Be Informed

Factbox: Americans favor changing gun laws, even if Congress may not act

The massacre at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers this week has once again spurred calls for Congress to act to stem U.S. gun…

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How Canada, Australia, UK changed laws after mass shootings

A shooting at a Texas elementary school that killed 19 children and two teachers has revived a push for new gun safety laws in the United States, which has more…

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FACTBOX-Countries offering vaccine for monkeypox

May 27 (Reuters) - As more countries where monkeypox is not endemic report outbreaks of the viral disease, some governments have started offering vaccines to most exposed citizens. There isn't a specific…

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New French foreign minister Catherine Colonna was French Ambassador to Britain

Catherine Colonna, France's ambassador to Britain and former spokesperson for President Jacques Chirac, was named foreign minister on Friday, a move that may be aimed to win over diplomats after…

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Factbox: A look at Spain’s paid menstrual leave and abortion bill

(Reuters) - Spain is set to become the first European country to introduce paid leave for women who suffer from painful periods under a draft bill by the minority leftist…

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FACTBOX-The big items in Washington’s $40 billion Ukraine aid package

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate passed a bill this week that would provide some $40 billion in additional military, economic and humanitarian aid to Ukraine following Russia's invasion as the Biden…

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EXPLAINER-How concerned should we be about monkeypox?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global health officials have sounded the alarm over rising cases in Europe and elsewhere of monkeypox, a type of viral infection more common to west and central Africa.…

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Explainer: Why monkeypox cases are spreading in Europe, US

A handful of cases of monkeypox have now been reported or are suspected in various European countries, Australia and the United States. The outbreaks are raising alarm because the viral…

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Australia election: What you need to know

SYDNEY, May 21 (Reuters) - Voting in most Australian states has closed on Saturday with opinion polls showing the opposition Labor Party narrowly ahead of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's conservative…

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Factbox-Macron’s next government: continuity over change

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled his new cabinet on Friday, holding on to more ministers from his last government than had been anticipated after he promised a…

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FACTBOX-Australian democracy at a glance

SYDNEY, May 20 (Reuters) - Australians will vote in a general election on Saturday. The two main groups are the ruling conservative Liberal-National coalition and the opposition Labor Party, and there is…

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UAE’s newly elected ruler sees Iran, Islamists as threat to Gulf safe haven

United Arab Emirates strongman Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who was formally elected president on Saturday, led a realignment of the Middle East that created a new anti-Iran axis with…

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Explainer: How North Korea’s COVID-19 outbreak could ignite a major health crisis

(Reuters) - North Korea's admission that it is battling an "explosive" COVID-19 outbreak has raised concerns that the virus could devastate a country with an under-resourced health system, limited testing…

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Analysis: Neutral Switzerland leans closer to NATO in response to Russia

BERN, May 15 (Reuters) - Switzerland's fabled neutral status is about to face its biggest test in decades, with the defence ministry tilting closer to Western military powers in response…

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The Eurovision: 10 times the competition turned political

Saturday's marathon Eurovision song contest saw The Kalush Orchestra pip the United Kingdom with their entry "Stefania", and many sought to link this victory with Ukraine's fight against Russia. DW…

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Factbox: Who is running in Lebanon’s election?

Lebanon holds a parliamentary election on May 15, with candidates vying for 128 seats that are divided among 11 religious groups according to a sectarian power-sharing system. The vote takes…

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Explainer: How Sri Lanka spiralled into crisis

Sri Lanka's economic crisis has turned into deadly violence. Eight people died and over 200 were injured on Monday, the country's powerful prime minister quit and his brother, the president,…

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Factbox: How can Europe get gas if Russia’s supply is disrupted?

