News

Ukraine moves to limit human rights of citizens under martial law

Kyiv notified the European Council that the rights and freedoms of Ukrainians may be restricted under martial law as it moves to expand military conscription. Ukraine's Ministry of Justice has…

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Turkey backs Rutte as next NATO chief

Turkey has told allies that it will back the candidacy of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to be NATO's next secretary-general, a Turkish official said on Monday, an important step…

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Pedro Sanchez stays on as Spain’s prime minister

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday he had decided to stay in office after days of publicly weighing his future, generating relief amongst leftist allies, exasperation among the…

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Humza Yousaf quits as Scotland’s first minister

Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf resigned on Monday, further opening the door to the UK opposition Labour Party regaining ground in its former Scottish heartlands during a national election expected to…

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Polish foreign minister advises against assuming that Trump will support Russia

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s stance on Ukraine is “not as black and white as some people” think, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski insisted in an interview. Internationally, suspicions run…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Monday 29 April 2024

Updated 1300 Construction continued to slow down in 2023: Central Bank: The construction sector in Malta experienced a slowdown last year, with increased employment but decreased productivity, according to the…

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Scorching heat in the Philippines prompts safety concerns, challenges to power supply

The Philippines has cancelled in-person public school classes for the next two days and said the power grid on its main island could be strained as the country grapples with…

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Ukraine reports intense assaults in the eastern regions amidst a Russian military advance

Ukraine says resisting heavy attacks in east amid Russian advance Ukraine said on Monday it had foiled 55 Russian attacks in the eastern Donetsk region, a day after it admitted…

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China set to launch high-stakes mission to moon’s ‘hidden’ side

China will send a robotic spacecraft in coming days on a round trip to the moon's far side in the first of three technically demanding missions that will pave the…

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King Charles to resume public duties

Britain's King Charles will return to public duties next week for the first time since being diagnosed with cancer as he makes good progress following treatment and a period of…

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UK border force staff to strike at Heathrow from Monday

Border Force staff at Britain's busiest airport, Heathrow, will go on strike for four days from Monday, in protest over changes to their working conditions. The Public and Commercial Services…

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Blinken speaks to Azeri, Armenian leaders about peace talks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken to the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan and reaffirmed Washington's support for a peace treaty between the South Caucasus neighbors, the State…

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Hamas delegation due in Cairo on Monday for Gaza ceasefire talks

A Hamas delegation will visit Cairo on Monday for talks aimed at securing a ceasefire, a Hamas official told Reuters, as mediators stepped up efforts to reach a deal ahead…

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Pope makes first visit out of Rome for seven months after health scares

Pope Francis made his first trip out of Rome for seven months on Sunday with a packed visit to Venice that took in an art exhibition, a prison and a…

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Russian man arrested after two Ukrainians stabbed to death in Germany

A Russian man has been arrested after two Ukrainian men were stabbed to death in southern Germany. The two Ukrainians were killed at a shopping centre in the village of…

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France’s nuclear weapons should be part of European defence debate, Macron says

France's nuclear weapons should be part of the European defence debate, French President Emmanuel Macron told a group of regional newspapers on Sunday, in comments that drew fire from his…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy issues fresh plea for Patriots, EU accession, NATO entry

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy issued a fresh plea to the international community to hurry up and deliver more air defences, start formal talks for his country to enter the European…

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Italian PM Meloni to contest EP elections

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced that she will be a candidate in next June's European elections. On the stage of the her party's conference in Pescara, Meloni recalled the…

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Greece raises bar for ‘golden visas’

Greek authorities have decided to raise the minimum property purchase price for the "golden visa" scheme, which grants residency rights to foreigners in exchange for buying real estate, from 250,000…

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Government in Cyprus shifts to electric and hybrid vehicles

With electric and hybrid vehicles set to be on the roads of Cyprusfrom next year, Cypriot government officials have announced that the State will purchase 35 vehicles to replace polluting…

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Schiphol introduces three-second scanners

Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport has replaced all its 53 security scanners that check departing passengers with faster models that analyse whether travellers are carrying prohibited items in less than three…

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Putin ‘likely’ didn’t order Navalny’s death US agencies believe

The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S. intelligence agencies believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin “likely” didn’t order opposition leader Alexei Navalny to be killed at an Arctic prison in…

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Spain’s Sanchez urged to stay by supporters

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was given a vote of confidence by supporters who gathered in their thousands urging him not to step down from office. Earlier this week, Sanchez said…

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“We need hope” – German chancellor launches EP election campaign

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ’s centre-left Social Democrats, or SPD, launched their official campaign for the 9 June EU election with a rally in Hamburg, under the mantra "we need…

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Zelensky warns about nuclear risks

Ukriane's President Zelenskyy warned y that the safety of Europe's largest nuclear power plant Zaporizhzhia is threatened by Russia's war against Ukraine, as the country marked the 38th anniversary of…

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Malta News Briefing – Sunday 28 April 2024

Morning Briefing Contractors form own lobby group, detach from developers Builders and contractors have launched their own association to secure representation in industry discussions. The Association of Builders and Contractors…

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Two million Britons suffer long COVID symptoms

Two million people across England and Scotland are still suffering from long COVID symptoms, of whom 381,000 have had their day-to-day activities limited a lot, according to an official study…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Saturday 27 April 2024

Updated 1230 Chamber slams fraud benefits pardon The Malta Chamber stated on Saturday that the presidential pardon granted to individuals involved in social benefit fraud further strengthens a culture of…

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What legal troubles is Donald Trump facing?

