News

US pressing Mexico to allow US forces to fight cartels

The United States is intensifying pressure on Mexico to allow U.S. military forces to conduct joint operations to dismantle fentanyl labs inside the country, the New York Times reported on…

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European military heads to Greenland as Trump’s ambitions for island remain undeterred

Military personnel from France and Germany headed to Greenland on Thursday as Denmark and its allies prepared for exercises to try to assure U.S. President Donald Trump over its security…

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Turkey to deploy jets to Estonia, Romania under NATO air policing missions

Turkey plans to deploy fighter jets to Estonia and Romania as part of NATO's enhanced air policing missions, the defence ministry said on Thursday. Turkey plans to conduct a four-month…

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Astronauts return to Earth after first ever medical evacuation from space station

A SpaceX capsule departed the International Space Station (ISS) carrying four astronauts on Wednesday, in an emergency return flight due to the ailing health of a crew member. This is…

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Trump Shrugs Off Critics, Signals Go-It-Alone Approach in Reuters Interview

Reuters sat down with U.S. President Donald Trump for an interview in the Oval Office on Wednesday. Here are some takeaways from the 30-minute exchange: TRUMP’S DOING IT HIS WAY…

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Rome Slows Traffic in Historic Centre as 30 km/h Limit Takes Effect

Rome is easing off the accelerator. From now on, vehicles travelling through the historic centre will not be allowed to exceed 30 kilometres per hour. The Mayor of the capital,…

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Iran reopens airspace after temporary closure forced flights to reroute

Iran reopened its airspace after a near-five-hour closure amid concerns about possible military action between the U.S. and Iran that forced airlines to cancel, reroute or delay some flights. Iran…

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US launches phase two of plan to end Gaza conflict, including creation of transitional authority

Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff has announced the launch of phase two of the plan to end the conflict in Gaza. It includes disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-ravaged territory…

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Majority of voters oppose US strike on Iran, say Trump has gone too far abroad

Two new polls released Wednesday show that most voters do not want the U.S. to take military action against Iran and think President Donald Trump is overstepping abroad. A Quinnipiac…

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‘Fundamental disagreement’ with US over Greenland remains

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that Greenland was "very important" for national security, following a meeting with Greenlandic and Danish diplomats hosted by Vice President JD Vance in Washington. …

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Malta News Briefing – Thursday 15 January 2026

Morning Briefing PM rules out early election, cites geopolitics as only caveat Prime Minister Robert Abela has ruled out the possibility of an early general election, insisting that his mandate…

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Deaths outnumber births in France for first time since World War Two

France recorded more deaths than births in 2025 for the first time since the end of World War Two, a development that erodes its long-held demographic advantage over other European…

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Orban’s grip on power faces test at Hungary election on April 12

Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban will face a strong challenger for the first time in 16 years at Hungary's parliamentary vote on April 12, with the outcome having profound implications…

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Why Iran’s clerical establishment still holds as protests rage

Despite Iran's nationwide protests and years of external pressure, there are as yet no signs of fracture in the Islamic Republic's security elite that could bring an end to one…

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Tensions rise as U.S. advises personnel to leave Qatar base, Iran issues warnings

The United States has advised some personnel to leave its largest military base in the Middle East, diplomats said Wednesday, as Washington weighs possible intervention in Iran and Tehran warns…

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Former Cypriot president George Vassiliou dies aged 94

George Vassiliou, a former president of the Republic of Cyprus and a central figure in the island’s modern political and economic development, died overnight at the age of 94, his…

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Global warming reaches 1.4C after third-hottest year on record

The world is rapidly closing in on the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit that serves as a threshold for ever more dangerous climate change, European scientists have warned. Average global…

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Trump urges Iranians to keep protesting, saying ‘help is on its way’

U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iranians to keep protesting and remember the names of those abusing them, saying help is on the way, as Iran's clerical establishment pressed its crackdown…

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Bill and Hillary Clinton refuse to testify in House Epstein probe

Bill and Hillary Clinton on Tuesday refused to testify in a Republican-led congressional investigation of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying it was a partisan exercise. "Every person…