Pressure on Europe to secure alternative gas supplies increased on Thursday as Moscow imposed sanctions on European subsidiaries of state-owned Gazprom a day after Ukraine stopped a major gas transit…

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FACTBOX-A brief history of Finland’s and Sweden’s strained ties with Russia

HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM, (Reuters) - Finland and Sweden, who are expected to decide to apply to join NATO, have long had strained ties with their giant neighbour Russia. - Sweden's and Finland's difficult past with…

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EXPLAINER-The inflation quirk that is costing Spain billions

MADRID/LISBON, May 12 (Reuters) - Surging energy prices pushed Spanish inflation to a peak of just under 10% in March, the highest in the euro area and nearly double the 5.3% in…

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A look at Finland and Sweden’s path to NATO membership

HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden have been considering applying for membership of the NATO military alliance, which would mark a major policy shift for…

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Factbox: Probable steps in any Finnish, Swedish NATO bid

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is expected on Thursday to say whether his country should join the NATO alliance, with Sweden following suit with its decision in the coming days. Russia's…

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EXPLAINER-Does the cryptocurrency crash pose a threat to the financial system?

WASHINGTON, May 11 (Reuters) - On Tuesday, bitcoin fell briefly below $30,000 for the first time in 10 months, while cryptocurrencies overall have lost nearly $800 billion in market value in the…

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Explainer: A guide to the Philippines election

The Philippines holds an election on Monday to decide thousands of positions across the archipelago, including who will take over from Rodrigo Duterte and become its president for the next…

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FACTBOX-Marcos and Robredo lead field ahead of Philippine presidential vote

(Reuters) - Philippine presidential candidates will wrap up campaigning this week ahead of the May 9 election, in a contest that has shaped into a two-way race between the clear favourite Ferdinand…

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Explainer: Might Russia use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war?

(Reuters) - At the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin obliquely raised the possibility of a nuclear strike against anyone who intervened in the conflict. Below…

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EXPLAINER-Why the EU may find it tough to squeeze out Russian oil

LONDON, (Reuters) - The European Union has proposed a phased embargo of Russian oil but could find it tricky to implement, given Europe's complex distribution network and challenges in tracking crude once…

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EXPLAINER-What would be the impact of Russian oil sanctions in Europe?

LONDON, (Reuters) - The European Union has proposed a phased embargo of Russian oil, tightening its sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. What would the impact be of banning Russian…

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FACTBOX: EU proposes toughest sanctions yet against Russia

BRUSSELS, May 4 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Wednesday proposed its sixth and toughest round of sanctions against Russia yet that could be signed off by ambassadors of EU governments later…

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Ukraine’s legendary pilot ‘Ghost of Kyiv’

Reports have surfaced that named the ace as Major Stepan Tarabalka, 29, as the ‘Ghost of Kyiv'. The authorities confirmed that he was killed in combat on 13 March and…

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Factbox: Legal cases against Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi

April 27 (Reuters) - Myanmar's former leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of corruption, a source with knowledge…

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EXPLAINER-Russia wants countries to pay for gas in roubles. Will buyers comply?

HOUSTON/LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - Russia's energy giant Gazprom has told Poland and Bulgaria it will halt gas supplies beginning Wednesday, escalating Moscow's row with Western countries who oppose its invasion of…

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Factbox: What are Europe’s options in case of Russian gas disruption?

Russian energy giant Gazprom told Poland's PGNiG it will halt gas supplies along the Yamal pipeline from Wednesday morning, renewing supply concerns as Russia and the West remain at odds…

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Explainer – Scientists investigate mysterious outbreak of hepatitis in children in Europe, US

LONDON (Reuters) - Health authorities around the world are investigating a mysterious increase in severe cases of hepatitis - inflammation of the liver – in young children. Below is a…

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The 15-year hunt for missing British girl Madeleine McCann

Portuguese prosecutors said late on Thursday a man had been formally identified as a suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann 15 years ago. Prosecutors in Faro, Algarve's…

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FACTBOX-Far-right Le Pen cloaks nationalist policies with social veneer

PARIS (Reuters) - French far-right candidate Marine Le Pen has made it to the second round of the presidential election and though she lags behind President Emmanuel Macron, polls show a much…

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FACTBOX-Macron wants the French to work longer, shake up welfare state

PARIS (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron, a former investment banker who was elected in 2017 on a promise to be neither of the left nor the right, is projected in voter surveys…

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Explainer: What you need to know about France’s presidential election

PARIS, April 23 (Reuters) - Sunday's vote will determine whether the pro-European centrist President Emmanuel Macron or the far-right, anti-immigration Marine Le Pen governs France for the next five years. * WHO…

