News

Two French prison guards killed, inmate escapes in ambush; manhunt launched

At least two French prison guards were shot dead and three others seriously injured on Tuesday after heavily armed men ambushed a prison van to free an inmate, French police…

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Georgia parliament passes divisive ‘foreign influence’ bill

The Georgian parliament on Tuesday approved in the third and final reading a divisive bill that sparked weeks of mass protests. Georgian lawmakers brawled in parliament on Tuesday during a…

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UN denies Gaza death toll of women and children has been revised down

The World Health Organization (WHO) has voiced full confidence in the death toll figures from Gaza’s ministry of health after Israel questioned a change in the numbers. Gaza’s health ministry…

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Swedish police say disqualified Dutch Eurovision contestant Joost Klein likely to face charges

Joost Klein, the Netherlands’ Eurovision contestant who was disqualified from the competition just hours before the grand final, will probably be charged with making illegal threats, Swedish police have said.…

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Ireland to raise smoking age to 21

Irish Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will seek Cabinet approval this week for the legislation to increase the legal age by three years. The bill will be designed so that…

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The Hezbollah leader urges Syrians to flee to Cyprus

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has urged Lebanese authorities to “open the sea” for boatloads of refugees to come to Cyprus, in a bid to put pressure on Europe, it emerged…

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Trump leads Biden in five key battleground states

Donald Trump leads Joe Biden in five crucial battleground states less than six months out from election day, new polls showed. The surveys from the New York Times, the Philadelphia…

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King Charles hands military title to son William in rare joint appearance

Britain's King Charles handed over a senior military role to his son Prince William at a ceremony on Monday, marking a rare joint appearance for the pair as the king…

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EU slams Eurovision for banning its flag from song contest

The European Union sent an official complaint to the Swiss-based European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the Eurovision Song Contest, over its refusal to let contestants wave the bloc's flag…

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Lavrov warns Russia ready if West wants to fight for Ukraine

If the West wants to fight for Ukraine on the battlefield, Russia is prepared for it, acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying. "It's their right -…

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‘Us or them,’ Netanyahu says of conflict with Hamas militants as Israel marks Memorial Day

Memorial sirens for generations of Israeli war dead sounded on Monday while air raid sirens warned of incoming shells from the conflict triggered by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Traffic…

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Blinken arrives in Ukraine in demonstration of US solidarity in the face of Russian attacks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday in the first visit to Ukraine by a senior U.S. official since Congress passed a long-delayed $61 billion military…

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Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 14 May 2024

Morning Briefing Demonstrators rally in Valletta in wake of Vitals developments Demonstrators loudly booed and chanted "mafia, mafia" at Labour MPs as they departed from Parliament on Monday. The gathering…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Monday 13 May 2024

Updated 1230 1,139 final deeds of sale on residential properties registered in April In April 2024, the National Statistics Office (NSO) reported that there were 1,139 final deeds of sale…

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Israeli forces step up attacks on Gaza’s Jabalia camp, Rafah

Israeli tanks, under cover from heavy fire from air and ground, pushed further into Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, residents and Hamas media said, while airstrikes hammered…

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Trump could owe more than $100 million in taxes – NYT

Reports from The New York Times and ProPublica indicate that former President Donald Trump may face a tax liability of over $100 million following a lengthy Internal Revenue Service (IRS)…

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Greek’s centre-right ahead in EU elections

New Democracy's local EPP affiliates stand out as one of the leading ruling parties in the EU, according to the latest polls ahead of the European elections. Greece's current centre-right…

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Georgian opposition seeks UK support on foreign interference bill

Georgian opposition leaders are urging the UK to take a stronger stance against what they perceive as a crackdown on civil society within their country. They specifically called on the…

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Spain’s Socialists hail ‘new era’ in Catalonia as separatist support dims in elections

Spain's Socialists won the biggest share of the vote in Sunday's Catalan elections, dealing a serious blow to more than a decade of separatist governance and the independence dreams still…

