Stories about Governance
Bangladesh reassesses its Belt and Road Initiative strategy with China as the US offers a new alternative
After big promises made in 2015, China's belt and Road Initiative is taking a much slower pace in Bangladesh as a result of pushback from communities and the Bangladeshi government.
Silent no more: Criticism of the state's inadequate earthquake response reaches football stadiums in Turkey
The club organized the protest to commemorate all the children who died in the earthquake, with plans to donate the toys to displaced families who survived the disaster.
Georgia debates a foreign agent law, which critics say sets a dangerous precedent
The bill was tabled by a group of parliament members, formally from the ruling Georgian Dream who quit the party ranks last year and formed their own political party called People's Power.
Separatist armed groups’ fusion risks sharpening the political and security crisis in Mali
Mali's hopes of a lasting peace fading as the three main Northern rebel groups announce an alliance and pull out of negotiations with Bamako.
Papua New Guinea’s proposed policy could lead to government control of the press
"(The government) can run media organisations to bring its own message out, but it should never exert control over the entire industry."
Two Ugandan opposition lawmakers freed after 17 months of detention
The two lawmakers join a growing list of opposition leaders and dissidents targeted in a country where the current president Yoweri Museveni has been in power for the last 37 years.
Belarusian Westernizers: Their debacle and perpetual bewilderment
Grigory Ioffe writes about the growing rupture between the new Belarusian diaspora and those who remain in the country, as well as the hopeless plight of Belarusian political prisoners.
In Turkey telecommunications watchdog blocks access to popular website Ekşi Sözlük
On February 7, another popular social media platform, Twitter was briefly blocked by the authorities on similar grounds.
Those who are in these coffins will no longer hear Putin's chatter about ‘everything is going according to plan’
Global Voices gathered some of the social media commentary in Russian with reactions to Putin's speech.
University students in Turkey are bearing the brunt of the earthquake
The latest criticism levelled against the state was because of its decision to open all state-run student dormitories to earthquake evacuees and switch to online education in the country's universities.
As another two earthquakes hit Turkey, anger continues to grow
Turks took it to Twitter calling on the state to send more tents while also questioning where the money that was raised since the last quake two weeks ago went
Can Angela Merkel's receipt of the Houphouët-Boigny UNESCO prize contribute to the reconciliation process in Côte d’Ivoire?
The former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Côte d'Ivoire in connection with the Félix Houphouët-Boigny/UNESCO prize is a message of humaniarianism towards the duty of support for refugees.
India's war against a BBC documentary on Modi
The recent raid on the BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai shows a pattern of using state agencies to target think tanks, NGOs, and media outlets that criticize the government.
Togolese citizens take their activism online to inspire action and responses
Youths in Togo are using online activism to ensure their voices are heard not only by the people, but also the government.
Cambodia’s prime minister revokes license of independent news outlet Voice of Democracy
"We believe that the closure of VOD would represent a grave step backwards for both press freedoms and the rule of law in Cambodia."
Undertones in Turkey: Earthquakes fan the flames of election season
Erdoğan’s leadership may be on the line, with compounding accusations of corruption, economic mismanagement, and the slow and inadequate response to the earthquake.
Lawsuit against Meta in Kenya paves the way for African countries to sue tech companies
The ruling that the Facebook parent firm Meta can be sued in Kenya could open the floodgates not just for Meta but for other technology companies, including OpenAI.
Hazardous air pollution reduces life expectancy by eight years in Bangladesh
This January was a terrible month for the residents of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, as air quality was at a dangerous level for a total of nine days.
Former refugee Behrouz Boochani's ‘surreal’ experience in Australia's parliament
"It was very surreal for me to be in a place that for years I criticised from the offshore prisons."
Can TikTok shift the digital landscape in Togo?
In Togo, government-backed internet access fuels a new generation of online users finding their preferred platforms for expression and entertainment.
In Turkey, the state resorts to censorship majeure
Rocked by a devastating earthquake, citizens in Turkey now have to also deal with censorship measures imposed by the state amid an outcry of public criticism.