Stories about Governance from July, 2013
Online Gambling No Longer Accessible from Lebanon?
Gambling sites have been blocked in Lebanon, a dangerous slippery slope.
Public Safety in Venezuela: ‘Safe Homeland’ to the Rescue?
A new security plan promises to solve the public safety problem in Venezuela, but the participation of the military generates doubts and mistrust.
Privileges Granted to Ex-Presidents in Madagascar
Reporter Rianasoa posts the image of a document that stipulates what ex presidents will be entitled to in Madagascar. These privileges include but (not are not limited to) the services of five household helpers and two drivers, and a stipend of 6,000,000 Ariary (about $2700 USD/month): Loi N°2013-001 relative aux privilèges...
Sixty Killed During Fighting in Nzérékoré, Guinea
Guinee News reports the latest death toll – 60 – from the killings in Nzérékoré, Guinea [fr] : Les cinquante deux corps qui étaient non identifiables ont été enterrés dans une fosse commune hier. Les autres corps reconnaissables ont été remis à leurs familles. 52 non-identified bodies were buried in a mass...
Residents Oppose Coal Project in Southern Philippine City
Coal plant could also undermine Davao City’s reputation as Southeast Asia’s first smoke-free city.
China: Crackdown on Citizen Movement Activists
Chinese Human Rights Defenders has an update on the arrest of citizens and activists in China. The latest detainee is prominent activist Xu Zhiyong, who is considered a moderate reformer. 25 individuals have been confirmed criminally detained since February for publicly appealing for an end to official corruption and for...
Young and Old United in Nicaragua's #OcupaINSS Movement
Nicaragua's youth began using the hashtag #OcupaINSS [es] to show their solidarity with the senior citizens that were protesting to demand partial pensions from the government. Blogger Mildred Largaespada of 1001 Trópicos [es] explains what happened: And now the action movie begins: The senior citizens occupy the [Nicaraguan Social Security...
Tainted School Lunches Kill Nearly Two Dozen Children in India
The food is believed to have been contaminated by pesticides. The incident is raising questions about the quality of school lunches for poor students.
China Cracks Down on Corruption Whistleblower
China has blocked the web presence of anti-corruption hero Zhu Ruifeng for reporting on the shady relationship between two local communist party officials.
Judges Go After Soldiers Suspected of Slaughter in Guinea
Ethnic killings have been reported yet again in Guinea. Judges in the country are doing all they can so that such tragedy does not strike anymore.
Billionaire Jack Ma Makes About-Face, Praises Chinese Government
Was Ma's change of attitude related to the recent secret execution of “China's Madoff”?
Benin's President Opens Door to Third Term
President Yayi Boni has proposed an amendment that would twist the law that bans presidents from third terms. Boni won two presidential elections in 2006 and 2011.
Female Blogger Jailed in Iran
Jonbeshe Sabz reports that Fariba Pajooh,a reformist journalist and blogger, was jailed last week. Her father hopes “she gets released soon”.
South Korea's Ex-President Accused of Lying Over Four Major Rivers Project
Civic groups say the project will cause irreversible harm to the environment by blocking water flow and meddling with the ecosystem.
Reporters Break Their Silence on Trinidad & Tobago Press Freedom Confusion
Reporters that left their jobs at the Trinidad Guardian say “there was a significant threat to press freedom [and] that [the] threat wore the garments of political interference."
A Public Feud Between Nigeria’s First Lady and a Nobel Laureate
Was Nobel Laureate in Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka sexist in describing Nigeria's First Lady as "a mere domestic appendage"?
Web Popularity of Japan's Candidates Ranked
In the midst of Japan's first election campaign where politicians are officially allowed to use social media, freelance engineer Masahide Mori [ja] has compiled a ranking [ja] based on the number of likes and the number of subscribers on the Facebook pages of candidates. Users can view increase and decrease of Facebook...
Will the New President's Key Unlock Any of Iran's Problems?
The campaign symbol of president-elect Hassan Rouhani was a key. Now, Iranian netizens are discussing whether Rouhani will actually be able to open any locks.
Caring For The Migrant Workers in Maldives
Amira at Mindblur comments: The population of the Maldives is a little over 300,000 people and we employee over 100,000 expatriate workers mainly in menial jobs in the construction industry, as housemaids, cleaners, helpers in various places, etc. This high proportion of the population would mean the Government should put...
Outcry Over Hush-Hush Nuclear Plans in Southern China
A complex of nuclear fuel facilities has been quietly planned in Heshan in China's southern Guangdong province, unleashing a wave of anger among Web users over the hush-hush nature of the project once local media brought the plan to light.
Reform Underway for DR of Congo's Army?
Congo Siasa posits that a slew of new promotions (list here) are signs that important reforms are underway for the Congolese army: According to the official plan, the county will be split into three Zones de Défense, based in Kisangani, Lubumbashi, and Kinshasa. Each zone will have three rapid reaction brigades, two defense brigades,...
