As Lenora reports, many Estonians appear deeply invested in their country’s e-government programs, which were developed over decades to make life easier and more secure.
Our name is about honesty. The Monitor is owned by The Christian Science Church, and we’ve always been transparent about that.
The Church publishes the Monitor because it sees good journalism as vital to progress in the world. Since 1908, we’ve aimed “to injure no man, but to bless all mankind,” as our founder, Mary Baker Eddy, put it.
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Explore values journalism About usWhat can Estonia, a one-time Soviet state that’s long been one of the world’s most wired nations, teach a world that’s tumbling ever deeper into digitization?
It’s a question that matters in an age of data breaches and artificial intelligence.
The answer may be as fundamental as the ones and zeros of binary code. With careful regulation and full transparency, Estonia has developed a system that protects and respects its citizens’ data ownership. It’s imperfect. But Estonians appear to value its aims.
Lenora Chu reports today from Tallinn. Hers is our latest story in an ongoing project on rebuilding trust.
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As Lenora reports, many Estonians appear deeply invested in their country’s e-government programs, which were developed over decades to make life easier and more secure.
• Israeli airstrike kills aid workers: Seven workers from World Central Kitchen are killed, leading the charity to suspend delivery of food aid to Gaza. Israel’s offensive has pushed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation.
• Florida moves on abortion: The Florida Supreme Court clears the way for a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. But under a separate ruling, the court allowed a ballot measure on abortion rights to go to voters.
• Progress in Baltimore: The U.S. Coast Guard opens a temporary alternate channel for vessels clearing debris at the site of the fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, a first step toward reopening the port
• Venezuela faces wildfires: The country battles a record number of them, according to data released April 1, as the Amazon rainforest region is beset by a climate change-driven drought.
• Oregon reverses on drugs: The governor signs into law a bill on April 1 that makes so-called personal use possession a misdemeanor, rolling back previous decriminalization efforts.
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For 75 years, NATO has brought peace and prosperity to Europe, the United States, and their allies. Now a grueling war in Ukraine heralds severe tests ahead for the alliance.
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A global shift in urban planning – from private to public transit – has yet to take hold in the U.S. New York could be a test case for this shift and for public support for big-city congestion charges.
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The total solar eclipse over North America next week offers a viewing opportunity that won’t be repeated until 2044. Eclipses not only are wonders, but also can play a role in helping us understand the cosmos.
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Mysteries provide a break from everyday realities. We’ve found five novels that ratchet up the escapism as well as the fun of figuring out the culprit.
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Three decades ago, after South Africa made its transition to majority rule, African leaders began to set down principles for governance on the continent. Those agreements planted the seeds for what most Africans now see as essential: that democracy can lead to peace and opportunity.
In 2024, when more than a dozen African countries are slated to hold elections, those expectations are resulting in new benchmarks of progress.
Last month, for example, Senegal’s highest court prevented an illegal attempt by the outgoing president to stay in power or imprison opposition leaders. In Ghana, government leaders and civil society groups are working together to safeguard a December election from digital disinformation.
South Africa today offers another encouraging sign. When its voters cast ballots next month, the African National Congress may finally lose the majority it has held since 1994 when apartheid ended. Public support for the ruling party has dipped below 40% for the first time, according to a Brenthurst Foundation poll. Voters are weary of official corruption. One of the latest scandals includes the Parliament speaker, an ANC stalwart.
Such progress has another explanation. Voters can more easily see what an alternative looks like.
In many African countries, entrenched ruling parties have hobbled their political rivals through foul play. In South Africa, for as long as the ANC has governed nationally, another party called the Democratic Alliance (DA) has held the majority in Cape Town and the Western Cape province. Its governing record – measured by effective municipal councils, delivery of services, and business growth – underscores how people benefit when opposition parties mature and thrive.
“The strength, effectiveness, and quality of a democracy largely depend on the opposition parties’ efficiency, relevance, and ability to credibly show they are ready to govern,” noted William Gumede, a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
Functioning and loyal opposition parties, he wrote for Democracy Works Foundation, depend on and reinforce the rule of law. They enable consensus-building debate and hold ruling parties accountable. They help preserve judicial independence and encourage citizen participation.
In those African countries where opposition parties are gathering strength, Dr. Gumede observed, they function “within the prescripts of the country Constitutions, laws, and parliamentary rules – and with integrity.”
Sensing the ANC’s vulnerability, the DA and a handful of smaller parties have formed a united front in case they collectively win enough votes to form a coalition government after next month’s election. But one measure of political integrity is civility with one’s opponents. DA leader John Steenhuisen has not ruled out uniting with the ANC if it can govern more honestly and by working with the opposition. “The biggest beneficiaries of good, clean, accountable government are poor, marginalised South Africans,” he told Reuters.
Public pressure for ruling parties to reform is rising in Africa. One longtime ANC official, for example, recently rebuked the party in a rare moment of contrition. “When we took over government in 1994, we had the moral high ground,” Mavuso Msimang wrote. “Yet, three decades later, the ANC’s own track record of corruption is a cause for great shame.” Africa’s ruling parties used to base their legitimacy and longevity on what they did long ago to liberate their countries for majority rule. As that legacy has faded, more Africans are poised to shape a new era that relies on rule by merit, rule by law – and rule with a touch of humility.
Each weekday, the Monitor includes one clearly labeled religious article offering spiritual insight on contemporary issues, including the news. The publication – in its various forms – is produced for anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens. For many, that caring has religious roots. For many, it does not. The Monitor has always embraced both audiences. The Monitor is owned by a church – The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston – whose founder was concerned with both the state of the world and the quality of available news.
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A spiritual view of our identity shows us we’re more lovable than we may have thought we were.
Thanks for reading the Daily. Watch for a report tomorrow from Dominique Soguel. Portugal stands out among European nations for its openness to migrants. But the growth of Muslim and South Asian communities there, combined with the rise of a far-right party, is straining that relationship.