Oil Prices
Spot oil prices were around $78 per barrel in late October 2018. They have been rising steadily since early 2016,…
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Middle East
Yemen update autumn 2018
As humanitarians warn that Yemen could be heading for the biggest famine for a century, the Trump Administration has called…
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Lebanon 2018
The resignation of Saad Hariri, Lebanese Prime Minister, then his withdrawal of that resignation drew attention to Lebanon’s entanglement with…
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Human rights abuses and UK assistance to Bahrain
A Westminster Hall debate on “Human rights abuses and UK assistance to Bahrain” has been scheduled for Tuesday 11 September…
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Chemical weapons and Syria – in brief
This briefing paper looks at the UK response to allegations of chemical weapons usage in Syria.…
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ISIS/Daesh: what now for the military campaign in Iraq and Syria?
ISIS has lost 98% of the territory it once held in Iraq and Syria and in December 2017 the Iraqi…
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Humanitarian situation in Gaza
Debate Pack for the Westminster Hall debate on the ‘Humanitarian situation in Gaza’, scheduled for Tuesday 26 June 2018, from…
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Yemen: The attack on al-Hodeida
Aid agencies warn that many Yemenis’ welfare hangs by a thread and with the attack on al-Hodeida that thread could break.…
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Look ahead to 2018 NATO Summit
This Commons Library paper provides a short look ahead to the next NATO summit on 11-12 July. MPs will debate…
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Iraq and the 2018 election
Iraqis went to the polls to elect a new parliament in May 2018. The result surprised observers.…
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UK relations with Qatar
A debate on ‘UK relations with Qatar’ has been scheduled for Wednesday 23 May 2018 in Westminster Hall from 2.30pm…
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Can Europe save the Iran nuclear deal?
European leaders say they will try to save the Iran nuclear deal. Is this realistic?…
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Iran nuclear deal: what next?
Donald Trump announced on 8 May that the US was withdrawing from the nuclear deal agreed by China, France, Germany, Russia, the UK and the US in 2015. What happens now?…
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Parliamentary approval for military action
The deployment of the Armed Forces is currently a prerogative power. Parliament has no legally established role and the Government…
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The legal basis for air strikes against Syrian government targets
This paper looks at the general prohibition in international law on the use of force or threat of force directed…
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