This is perhaps unsurprising given the secretive nature of the illegal drug trade, and the Team accepts the expert judgements that the Taliban benefit from drug revenues.

But neither citizens nor policymakers appear willing to bear its social and political costs. In a charged and uncertain political climate, in which new crises erupt on a daily basis, it is unsurprising that economic reform has been postponed repeatedly.

Juncker, after all, has many senior politicians to accommodate, and their approval by the European Parliament is no minor matter. And, though it was perhaps unsurprising that Cameron should be unenthusiastic about Juncker s candidacy, the vehemence of his opposition was extraordinary.

Given all of this, it is unsurprising that the reform of the international monetary system and its governance will feature prominently at next year s G 20 summit, hosted by China, which will hold the group s rotating presidency. It is not yet clear how China will shape the debate.

TOKYO For Japanese leaders and citizens, President Vladimir Putin s brutal annexation of Crimea was an unsurprising return to the normal paradigm of Russian history. Indeed, most Japanese regard the move as having been determined by some expansionist gene in Russia s political DNA, rather than by Putin himself or the specifics of the Ukraine crisis.

Such achievements shattered the indomitable image of the Israeli army, exposing a weakness that other radical Islamist groups may attempt to exploit. Against this background, it is perhaps unsurprising that Hamas managed to compel most Israelis living in areas adjacent to Gaza to flee, with many Israelis accusing their government of failing to protect its citizens adequately.

Given this, it is perhaps unsurprising that, whereas Saudi Arabia s sclerotic leadership pursues reactionary policies rooted in a puritanical understanding of Islam, Qatar s younger royals have adopted a forward thinking approach. Qatar is the home of the Al Jazeera satellite television channel and Education City, a district outside of Doha that accommodates schools, universities, and research centers.

In a climate of budgetary restraint, it is unsurprising that the European Council agreed earlier this year to reduce the EU budget by 3.4 relative to the 2007 2013 MFF. But, with austerity under fire and EU countries looking to encourage spending, the Council should also consider the budget s shape, ensuring that the MFF does not impede future growth and investment.

Given this interconnectedness, it is unsurprising that the EU s compartmentalized responses such as the European Agenda on Migration, the Eastern Partnership, and the Energy Security Strategy while important, have proved inadequate. What is needed is an overarching framework that not only underpins a self reinforcing and coordinated response to core security threats, but also takes advantage of linkages and opportunities to buttress Europe s capacity to act.

Unlike the financial benefits of reducing labor costs, the financial benefits of profit sharing, realized gradually through greater employee engagement and reduced turnover, are difficult to measure, uncertain, and unlikely to have an immediate effect on earnings per share, a major determinant of executive compensation. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the advantages of profit sharing are undervalued by many companies, especially those that focus on short term success metrics.