Research Briefing
Argentina and the Falkland Islands
This Note looks at the last two governments in Argentina under Nestor Kirchner and Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who have pursued the Argentinean claim to sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.
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Research Briefing
Oil embargo on Iran and the threat to the Straits of Hormuz
EU countries are preparing to impose a new round of sanctions on Iran, to include an embargo on the import of oil. The US has also enacted new legislation which will target the Iranian central bank and make oil trading more difficult for Iran. Iran has responded with some threatening comments about closing the Straits of Hormuz, leading to a rise in the oil price. It has also signalled that it is open to re-starting talks. This note details these developments and gives some samples of recent expert commentary.
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Research Briefing
Russian revolt?
The election for the Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) saw a dramatic slump in the legitimacy of Vladimir Putin’s regime. The Kremlin was widely perceived to have falsified the results but still lost many seats. This note looks at the difficulties faced by the Russian elite and some possible consequences for relations with western neighbours.
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Research Briefing
North Korea’s dynastic succession
This note briefly surveys the final month's of Kim Jong-Il's rule in North Korea and, following his death on 17 December 2011, the rise of his youngest son, Kim Jong-Un, to power.
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Research Briefing
Convention against enforced disappearance
In 2006 the UN in 2006 adopted the International Convention on the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance. It creates new obligations on states and establishes a new Committee to monitor implementation. So far only 30 states have ratified the Convention; the UK is not one of them
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Research Briefing
Drone attacks and the killing of Anwar al-Awlaqi: legal issues
Anwar al-Awlaqi, a dual US-Yemeni citizen described as the “leader of external operations for Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula”, was killed by a US drone attack in Yemen on 30 September 2011. Whether this was legal under international or US law is a matter of considerable debate.
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Research Briefing
Control orders and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005
This note is intended to provide a brief summary of the key provisions of the Act and the use that the Home Secretary has made of the powers under the Act since it came into force.
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Research Briefing
Military balance in Southeast Asia
This paper examines the military balance of power in Southeast Asia and specifically at the military capabilities and priorities of six regional actors: Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore.
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Research Briefing
Southeast Asia: A political and economic introduction
This paper provides a broad introduction to Southeast Asia. It offers key facts and figures about the region, followed by country studies of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It then looks more analytically at two key issues for the region: democratisation and Islamist terrorism. It ends with a select bibliography.
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Research Briefing
In Brief: The Financial Restrictions (Iran) Order 2011
Comprehensive financial sanctions were imposed on Iran by Statutory Instrument 2775, The Financial Restrictions (Iran) Order 2011, to be debated on a motion to approve on 13 December 2011.
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Research Briefing
Croatia: the closing stages of EU accession
Croatia has nearly finished the process of joining the EU: if all goes according to plan it will become the EU’s 28th Member State on 1 July 2013.
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Research Briefing
Repatriating EU powers to Member States
The EU Treaties as amended by the Lisbon Treaty provides for the first time a Treaty base for the return, as well as the increase, of powers. Either would in all likelihood require a Treaty amendment.
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Research Briefing
Afghan reconciliation and the Bonn conference
This note describes briefly the security situation in Afghanistan, the progress or otherwise of attempts to reconcile and reintegrate insurgents with the government and looks at the conference to be held in Bonn, marking the 10th anniversary of the conference which set up the present government.
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Research Briefing
EU bibliographies: Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) Directive
This Note brings together documents relevant to the proposed "Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive" (also known as the AIFM Directive or the "Hedge Funds" Directive), and its scrutiny in the UK and EU. It is not an attempt to define policy in this area. For information on policy developments contact Tim Edmonds on extn 4318. See also SN/BT/5099 European responses to the financial crisis specifically p39
Total results (page 141 of 167)