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Last year was Ukraine’s deadliest for civilians since 2022, UN says

2025 was the deadliest year for civilians in Ukraine since 2022, according to the United Nations (UN). Conflict-related violence killed at least 2,514 civilians last year, the UN's Human Rights…

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Denmark, Greenland to meet Vance, Rubio on Wednesday amid Trump’s takeover threat

The foreign ministers of Denmark and Greenland will meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, the Danish foreign minister said, amid President Donald…

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Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 14 January 2026

Morning Briefing Engineering Board Resignations Raise Alarm Over Professional Standards Two members of Malta’s Engineering Profession Board have resigned just hours before discussions were due to begin on processing warrant…

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Moldova’s Sandu Signals Support for Romania Unification as Means to Secure State’s Survival

Moldovan President Maia Sandu has said she would vote in favour of unification with neighbouring European Union and NATO member Romania if a referendum were to take place to help…

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Ibiza holiday rentals plunge as Spain cracks down on overtourism

The number of short-term tourist lets on Ibiza almost halved in 2025 from a year earlier as Spain's crackdown on holiday homes and overtourism started ‌to bite. The supply of…

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Italy to hold referendum on judicial reform on March 22-23

Italy will hold a referendum on March 22-23 over a contentious reform of the justice system, sources close to the matter said, setting the date for a key test of…

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Airports close and flights disrupted across Europe due to icy weather

Airports have been forced to close and flights have been disrupted in parts of Europe due to icy weather. Airports in Budapest in Hungary, Bratislava in Slovakia and Vienna in…

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Central Asia’s population boom contrasts Europe’s demographic decline, report shows

Central Asia’s population is projected to exceed 114 million by 2050, according to the United Nations Population Fund, setting the region apart from much of Europe and East Asia, where…

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Hungarian president sets April 12 as date for parliamentary election

Hungary's President Tamas Sulyok set April 12 as the date for the country's parliamentary election, the president's office said in statement on Tuesday. For the first time since taking power…

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Germany’s Merz says Iranian regime ‘effectively finished’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday he assumes Iran's leadership is in its "final days and weeks" as it faces widespread protests. Demonstrations in Iran have evolved from complaints…

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UK has no plan for defending nation in event of war

The UK has no plan to defend the nation in the event of war, including how to mobilise the National Health Service to deal with mass casualties, the head of…

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Former UK government minister Zahawi defects to Farage’s Reform

Former British finance minister Nadhim Zahawi defected to Nigel Farage's right-wing Reform UK party from the Conservative Party on Monday, saying the country was broken and needed Farage as prime…

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Trump says nations doing business with Iran face 25% tariff on US trade

President Donald Trump said any country that does business with Iran will face a tariff rate of 25% on any trade with the U.S., as Washington weighs a response to…

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Greenland says defense belongs to NATO, not US, as Russia watches

Greenland’s government said Monday it would step up efforts to ensure the defense of the Arctic territory remains firmly under NATO, rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed assertion that the…

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Citi Predicts $5,000 Gold Price Amid Current Market Dynamics

Gold prices were broadly steady on Tuesday, trading below ‌a record $4,600/ounce level reached in the last session amid sharpened geopolitical and economic uncertainty as investors booked profits. Spot gold…

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Russia launches year’s most concentrated barrage on Ukraine’s two largest cities

Russian forces launched the year’s most intense wave of missile attacks on Ukraine’s two largest cities early on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials and media said, killing four people in the northeastern…

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Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 13 January 2026

Morning Briefing Malta cautious as Greenland row exposes EU foreign policy gapsMalta will not be rushed into staking out a position on US President Donald Trump’s reported interest in taking…

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Spain to tighten rental rules with room rent caps, seasonal lease curbs

Spain's leftist government will further tighten rental rules and restrict medium-term leases to contain soaring rents and prevent price abuse under a decree to be approved in the coming weeks,…

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Trump says US will take Greenland “one way or the other” as Denmark and EU warn of NATO fallout

President Donald Trump said the United States would take control of Greenland “one way or the other,” dismissing concerns about Nato and prompting sharp warnings from Denmark and European Union…

