Stories about Governance from June, 2014
Russia Says the Internet Spreads Extremism
Russia’s Interior Ministry has drafted a ten-year strategy for countering violent extremism. The plan identifies the Internet as the main conduit for extremism and calls for new policing measures.
Russia's Failed e-Democracy?
Last year, the Kremlin launched an online portal where citizens can propose and vote on their own legislative ideas. The e-democracy experiment disappointed many, however.
Analysis: How Pakistani Politicians and Fake Accounts Drove Twitter Trends on Lahore's Rare Political Violence
Twitter users in Pakistan picked up on the unusual violence immediately, and three different hashtags specifically targeted the government.
Why Conducting Academic Research in Khorog, Tajikistan is a Criminal Offense
What does the Tajik government have to fear by arresting scholar and Global Voices author Alexander Sodiqov? Chris Rickleton explains.
Russia's Hacker Collective That Wasn't
There is a new Internet group in Russia that publishes compromising political information that the public was never supposed to see. But who's behind it all?
‘People No Longer Trust the Government’ – This Open Letter Went Viral in Singapore
Singaporean novelist Catherine Lim wrote an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong bemoaning the decline of public trust in the government.
Bermuda to Get Public Access to Information Law
Premier Dunkley has announced that [the] Public Access to Information law will be operational by April, 2015. That’s 5 years after the law was passed, and 12 years after the topic was first introduced. Vexed Bermoothes thinks better late than never.
The Unintended Consequences of Pakistan's Operation Zarb-e-Azb
On June 15, 2014, the Pakistan Army launched Operation Zarb-e-Azb, a joint-military operation involving Pakistan against armed insurgent groups such as the Taliban (TTP), al–Qaeda, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The operation started exactly a week after the terrorist attack on the...
Afghans Survive Severed Fingers to Cast Second Round Votes
In April, Afghans participated in the first round of historic presidential elections. In the second round, Taliban militants sliced off Afghan fingers, but millions of votes were cast anyway.
Laos Development NGOs Silent on Human Rights
Writing for The New Mandala, Randall Arnst bemoaned the silence of Laos devleopment NGOs over the disappearance of prominent NGO worker Sombath Somphone: …while UN rights bodies have repeatedly raised concerns, their sister agencies working in development have said virtually nothing. At the bi-lateral level, while diplomats have spoken up,...
Neighbor Bhutan Rolls Out the Welcome Mat for India's Prime Minister Modi
It is newly elected Narendra Modi's first foreign visit as India's prime minister. Some aren't convinced that it's the best choice.
Back Without the Birds: Antigua & Barbuda Gets A New Government
Antigua and Barbuda has come out of its general elections with a new government, ending 10 years of rule for the previous administration.
Thailand's Coup Regime Tries to Woo People With Free World Cup Telecasts and Massages
Free concerts, free food, free medical check-ups, free movies, free haircut, and now free telecast of all World Cup Games. Thailand's coup regime is serious in wooing public support.
Nigeria Mourns ‘Fearless’ Woman Who Took on Counterfeit Drug Lords and Survived Two Assassination Attempts
Dora Akunyili, the former director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, wasn't afraid to fight to improve the country that she loved so dear.
‘Stadium of Exception': Brazilian Police Arrest Anti-Cup Activists
Collective Midia Ninja denounces [pt] that activists against the World Cup are being arrested in the city of Rio de Janeiro one day before the kick-off of the matches. These arrests are meant to prevent “future crimes in an attempt to intimidate” those who are willing to go on the...
Show Me The Money: Caribbean Discrimination Case Awardee Still Not Paid
Eight months after the Caribbean Court of Justice ruled in her favour, Shanique Myrie, who was strip-searched and denied entry to Barbados, still has not received her award.
Meeting with Putin, Industry Leaders Ditch Users on Digital Rights
Vladimir Putin attended a much-anticipated meeting with Russian Internet industry leaders in Moscow today. Did they discuss Internet freedom? Barely.
China's Dog Meat Festival – Cruelty or Culture?
Animal rights activists in China are campaigning hard to ban the consumption of dog meat, but traditionalists and dog meat lovers say that it infringes on their culture and rights.
Are Bangladesh's “Men In Black” Fighting Crime or Killing for Money
Bangladesh's elite crime-combat force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is under intense scrutiny for alleged cases of abductions, torture and extra judicial killings.
Want to be a Government Bureaucrat in China?
Foshan, a city in Guangdong recently hired four foreigners to work for the government's foreign trade and economic cooperation bureau. Charlie Liu from Nanfang.com curated the local news story.
Caribbean: Corruption & the World Cup?
The sooner the international investigation is able to bring closure to the matter…the sooner the Caribbean maybe able to purge this sore from the…landscape. As the 2014 World Cup draws closer, Barbados Underground tackles the issue of alleged corruption within the world governing football body and its ties to the...
