News

Spain bars Bolivians from disembarking cruise ship amid lack of visas

Spanish authorities have barred around 70 Bolivian nationals from disembarking a cruise ship in Barcelona due to a lack of EU entry visas, preventing the ship with hundreds on board…

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Trump holds slight lead over Biden in 6 swing states

Former President Donald Trump has a slight lead over or is tied with President Joe Biden in seven swing states, according to new polling by the Wall Street Journal. Trump’s…

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Conservatives set for heavy UK election defeat to opposition Labour, survey shows

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party is set for a heavy defeat at a national election expected this year, according to a seat projection published on Wednesday which showed…

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Italy asks for southern front become NATO priority

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said he had successfully asked an Atlantic Council meeting to make NATO's southern front a priority for the alliance."I'm very satisfied because the Italian request to…

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Earthquake of 6 magnitude strikes off east coast of Honshu, Japan; Taiwan earthquake injuries top 1,000

An earthquake of magnitude 6 struck off the east coast of Honshu, Japan on Thursday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. The quake was at a depth of 32 km (19.88…

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Russia says NATO, at 75, has returned to Cold War mindset

MOSCOW, (Reuters) - Russia said that NATO had returned to a Cold War mindset as the alliance marks its 75th anniversary this week. "Today, in relations with Russia, the bloc…

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Malta News Briefing – Thursday 4th April 2024

Morning Briefing TM explores possibility of reducing age for moped driving licence Transport Malta is exploring the possibility of reducing the minimum age requirement for obtaining a moped driving license…

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Ukraine lowers army draft age to 25

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a bill to lower the mobilisation age for combat duty from 27 to 25, a move that should help Ukraine generate more fighting power in its…

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Finnish police say bullying was motive for school shooting

Finnish police said on Wednesday the motive for a school shooting on the outskirts of Helsinki on Tuesday, in which one 12-year-old died, was bullying. "The suspect has said during…

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Hunger grips southern Africa as Zimbabwe declares drought a disaster

By Nyasha Chingono HARARE, April 3 (Reuters) - President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday declared Zimbabwe's drought a national disaster and said the country needed more than $2 billion in aid…

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Russia pounded Ukraine with 3,000 bombs in March

Russia fired over 3,000 guided aerial bombs, 600 drones and 400 missiles at Ukraine in March alone, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday. Russia has stepped up its long-range air…

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Estonia’s Kaja Kallas backs Mark Rutte for NATO top job

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas — herself an unofficial candidate for NATO's top job — said she backs her Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte for the secretary-general post. "For a strong…

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Mysterious lights streak across Southern California night sky

People across southern California witnessed streaks of light moving across the sky in the early hours of 2 April. It is unclear what caused the light, though people on social…

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Many Iranian options to retaliate against Israel, but all carry risk

By Idrees Ali and Arshad Mohammed Iran faces a dilemma following an Israeli attack on its embassy in Syria: how to retaliate without sparking a wider conflict that Middle East…

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UPDATED: Cyprus seeks EU help to curb surge of Syrian refugees from Lebanon

NICOSIA, April 3 (Reuters) - Cyprus appealed on Wednesday for vigorous action from the EU to stem a recent tide of mostly Syrian refugees arriving by sea via Lebanon, saying…

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Trump calls migrants ‘animals,’ intensifying focus on illegal immigration

By Nathan Layne, Gram Slattery and Tim Reid Donald Trump called immigrants illegally in the United States "animals" and "not human" in a speech in Michigan, resorting to the degrading…

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NATO ministers mull 100 billion euro military fund for Ukraine

By Andrew Gray and John Irish BRUSSELS, April 3 (Reuters) - NATO foreign ministers meet on Wednesday to discuss how to put military support for Ukraine on a long-term footing,…

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What we know so far about the seven aid workers killed in Gaza by Israel

April 3 (Reuters) - An Israeli airstrike on an aid convoy in Gaza on Monday killed seven workers from the charity World Central Kitchen including citizens of Australia, Britain, Poland.…

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Taiwan hit by strongest quake in 25 years

.2 magnitude earthquake rocked Taiwan on Wednesday, the strongest tremor to hit the island in at least 25 years, killing one person, injuring dozens and sparking a tsunami warning for…

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Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 3 April 2024

Morning Briefing Details of Presidential inauguration revealed The public will be able to welcome President-elect Myriam Spiteri Debono as she proceeds from St John's Co-Cathedral to the palace for her…

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Putin ally says NATO is helping attacks on Russia from Ukraine

A powerful ally of President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that NATO was basically fighting Russia in Ukraine and that the U.S.-led military alliance had helped organise strikes on sovereign…

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Forza Italia defies doom-mongers to outlive Berlusconi

After Silvio Berlusconi's death last June, senior figures in his Forza Italia party openly speculated that the group would not be able to survive without its charismatic leader at the…

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Major Russian refinery hit by Ukrainian drone 1,300 km from the front lines

Ukraine struck one of Russia's biggest refineries on Tuesday with a drone 1,300 km (800 miles) from the front lines in Ukraine and said it had inflicted significant damage on…

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Blinken in Paris after Gaza NGO attack, French U.N. push

American Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold talks in Paris on Tuesday after a Washington-based NGO was struck by an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza, adding pressure on the…

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Greek islands hit by new surge of migrant arrivals

Greece's conservative government promised on Monday to offer extra financial aid and more staff to help the island of Crete and its tiny neighbour Gavdos handle a steep rise in…

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Spain to recognise Palestinian statehood by July, leader says -reports