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Pope Leo meets Venezuelan opposition leader Machado at Vatican

Pope Leo met Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel peace prize winner Maria Corina Machado on Monday, the Vatican said, but did not provide any further details. The meeting, listed among…

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Bulgaria likely heading to new election

Bulgaria's biggest parliamentary grouping, the centre-right GERB-SDS, declined a request on Monday from the president to try and form a new government, increasing the likelihood of a snap election in…

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France launches recruitment campaign for new voluntary military service

France said on Monday it was launching a campaign to recruit thousands of young people for a new 10-month voluntary national military service, with the first participants starting their service…

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Cyprus shaken by corruption claims as first lady resigns charity post

Cyprus’ first lady Philippa Karsera said she will step down from the management committee of a charity fund amid corruption allegations tied to a secretly recorded video that authorities say…

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EU may need 100,000-strong army, says defense commissioner

European Union Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has said the bloc should consider establishing a standing military force of 100,000 troops and overhaul the political processes governing defense. Faced with Russian…

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Trump says he and US military weighing ‘strong options’ on Iran

President Donald Trump said on Sunday he is weighing a range of responses to escalating unrest in Iran, including possible military options, as massive protests continue to roil the country.…

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Malta News Briefing – Monday 12 January 2026

Morning Briefing Prime Minister Signals Rethink on Controversial Planning ReformPrime Minister Robert Abela has acknowledged that elements of a controversial planning reform proposed last summer went beyond what they should…

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Tory Plans for Safer Social Media: A Game Changer?

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch announced plans to raise the "age of consent" for social media to protect children from harmful online content. This measure exceeds previous proposals like banning smartphones…

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Meloni Urges Europe for Unified Talks with Russia

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged Europe to appoint a special envoy to engage Russia in talks amid ongoing efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine. She supported French President…

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Iran: Pope Leo calls for dialogue and peace as US considers military options

The ongoing unrest in Iran has triggered swift and diverse responses from leaders and organizations across the globe. As demonstrations continue to unfold throughout the country, the international community is…

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New Year’s Eve tragic Swiss bar’s service door was locked from inside

The charges against bar owner Jacques Moretti may become more complex. This could happen if the public prosecutor determines he bears partial responsibility for the locked fire exit. Moretti states…

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Iran’s military vows to “vigorously protect” the nation amidst surge in protests

On Saturday night, protesters surged back onto the streets of Iran, voicing their discontent with chants directed against the government. In response, Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards issued a stark warning,…

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US carries out strikes in Syria

The United States conducted extensive strikes against ISIS targets in Syria on Saturday. This was part of an ongoing operation referred to as “Operation Hawkeye Strike.” According to a statement…

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Berlin Blackout: Deliberate Sabotage Exposes Fragile Critical Infrastructure

Berlin experienced a major power outage in early January 2026 after an arson attack on high-voltage power cables in the city’s southwest. German authorities have said the fire was deliberately…

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Malta News Briefing – Saturday 10 January 2026

Update Southern Italy tremor felt in Malta A magnitude 5.1 tremor off the southern coast of Italy startled numerous individuals in Malta on Saturday morning. The tremor was initially identified…

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Pope Leo and Trump head for a clash

The first American pope is on a collision course with U.S. President Donald Trump. The latest fault line between the Vatican and the White House emerged on Sunday. Shortly after…

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Pope to visit Spain this year, with stops in Madrid, Barcelona and Canary Islands

Pope Leo XIV is planning to travel to Spain this year, with stops in Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands to fulfil Pope Francis’ wish of visiting a key migration…

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Severe Winds and Snow Disrupt Travel Across France and Britain

Storm Goretti brought severe weather to parts of northern Europe on Friday, causing widespread disruption in France and the United Kingdom, including power outages, transport suspensions and school closures. https://twitter.com/Top_Disaster/status/2009572228229419180…

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Iran cuts off internet as protests spread nationwide

Anti-government protests in Iran continued into Friday morning after calls for demonstrations from the exiled crown prince, despite authorities cutting internet and international phone services. Videos shared online before communications were…

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