Stories about Governance from April, 2014
Winners and Losers in the 2014 Indonesian Legislative Polls
The winning parties of the recently concluded legislative polls in Indonesia will participate in the July presidential election.
Facing Economic Challenges, China's Growth Slows
GDP grew 7.4 percent in the first quarter of 2014, the slowest rate since the third quarter of 2012.
Would Confucius Support the Sunflower Movement in Taiwan?
"Children should bow to their parents, students should pay respect to their teachers, and people should obey the government. As a result, the students' resistance must be wrong."
9 Essentials Uncles You Need In Sri Lanka
Cerno opines that ordinary Sri Lankans need the right network of relationships with many ‘powerful uncles’ to survive properly.
One Bottle of Wine Too Many for Australian State Premier
"Memory fail' over wine gift brings resignation of New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell.
Historical Overview of Cambodia's Land and Housing Problem
Hallam Goad analyzed the problems and issues that plagued Cambodia's urban development in the past two decades: Phnom Penh has followed the clichéd patterns of newly emerging nations almost to the letter with the urban poor shouldering many of the downsides. What few people recognise is that most of it...
Trinidad & Tobago: Lack of Accountability
The main issue now arising in relation to the Beetham Water Recycling Project…is the complete failure of our country’s system of Public Financial Management. Afra Raymond takes on the government's “unpardonable failure to account for that mammoth sum of Public Money.”
Tunisian Blog Launches Whistleblowing Platform
Tunisian award-winning collective blog Nawaat has launched its own whistle-blowing platform: Nawaat Leaks.
20-40% of Water Sector Finances Are Lost to Corruption in Africa
Mustapha Sesay, West Africa Water Integrity Ambassador wrote about corruption in the water sector on the West Africa WASH Journalists Network : The issue of accessing pure and affordable water is a fundamental human right but this is not given the much needed attention. Corruption in the water sector is ripe...
Russia Reconsiders Bitcoin?
A partial exodus from Russia by MasterCard and Visa has inspired some digital currency enthusiasts to propose Bitcoin, the world's leading crypto-currency, as a solution to the country's monetary problems.
Will Russia Regulate Blogs Like Mass Media?
The regulations would require fact-checking, age restriction warnings, and obeying election laws, among other responsibilities.
Cancer-Causing Chemical Pollutes Chinese City Lanzhou's Water Supply
Benzene, a highly carcinogenic chemical, has been detected in the city's water supply, at one point measured at a level 20 times what is considered to be safe.
Caribbean Loses Valuable Steward with Passing of Professor Norman Girvan
Economist, intellectual, Caribbean man: As news of Professor Norman Girvan's death spreads throughout the region, netizens pay him tribute in glowing terms, calling his legacy "powerful" and his voice "magnificent".
Chinese Court Upholds Activist Xu Zhiyong's Prison Sentence
The ruling rejected Xu Zhiyong's appeal of his January conviction on charges of "gathering crowds to disrupt public order", a charge often used to clamp down on dissidents.
The Overlooked Crisis in Burundi
While neighboring Rwanda is making news with the commemoration of the 1994 genocide and the increased tension with France, Burundi is marred in an overlooked political crisis and surge of violence that opposes, again, Hutus and Tutsis. Tshitenge Lubabu in Burundi opines that the roots of the crisis [fr] are the current political leaders:...
Trinidad & Tobago Mourns Former Prime Minister & President, A.N.R. Robinson
Twitter users are paying their respects to the late A.N.R. Robinson, former Prime Minister and President of Trinidad and Tobago, who is being hailed as a visionary and a patriot.
Trinidad & Tobago Water Recycling Project Not “Crystal Clear”
Despite the attributes presented by this project, there are grounds for serious concern as to the process adopted and the actions of the various public officials involved. Afra Raymond has concerns about the plan by the Water and Sewerage Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, in conjunction with the National Gas...
Russia Intends to Clean Up “Internet Pollution”
The Russian government is drafting a new project that would redefine the “principles of state cultural policy.” In a concept paper shared with the press this week, a working group led by Sergei Ivanov, Putin's chief of staff, declared Russia's need to preserve its unique “state-civilization” and moral foundation in...
The Role Of Media In The Indian General Elections 2014
Vidyut at AamJanata, the common man's blog, writes an open letter to the Indian media criticizing its role in reporting about the ongoing Indian Lok Sabha elections. Media has failed to report adequately on the implications of perception engineering through doctored poll surveys. Media has failed to draw attention to...
Meet India's Most Powerful Women Politicians
With the world's largest elections underway in India, take a look at the women making a name for themselves in the political arena.
‘Deputy Political Center’ Rumor Heats Up Chinese City Baoding's Property Market
Average prices of new homes in Baoding rose by 4.8 percent from the previous month, the highest monthly growth seen among all 288 cities.