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Vatican staff start unprecedented legal action over labour conditions

Forty-nine Vatican Museums employees have started an unprecedented labour dispute over what they say are unfair and poor conditions at their workplace, which could lead to an embarrassing lawsuit against…

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Putin taps civilian economist to run defence, replacing Shoigu in surprise move

Russian President Vladimir Putin tapped a civilian economist as his surprise new defence minister in an attempt to gird Russia for economic war by trying to better utilise the defence…

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France gets $16 billion of foreign investments as part of ‘Choose France’ event

This year's "Choose France" event - an annual summit aimed at attracting foreign investment to France - will result in 15 billion euros ($16.2 billion) worth of foreign investments, up…

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Israel lacks credible plan to protect Palestinian civilians – Blinken

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday said Israel lacked a "credible plan" to protect some 1.4 million Palestinian civilians in Rafah and warned an Israeli attack could create an insurgency…

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Catalans vote in crucial election for the separatist movement

More than 5.7 million voters were eligible to vote in a ballot that is expected to be a test both for the strength of the separatist movement in the wealthy…

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Floods in Brazil kill 143

The death toll from heavy rains in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state rose to 143, the local civil defense government body said on Sunday, up from 136 in the…

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Afghanistan floods devastate villages, killing 315

Flash floods caused by heavy rains have devastated villages in northern Afghanistan, killing 315 people and injuring more than 1,600, authorities said on Sunday, as villagers buried their dead and…

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Pessimistic young Germans turning to far right, says study

Young people are more likely to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) than previously, a recent study showed. Authors of the "Youth in Germany 2024" study said that under-30s…

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Updated: Malta News Briefing – Sunday 12 May 2024

Update PM Robert Abela expresses support for Chris Fearne, reacts to call for war by PN Prime Minister Robert Abela stood by Chris Fearne on Sunday, vowing to dedicate his…

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Kyiv was 9 May terror target, says SBU

Ukraine’s security service (SBU) prevented a terrorist attack that Russia had planned to carry out in Kyiv on 9 May, according to Ukrainian media reports. “The Security Service of Ukraine was…

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Israel orders evacuation of neighbourhoods in Rafah

The Israeli military has told residents of neighbourhoods in central Rafah to evacuate, signalling a major expansion of its military operations in the city and threatening the displacement of hundreds…

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A mother must never to choose between job, kids – Pope Francis

Pope Francis said Friday that mothers must not be put in a position in which they have to choose between their jobs or their children at the 'States General' conference…

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Netherland’s singer kicked out of Eurovision Song Contest

Several media outlets are reporting that Joost Klein was kicked out of the Eurovision Song Contest. The European Broadcasting Union had said on Friday it was investigating an “incident” involving…

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Israel’s use of American weapons in Gaza likely breached international law – USA

The United States said in a report that it was “reasonable to assess” that Israel has used weapons in ways inconsistent with international humanitarian law during the seven-month war. But…

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Financial services’ bodies express ‘deep concern’ at current situation

The Institute of Financial Services Practitioners (IFSP), the Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA), the Malta Institute of Taxation (MIT) and the Society of Trusts & Estate Practitioner (STEP – Malta)…

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UNGA backs Palestinian bid to become full UN member

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognising it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council…

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Updated: Malta News Briefing – Saturday 11 May 2024

UPDATE Chris Fearne agrees to remain Labour Party deputy leader Chris Fearne will remain as deputy leader of the Labour Party, Robert Abela said on Saturday following a meeting of…

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Retailers in Finland want to place restraining orders on unruly customers

A group of Finnish retailers has called on the government to introduce a law allowing businesses to apply for restraining orders to prevent unruly customers from entering their premises. If…

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Greece to bring in Egyptian farm workers amid labour shortage

Greece will start bringing in workers from Egypt this summer to take on temporary farming jobs under a deal between the countries to tackle a labour shortage, the migration ministry…

