News

EU targets Russia’s Patriarch Kirill in new sanctions proposal

Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has been included in the European Union’s latest proposed sanctions package against Russia, according to three diplomats cited by Euronews. The move…

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Trump confident on deal but Iran says discussions still ongoing

Iran has stated that no final agreement has yet been reached with the United States, despite comments by Donald Trump suggesting that a deal could be signed within days, Reuters…

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2026 World Cup opens in historic tri-nation spectacle as Mexico beat South Africa in curtain-raiser

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the largest in history, officially opened on Thursday as the United States, Mexico and Canada launched a month-and-a-half-long football spectacle that will culminate in the…

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More than 1,300 migrants have died trying to reach the Spanish coast in 2026

More than 1,300 migrants died while attempting to reach Spain during the first five months of 2026, according to a report published on Wednesday by advocacy group Caminando Fronteras (Walking…

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Greece approves quicker migrant returns, aims to set up return hubs

Greece's parliament approved legislation late on Tuesday to fast-track deportation of rejected asylum seekers and allow their transfer to "return hubs" outside the bloc once bilateral agreements ‌are reached with…

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Malta News Briefing – Thursday 11 June 2026

Morning Briefing Fiscal Council urges shift towards productivity-led growth The Malta Fiscal Advisory Council (MFAC) has endorsed the government’s latest economic forecasts while warning that Malta must gradually move away…

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Italy’s Housing Market Gains Momentum as Property Sales Rise Across Major Cities

Italy's housing market strengthened in 2025, with property sales increasing across the country's largest cities, according to a report by the National Council of Notaries previewed by ANSA. The report…

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Only 11% of Europeans view US as ally, survey shows

Only 11% of Europeans across 15 countries view the United States as an ally, a historic low and down from 16% half a year ago and 22% in November 2024,…

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Netanyahu to run for re-election, his party says

Benjamin Netanyahu will seek re-election this year, his party announced on Wednesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he wasn't sure if the Israeli prime minister would stand again. In…

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Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 10 June 2026

Updated 1200 Four New Permanent Secretaries Appointed as Government Reshuffles Top Civil Service Roles: The government has appointed four new Permanent Secretaries following the formation of the new Cabinet. Ramon…

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Anti-immigrant violence erupts across Belfast after knife attack

Masked men burned families out of their homes in Belfast and torched a number of vehicles in a wave of anti-immigrant violence on Tuesday night that followed a knife attack…

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US-Iran Hostilities Intensify After Helicopter Incident Sparks Retaliatory Strikes

The United States launched military strikes against Iran on Tuesday after President Donald Trump said Tehran was responsible for the downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of…

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Armenia’s pro-Europe party wins election and cements shift away from Russia

Armenia’s ruling pro-Europe party has won parliamentary elections, confirming the country’s pivot towards Europe and away from its traditional ally, Russia. Final results in the small South Caucasus country showed…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 9 June 2026

Updated 1210 EU Parliament Backs First Sustainable Tourism Strategy: The European Parliament has approved a report by Daniel Attard that will form the basis of the EU’s first Strategy for…

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Hungary Halts Work Visas for Citizens of Philippines, Georgia and Armenia

Hungary has stopped issuing work visas to citizens of the Philippines, Georgia and Armenia under new rules that took effect on Friday, as the government moves to tighten controls on…

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Pope Leo warns Spain’s parliament the world is in ‘profound’ crisis

Pope Leo told Spain's parliament that escalating conflict, deepening polarization and widespread disregard for human rights had pushed the world into a profound crisis, in one of his most ‌expansive…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Monday 8 June 2026

Updated 1315 EU Committee Backs Plan for Next Budget Cycle with Stronger Role for Islands: MEP Thomas Bajada has secured approval from the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary…

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French Jet Shoots Down Drone in Latvian Airspace

A French Rafale fighter jet operating as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia on Monday, ending an airspace threat…

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France and Cyprus to sign defense pact for French deployment to island

France and Cyprus will sign on Monday a status of forces agreement allowing Paris to station troops on the Mediterranean island, two senior Cypriot government officials told POLITICO. The agreement…

