The extent of 'rendition' – the controversial practice of transferring prisoners covertly between countries – can now be seen in a graphic way. The ESRC-funded Rendition Project has developed an interactive map displaying the secret flights, drawing on an extensive database.

The category of 'torture' has been used by Western states to distinguish between the civilised and the uncivilised. The moral and political stakes are often simply too high for the British state to admit responsibility for such an act, according to research.

A study supported by the ESRC and the Department for International Development presents some surprising results of the controversial Zimbabwean land reform - and challenges five particular myths.

In the first major survey of foreign policy attitudes in Britain, researchers have found that most people did not simply support or oppose the use of force on principle, but instead made a judgment based on various aspects of the situation.

The austerity cuts in public spending have brought pressure on protected areas such as international aid. But the UK aid programme is a definite source of 'soft power' for Britain, argues Professor Paul Collier in a Britain in 2013 article.

Regulations controlling air pollution from ships might be ineffective, suggests ESRC-funded research. A minority of berthing ships in the UK and Sweden are burning high-sulphur fuel in restricted control areas.

It aims to stop ‘bio-piracy’, the theft of genetic resources and traditional knowledge – and the February 2012 deadline is fast approaching. Over one hundred countries are expected to sign up to the Nagoya Protocol, and Cesagen researchers have provided valuable input.

Seventeen new research projects aimed at improving the lives of the world’s poorest has been given the go-ahead, at a total cost of £7 million. The research awards are part of a joint 'poverty alleviation' research programme from the ESRC and the Department for International Development.

The Arab Spring brought people on to the streets in their thousands, toppled two regimes and forced dictators to promise reform. Researchers look into the background to this unprecedented period of uprisings and the future for the democratic movement.