Section: World

Local historian John Heywood tells the story of the sinking of the RMS Lenister in 1918, the greatest ever loss of life in the Irish Sea

The latest changes to travel rules and mixed messaging from the UK government with the Amber Plus list is causing anger for Brits abroad

Kerry Pearson writes about the necessity of vaccine multilateralism to not only help other countries with the pandemic, but to allow the world to move away from Covid-19.

With the arrival of the more virulent Delta-variant, the course of the pandemic in Russia looks uncertain and potentially ominous. Is forcing vaccination in order for citizens to work or go out the answer, or a better understanding and education of the vaccine?

As the Northern Ireland Protocol is attacked by its architects, sensitivity, not megaphone diplomacy, is needed for peace.

The UK’s decision to make travellers from EU countries quarantine regardless of vaccine status is having an impact for Britons living abroad

Paul Bright discusses the history of racial apartheid in rugby and the protests in South Africa, and politics and racism in sport like taking the knee.

Now the UK is a third country outside the EU, the joy of travel has been replaced by anxiety stress and fear for millions of people.

The Canadian government is failing to stop the complete eradication of the last old-growth heritage western cedar in a rainforest area that is as unique and important as the Amazon for a healthy planet.

Coastal erosion and rising sea levels – the climate events happening far away will have a devastating impact on our coastal communities

When discussing Australian farming practices, the term ‘mulesing’ keeps coming up. So what does this mean, and what are the wider animal welfare concerns from this deal?

As some of the England fans boo their own players before a ball has even been kicked in the European Championships, Roger Winterbottom wonders whether it’s all really just a philosophical debate.

Alex Toal analyses the difficult tightrope that Chancellor Rishi Sunak has to walk in advance of the G7 summit in Cornwall, balancing his desire for a special relationship with Biden with that of maintaining his vision for deregulation Britain.

The leaders of the G7 have finally done something very sensible: the taxation agreement. Their agreement to put a minimum rate of taxation of 15 percent on global corporations is of real importance.

In Malawi, covid and the lack of tourism has ground much of the local economy to a halt, leaving many established tourist destinations, particularly in game parks, reserves and lodges near to Lake Malawi, empty and silent. In this context, the international aid cuts recently proposed by our government will have a devastating impact.

How will the international community react to the latest violent repression of basic human rights in Belarus and Russia?

While the UK is happy to allow international travel, the ‘covid pass’ requirements for other countries are much stricter

Andy Brown explains the importance of looking after the environment in preventing future pandemics like Covid-19, and the steps governments around the world could take to stop zoonotic diseases.

Paul Bright writes about Peter Norman at the 1968 Olympics, where he made a show of solidarity to racial equality by standing with Carlos and Smith as they made the black power salute; today, many athletes take a knee, or sit for the national anthem.

Immigration plans including visas and ETAs will increase the cost of holidays to European countries for British families.

Is the path to a Middle East initiative through Israel-Palestine bilateral economic agreements, at the sacrifice of a Palestinian homeland and perhaps Israeli security? Or will a favoured two-state political solution, brokered by the Quartet, bring about a lasting peace?

Sue Wilson explains the impact that Brexit is having on Brits abroad and EU citizens living in the UK; the European Affairs Committee met (virtually) to discuss citizens’ rights.

Juliet Lodge writes about the UK’s failure to protect EU citizens’ personal data, or GDPR, ever since we left the EU. Britain used to follow EU law, whereby data was not allowed to be sold to companies or governments;

Stella Perrott writes about the incompetence of the Home Office. “Unless the Home Office radically improves its organisation and performance, on 1 July many EU citizens will, overnight, become illegal immigrants”.

Help prevent the next superbug pandemic through McDonald’s and improve the living conditions for farming livestock in the UK

Emily Horner discusses divorce; how it affects young people, teenagers and adults. Bill and Melinda Gates were married 24 years, which statistically is a successful marriage. But recently, the rates of divorce have increased and the average length of marriage is declining.

Marc Limon writes about Facebook’s decision to ban Trump indefinitely from their platform; the Oversight Board warned that social media companies have a responsibility to strike a balance between free speech, and safety.

Michael Hindley writes about the history of Council of Europe (which is often confused with the EU); Churchill was ardently in favour of its creation. Out of the Council came the European Convention on Human Rights (later the ECHR) which was essential at the time of the collapse of the USSR.

Drinking habits changed for many people during the pandemic. Is this trend mirrored across other countries?

Marc Limon discusses the Biden administration’s announcement to introduce a global vaccine waiver, which would allow other lower-income countries to develop vaccines. Was this a PR stunt though? And would Western nations be better off removing export restrictions and sending vaccines around the globe?