While corruption continues to pervade in several Asian countries, the situation in the Philippines remains unique. In his journal article, economist Robert H. Nelson said the country has fallen far behind other countries in Southeast Asia and East Asia in terms of economic development because of rampant corruption and political instability. Furthermore, he observed that […]
1950: Iran has an expressed interest in the research and development of nuclear technology as early as the 1950s—a period when the country began receiving assistance from the United States Atom for Peace program. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah or King of Iran, had spearheaded the development of technologies related to the Iranian nuclear program. As […]
Islam has existed in China for thousand of years and currently, there are Muslims living in every region across the country. The presence of several Muslim organisations and representative bodies further demonstrates the integration of Islam in the greater Chinese society. However, in some regions, the social and political oppression of Muslims pervade. In the […]
Propaganda shares similarities with advertising and public relations. Thus, whenever the Islamic State or ISIS rolls out a series of propaganda, the goal is to sell a particular brand of Islamic governance, sell jihadist and extremist ideas, and incite other Muslims to join the jihadist movement or provoke targeted adversaries.But like any other messages, the propaganda […]
Despite demonstrated armed capabilities and an established stronghold in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State or ISIS is still having a hard time dealing with resistant groups—among them are factions of battle-hardened warriors commonly known as the Kurdistan fighters. Who are the Kurdistan fighters? Despite shared ethnicity and geopolitical identity, it would be difficult to […]
Los Angeles passed an ordinance in 2008 that banned fast food restaurants in South Los Angeles and other neighboring areas within the city. However, a study from RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, revealed that this ordinance was not effective because overweight and obesity rates in areas covered under the fast food ban have increased […]
Better breakfast, better grades—a new study conducted by a researcher from the University of Iowa has reinforced this apparent adage. The study centred on examining the difference in the academic performance between students who attend schools that participate in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) of the United States Department of Agriculture and students who attend […]
Like any other oil producing and exporting countries, the economic potential of Kuwait is boundless. Wealth derived from its oil industry has the capacity to support programs or initiatives aimed at promoting broad industrialisation and economic diversification. However, bureaucracy and process inefficiency due to nepotism permeate across its business landscape and labor market, thus discouraging […]
Although the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, otherwise known as ISIS, was a former member of the global militant Islamist or jihadist organisation al-Qaeda and has carried similar horrid activities in the Middle East, it remains considerably distinctive. Remember that in February 2014, al-Qaeda publicly announced it was severing ties with ISIS, citing its […]
A health economist has further cemented the link between changing lifestyle and the ongoing obesity pandemic in the United States. This time, however, the growth of big box retailers and restaurants appeared to have contributed significantly to sharp rise in obesity rates. According to Charles Courtemanche, a health economist and assistant professor in the Andrew […]
The potential of Iraq to become an economic powerhouse in the Middle East is staggering. However, despite possessing an abundant supply of fossil fuels, the country lags behind its supposed contemporaries—especially neighbouring oil exporters Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. With oil reserves account for 12% of the collective reserves of the Organization of […]
The crash in oil prices has caught the world by surprise. Currently, price level is at the lowest since 2009 and many analysts and experts from the industry, including top oil producer Saudi Arabia, believe cheap oil is here to stay for a while. Of course, the general public, political pundits, and investors are all […]