Special report: Voice to the youth: Political participation in the EU and beyond. ←click here

Nov.28.– The EU is stepping up its efforts to promote civic engagement and political participation with a new initiative targeting young people in third countries through its Youth Action Plan.

The plan was first presented in October by the EU Commission in a bid to “increase the voice and leadership” of young people in decision-making within the bloc’s external action for 2022-2027.

This Monday (28 November), the EU Council agreed on conclusions on the new initiative and called on the Commission, the EU external action service and member states to “mainstream meaningful youth participation and engagement in international fora and at multilateral, regional, country and local level”.

Nov. 12.– The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the EU’s national Economic and Social Councils discussed at their annual meeting the integration of people fleeing the war in Ukraine, the EU’s open strategic autonomy and enhancing the EESC’s role following the Conference on the Future of Europe.

European organised civil society can and must contribute to providing an effective answer to the EU’s current geopolitical challenges, such as the integration of people fleeing the war in Ukraine and the need for a strategic autonomy.

North Korea has threatened the US with "powerful follow-up measures" if it does not stop conducting joint military drills with South Korea.

Washington and Seoul on Monday began one of their largest combined military air drills, which will end on Friday.

North Korea has also launched a series of missiles in recent weeks in response to the various drills.

This follows intelligence reports that Pyongyang is preparing for its first nuclear weapon test since 2017.

"If the US continuously persists in the grave military provocations, [North Korea] will take into account more powerful follow-up measures," said North Korea's foreign ministry in a statement.

"If [Washington] does not want any serious developments not suited to its security interests, it should stop the useless and ineffective war exercises at once. If not, it will have to totally take the blame for all the consequences."

The current military drills, called Vigilant Storm, involve hundreds of airplanes conducting mock attacks 24 hours a day.

Early in October, Washington deployed its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan near the Korean Peninsula in a move that was widely seen as a warning to the North - and the carrier took part in a round of naval drills.

Former Soviet states have become unlikely defenders of the rule of law.

Oct. 26.– In too many places around the world, freedom is denied. In theocracies such as Afghanistan and Iran, women lack the right to dress as they please. In countries from Myanmar to Sudan, juntas rule. And Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, has not only launched a lawless war against his neighbour, Ukraine, but clamped down further on his own people’s rights. Yet there are bright spots too—and some of these can be found on Mr. Putin’s doorstep (see chart).

This can be seen in a report published on October 26th by the World Justice Project, a charity based in Washington, DC. It draws on tens of thousands of responses from legal practitioners, local academics, and household surveys to produce the Rule of Law Index, a ranking of 140 countries and jurisdictions according to a series of indicators: constraints on government powers, the absence of corruption, fundamental rights, and criminal and civil justice.