Pope Francis's fresh, informal style has been met with popular acclaim during his first year in office. But his planned reforms will be hard for many in the Catholic Church to accept, says Michael Walsh.
Reading the 2012 and 2013 Egyptian constitutions together is less a tale of successive steps towards constitutional democracy and more an illustration of how the revolution was lost in two successive jolts – first Morsi’s Islamism without legitimacy, and then the violent militarism that accompanie
An alignment of interests over Syria offers slim hope of movement in resolving the country's nightmare. But differences of view among the anti-Assad forces remain a great obstacle to progress.
The situation of the Uyghur minority in north-west China became even more precarious in 2013, says Henryk Szadziewski.
A Bill supposedly designed to restore trust in Parliament will obstruct the work of those who campaign for the disenfranchised, while allowing powerful corporations and industry lobbyists unscrutinised access to ministers.
The formation of a non-western credit-ratings agency is an important sign of the global power-shift, say Ernesto Gallo & Giovanni Biava.
The accelerating pace of extreme weather events is an acute challenge to political leaders.
The regime and main opposition factions in Syria are setting preconditions for victory. Alternative, democratic preconditions need to be set for the Geneva talks to end an unwinnable war.
The Arab awakening promised democratic change and the end of violent jihadism. Today, the losers of 2010-11 are again on the rise.
An almost unreported strike in South Korea, which has just come to an end, epitomises how a ‘free’ market can be incompatible with the liberty of workers to defend their own security.
A big year in Brazil marked by huge street protests and a major corruption trial creates new tests for the country's democracy, says Arthur Ituassu.
The conflict in Ukraine is part of a wider tussle over eastern Europe's political orientation. The European Union remains pivotal to progress, says Krzysztof Bobinski.