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Israel Strikes Iranian Petrochemical Complex as Tehran Launches Missile Response

Israel and Iran exchanged fresh attacks on Monday, marking a significant escalation in tensions and raising concerns over regional stability and global energy supplies. The Israeli military confirmed that its…

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Kosovo to hold another parliamentary election amid deadlock over new president

Kosovo will hold a parliamentary election on Sunday, its third in just 18 months, after its political parties failed ‌to reach a compromise on choosing a new president. The tiny…

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Meloni Government Wins Key Vote on Italy’s Return to Nuclear Energy

Italy’s lower house of parliament on Thursday approved legislation that would pave the way for the country’s return to nuclear power, marking a significant step in the government’s energy strategy.…

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Rights Groups Warn Proposed African ‘Family Values’ Charter Threatens Women and LGBTQ Rights

A proposed African charter on family values, sovereignty and culture is facing growing criticism from human rights organizations, legal experts and advocacy groups, who say it could undermine protections for…

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Belgian judge orders bank to reimburse phishing victims after couple lose their life savings

A Belgian court has ordered a bank to immediately reimburse nearly €50,000 to an elderly couple who lost their savings in a phishing scam, in a ruling that could have…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Friday 5 June 2026

Updated 1130 Malta Retains Top Global Citizenship Ranking Despite End of Golden Passport Scheme: Malta has retained first place in Henley & Partners’ Global Citizenship Program Index for the 11th…

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Another serious drone incident in Romania

A naval drone exploded in the Romanian port city of Constanta on Friday morning. In a statement, the Romanian Ministry of National Defence said the drone detonated at around 10:30…

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Libyans block off UN refugee office in protest against migrants

Hundreds of Libyan demonstrators blocked off the office of the U.N. refugee agency in the capital Tripoli on Thursday during a protest against migrants ‌who have travelled to the country…

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Zelenskyy proposes face-to-face meeting to discuss end of war in open letter to Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin in an open letter to the Russian leader on Thursday, saying he was ready for a "full ceasefire." The…

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Greenland is part of Denmark ‘for now’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reignited the flame over the US's continued pursuit of Greenland. While testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday, he was asked…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Thursday 4 June 2026

Updated 1220 Labour Sets Casual Election Line-Up as Eight MPs Vacate Seats Across Seven Districts: Following the formation of a new cabinet, the Labour Party (PL) has determined the allocation…

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All EU members greenlight first step in accession talks, Ukraine PM says

All members of the European Union agreed to open talks with Ukraine and Moldova on the first cluster of issues in their ‌accession talks, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said…

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Oil falls as Lebanon and Israel agree on a ceasefire

Oil prices fell on Thursday as a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon boosted hopes for a broader agreement to end the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran that could lead to…

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Ukraine hits St. Petersburg site as Putin’s Davos kicks off

Ukraine attacked an oil terminal in St. Petersburg in the early hours of Wednesday morning — just before Russian President Vladimir Putin’s big economic forum kicked off in the city.…

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Hotel Guests Warned After Hackers Access Reservation Information Across Netherlands

Hotel guests in the Netherlands are being targeted with convincing fake payment requests after criminals obtained reservation details through a data breach affecting at least 100 hotels, according to a…

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Spain registers record high sea temperatures for May

Spain registered record sea temperatures for the month of May along much of its coastline, the country's port ‌authority said on Tuesday, as the UN forecast a moderate or possibly…

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29 arrested as law enforcement strikes criminal networks behind illegal streaming

Criminal networks making millions from illegal access to premium sports broadcasts, film and television channels have been targeted in a major international operation coordinated by Bulgaria with Europol’s support. The…

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Pope Leo names EWTN executive as first woman to lead Vatican communications

Pope Leo named an executive with U.S. Catholic media conglomerate EWTN as the new head of the ‌Vatican's communications department on Tuesday, in the first appointment of a woman to…

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Poland to ban phones in schools, restrict access to pornography

Poland wants to ban under-16s from using mobile phones in schools from September 1 and plans to introduce stricter age verification rules to access pornography, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said…

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Hostilities flare in Iran war, oil jumps