Donald Trump faces an array of legal troubles in criminal and civil cases while he seeks to regain the presidency as the Republican candidate challenging Democratic President Joe Biden in…

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Venice begins charging day-trippers for access

Venice became the first city in the world on Thursday to introduce a payment system for tourists in an effort to thin the crowds that throng the canals during the…

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Rubble and unexploded ordnance in Gaza could take 14 years to remove

The vast amount of rubble including unexploded ordnance left by Israel’s devastating war in the Gaza Strip could take about 14 years to remove, a United Nations official said on…

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Why Spain’s Prime Minister Sanchez is taking a break from public duties

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he will suspend public duties until next week to decide whether he wants to continue leading the government after a court launched a preliminary…

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In Beijing, Blinken confronts China over ‘powering’ Russia’s war

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns on Friday about China's support for Russia's military, one of the many issues threatening to sour the recent improvement in relations between…

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Turkish kebabs turn to Europe for protected status

Turkey has filed an application to grant its best-known foodstuff the same EU protection as Neapolitan pizza and Spanish jamon serrano. Germany's most eaten street food the Turkish döner kebab…

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Cost of living still top concern for UK

Regular polling by the Office for National Statistics, tracking public attitudes to the big issues of the day, have just been released. For some time the cost of living crisis…

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UAE reports illness linked to contaminated water after floods

A small number of people in the United Arab Emirates have shown symptoms associated with contaminated water after heavy rains and floods, the health ministry said. The statement, carried by…

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British man tests first personalised melanoma vaccine

An important trial of the world's first "personalised" mRNA vaccine against the deadliest form of skin cancer - melanoma - is now under way in the UK. Steve Young, 52,…

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Spain to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine but Greece says no

Spain will send a small number of Patriot missiles to Ukraine, El Pais newspaper reported on Friday, quoting unidentified sources. Spain ruled out delivering anti-aircraft launchers, but will give Kiev…

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UK polling guru predicts new Brexit referendum by 2040

Top political scientist John Curtice predicted another referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU could take place in the next 16 years. “I think the 2016 referendum is going to…

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King Charles’ health is worse than publicly believed

Media reports are indicating that the health condition of King Charles’ is progressively deteriorating, leading Buckingham Palace officials to keep a regularly updated plan for his impending funeral — preparations…

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Lithuania denies Minsk’s reports of drone attack from Lithuanian territory

Lithuanian Armed Forces have denied the Belarusian security service’s report that a drone attack was launched on Minsk from Lithuania. “The State Security Committee, in cooperation with colleagues from other…

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US, 17 other countries urge Hamas to release hostages, end Gaza crisis

The United States and 17 other countries issued an appeal for Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis in Gaza, but Hamas vowed…

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Russia warns Polish discussion on hosting US nuclear weapons is dangerous

Russia warned that Poland was playing a "very dangerous game" by considering the possibility of hosting U.S. nuclear weapons. Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday he had invited Prime…

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Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction is overturned by top New York court

Harvey Weinstein's 2020 conviction for sexual assault and rape was overturned by New York's highest court, reopening the landmark case that fueled the #MeToo movement and highlighting the challenges of…

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India begins voting in second phase of giant election

India began voting on Friday in the second phase of the world's biggest election, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his rivals raise the pitch of the campaign by focusing…

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Malta News Briefing – Friday 26 April 2024

Morning Briefing Presidential pardon for persons claiming disability benefits fraudulently The government has announced that individuals who fraudulently obtained disability benefits they were not entitled to will receive a presidential…

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China should have confidence to talk to us, Taiwan’s president-elect says

China should have the confidence to talk to Taiwan's legally elected government, President-elect Lai Ching-te said on Thursday as he appointed his new national security and diplomacy team amid what…

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Lukashenko: Up to me and Putin how to use nuclear weapons

The draft of the new Military Doctrine does not specify the procedure for utilizing nuclear weapons, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko disclosed while speaking to reporters during the 7th Belarusian People's…

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Kyiv issues restrictions on passports for military-age men

The Ukrainian government, further tightening regulations as it seeks to address a shortage of troops, approved rules temporarily barring military-age men from applying for passports abroad. The provisions, and a…

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Poland’s Tusk to reduce public duties following a pneumonia diagnosis

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has been diagnosed with pneumonia and will limit his public duties in the next few days, his office announced on Thursday. "In the coming days,…

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Greek frigate targets two UVAs in Gulf of Aden

Greece’s frigate Hydra opened fire on two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Gulf of Aden during the early hours of Thursday, utilizing its 127mm main gun according to Greek media.…

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Belarus says it thwarted attack on capital by drones launched from Lithuania

The head of the Belarusian security service said on Thursday it had thwarted an attack on the capital Minsk by drones launched from Lithuania, Russian state news agencies said. There…

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UPDATED: ‘Europe could die,’ Macron warns, as he calls for stronger defences

President Emmanuel Macron appealed on Thursday for stronger, more integrated European defences and said the continent must not become a vassal of the United States, as he outlined his vision…

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Germany arrests suspected members of Nigerian dating mafia

German police on Wednesday announced that eleven suspected members of a criminal syndicate from Nigeria, the Black Axe, were arrested during nationwide raids The gang is internationally famous for different criminal activities such…

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Death toll in Gaza Strip has reached 34,305 Palestinians – ministry

At least 34,305 Palestinians have been killed and 77,293 wounded in Israel’s military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the Hamas-led Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Thursday,…

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France’s air traffic control strikes ground flights across Europe

Delays and flight cancellations were set to impact swathes of Europe on Thursday, after authorities failed to reach a deal with some French air traffic control workers to avert a…

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Poland prepared to send back Ukrainian military-age men

Poland is ready to help Ukraine in getting military-age male citizens to return and help their home country in fighting in the war against Russia, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said.…

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