Bahrain’s foreign military bases could become a target

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Military Bases ◽  
Internal Stability ◽  
Security Forces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arab Uprisings ◽  
Regional Role ◽  
Military Presence ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk

Significance Manama is gradually rolling back some of the reforms to limit the power of the security forces that were put in place after the post-2011 Arab uprisings. The government has been emboldened by Saudi backing and by its security alliance with key Western powers. The new US administration’s more confrontational policy towards Iran’s regional role, which has been echoed by the UK government, could strengthen that alliance. Impacts The strategic importance to Washington of its military presence in Bahrain will rise as tensions with Iran increase. Spillover from US and Saudi confrontations with Iran in Yemen or Gulf shipping lanes could affect Bahrain’s internal stability. Iranian-linked Shia militant groups such as Saraya al-Ashtar or Saraya al-Mukhtar may escalate hostilities. The US and UK governments will seek to increase base security, but could also quietly pressure Manama to make concessions to the Shia.

Police activity in Tunisia may hinder transition

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Terrorist Attacks ◽  
Security Sector ◽  
Security Forces ◽  
Content Type ◽  
State Security ◽  
Arab Uprisings ◽  
Sharp Focus ◽  
The Government ◽  
Police Activity

Subject Tunisia's police service. Significance Elements of the state security sector have been acting autonomously from the state since the Arab uprisings. The threat of terrorism continues to facilitate this trajectory, and parliamentary and presidential elections planned for 2019 could bring the issue into sharp focus. Impacts Increased terrorist attacks may prompt the government to allow the police greater leeway when investigating suspects. Victims of police mistreatment are unlikely to secure justice. Increased terrorist attacks may lead to legislation to strengthen the security forces’ ability to avoid transparency.

scholarly journals Government efforts and roadmaps for building information modeling implementation: lessons from Singapore, the UK and the US

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Jiang ◽  
Chengke Wu ◽  
Xiang Lei ◽  
Ammar Shemery ◽  
Keith D. Hampson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Building Information Modeling ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Building Information ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk

PurposeThe government plays a critical role in driving building information modeling (BIM) implementation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the government efforts for driving BIM implementation in three benchmark countries, namely, Singapore, the UK and the US, so as to develop appropriate roadmaps for increasing BIM implementations in other countries.Design/methodology/approachThis study performs a review on the government efforts and roles in BIM implementation in three benchmark countries, namely, Singapore, the UK and the US.FindingsThrough cross comparison with existing literature, it is found that Singapore and the UK adopt a government-driven approach and a phase-by-phase development pattern is observed. The first phase focuses on the building sector to rapidly increase the use of BIM and the government generally plays the role of an initiator. In the second phase, BIM is expanded to other implementation areas, e.g. smart city. The importance of the initiator role decreases and more attention is paid to supporting roles such as researcher, educator and regulator. In contrast, an industry-driven approach is adopted in the US. The main role of the government is that of a regulator, with research institutions actively supporting the BIM implementation.Research limitations/implicationsGeneral roadmaps of the two mandating approaches are presented. The results can provide a useful reference for countries and regions that intend to develop roadmaps to increase their BIM maturity level and enhance readiness to accept and implement BIM.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first studies that investigate the step-by-step roadmaps for implementing BIM from the perspective of changing government roles.

scholarly journals The Eagle's Nest in the Horn of Africa: US Military Strategic Deployment in Djibouti

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Degang Sun ◽  
Yahia H. Zoubir
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Military Bases ◽  
Horn Of Africa ◽  
Us Military ◽  
Sao Tome And Principe ◽  
Military Presence ◽  
Japanese Military ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Government ◽  
Host Nation

Djibouti is the only country in the world in which US, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Japanese military forces are stationed simultaneously; China will soon have a presence there as well. The US military deployment in Djibouti has shifted from a soft military presence to an arrangement of significant strategic import, and from a small outpost to a large garrison in the past two decades. The internal dynamics of the US deployment are geopolitical, as the US presence facilitates the carrying out of its strategies regarding antiterrorism, anti-proliferation, the protection of energy investments, and anti-piracy. The external dynamics of the US deployment are geo-economic: the government of Djibouti, as the host nation, reaps economic windfalls from the US presence in this strategically located country. Given that the United States has failed since 2008 to persuade any country on the continent to host AFRICOM, the base in Djibouti is likely to remain the only one in East Africa. Djibouti may be part of a pattern whereby some small African nations, such as São Tomé and Príncipe, collect revenue through the provision of military bases to big powers.

