Stories about Governance from January, 2022
Belgium introduces new passport design featuring characters from domestic comics
"The introduction of this new passport is also an opportunity for us to highlight the 9th art, the comic strip, which is a central element of our culture and our influence abroad"
COVID-19: You can’t have a recovery using the same bad medicine
A new collaborative report attempts to piece together the “missing receipts” from the IFI-supported COVID-19 response, documents several shortcomings, and raises critical questions for the ongoing pandemic response.
Azerbaijan is silent as other nations announce plans to boycott the Beijing Olympics
The country's leadership and its National Olympic Committee have remained notably silent when discussing the host country's dismal human rights record.
To flee or not to flee? That is the question in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankans are facing the bleak prospect of a full-blown economic crisis, and one in four, mainly the young and educated, say they want to leave the country.
Hong Kong’s Lunar New Year is ruined by Omicron outbreak
This year, the Chinese Lunar New Year is on February 1. Yet, thanks to the community outbreak of Omicron and the zero-COVID policy, there isn't much festival mood in town.
How Assamese Villages use traditional wisdom to guide climate preparedness
For credible early warning systems for natural calamities, villages in the northeast Indian state of Assam rely on the observations of elders based on their traditional experiences and folk beliefs.
‘Rebel’ candidates risk it all: Elections in Bangladesh
Electoral violence in fact has flared up within the ranks of the Awami League itself, as prospective candidates compete to be nominated by the party.
Armenian president resigns amid dual-citizenship scandal
The former president criticized the limited powers of the presidential office and decried attacks on the presidential office from "various political groups."
The issue of the Jamaican police allegedly cutting a young woman's dreadlocks remains unresolved
"Ms. King is symbolic of the ‘have nots;’ in Jamaica, who continue to be neglected and whose human rights are so often disregarded and abused."
Georgian PM gifted his wife part of a state-owned forest
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has come under fire after the government leased almost 6,000 square meters of publicly owned forest in the resort town of Bakuriani to his wife.
Flights to resume between Turkey and Armenia
Following the meeting in Moscow, the two countries announced the charter flights operated by the Turkish budget carrier Pegasus Airlines and Moldovan low-cost airline FlyOne would resume operations effective February 2.
Media crackdown continues ahead of coup anniversary in Myanmar
"He is the third journalist to be killed in Myanmar in less than a month, in a sign of the absolutely unacceptable practices increasingly employed by the junta."
Gang truce or not, President Bukele is still popular in El Salvador
Despite international condemnation of Bukele's use of military and authoritarian governing style, most Salvadorans continue to trust in Bukele.
#helloTürkiye — Turkey's latest attempt to rebrand itself
The branding campaign follows a presidential circular signed on December 4, 2021, requiring the use of "Türkiye" instead of "Turkey" in all correspondence with other states, international institutions, and organizations.
Typhoon Rai aftermath highlights Duterte’s sluggish disaster response
Duterte and his officials have failed to respond to the crisis, deflecting blame with excuses such as depleted governmental funds, media underreporting, and impassable roads.
How e-bikes can promote cycling in Tbilisi
One factor that could soon change this is the increasing prevalence of e-bikes.
Death of a student sparks debate on religious community-run housing in Turkey
With Kara's death, controversy over private religious community-run housing has emerged, with critics calling on the AKP to abolish these dormitories and turn them into public student housing.
In Georgia, six months after the tragic death of journalist, authorities blame drug overdose
The same day, authorities claimed Lashkarava died from drug overdose, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added Laskharava's name to its observatory of killed journalists in 2021.
Undertones: From ‘Satanic’ QR codes and ‘public enemies’, navigating the pandemic in Russia
Protests erupted throughout the country in late 2021 and polarization is deepening, as government members and state media label anti-vaxxers “enemies of the people,” a term loaded with negative historical connotations.
China aims to wipe out Omicron ahead of Winter Olympics
China's Zero-COVID policy is threatened as cases of the Delta and Omicron variants were identified in the country in recent weeks, raising concerns about how Beijing can contain the outbreak.
Trinidad and Tobago residents’ response to proposed amendments to fireworks legislation? Enforce existing laws
"As it stands, the draft fireworks bill is unacceptable. According to one source, the draft sounds like it was written by the sellers of fireworks themselves."
