A government is a body that has the authority to make and the power to enforce laws within a civil, corporate, religious, academic, or other organization or group. In its broadest sense, "to govern" means to administer or supervise, whether over a state, a set group of people, or a collection of assets.

The word government is derived from the Greek Κυβερνήτης (kyvernites), which means "steersman", "governor", "pilot" or "rudder".

Typically, "the government" refers to the executive function. In many countries (particularly those having parliamentary systems), the Government refers to the executive branch of government or a specifically named executive, i.e. the Blair Government (compare to the administration as in the Clinton administration in U.S. usage). The Welsh Assembly Government is the name of the executive branch of Wales, and Scottish Government is the unofficial term to describe the Scottish Executive. In countries using the Westminster system, the party in government will also usually control the legislature.

More on [ Government ]

BBC News | Asia-Pacific | World Edition

Bush chides Beijing over rights
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:58:50 -0000
The US president uses a keynote speech in Asia to criticise China's human-rights record, on the eve of the Beijing Olympics.
Anwar charged with sodomy
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:54:22 -0000
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is formally charged with sodomy, an accusation he says is politically motivated.
Manila warns 'occupying' rebels
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:19:33 -0000
The Philippine government gives Muslim rebels it says are occupying villages in the south 24 hours to vacate, or face action.
France moves to close Taiwan case
Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:29:54 -0000
French prosecutors call for a seven-year probe into corruption over the sale of warships to Taiwan to be dismissed.
Three killed in China aftershock
Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:09:14 -0000
Tuesday's powerful aftershock in Sichuan province killed three people and damaged more than 3,000 houses, China says.
Bali bombers launch fresh appeal
Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:01:15 -0000
Three men sentenced to death over the 2002 Bali bombings launch an appeal on the grounds that shooting is inhumane.

NYT > Asia Pacific

China’s Leaders Are Resilient in Face of Change
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:59:54 -0000
An upsurge in Chinese patriotism around the Olympics has bolstered the party against international criticism.
500: Deadly U.S. Milestone in Afghan War
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:55:35 -0000
With U.S. troops at record levels and the violent threat from the Taliban expanding, the conflict in Afghanistan is roaring back into public view.
Tragic Toll After Chaos on Mountain
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:01:29 -0000
Eleven people died this week on K2, known as the world’s hardest and most dangerous mountain for climbers.

L.A. Times - Asia

Human rights issues take center stage as Olympics near
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
China is pressured by athletes, spectators and the U.S. to improve its record on Darfur and Tibet. On the cusp of the Summer Olympics, human rights moved to the spotlight Wednesday as critics attacked China for banning Darfur activists, President Bush expressed "deep concerns" about the government's harsh policies and U.S. Olympians selected a former Sudanese refugee to carry the Stars and Stripes in Friday's opening ceremony.
Report: Aftershock killed 3 in China disaster zone
Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:21:00 -0700
The toll from a powerful aftershock in a central Chinese region devastated by an earlier disaster has risen to three, and more than 3,200 houses have been destroyed, a state-run news agency reported today.
Beijing Olympics visitors to come under widespread surveillance
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The government has installed about 300,000 cameras in Beijing and set up a network to spy on its citizens and foreigners. The blocking of human rights websites in China leading up to the Olympics is part of an information control and surveillance network awaiting visitors that will include monitoring devices in hotels and taxis and snoops almost everywhere.

UN News Centre - Asia Pacific

Afghan lawyers group major stride for young democracy, says UN agency
Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has welcomed the newly-established Afghan Independent Bar Association, which it called an important step in promoting justice and due process in the fledgling democracy.
Nepal: UN agency says 2.5 million in need of immediate food aid
Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Around 2.5 million people in rural Nepal are in immediate need of food assistance and an additional 3.9 million are at risk of becoming food insecure because of rising prices, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said in a report released today.
Women's empowerment key to achieving development targets, UN forum told
Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Women's empowerment is critical for countries in Asia and the Pacific to advance towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS, all by 2015, according to participants at a United Nations forum held in the Thai capital.

Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune

500: Deadly U.S. milestone in Afghan war
By KIRK SEMPLE AND ANDREW W. LEHREN Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:22:38 -0000
With U.S. troops at record levels and the violent threat from the Taliban expanding, the conflict in Afghanistan is roaring back into public view.
China's leaders are resilient in face of change
By JIM YARDLEY Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:22:38 -0000
The short-term byproduct of the Olympics has been an upsurge in Chinese patriotism that has bolstered the Communist Party against international criticism.
Bush says US firmly opposed to China's repression
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:22:38 -0000
With all eyes on Beijing, U.S. President George W. Bush bluntly told China on Thursday that America is strongly opposed to the way the communist government represses its people, a rebuke delivered from the heart of Asia on the cusp of the Olympic Games.
Remarks by President George W. Bush in Bangkok, Thailand
Office of the Press Secretary Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:34:44 -0000
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Malaysia's Anwar bailed in sodomy case
By JALIL HAMID AND NILUKSI KOSWANAGE Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:22:38 -0000
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was given bail after he was charged with sodomy on Thursday, a move that allow him to contest an August 26 by-election.
Malaysia's Anwar to face sodomy charge in court
Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:56:37 -0000
The Malaysian authorities have summoned the opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to court, complicating his bid to return to Parliament in a by-election less than three weeks away.

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