Even in a busy year of elections, the next few days stand out. Voters go to the polls over the next week in fledgling democracies like Mauritania and Mongolia, in the Islamic Republic of Iran and in the stalwart democracies of Britain and France. U.S. President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump were set to hold the first of two TV debates before their expected November standoff. But other countries are facing hard choices that could reorient global politics at a time of war, increasing suspicion among some big powers and worries about issues like inflation and taxes.
