President Viktor Yanukovych has led Ukraine, no stranger to crisis, into yet another round of turmoil.

Weeks of protests against unemployment, repression, and corruption in Tunisia could mean the end of President Ben Ali's government and could affect repressive governments in the Middle East, say experts.

CFR.org provides a collection of resources on Iraq.

As the U.S. security plan for Iraq takes shape in Baghdad, Muqtada al-Sadr appears to be moving to forestall a U.S. crackdown on his Shiite militia.

Saddam Hussein’s death may have little influence on the ongoing insurgency and sectarian violence, but beyond Iraq’s borders it may portend worsening relations between the region’s Shiite and Sunni communities.  

With Islamic courts firmly in control of Somalia's capital, experts worry that a new Taliban may be emerging in the Horn of Africa.

In the third of three excerpts from his new book, Democracy in Retreat, Joshua Kurlantzick says that emerging powers like India, Brazil and South Africa were supposed to be democracy's greatest proponents, but that it hasn't worked out that way at all.

In this excerpt from his forthcoming book, Democracy in Retreat, Joshua Kurlantzick argues that voting is losing its cachet in the developing world and in the West.

In an excerpt from his new book, Democracy in Retreat, Joshua Kurlantzick argues democracy cannot flourish unless the middle class embraces it, warts and all.

Jerome A. Cohen says, "Beijing's pending prosecution of deposed Politburo member Bo Xilai and the recent murder conviction of his wife, Gu Kailai , have again brought China's criminal justice system to world attention."

Jerome A. Cohen says that while Bo Xilai and Chen Kegui "hail from opposite ends of China's political, economic and social hierarchies, they now have much in common, including the determination of the authorities to punish them for political reasons."

Matthew C. Waxman examines the role of local police in counterterrorism intelligence.

Brett H. McGurk discusses the legality of drone attacks.

David S. Law discusses the conservative nature of the Supreme Court of Japan.

Yingluck Shinawatra was elected prime minister of Thailand in July 2011. She has so far achieved the most important thing in Thailand today, which is preserving a fragile peace between different interest groups and political sides.

Read full answer

Civil institutions are critical pillars of democratic accountability—without them, democracy remains elusive, regardless of the laws written in constitutions. This is particularly true in countries dependent on oil and other natural resource wealth, and those struggling to realize democratic transitions.

Read full answer

The United States restored official relations with Somalia in January 2013 after years of civil unrest there, reflecting an increasingly stable Somali political environment. Better relations with Somalia, however, have little to do with the decrease in piracy, and the drop in offshore piracy cannot be attributed to Somali government efforts.

Read full answer