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bne April 2021 Companies & Markets I 11
Iraq, have all faced a substantial loss in earnings. That will have a deep impact on their ability to finance public spending on health, education and other vital services.
Second, an increase in cash reserves will help those countries which are actively looking to reduce their dependence on oil. Among the countries involved in this effort include the Arab Gulf states, which have initiated economic diversification strategies and activities in recent years. In particular, they have targeted the development alternative and renewable energies as important sectors for greater development.
Third, the pursuit of alternative and renewable energies alongside rising oil prices is judged to be compatible with the drive to reduce carbon emissions. In its economic outlook
Russia’s cartoon Masha and the Bear becomes a top global entertainment brand
Ben Aris in Berlin
The runaway success Russian cartoon Masha and the Bear has been ranked in the top three most popular children's entertainment brands in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, according to the Kidz Global international research agency.
"Masha and the Bear entered the Top 3 most favourite entertainment brands for children in Europe, the Middle East and Africa among children 0-6 years old," the Tass press service said, referring to the results of an online interview conducted in November 2020 at the Animaccord Animation Studio during the Open Russian Animated Film Festival in Suzdal.
The show that features the antics of the little girl Masha who lives with her friend the bear has been a smash hit around the world, and the fact that it used to be exclusively in Russian didn't stymie the growth of the show’s viewers around the world, mostly via YouTube. As the dialogue
is minimal and the comedy largely slapstick the lack of other language versions has made it a big hit, especially among young children.
last October, the IMF noted that the global economy could recover and grow and greenhouse gases (GHGs) be reduced if sufficient investment is put into green energy infrastructure. While the costs of doing so will vary – and be greater for oil producers than other countries – they will pay for themselves in terms of fewer risks to health or damage associated with climate change.
Guy Burton is an academic researcher with an interest in the international politics of the Middle East. He was based for two years at the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in Dubai and is the Adjunct Professor, Vesalius College, Visiting Fellow, Sectarianism, Proxies and De-sectarianism Project at Lancaster University.
Russian cartoon Masha and the Bear is now one of the top three most popular shows in MENA.
Masha and the Bear is a Russian animated television series. The first episode was released in 2009. Since then the series has been translated into 42 languages and is the only Russian animation project that is included in the top 5 most sought- after children's shows in the world (Parrot Analytics, 2021). To date, the Russian cartoon has been awarded five YouTube Diamond Play Buttons.
The show’s Russian origin has caused it some problems. As bne IntelliNews reported in “Masha and the spy”, The Times ran a piece in November 2018 entitled “Children’s show is propaganda for Putin, say critics” that accused Masha of being a nationalist and a vehicle for Russia’s soft power ambitions.
“Rubbish,” retorted Dmitry Loveyko, the CEO of the Animaccord Animation Studio, the maker of Masha and the Bear, in an exclusive interview with bne IntelliNews at the time. “What do you mean by propaganda? Is Mr Bean propaganda pushing the British lifestyle overseas? There is a better argument to say that the Beatles were Western propaganda used to fight the Soviet Union during the cold war with their jeans and the hippies.”
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