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Complications Ahead for Afghanistan’s Election Reform
With the Afghan presidential election scheduled for April 2014, just three months after U.S. troops begin withdrawing from the Afghan combat mission, reforms to the previously highly flawed Afghan electoral
Cyprus Bailout Process Moves Forward Despite Risks
Monitors from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Commission and the European Central Bank, collectively called the troika, visited Cyprus from July 17 until July 31 to assess the
The Real Reason High Oil Prices Lead to Instability
Businesses rarely gain from political instability so trying to predict unrest is a critical activity for any entity investing in a volatile corner of the world. One of the factors
India’s Naval Buildup Positive For Regional Commerce
On August 5, 2013 late in the night, five Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush while on patrol in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir. Early reports show that
Financial service commission ban limits advisory market
Is commission equal to fraud? In Australia, the Netherlands and UK the answer is yes, and more countries look likely to join their ranks. Inherent to the commission system was
Op-Ed: Canada’s Shift to Northern ‘Development’
Investigate Canada’s shift towards ‘Northern Development’ under the Conservative government of Stephen Harper and what it means for the North. My July 13 GRI article, Effects of Liberal Economics on
Shale Oil Changes International Energy Trade
At the onset of the global financial crisis in the summer of 2008, with oil prices hitting $147 per barrel, no political or energy analyst considered shale oil as an
The Eurozone Isn’t Quite Bailed-out Yet
According to several recent statistics, the Eurozone’s future is looking brighter than it has in a long time. Not only has Eurozone unemployment fallen for the first time in two
Ramadan shows religious freedom deficit in Central Asia
The holy month of Ramadan puts in sharp relief the challenges to religious freedom by secular governments in the former Soviet Central Asian republics. Most notably, this year in Uzbekistan,
Party convention changes Indonesia’s Election
With the Indonesian presidential elections less than a year away, rumours surrounding prospective candidates have already begun. Of the three big parties – Partai Demokrat (PD), Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan