European Union Overturns Export Controls Amid Poor Vaccine Rollouts
On January 30, the European Union reversed its decision to restrict COVID-19 vaccine exports into Britain through Northern Ireland, according to the New York Times.
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Europe
UK Prepares to Welcome Hong Kong Migrants Under New Law
Thousands of Hong Kong citizens have made the distressing decision to leave their city and move to the United Kingdom due to a new national security law that criminalizes supposed acts of secession, terrorism, and collusion.
Read MoreProtests Erupt in France Over New Security Bill
On Saturday, November 28, tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Paris, Lille, Strasbourg, and Rennes to marched peacefully in response to growing concerns regarding Article 24 of a controversial proposed security law. The bill aims to restrict people from filming and publishing discernible images of on-duty French police officers with the intent of damaging their “physical or psychological integrity,” The Guardian reports.
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EU-UK Trade Talks Under Increased Pressure to Reach Agreement
The European Union and the United Kingdom have resumed negotiations to reach a post-Brexit trade deal as soon as possible. Tariffs and quotas will be imposed, creating economic shocks for both if no trade deal is reached between the two parties by the end of the year.
Read MoreCOVID-19: Lockdown in England and Europe as COVID-19 Cases Surge
The acceleration of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe has forced multiple countries to enforce stringent social-distancing rules to prevent a return to full-blown lockdowns. In the final week of October, however, countries across Europe- including the UK, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal- all recorded their highest daily number of cases since the pandemic began, Time reports.
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Sesame Workshop Partners with the International Rescue Committee to Educate Refugee Children
Education plays a vital role in the lives of refugee children. In an interview with CBS, David Miliband, the Chief Executive Officer of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), informs that only two percent of humanitarian aid goes to education and from that, an even smaller amount goes to educating young children.
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Vienna Terrorist Attack Claims Five Lives, ISIS Claims Responsibility
On November 3, shots were fired around the area of Seitenstettengasse Temple, one of Vienna’s main synagogues. Fejzulai Kujtim, the gunman, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), who have since claimed responsibility for the attack. Local police believe that the gunman acted alone, although 14 individuals believed to have been involved in the attacks and having ties to Kujtim were taken into custody.
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U.S. and Russia Near Extension on New START Treaty
On Tuesday, October 20, the United States and Russia edged closer to renewing the last major nuclear arms control treaty between the two nations. According to POLITICO, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is set to expire on February 5, 2021 and has been the subject of unpromising negotiations between the Trump administration and Putin government since the beginning of this year. This newfound cooperation and apparent will to renew New START is owed to a Russian verbal commitment to a one-year nuclear warhead freeze and a one-year extension of New START.
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Protests Erupt Across Poland and Abroad Following Strict Abortion Law
Thousands of people in Poland are taking to the streets in protest over a new court ruling on abortion, reports the New York Times. The nation’s top court’s decision completely bans the practice except in cases of rape, incest, or health necessity.
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Spain Declares State of Emergency Over COVID Spike
In response to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, the Spanish government has declared a national state of emergency. As of October 30, the total number of cases in Spain reached 1,264,517 with 35,878 deaths reported. Among the new measures instituted to prevent another near-collapse of the country’s hospital capacity is an overnight curfew that will be in place for the next six months, reports the Associated Press.
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