Stories about Governance from September, 2008
Estonia: Next population count by cyber census
Osteuropablog notes [GER] that the next Estonian population census in 2011 may be conducted by way of the Internet.
Brazil: Suspense as indigenous land rulings in limbo
Brazil's Supreme Court (STF) decided to postpone the decision about Raposa Serra do Sol land but will vote on another less complex demarcation case: the Pataxó Hã-Hã-Hãe people have been waiting for this decision for over 26 years. Meanwhile, bloggers comment on the fact that, for first time in the history of Brazil's Supreme Court, an indian lawyer defended her people. Watch the video.
Iran:Ahmadinejad and Drug Addiction Facts
Emroozema, an Iranian blogger, says [fa] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,Iranian president, recently said that there are only 600000 people who have drug addiction problems in country. The blogger informs that other authorities talk about three million addicted people where one million of them are under 19 years old.
Saudi Arabia: Why Should Arabs Have Access to the Internet?
For days, cyberactivists have been busy discussing the case of Moroccan blogger Mohammed Erraji, who was arrested, put on trial, sentenced - and then freed, and then put on trial again and finally acquitted. Who is Mohammed Erraji? Why did he cross 'red lines' knowing well that in many countries in the Middle East criticising members of the vast Ruling families is very likely to result in repercussions and punishment? Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan, who recently found himself behind bars for his writings in Saudi Arabia, visits Erraji's blog looking for answers.
Nepal: New budget
Neil's Nepal hails the new budget of Nepal delivered to Legislature-Parliament today and commends the Finance Minister.
Maldives: New Supreme Court
Kanditheemlive reports that the first ever Supreme Court in the Maldives has been established by the president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom by virtue of the powers given to him in the new Constitution.
India: Anti-tobacco policy
Suman Kumar criticizes the tobacco policy of India and tells that the anti-tobacco/anti-smoking policies taken by the government are not based on ground realities.
Cambodia: Online petition to save Boeung Kak Lake
An online petition was set-up to stop a government project that will displace residents around Boeung Kak Lake in central Phnom Penh
Slovenia: Election 2008
Lots of info on the Slovenian electoral system and the upcoming election – at Sleeping With Pengovsky.
Ukraine: Kyiv Traffic
Greetings from Kyiv posts pictures of Kyiv traffic.
Egypt: Who are those People … in the People's Assembly?
In the aftermath of the Egyptian Parliament going up in flames, people's reactions ranged from utter shock, sadness, to gloating. Wael Nawara conducted an independent poll asking bloggers, readers, and Egyptian internet users to answer the following question: Does the Egyptian Parliament truly represent the people? Marwa Rakha shares the results.
Kuwait and Ramadan
It has been a busy Ramadan in Kuwait, with the collapse of the Stock Exchange, social activities and artistic creativity. Abdullatif Al Omar digs into Kuwaiti blogs to bring us the latest.
Macedonia, Romania: Computer Literacy; Creative Commons
Information Policy writes about Macedonian government's “Computer for Every Child” initiative and the launch of the localized Creative Commons licenses in Romania.
The Balkans: Subotica Mosque; Balkan Muslims
Kakanien Revisited writes about the new mosque of Subotica, the first one in Serbia's Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, “built with funds from Novi Pazar […] and Turkey.” The 8th Circle jots down notes on the Balkan Muslims from a recent Reuters piece.
Latvia: Stradini Hospital
Arnis Balcus posts photos from one of the biggest and oldest hospitals in Latvia.
Latvia: Death Penalty
Marginalia writes about the talk of reinstating the death penalty in Latvia.
Kosovo, South Ossetia: Recognition Score
A Fistful of Euros writes about international recognition of Kosovo vs that of South Ossetia, and explains why it is likely that Kosovo will soon be recognized by Montenegro.
Maldives: Election postponed
Mohamed Nasheed comments on the recent postponement of the scheduled ‘October 4th presidential election of Maldives’ and predicts what will happen next.
China: Infant-killer milk powder sickens the country
Is food in China edible? Chinese people started to ask. The tainted infant formula has not only killed 2 babies, triggered panic among parents, but also gave a solid hit on made-in-China. The biggest problem is, we came to lose trust on all that we can eat.
Malaysia: Anwar ready to form a new government
Think Vision's Weblog posted photos of a political assembly where Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim announced that his party is ready to form a new government.
Thailand protests: Conflict of elites
Last Friday several East Asia bloggers held a virtual meeting to discuss the crisis in Thailand. The participants shared their insights about the ongoing protests and political struggles involving different political forces in Thailand.
