Issues

Danish Refugee Council calls for solutions For the world’s 79.5 million refugees

By the end of 2019, 79.5 million refugees and displaced persons were driven out of their homes and communities, marking an increase of 8.7 million compared to the year before.…

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Photo Story: Annular Solar Eclipse in Taiwan

The annular solar eclipse in Chiayi city, Taiwan, 21 June 2020. During this annular solar eclipse – the first of the decade – the moon appears to cover the sun,…

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Greta Thunberg says the world needs to treat climate change with similar urgency of coronavirus

Greta Thunberg says the world needs to learn the lessons of coronavirus and treat climate change with similar urgency, which means acting “with necessary force”. In an interview with the…

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Rare ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse to dim Africa, Asia

Skywatchers along a narrow band from west Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, India and southern China will witness on Sunday the most dramatic "ring of fire" solar eclipse to shadow…

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UN reports refugee numbers hit record high in 2019

The number of people fleeing war and persecution rose to a record 79.5 million in 2019, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said Thursday. That figure represents "approximately 1%…

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15 die in latest reported Mediterranean Migration Tragedy – UN

At least 15 persons were missing and feared drowned off the coast of Libya on Saturday after a boat carrying around three dozen migrants bound for Europe capsized in the…

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Bayern need one win to secure the Bundesliga title

Leon Goretzka’s 86th minute goal gave Bayern Munich a 2-1 victory over visitors Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday, meaning they need to win just one of their last three matches to…

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Death toll from Tunisia migrant shipwreck rises to 54

The death toll from the sinking of a boat carrying migrants off the Tunisian coast has risen to 54 as more bodies were recovered during the search operations. The boat,…

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Battling anti-encryption drive, tech companies pledge new child abuse disclosures

Tech companies including Facebook, Google and Microsoft on Thursday pledged to improve and standardise annual disclosures around online child exploitation, as they fight off moves to limit encryption. The Technology…

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Charity boats resume Mediterranean migrant rescue

Two charity boats have headed back to the Mediterranean after a two-month hiatus in migrant rescue operations, as humanitarian groups await a new wave of arrivals. Italian NGO Mediterranea Saving…

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Bodies of twenty lifeless persons recovered after latest migrant tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea

The bodies of 20 persons were recovered on Wednesday following the sinking of a fishing boat carrying irregular migrants. A search is underway for 30 others who are believed to…

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Gender focus essential to addressing linked climate change and security crises, urges UN report

As countries reel from the devastating social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, gender inequality is shaping the experience of crisis, as well as prospects for resilience and recovery.…

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Temperature heats up as EU states share divergent views on migration

Summer is not yet here and migratory challenges across Europe have already increased tensions across EU Member States. As countries insisted with their standoffs to raise visibility of their plight,…

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425 asylum seekers allowed to disembark in Malta

425 asylum seekers held offshore on four tourist boats will be allowed to disembark in Malta, the government announced on Saturday night. Newsbook reports that the government said that while…

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May confirmed as warmest on record, CO2 levels hit new high despite COVID economic slowdown

Last month was the warmest May on record and carbon dioxide levels also hit a new high despite the economic slowdown from COVID-19, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on…

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‘Your Pain Is My Pain’: global anti-racism protests rage

Protesters around the world took to the streets again on Friday, despite coronavirus warnings, in a wave of outrage at the death of African American George Floyd in the United…

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Denmark urged to end North Sea oil and gas hunt

An independent adviser to the Danish government has recommended ending any future oil and gas exploration in the Danish North Sea, saying it would hurt Denmark's ambition as a front-runner…

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COVID-19 could lead to more resilient EU asylum procedure

Initially limited by the emergency measures, national asylum authorities largely made strong efforts to resume services wherever possible, often within weeks. At the same time, Member States should be prepared…

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Eurojust steps up the fight against migrant smuggling

To further strengthen the fight against migrant smuggling, Eurojust, the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, has launched a new initiative, the Focus Group for Prosecutors on Migrant Smuggling. In…

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SpaceX NASA mission astronaut capsule set to dock with space station

US astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken will dock to the International Space Station (ISS) later. The men are making their way up to the orbiting platform after their launch…

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On Peacekeepers Day, UN to spotlight vital role of women peace operations

In observance of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, on Friday, Secretary-General António Guterres will lay a wreath to pay tribute to all the UN blue helmets who have…

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U.N. delays crucial climate summit for a year

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted the United Nations to delay until late 2021 a crucial climate summit that had been scheduled for Britain this year, officials said on Thursday. This…

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Lockdown increasing the gender wage gap as more women lose their jobs than men

Mothers who were in paid work before lockdown are 47% more likely than fathers to have permanently lost their jobs or quit, new research in the UK suggests. The Institute…

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SpaceX set for historic astronaut mission

Entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX is set to launch two American astronauts to the International Space Station on Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, ending the U.S. space agency's nine-year hiatus…

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80 million children under one at risk of diseases such as diphtheria, measles and polio as COVID-19 disrupts routine vaccination efforts

COVID 19 is disrupting life-saving immunization services around the world, putting millions of children – in rich and poor countries alike – at risk of diseases like diphtheria, measles and…

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NASA SpaceX crew mission cleared to launch

Key officials at the American space agency (NASA) and private launch firm SpaceX have signed off next week's historic mission to the space station. Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken…

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Migrant boat crossings to UK surge during coronavirus lockdown

The number of unaccompanied young migrants crossing the English Channel from France to Britain has spiked during the coronavirus outbreak, as travel restrictions force them onto boats rather than trucks.…

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India and Bangladesh brace for massive cyclone

Heavy rains and winds have been reported in eastern India and Bangladesh, with a super cyclone expected to make landfall in hours. Amphan is one of the biggest storms in…

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Doctors insist that children with suspected Covid-related syndrome need immediate attention

Children who may have multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, a troubling complication of Covid-19 infection, need immediate attention and will probably need to be hospitalized, doctors said. It's…

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India and Bangladesh prepare for impact of Cyclone Amphan

India began evacuating thousands of villagers and halted port operations ahead of a cyclone expected to hit its east coast this week, piling pressure on emergency services grappling with the…

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Migrants intercepted in small boats in English Channel

Six boats carrying 90 migrants which were attempting to cross the English Channel have been intercepted by Border Force boats over the weekend. The occupants of the six boats, one…

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Fears mount over migrants dying ‘out of sight’ in Mediterranean

More and more migrants are crossing, Europe is closing its ports and no humanitarian ships are carrying out rescues. As the coronavirus pandemic dominates headlines, activists fear the Mediterranean is…

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This pandemic is a children’s rights issue too, says Greta Thunberg

The coronavirus pandemic is impacting children's health and standard of living globally, said climate activist and children's rights proponent Greta Thunberg during an interview with CNN. "Children both do get…

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Photo Story: Greenpeace protest on Amsterdam airport runway

Activists belonging to the environmental organization Greenpeace hold up a placard reading in English: 'Back to Normal = Back to Climate Crisis' while others ride bicycles waving Greenpeace flags on…

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Italian doctors find link between Covid-19 and inflammatory disorder in children

Doctors in Italy have reported the first clear evidence of a link between Covid-19 and a rare but serious inflammatory disorder that has required some children to undergo life-saving treatment…

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UNICEF issues dire report on coronavirus’ deadly impact on children

UNICEF published a report on Tuesday saying an additional 6,000 children could die every day from preventable causes over the next six months as the coronavirus pandemic continues to weaken…

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American CDC to alert doctors to look out for syndrome possibly related to Covid-19 in children

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing to release an alert warning doctors to be on the lookout for a dangerous inflammatory syndrome in children that may…

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EASO cautions that COVID-19 could result in increased asylum-related migration

A new EASO report found that while currently migratory trends have declined, with a 43% decline registered this year so far, the trend could change if the pandemic spreads further…

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Migrants stranded in Greece by Covid-19 fly to UK

