It’s a term taken from cricket and baseball. Now, a “backstop” holds the key to Britain’s messy exit from the European Union. Demonstrators on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland near Newry in Northern Ireland, 26...
Europe faces a moment of truth in May. Voters will choose a new parliament, and far-right parties and populists could make big gains. The European Parliament debating chamber in Strasbourg, France (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) Far-right and populist parties...
Democracy is in retreat around the world. How bad is the “democratic recession?” And what can you do to get democracy back on track? (Artwork from Creative Commons) This article is part of a News-Decoder series of “decoders” that explain...
Autocrat or nation-builder? Malaysia’s Mahathir still stirs mixed feelings even as he stuns the world by regaining power and reuniting with his nemesis. Mahathir Mohamad, left, and Anwar Ibrahim in September 1997, a year before the prime minister sacked his...
By Robert Hart As a new year starts, Spain’s increasingly bitter constitutional crisis over a bid for independence by the separatist-led government of the northeastern region of Catalonia seems no closer to a solution and threatens to deepen divisions in Catalan...
Democracy and the post-war world order are under siege as populist and nationalist forces gain ground around the world. We must wake up and act. This story was co-winner in the high school division in News-Decoder’s Arch Roberts Jr essay/reporting contest. You...
This article looks at the potential impact that Spain’s current constitutional crisis over independence for Catalonia could have on some of the more significant separatist movements elsewhere in Europe. For more “decoders” explaining big issues, click...
(Photos by Charlotte Crang) The author spent this past weekend in Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, where the regional parliament last week made a unilateral declaration of independence from Spain. This is our latest article in a series on Catalonia. By Charlotte Crang...
The presidential candidacy of an outspoken populist in Brazil is a sign that Latin America’s biggest nation is still struggling with corruption and poverty. Brazilian congressman Jair Bolsonaro with soldiers and cadets during a ceremony commemorating Army Day,...
This is the last of four articles by students on France’s presidential election. By Maxine Arnheiter Dinner parties have become an interesting staple in my life in France, mostly of a political sort. The blues, reds and whites of the television cast a dull haze...