The erosion of democracy in places like Brazil, which votes in a presidential election Sunday, has led U.S. President Joe Biden to declare the contest between democracy and autocracy as the defining battle of our times. But if the past few years have seen a crisis of democracy, they’ve also seen a crisis of autocracy.
There’s still a lot we don’t know as to the effects of regulated cannabis. What we do know is that legalization has presented policymakers with five persistent dilemmas. Canada is now embarking on a long-overdue review of its 2018 Cannabis Act, which could add some clarity over how to improve regulatory frameworks moving forward.
A massacre committed on Sept. 16 by Myanmar’s military, in which 11 children died, is consistent with the junta’s strategy to regain control of the country. The regime’s scorched-earth campaign is focusing on areas dominated by rebel units and those loyal to the opposition government in exile, the National Unity Government.
Gambia has made indisputable progress since the ouster of longtime dictator Yahya Jammeh in 2016, but its transition to democracy remains far from complete. This is particularly the case regarding critical reform and transitional justice efforts needed to institutionalize Gambia’s democracy and safeguard it from backsliding.
The sudden regime failures of the Shah of Iran and the USSR should be kept in mind when examining the self-inflicted disasters that Moscow and Tehran are currently struggling with. The West should remain cautious before making firm predictions that either will collapse, but prepare for a range of outcomes if they do.
Women in Iran are taking to the streets to protest the imposition of the headscarf. The protests may not necessarily signal the beginning of the end for the theocratic regime that has held power since 1979. But they highlight the schism between the regime and the Iranian population, and the limits of its hold on society.
Not ongoing everyone agrees negotiations and dialogue will solve Venezuela’s ongoing political, economic and humanitarian crises or create the conditions for a political transition. But whether they succeed or fail, they appear to be a necessary precondition for any solution to Venezuela’s ongoing crises to be found.
The death of Mahsa Amini after being arrested by the Iranian police’s “guidance patrol”—tasked with enforcing the mandatory hijab law—may not seem like the kind of event that could seriously undermine the Islamic Republic’s authority. But it has set off a wave of protests that could become the largest the country has seen in years.
October will mark the one-year anniversary of the Sudanese military takeover from a transitional government created in 2019 after the overthrow of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir. But nearly 12 months later, the country faces a stalemated transition, economic malaise and political paralysis that could cause state failure.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss this week held her first set of bilateral meetings with world leaders since taking office earlier this month. But there are questions about whether London can forge productive partnerships in a post-Brexit world with the U.S. and EU, and Truss’ meetings did little to assuage those doubts.
Uruguay, a small Southern Cone country tucked away on the Atlantic coast and wedged between neighboring giants Brazil and Argentina, remains a remarkable success story in areas that go way beyond its economy. We don’t hear much about Uruguay. It stays out of the headlines precisely because just about everything is going so well.
At the early onset of the pandemic, the robot Baymax became an unlikely pandemic folk hero, on account of his strong resemblance to the protective gear worn by Chinese health care volunteers. But the suits have now become symbolic of Beijing’s top-down pandemic control measures—and the public’s frustration with them.
Of the many recurring tropes in debates about European politics, perhaps the most persistently misleading is the lament over Italy’s supposed decline. This simplistic narrative draws attention away from how Italian society is at the forefront of political and economic trends that may eventually reshape the EU as a whole.
Egypt took another major step toward rapprochement with Qatar last week, as Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi made a two-day visit to Doha. The improved relations serve different purposes for each country, though, as Cairo looks to bolster its economy while Doha attempts to boost its diplomatic clout.
The week before last, the U.K. experienced unprecedented change, with both a new head of government and then a new head of state in just over 48 hours. King Charles III and Prime Minister Liz Truss will be left leading a United Kingdom that is profoundly divided, in large part due to still unresolved consequences of Brexit.
Brazil’s presidential election in October will determine whether the destruction of the Amazon rainforest can be slowed or reversed, with major implications for climate change globally. While getting rid of Jair Bolsonaro, who has been a disaster for the Amazon, will be a necessary first step, it will also be the easy part.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her annual State of the European Union speech to the EU Parliament this week, where she spoke of the EU’s solidarity and invigoration following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. But the rise of the far right in Italy and Sweden may undercut her message of unity.