Libya: Unrest and uncertainty - The Big Picture - Boston.com
A photo reportage worth to be seen.
Nouvelles Russes
Irina Balakina, 44 years, is the Director of Factiva, a Dow Jones and Reuters Company, for Russia and the former Soviet Republics. Abandoned by her husband in 1993, she was forced to sell her fur coats to feed her daughter. She joined Reuters as a receptionist and from there rose through the ranks. In 1998, Russia was gripped by a financial crisis, with the exception of Irina, who signed her first major contracts. Photographed here in the restaurant Turandot, which has been refurbished at a cost of $50 million, a world record. Moscow, 2006.
Nadejda Kopytina, 36, runs the food company Ledovo (400 employees). She started small: in the early 90s she bought three irons in Moscow to sell in Poland. Later she imported clothes from South Korea, before moving on to frozen fish production. Dancing and singing for her employees and friends rank among her favourite pastimes. Photographed here in her office. Moscow, 2006.
Photos by Paolo Woods. You can find more pictures of Russian female tycoons on his website.
As many as 500,000 Chinese have immigrated to Africa, lured by its oil, copper, uranium, wood and other natural resources. Many have thrived, creating large conglomerates. To serve them, other entrepreneurs have opened palatial restaurants. Or karaoke halls. The infusion of a distinctly different culture into African society — again — is turning out to be a critical chapter in the continent’s post-colonial history
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Showcase: Asian Crossroads in Africa - Lens Blog - NYTimes.com I love the photojournalistic reportages published every day on this blog of the New York Times, though I am not always sure what is set first, the picture or the message they convey. |
Dubai’s Improbable tale
Showcase: Dubai’s Improbable Tale - Lens Blog - NYTimes.com
Ok, I know I should not rejoice at the bankrupcy of this country because we know who pays the highest price at the end. But I must say I’ve always considered Dubai as a nightmare on earth for various reason. The worst way to make a desert flourish out of labor exploitment and intensive edification of horrible skyscrapers. A place for well-off to show off, a massive and extreme entertainment industry. My viewpoint may very well be biased, since I’m already itchy when I have to go to a private beach resort, and if there’s even the faintest music sound, I’m dead.
(have a look at the NYtimes showcase, it’s interesting indeed)
“The United Arab Emirates celebrated 38 years of unity today with the customary fireworks, cultural competitions, parades, flag waving and even a signature perfume to commemorate the occasion. But what should have been a joyous celebration of the UAE’s meteoric rise as the financial capital of the Middle East was clouded by fear and uncertainty after Dubai’s recently disclosed debt crisiseconomic downturn” writes the Los Angeles Times (DUBAI: Emiratis put on brave face for National Day despite debt crisis)
More on the subject (La fine del mondo-in italian)
Photographs of World Leaders
An interactive portfolio of portraits by Platon of world leaders, with commentary by the photographer.
This past September, when nearly all the world’s leaders were in New York for a meeting of the United Nations, Platon, a staff photographer for the New Yorker, set up a tiny studio off the floor of the General Assembly, and tried to hustle as many of them in front of his lens as possible…. (continue reading)