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EXPLAINER-Macron or Le Pen: why it matters for France, the EU and the West

PARIS, April 23 (Reuters) - The French will decide on Sunday whether to re-elect pro-business centrist President Emmanuel Macron or blow up decades of mainstream consensus in favour of far-right Marine Le…

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FACTBOX-Where you still need to wear a mask in the United States

WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - Airlines and airports, the ride-sharing company Uber and national train service Amtrak, are now lifting mask mandates that have been in place for more than a year.…

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Explainer: The case for and against EU sanctions on Russian oil

European Union countries on Thursday approved a ban on Russian coal imports from August as part of new measures against Moscow, but are split over whether oil or gas sanctions…

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How big a loss to Russia is the sinking of the Moskva missile cruiser?

Russia has confirmed the Moskva missile cruiser, the flagship of its Black Sea Fleet, has sunk while being towed to port following what it said was a fire and explosions…

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EXPLAINER-Why African nations’ support for UN action on Russia/Ukraine is so mixed

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Western powers seeking to isolate Russia over Ukraine are disappointed at what they see as lukewarm support from African nations at the U.N. general assembly - where their 54…

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Explainer: Mariupol: ruins of port could become Russia’s first big prize in Ukraine

(Reuters) - The Sea of Azov port of Mariupol, reduced to a wasteland by seven weeks of siege and bombardment that Ukraine says killed tens of thousands of civilians, could…

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Factbox: The ‘Moskva’, Russia’s lost Black Sea Fleet flagship

The following are some facts about the Moskva, the Soviet-era flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, which sank after a fire according to the Russian Defence Ministry. Ukraine said the…

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Factbox: Despite recent uptick, New York City crime down from past decades

A shooting at a New York City subway station on Tuesday brought fresh attention to crime in the most populous American city, with 8.8 million people as of 2020, according…

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EXPLAINER-What will the EU do about Hungary’s Orban?

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - Emboldened by his landslide electoral victory, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has raised the stakes in his many fights with the European Union - ranging from liberal democratic rights…

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SCENARIOS-Who might upset Macron’s bid for a second term in office?

PARIS, (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron is the favourite to win re-election in a two-round ballot on April 10 and 24. But after a first term mired in social unrest -…

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Why the U.S. is targeting Putin’s daughters Katerina and Maria

The United States' latest round of sanctions on Russia includes two new targets: Russian President Vladimir Putin's two adult daughters, Katerina and Maria, who U.S. officials believe are hiding Putin's…

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FACTBOX-How Western sanctions target Russia

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The West's punishment of Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine ramped up this week following the discovery of civilians shot dead at close range in the Ukrainian town…

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FACTBOX – What has changed in Hungary during Orban’s 12-year rule

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party face their first closely-contested election on April 3 after three consecutive landslide victories since 2010. During his 12-year rule Orban has…

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FACTBOX-Who is buying Russian crude oil and who has stopped

(Reuters) - Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States have imposed outright bans on Russian oil purchases following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, but the European Union remains divided. The bloc's 27 members…

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Explainer: Talks on Ukraine: peace deal or more Russian war?

Russia and Ukraine are talking about a peace deal while their soldiers kill each other after the Feb. 24 Russian invasion but the question of territory could sink any chance…

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Explainer: How could Russia’s Putin be prosecuted for war crimes in Ukraine?

U.S. President Joe Biden has publicly called Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal, but legal experts said a prosecution of Putin or other Russian leaders would face high hurdles…

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FACTBOX-How is Europe helping Ukraine’s refugee children?

Many European countries have moved quickly to support more than 3.6 million refugees who have fled Ukraine in the last month, about half of whom are children. The European Union…

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FACTBOX-North Korea’s new Hwasong-17 ‘monster missile’

SEOUL, March 25 (Reuters) - North Korea test-fired its massive Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time on Thursday, demonstrating the capabilities of a weapon potentially able to deliver a…

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FACTBOX – U.S, EU strike LNG deal to help wean Europe off Russian gas

BRUSSELS, March 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden announced a deal on Friday to supply the European Union with more liquefied natural gas to help wean it off Russian supplies and…

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