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Spanish investigation into Shakira’s alleged tax evasion dropped

A Spanish court has shelved an investigation into an alleged tax fraud by the Colombian pop star Shakira, putting an end to her legal woes in the country where she…

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Kyiv expects delivery of first F-16 jets in June or July – military source

A senior Ukrainian military source has told Reuters Kyiv expects the first F-16 jets to be delivered in June or July. Ukraine has sought the US-made F-16 fighter jets to…

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Ukraine send reinforcements to border areas of the Kharkiv

Ukraine defence ministry said on Friday that it has sent military reinforcements to help repel Russian attacks in border areas of the Kharkiv region in the northeast. It added that…

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Britain’s economy exits recession ahead of elections

Britain saw stronger than expected growth in first quarter, as it exited recession in the first quarter of 2024. This comes as the country heads to elections this year. The…

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Deputy PM resigns in wake of Vitals charges / Malta News Briefing – Friday 10 May 2024

Updated 1403 - Fearne resigns Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne has stepped down from his government position due to facing fraud charges linked to the hospitals deal. Fearne announced his…

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Italy seizes $140 million from airline owners compensated for 1980 Ustica crash

Italian police this week seized 130 million euros ($140 million) from two directors of an airline that went bankrupt after a 1980 air disaster that killed 81 people above the…

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China military says it ‘drove away’ US destroyer in South China Sea

China's military said it closely monitored and "drove away" USS Halsey that entered the territorial waters of Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on May 10, the Southern Theater…

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Putin suggests that Mishustin remains as Russia’s prime minister

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the reappointment on Friday of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, a technocrat who has helped him through the war in Ukraine and the economic challenges wrought…

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Pope puts Rome in panic mode by declaring 2025 Holy Year

Pope Francis used the Feast of Ascension on Thursday to preside over the reading of a papal bull at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, declaring 2025 a Holy Year for…

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UN General Assembly set to back Palestinian bid for membership

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday is set to back a Palestinian bid to become a full U.N. member by recognizing it as qualified to join and sending the…

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Israel strikes eastern Rafah as ceasefire talks end with no deal

Israeli forces bombarded areas of Rafah on Thursday, Palestinian residents said, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed U.S. President Joe Biden's threat to withhold weapons from Israel if it assaults…

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Anti-aircraft units intercept drone south of Moscow

Russian anti-aircraft units intercepted a drone south of Moscow and there were no injuries or damage from falling debris, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said early on Friday. Sobyanin, writing on…

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Panama Papers law firm co-founder Ramon Fonseca dies in hospital

Ramon Fonseca, who co-founded the now defunct law firm linked to the Panama Papers scandal, died overnight, his lawyer told Reuters on Thursday morning. During the night Fonseca "died while…

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Russia says Western actions compel it to boost its nuclear deterrent

Russia is warning its Western adversaries that it feels obliged to boost its nuclear deterrent due to what it sees as their "escalatory" course, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was…

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Europe Day: celebrating solidarity, democracy and diversity

Europe Day, celebrated every year on 9 May, marks the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration which was presented in 1950. This founding document of the European Union laid the groundwork for…

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UK’s Labour holds 30-point poll lead over Sunak’s Conservatives

Britain's opposition Labour Party has increased its poll lead over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives to stand 30 points ahead, according to a YouGov poll for the Times newspaper. The…

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UPDATED: Putin warns of global clash as Russia marks Victory Day

MOSCOW, May 9 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West on Thursday of risking a global conflict and said no one would be allowed to threaten the world's…

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Lithuania minister says Western military trainers could go to Ukraine

Lithuania’s foreign minister has raised the prospect of an ad hoc coalition of western countries sending military training personnel into Ukraine backed by ground-based air defence, days after Russia took…

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UK refuses to sign global vaccine treaty

Britain is refusing to sign the World Health Organization's (WHO) pandemic accord because the country says it would have to give away a fifth of its vaccines, the Telegraph reported.…

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