Latest Democracy News
What will Syria's future look like? The answer could lie in other Arab countries' recent pasts
CAIRO (AP) — Even with hopes running high, so much can go wrong when a country ousts a longtime dictator and tries to start anew. The Middle Eastern and North African nations that attempted to transition to democracy in recent years can attest to that. Now it's Syria's turn to try...
An ethnic armed group in western Myanmar claims to have captured a major regional army headquarters
BANGKOK (AP) — A powerful ethnic armed group in western Myanmar claimed Friday to have scored a major victory in the war against the ruling military, even as neighboring nations at a meeting in Thailand were discussing efforts to end the conflict peacefully. The capture by the...
Diplomatic spat erupts after Hungary gives asylum to Polish politician suspected of corruption
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Hungary has given political asylum to a Polish opposition politician who is wanted on suspicions of corruption, triggering a diplomatic spat that worsened on Friday. Poland's government decried Hungary's decision as a “hostile act,” and Prime Minister...
A power grab by Republicans in North Carolina becomes a referendum on democracy in the states
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democrats in North Carolina were celebrating big wins in the swing state after the November election, including victories in races for governor and other top statewide offices. But the political high didn’t last long. Republican lawmakers are stripping away...
Thailand hosts regional talks to find solutions to Myanmar's bloody civil war
BANGKOK (AP) — Two days of meetings on Myanmar ’s violent political crisis began Thursday in the Thai capital Bangkok, the latest in a long series of regional talks that have made no headway in restoring peace to the war-torn Southeast Asian nation. Myanmar has been wracked by...
Manhattan man pleads guilty to helping establish secret Chinese police station in NYC
NEW YORK (AP) — A Manhattan resident has pleaded guilty to helping establish a secret police station in New York City on behalf of the Chinese government. Chen Jinping, 60, entered the guilty plea on a single count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government in...
Democracies across the globe are at a crossroads, as authoritarians seek to chip away at freedoms
In November, the world's most powerful democracy elected as its next president a man who schemed to overturn its last presidential election. A month later, South Koreans swarmed their legislature to block their president's attempt to impose martial law. The contrast sums up a year...
Venezuelan opposition leaders receive the European Union’s top human rights honor
STRASBOURG, France (AP) — The European Union's legislature on Tuesday celebrated the bravery and staunch resistance of Venezuelan opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia while awarding them the EU’s top human rights honor, the Sakharov Prize. ...
Taipei mayor calls for less confrontation as China continues sending ships, planes near island
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — The China-friendly mayor of Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, on Tuesday called for less confrontation between the sides, even as Beijing continues to send warships and fighter jets to intimidate the self-governing island democracy. Chiang Wan-an was speaking...
Bolivia's divisive popular vote for senior judges offers lessons for Mexico
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Campaigning in Bolivia for Sunday's judicial election may be strictly forbidden, but look closer on the streets of the capital La Paz and you’ll find that some candidates have sneakily plastered their faces on packs of corn puffs and others have slipped subtle slogans...
