A new proposal in Quebec reignites the battle over where secularism ends and religious freedom begins.
Tag: government
Family ties are shaping Uganda’s Parliament. People who die in office are increasingly succeeded by close relatives — children, spouses or even siblings — and often with strong support from political parties and local communities. At least five members of the current Parliament have succeeded their relatives, and in previous Parliaments, multiple members did as well.
The first round of Bolivia’s presidential election on Aug. 17 brought an end to 20 years of socialist rule. The winner of the Oct. 19 runoff will be handed the responsibility to fundamentally change the country.
Opponents, and now some allies, are saying the right thing to do is for Modi to respect tradition and retire for his 75th birthday in September. It’s what he’s forced others to do, after all.
Even before last Sunday’s suicide bombing of a Damascus church, many Syrian Christians harbored doubts if the government that overthrew the Assad regime would protect them. Amid this growing sense of isolation, the question remains open: Is there truly a place for everyone in Syria?
Looking back, 2024 was a year of momentous elections around the world. The results, from country to country, show overall that the global health of democracy remains precarious when some of those who win elections do not seem to believe in the political system which brought them to power.
The city of Valencia has not been affected by the natural disaster that caused more than 200 deaths in eastern Spain, but the region’s capital city is not the same. And the population is struggling to find a new balance.
Updated October 31, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh security guards on this day in 1984. Who was Indira Gandhi? Indira Gandhi was an Indian politician and the first woman to serve as the Prime Minister of India. She held the office of Prime Minister from 1966 […]
Updated Oct. 28, 2024 at 12:40 p.m. Italian fascists led by Benito Mussolini marched on Rome and took over the Italian government on this day in 1922. Who was Benito Mussolini? Benito Mussolini, known as “Il Duce,” was an Italian politician and the founder of Italian fascism. He played a central role in organizing and […]
Updated Oct. 24, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. Salvador Allende was elected President of Chile on this day in 1970. How was Salvador Allende elected? In the presidential election held on September 4, 1970, Salvador Allende ran as the candidate of the Unidad Popular (Popular Unity) coalition, which was a coalition of left-wing and socialist parties. […]
Updated Oct. 23, 2024 at 11:25 a.m. The Hungarian Revolution started on this day in 1956. What was the Hungarian Revolution of 1956? The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide uprising against the Soviet-backed government of Hungary that began on October 23, 1956, and lasted until November 10, 1956. It was a pivotal […]
Updated October 22, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. U.S. President John F. Kennedy announced that American reconnaissance planes discovered Soviet nuclear weapons in Cuba, marking the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis on this day in 1962. What did President Kennedy reveal in his televised address? In his address, President Kennedy revealed that American reconnaissance planes […]
She is no longer President of Taiwan, which allows her to travel to countries that recognize Beijing, not Taipei. France Inter met Tsai Ing-wen in Paris , where she defended Taiwan’s democracy, in the face of China’s appetite for power and territory.
When Guinean President Mamady Doumbouya was inaugurated three years ago, her presence alongside the coup leader grabbed the public’s attention. And although she has increasingly made public appearances, little is still known about the French police officer turned first lady.
The leaders of three big Latin American powers, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico, have shown they believe keeping a fellow socialist in power is more important than respecting the votes of millions of ordinary Venezuelans who chose freedom over socialism.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s declaration labeling Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as “extreme right-wing” is a politically charged move. But is this assessment fair, given Meloni’s strong support for Ukraine and responsible economic decisions — or is there some demonizing and distracting at play?
The killing of an Egyptian soldier by Israeli fire on the border with Gaza, and Israel’s control of a buffer zone has increased tensions between Israel and Egypt, which finds itself in a difficult position.
The recent outrage of Colombians online over a singer’s reported criticism of the country’s late, great novelist García Márquez, showed perfectly how jingoism and a primitive hatred of freedom go hand in hand.
The “day after” the war in Gaza increasingly becomes hard to even imagine, as Israel’s prime minister sticks to his guns despite all evidence that says Hamas cannot be eradicated. The humanitarian toll, including Sunday’s airstrike on a displacement camp in Rafah, makes negotiations look increasingly impossible.
Argentina’s erratic right-wing president Javier Milei, seems to emulate Trump and Bolsonaro. But he has taken his bad diplomacy to a new level after last week’s spat with Spain’s Socialist party prime minister Pedro Sánchez.
