Stories about Governance from December, 2010
Bangladesh: The Finance Bubble – Will it Burst?
J. Rahman at Mukti observes the sharp twists and turns of the Bangladesh stock market and comments on the country's monetory policy.
Sri Lanka: A Rational Approach to Re-settlement
Blogger Ratmale at Serendipity hopes that there will be rational and consistent approach taken in the re-settlement of the 150,000+ people currently living in Colombo, who will be re-settled as part of the Colombo Redevelopment Plan.
Belarus: More on the Post-Election Situation
Democratist and Jamestown Foundation Blog discuss the post-election situation in Belarus; Information Policy writes about the hijacking of “independent media sites” during the election.
Russia: Media Coverage of Manezh Riots
A Good Treaty posts a detailed review of the Russian press coverage of the Manezh riots in Moscow.
Hungary: New Media Law and Censorship
BloggingPortal.eu and Hungarian Spectrum (here and here) discuss Hungary's new media law. According to BloggingPortal.eu, “[u]nder this new law, a National Media and Communications Authority (NMHH) will be set up – a body that Reuters reports will be ‘dominated by people loyal to the ruling Fidesz party.’ Members of this...
Haiti: Post-Election Update
“Two weeks after the preliminary results were announced, the streets of Port-au-Prince are calm, but the situation is just as confusing and worrying”: prophet N gives an update.
Cuba: “The Year of Zapata”
Uncommon Sense has declared 2010 “The Year of Zapata”. Read the blogger's full Top 10 List of Cubans who made a difference this year, here.
Azerbaijan: Let them eat cake…
As the birthday of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, approaches, the Önər Blog [AZ] reminds readers of how residents in the country's second largest city of Ganja marked it last year. The blog sarcastically says that while the city is indeed famous for its giant pastries, baking a 48-metre...
Venezuela: Hugo Chavez Granted Special Powers for 18 Months
On December 17, Caracas Gringo wrote that President Hugo Chavez “was granted special powers to rule by presidential decree until June 2012.” An Enabling Law that Venezuelan Analysis reports was passed “in order to bring rapid relief to 130,000 flood victims and to further engrain 21st Century Socialism in the...
Guatemala: International Commission Against Impunity Extended to 2013
In Central American Politics, Mike writes that “the United Nations General Assembly agreed to extend the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala's (CICIG) mandate another two years until September 2013. […] Colom requested the extension because he did not believe that the justice and security sectors would be able capable...
2010 Chinese blogosphere: Peace and conflict
The top stories among Chinese communities in Northeast Asia in 2010 can be summarized in two words: Peace and Conflict.
Cuba: Economics or People?
Laritza's Laws blogs about “economic readjustment…at the expense of the welfare of Cubans.”
Cuba: More Top 10
Uncommon Sense continues his list of the Top Ten Cubans who made an impact in 2010, here and here.
Bermuda: The 6 Billion Dollar Hole
Vexed Bermoothes says that “Bermuda is in a bad squeeze” – 6 billion dollars worth.
Africa: The Scandal of the “Ill-gotten Gains”
In the scandal of the wealth accumulated by some African politicians, the French Supreme Court of Appeals reversed the verdict pronounced by Paris Court of Appeals a year ago. The court of appeal deemed that the claim of embezzlement filed by Transparency International against the leaders of RDC, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea and their entourage was valid. Bloggers discuss the implications of this wealth accumulated by African leaders in contrast with the poverty of the rest of the population.
China: The short life of GFW father's microblog
China digital times explains why Fang Binxing's Sina microblog was shut down in three hours. Fang is the President of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications who is known as the “father of the Great Firewall.”
South Africa: Bloggers’ take on Wikileaks
Like much of the world of late, everyone has been affected by the revelations contained in WikiLeaks cables. South Africa is no exception. Here's South African bloggers' take on WikiLeaks.
Belarus: Presidential Election Day Ends in Protests and Crackdown
December 19, the 2010 presidential election day in Belarus, ended in mass protests, arrests and violent clashes with the riot police in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. Below is a small selection of citizen media reports on what happened.
Belarus: Gmail, Twitter, LiveJournal, Facebook and other Sites Blocked
Belarus government blocked all major social media (Gmail, Twitter, LiveJournal, Facebook) as well as opposition media outlets “Charter 97“, “Belarus Partizan“, and “Solidarity“, Lenta.ru reported [RUS]. The government decided to block social media in order to prevent mass mobilization after today's elections and following protests.
Iran:Goudarzi, jailed human rights activist was released
Aftab News [fa] ,an Iranian site, reported Kouhyar Goudarzi, jailed blogger and human rights activist was released last week, after being in prison for one year.
Venezuela: Farmers in Santa Barbara del Zulia Rebel Against Expropriations
The Devil's Excrement reports that farmers from Santa Barbara del Zulia have rebelled against the expropriation of 47 farms: “[T]he farmers and cattlemen and their workers have decided this time to fight and began blocking the road, demanding the presence of the authorities, blocking the National Guard from going through...