Latest from Democracy

North Korea purges leader's uncle

North Korea has acknowledged the purge of leader Kim Jong Un's powerful uncle on allegations of corruption, drug use and a long list of other "anti-state" acts.

CAR leader: I can't control fighters

The rebel-leader-turned-president of Central African Republic has acknowledged that he doesn't have total control over former allies accused of killing scores of civilians.

Main opposition party quits Thai Parliament

Thailand's main opposition party resigned from Parliament to protest what it called "the illegitimacy" of an elected government with which it can no longer work.

US: No clemency for Snowden

Close call for Chris Carter in Kabul

Former Labour MP Chris Carter says he was lucky to escape possible death after a suicide car bomb exploded metres away from his Afghanistan home.

Vote 'turnoffs' face scrutiny

Hope for Saudi women on driving ban

Saudi women on the ultraconservative kingdom's top advisory council have called for a discussion on the sensitive issue of allowing women to drive.

Egypt: Attack in Sinai was suicide bomber

A string of attacks killed nine members of Egypt's security and military forces and hit the country's main satellite communications station, in an apparent retaliation by Islamic militants.

Bryan Gould: Democracy - what Key doesn't know

It must surely have come as a shock to his supporters that John Key seems not to understand some of the basic principles of democratic government, writes Bryan Gould.

Worm turns on Big Brother

Snowden is charged with violating the Espionage Act, the draconian l917 law devised to indict foreign spies but repeatedly used by the Obama Administration to target whistleblowers.

Kiwi claims he was tortured in China

A Chinese New Zealander who entered China illegally to see his parents claims he was detained, chained and tortured for five days before being deported to Auckland.

Dame Anne Salmond: A warning to New Zealanders keep hold of democracy

New Zealanders must stand up for their democratic rights when they are threatened, or they'll lose them.

Paul Thomas: Democracy it's a problem everywhere

The nation is divided against itself. On one side are the liberals who want to live in a tolerant, secular society.

Paul Thomas: Cold war warrior Orwell's real message on fanatics

Several correspondents have taken me to task for presuming to speculate on what writer George Orwell of Animal Farm and 1984 fame would have made of American whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Jeremy Wilson: Days of peace signs and hashtags

The bus fares were a huge deal to a lot of people, but it seemed to be the fact the people were uniting against the rise that opened the floodgates, writes Jeremy Wilson.

Data held on 'trillions of emails'

Information on trillions of emails, web chats and Skype conversations carried out by Americans has been harvested along with their phone records.