To allow for 300,000 photovoltaic solar panels in the western Bolivian town of Ancotanga, local inhabitants gave up land in exchange for promises of jobs and healthcare — that they are still waiting to see.
Israel and the West have often asked: Where is the Palestinian Mandela? The divided regimes between Gaza and the West Bank continues to make it difficult to imagine the future Palestinian leader. Still, these three names are worth considering.
A democracy is not just the vague and dangerously malleable promise of popular rule. It is instead an institutional regime or “republic” that defines and protects the rights of the people, and of individuals.
Heated debate in Israel and abroad over the increase in the budget for settlements in the occupied West Bank is a reminder that wartime national unity will not outlast a deep ideological divide.
New Zealand has reversed its decision to implement the world’s toughest anti-smoking law, to the disappointment of many inside and outside the island nation. But how are other laws aimed at tobacco use faring around the world?
Taiwanese, though under the weight of a far more powerful neighbor, have the tendency to idealize Israel and fail to create a self-definition beyond the island nation’s anti-China image.
Palestinians are suffering under the Israeli regime and relentless bombardment of Gaza, yet the Western world, also known to be the “civilized” world, continues to support Israel. Turkey’s complex relationship with Islamic and Middle Eastern countries as well as with the West brings back the most fundamental questions about the past and future.
In the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel, the United States, often projected as no longer wanting to be the region’s policeman, finds itself deploying aircraft carriers in the eastern Mediterranean and conducting F16 raids against Iranian targets in Syria. But the epoch-shifting challenge is elsewhere.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the presidency in Brazil on this day in 2002. Who is Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva? Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, commonly known as Lula, is a Brazilian politician who first served as the 35th President of Brazil. He served two terms, from 2003 to 2010, and he was […]
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi crowned himself Emperor of Iran on this day in 1967. Who was Mohammed Reza Pahlavi? Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, also known as Mohammad Reza Shah, was the last Shah (monarch) of Iran. He ruled from 1941 until the Iranian Revolution in 1979. He was the second and last monarch of the Pahlavi dynasty. […]
Last week, Italy was caught in the uproar of Giorgia Meloni’s break-up, a swirl of TV scandal and political controversy. But now that the dust is settled, what does this mean for a single mother standing strong, though alone, on the political right.
After extending its complete support to Israel in the wake of the October 7 attacks, the West has started to soften its stance and demand that the state follow international law. But there are scant signs that Israel will let up its all-out assault in Gaza.
The assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat on this day in 1981 was a shocking and pivotal event in the history of Egypt and the Middle East. Who was Anwar Sadat? Anwar Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 1970 until his assassination. He succeeded Gamal Abdel Nasser and pursued a different foreign […]
The referendum in Chile took place on this day in 1988, when citizens voted against extending General Augusto Pinochet’s regime. Who was General Augosto Pinochet, and what was his regime like? General Augusto Pinochet was a military officer who came to power in Chile through a coup in 1973, overthrowing the democratically elected government of […]
Despite facing a growing number of charges, Donald Trump continues to rise in the 2024 presidential election polls. His most likely opponent, current President Joe Biden, is raising fears of a worst-case scenario due to his deteriorating health and old age, despite his solid economic record. A French political analyst weighs in from abroad, and from experience….
No country in the world has as big a cigarette industry as China. This is the story of how a giant state-backed monopoly created the industry, which provides more tax revenue than any other, and ultimately sabotaged the country’s anti-smoking efforts in the process.
Western governments will not be oblivious to the growing right-wing activism among the diaspora and the efforts of the BJP and Narendra Modi’s government to harness that energy for political support and stave off criticism of India.
Narendra Modi’s fixation with unflinching loyalty from those close to him is a worrying trait that betrays the Indian prime minister’s own insecurities.
A massive blast in the port of Beirut took place on this day in 2020 — an explosion so powerful that it physically shook the whole country of Lebanon. What were the causes of the explosions in Beirut? The primary cause of the explosions was the improper storage of approximately 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate […]
With the suppression of last year’s anti-regime protests in Iran, its people can barely stomach the West’s resumption of its business-as-usual approach with the Islamic Republic. The key to challenging the renewed status quo, the author writes, may very well lie with the country’s women.