Pope Benedict XVI is visiting Cuba this week, after declaring that "communism no longer works in Cuba". And some young entrepreneurs in Havana might agree. The housing market is suddenly booming, while individuals are trying to set themselves up in business. This comes after reforms were implemented by President Raul Castro, which have boosted private enterprise.
Pope Benedict XVI was due to begin a three-day visit to Cuba on Monday after warning that Marxism "no longer corresponds to reality" during a tour of Mexico at the weekend.
Is Wukan village setting a precedent for free and fair local elections in Communist China? After a spate of land seizures in December, Wukan residents took matters into their own hands and demanded they be allowed to elect the local authorities. It remains to be seen whether the Wukan model could be applied elsewhere, but the village has gained a lot of attention in China and abroad. Our correspondents report from the trailblazing town.
It's 20 years to the day since the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. But to mark the anniversary there were neither commemorations nor speeches. The mood in Russia is one of defiance. Never since Vladimir Putin came to power 12 years ago, has he faced such strong opposition. On Saturday the protest movement gathered tens of thousands of people in Moscow. Is this the beginning of a new era, in which Vladimir Putin no longer reigns supreme?
It's 20 years to the day since the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. But to mark the anniversary there were neither commemorations nor speeches. The mood in Russia is one of defiance. Never since Vladimir Putin came to power 12 years ago, has he faced such strong opposition. On Saturday the protest movement gathered tens of thousands of people in Moscow. Is this the beginning of a new era, in which Vladimir Putin no longer reigns supreme?
To make sense of the changing of the guard inside the world’s most reclusive regime, look at the army… and the price of corn. So say former chief U.S. negotiator to North Korea Christopher Hill and Marcus Noland who interviewed hundreds of North Korean defectors for his latest book.
To make sense of the changing of the guard inside the world’s most reclusive regime, look at the army… and the price of corn. So say former chief U.S. negotiator to North Korea Christopher Hill and Marcus Noland who interviewed hundreds of North Korean defectors for his latest book.
Move over Texas, there’s black gold in North Dakota. We visit the state that is helping a surge in US oil production. Meanwhile, after two decades abroad, Panama's former dictator Manuel Noriega is going home to a lengthy jail term. Finally, she was born to be a die-hard Communist but Stalin's only daughter passed away in the United States this week.
Marking the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party Friday, President Hu Jintao praised the party’s economic accomplishments but also warned that it must fight corruption to retain popular support.
France 24 brings you the first of a series of special debates as its teams travel across Europe. Today we're in Poland, a country which has gained a lot of confidence since the fall of communism almost 20 years ago. As Poland takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union on July 1st, can it be a diplomatic and economic model for the rest of the EU?
