Be Informed

COVID: the beta variant has spread to Europe – should UK be worried?

Most of the world, the UK included, is currently grappling with the delta variant of the coronavirus. But in parts of Europe there has also been a resurgence of an…

Read More Here

Male fertility is declining – studies show that environmental toxins could be a reason

In the U.S., nearly 1 in 8 couples struggles with infertility. Unfortunately, physicians like me who specialize in reproductive medicine are unable to determine the cause of male infertility around…

Read More Here

A look at Australia’s path to reopening international borders

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a four-stage plan to greater freedom from coronavirus restrictions, saying Australia will have to vaccinate 80% of its adults against COVID-19 before it can…

Read More Here

Extreme weather renews focus on climate change as scientists update forecasts

As scientists gather online to finalize a long-awaited update on global climate research, recent extreme weather events across the globe highlight the need for more research on how it will…

Read More Here

A look at Biden’s new COVID push: vaccine rules, testing plans, hard cash

President Joe Biden announced new measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 and the new Delta variant in the United States that will impact millions of federal workers, contractors and…

Read More Here

Sport begins self-reflection after Biles and Osaka highlight stress

Simone Biles arrived in Tokyo as a superstar gymnast many believed would change the perception of her sport across the world. She has done that although not in the expected…

Read More Here

Possible scenarios for Tunisia’s political crisis

Tunisian democracy faces its biggest test since the 2011 revolution after President Kais Saied ousted the government and froze parliament late on Sunday, leading to confrontations between his supporters and…

Read More Here

From China to Germany, floods expose climate vulnerability

Deadly floods that have upended life in both China and Germany have sent a stark reminder that climate change is making weather more extreme across the globe. At least 25…

Read More Here

Preparing to bow out, Merkel too busy to think about life after office

Germany's Angela Merkel made clear on Thursday she would keep working on issues such as climate change till her last day as chancellor but, inscrutable as ever, gave little away…

Read More Here

What is Britain demanding on Brexit?

Britain is demanding the European Union agree to rework the post-Brexit rules governing trade with Northern Ireland, saying it had considered taking unilateral action but would try once more to…

Read More Here

Lebanon faces even tougher times

France urged Lebanon on Friday to designate a prime minister as soon as possible after Saad al-Hariri abandoned efforts to form a government, but prospects for a new cabinet being…

Read More Here

Europe’s climate masterplan aims to slash emissions within a decade

The European Union is set to take the lead in climate policy action among the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters this week, with a raft of ambitious plans designed to…

Read More Here

Why did Pope Francis need surgery?

Pope Francis is currently in hospital, recovering after a planned surgery to remove one side of his intestine for a medical condition known as symptomatic diverticular stenosis of the colon.…

Read More Here

Why were Colombian ex-soldiers in Haiti? Experts say they are popular mercenaries

Highly-trained Colombian soldiers left at a loose end after retirement have frequently been tempted by opportunities to ply their trade abroad as private military contractors from Iraq to Yemen, military…

Read More Here

Slow progress in Balkan countries’ bids to join EU

German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week hosted a summit with six Balkan countries to forge closer cooperation as they make slow progress in their goal of joining the European Union.…

Read More Here

A look at the unmarked graves found at Canadian former residential school sites

Canada has been rocked by the disclosures of more than 1,000 unmarked graves at the sites of former residential schools - institutions that were part of an abusive system that…

Read More Here

Rising Delta virus, absent Brits dampen Europe’s tourism hopes

While not a complete wash-out, the summer tourism season vital to southern Europe's economies will be less than sizzling as the Delta coronavirus spreads and travel hurdles keep British and…

Read More Here

EU digital COVID certificate, the key to summer travel

The European Union launched on Thursday it digital COVID certificate system designed to help citizens travel more freely across the 27-nation bloc and open up summer tourism. WHAT IS IT?…

Read More Here

A hundred years on, how the Communist Party dominates China

China's ruling Communist Party celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding on July 1. WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE PARTY? The Communist Party of China (CCP) was founded in…

Read More Here

COVID-19: The first study to look at whether fake news actually changes people’s behaviour

“The spread of COVID-19 is linked to 5G mobile networks.” “Place a halved onion in the corner of your room to catch the COVID-19 germs.” “Sunny weather protects you from…

Read More Here

What is the Delta variant of coronavirus with K417N mutation?

