8 d. ago Forget petty bribes, ‘state capture’ is corruption so deep it is shaping the rules of democracy itself | Kenneth Mohammed

Beating the dangerous influence of private interests on governments requires independent judges, journalists and a courageous civil societyA global youth revolt is shaking the foundations of political power. In just a few months, millions of young people have taken to the streets across continents – from Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Madagascar, Peru and Paraguay – to denounce corruption and collapsing public systems. The spark is familiar: governments accused of looting public wealth while ordinary citizens face unemployment, rising costs, poverty and failing services. These digitally connected protest movements – leaderless, borderless and fast-moving – have toppled governments in Nepal, Peru and Madagascar. The anger is not abstract. It is directed squarely at political and economic elites who have turned public office into private estates. What they are confronting, often without naming it, is state capture – a form of corruption so de...

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1 week ago Why plummeting oil price could finally undo Putin: As Ukraine hits refineries, Russia's economy is struggling and rare anti

There are flickering signs of Russians daring to criticise Vladimir Putin and his war which is now only 70 days short of the length of Soviet participation in the defeat of Hitler in WW2 ..

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2 w. ago Statue of Confederate general toppled by protestors in 2020 is returned to its DC perch after Trump’s order

The statue has long been controversial and even “stirred opposition” when it was planned over 100 years ago

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2 w. ago Youth who led Madagascar protests hope coup leader will continue to hear them as president

Last week’s military coup in Madagascar followed weeks of protests by youth angry about a lack of opportunity, poverty, and regular power and water cutoffs in the sprawling African island nation

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3 w. ago ‘Gen Z gave us the victory’: how young protesters toppled Madagascar’s leader

There is jubilation in Place du 13 Mai in the capital but concern about army’s intentions after military takeoverAs the sun set on Place du 13 Mai in Madagascar’s capital, Antananarivo, thousands of people danced, waved and cheered to pulsating rap and reggae beats and rousing speeches.When young people started protesting on 25 September, first against water and power cuts, then demanding a complete overhaul of the political system, military police stopped them from reaching the square. The site has been a symbol of democracy and the focal point of anti-government protests on the Indian Ocean island since 40 student demonstrators were killed there by security forces in May 1972. Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Madagascar's coup leader is set to be sworn in as president after military takeover

An army colonel who seized power in a military coup is set to be sworn in as Madagascar’s new leader in a lightning-fast power grab that ousted the president and sent him fleeing from the country into hiding

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3 w. ago MARK ALMOND: Will Gen Z heroine Diana's Swan Lake protest spark a new Russian revolution that topples Putin?

Seeing a crowd of young people protesting against the war in Ukraine in the heart of St Petersburg on Wednesday will have sent an unfamiliar chill down Vladimir Putin 's spine.

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3 w. ago 'You've been calling a lot!': How 2 AP reporters landed an interview with Madagascar’s coup leader

The head of an elite Madagascar military unit ousted the African island country’s president in a coup, capping weeks of youth-led protests over poverty and other issues

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4 w. ago African Union suspends Madagascar as military leader set to be sworn in as president

Army assumed power after parliament voted to impeach Andry Rajoelina following widespread protestsMadagascar’s new military ruler will be sworn in as the country’s president on Friday, the military said on Wednesday, as the African Union suspended the island nation after a coup that ousted President Andry Rajoelina.The Indian Ocean nation has been plunged into its worst political upheaval in years after the elite Capsat army unit assumed power on Tuesday, moments after parliament voted to impeach Rajoelina, who appeared to have fled the country as street protests escalated. Continue reading...

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4 w. ago Madagascar's military coup leader tells AP he is "taking the position of president"

Madagascar’s military coup leader has said he is “taking the position of president” in an interview with The Associated Press at his barracks

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