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MENASource

Oct 15, 2015

Top News: Egypt Designated a “Country of Particular Concern” in US Religious Freedom Report

By EgyptSource

For the fifth year in a row, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended in its 2015 report that Egypt be designated a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).

Trade in Action

Oct 15, 2015

TTIP Action – October 7

By Global Business & Economics Program

United States Trade Representative Michael Froman and the other 11 ministers from the TPP countries pose for a photo after completing negotiations for the Transpacific Partnership on October 5 in Atlanta. (Picture: Office of the United States Trade Representative) This Week’s Trade Highlights October has started out as a good month for trade: The United States concluded TPP negotiations with […]

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs

Trade in Action

Oct 15, 2015

TTIP Action – September 30

By Global Business & Economics Program

European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström speaks about TTIP and the future of trade policy at Columbia University on September 25 in New York City. (Picture: European Commission) This Week’s Trade Highlights After an eventful last week featuring Chinese President Xi, EU Trade Commissioner Malmström, the Pope, and the UN Summit in New York City, this week […]

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs

MENASource

Oct 15, 2015

EconSource: World Bank May Compensate Syria’s Neighbors for Refugee Costs

By EconSource

The World Bank plans to discuss the possibility of compensating Syria’s neighbors for the substantial financial cost of hosting refugees for long periods of time, Senior Advisor to the World Bank President Colin Bruce said in Geneva on Thursday.

MENASource

Oct 15, 2015

Egyptians Face Few Options at Parliamentary Polls

By Emily Crane Linn

Starting October 16, Egypt will come to the end of its dragged out transitional period by holding its first parliamentary election since 2012. Heralded as the final step in Egypt’s revolutionary roadmap, this election is anything but revolutionary. Rather, it has been marked by a sense political apathy reminiscent of former president Hosni Mubarak’s reign.

Elections North Africa

AfricaSource

Oct 15, 2015

Rwanda: Term Limit Controversy Masks Real Issues

By Sam Learner

The decision by Rwanda’s Supreme Court to allow a popular referendum on the lifting of presidential term limits has all but cleared President Paul Kagame’s path to a third term in office. Rwanda’s constitution currently restricts the president to two seven-year terms, the second of which President Kagame began in 2010, but the ruling Rwandan Patriotic […]

Africa East Africa

UkraineAlert

Oct 15, 2015

New Movie Reveals Russia’s Attempts to Destroy Ukraine

By Diane Francis

Ukraine is a nation interrupted, its identity and promise stolen by invaders and predators for centuries. Ukraine’s principle oppressor has been, and remains, Russia where leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin propagate the fiction that Ukraine is “little Russia.” But the two are distinctive and the Ukrainian language is as different from Russian as is […]

Russia Ukraine

Trade in Action

Oct 14, 2015

TTIP Action – September 23

By Global Business & Economics Program

USTR Michael Froman and European Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström meet this week ahead of the next round of TTIP negotiations in October in Miami, Florida. (Foto: USTR.gov) This Week’s Trade Highlights On the European side, the European Union and Japan concluded the 12th round of talks towards a free trade agreement, while the Greeks voted for the fifth time in six years- and […]

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs

New Atlanticist

Oct 14, 2015

Obama Should Maintain Current Troop Levels in Afghanistan, says former US Ambassador

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Atlantic Council’s James B. Cunningham sees Afghan security forces’ confidence, US counterterrorism mission’s success at stake The United States should not further reduce its military and intelligence presence in Afghanistan. Doing so will undermine Afghan security forces and “vitiate” the US’ counterterrorism mission in an important part of the world, said James B. Cunningham, a […]

Afghanistan

Trade in Action

Oct 14, 2015

TTIP Action – September 16

By Global Business & Economics Program

European Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship, and SMEs Elżbieta Bieńkowska speaks at the Atlantic Council on September 14 about TTIP, SMEs, and the European Commission’s economic agenda. The Commissioner was accompanied by EU Ambassador to the united States David O’Sullivan (right).The discussion was moderated by Andrea Montanino, Director of the Global Business and Economics Program of […]

Economy & Business Trade and tariffs