News

05

May

Israel shuts Al Jazeera’s transmissions

Netanyahu announced that the government had "unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel". The announcement came through X. The order is initially valid for 45…

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17-year-old admits attack on German EP

A 17-year-old has turned himself in to police in the German state of Saxony, after an attack left a center-left member of the European Parliament in need of surgery, according…

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Italy won’t send soldiers to Ukraine – Tajani

The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that his country will not send soldiers to Ukraine after French President Emmanuel Macron said NATO should send ground troops if the Russian…

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Over 220 persons die from floods in Kenya

The number of people killed by flooding and other impacts of the heavy rains battering Kenya has risen to 228, the interior ministry said on Sunday. The torrential rains that have…

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Malta News Briefing – Sunday 5 May 2024

UPDATE: Who is the establishment? Both party leaders refer to the 'establishment' in their Sunday speeches Prime Minister Robert Abela said that the people in Malta's south know exactly who…

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Intelligence shows Russia is plotting sabotage across Europe – FT

The Financial Times reports that according to a number European intelligence agencies warned their governments that Russia is plotting what it calls "violent acts of sabotage" across the continent as…

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Zelenskyy added to Russia’s wanted list

Russian news agencies on Saturday reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had been added to a Kremlin wanted list. Though the Russian Interior Ministry provided no details about the charges leveled against Zelenskyy, it said that…

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UPDATE: Talks resume for difficult truce in Gaza’s war

Update: The families of Israeli captives in Gaza have urged Netanyahu to ignore political pressure and secure a deal that would bring their relatives home, according to the Channel Seven…

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War’s new territory – GPS jamming for aircraft

Several NATO members accuse Moscow of deliberately jamming positioning signals in the Baltic. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, GPS interference has been recurring in Estonia, Latvia and…

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Sadiq Khan wins landmark third term as mayor of London

Labour's Sadiq Khan has won a landmark third successive term as mayor of London. Khan, who was first elected in May 2016, beat his Conservative rival Susan Hall by more…

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German EP ‘seriously injured’ in Dresden assault

POLITICO reports that a leading Socialist member of the European Parliament was left ‘seriously injured’ and in need of surgery after being attacked by a group of four young men…

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Village of Ocheretyne decimated in clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces

Fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces has decimated the village of Ocheretyne in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Drone footage obtained by AP shows most houses and apartment buildings in Ocheretyne damaged…

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Northern Gaza in full-blown famine – WFP

A further 54 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces between Wednesday and Friday afternoon in the Gaza Strip and more than 100 were injured, according to the latest UN flash assessment, which…

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UK’s Boris Johnson, who introduced voter ID rule, forgets his while voting

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson, who introduced a contentious requirement for voters to show photo ID while voting, was turned away from a polling station on Thursday for forgetting…

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Malta News Briefing – Saturday 4 May 2024

Morning Briefing Former PM requests questioning by Police Commissioner on Vitals scandal Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has reached out to Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa, requesting to be summoned for…

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Russian defence minister says Russian troops captured 547 sq km of Ukrainian territory this year

Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said on Friday that Russian troops had captured 547 sq km of territory in Ukraine this year. Shoigu said Ukrainian forces were retreating all along…

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Skeletons missing hands and feet found in Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair

Five human skeletons - all missing their hands and feet - have been discovered at Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s eastern front military headquarters in present-day Poland, buried inside the villa…

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Malta News Briefing – Friday 3 May 2024

Updated 1300 MDA reports 14% increase in value of promise of sale agreements in April The Malta DevelopersAssociation (MDA) reported a notable 14% increase in the value of promised property…

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Germany: Births, marriages hit lowest level since 2013

The number of births and weddings in Germany last year fell to its lowest level in years, according to preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistics Office, known as Destatis.…

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Cameron: Ukraine has ‘right’ to strike Russia using British-supplied weapons

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron was in Kyiv Thursday, where he promised £3bn of annual military aid for Ukraine for "as long as it takes". He added Ukraine had a right…

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US battalion to stay in Lithuania indefinitely

Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas, who is on a visit to the US, says he has been assured that the American battalion in Lithuania will stay in the country indefinitely,…

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Israel confirms death of hostage held in Gaza

An Israeli man held hostage in Gaza since the 7 October Hamas attack has been confirmed dead, the government said Friday. Dror Or, 49, was killed and his body was…

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Israel issues Sweden Eurovision travel warning amid planned protests

By Jacob Gronholt-pedersen Planned protests against Israel taking part in this year's Eurovision Song Contest have made members of the Jewish community in Swedish host city Malmo anxious and prompted…

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Russian troops enter base housing US military in Niger

Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta…

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Ukraine may have talks eventually with Russia, intelligence officer says

Ukraine will at some point have to enter into talks with Russia to bring an end to their more than two-year-old war, a senior Ukrainian intelligence official said in an…

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EU, US urge Georgia to halt ‘foreign agents’ bill as protests continue

The European Union and U.S. condemned legislation making its way through Georgia's parliament on "foreign agents" and thousands of protesters snarled traffic in the capital with a peaceful protest against…

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Taiwan says Chinese planes crossed median line, China carries out landing drills

Taiwan's defence ministry said on Friday it had detected a renewed incursion by Chinese military aircraft across the sensitive Taiwan Strait, as China reported its navy had carried out combat…

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Macron reaffirms possibility of sending troops to Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed he did not rule out sending troops to Ukraine, saying the issue would "legitimately" arise if Russia broke through Ukrainian front lines and Kyiv made…

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Turkey halts all trade with Israel

Turkey stopped all exports and imports to and from Israel as of Thursday, the Turkish trade ministry said, citing "worsening humanitarian tragedy" in the Palestinian territories. "Export and import transactions…

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UPDATED: UK’s Labour claim big early win over PM Sunak’s Conservatives

