Mitt Romney needs to answers basic questions about potential conflicts between his religious vows and his prospective presidential vows.

Instantly, the Middle East crisis came into sharp focus. Applying NPS®, the entire conflict could be cast in terms of a company (Israel) whose customers (Palestinians) were not brand loyal.

With the selection of the politically extreme Paul Ryan as his VP candidate, Romney will energize Obama’s base as well as his own, making it a watchable race for those who enjoy political blood sports.

Tensions in Kyrgyzstan are often reduced to a division between the north and south of the country, and it is widely feared that the upcoming presidential elections will trigger violent conflict. But are the causes of disagreement so simple, asks Elmira Satybaldieva, and is it necessarily true that violence will follow?