Research Briefing
The Gaza flotilla attack and its aftermath
Summary of the attack on the flotilla, arguments surrounding its legality, the Israeli investigations into the raid and its political outcome
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Research Briefing
India: Development aid from the UK & other donors
UK aid to India was £297 million in 2008/09, and India has received more UK overseas aid than any other country since 1998. As one of the rapidly expanding emerging 'BRIC' economies, this aid programme has come under increasingly intense scrutiny. Recent commentary and Government statements are summarised.
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Research Briefing
Property disputes in north Cyprus
Property ownership is a major issue in the divided island of Cyprus, not just for Cypriots but for British and other people. Many thousands of people were displaced after the Turkish intervention in 1974, abandoning their property, and in the north much of this has been transferred to other people without the original owner's consent. The resulting disputes have not only thwarted progress in reunification talks but also resulted in a large number of court cases.
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Research Briefing
In brief: a closed window in Cyprus?
The nationalist Dervis Eroglu won the April 2010 presidential elections in the 'Turkish Republic of North Cyprus' with just over 50% of the vote. Most commentators had argued that a win by Eroglu would close a window of opportunity for reunification, but peace talks have in fact resumed. Are these talks likely to bring progress, or is Eroglu really still in favour of a two-state solution?
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Research Briefing
Debt relief & ‘vulture funds’: the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010
This note provides an update to the second reading and committee stage Library research papers on the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill, also known as the 'Vulture Funds' Bill. The Act entered into force in June 2010 and will lapse if not renewed within a year due to a 'sunset clause'.
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Research Briefing
Parliamentary scrutiny of opt-in decisions to the EU Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
The UK has an opt-in arrangement to measures in the "Area of Freedom, Security and Justice", which concern mainly immigration and asylum, border control, judicial cooperation in civil law, policing and criminal law. This Note looks at parliamentary scrutiny of the opt-in arrangement.
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Research Briefing
The Terrorist Asset-Freezing Etc.Bill 2010-11
Describes the cases that led to the quashing of the terrorist asset-freezing regime by the Supreme Court, the temporary provisions bill that reinstated it and the present Bill, designed to provide a permanent solution to the problem.
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Research Briefing
Yemen
The failed attempt on 25 December to destroy an airliner bound for Detroit has focussed attention on the situation in Yemen. This note summarises political and military developments in the country and looks at Yemeni relations with the UK and the EU.
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Research Briefing
FiReControl and the Regionalisation of the Fire Service
The FiReControl project, involving the closure of local fire control rooms and the establishment of 9 regional control rooms, has been highly controversial. This note covers the background to the reform and recent developments.
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Research Briefing
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) & the September 2010 UN review summit
The UN's eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are aimed at reducing world poverty and improving lives by 2015. This note provides background and a progress assessment ahead of a UN review summit in September 2010.
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Research Briefing
In brief: Kyrgyzstan
Summary about disturbances and the change of government in Kyrgyzstan
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Research Briefing
The ‘AfPak policy’ and the Pashtuns
The first part of this paper focuses on the Pashtuns, beginning with a survey of the geographic, historical and cultural factors which have shaped Pashtun identities in Afghanistan and Pakistan before going on to describe the political and security arrangements under which they currently live. The paper then reviews the Pashtun armed militant groups currently operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The second part of the paper then looks at the US AfPak policy, setting out its origins and evolution before assessing the prospects for success over the coming year and beyond.
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Research Briefing
Human Rights Act and planning
This note discusses how the European Convention on Human Rights affects UK planning law
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Research Briefing
Progress towards nuclear disarmament?
In April 2009 President Obama set out his vision for a world without nuclear weapons, and in doing so laid the groundwork for renewed international efforts to strengthen and advance the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. Over the past year that momentum has translated into the agreement of a successor to the US-Russia START treaty, global commitments to secure highly vulnerable nuclear materials within four years and the establishment, at the May 2010 Review Conference, of an action plan in support of the three main pillars of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This paper examines the prospects for achieving that vision of 'global zero'.
Total results (page 149 of 167)