World affairs Archives

Research Briefing

Oil embargo on Iran and the threat to the Straits of Hormuz

Thursday, 19 January, 2012

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.
Research Briefing

Russian revolt?

Tuesday, 03 January, 2012

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.
Research Briefing

North Korea’s dynastic succession

Tuesday, 03 January, 2012

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.
Research Briefing

Convention against enforced disappearance

Wednesday, 21 December, 2011

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
- Research Briefing
- International law
Research Briefing

Drone attacks and the killing of Anwar al-Awlaqi: legal issues

Tuesday, 20 December, 2011

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.
Research Briefing

Control orders and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005

Monday, 19 December, 2011

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.
Research Briefing

Privatisation of RAF/Royal Navy Search and Rescue

Friday, 16 December, 2011
Research Briefing

Military balance in Southeast Asia

Wednesday, 14 December, 2011

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.
Research Briefing

Southeast Asia: A political and economic introduction

Wednesday, 14 December, 2011

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.
Research Briefing

In Brief: The Financial Restrictions (Iran) Order 2011

Tuesday, 13 December, 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.
Research Briefing

Croatia: the closing stages of EU accession

Friday, 09 December, 2011

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.
Research Briefing

Repatriating EU powers to Member States

Wednesday, 07 December, 2011

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.
Research Briefing

Afghan reconciliation and the Bonn conference

Monday, 05 December, 2011

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.
Research Briefing

EU bibliographies: Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) Directive

Friday, 02 December, 2011

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
Research Briefing

In Brief: Egyptian election 2011

Friday, 25 November, 2011

A brief run-down of the first election in Egypt since the fall of Hosni Mubarak

Total results (page 142 of 168)