Stories about Governance from August, 2013
Zambia Arrests Dozens After Secessionist Movement Appoints Local Leader
The secessionists believe that Zambia's Western Province, which they call by its its pre-colonial name, Barotseland, is an independent state.
Mike Tyson Challenged China's Urban Law Enforcement Officers
Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson asked in Sina Weibo, China's most popular social media platform, “Who is the best fighter in China?”. A follower said Cheng-guan, China's urban law enforcement officers, who are notorious for managing the street by beating up street vendors. More from Offbeat China.
Iran: Jailed Blogger on Hunger Strike
Hossein Ronaghi Malki a jailed blogger who is serving a 15-year sentence in prison started his hunger strike last week.A Facebook campaign has been launched to support him.
Spanish Government's Complaint Box Causes Boomerang Effect
Why has the Spanish government's "complaint box" caused such controversy? Elena Arrontes explains.
VIDEO: Caracas’ Tower of David, the World's Tallest Slum
VocativVideo has produced a video about Venezuela's ‘Tower of David’, an unfinished 45-story building taken over by squatters in the 1990s: The tower was originally intended to be a symbol of Caracas’ bright financial future, complete with a rooftop helipad, but construction stopped because of a banking crisis and the...
India-Bhutan Friendly Relations: A Reality Check
Blogger Yeshey Dorji from Thimphu, Bhutan comments on the current state of apparently friendly India-Bhutan relations: India’s unabashed transgression into our domestic affairs has demonstrated that where it is an understanding between two unequal partners, there is little reason to believe that any commitment – whether written or unwritten, will...
The Moscow Mayor's Mischievous Viral Marketing
Alexey Navalny turns the tables on those harassing him about financing, nationalism, and transparency.
30 Years Ago: Remembering The Anti-Tamil Pogrom And Riots In Sri Lanka
To remember Black July, the anti-Tamil pogrom and riots in Sri Lanka during July 1983, citizen journalism website Groundviews launched a special online publication titled “30 Years Ago“. It consists of an array of contents, from mixed media triptych to info-graphics, audio podcasts to video, photography to compelling write-ups. According...
More Religion, Less Science in Indonesia School Reform
The teaching of Science and English language at the primary level will be merged with core subjects such as Bahasa Indonesia, nationalism and religious studies
Iran: More than 200 People Arrested At Rock Concert
Sazmakhfi writes 220 people were arrested at a rock concert in Tehran on Friday. Iranian security forces did not allow Iranian metal band Dawn of Rage performs its concert.
Romania to Open Communist Leader Ceausescu's Execution Site to Tourists
Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife were killed by firing squad on Christmas Day in 1989 on a former military base.
Iran: New Foreign Minister Has a Facebook Page
Iran's new foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has a Facebook page where he answers questions. He says “my children and I update this page.” The page has more than 10,000 likes. Facebook is filtered in Iran but used by all presidential candidates.
Bolivia's President Morales vs CNN: A Controversial Interview
An interview by CNN presenter Ismael Cala with Bolivia's president Evo Morales triggered divided reactions. Some praise Cala's moderation, while others celebrate Morales' determination and authority against "imperialist" media.
China Gives Internet Celebrities a Guide for Self-Censorship
The guideline set boundaries not to be crossed when it comes to discussion of law, socialism, the state's interests, the rights of the people, and morality.
Russia's Soviet Assault on Navalny's Online Fundraising
Russia's Attorney General announced that it has partly corroborated a complaint against Alexey Navalny’s online fundraising methods, claiming they violate the country's campaign finance laws.
China: Revenge or Justice?
A recent sex scandal involving two top Shanghai judges was exposed by a businessman Ni Peiguo who believes one of the judges was unfair in a ruling of a corporate suit that Ni was involved in. He took revenge of his financial loss by following the judge for a year...
China: WeChat Spy
China Digital Times has collected another case on the spying of WeChat message, a smartphone messaging application and is now the world’s fifth most popular one. The latest case shows that the police is actively spying on a reporting group that shares news information.
Whistleblower Protection Urged to Fight Corruption in East Timor
Jose Antonio Belo, editor of Tempo Semanal, discussed the anti-corruption crusade of the paper in East Timor. He also urged the passage of a Whistleblower Protection legislation to fight corruption. We must find ways to support and protect people who blow the whistle on corruption. They must not be allowed...
Iran: A New Internet Report
Small Media reports that”despite the introduction of new mechanisms to block tools used to bypass the filtering mechanism [in Iran], by July [a couple of weeks after presidential election] the Internet had returned to its previous state of affairs that existed before February.”
Turkmenistan's “Book of the Soul” Facing Difficult Times
Turkmenistan's first president once suggested reading his "Book of the Soul" three times could guarantee a person's place in heaven. Now the book's place in public life is under siege.
‘Red Wednesday’ Protests to Benin President: ‘Don't Touch My Constitution!’
The Red Wednesday movement is growing in Benin. Sinatou Saka explains why.
