While the notion of the smart city has grown in popularity, the backlash against smart urban infrastructure in the context of changing state-public relations has seldom been examined. This article draws on the case of Hong Kong’s smart lampposts to analyse the emergence of networked dissent against smart urban infrastructure during a period of unrest. Deriving insights from critical data studies, dissentworks theory, and relevant work on networked activism, the article illustrates how a smart urban infrastructure was turned into both a source and a target of popular dissent through digital mediation and politicisation. Drawing on an interpretive analysis of qualitative data collected from multiple digital platforms, the analysis explicates the citizen curation of socio-technic counter-imaginaries that constituted a consent of dissent in the digital realm, and the creation and diffusion of networked action repertoires in response to a changing political opportunity structure. In addition to explicating the words and deeds employed in this networked dissent, this article also discusses the technopolitical repercussions of this dissent for the city’s later attempts at data-based urban governance, which have unfolded at the intersections of urban techno-politics and local contentious politics. Moving beyond the common focus on neoliberal governmentality and its limits, this article reveals the underexplored pitfalls of smart urban infrastructure vis-à-vis the shifting socio-political landscape of Hong Kong, particularly in the digital age.

The effective allocation of resources within police patrol departments is crucial for maintaining public safety and operational efficiency. Traditional methods often fail to account for uncertainties and variabilities in police operations, such as fluctuating crime rates and dynamic response requirements. This study introduces a fuzzy multi-state network (FMSN) model to evaluate the reliability of resource allocation in police patrol departments. The model captures the complexities and uncertainties of patrol operations using fuzzy logic, providing a nuanced assessment of system reliability. Virtual data were generated to simulate various patrol scenarios. The model’s performance was analyzed under different configurations and parameter settings. Results show that resource sharing and redundancy significantly enhance system reliability. Sensitivity analysis highlights critical factors affecting reliability, offering valuable insights for optimizing resource management strategies in police organizations. This research provides a robust framework for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of police patrol operations under conditions of uncertainty.

Research has shown that understanding the fundamental of public support for carbon emission reduction policies may undermine policy formulation and implementation, yet the direction of influence and the transmission mechanism remain unclear. Using data from using data from 1482 questionnaires conducted in Hangzhou, China, this paper has examined a comprehensive model of the factors and paths influencing public support for carbon emission reduction policies, and evaluated the determinants and predictors of policy support regarding individual psychological perceptions, social-contextual perceptions, and perceptions of policy features. The results show that the variables in both the individual psychological perception and social contextual perception dimensions have no significant effect on carbon tax, however, be important constructure in carbon trading; in the policy characteristics perception dimension, both variables have a significant positive effect on both carbon tax and carbon trading, and are also the strongest predictors of policy support for carbon policies. Further evidence suggests that future policies could be more acceptable to residents by strengthening their environmental values, social norms can further arouse residents’ social responsibility to care about climate, and whether the policy is effective or fair to help residents realize the importance of the policy as well as the need for their participation and willingness to dedicate themselves to the mitigation of climate change.

The COVID-19 outbreak on international cruise ships during the early stages of the pandemic has exposed deficiencies in the governance of public health emergencies within the framework of existing international law. These deficiencies encompass various aspects, including the shortcomings of the system of flag state jurisdiction, the vague definition and reasonableness of governments’ “additional health measures” as stipulated in the International Health Regulations (IHR) of 2005, the role of World Health Organization (WHO) in the protection of the fundamental rights of passengers and crew members during epidemic outbreaks on cruise ships, the application of the free pratique rule under the international health law, and other challenges that have not been adequately addressed in current international law. In the post-COVID era, it is essential to revisit these core issues of international law and reassess the allocation of responsibilities among all evolving actors to foster effective multilateral cooperation in epidemic control. This paper adopts the “Diamond Princess” incident as a case study, examining how such public health emergencies pose challenges to international laws, particularly when they occur within the context of a cruise ship. The paper argues that cooperation on global health emergencies will continue to be a challenge until responsibility is more clearly allocated among stakeholders. Additionally, the paper formulates three principles for enhancing governmental cooperation, namely the fairness principle, the nationality principle, and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. It is advisable to carefully consider these key principles when reevaluating the international laws on public health emergencies in the post-COVID era.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted global crises and enforced strict measures like the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia, significantly impacting societal norms, particularly affecting secondary school students. The current study employs a qualitative methodology to determine how COVID-19 affects the life stress experienced by secondary school students. Secondary school students were recruited in Sabah, Malaysia, from April to August 2022, after Malaysia entered the endemic phase on 1 April 2022. As part of a larger survey, students were asked to respond to an open-ended question about life stressors they face as a result of the pandemic COVID-19 or during home-based teaching and learning (PdPR). A total of 1069 secondary school students from various backgrounds were included in the study. However, only 714 students responded to the open-ended question. The pattern of meaning across the texts was determined using Birks and Mills’s method of multilevel coding. The students’ perspectives on life stressors were classified into five broad categories: restriction stress, emotional stress, online study stress, family-related stress, and others-related stress. Restriction stress, which refers to being confined at home, restricted movement, hampered family, friendship, and outdoor activities, and no freedom were rated as the most significant life stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic by students. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and parents, emphasizing the profound effect of pandemic-induced restrictions on student life and the essential role of targeted interventions in fostering resilience among students.

The Indonesian government is currently carrying out massive infrastructure development, with a budget exceeding 10. Risk mapping based on good risk management is crucial for stakeholders in organizing construction projects. Projects financed by government, whether solicited or unsolicited schemes, should also include risk mapping to add value and foster partnerships. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a risk management model for solicited and unsolicited projects, focusing on the collaborative management system among stakeholders in government-financed projects. Risk review was conducted from various stakeholders’ perspectives, examining the impacts and potential losses to manage uncertainty and reduce losses for relevant parties. Furthermore, qualitative analysis was conducted using Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and in-depth interviews. The results showed that partnering-based risk management with risk sharing in solicited and unsolicited projects had similarities with Integrated Project Delivery (IPD). This approach provided benefits and value by developing various innovations in the project life cycle.

The impact of crude oil price fluctuations on the real effective exchange rate (REER) has been widely debated, but specific evidence, particularly for developing countries in Southeast Asia, is scarce and inconclusive. This issue, especially concerning both short- and long-term relationships, remains inadequately addressed, affecting these countries for risk management related to oil price fluctuations. This study aims to fill this gap by examining these relationships in Thailand context to provide more evidence on how the REER in Southeast Asia responds to changes in crude oil prices. Monthly data of crude oil prices in Dubai market and the Thai baht REER from 2000 to 2019 were employed. Johansen co-integration test and Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) were used for analyzing long-term and short-term relationships, respectively. The results indicate a significant negative long-term relationship between crude oil prices and the REER, with a 0.31% reduction in the REER for every 1% increase in the real price of oil. However, in the short term, VECM analysis reveals significant movements in the REER in response to external shocks. On average from 2000–2019, the significant fluctuations in the REER are quickly alleviated and adjusted to its long-run equilibrium, typically by 2% in the following month following external shocks such as crude oil price fluctuations. Given these findings, which highlight the long-term relationship between the REER and crude oil prices and its short-term adjustment, it is suggested that when there is a shock from the crude oil prices, the government can strengthen short-term oil price controls or monetary subsidies to mitigate the extensive repercussions of energy market fluctuations, as such interventions would have a lesser impact on the long-term equilibrium of the REER.