A group of 50 refugees and asylum seekers flew from Greece to Britain on Monday to reunite with relatives in a transfer that had been held up by the coronavirus…

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Maltese Anti-Terrorism Squad arrests Syrian charged for human trafficking

Members of the Police Force's Anti-Terrorism Squad have arrested a 48-year old person of Syrian nationality, following a European Arrest Mandate issued by Hungary. The Syrian has been arrested on…

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Portugal to take 60 unaccompanied children from Greek refugee camps

Portugal is to take up to 60 unaccompanied children from Greek refugee camps, according to Socialist Party lawmaker Isabel Santos, as concern mounts over the impact of the coronavirus outbreak…

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Children and the Coronavirus

With parents and policymakers agonising over when to reopen schools as lockdowns ease, scientists are still struggling to find out how the new coronavirus affects children. Children could be less…

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More than 140 migrants intercepted in English Channel

Sky News on Saturday reported that a record number of migrants crossed the English Channel yesterday. It is thought more than 140 people were brought ashore to Dover. On Saturday,…

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Photo Story: Asylum seekers protest in Brisbane

A refugee supporter holds up a sign as asylum seekers, who are being held in detention, protest at an inner-city motel in Brisbane, Australia, 08 May 2020. The men claim…

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Coronavirus pandemic is pushing up the price of illegal drugs

Coronavirus-related border controls, lockdowns and flight shortages are making illegal drugs more expensive and difficult to obtain around the world, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said in…

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Spanish police detain alleged ISIS member believed to be planning attacks

Spanish police detained a suspected ISIS follower who is believed to have been planning terrorist attacks in Barcelona. According to Al Arabiya, the arrested man is a Moroccan man. The…

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Photo Story: Last of the Supermoons in Minsk

The full moon rises above apartments in Minsk, Belarus, on the evening of Thursday 07 May 2020. The 'Full Flower Moon' or the 'Corn Planting Moon' or the 'Milk Moon'…

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Tom Cruise preparing to shoot a movie in space

American actor Tom Cruise, 57, is set to board the International Space Station to film the first narrative feature outside Earth. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine confirmed the news earlier this…

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U.S. scientists to study life-threatening syndrome in children linked to coronavirus

U.S. scientists are working to understand a rare, life-threatening inflammatory syndrome in children associated with exposure to the new coronavirus by quickly assembling clinical trials and patient registries. Cases were…

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Mayors of leading cities say no return to “business as usual”

Mayors in many of the world’s leading cities have warned there can be no return to “business as usual” in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis if humanity is to…

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Trump administration drafting pact for mining on the moon

The Trump administration is drafting a legal blueprint for mining on the moon under a new U.S.-sponsored international agreement called the Artemis Accords, people familiar with the proposed pact told…

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UNHCR begins emergency distributions in Libya to refugees and asylum-seekers

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has begun a series of emergency distributions in the Libyan capital Tripoli, to assist refugees and asylum-seekers during the holy fasting…

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Photo Story: Migrants and refugees transferred to Greece mainland

A migrant child wearing a protective face mask sits next to plastic sacks, during her arrival at the port of Piraeus near Athens, Greece, 04 May 2020. Ferry boat Nisos…

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EPP calls for stronger EU migration policy based on solidarity

In the wake of recent migratory crisis, particularly in the Mediterranean, the EPP Group in the European Parliament has insisted for a stronger, more efficient EU migration policy that is…

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Afghanistan probes report Iranian border guards threw migrants into river with many drowning

Afghan officials on Sunday launched a hunt to retrieve bodies of Afghan migrants from a river in a western province after reports that Iranian border guards tortured and threw…

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Sprawling green spaces and fantastical skyscrapers feature in children’s ‘own’ designed cities of the future

From "fantastical skyscrapers" to sprawling green spaces, children are creating their own cities while under lockdown, using designs from a renowned British architecture studio. Foster + Partners' project, which includes…

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Asylum applications in Europe down by 43% in March

Applications for asylum in the EU+ dropped by almost half in March as COVID-19 containment measures took effect, following persistently high levels of applications in the first two months of…

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