A comparative overview of the primary Southeast Asian safety and health laws

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 601-632
Author(s):  
Kuok Ho Daniel Tang
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
The Us ◽  
Research Experiment ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Health Laws

PurposeThis review compares the primary occupational safety and health (OSH) laws of the ASEAN members against the major provisions of the primary OSH laws of the United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US) grouped under the themes for OSH law adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO).Design/methodology/approachThis review employs the 11 themes for OSH law adopted by the ILO as the basis of comparison. As the themes lack specificity in terms of their respective contents, specific facets of the themes are drawn from the review of the primary OSH laws of the UK and the US.FindingsThe review shows that primary OSH laws of the ASEAN members encompass the fundamental aspects of the ILO OSH themes particularly the regulatory framework, scope, roles of authorities, duties of employers and employees as well as safety inspection and enforcement. The review demonstrates a lack of provision of worksite consultation by the authorities, the emphasis on research, experiment and demonstration by the government as well as certain aspects of training.Practical implicationsOSH in many developing members of the ASEAN is still evolving to advocate the basic rights of employees, protect the safety of the public and ensure the welfare, safety and health of employees are upheld at workplaces. There is an obvious disparity in the coverage of the primary OSH laws of the nations, resulting in widely varied OSH implementation. This study contributes to advancement of the primary OSH laws in developing ASEAN members by highlighting areas of their primary OSH laws that can be improved. Improvement of the primary OSH laws is crucial to subsequent improvement and development of subsidiary laws to provide for adequate protection at workplaces.Originality/valueMost studies of OSH laws in the ASEAN are country-specific and often theme-specific. There is currently no study which compares the primary OSH laws of ASEAN nations using themes derived from the ILO as well as primary OSH laws of the UK and the US. This review is one of its kinds to use such an approach in providing a comparative overview of the primary OSH laws of all ASEAN nations.

New Zealand’s economy looks positive in uncertain 2019

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Commercial Banks ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Central Banks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
China Trade ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Human And Social Capital

Significance The RBNZ’s no-change stance reflects major world central banks’ recent retreat from tightening. While current New Zealand economic growth is firm, the RBNZ and the government are concerned about the slowing global economy and potential disruption from Brexit and the US-China trade standoff. Impacts To strengthen commercial banks’ resilience, the RBNZ may double tier one capital reserves requirements; tier two could go. Robertson’s second budget on May 30 will further the “wellbeing” agenda, widening criteria for assessing government management. The wellbeing criteria will include assessing environmental, human and social capital. Wellington wants a New Zealand-UK free trade deal post-Brexit, but this will depend on the UK-EU withdrawal deal’s detail.

scholarly journals Changing the rules of the game: some necessary legal reforms to United Kingdom intelligence

2009 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 943-955 ◽  
Author(s):  
IAN LEIGH
Keyword(s):  
National Security ◽  
The Political ◽  
Legal Proceedings ◽  
Legal Reforms ◽  
Political Independence ◽  
The Us ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Rules Of The Game

AbstractThis article argues that there is a need to modernise the law governing accountability of the UK security and intelligence agencies following changes in their work in the last decade. Since 9/11 the agencies have come increasingly into the spotlight, especially because of the adoption of controversial counter-terrorism policies by the government (in particular forms of executive detention) and by its international partners, notably the US. The article discusses the options for reform in three specific areas: the use in legal proceedings of evidence obtained by interception of communications; with regard to the increased importance and scle of collaboration with overseas agencies; and to safeguard the political independence of the agencies in the light of their substantially higher public profile. In each it is argued that protection of human rights and the need for public accountability requires a new balance to be struck with the imperatives of national security.

Principal operators' farm risk attitudes in hot and cold climates

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Zia Wahdat ◽  
Michael Gunderson
Keyword(s):  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Risk Attitude ◽  
Cold Climate ◽  
Risk Attitudes ◽  
Ordered Logit ◽  
Climate Classification ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hot Climate ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe study investigates whether there is an association between climate types and farm risk attitudes of principal operators.Design/methodology/approachThe study exploits temperature variation in the diverse climate types across the US and defines hot- and cold-climate states. Ordered logit and generalized ordered logit models are used to model principal operators' farm risk attitudes, which are measured on a Likert scale. The study uses two datasets. The first dataset is a 2017 survey of US large commercial producers (LCPs). The second dataset provides a Köppen-Geiger climate classification of the US at a spatial resolution of 5 arcmin for a 25-year period (1986–2010).FindingsThe study finds that principal operators in hot-climate states are 4–5% more likely to have a higher willingness to take farm risk compared to principal operators in cold-climate states.Research limitations/implicationsIt is likely that farm risk mitigation decisions differ between hot- and cold-climate states. For instance, the authors show that corn acres' enrollment in federal crop insurance and computers' usage for farm business are pursued more intensely in cold-climate states than in hot-climate states. A differentiation of farm risk attitude by hot- and cold-climate states may help agribusiness, the government and economists in their farm product offerings, farm risk management programs and agricultural finance models, respectively.Originality/valueBased on Köppen-Geiger climate classification, the study introduces hot- and cold-climate concepts to understand the relationship between climate types and principal operators' farm risk attitudes.

