Austerity lessons from Latvia

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Lessons from Latvia The small Baltic state of Latvia has experienced the harshest austerity cuts in Europe; its reward is that the outlook for its economy has been upgraded by the credit-rating agency Fitch. But should the rest of Europe copy its methods, when pensioners are still begging on Latvia's streets? The BBC's Damian McGuinness reports from the capital, Riga. Is Afghanistan's economy improving? Lesley Curwen talks to Christian Marks, who produces the in-flight magazine for Afghanistan's Safi Air. It began with just adverts for armoured cars and is now expanding with ads for insurance and restaurants. Rules for life And our regular commentator Lucy Kellaway is scathing about the guiding principles given by a leading hedge fund manager to his staff.