India said on Wednesday it has found around 40 cases of the Delta coronavirus variant carrying a mutation that appears to make it more transmissible, and advised states to increase…

Read More Here

Brexit: five years after the referendum, here are five things we’ve learned

On June 23 2016 the UK went to the polls to decide the future of the country’s EU membership. The vote to leave the EU – decided by a slim…

Read More Here

EXPLAINER-Untangling the crisis in Libya

Germany and the United Nations host an international conference on Libya in Berlin on Tuesday. On the agenda will be political progress there, national elections scheduled for December, and the…

Read More Here

‘We are not communists’: Castillo seeks to allay fears in divided Peru

Pedro Castillo, a former teacher and political outsider on the verge of being named president of Peru, has looked to temper fears in the divided Andean nation after a slow…

Read More Here

Reaction to Biden-Putin summit ranges from ‘positive’ to ‘disturbing’

U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed at their first summit on Wednesday to hold talks on arms control and cybersecurity. Here is some reaction to their…

Read More Here

U.S.-Russia summit: The American presidents Putin has confronted

Russia's Vladimir Putin has been in power as president or prime minister since 1999 and has held talks with and seen four U.S. presidents leave office. Joe Biden, whom the…

Read More Here

Biden and Putin summit: Where they disagree and where they might compromise

Don’t expect a major breakthrough at a summit on Wednesday between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, a U.S. official said on Tuesday, given relations between…

Read More Here

Who’s who in Israel’s new patchwork coalition government

Israel's new government is a hodgepodge of political parties that had little in common other than a desire to unseat veteran right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The coalition, sworn in…

Read More Here

Out, but not down, Netanyahu could be tough opposition leader

Long the familiar face of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu is headed to the political sidelines after serving as prime minister for more than a decade. But even as he battles in…

Read More Here

Biden’s to-do list on foreign trip: Rally allies against COVID, Putin

President Joe Biden’s meeting with leaders of the G7 leading industrial economies in an English seaside village this week will usher in a new focus on rallying U.S. allies against…

Read More Here

Why are EU, UK arguing over Northern Ireland?

David Frost, the UK’s minister in charge of ties with the European Union, and Maros Sefkovic, vice head of the European Commission, meet on Wednesday to try and resolve differences…

Read More Here

Bosnia’s Mladic, commander of Europe’s worst atrocities since World War Two

Ratko Mladic was dubbed the "Butcher of Bosnia" for terrorising the capital Sarajevo with a 43-month siege and presiding over the 1995 massacre of up to 8,000 Muslims in a…

Read More Here

Big vs Small – How bigger countries’ tax deal will reveal rift in Europe

A global deal on corporate tax looks set to bring to a climax a deep-seated European Union battle, pitting large members Germany, France and Italy against Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Although the smaller EU…

Read More Here

What is a global minimum tax and what will it mean?

Finance Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations have said they are close to a landmark accord setting a global minimum corporate tax rate, an agreement that could…

Read More Here

Israel is set for a change of government. Who? When? Why?

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is on the verge of being toppled from power after more than a decade in office. The 71-year-old right-winger looks set to be ousted…

Read More Here

Death threats and arrests: Belarus opposition media struggles at home and abroad

In an elegant apartment building in central Warsaw flying a red and white flag from its first floor balcony, a symbol of the Belarusian opposition, remnants of the anti-government media…

Read More Here

Gaza truce shifts focus to Egypt’s regional role

Egypt's work to broker and secure a truce in the Gaza Strip this month has thrust it into the diplomatic spotlight, prompting top-level reengagement from Washington and overshadowing moves by…

Read More Here

Swiss to pay economic price for ditching EU treaty

Switzerland will pay the price in lost exports, higher costs and diminished attractiveness as a business centre after deciding this week to pull the plug on a draft treaty binding…

Read More Here

Who is the journalist Belarus arrested by forcing a Ryanair plane to land?

Authorities in Belarus scrambled a fighter jet and flagged what turned out to be a false bomb alert to force a Ryanair plane to land on Sunday and then detained…

Read More Here

UK government to target money in Scotland to counter independence drive

Scottish businesswoman Marie Macklin voted for independence seven years ago. Now, she does not see it as a priority. As the Scottish National Party (SNP) pushes for a second referendum…

Read More Here

Beyond Migration – Western Sahara leader’s treatment in Spain angers Morocco

Brahim Ghali, leader of the Polisario Front which wants independence for Western Sahara, is receiving medical treatment in Spain, angering Morocco which annexed the former Spanish colony decades ago. Here…

Read More Here

What is going on between Israel and the Palestinians?

Weeks of violent clashes in East Jerusalem have ignited the heaviest fighting in years between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip. At the core of the violence that…

Read More Here

Disputes and divisions in the Eastern Mediterranean are not on maps but in the hearts and minds of all of us involved, our histories and traditions – Evarist Bartolo

The following is a speech delivered by Malta's Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo on Friday 14th May, which CDEIU is carrying as it presents a timely invitation to 'dare to dream'…

Read More Here