Britain's opposition Labour Party won a parliamentary seat in northern England on Friday, inflicting a heavy loss on the governing Conservatives at the start of what could be a bruising…

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How historic Valletta aims to hit net zero by cutting pollution from cruise ships and cars

By Ben Payton Few European cities can match Valletta for architectural splendour. The capital of Malta was built in the 16th century by the Knights of St John, the Catholic…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Thursday 2 May 2024

Updated 1300 Charles Michel on shipping tax's impact: Look at how much EU has helped Malta European Councilpresident Charles Michel addressed concerns regarding the impact of a new EU shipping…

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Switzerland says Russia not invited ‘at this stage’ to Ukraine peace talks

The Swiss government said on Thursday that "at this stage" Russia is not among the 160 delegations invited to talks to be held in Switzerland in mid-June aimed at helping…

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UK begins detaining migrants set to be deported to Rwanda

British authorities have started to detain migrants in preparation for them to be sent to Rwanda in the next nine to 11 weeks, the government said, laying the groundwork for…

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US official urges China, Russia to declare only humans, not AI, control nuclear weapons

A senior U.S. official on Thursday urged China and Russia to match declarations by the United States and others that only humans, and never artificial intelligence, would make decisions on…

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Kenya flood toll rises to 181 as homes and roads are destroyed

Floods and landslides across Kenya have killed 181 people since March, with hundreds of thousands forced to leave their homes, the government and Red Cross said, as dozens more were…

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Russia breached global chemical weapons ban in Ukraine war, US says

The United States accused Russia of violating the international chemical weapons ban by deploying the choking agent chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops and using riot control agents "as a method of…

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Violence flares at UCLA as police end protests at New York’s Columbia

Mounting tensions on U.S. campuses boiled over on Wednesday when pro-Israel supporters attacked an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA, hours after police arrested activists who occupied a building at…

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G7 commits to phasing out coal by 2035

The G7 countries have expressed their renewed commitment to the gradual elimination of coal-generated energy during the first half of the 2030s or in a period consistent with keeping the…

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More than 12,000 evacuated following volcano Ruang’s eruption in Indonesia

Efforts in Indonesia began to evacuate about 12,000 residents from their homes on Wednesday following the eruption of the Ruang volcano. The volcano erupted on Tuesday, spewing lava and rocks, with the authorities…

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Middle East conflict leads to violent protests in various US colleges

Police were called to a number of US colleges on Wednesday amid a wave of pro-Palestinian student protests. Some media outlets have labelled these as anti-semitic. Protests at times turned…

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Concerns on violence in Georgia following Putin style ‘foreign-agent’ law

Riot police cracked down on demonstrators in the Georgian capital Tuesday night, clearing an area in front of the parliament where thousands had been demanding the government drop a controversial…

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Luis Enrique’s experimental season brings PSG 12th Ligue 1 title and maybe more

Paris St Germain won their 12th Ligue 1 title on Sunday, the first step in what manager Luis Enrique hopes will be an historic treble in a season which had…

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Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 1 May 2024

Morning Briefing Joseph Muscat expects to be charged after conclusion of Vitals inquiry During a court session on Tuesday, it was disclosed that a magisterial inquiry examining Joseph Muscat and…

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EU election campaign stresses importance of voting to protect democracy

Between 6 and 9 June 2024, more than 370 million people across 27 Member States are called to vote in the European elections. To further inform EU citizens and encourage…

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Risk of bird flu spreading to cows outside US, says WHO

A World Health Organization official said on Tuesday there was a risk of H5N1 bird flu virus spreading to cows in other countries beyond the United States through migratory birds.…

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Estonia says Russia violates international rules with GPS interference

Estonia accused Russia of violating international airspace regulations by interfering with GPS signals and the Baltic nation's foreign minister said it will take up the matter with its NATO and…

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Italy’s ex-foreign minister Fini convicted over Monte Carlo apartment sale

An Italian court sentenced former foreign minister Gianfranco Fini to two years and eight months in jail after he was convicted for his role in the sale of a Monte…

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King Charles carries out first public engagement since his cancer diagnosis

A smiling and healthy-looking King Charles returned to public duties on Tuesday for the first time since he was diagnosed in February with cancer, paying a visit to a treatment…

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Sophie becomes first British royal in Ukraine

The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first member of the Royal Family to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion. On Monday she went on a one-day visit, on behalf…

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London police arrest sword-wielding man after reports of stabbing

British police have arrested a man armed with a sword following reports of people having been stabbed during a serious incident in northeast London although it was not thought to…

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Britain starts physical checks on fresh food imports from the EU

Britain launched physical checks on fresh food products imported from the European Union on Tuesday some three years after it left the bloc's single market and eight years after it…

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Microsoft to invest $1.7 bln in cloud, AI in Indonesia

Microsoft will invest $1.7 billion in Indonesia to empower the Southeast Asian country with cloud services and artificial intelligence, including by building data centres, visiting chief executive Satya Nadella said…

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Finnair suspends flights to Estonian city following GPS disruptions

Finland's national airline Finnair has announced the suspension of flights to the Estonian city of Tartu for a period of one month. The move comes after two Helsinki-Tartu flights had…

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UN experts say North Korea missile landed in Ukraine’s Kharkiv

The debris from a missile that landed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Jan. 2 was from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series ballistic missile, United Nations sanctions monitors told…

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Houthis attack four ships in Indian Ocean, Red Sea

Yemen's Houthis said they targeted the MSC Orion container ship in a drone attack in the Indian Ocean as part of their ongoing campaign against international shipping in solidarity with…

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US, Britain urge Hamas to accept Israeli truce proposal

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to swiftly accept an Israeli proposal for a truce in the Gaza war and the release of Israeli hostages held by the…

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