News

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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Russia fires hypersonic missile near Ukraine’s EU border

Russia fired a powerful hypersonic missile at Ukraine near the EU border overnight, in what Kyiv called a new threat to European security that demanded a global response. Moscow said…

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34 arrests in Spain during action against the ‘Black Axe’ criminal organisation

The Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional), in close cooperation with the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt) and with the support of Europol, has conducted an operation against the…

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Trump: ‘It may be a choice’ between seizing Greenland or preserving NATO

Donald Trump has said “it may be a choice” for the U.S. between pursuing his ambition to take control of Greenland and keeping NATO intact. The U.S. president was asked…

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Trump says there could be more US strikes in Nigeria, New York Times reports

President Donald Trump said there could be more strikes by the U.S. in Nigeria if Christians are killed in the African nation, even as Nigeria has previously denied Christians there…

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Gold falls as commodity index adjustments weigh ahead of US jobs data

Gold fell on Friday as commodity index readjustments and a firm dollar kept the pressure on prices, with investors positioning ahead of crucial U.S. non-farm payrolls data due later in…

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Colombia under real threat of military action

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro has told the BBC that he believes there is now a "real threat" of US military action against Colombia. Petro said the United States is treating…

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Malta News Briefing – Friday 9 January 2026

Morning Briefing Ministerial asset declarations move branded a blow to transparencyThe Commissioner for Standards in Public Life has described a Cabinet decision on ministerial asset declarations as a setback for…

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Trump’s former Russia adviser says Russia offered US free rein in Venezuela in exchange for Ukraine

Russian officials indicated in 2019 that the Kremlin would be willing to back off from its support for Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in exchange for a free hand in Ukraine,…

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ICE fatal shooting of Minnesota woman puts US on edge

The fatal shooting of a 37-year-old Minnesota mother by a U.S. immigration agent has put the city of Minneapolis and much of the United States on edge, with the potential…

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German president says US is destroying world order

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has strongly criticised the U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump and urged the world not to let the world order disintegrate into a "den of…

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Italy wants stricter 5% safeguard trigger in Mercosur deal

Italy wants a stricter threshold for the suspension of imports under the planned Mercosur trade agreement, its agriculture minister said in an interview published on Thursday, ahead of an EU…

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Trump withdraws US from 66 international organizations

President Donald Trump has ordered the United States to withdraw from 66 international organizations, including major UN agencies, hastening Washington's retreat from multilateral cooperation. Trump signed an executive order on…

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Intense heatwave grips Australia’s southern states

Australia’s south sweltered through a brutal heatwave that is delivering temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some cities, triggering health warnings, straining power grids and causing bushfires…

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Belgium braces for more bad weather

A storm coming in from the English Channel will create dangerous weather conditions in large parts of Belgium from Thursday and into the weekend, the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) has…

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Trump calls for record $1.5 trillion defense budget, a 50 percent jump

President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared he would ask Congress for a $1.5 trillion defense budget in 2027, a massive $500 billion increase from this year’s Pentagon budget. The huge…

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Rubio to meet Denmark leaders next week, signals no retreat on Trump’s Greenland goal

The top U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday he would meet leaders of Denmark next week but signalled no retreat from President Donald Trump's aim to take over Greenland as alarmed…

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Malta News Briefing – Thursday 8 January 2026

Morning Briefing Flu, noravirus infections lead to surge in hospital admissions Hospital admissions have risen in recent weeks due to an increase in flu and norovirus infections, Mater Dei Hospital…

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U.S. military seizes 2 Venezuela-linked oil tankers in North Atlantic and Caribbean

The U.S. carried out operations Wednesday to seize two oil tankers linked to Venezuela — one in the North Atlantic and one in the Caribbean Sea, officials said. The U.S.…

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Venezuela under Maduro shipped gold worth $5.2 billion to Switzerland

Venezuela transported gold worth almost 4.14 billion Swiss francs ($5.20 billion) to Switzerland during the early years of the leadership of ousted President Nicolas Maduro, customs data shows. The South…

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Trump to House Republicans: If we don’t win midterms, I’ll get impeached

U.S. President Donald Trump said that Republicans must win the 2026 congressional midterm elections - or else he will get impeached by Democrats. "You gotta win the midterms 'cause, if…

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European allies working on plan should US move on Greenland

Allies including France and Germany are working closely on a plan on how to respond should the United States act on its threat to take over Greenland, as Europe seeks…

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UPDATED: Amsterdam airport cancels at least 700 flights because of snow and wind

Amsterdam Schiphol airport, one of the largest in Europe, has announced at least 700 flight cancellations because of snow and wind, after days of weather-related travel disruptions. More than 1,000…

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New White House webpage rewrites history of Jan. 6, 2021, and 2020 election

