Last Friday, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez announced he would not seek reelection, leaving the country’s wide-open presidential race even more uncertain. Both the Peronist camp and the center-right opposition are now without a clear candidate, but whoever becomes Argentina’s next president will have their work cut out for them.
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa created confusion about the country’s relationship with the International Criminal Court when he suggested that Pretoria would withdraw from the court. But the larger debate about the ICC’s relationship with Africans is the prism through which Ramaphosa’s remarks must be viewed.
Ahead of Thailand’s election, Pheu Thai, the country’s main opposition party, is gaining momentum as it looks to end nearly a decade of military-backed rule. But while a clear margin of victory would limit the military-backed regime’s ability to remain in power by legal means, it could prompt another coup or a judicial intervention.
Does the United States need Europe? That question is currently under much debate in Washington policy circles, with some arguing that the U.S. should redeploy forces, materiel and military planning away from Europe and reallocate them toward countering China. The argument has some validity, but it is ultimately unsustainable.
A rarely seen occurrence happened in Europe this week: a humbled China apologized to Europe, after the country’s ambassador to France questioned the sovereignty of post-Soviet countries. It has renewed the conversation about what could happen if Europe, armed with a unified China policy, went toe-to-toe with Beijing.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s appointment of Gen. Henry Sanabria as the national police chief last August was meant to start a new chapter in the country’s policing. Sanabria was tapped to help usher in an era of enlightened public safety under the progressive Petro. But the script didn’t unfold as expected.
With roughly a year to go before general elections, Panamanians are frustrated with the country’s current conditions and skeptical of the major political parties’ ability to deliver change. While domestic issues are dominating debates, the election’s outcome will also have major implications for Latin America and the U.S.
In a rare move, China’s Foreign Ministry has publicly distanced itself from statements made by a sitting ambassador after the PRC’s top envoy in Paris, Lu Shaye, suggested that none of the former Soviet republics are recognized under international law. His remarks sparked outrage in several European countries.
An opposition victory in Turkey’s elections on May 14 could open a window of opportunity to build a friendlier relationship between Turkey and its partners in NATO and the EU. Yet when it comes to Ankara’s relationship with the EU, there is another election this May that could prove as decisive: Greece’s elections on May 21.
While making the world safer for women and girls is the goal of the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women, it has historically focused on doing so in physical spaces. But as the emphasis on the digital age at this year’s annual CSW session made clear, its mission must expand to include harm and gendered violence that takes place online.
Along the path of Uganda’s EACOP oil pipeline project, farmers claim they were strong-armed into signing inadequate compensation agreements for their land, while oil companies tout economic progress and downplay allegations of misconduct. With development set to begin, the need to resolve these tensions is growing more urgent.
Tunisian opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi was arrested last week and remains in detention, as part of an ongoing crackdown against critics of President Kais Saied. Ghannouchi’s arrest and Saied’s clampdown on political freedoms have major implications for Tunisia’s domestic affairs as well as its foreign relations.
Sudan has been gripped by violence since fighting broke out just over a week ago between rival military factions vying for control in Khartoum. With the situation deteriorating, the plight of civilians has been in the spotlight, but protective infrastructure is scarce. For Sudanese civilians, the only option has been “self-protection.”
More than a decade since he came to power, Senegalese President Macky Sall is viewed as aloof and distant by the same citizens who propelled him to victory in 2012. He is now rumored to be considering a third-term bid, despite deepening social tensions and protests denouncing corruption, the high cost of living and human rights abuses.
The music industry’s intangible and less-noticed tangible contributions to the climate crisis—like the emissions used by streaming services and the environmental impact of touring—as well as the obstacles that hinder the mitigation of those contributions exemplify the issues faced by nearly every industry around the world.
U.S. policy in Latin America is now strongly shaped by the question of China’s involvement and influence there. But while the U.S. will not convince countries to turn away from Beijing, it could help governments negotiate a better and more fair playing field, for China and other foreign powers operating in their countries.