Zimbabwe is on the brink. But of what?

Hope for a fresh start? Yes. Democracy? Maybe.

On Tuesday, Robert Mugabe resigned after nearly four decades as president. His resignation could be seen as a nod toward the rule of law after years of lawless rule.

To be sure, Mr. Mugabe was pushed. His ZANU-PF party moved to impeach him on grounds of misconduct and failure to uphold the Constitution.

As much as Zimbabweans cheered Tuesday (and have ever since the military deposed Mugabe last week), his likely replacement doesn’t look much different.

The ruling ZANU-PF party is backing former Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa for president. Mr. Mnangagwa has been around as long as Mugabe, and has a reputation as the muscle behind the despot. Not exactly a harbinger of democracy.

But if Zimbabwe is building a new foundation for the future, the fact that the ruling party has stuck to the constitutional rules so far could be seen as a vote for the integrity of the democratic process.

You may recall that Bob Marley sang “Zimbabwe” at Mugabe’s inauguration in 1980. Those understated lyrics have resonance again:

"No more internal power struggle

We come together to overcome the little trouble …"

Here are our five selected stories for today, including portraits of innovators, problem solvers, and people challenging outdated assumptions.