Issues

US to seek more help from NATO to counter ISIS

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday he is looking to NATO allies for more help countering the ISIS extremist group in Iraq and in bolstering U.S. defence efforts in…

Read More Here

Large iceberg splits off Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier

A handout photo made available by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of a satellite image showing the Pine Island Glacier (PIG) in Antarctica, 10 February 2020 (issued 12…

Read More Here

IOM Assists over 1,400 Migrants with Voluntary Return to Ghana

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) this week assisted 61 migrants who were stranded in Niger with voluntarily return to Ghana, bringing the total number of assisted Ghanaians to 1,400 since…

Read More Here

UK prepares for Storm Dennis

As the UK has hardly recovered from Storm Ciara and the country is preparing for Storm Dennis. "Blizzard conditions" are possible over Cumbria, Northumberland and large parts of Scotland,…

Read More Here

UN experts insist comprehensive national strategies are urgently needed to prevent child sexual abuse online

Comprehensive national strategies are urgently needed to prevent child sexual abuse online and other Internet issues for children, independent UN human rights experts said on Tuesday, Safer Internet Day. Maud…

Read More Here

Amnesty International Germany awards human rights prize to ocean rescue activists

The German branch of Amnesty International is recognizing the "luventa10," members of an ocean rescue group, with the organization's human rights award, Amnesty's office in Berlin announced on Tuesday. The NGO's…

Read More Here

Saudis warned to prepare for freezing temperatures

Weather warnings have been issued for most regions in Saudi Arabia, with temperatures expected to reach zero degrees and below. The General Authority of Meteorology and Environment said the freezing…

Read More Here

Greece plans accelerations of detention centres after backlash of overcrowded migrant camps

Greece plans to accelerate the creation of detention centres on its outlying islands in the Aegean Sea after a backlash against overcrowded camps by some migrants and nearby residents. New…

Read More Here

Diplomatique.Expert Edition 21

Pete Buttigieg's Iowa results, the post-Brexit negotiations, Huawei's role in UK and Europe and the lone-wolf terror attacks in this week's edition of the Corporate Dispatch's geopolitical insight publication -…

Read More Here

Solar Orbiter blasts off on historic mission

An undated handout image made available by ESA shows an illustration of ESA's (European Space Agency's) Solar Orbiter spacecraft against the backdrop of an image of the Sun. The Solar…

Read More Here

Massive storm shuts down air traffic across Europe

Northern Europe is currently being hit by a major storm, nicknamed Storm Sabine in Germany and Storm Ciara in the UK, which is moving south. Severe warnings have been issued…

Read More Here

Photo Story: The first Supermoon of 2020

Two people kiss as the supermoon shines over the lighthouse of Favaritx, Menorca, Balearic Islands, Spain, on the evening of Saturday 08 February 2020. The first supermoon of the year…

Read More Here

Every child in England to be offered bicycle training

The British government has announced all children in England will be taught the skills for a lifetime of cycling, as its Bikeability training programme is significantly expanded. The commitment will…

Read More Here

ISIS still at ‘centre’ of terrorism threat, UN Security Council hears

Despite the loss of its last stronghold in Syria and the death of its leader, ISIS “remains at the centre of the transnational terrorism threat”, a senior UN official told the Security Council.…

Read More Here

Storm Ciara causes travel chaos in the UK and Germany prepares for Storm Sabine

Strong winds have been causing travel disruption to parts of the UK as Storm Ciara approaches. Weather warnings have been issued for this weekend as the storm, set to…

Read More Here

Italy and Spain to work towards new European pact on immigration

Italy and Spain would work towards a new European pact on immigration Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said after talks with his Spanish counterpart Arancha González Laya. ANSA reports…

Read More Here

Canadian research finds climate change could lead to extinction of bumblebees

Bumblebees are disappearing at rates "consistent with a mass extinction" thanks largely to climate change, according to a new study in Canada. Researchers at the University of Ottawa say they…

Read More Here

NASA Study Reveals Arctic Ice Melt Is Changing Ocean Currents

A major ocean current in the Arctic is faster and more turbulent as a result of rapid sea ice melt, a new study from NASA shows. The current is part…

