Be Informed

US-China relations: Expect more turbulence in 2024

By Don Durfee and Antoni Slodkowski WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) - After a year that brought panic over spy balloons, a fight over semiconductors and an intensifying military rivalry, China and the…

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Gaza in 2024: Signs of more devastation, open-ended occupation

By Samia Nakhoul (Reuters) - The war aims of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Gaza's Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar look unattainable in 2024, and their fight may consign the…

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The actors, musicians, writers and artists who died in 2023

Icon of American rock David Crosby Crosby was a prominent figure of the 1970s Laurel Canyon scene who helped bring folk-rock mainstream with both The Byrds and Crosby, Stills &…

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How media attention harms female political candidates

A video of Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin dancing at a party was leaked in August 2022. There was massive media reaction to what was, essentially, a young female politician…

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Google’s Top Trending searches of 2023

Google has just revealed what trending global searches were the most popular for the past year. The lists are based on search terms that had the highest spike this year…

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What is Egypt’s proposal for Gaza?

By Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Dan Williams and And Ahmed Mohamed Hassan Egypt has held talks between Hamas and its allied Islamic Jihad to try and broker a permanent ceasefire in Israel's…

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Joel Roberts Poinsett: Namesake of the poinsettia, enslaver, secret agent and perpetrator of the ‘Trail of Tears’

If people know the name Joel Roberts Poinsett today, it is likely because of the red and green poinsettia plant. In the late 1820s, while serving as the first ambassador…

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Christmas traditions from around the world

Here is a roundup of some of the Christmas traditions from around the, from the quirky to the religious: Midnight mass in Rome Many theologians believe the tradition known as…

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Celebrating Christmas on December 25 began as early as 2 century CE, history shows

Most people, including Christians, believe the origin of Christmas is the pagan feasts to worship the solar god Sol Invictus, Saturn’s god Saturnalia, or the Persian solar god adopted by…

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How companies are responding to attacks on ships in the Red Sea

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Attacks on vessels by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have disrupted international commerce on the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia. The attacks, targeting a…

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Main elements of fiscal reforms agreed by EU governments

By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS, (Reuters) - European Union finance ministers agreed on Wednesday changes to the EU's fiscal rules updating them to the post-pandemic realities of high public debt and…

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U.S. Red Sea taskforce gets limited backing from some allies

Several U.S. allies have said they support efforts to protect shipping in the Red Sea after attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi group, but some have said they would not join…

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What’s in the new EU migration and asylum deal?

By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The European Union agreed on Wednesday on new rules to handle irregular arrivals of asylum seekers and migrants, a deal hailed as…

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Shipping firms avoid Red Sea as Houthi attacks increase

(Reuters) - Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have stepped up attacks on vessels in the Red Sea to show their support for Palestinian Islamist group Hamas fighting Israel in Gaza.…

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Who are Yemen’s Houthis? Iran-allied group threatens Red Sea shipping

Dec 14 (Reuters) - The Iran-aligned Houthis of Yemen are playing an escalating role in the conflict in the Middle East, attacking shipping in the Red Sea and firing drones…

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What’s at stake for Ukraine at EU summit

By Andrew Gray (Reuters) - Ukraine is hoping for a major political and financial boost from a European Union summit this week as its war against Russia's invasion grinds on…

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Donald Tusk eyes thaw in EU relations as Poland’s prime minister

By Alan Charlish WARSAW, Dec 11 (Reuters) - When Donald Tusk visited the EU headquarters in October to talk about unfreezing funds from the bloc when he likely returns as…

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How Egyptians will vote for their president

Egypt will hold a presidential election on Dec. 10-12 in which former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is poised to secure a third term that will extend his rule into…

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Australian study ties increased rates of violence, especially domestic, with higher temperatures.

Large parts of Australia are currently in the grip of a heatwave, and climate change means we’re in for more frequent and intense heat events into the future. We know…

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Main elements of the EU fiscal reforms now under negotiation

By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS, Dec 7 (Reuters) - European Union finance ministers will discuss changes to the EU's fiscal rules on Thursday and Friday to reach a deal or bring…

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What are the EU’s landmark AI rules?

