Stories about Governance from November, 2011
Iran: British Embassy in Tehran Attacked
On 29 November, a crowd of about 1,000 people demonstrated near the British embassy in Tehran after Britain cut all financial ties with Iran over concerns about its nuclear program. The gathering was peaceful, before some participants stormed the building.
Malaysia: Netizens React to ‘Peaceful Assembly Bill’
The Malaysian Parliament has approved the Peaceful Assembly Bill which gives police broad powers to control and even ban street assemblies and protests. Activists described the measure as an attack on civil liberties and freedom of speech. Using the hashtags #walk4freedom and #PA2011, netizens reacted to the quick passage of the bill
Egypt: Tear Gas Shipment Raises Questions About the US
A new tear gas shipment to Egypt from the United States leaves netizens confused. Is the United States a friend of Arab revolutions or a supporter of Arab tyrants?
Ukraine: Government Gives In to Pressure, Bans Killing of Stray Dogs
On Oct. 22, Vasyl Pawlowsky wrote about the often “sadistic” ways of getting rid of stray dogs in Ukraine ahead of the Euro 2012 Football Championship. Tell Ukraine to Stop Burning Animals Alive petition now has 496,177 signatures; the goal is 750,000. At least two Facebook groups were set up...
Ukraine: Update on Jailed Ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko; Donetsk Protests
Foreign Notes cites journalist Viktoria Syumar's blog post [ru], which compares prison conditions of the jailed ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko to those of Anders Breivik, and writes – here and here – about Tymoshenko's health problems. Also on Foreign Notes, a post on the dispersal of a protest by Chernobyl clean-up...
Nepal: Constituent Assembly Extended For Six Months
United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal reports that a bill seeking to extend the term of the Constituent Assembly by six more months was passed today.
Zambia: Netizens Weigh in on Fight Against Corruption
Since the Patriotic Front won this year's election, Zambia has been heading in a new direction. What seems to be of great interest is the single-minded focus of the new government in dealing with corruption.
China: Regulation on Entertainment excessiveness
Recently the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has issued another regulation, the prohibition of interruption of dramas with ads, to address the issue of “entertainment excessiveness”. The China media project further discusses how the institutional nature of the television networks that will be impacted by the SARFT...
Jamaica: Bad Medicine?
The Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica and the government are at loggerheads following an interview in which the President of the association expressed concern about “the acute shortage of qualified pharmacists in the system”. She was sent on half-pay leave soon after. Active Voice says: “We await further developments with bated...
Madagascar: Exiled President Returns as a Government of National Unity Forms
Andrianjorar reflects on the recent return of exiled former president Ratsiraka in Madagascar [fr]. In the meantime, a government of national unity headed by PM Beriziky has been formed [fr] but its final composition is still disputed regarding the attribution of several key ministries.
Philippines: City Launches Online Codification of Ordinances
The General Santos City Council has launched a website which features a project to codify ordinances from 1948 to the present. General Santos is located in southern Philippines
Zambia: Cash Dug Out From Ex-Minister's Farm Shocks Nation
Zambia’s investigative units recently dug out nearly US$ 466,000, buried in the ground at a farm belonging to former minister, Austin Liato. Zambians on various social networking sites have reacted to these and other disclosures of suspected corrupt activities with a sense of shock and anger.
Bangladesh: The Perils Of Dividing Dhaka City Corporation
Sazid Khan thinks that the decision of the Bangladesh government to split the Dhaka City Corporation into two zones will create more problems rather solving the existing ones.
Iran: Social networks blamed for terror plots
Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Police says social networks have been used for terror plots in Iran. Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghadam has urged ECO countries to establish a unified intelligence system to thwart these crimes.
Russia: Siberian Light's This Week in Russia Blogs #1
Andy of Siberian Light presents This Week in Russia Blogs #1, a revamped version of Russia Blog Roundup weekly series. Anglophone posts highlighted in the current edition include A Good Treaty's take on the efficiency of the RuNet activism and Putinania‘s analysis of the United Russia’s prospects for the Dec....
Trinidad & Tobago: Netizens Sceptical about Assassination Plot
“It seemed that the majority of online readers, if you read the comments following the Express’ first article on the alleged assassination threats, chose not to believe the government of Trinidad and Tobago”: Guanaguanare thinks that “the lack of evidence helped to destroy the credibility of this latest threat to...
Iran: Rojin Mohammadi, a female blogger arrested
Rojin Mohammadi,a feamle blogger and a medical student at Manila Medical School of Philippines got arrested [fa] upon her return to Iran and was transferred to Evin prison.
Barbados: CL Financial Back in 2007
Barbados Free Press republishes an article and photos from the Monaco Revue that highlight the presence of Lawrence Duprey and other CL Financial executives at the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix: “What was once an article about the elites having a good time in Monaco is now certain to be of...
Paraguay: Insecurity and Corruption
Juan Edgardo Lezcano Benitez [es] blogs about insecurity and corruption in Paraguay. He says that the increasingly serious situation “makes it lawful to take any sort of actions to ‘defend what's ours’ because the institutions in charge are not properly fulfilling their role”
Nicaragua: The Poor State of Roads in Nueva Guinea
Ronald Hill [es] denounces the poor state of roads in Nueva Guinea, “the largest, most densely populated municipality and biggest economic hub of the Autonomous Region of the Southern Atlantic” in Nicaragua.
Pakistan: Plans to Filter Around 1,500 Words in SMS Traffic
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority is the center of attention of the country's social media junkies and human right groups these days, for its infamous leaked list of banned obscene words and phrases for SMS traffic. Pakistani bloggers react.
