Stories about Governance from October, 2007
India: On Palampur and neglect
myHimachal on the lovely city of Palampur, neglected by the Tourism department in the state.
Bangladesh: National ID
Addafication on the National ID scheme in Bangladesh, which could out to be rather heavy on the pocket.
Iran:Medical Student Commits Suicide after being Arrested
Kamangir reports that Zahra Bani Amer ,a twenty-seven-year-old medical student, committed suicide in a prison in Hamedan Province, after she was arrested by the Sharia Police.Zahra was arrested two days before because of “questions about marital status”. At the time she was accompanied by a boy.
Afghanistan:Freedom of press in danger
Baktash Syavash,blogger and journalist has interviewd[Fa]Tavab Nyazi, an Afghan journalist who was jailed for seven months.Yavab Nyazi was accused of collaborating with Taliban.The blogger writes that Nyazi was jailed illegally and no document was presented by officials to prove his links with Taliban.
Georgia: Saakashvili's New Initiative
On its newly launched and very welcome blog on Georgia, Transitions Online takes a look at amendments to the electoral code and political system proposed by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. These include lowering the electoral threshold, lessening presidential power, and extending the term of parliament from four to five years.
Armenia: Going Underground
Zarchka at Life Around Me reports that new construction of an underpass in the center of the Armenian capital has hit a snag. Quite a big one, actually. To be precise, the Yerevan Metro. Oneworld Multimedia posts a video of some of the chaos that the construction has created for...
Japan: Investigation commission to discuss welfare cutbacks
Starting in 2008, according to blogger tokyodo-2005, an investigation commission will begin discussing plans to cutback the welfare system in Japan. tokyodo-2005 writes that the existence of the commission has only been covered by one media organization (Hokkaido shinbun), and that otherwise there has been a virtual media blackout on...
China: Cop catches suspect using Google Earth
When border cops couldn't find one suspected human smuggler, blogs GSeeker's Ken Wong, they went knocking on the door of one local police officer who uses Google Earth to keep tabs on all local villagers.
Japan: NOVA on the brink of collapse
Despite numerous statements to the contrary from an increasingly evasive management, the collapse of Japan's largest English language school operator NOVA appears imminent as bloggers have been reporting lesson cancellations, school closings, and busy phone lines. Read about the thoughts and first-hand experiences of Japanese bloggers in today's post.
Iran:”Dangerous Resignation of Ali Larijani”
Mohmmad Ali Abtahi,former vice president, writes in Webneveshteha that “the news that resignation of Mr. Ali Larijani, Secretary of the [National] Security Council, was accepted, is one of the most important events in the present situation of the country…Larijani had to prepare himself for the negotiation while the president had...
Morocco: Seven Women Ministers
“Morocco got a new government on Monday after nearly a month of tough negotiations, with seven women among the 34 ministers – and none from the Islamic party that placed second in parliamentary elections last month,” announced Moroccan blog The View From Fez.
Latvia: Protest Rallies
All About Latvia writes about the rallies taking place in Riga and about the imminent end of the current government: “Foreigners here observed that to make Latvians come out in such large numbers, you have to really piss them off. And people are pissed.”
Central & Eastern Europe: “Human Capital”
Edward Lucas writes about “a lack of brainpower” in Eastern and Central Europe.
Nepal: Traffic and Anarchy
Wagle Street Journal on the anarchy that is the traffic in Kathmandu.
Japan: Starving in the Land of Plenty
The recent story of a man starving to death as a result of not being able to receive welfare assistance, made famous thanks to his having documented his last days in a diary, sparked many Japanese bloggers to reflect on the broader implications of their country's welfare policy. Read some of their thoughts on the issue in today's post.
Japan: Employers to start reporting non-Japanese employees
Debito reports that Japanese employers have been forced to start reporting all their non-Japanese workers to the government, in an attempt by the government to crack down on illegals.
Lebanon: Row over billboard ads
“Hands off the chair!!! … Or so it goes among many politicians, at least those concerned that this little ad…” wrote Jeha about an ad from OGERO, the state Telecom company, that was considered demeaning to the presidency.
Lebanon: Religion, the State and flexible politicians
“It was not me who changed, it was the problem that changed!”, Lebanon Update quoting a Lebanese leader while showing how politicians easily change positions and how religion and the state are mixed.
Iran:”Ahmadinejad,an exporter of Islamic Revolution
In Khomeinism blog, we read[Fa] that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is the most important exporter of Islamic Revolution,after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini,the political leader of Islamic Revolution and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,the Leader of Iran.The blogger says Ahmadinejad reminds us the words of Ayatollah Khomeini who said “I ask God to give us...
Slovenia: Gorazd Čamernik's Death
Sleeping With Pengovsky reports on the recent killing of young man by a bouncer at one of Ljubljana's clubs and the government's response to the tragedy.
Ukraine: UPA's 65th Anniversary
Ukrainiana posts a comprehensive entry on the history and the 65th anniversary of “Ukraine’s underrecognized Insurgent Army” (UPA): “Attempts at re-educating and reconciling elderly people contrary to their beliefs should be abandoned. But revisiting Ukrainian history and recognizing, for future generations, the people and events misrepresented in Soviet textbooks makes...
