Stories about Governance from February, 2010
Iran: No Triumphs for Green Protests on Anniversary of Revolution
In protests on February 11, Iran's Green Movement were not able to mobilize as strongly as they have in the past due to the swift work of security forces.
India: What Should Be The Response Against Terror?
In the aftermath of the terror attack in Pune The Filter Coffee and Pragmatic Euphony discuss how India should respond.
Malaysia: Pantyless movement on Valentine’s Day
Some female college students in Malaysia are calling for a “pantyless movement” on Valentine’s Day. The campaign became quite popular through word of mouth and the internet. Religious authorities are not happy with it. Bloggers react.
China: Increasing Trend in Mass Incidents
Protests, known in Chinese as “mass incidents”, grew fiercer and more violent in 2009, while methods of protest grew in variation, says a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences researcher. In a recent Southern Weekend article Shan Guangnai of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences analyzes new trends in “mass incidents”,...
Kyrgyzstan: Controversy over sale of the national telecoms operator
Users of the leading Kyrgyz Internet forum “Diesel” have held their own investigation of the transaction, in which shares of the national operator Kyrgyztelecom were sold. According to them, the new owners are linked to Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev's son Maksim, recently appointed to a key economic position in the...
Russia: Theater Play to “Reconstruct” Lawyer Magnitsky's Death
The death of Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year-old lawyer who spent nearly a year in jail awaiting trial, received much publicity and prompted Russian authorities to introduce some changes. The case also inspired a public discussion of prison conditions in Russia, which is now likely to move to a new level, as a Moscow theater is working on a documentary play that would "reconstruct" the horror of Magnitsky's final hours.
Russia: Copy-Paste Online To Become Illegal
The Russian Telecommunications Agency is about to propose a new anti-plagiarism law that will require all Web sites to provide hyperlinks to the original source of the information that they use, newspaper Vedomosti reported [RUS]. Experts argue that the law will be hard to enforce.
Uzbekistan: President Karimov's thoughts about media
Recently President Karimov again mentioned about leading role of mass-media in Uzbekistan. Considering sensitivity of this issue and increasing cases of pressure on independent journalists (i.e. thos who don’t work in the official media), Uzbek leader called local media toothless, reports Vesti.uz [RU]. According to Islam Karimov, today’s conditions have...
Macedonia: NGO's Statement on Internet Regulations by the State
Macedonia-based Metamorphosis: Foundation for Sustainable ICT Solutions has issued a statement “on the role of the state in the process of protecting children from the risks of using new technologies, by applying internet content filtering systems and systems for categorization of computer games.”
Thailand: Comprehensive water policy
Worried about the looming water shortage in many parts of Thailand, writer Veera Prateepchaikul calls for the drafting and implementation of a comprehensive water policy in the country
Two Vietnam websites blocked
The Vietnam government is accused of blocking two popular websites. The authors of the two websites, bauxitevietnam.info and blogosin.org, are opposed to several government policies.
Pakistan: Website Blocked AT IP Level
Teeth Maestro reports that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked the website http://makepakistanbetter.com on an IP level, apparently for posting criticisms against the government.
Russia May Use E-mail Addresses As ID Tools
The Russian minister of communication and mass media Igor Shegolev said [RUS] that Russia considered using e-mails accounts as additional identifications for Russian citizens along with traditional passports. According to the minister, it would make it easier for the government to communicate with citizens.
Nigeria: After two leaderless months, a new Acting President
After weeks of political wrangling, the Nigerian Senate confirmed Goodluck Jonathan as Acting President. Many in the blogosphere saw the event as cause for celebration, but others saw reason for concern, pointing out that although Jonathan's assumption of power might be a political necessity, it is not explicitly endorsed by the Nigerian Constitution.
Is Ghana Ready For e-Voting?
A two-day event which began yesterday; is being organized by the Danquah Institute (DI), a policy think tank, research and analysis centre, to create a national platform for stakeholders to lead the discussion on the possibility of facilitating the adoption of biometric voter registration, and subsequently the e-voting system in Ghana.
Japan: Tweets from the Foreign Minister`s news conference
Freelance journalist Takashi Uesugi is live-tweeting from the Foreign Minister Okada`s news conference.
China: Character of the Year
Every year new words are invented, mirroring new trends in our societies. For example, ‘unfriend’ was voted the 2009 word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary. It comes from the practice of dropping a contact from Facebook, and reflects the popularity and ever-changing nature of internet social...
Trinidad & Tobago: “The Garden Want Water”
This Beach Called Life and kid5rivers comment on the fact that while the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago are on water rations, the Prime Minister's lawn was being liberally watered.
Iran: Protesters ask for referendum
While President Ahmadinejad spoke to a crowd of thousands at Azadi, or Freedom Square, in central Tehran on the anniversary of the revolution, anti regime protesters demonstrated and called for referendum in Tehran. Watch the video here.
Japan: When forced confessions lead justice astray
The recent Ashikaga case [en] saw a man acquitted after serving 17 years in prison after being convicted of murdering a child because of inaccurate DNA tests. It has once again brought to light the problem of false confessions used by Japanese police. In the past, the methods adopted by...
Hungary: Report on Acceptance of Right-Wing Extremism
Hungarian Spectrum reports that, according to the recent findings of a Hungarian think-tank, “in Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Hungary the impulses toward the acceptance of right-wing extremism are the strongest.”
