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The cover-up of the 1MDB affair was taking the country toward autocracy — until the people won the day. Indonesian officials boarded the luxury yacht 'Equanimity', reportedly worth some $250 million and owned by Jho Low, a former unofficial adviser to the Malaysian fund 1MDB, at Benoa Bay in Bali on February 28, 2018. On …
Continue reading "Malaysia’s $6.5 Billion Scandal Almost Sank Its Democracy by Alex Helan"
Failed state, a state that is unable to perform the two fundamental functions of the sovereign nation-state in the modern world system: it cannot project authority over its territory and peoples, and it cannot protect its national boundaries. The governing capacity of a failed state is attenuated such that it is unable to fulfill the …
Nigeria, like most African nations, has been taught and dictated to since its independence, largely seen by the rest of the world as a receptacle for ideas rather than a generator of them. But is there something the world could learn from us? During the past few weeks in Nigeria, I’ve interviewed some 40 strangers …
Upon the entrance of the 15th passenger into his drab yellow commercial bus, he jumped onto the steering, beaming with vigour characteristic of a lad on a mission to complete a herculean task in a hurry. All is set for Dele, as he preferred to be identified, to embark on his first trip to Yaba, …
I remember the first time I got caught by a camera for speeding in the UK. I was lucky that I had been caught doing 40mph in a 30mph zone i.e only 10mph above the limit. This qualified me for a fine and attending a speed awareness course. The alternative was of course to get …
