Around the World

Iraq
Political tensions grew in Iraq following an appeals court’s decision to overturn a ban on hundreds of candidates in next month’s election for having ties to Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party. Read more on Iraq at Freedom in the World 2009: Iraq

China
China is again warning the Obama administration against meeting with the Dalai Lama, saying that the United States will suffer unspecified consequences if its leaders meet with the exiled spiritual leader of the Tibetans. Read more on China at Freedom in the World 2009: China

Ukraine
Former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich will face off against current Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in the second round of the presidential election scheduled for February 7th. Read more on Ukraine at Freedom in the World 2009: Ukraine

Guinea
In a country that has never truly known democracy, the peaceful transfer of power to a civilian four months after a brutal army massacre brings hope about the future of democracy in Guinea. Read more on Guinea at Freedom in the World 2009: Guinea