Three Russian mercenaries in northern Mali.

Mali’s government is struggling to assert its authority as more communities fall to various Islamist groups. After a decade of faltering counterinsurgency efforts, it might be time to take a closer look at the biggest obstacle to stability —the Malian state’s chronic inability to counteract shadow governance structures.

The economic crisis in Sri Lanka has deepened under the leadership of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, prompting the government to seek an IMF bailout, while political tensions continue to simmer amidst concerns about corruption and human rights abuses.

A year after mass protests forced the resignation of the government, Sri Lanka is making some progress on its economic and debt crises. But the country is not out of danger. Its humanitarian crisis is far from over, and some of the forces that helped create the catastrophe are still embedded in the country’s centers of power.

Amid ongoing protests against corruption in Laos, both the economy and politics have been affected, prompting Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith to promise reforms aimed at tackling the issue.

In the past year, Laos has witnessed more popular unrest than it has in decades. Under normal circumstances, the regime would typically respond to any public displays of dissent by cracking down on protesters and circling its wagons. But amid severe economic distress, many citizens are increasingly undaunted by the fear of repression.

The indictment of former President Uribe on corruption charges in Colombia has drawn attention to the issue of corruption in Latin America, and raised questions about the extent of the involvement of former President Trump in the region.

Former President Donald Trump’s indictment last week may have left the U.S. in uncharted waters. But the rest of the Western Hemisphere provides plenty of lessons for what happens when a former president is indicted. While a successful trial and conviction is possible, not all cases end the political careers of former leaders.