The Morning Brief - Lignet


Spain: As Economy Weakens, Government Budget Off Course

Although Spain’s financial health has recovered significantly as a result of the $48 billion EU bank bailout last summer, the lives of most Spaniards have not improved and the overall condition of the economy remains poor. As a result, the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has difficult economic decisions to make in the near future, including whether to seek another economic bailout, as we explain in this special analysis.

How Hundreds of New Centrifuges Will Help Iran Make More Nukes, Faster
A new report prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency makes clear that Iran is preparing a dramatic acceleration in its uranium enrichment program through the installation of advanced centrifuges. Based on the data in this report, LIGNET has raised its estimate of the number of nuclear weapons Iran could potentially construct to eight if its current stockpile of enriched uranium is enriched to weapons-grade, a process that could take weeks to months.
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Oil and Influence at Stake, Russia Spends Big on Post-Chávez Bet
Russia’s leadership is watching the situation in Venezuela closely. Billions in oil investments and a budding rivalry with China hang in the balance as Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez remains gravely ill and reports of his prognosis are poor.
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Europe Will Be the Biggest Loser in Caspian Sea Oil Fight
The Trans-Caspian Pipeline could free Europe from its dependence on Russia as a source of energy. But the pipeline will never be built if Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan cannot reach agreement on ownership of the Caspian Sea oil reserves. Without the pipeline, Europe will be forever tethered to Russia, and at its mercy as it needs its natural gas.
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Israel: Dead Australian Prisoner Linked To Mossad Operations Against Iran
The mysterious suicide of alleged Mossad agent Ben Zygier in an Israeli prison has made many observers wonder why he was jailed in the first place. Israel’s government has said Zygier was guilty of a “grave” crime against his country, but has refused to be more specific. LIGNET believes that may be because Zygier was involved in clandestine operations against Iran, perhaps including the assassination of some of its nuclear scientists.
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UK Trade Trip to India Marks a Reversal of Roles
British Prime Minister David Cameron led the largest British trade delegation in history on a trip to India last week to try to persuade the former colony to open its fast-growing market to British exports. But the UK no longer carries the kind of sway it once did in India, and British companies will no doubt find themselves frustrated by India’s famously complicated bureaucracy and by arcane laws that make it difficult to do business.
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China’s Stranglehold on 'Rare Earths' Will Loosen
Geoff Hiscock, the author of “Earth Wars: The Battle for Global Resources,” spoke with LIGNET about the increasing global competition for water and food that is a natural byproduct of the rise of the middle class in developing countries like China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Russia and other nations.
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No End in Sight for Sudan-South Sudan Conflict
With efforts to resolve the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan going nowhere, there is a continuing risk of an all-out war between the two states. The fighting between government forces and rebels of both countries is only the latest example of both governments’ refusal to honor a series of recent peace agreements, as LIGNET explains.
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