Research Briefing
Formation of new Palestinian government
Briefing on Fatah-Hamas reconciliation, formation of new Palestinian government, and international reaction.
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Research Briefing
France’s Front National (FN)
A brief profile of the far-right Front National (FN), led by Marine Le Pen, which obtained 24.9% of the vote in France in the recent European elections. This result was described as a “political earthquake.”
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Research Briefing
Somalia – President Mohamud on the back foot while al-Shabaab attacks continue
A few days ago, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared that Somalia was once again in a “political crisis”. In May, UN Special Envoy to Somalia, Nicholas Kay, said that Somalia is approaching “a danger zone”. For the first year or so after President Mohamud took office in September 2012, Western supporters of the Government put a positive spin on his performance. However, there is a growing sense that President Mohamud’s government is not turning out to be the fresh start that Somalia needed. Al-Shabaab has suffered important military reverses since President Mohamud took office and is now focusing increasingly on launching regular violent attacks on government-held areas, including Mogadishu, where security has declined markedly recently. It has also increased its attacks in neighbouring Kenya, which sent troops into southern Somalia in 2011.
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Research Briefing
The Future of the British Nuclear Deterrent: Suggested Reading
This paper is now out-of-date and has been replaced by Commons Library Briefing CBP7353, Replacing the UK's Trident Nuclear Deterrent, 26 October 2015
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Research Briefing
Russia and Ukraine – update June 2014
Ukraine is due to sign its agreement with the EU on 27 June; Russia's reaction is awaited
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Research Briefing
A new Commission President in 2014
Will David Cameron succeed in blocking the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker for European Commission President? Juncker has the support of most Member State governments but the UK Prime Minister thinks he is too integrationist and would not implement necessary reforms.
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Research Briefing
Auditing the EU accounts
A common complaint from the UK press is that the EU accounts have not been “signed off” (for example, see articles from the Daily Mail, the Telegraph and the BBC). In fact, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) has signed off the accounts for each year up to 2012 – although it has never given a
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Research Briefing
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and the takeover of Mosul
ISIS has shocked observers by the speed of its takeover of large amounts of Iraqi territory
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Research Briefing
Nigeria: Boko Haram’s insurgency
In the northeast of Nigeria, an Islamist terrorist insurgency continues to rage. At the head of the insurgency is Boko Haram, which calls for the introduction of Sharia law and an Islamic state across the whole of Nigeria. There has been a state of emergency in the three northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa since mid-2013. Well over 2000 people are estimated to have died in attacks by the group since the beginning of 2014.The Nigerian authorities have been heavily criticised both at home and abroad for their ineffective response to the crisis. Outrage in Western countries following the kidnapping in April of about 270 schoolgirls in Borno state has led the UK, US and French governments to make offers of assistance to the Nigerian authorities despite the poor human rights record of the security forces.
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Research Briefing
European Union (Referendum) Bill and the Parliament Acts
The European Union (Referendum) Bill could be presented for Royal Assent under the Parliament Acts 1911 and 1949 if it is passed by the House of Commons and rejected again by the House of Lords.
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Research Briefing
The European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament
In the European Parliament discussions are on-going about the formation of political groups. The European Conservatives and Reformists group, in which UK Conservatives are one of the largest parties, has recently admitted the Alternative fur Deutschland party, and there are fears that this might damage Anglo-German relations.
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Research Briefing
Military options in Iraq
The UK Government is not planning a British military intervention in Iraq. This note summarises commentary about the possible military options for the UK and US in Iraq.
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Research Briefing
How do World Cup countries compare off the field?
With the eyes of the world on Brazil for the start of the World Cup tonight, we thought we’d take a look at how the 32 competing teams compare off the pitch. Who wins the cup on different economic, parliamentary and social indicators – and who’s knocked out at the group stage?
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Total results (page 135 of 180)