CDEIU Insights

Northern Ireland’s Border remains an issue in BREXIT talks

The U.K.’s two post-Brexit customs proposals to solve the Northern Ireland border issue have been rejected by the EU. Earlier this week, a report on The Telegraph, indicated that the…

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North Korea will suspend nuclear and missile tests

North Korea will suspend nuclear and missile tests effective immediately and abolish a nuclear test site in the northern part of the country in a bid to pursue economic growth…

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US: Democrats file a lawsuit against Russian government, WikiLeaks and Donald Trump’s presidential campaign

The Democratic Party in the USA has filed a lawsuit against the Russian government, WikiLeaks and Donald Trump's presidential campaign that says they conspired to interfere with the 2016 U.S.…

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The UN must examine its conscience on Syria – Nobel Peace prize winner Maartti Ahtisaari

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Martti Ahtisaari in a piece written for The Guardian, argues that "the alarming events of the past week have reminded us of the severe costs of inaction.…

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Prince Charles to lead the Commonwealth

Commonwealth leaders have agreed that Prince Charles will become the next head of the organisation after the Queen, it has emerged, in one of the less surprising diplomatic developments of recent months.…

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Spain overtakes Italy, and it’s not about football.

Italy and Spain, often end up 'fighting it out' on the football pitch. The past weeks saw Roma and Juventus facing Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. The matches were the…

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Italy risks new election

Italian News Agency Ansa reports that President Sergio Mattarella has decided to take two days to reflect after Senate Speaker Maria Elisabetta Casellati reported back to him on Friday following her exploratory…

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Europe Explained – EU Enlargement Process Update

While it is generally known that the European Union is on a continuing path to further enlargement, few are those that know which process precedes a country becoming effectively a…

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President Trum wouldn’t mind walking out from summit with Kim Jong-un

President Trump declared on Wednesday that he would scrap a planned summit meeting with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, or even walk out of the session while it was underway,…

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Italy – Caselati given mandate to end political deadlock

Ansa: President Sergio Mattarella gave Senate Speaker Elisabetta Alberti Casellati a mandate to see if it is possible to end Italy's post-election political deadlock. Casellati had been given the task of…

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Erdogan Calls Snap Elections in Turkey

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday called an election more than a year early. “We have decided to hold elections on June 24,” Erdogan said in a televised address…

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CNN: David Cameron says he doesn’t regret calling Brexit referendum

CNN: Former British Prime Minister David Cameron says he doesn't regret calling a referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union -- but wishes the result had gone the other…

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Ofcom investigating RT

The United Kingdom launched an investigation on a series of programmes aired by Russian TV, RT. Ofcom is in fact examining instances where Kremlin-backed news channel potentially breached UK broadcast…

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North and South Korea set to announce official end to war

North and South Korea are in talks to announce a permanent end to the officially declared military conflict between the two countries, daily newspaper Munhwa Ilbo reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed South Korean…

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Forbidden Stories: 45 Journalists from 18 News Organisations from 15 Countries follow up Daphne Caruana Galizia’s stories and murder.

Six months after Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally killed by a car bomb just meters from her home, a group of 45 journalists representing 18 news organisations from…

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15 years ago – The EU Big Enlargement Signed and Delivered

The 16 of April 2018 marks the 15th anniversary of the signing of the accession treaties of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia,…

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Pope Francis consoles a boy who asked if his non-believing father is in Heaven

Rome Reports: Those participating in the pope's encounter with children from the parish of St. Paul of the Cross in Corviale were undoubtedly moved. One of the children appeared embarrassed and…

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Windrush – A dark page in the UK’s Commonwealth history, today.

As the UK is hosting Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) where leaders gathered in London and Windsor to "address the shared global challenges we face and agree actions on…

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Air Strikes on Syria – House of Commons debate

Theresa May told MPs that there was clear evidence that the Assad government was behind the Douma chemical weapons attack and it was "legally and morally right" for the UK to…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Russia to allow OPCW inspectors in Douma

Russia said that chemical weapons inspectors in Syria will be permitted to visit the site of an alleged chemical attack, on Wednesday. A representative of Russia's military said late Monday…

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Air Strikes on Syria. What we know so far UPDATED

US President Trump ordered a military attack against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Friday, joining allies Britain and France in launching missile strikes in retaliation for what Western nations said…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Berlusconi weighs in his view on Italy’s position

In a letter published on Sunday's edition of Il Corriere Della Sera, Silvio Berlusconi said that faced with a complex and dramatic situation such as that which has been determined…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Pope Francis urges common action

In his first comments since the missile attacks on Syria by the United States, Britain and France, Pope Francis said on Sunday, April 15, that he is deeply disturbed by…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Macron’s stance criticised

France 24 reports that Macron drew criticism Saturday from the far-left to the far-right. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen tweeted that the strikes expose France to “unpredictable and potentially dramatic…

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Air Strikes on Syria – New Push in UN to end Syria’s chemical weapons

CNN reports that the United States, the United Kingdom and France are pushing for an "irreversible" end to Syria's chemical weapons program, amid furious recriminations from Russia over the effectiveness…

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Syria – The Why, Who, and How of an 8 year conflict

Now having gone on longer than World War II, the war in Syria is causing profound effects beyond the country's borders, with many Syrians having left their homes to seek…

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Europe’s vicious circle of misery

You feel World War III is fast approaching when you are in a room in Brussels, during a technical working group meeting, discussing money. Who gets to pay -…