Gulf hostilities flared anew on Wednesday, with the U.S. military saying Iranian missile attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and other regional targets were either thwarted or failed, as diplomacy between Washington…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 3 June 2026

Updated 1200 Malta’s Inflation Falls to Lowest Level of 2026, Below Eurozone Average: Malta’s annual inflation rate, measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, eased from 2.5% in April…

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Growing Drone Threat Raises Concerns Over UK Energy Infrastructure

Britain is considering tighter restrictions on airspace above critical energy infrastructure amid growing concerns that hostile drones could be used to disrupt the country's electricity network and potentially trigger widespread…

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Belgium Tightens Visa Rules for Non‑EU Students in Major Migration Crackdown

Belgium is imposing stricter academic requirements on international students from outside the European Union, warning that those who fail to make sufficient progress risk losing their visas under new migration‑reduction…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 2 June 2026

Updated 1200 Bernie Sanders Targets Malta in Tax Haven Criticism: US Senator Bernie Sanders has criticised Malta as part of a “rigged system” that allows multinational companies to shift profits…

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Denmark’s Frederiksen secures third term as prime minister

Denmark's Social Democratic leader Mette Frederiksen said on Monday she has agreed to form a centre-left coalition government, maintaining her grip on power amid a crisis in ties with ‌U.S.…

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Russia launches major attack on Ukraine

Russia launched a major missile and drone attack on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Dnipro and Kharkiv, overnight, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens. This comes after days of…

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US considers wider stationing of nuclear weapons across NATO allies

The U.S. is discussing whether to deploy nuclear weapons in additional European NATO states, the ‌Financial Times reported on Tuesday. U.S. officials have signaled openness to additional deployments beyond the…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Monday 1 June 2026

Updated 1120 Fireworks Factory Explosion Sends Smoke Billowing Over Magħtab: A fireworks factory in the Salini-Magħtab area exploded early on Monday morning, triggering a powerful blast followed by several smaller…

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Malta’s Labour Party wins record fourth term in parliamentary election

Prime Minister Robert Abela's Labour Party claimed a record fourth successive general election ‌victory in Malta on Sunday, riding voter confidence in a strong economy, although the size of its…

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WHO says 906 suspected cases and 223 suspected deaths from Bundibugyo strain of Ebola

The ‌World Health Organization said on Friday that there were 906 suspected cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 223 suspected deaths that were being investigated. An…

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Nine arrested as Spain targets Mediterranean migrant smuggling operation

Spanish authorities arrested nine people and dismantled a migrant smuggling network that allegedly transported irregular migrants from Algeria to Spain and onward to other European countries, Europol said. The operation…

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Iran, US reach deal to extend ceasefire, pending Trump’s approval

The United States and Iran reached an agreement on Thursday to extend their ceasefire and lift restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, sources told Reuters, though U.S. President…

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Iceland’s parliament votes to hold referendum on EU accession talks in August

Iceland's parliament on Thursday voted in favour of holding an August 29 referendum to begin European Union accession talks, supporting the government's two-step plan that could lead to membership in…

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Russian Drone Slams Into Apartment Block in Romania, Two Injured

A drone crashed onto the roof of a 10-storey block of flats in the southeastern city of Galati during a Russian overnight attack on neighbouring Ukraine on Friday, causing an…

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Malta News Briefing – Friday 29 May 2026

Morning Briefing Man fined €10,000 for illegally keeping tiger in Marsaskala A 52-year-old man from Attard has been fined €10,000 after a court found him guilty of illegally keeping a…

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Italy in favour of Ukraine joining EU

Italy’s government supports Ukraine joining the European Union, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Thursday, while stressing that accession talks for Balkan countries seeking membership should not be pushed aside.…

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Washington condemns Iranian strike on Kuwait as ceasefire falters

The United States has accused Iran of carrying out an “egregious ceasefire violation” after Tehran allegedly launched strikes on Kuwait overnight, raising fresh doubts over the durability of a fragile…

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Ukraine’s parliament ratified loan agreement with EU

Ukraine's parliament ratified ‌on Thursday a €90 billion ($104 billion) loan ⁠agreement with the European Union with 298 votes, well ‌ahead ⁠of the 226 votes required ⁠for a majority. The…

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