A new webpage under the official whitehouse.gov domain, rolled out five years after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, rewrites the history of the attack on the Capitol that took…

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Severe Weather in Italy: Aniene River Floods Rome as Snow Brings Motorway Disruption

Rome is grappling with severe weather conditions after the Aniene River burst its banks, flooding roads and prompting closures across parts of the capital, while heavy snowfall caused major disruption…

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Somalia condemns Israeli minister’s Somaliland visit

Israel's foreign minister is the first official to visit Somaliland following Israel's controversial recognition of the breakaway region as a sovereign state. Gideon Saar met Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi…

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UK and France to send troops to Ukraine if peace deal agreed

The UK and France have signed a declaration of intent on deploying troops in Ukraine if a peace deal is made with Russia, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has…

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Aldrich Ames, CIA officer convicted of spying for Russia, dies at age 84

Aldrich Ames, a counterintelligence officer for the CIA who spied for the Soviet Union and later Russia, has died, according to a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson. Ames, who was serving…

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Russia sends navy ships to guard oil tanker being pursued by US forces

Russia has deployed navy assets to escort an oil tanker also being pursued by US forces across the Atlantic, CBS News, reported. The ship, which currently isn't carrying anything, historically…

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Magnitude 6.7 earthquake strikes near Baculin, Philippines

A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the Philippines' southern islands on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said, and there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. USGS said…

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US not excluding use of military to take over Greenland

US President Donald Trump has been discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, including use of the military, the White House said. The White House told the BBC that…

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Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 7 January 2026

Morning Briefing Merkanti Bank to Give Up Licence and Wind Down OperationsMalta-based Merkanti Bank has formally announced plans to surrender its banking licence and transition into an unregulated entity, following…

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Cyprus parties receive €12.7 million in state funding ahead of parliamentary elections

Political parties in Cyprus will this week receive €12.7 million in public funding, providing a significant financial boost ahead of the island’s next parliamentary elections. The funds form part of…

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Hungary will not leave the EU, it will fall apart on its own, Orbán says

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán predicted the European Union would "fall apart on its own" due to "leadership chaos" and said Brussels aimed to cut Hungary off from Russian energy…

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US expands list of countries whose citizens must pay up to $15,000 bonds to apply for visas

The Trump administration has added seven countries, including five in Africa, to the list of nations whose passport holders are required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply…

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Poland to introduce digital ID checks for minors on social platforms

Poland’s government is preparing legislation to restrict minors’ access to social media, alongside new mechanisms to enforce age verification, a deputy digital affairs minister said. Dariusz Standerski told broadcaster Polsat…

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UPDATED: Severe Snow, Ice and Cold Disrupt Air and Rail Travel Across Western Europe

Freezing weather gripped swathes of Europe on Tuesday, with snow and icy conditions forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights in the Netherlands and leading to the deaths of five…

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Starmer Braces for Parliamentary Clash on Upcoming EU ‘Reset’ Legislation

Keir Starmer is set to face fresh battles over his EU “reset” with his plans to lay a bill that could lead to closer regulatory ties with Brussels. The legislation…

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Media workers detained in Caracas as Venezuela Opposition leader Machado praises Trump

More than a dozen journalists were detained on Monday while covering political events in Venezuela’s capital Caracas, including a pro-government march and the swearing-in of a new legislature, according to…

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Iran’s efforts to quell protests complicated by Trump intervention threat

Iranian authorities are struggling to contain a fresh wave of anti-government protests as pressure mounts from both domestic unrest and explicit warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump, officials and insiders…

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Danish Prime Minister Warns a U.S. Move on Greenland Would End NATO

If U.S. President Donald Trump invades Greenland, it will spell the end of NATO, Denmark’s leader warned. Trump, who last week ratcheted up threats to take over the self-ruling Danish…

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A third of Americans support US strike on Venezuela, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds

One in three Americans approves of the U.S. military strike on Venezuela that toppled the country's president and 72% worry the U.S. will become too involved in the South American…

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Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 7 January 2026

Morning Briefing Film Industry Generates €1.5 Billion for Economy Malta’s film industry has generated around €1.5 billion for the national economy over the past eight years and supported more than…

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Belgium records sharp rise in UFO sightings in 2025

Belgium’s UFO hotline recorded 237 reports of unidentified flying objects in 2025, according to its annual report published on Monday. The Belgische UFO-meldpunt, which has been analysing unusual aerial phenomena…

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Anna Falcone, sister of anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, dies aged 95

Anna Falcone, the elder sister of renowned anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone, has died at the age of 95, her family announced on Monday. Giovanni Falcone was killed by Cosa Nostra…

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32 Cubans killed during US attack on Venezuela, Cuban government says

The Cuban government said the 32 people who were killed were members of the Cuban armed forces and intelligence agencies, with two days of national mourning declared. A government statement…

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