November 2008
This issue focuses on the Global Credit Crisis and its impact on the Israeli politics. It also features a closeup on Brazilian proposals for new oil legislation.

October 2008
Latin American countries have experienced remarkable economic prosperity during the past five years, and their governments have been strengthened by skyrocketing approval ratings. The next 12 months, however, could be more challenging - due in large part to the limits of the so-called "irresponsible left." (The most identifiable trend in Latin America over the past five to seven years has been a turn toward the left in terms of political and fiscal policies.)

September 2008
Although the recent dispute with Georgia could inflict lasting damage to Moscow's external economic relationships, Russia's show of strength in the region could bolster its role as an energy exporter in the longer term. This month’s close up focuses on Thailand, where politics will remain unsettled in the near term following former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's self-imposed exile in the UK.