Stories about Economics & Business from July, 2009
Russia: GUM – a strategic object?
Your Life Will Turn Into Photography reports [RUS] that Moscow's world famous department store, GUM, apparently has been turned into a “strategic object,” along with an increasing number of Russian business ventures.
Russia: Social friction police
LJ user Savinkoff comments on [RUS] the establishment of Interior Ministry squads targeted at averting social friction in Russian regions, such as protests and demonstrations due to the economic crisis.
Iraq: Alcohol in Iraqi Kurdistan
“In Ankawa, the Christian quarter of Arbil, there are so many alcohol shops with fake beer brands made in Turkey. There are also real beer trademarks, but that's also from Turkey (Efes). In the ‘Muslim’ part of Erbil (Hawler) you can also get alcohol, but it's mostly ‘sealed’ off with...
Latvia: EU and IMF rift on Baltic economy
Latvia Economy Watch reports of increasing divergences between the EU and IMF on addressing the financial crisis in Latvia.
Dominica: New Carib Chief Elected
Dominica has a new Carib Chief – Repeating Islands reports.
Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados: Farce Meets Abject
“West Indies cricket is not a compass for but a barometer of the West Indian nation. The status and performance of the team does not point us in a new direction; it merely reflects where we are as a people. And we’re in a mess”: From Barbados, B.C. Pires examines...
Czech Republic-Slovakia: Fraternal friction in Euroland
Czechmatediary comments on a New York Times article reporting how Slovakia benefits from the introduction of Euro, whereas the Czech Republic seems to lag behind without the EU-currency.
East Timor: Illegal government contract?
Tempo Semanal in East Timor uploads a signed government contract involving a company partly owned by the daughter of the country's Prime Minister. Many are asking if it is illegal for the company to receive government contracts.
Estonia: Comparing 1989 with 2009
Gedanken über Estland presents [GER] a number of statistical figures comparing Estonia in 1989 and 2009, against the background of financial crisis, showing a decline in almost every sector of society.
Fiji: The fall of movie pirates
With Fiji’s government cracking down on outlets selling pirated DVDs, L. Cass pens a piece in Failed Paradise criticizing these “cheating” retailers but also lamenting their downfall
Russia: Fifth anniversary of Klebnikov murder
Sean's Russia blog brings memory to the fifth anniversary of the murder of Pavel Klebnikov, editor-in-chief of Russian Forbes Magazine.
Poland: More trouble on the horizon for Euro 2012
Polandian directs attention to more trouble on the horizon for the Polish-Ukrainian joint hosting of the Euro 2012 soccer championships, namely the poor standard of Polish hotels not by far meeting UEFA-criteria.
Ghana: Chocolate for Obama
Does Obama like chocolate? The folks at Divine Chocolate are inviting Pres. Obama to visit and learn more about cocoa farmers in Ghana
Zimbabwe: Vendors of Zimbabwe Unite!
“Vendors of Zimbabwe Unite!,” reads the headline at Kubatana blog: “Here’s some citizen reporting just received from a Zimbabwean living in Harare: This afternoon at about 2.30pm I saw vendors scattering in all directions dropping their vegetables and running for their lives. The scene was just off 7th Avenue in...
Jamaica: “Secret Caribbean”
On the heels of a less-than-flattering U.K. documentary on Jamaica, Abeng News Magazine publishes one reader's view “that the Government…consider a few simple precautions before granting foreign nationals the tools needed to damage our fair land”, while including this caveat: “We do not support encumberment of media workers.”
Czech Republic: A story of engineerial ingenuity
The Reference Frame examines the biography of ingenious Czech inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), and discusses his role for the development of science and industry.
Russia-Belarus: Foreign policy split between Moscow and Minsk?
Sergei Makedonov at OpenDemocracy discerns an increasing foreign policy split between Russia and Belarus and explains why.
Jamaica: Women Needed
In the context of the West Indies Cricket Team's strike, Jamaica's Girl With a Purpose humbly suggests that “the West Indies Cricket Board needs to include at least three women, who are prudent, business and financially savvy, with guts, and who can get things done.”
Japan: Personal Donations to Politicians
With “Love Japan“, Rakuten Inc. has enabled personal donations to politicians via credit card, a first in Japan. Hit Okano [ja] ponders about the relationship between the amount of donated money and its influence on politicians, while blogger Satotaku [ja] refers to U.S. President Obama's success with online contributions and...
Czech Republic: President vetoes anticrisis bill
The Reference Frame reports that Czech President Vaclac Klaus has vetoed a parliamentary anti-crisis bill and presents his own thoughts on the matter.
Barbados: Making Sugar Cane King
“No one with the authority seems to want to make a definitive decision as to how to progress the sugar cane industry”: Barbados Underground is convinced that “the value is no longer in the sugar but now in the sugar cane” – especially bio fuels and bio plastics.
