Lebanon has had no president since the departure from office of Michel Aoun in October last year, and the jockeying for position continues. Hezbollah and the Amal movement were banking on Christian division to push their candidate, Sulaiman Franjieh, but the Christian blocs surprised them by supporting the candidacy of …

Politicians in Kyrgyzstan have for years attempted to push through controversial legislation that would impose restrictions on nongovernmental organizations that receive funding from abroad. But lawmakers have rejected multiple draft bills, fearing it would harm the Central Asian country’s democratic credentials and lead to donors pulling foreign aid. Now, there …

Putin’s cult of personality, Vladimir Pastukhov says, “is not only the main but apparently the only political institution in Russia that is fully operational and that has been gradually pushing all the other mechanisms for maintaining public order there to the sidelines.” “It is not Putin that performs this role, …