Russian Human Rights Lawyer Poisoned

Novaya Gazeta reports that Karinna Moskalenko, a lawyer representing the family of a murdered Russian journalist, has mercury poisoning. Mercury has been found in Moskalenko’s car; husband and children are also sick; police are investigating. The following is a World Movement for Democracy email alert: DemocracyAlert: Russian Human Rights Lawyer Karinna Moskalenko Poisoned According to…

2008 Legatum Prosperity Index

Disclosure: Legatum is a funder of Global Integrity. The Legatum Institute launches its second annual Prosperity Index, a sweeping aggregation of data on what makes a country successful, including both material wealth and life satisfaction. Legatum describes it thus: Q: What is the Legatum Prosperity Index?A: The Prosperity Index is an inquiry into the nature…

South Africa: The Rusty Padlock Award, Which You Really Don’t Want

Our friends at ODAC in South Africa have coined a delightful new “award” for institutional stubbornness and opacity. Bophirima District Municipality has today won the Rusty Padlock Award for being the most unresponsive, secretive, chronically non-compliant public institution in South Africa. ODAC also runs a rather less cynical Golden Key Award, which celebrates open and…