Commentary / World Dec 5, 2018
Trump presidency a symptom of a deeper American problem
by Colin P.A. Jones
The real long-term problem faced by America is not the U.S. president. It's the crumbling legitimacy of the entire U.S. system of government.
NEWSWORTHY
Asia Pacific / Politics Dec 4, 2018
Cambodia mulls law to restore opposition politicians' rights
Cambodian parliament will consider legislation to allow politicians banned from political activity to have the ban lifted, a measure that long-serving Prime Minister Hun Sen's government is touting as a step "to strengthen democracy and political space." The move, announced late Monday by the assembly's ...
World / Offbeat Nov 23, 2018
In latest quirky Swiss poll, voters to be asked if they prefer cows with or without horns
As a hollow cowbell echoes through a rolling, misty Swiss countryside, cattle herder Armin Capaul smiles and cracks wise about the feat he's pulled off: Using the country's system of direct democracy to force a vote on an issue dear to his life and ...
National / Media | BIG IN JAPAN Sep 15, 2018
News outlets fret over the nation's docile democracy
by Michael Hoffman
"Nazism." "Fascism." "1984." "Kamikaze." Strong words, suggestive language. It's going mainstream. An Asahi Shimbun editorial on July 29 drew comparisons between the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Nazis. Sapio magazine in its July-August edition began a discussion of "neo-fascism" — part two ...
World Aug 16, 2018
An 11-year-old boy managed to hack into a replica of Florida's election results website in 10 minutes during a hackers convention and change names and tallies, organizers said, stoking concerns about security ahead of nationwide votes. The boy was the quickest of 35 children, ages ...
Editorials Aug 1, 2018
It's in Japan's long-term interest to support democracy in Cambodia.
Asia Pacific / Politics Jul 21, 2018
Hundreds protest Hong Kong's move to ban separatist political party
Hundreds of Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters on Saturday rallied against the government's attempt to ban a political party, saying it dealt the most serious threat to the city's freedom of association since its return to Chinese rule. Organizers said 1,200 protested, while the police estimated ...
World / Crime & Legal Jul 16, 2018
In apparent test of Myanmar democracy, jailed Reuters journalists to testify in court
Two jailed Reuters reporters on trial in Myanmar accused of obtaining secret state documents will testify in court from Monday, in a case that is seen as a test of press freedom in the fledgling democracy. Journalists Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, ...
Asia Pacific / Politics May 28, 2018
Hundreds march in Hong Kong to mark Beijing's deadly Tiananmen crackdown
Hundreds marched through Hong Kong on Sunday ahead of the 29th anniversary of China's crackdown on democracy protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Semi-autonomous Hong Kong is the only place on Chinese soil where the anniversary is openly marked with a famous vigil in Victoria Park ...
Editorials May 14, 2018
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohomad's win in parliamentary elections is a victory for democracy in a region that has experienced many recent setbacks in that area.
Commentary / World May 14, 2018
China and the future of democracy
by Barry Eichengreen
Will China's power and prosperity really boost the global appeal of its authoritarian model?
Editorials Mar 7, 2018
The chaos in Washington, juxtaposed against the steady, assertive leadership in China and the self-confidence in Moscow, is doing great damage to the democracy brand.