From The Economist, how to reform flawed behemoth Pemex that is the world's sixth-biggest oil producer. The introduction to Insurgent Citizenship: Disjunctions of Democracy and Modernity in Brazil by James Holston. Elevating the gutter to cesspool art: The sewers of Brazil become a canvas for a subversive makeover. A look at why Chile is in no position to give pension reform advice. Greg Palast on good and evil at the center of the Earth: A Quechua Christmas carol. Kenya’s remote north has become a battleground for rising Islamism and its pro-American opponents — have aggressive post-9/11 policies fomented the very sectarianism they were meant to fight? For all its flaws, an example to others: The example Kenya can set for South Africa and the rest of the continent. Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki was hastily sworn in for a second term despite fierce accusations of election fraud. From Der Spiegel, terror, nukes and an uncertain future: What next for Pakistan? An imperfect feminist: However disappointing Bhutto was in her actions on behalf of Pakistan's women, she was a potent symbol of their potential empowerment — and symbols matter. From The Hindu, a special issue on the state of the nation. From Outlook India, a review of The Ugliness of the Indian Male and Other Propositions by Mukul Kesavan. A flourishing slum: The residents of Dharavi, allegedly Asia's biggest slum, are thriving in hardship; and a soul-searching business: The slum-dwellers of Dharavi are green. The land of a thousand bad newspaper articles: Isn't there anyone who can write about India with some complexity? Nepal's provisional parliament has approved a motion to abolish the monarchy and declare the Himalayan country a republic.
