Bulgaria’s government quits amidst economic and political turmoil:

After protests over the high cost of energy took a violent turn, Bulgaria’s populist Prime Minister Boiko Borisov denounced heavy-handed police tactics and announced that he and his government are resigning in response to the willof the people. With elections coming up in July, the former Communistbloc country is faced with weak political leadership, high unemployment amid a fierce anti-austerity backlash. Robert Castle, a Ph.D. candidate at the CityUniversity of New York and former lecturer at the American University inBulgaria explains why he thinks Borisov’s actions are more about political opportunismthan righteous indignation.

Oscar nominated documentary offers rare inside view of Israeli intelligence agency

The Oscar-nominated documentary The Gatekeepers examines the modern history of Israel through the eyes of those who ran its intelligence apparatus. They tackle several big questions facing Israel, including the two-state solution and settlements. It’s the first time any of these Shin Bet leaders have given interviews. Filmmaker Droh Moreh and Worldview film contributor Milos Stehlik join us to talk about the movie and the reaction its received in Israel and beyond. 

Cultural barriers leave Somali women out of politics

In the last decade, many African nations have made significant strides in increasing women’s role in politics. Countries like Liberia and Malawi have female presidents, whereas others like Rwanda and Mozambique have more women in elected office than many Western nations. But Somalia lags way behind. Somali-Canadian Fowsia Abdulkadir will be a featured speaker at Saturday’s Voices of Somali Women Conference, sponsored by the Chicago-based Somalia Strategy Forum. She explains what is holding Somali women back.