scholarly journals Sports bra use, preferences and fit issues among exercising females in the US, the UK and China

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Brown ◽  
Jenny Burbage ◽  
Joanna Wakefield-Scurr
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Global Markets ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Right

PurposePrevious research suggests that many active females are not engaging in sports bra use, despite the positive health benefits. The aim of this study was to establish and compare sports bra use, preferences and bra fit issues for exercising females in some of the largest and most diverse global underwear markets (the US, the UK and China).Design/methodology/approachA survey covering activity levels, sports bra use and preferences, bra issues and demographics was administered via Qualtrics and completed by 3,147 physically active females (aged ≥ 18 years) from the US (n = 1,060), UK (n = 1,050) and China (n = 1,037).FindingsIn general, participants were 25–29 years, 121 to 140 pounds, 34B bra size and pre-menopausal. “I cannot find the right sports bra” was the most frequent breast barrier to exercise (25.4%). Three-quarters of women wore a sports bra during exercise, with significantly higher use in China (83.9%), compared to the UK (67.2%). A third of all participants reported sports bra shoulder straps “digging into the skin”. Sports bra preferences were: compression sports bras with a racer back, wide straps and thick straps in the US and the UK; thin straps in China and adjustable straps and underband, no wire and maximum breast coverage in the US and the UK, including nipple concealment and with padded/moulded cups.Originality/valueInformation provided on differences in sports bra use, preferences and bra issues across three major global markets could be utilised by brands and manufacturers to optimise bra marketing and fit education initiatives and inform future sports bra design and distribution strategies.

scholarly journals Trade-based money laundering (TBML) empowers criminals to run free post-Brexit

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariola Jolanta Marzouk
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Money Laundering ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Subject Matter Experts ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk

Purpose This paper aims to provide unique empirical findings exploring the impact of the UK’s post-Brexit Economic Strategy to boost trade with developing countries on the UK banking sector’s ability to manage trade-based money laundering risks. Design/methodology/approach Exploratory research design that used structured literature review, followed by semi-structured interviews with key subject matter experts employed by large UK banks. Findings Both banks and law enforcement struggle to prioritise trade-based money laundering (TBML) intelligence discovery due to deficient skills, resources, technology and lack of strong regulatory stimulus. The regulated sector calls for the UK anti-money laundering (AML) reform that would better incentivise TBML deterrence, yet the Government underestimates the money laundering risks while trading with high-risk jurisdictions post-Brexit. Research limitations/implications The findings are based on a small sample of six semi-structured interviews with difficult to access population of key subject matter experts. Despite the small sample, participants provided well-articulated and informed insights. Practical implications The UK’s post-Brexit Economic Strategy to boost trade with developing countries downplays the TBML risks it carries. The findings should alert UK banks, law enforcement and the Government who will collectively bear the responsibility to effectively manage TBML while enabling smooth trading. Originality/value The research provides unique perceptions of UK banks’ senior subject matter experts on managing TBML threats from opportunistic criminals.

scholarly journals Holding the government to account for its finances: the “Unsung” heroes of the UK parliament scrutiny unit

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Ferry ◽  
Larry Honeysett ◽  
Henry Midgley
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Accounting Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Literature ◽  
Vital Part ◽  
Financial Cycle ◽  
Members Of Parliament ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk

PurposeThis paper describes the role and remit of the Scrutiny Unit, which assists members of parliament (MPs) with the analysis of accounting data.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is developed through an understanding of the secondary literature and practical experience of the work of the Unit.FindingsThe Scrutiny Unit is an unappreciated and yet vital part of the way in which financial scrutiny operates within the UK parliament. It translates to MPs key financial and economic documents including the budget and accounts. It is a unique institution, covering the entire financial cycle of approval and accountability within parliament.Originality/valueThis is the first descriptive piece on the Unit in an accounting journal and contributes to our understanding of how financial accountability works within the UK parliament.

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