By Martin Coulter Negotiations around the European Union's first-of-a-kind rules governing artificial intelligence (AI) looked set for a dramatic climax, as lawmakers enter what some hope will be the final…

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Major events during eight weeks of war between Israel and Hamas

Israel ordered people out of swathes of Gaza's main southern city on Monday as it pressed its ground campaign deep into the south of the enclave, sending desperate residents fleeing,…

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Henry Kissinger has died. The titan of US foreign policy changed the world, for better or worse

Henry Kissinger was the ultimate champion of the United States’ foreign policy battles. The former US secretary of state died on November 29 2023 after living for a century. The…

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How food and agriculture contribute to climate change

By Leah Douglas (Reuters) - Feeding the world is a big job, and the effort produces billions of mets of emissions of greenhouse gases each year - around a third…

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What do we know about China’s respiratory illness surge?

By Andrew Silver SHANGHAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A request by the World Health Organization for more information on a surge in respiratory illnesses and clusters of pneumonia in children…

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Who was Henry Kissinger, US diplomat and presidential adviser

Here are some facts on American diplomat Henry Kissinger, who died at age 100 on Wednesday: * He was born Heinz Alfred Kissinger in Furth, a city in Germany's Bavarian…

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UPDATED: Reactions to the death of US diplomat Henry Kissinger

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Here are reactions to the death of Henry Kissinger, a controversial Nobel Peace Prize winner who left an indelible mark on U.S. foreign policy: RUSSIAN PRESIDENT…

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29

Nov

Ahead of COP28, research shows the world far behind in climate fight

By Gloria Dickie, Susanna Twidale and David Stanway Nov 29 (Reuters) - Ahead of this year's COP28 climate summit in Dubai, U.N. agencies have released several reports offering updates on…

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The Israel-Hamas hostage deal

Nov 27 (Reuters) - Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas began a four-day truce on Friday morning, with the first of four daily exchanges of hostages held in Gaza…

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Look to the mainstream to explain the rise of the far right

Javier Milei in Argentina. Geert Wilders in the Netherlands. These are the two latest “populist shocks” – the tip of the “populist wave” that comes crashing against the weakened defences…

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Geert Wilders: the anti-Islam, anti-EU populist who could be next Dutch PM

By Charlotte Van Campenhout AMSTERDAM, (Reuters) - Geert Wilders, the Dutch populist whose anti-Islam comments have led to death threats, could become the next leader of the Netherlands following an…

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What is the humanitarian situation in besieged Gaza?

GENEVA (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas started a four-day ceasefire in Gaza on Friday with aid agencies hoping to use the pause in fighting to ramp up aid deliveries into…

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What do we know about Israeli hostages in Gaza?

The Israeli government voted on Wednesday to back a deal to release some of roughly 240 Israeli hostages, starting today, held by Hamas militants in Gaza in exchange for a…

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Israel–Hamas war: The hostage deal and ceasefire explained

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a pause in fighting in Gaza to allow for the release of 50 hostages held by the militant group in exchange for 150 Palestinians…

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Military agreement fractures as tensions rise with North Korea

By Ju-min Park SEOUL, Nov 23 (Reuters) - North Korea vowed on Thursday to deploy stronger armed forces and new weapons on its border with the South, pulling back from…

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Tough coalition talks ahead after far right’s Dutch election win

By Bart Meijer and Toby Sterling AMSTERDAM, (Reuters) - With the Dutch election over, attention will now turn toward forming a new government. Coalition building in the fractured Dutch political…

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Is the rule of Myanmar’s junta under threat?