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Airstrikes may not end the sick barbarism in Syria. But they show we stand up for principle and civilised values – Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson for The Telegraph There is a very simple reason why it was right for the UK to join our closest allies in launching strikes against the Assad military machine. This is about…

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No progress registered in Italy

In Italy not much progress has been registered in the feat of forming a government in Italy. The second round of consultations proved inconclusive. President Mattarella warned that the country…

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Russia threats dirty campaign against Britain’s elite

The Sunday Times reports that Russia threats to wage dirty campaign against Britain’s elite Spy chiefs are braced for a Russian revenge attack in which Kremlin-backed hackers release embarrassing information…

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Air Strikes on Syria. UK publishes legal documents

Air strikes on Syria were legally justified on humanitarian grounds, government documents say. The British Government published the legal position document it had, and which led to the air strikes.…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Mixed reactions for May and Trump

A chorus of voices across the American political spectrum expressed support for Trump’s latest strikes, but criticised the lack of a broader U.S. Syria strategy that could end the seven-year…

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Air strikes on Syria – Trump tweets Mission Accomplished

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Air Strikes on Syria – France publishes declassified intelligence report

In a rather unprecedented move, one of the allies which took part in last night's air strikes on Syria, published the intelligence reports on the basis of which decisions were…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Pentagon Briefing

The aim of the Air Strikes on Syria was to significantly impact the Syrian regimes ability to develop, deploy and use chemical weapons in the future. 105 weapons against three…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Italy’s reaction

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said that Italy did not participate in the attack in Syria. According to news agency ANSA, Gentiloni said that the Italian Government insisted and clarified…

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Air Strikes on Syria – China’s reaction

Beijing has voiced opposition to US-led airstrikes against Syrian military targets and called for talks. It also claimed that the operation had complicated the Syrian crisis and efforts to find…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Reaction of Hezbollah

Syrian News Agency SANA reports that Lebanese Hezbollah strongly condemned the US, British and French tripartite brutal aggression on Syria at dawn on Saturday. In a statement, the Party said…

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Air Strikes on Syria – What was hit

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters three sites were targeted: A scientific research centre in Damascus. A chemical weapons storage facility, located west of…

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Air Strikes on Syria : Syria’s reaction

Syria’s Foreign Ministry described the joint US, UK and French airstrikes as a "flagrant violation of international law and the principals of UN charter." Syria called on the international community to…

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Air Strikes in Syria – Weapons used (CNN)

CNN provides an analysis of the weapons used by the US, France and the UK in the air strikes on Syria. A US defence official said the US Air Force used…

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Air Strikes on Syria – NATO to meet later on today

CNN reports that following the trilateral airstrikes launched in Syria, a meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) will be held Saturday afternoon, a NATO official tells CNN. France, the United…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Statement by Jean-Claude Juncker

The President of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker issued the following statement. Last night, France, the United Kingdom and the United States responded in a coordinated military action to…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Reactions by Jeremy Corbyn

The UK Labour Party's leader said that bombs won’t save lives or bring about peace. This legally questionable action risks escalating further, as US defence secretary James Mattis has admitted,…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Briefing by Theresa May

UK Prime Minister Theresa May addressed the press at her office in 10 Downing Street following the allies air strikes that took place in Syria. In her briefing, Ms May…

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Air Strikes on Syria. Vladimir Putin’s reaction

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denounced a strike on Syria launched by the US and its allies as an "act of aggression" that will exacerbate humanitarian catastrophe in Syria. In a statement…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Iran’s Reaction

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned Saturday’s US-led airstrikes on Syria. “I clearly declare that the US president, the French president and the UK prime minister are criminals and have committed a crime."…

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Air Strikes on Syria – United Nations reaction

Following the air strikes on Syria, Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations released the following statement. I have been following closely the reports of air strikes in Syria conducted…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Emanuel Macron’s Statement

On Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Douma, dozens of men, women and children were massacred by chemical weapons, in total violation of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions.…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Syria’s State Media reports

Syrian state media said U.S.-led air strikes caused material damage only at a scientific research center in the Barzeh district of Damascus on Friday. The attack destroyed a building that…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Russian Foreign Ministry reaction

Syrian News Agency SANA reports that the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Saturday that the aggression on Syria targeted a sovereign state that has tried to return…

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Air Strikes on Syria : Pentagon Briefing

U.S., British and French air and naval forces launched attacks against the Syrian government’s chemical weapon arsenal in retaliation for the use of such weapons on civilians, Defense Secretary James…

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The Guardian : Have we learned nothing from history?

Look at Syria, and you can see all the elements that have led to world wars - Simon Jenkins "What on earth are we doing? I have not heard a…

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Air Strikes on Syria : Photos of US, UK, and French military strikes

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Air Strikes on Syria : Russia’s reaction

Statement by the Ambassador of Russia to the USA Anatoly Antonov on the strikes on Syria and posted on Facebook: The worst apprehensions have come true. Our warnings have been left…

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Air Strikes on Syria : Theresa May’s Speech in Full

"This evening I have authorised British armed forces to conduct co-ordinated and targeted strikes to degrade the Syrian Regime’s chemical weapons capability and deter their use. We are acting together…

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Air Strikes on Syria: Donald Trump’s Announcement in Full

"My fellow Americans, a short time ago I ordered the United States armed forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapon capabilities of Syrian dictator of…

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