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Research Briefing
Nigeria: MINT-ed?
Jim O’Neill, the economist who first coined the term ‘BRICS’ in 2001, has announced that Nigeria (along with Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey [acronym: MINT) could become one of the next emerging ‘economic giants’. Yet there remain grounds for wondering whether Mr O’Neill’s view is overly rose-tinted. In sharp contrast to him, some recent observers have been talking instead of possible ‘revolution’ or the ‘disintegration’ of Nigeria. Perhaps, like pre-1914 Russia, it is precariously teetering between all three options.
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Research Briefing
European Union (Approvals) Bill
The Bill aims to approve two draft EU Council Regulations made under Article 352 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
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Research Briefing
EU Enforcement of Free Movement of People Rules
What action has the EU taken to enforce freedom of movement throughout the EU?
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Research Briefing
The Prawer-Begin Plan
There has been a lot of controversy about the Prawer-Begin plan to relocate some of Israel’s semi-nomadic Bedouin population to approved towns, with the UN Human Rights Council saying that it violates Bedouin rights and is discriminatory. In December it was announced that the bill would be substantially amended after opposition from both left- and right-wing politicians in the Knesset.
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Research Briefing
Germany’s 2013 election: shaping the future?
Where is Germany – the most influential country in Europe – heading, under its new grand coalition government?
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Research Briefing
The Deal with Iran
On the 24th of November, the world woke up to news that a deal had been reached between the Permanent Five plus One (the UK, US, France, China, Russia and Germany) and Iran. A Joint Plan of Action was the outcome of weeks of hard negotiations. The deal was indeed revealed to be the fruit of years of US-Iran secret negotiations alongside a decade of public Iranian diplomacy following the revelation of a wide scale Iranian enrichment programme. This note seeks to outline the terms of the deal and reactions to it, background information for context and give a sense of potential technical and geopolitical outcomes.
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Research Briefing
Interpal
The UK charity collects money for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and in Lebanon and Jordan. It has been the subject of controversy because of allegations that money distributed by it has gone to promote terrorism. After some delays it has been cleared by the Charity Commission, but it is still a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organisation, on the US Treasury’s list.
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Research Briefing
The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy: A Fresh Impetus?
The European Council Summit is due to be held on 19-20 December 2013. Among the main issues for debate is the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). It will be the first time in five years that EU leaders have comprehensively discussed EU defence policy, amid criticisms that CSDP has lost momentum due to a lack of consensus over its strategic direction, an unwillingness on the part of Member States to commit the necessary resources and the prevailing economic crisis which has seen defence budgets fall across Europe and capabilities cut.
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Research Briefing
The Royal Navy’s surface fleet: in brief
The Royal Navy is in the middle of an ambitious programme to upgrade its surface fleet with new destroyers, frigates and at least one operational aircraft carrier.
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Research Briefing
Report Stage and Third Reading of the Defence Reform Bill
Report Stage and Third Several amendments were tabled prior to Report stage, including one which sought to impose an obligation on the Government to report on the viability and cost-effectiveness of the plan to increase the size of the Reserves, which would then be subject to approval by both Houses before the Government could continue with its reform agenda. Despite the support of several Conservative backbenchers, that amendment was, however, defeated on division. A clause seeking to increase the leave entitlement of Reservists was also defeated. Reading of the Defence Reform Bill took place in the House of Commons on 20 November 2013.
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