in Ghana, Gayle has started a series of tips designed for new visitors, beginning with costs.