Read More Here

Heavy rain extinguishes third of fires in NSW, Australia

Torrential rain across the east coast of Australia has extinguished a third of the fires in the region - and could put more out, officials say. A wide band of…

Read More Here

Al-Qaeda leader in Yemen killed in US strike

The United States has killed the leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), President Donald Trump said. Qasim al-Raimi, who has led the jihadist group since 2015, was killed…

Read More Here

Global initiative launched to keep top sports events safe from terrorism

Representatives from international sporting federations and the private sector joined with ambassadors at UN Headquarters in New York this week to launch a global programme aimed at safeguarding major sporting…

Read More Here

US astronaut ends longest spaceflight by a woman

American astronaut Christina Koch landed back on Earth on Thursday, marking the end of the longest space mission ever completed by a female astronaut. The Soyuz MS-13 capsule touched down on…

Read More Here

Australian and two Chinese injured in attack claimed by Isis sympathisers in the Maldives

Three people including an Australian man have been stabbed in the Maldives in an attack claimed by ISIS sympathisers. Police in the South Asian archipelago said the Australian, 44, and…

Read More Here

Photo Story: When stars fight

A handout photo made available by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) on 05 February 2020 shows an Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) image of the outcome of a stellar fight:…

Read More Here

ISIS claims responsibility for London stabbing

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the Streatham terror attack. The group issued a generically-worded statement on its official propaganda channels on Monday morning saying the stabbing was carried out by…

Read More Here

Ambitious measures needed to ensure equal pay for women, say MEPs

MEPs urge the Commission to present an ambitious Gender Equality Strategy, including measures to reduce the gender pay gap. In the resolution adopted on Thursday by 493 votes in…

Read More Here

American FDA approves first drug for treatment of peanut allergy for children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Palforzia [Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Allergen Powder-dnfp] to mitigate allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, that may occur with accidental exposure to peanuts. Treatment with Palforzia…

Read More Here

Greece defends anti-migrant floating barrier amid growing criticism

The Greek government has defended plans to erect a floating barrier in the Mediterranean to deter thousands of people determined to reach Europe from making the sea journey from Turkey.…

Read More Here

Most children in UK sleep with mobile phone beside bed

More than half of children say they sleep with their mobile phone beside their bed, according to an annual survey of young people's use of media in the UK. The…

Read More Here

Greta Thunberg seeks to trademark her name to stem misuse

Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg said on Instagram she has applied to register her name and that of the Fridays For Future movement she founded in 2018, which has gone…

Read More Here

Greece plans floating barrier to stop migrants

The government in Greece wants to use a floating barrier to help stop migrants from reaching the Greek islands from the nearby coast of Turkey. The Defence Ministry has invited…

Read More Here

Two satellites narrowly miss colliding over US city of Pittsburgh

Two satellites hurtling across the sky at nearly 33,000 mph (53,000 km/h) narrowly missed a collision over the US state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday. The objects in question are an…

Read More Here

Nearly 500 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean seek safe ports

Nearly 500 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean by two boats run by aid agencies were looking for safe ports in Malta and Italy, the groups said Monday. The Ocean Viking,…

Read More Here

Only 189 migrants returned to Turkey despite EU refugee pact

Despite a 2016 refugee agreement between the European Union and Turkey, only 189 illegal migrants who crossed the Aegean Sea to Greece were returned to Turkey in 2019, according to new…

Read More Here

Schools in the UK encouraged to open up sports facilities all year round

Thousands of children will benefit from more sports activities after school and in the school holidays through a £1.6 million funding boost to help schools make better use of their…

Read More Here

Research sheds new light on children’s metabolic health

Nestlé Research and the University of Plymouth have revealed new insights into the factors that predispose children to developing type 2 diabetes in adult life. This was part of a…

Read More Here

G7 nations falling behind in fight against corruption

The governments of the top world economies are struggling to combat corruption, according to a report Thursday by graft watchdog Transparency International (TI). The annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) saw…

Read More Here

NASA Celebrates the Legacy of the Spitzer Space Telescope

An undated handout photo made available by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of an image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope showing the spiral arms of galaxy Messier 81…

Read More Here

Photo Story: The Netherlands allows first female naval personnel to work on submarines

