CDEIU Insights

The Economist – Eurovision is an example how Europe is breaking up

Few countries do take the Eurovision's participation as serious as Malta. For a country which tends to have a divisive perspective on anything under the sun, the music festival provides…

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There is no willingness from the US to take the position of its allies seriously

Transatlantic relations have "already been damaged for some time", and Germany, although ready for dialogue, is "ready for a fight" for its positions . German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told…

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The UK might suffer a draught… of Rosé Wine

The Guardian reports that experts are warning of a national drought that could have a devastating impact upon the nation’s barbecue plans. The shortage, however, is of wine – not water.…

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Italy MPs get highest salary, which is 5.3% higher than Italian’s mean earnings. Malta and Spain salaries for MPs are in line with countries’ average salaries

Huge differences exist between MPs’ salaries and expenses across the EU with some countries paying their parliamentarians ten times more than others, a Euronews investigation has found. Euronews carries an…

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Politico – How Italy could blow the EU as we know it

Never before in any of the six original EU countries, much less one of its leading powers, have parties deeply skeptical toward the EU grabbed the reins of power. If…

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Agreement on key issues for government formation in Italy

5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio said that a fresh meeting with League chief Matteo Salvini on the formation of a new government went well on Friday. "We are…

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Trump approaches geopolitics like The Apprentice – but this is not his show – Julian Borger (The Guardian’s World Affairs Editor)

The big lesson of Trump’s big week in geopolitics – in which he ditched the Iran nuclear deal while pivoting optimistically toward his summit with Kim Jong-un – is clear enough:…

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Editor Perspectives 11th May 2018

The Times editorial entitled << When worlds collide>> refers to two separate gatherings which took place in Valletta earlier. We read “Around and on May Day, two mass events took…

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Macron awarded Charlemagne Prize; refers to Brexit and Italian elections as European traumas

The situation in the Middle East, relations with the United States, but above all the state of the European Union were the main themes that emerged during a meeting between Emmanuel…

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Israeli Airforce mission to destroy Iran’s presence in Syria dubbed as ‘Operation House of Cards’ – Update

Updated: The European Union called reports about Iranian strikes against Israeli army posts from inside Syria "extremely worrying" and said Israel had the right to defend itself. It also called…

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Italy breaks two jihadist cells

Italian police moved in on two jihadist rings accused of raising funding for terrorist attacks. 14 people were arrested in an operation that involved searches in 20 properties in Sardinia…

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Sweden, Finland, US sign security agreement

The defence ministers of Sweden, Finland, and the US met in Washington to sign a trilateral letter of intent to reinforce their security cooperation. Peter Hultqvist of Sweden, Jussi Niinistö…

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Italy: Race to reach government agreement by Sunday

Italy may be edging towards forming a new government after Luigi di Maio and Matteo Salvini indicate “significant steps forward” have been made. Fresh negotiations on Wednesday between Movimento Cinque…

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Malaysia : World oldest Prime Minister sworn in at 92

Mahathir Mohamad took his oath of office as Malaysia’s prime minister in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. The 92-year old won a surprising victory against the political coalition that has dominated…

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Israel threatens storm on Iran after attack on the Golan Heights

Reuters report that Israel has attacked nearly all of Iran's military infrastructure in Syria after Iranian forces fired rockets at Israeli-held territory for the first time. Through this Israel and Iran…

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US – China trade off impacts import of Ford automobiles in China

Chinese customs officials are holding up shipments of imported Ford automobiles for technical checks. Trade experts believe the move is meant to put pressure on Washington after US President Donald…

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Netanyahu indicates Moscow won’t curtail Israeli strikes in Syria

Wrapping up a whirlwind visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening said he has no reason to believe the Kremlin will attempt to limit Israel’s freedom of…

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New political era in Malaysia

Malaysians awoke on Thursday to a new political era, as veteran opposition leader Mahathir Mohamad sealed victory in a historic general election that ends the ruling coalition’s six-decade grip on…

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The EU takes an active role to try to salvage the Nuclear Deal

The Guardian reports that "The European Union is scrambling to arrange a crisis meeting with Iran after Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear agreement, as the Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said…

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Could Starbucks make it in the country of espresso?

