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Transparency International (TI) released their annual round up of corruption news and research today, the Global Corruption Report 2008, which includes a special focus on corruption in the water sector. The assessment explores how corruption prevails in different forms in the water sector, from bribery in water delivery to bid-rigging in irrigation and hydropower projects.…

Where you shop and what you buy may impact your access to credit — and that’s not a good thing for democracy. Last week, BusinessWeek.com reported on a lawsuit filed against CompuCredit, a credit card issuer, for failing to disclose that it uses the buying patterns of card users to evaluate how much credit to…

The latest chapter in a sad story: after weeks of intimidation and violence by supporters of Robert Mugabe, the opposition is calling it quits. Morgan Tsvangirai has pulled out of the impending presidential election, which he calls a “violent, illegitimate sham.” All Africa: MDC’s official statement All Africa: SADC calls for election to be postponed…

Global Integrity’s Suha Ma’ayeh breaks down the history of the mobile communications market in Jordan — and the rich opportunities that were created by privatizing a national telecom with limited public oversight. Call Your Wasta By Suha Philip Ma’ayeh In 2005 Umniah Mobile Communications (UMC) entered the Jordan’s booming telecommunications sector. It became the country’s…

Thanks to our friends at the Center for International Private Enterprise for the plug in their recently published paper, “Changing perspectives: how donors can work with the private sector to reduce corruption.”

The BBC puts a number on corruption in the new Iraq: US$23 billion lost, stolen or missing. As the BBC points out, the total cost of this theft and systemic mismanagement is much higher than the total of dollars leaked away — because much of this money was intended for essential projects, like rebuilding the…