For those of us who live in the Middle East, Internet censorship and partial access to services is a daily reality. The UAE’s two primary Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Du & Etisalat, actively monitor and filter access to Internet sites and content that the government deems inappropriate. But censorship of the Internet is only part […]

The ever-present legions of opportunists standing at street corners — eager to jump at the chance to be a tour guide, procure goods, carry them or even find a whore — does take a bit of getting used to. Eventually one comes to terms with the underbelly of society and begins to admire the finesse […]

Freedom of the press is sometimes taken for granted in many countries that enjoy rights which permit relatively unrestricted freedom of expression. Laws and regulations vary greatly between countries. Some jurisdictions have no freedoms at all and are tightly censored by a central body, whilst others allow just enough variety and artistic mandate to create […]

WINDHOEK, 7 September 2011 — Chinese construction firms in Namibia are permitted to operate in in near-complete violation of Labour Laws and Safety Codes, a U.S. Embassy WikiLeaks Cable suggests. Although Namibia has generally worker-friendly laws, enforcement doesn’t seem to be consistent across the board. Many people and organizations have complained that GRN does not […]

DAR ES SALAAM — Surprising how some global events end up beating a path to your own front door. Just this morning I was reading a WikiLeaks U.S. cable written by the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, which accuses Tanzania’s President, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, of accepting bribes to the tune of $1 million from the UAE-based […]

Just recently I’d completed a project with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP) in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. It’s not the heat here, but more the humidity that gets to you. It’s just above the equator so the sun pretty much sets and rises at around 6am/6pm every day. But I […]