President Putin — Unsurprisingly, Vladimir Putin won a third term as Russia’s president Sunday. In an op-ed following the election, Russian language opposition newspaper Kommersant urges those disappointed by the re-elction of …
Human rights
Must-Reads from Around the World: March 2, 2012
Treaty Talk – A fiscal compact aimed at capping euro-zone debt was signed by 25 of the 27 European Union states on Friday. The Guardian reports that the new measures will be put to the test immediately, as Spain and the …
Ballot-Box Watch: Your Guide to March Elections
Global Spin previews upcoming polls from around the world
Life After Malema: Who Will Lead South Africa’s Young and Disaffected Now?
The African National Congress’ expulsion of its enfant terrible, Julius Malema, answers one question: Yes, the party of Nelson Mandela, the party which overthrew apartheid, still finds racism and hate speech intolerable. But it …
Must-Reads from Around the World: March 1, 2012
The Lady – Exiled Burmese media the Irrawaddy analyzes Aung San Suu Kyi’s prospects for a cabinet post after by-elections on April 1, mooting the health or education portfolios. “Both would be a good fit—she has often …
Must-Reads from Around the World: February 29, 2012
Weight of History – Following a backbench revolt in the German parliament Monday over the Greek bailout that’s left Angela Merkel’s coalition government weakened, Der Spiegel reports former Chancellor Helmut Kohl has stepped into …
China’s Restive Xinjiang Region Hit by Renewed Violence
Violence erupted Tuesday in the Xinjiang region of northwest China, with at least 10 civilians and two assailants killed in an attack that the state-run Xinhua news service blamed on “rioters.” State media said that a mob armed …
“The dream of an Iraq governed by elected leaders answerable to the people is rapidly fading away.”
U.S.-North Korea Talks Yield a “Bit of Progress,” but Little Hope for Refugees
A U.S. envoy said two days of meetings in Beijing with North Korean representatives, the first since the death of dictator Kim Jong Il in December, have yielded “a little bit of progress.” But any optimism about resuming talks on …
Must-Reads from Around the World: February 24, 2012
Fighting Failure – Foreign Policy‘s Douglas Wissing posts a damning indictment of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan amid continuing violence over the burning of copies of the Koran. “This wave of protest is just the latest example of …
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“If the second largest recipient of U.S. military aid can attack pro-democracy organizations with no real consequences, authoritarian governments worldwide will be emboldened to follow suit.”
Can Senegal, and Youssou N’Dour, Turn the Tide on Africa’s Big Men?
The dynamic of Senegal’s Feb. 26 election is a familiar-sounding one: an aging, increasingly autocratic African President trying to cling to power, sending in the security services to beat up – and occasionally kill – young …