Myanmar's ruling military is facing attacks on multiple fronts in its borderlands as an alliance of ethnic minority insurgent groups combines with pro-democracy fighters to try to capture territory and…

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Argentina’s Javier Milei: from TV pundit to the presidency

By Maximilian Heath BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) - When Argentine libertarian Javier Milei announced his entry into politics in 2020 in a bid to "blow up" the system, few predicted that…

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Argentina presidential election: Key takeaways from Milei’s win

By Maximilian Heath BUENOS AIRES, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Argentina elected radical libertarian Javier Milei as president in a run-off election on Sunday, giving the outsider candidate who has pledged…

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Video games, AI fuel wartime disinformation

Video game used to spread disinformation Malicious actors lower video quality to deceive viewers Challenges in detecting and combating fake content By Adam Smith LONDON, (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Something…

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Forever war? Israel risks a long, bloody insurgency in Gaza

With no exit strategy, Israel risks long engagement in Gaza Israel invasion to generate more Hamas fighters, sources say Israel may face Iraq, Afghanistan insurgency playbook US, allies want "revitalized"…

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Ukraine and Moldova have taken a huge step towards EU membership – but these hazards lie ahead

The European Commission has confirmed its support for opening the formal accession process for Ukraine and Moldova to become members of the European Union and for other nations in the…

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What war crimes laws apply to the Israel-Palestinian conflict?

By Anthony Deutsch, Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE, (Reuters) - War between Israel and Palestinian militants since the cross-border attack by Gaza's ruling Islamist group Hamas on Oct. 7…

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Gaza war inflicts catastrophic damage on infrastructure and economy

Nov 17 (Reuters) - Israel's land, sea and air assault on the Gaza Strip, triggered by Hamas's cross-border attack on Oct. 7, has brought upheaval and destruction to the Palestinian…

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‘News overload’: how a constant stream of violent images affects your brain

In May 1097, during the siege of Nicaea, crusaders catapulted the severed heads of prisoners over the walls surrounding the city, with the aim of terrorising their enemy. The strategy…

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Remembrance Day: five beautiful novels about war commemoration

Every autumn, the UK participates in an astonishing commemorative practice: the annual charity drive of the Poppy Appeal. From its origins during the first world war to the purple poppy…

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Will Saturn’s rings really ‘disappear’ by 2025? An astronomer explains

If you can get your hands on a telescope, there are few sights more spectacular than the magnificent ringed planet – Saturn. Currently, Saturn is clearly visible in the evening…

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A quick look at Remembrance Day/ Armistice Day

Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth. It was originally called “Armistice Day” to commemorate armistice agreement that ended the First World War on Monday, November…

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Fact Check-Five statements examined after third Republican debate

By Reuters Fact Check (Reuters) - Five Republican hopefuls took to the stage in Miami on Wednesday for the party's third 2024 presidential debate, each seeking a breakout moment with…

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What’s at stake in Telecom Italia grid deal?

MILAN, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Telecom Italia (TIM) on Sunday approved the sale of its fixed-line network to U.S. private equity firm KKR in a deal that would make it…

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Hello hay fever – why pressing under your nose could stop a sneeze but why you shouldn’t

If you have hay fever, you’ve probably been sneezing a lot lately. Sneezing is universal but also quite unique to each of us. It is a protective reflex action outside…

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What are the US MQ-9 Reaper drones that have been flying over Gaza?

(Reuters) - Several U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones have been orbiting over Gaza amid Israeli strikes and military activity there, U.S. officials and a source have told Reuters, and the flights…

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How the surge in antisemitism is affecting countries around the world

Authorities and civil society groups in many countries have reported a surge in antisemitism since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israel and subsequent bombardment of the Gaza…

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UK AI Safety Summit: who will attend and what’s on the agenda?

By Martin Coulter LONDON, (Reuters) - Britain will host the world's first global artificial intelligence (AI) safety summit this week to examine the risks of the fast-growing technology and kickstart…

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What war crimes laws apply to the Israel-Palestinian conflict?

By Stephanie van den Berg and Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Conflict between Israel and Palestinian forces since militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 assault have created a huge and…

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Despite its inflammatory rhetoric, Iran is unlikely to attack Israel. Here’s why

Iran has warned Israel of severe consequences from “multiple fronts” if it does not halt its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip. This warning is widely interpreted as a declaration…

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Who is Mike Johnson, the new Republican US House Speaker?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Representative Mike Johnson has been elected by his fellow Republicans to serve as speaker of the House of Representatives, after three weeks of turmoil and three…

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