Starbucks executive chairman Howard Schultz fuelled speculation that the brand is coming to the land of espresso, Italy. The multinational coffee-house chain grew from 11 stores in 1983 to a…

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Malta’s reaction to Trump’s withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear agreement

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion, in a statement said that Malta continues to support the full and effective implementation and preservation of the Iran Nuclear Agreement (Joint…

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Sir Alex Ferguson out of coma, asks for football result

Sir Alex Ferguson is out of a coma and showing promising early signs of recovery following emergency surgery on a brain haemorrhage. British football’s most successful manager remains in intensive…

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USA: Facebook to require extra checks from people buying ads on politics

The Financial Times reports that Facebook will require extra checks from people buying advertisements on political issues ranging from abortion and guns, to education and foreign policy, as the social network tries…

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Europe Day

Today is Europe Day. Observed on May 9 each year, this day marks the presentation of the Schuman Declaration in 1950, which proposed and eventually led to the creation of a…

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Reactions to Trump’s announcement on withdrawal from Iran’s nuclear deal

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he is deeply concerned by the US decision to withdraw from Iran nuclear deal, and calls on all other parties to fully abide by…

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Post Brexit customs union is crazy – Boris Johnson

The idea of a post-Brexit "customs partnership" with the EU would be "madness". The British Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, leader of the Eurosceptics of the government, rejects in these terms…

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Developing story – Israeli missiles intercepted in Syria (Updated)

Reuters reports that "Syrian state media accused Israel of launching missiles at a target near Damascus on Tuesday, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was quitting the Iranian nuclear…

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What’s going on in Armenia and why does it matter

Armenia’s Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan stepped down just six days after he was sworn in and backed his political rival to succeed him. Having served 10 years as Armenia’s President,…

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Political impasse in Italy sends Government Bond yields rising

Following the unsuccessful final round of coalition talks, Italian president Mattarella declared that the process to form a government had failed. Mattarella’s preferred option remains to install a fixed-mandate technical…

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Trump announces America’s withdrawal from Iran Nuclear deal

US President Donald Trump says he will withdraw the US from an Obama-era nuclear agreement with Iran. Calling it "decaying and rotten", he said the deal was "an embarrassment" to…

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UN report claims that Afghan government helicopters killed and wounded at least 107 boys and men

A new UN report on the 2 April 2018 airstrikes in the Dasht-e-Archi district of Kunduz province, UNAMA presents its findings, including verification of 107 casualties (36 killed and…

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Suspect shooter of Pakistan’s Ahsan Iqbal linked to far-right

A suspect arrested for an assassination attempt on Pakistan's interior minister says he is a member of a far-right religious organisation that has previously accused members of the government of…

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Nigeria’s military rescue 1,000 people held captive by Boko Haram

Nigeria's military, through Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, the army spokesman, said that it has rescued more than 1,000 people held captive in northeastern Nigeria by the armed group Boko Haram.…

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Pro-independent Catalan politicians want to nominate Puigdemont as head of their regional government

Pro-independence Catalan politicians aim to nominate former leader Carles Puigdemont to head their regional government, in defiance of Spain and despite his self-imposed exile in Germany. They proposed nominating Puigdemont,…

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Hezbollah and its allies win Lebanon’s elections

Hezbollah and its political allies are the biggest winners in Lebanon's first general election in nine years, an analysis of the preliminary results show. Hezbollah and Amal - dubbed the…

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22nd July the most probable date for new elections in Italy

Italy might have failed to reach the World Cup, but at this stage, the months of June and July seem to be taken up by another kind of contest following…

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Oil price goes above $70 a barrel for first time in over three years

US crude oil prices have pushed above $70 a barrel for the first time in over three years as concerns have grown over supplies from Iran and Venezuela. West Texas…

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US embassy road signs goes up in Jerusalem

U.S. Embassy road signs went up in Jerusalem on Monday ahead of next week’s opening of the mission in accordance with President Donald Trump’s recognition of the city as Israel’s…

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Putin takes oath of office

Vladimir Putin took the oath of office for his fourth term as Russian president on Monday and promised to pursue an economic agenda that would boost living standards across the…

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Italy – No chance to form ‘Government’

President Sergio Mattarella held a third round of formal political consultations on Monday but there was no sign of a breakthrough to end the gridlock that followed Italy's inconclusive election…

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The political innuendos in the lyrics of this year’s Eurovision song contest

The Irish Times reports that after a year when politics threatened to engulf the Eurovision Song Contest, the sabre-rattling is quieter in 2018, but European and global events are still…

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Today’s Editor Perspectives

The editorial of The Independent, entitled <<The crossroads of corruption>>, argues that “the events of the past months have focused the attention of the world, especially of Europe, on the…

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Trump’s administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Hondurans

The Trump administration will be soon terminating temporary protected status for more than 310,000 people, according to Congressional Research Service estimates ― 98 percent of the total number of people…

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Pakistan Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal shot at election rally in Islamabad

Pakistani Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has been wounded in his shoulder, after unidentified gunman fired shots at an election rally in central Punjab province, according to officials. Iqbal, 59, was…

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Renzi satisfied that there was no deal between PD and M5s

Former premier and ex Democratic Party (PD) leader Matteo Renzi said that he was pleased he had intervened to scupper the possibility of the centre-left group striking a government deal…

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If re-elected, Turkish President Erdogan vowed that his country will launch new military operations to clear borders fro ‘terrorists’.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has vowed that his country will launch new military operations "to clear its borders from terrorists". President Erdogan was speaking during a rally in Istanbul,…

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