All five women currently sailing on a submarine pose at the base of the Royal Dutch Navy in Den Helder, The Netherlands. The Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) now allows female…

Read More Here

Greece elects first woman President

Greece's parliament on Wednesday elected the first woman president in the country's history, a senior judge with an expertise in environmental and constitutional law. A cross-party majority of 261 MPs…

Read More Here

High-tech products to level the playing field in the UK for disabled pupils

Trials of pioneering technology to help disabled pupils in the classroom will take place across the country in the first programme of its kind in the world. Speaking at the…

Read More Here

UN human rights ruling could boost climate change asylum claims

The UN Human Rights Committee has determined that countries cannot deport people who have sought asylum due to climate-related threats. The historic ruling marks the first decision by a UN human rights…

Read More Here

Four dead as Storm Gloria batters Spain, starts moving into France

Hundreds of thousands of people were left without electricity in north-eastern Spain on Tuesday after heavy snow and rainfall. Four people have been killed by Storm Gloria since Sunday, with…

Read More Here

Italian Foreign Minister Di Maio says new EU migrant pact in the offing

The European Union will soon forge a new pact on migrants, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Tuesday. Speaking after meeting European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas and Commissioner for…

Read More Here

Photo Story: Aftermath of a hailstorm in Canberra

Photos of damaged cars are seen parked outside the Treasury Building after a hail storm hit Canberra, Australia, 20 January 2020. Melbourne and Canberra have been hit by heavy…

Read More Here

UNICEF warns ‘dire and untenable’ situation for tens of thousands of children in unrelenting conflict in Libya

The world should not accept the “dire and untenable” situation facing children in wartorn Libya the head of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said on Friday. “Children in Libya, including…

Read More Here

Migrants, troops slowly build up on Guatemala-Mexico border

More than 200 mostly Honduran migrants rested on a bridge at the Guatemala-Mexico border waiting for the arrival of others and hoping sheer numbers will improve their chances of entering…

Read More Here

Illegal migration into EU in 2019 down 92% from 2015-Frontex

Although the eastern Mediterranean and Balkan area registered growing migratory pressure, the number of irregular border crossings detected on the European Union's external borders in 2019 fell to the lowest…

Read More Here

Ocean Viking rescues 39 persons off the Libyan coast

In the early hours of Friday, the rescue vessel Ocean Viking completed the rescue of 39 people from a distressed boat off the north of the Libyan coast. "Despite the…

Read More Here

Astronomers trace journey of phosphorus to Earth

A handout photo made available by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) on 15 January 2020 shows the key results from a study that has revealed the interstellar thread of…

Read More Here

Sir David Attenborough warns of climate ‘crisis moment’

"The moment of crisis has come" in efforts to tackle climate change, Sir David Attenborough has warned. According to the renowned naturalist and broadcaster, "we have been putting things off…

Read More Here

Climate change named as biggest global threat

A new report by the World Economic Forum says global risk perceptions are shifting. While in previous years economic problems were deemed the biggest threats to mankind, fears of a…

Read More Here

UN moves to tackle ‘hidden abuse’ and violence against Europe’s children

Each year, at least 55 million children in Europe suffer some form of physical, sexual, emotional or psychological violence, the UN health agency (WHO) said. And despite the magnitude of…

Read More Here

Over 40 arrests for smuggling Moroccan citizens to the EU

The British Royal Gibraltar Police and the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) supported by Europol, dismantled an organised criminal group smuggling migrants from Morocco to Europe. The operation led to…

Read More Here

Pope appoints woman under-secretary in Vatican Secretariat of State

Pope Francis has appointed Dr Francesca Di Giovanni, currently an official of the Secretariat of State, as under-secretary for the Section for Relations with States. She will be responsible for…

Read More Here

Around 7% of children in the EU live in different country to their nationality

EU figures estimate that 6.9 million children in Europe reside in a country different from the one on their passport. Around two-thirds of these hail from outside the bloc. The…

Read More Here

Extreme cold weather kills 70 more people in Pakistan, Afghanistan

Severe winter weather has claimed more lives as avalanches triggered by heavy snowfall killed 55 people in Pakistan-administered Kashmir while 15 died in neighboring Afghanistan, officials said. The latest deaths…

Read More Here