Spain will recognise Palestinian statehood by July, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told journalists during a Middle East tour, according to several reports published on Tuesday in Spanish media. State news…

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North Korea fires suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile

North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile into the sea on Tuesday in a possible test of a new rocket using solid fuel, drawing swift condemnation from South Korea,…

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Fighting rages across Gaza amid revival of truce talks

Israeli strikes killed 77 Palestinians in Gaza in the past 24 hours, health authorities said, as Egypt hosted an Israeli delegation for a new round of talks in a bid…

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Several people injured in Finnish primary school shooting

Several people were injured in a shooting at a primary school in Finland early on Tuesday, and a suspect was later apprehended, Finnish police said in a statement. The shooting…

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Erdogan vows to make amends after humbling election loss in Turkey

President Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Monday to correct any mistakes that led to his party's defeat in Turkey's local elections where the opposition capitalised on economic woes and alienated Islamist…

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Iranian Guards commander killed in Israeli strike on consulate in Damascus, source says

Israeli warplanes struck the Iranian consulate in Damascus on Monday, and a Lebanese security source told Reuters a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, had…

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Kremlin dismisses report Russia behind ‘Havana Syndrome’

The Kremlin on Monday dismissed a report that Russian military intelligence may be behind the mysterious "Havana syndrome" ailment that has afflicted U.S. diplomats and spies globally.Insider, a Russia-focused investigative…

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Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 2 April 2024

Morning Briefing Man had rights breached after spending 274 additional nights in jail A man who endured an additional 274 days of incarceration while awaiting an appeal regarding his conviction…

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US judge receptive to Trump documents claims in warning sign for prosecutors

A federal judge overseeing the criminal case that accuses Donald Trump of mishandling classified documents has signaled an openness to the former U.S. president’s defense claims, in a sign that…

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Iran alerted Russia to security threat before Moscow attack

Iran tipped off Russia about the possibility of a major "terrorist operation" on its soil ahead of the concert hall massacre near Moscow last month, three sources familiar with the…

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Maryland Governor calls for federal funding for rebuilding of Key Bridge

With efforts underway to clean up thousands of tons of steel debris from the collapsed bridge in Baltimore's harbor, Maryland Governor Wes Moore on Sunday urged Republicans to work with…

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Israeli troops leave Gaza’s Al Shifa Hospital after two-week sweep

Israeli forces have withdrawn from Gaza's Al Shifa Hospital after a two-week operation during which they killed Palestinian gunmen in clashes and seized weaponry and intelligence documents, the military said…

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Putin signs decree on spring military conscription

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree setting out the routine spring conscription campaign, calling up 150,000 citizens for statutory military service, a document posted on the Kremlin's website…

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Turkey’s resurgent opposition thumps Erdogan in pivotal local elections

Turks dealt President Tayyip Erdogan and his party their biggest electoral blow on Sunday in a nationwide local vote that reasserted the opposition as a political force and reinforced Istanbul…

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To fight Russia, Estonia must increase its defence spending, warns military head

The head of Estonia's military said that his country needs to double defence spending over the next two years to stockpile enough munitions to inflict a decisive defeat on any…

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Malta News Briefing – Monday 1 April 2024

Morning Briefing Government, shareholders expected to appeal National Bank Court decision A court ruling to grant €111 million in compensation to National Bank shareholders has stirred discontent among both the…

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Malta News Briefing – Sunday 31 March 2024

Morning Brieifng Air Malta is no more - KM Airlines' maiden flight today The national carrier Air Malta has officially ceased its operations on Saturday night after half a century…

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Illness, scandal and discord leave UK royal family looking depleted

By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - King Charles is due to make his first public appearance at a royal event since his cancer diagnosis on Sunday, but the likely absence…

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Easter 2024 in the Holy Land: a holiday marked by Palestinian Christian sorrow

Every year, Christians from across the world visit Jerusalem for Easter week, walking the Via Dolorosa, the path Jesus is said to have walked on the way to his crucifixion…

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Malta News Briefing – Saturday 30 March 2024

Morning Briefing Larger share say not voting in EP elections The amount of people saying that they will not vote in the upcoming European Parliament elections has increased, according to…

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Kyiv’s senior general says Ukraine needs fewer troops than anticipated

KYIV, March 29 (Reuters) - Ukraine's military will need to mobilise fewer people than initially expected to fend off Russia's two-year-old invasion, Kyiv's top general said on Friday. President Volodymyr…

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North Korea rules out any meetings with Japan

By Hyunsu Yim SEOUL, March 29 (Reuters) - North Korea has no interest in dialogue with Japan, state media KCNA reported on Friday, citing foreign minister Choe Son Hui. Japanese…

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Protesters interrupt Biden, Obama, Clinton at $25 million New York fundraiser

By Jeff Mason President Joe Biden and his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, headlined a star-studded fundraiser with former President Bill Clinton on Thursday, offering a robust defense of the White…

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British Army allows beards as it ends 100-year ban

British Army soldiers and officers will finally be allowed to grow a full beard after King Charles gave his approval, allowing military chiefs to end the more than 100-year ban. Head…

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Israeli military says it killed deputy commander of Hezbollah rocket and missiles unit

The Israeli military said it had killed Ali Abed Akhsan Naim, deputy commander of Hezbollah’s rocket and missiles unit, in an airstrike in the area of Bazouriye in Lebanon. The…

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Romania says it finds drone fragments near border with Ukraine

BUCHAREST, March 29 (Reuters) - NATO member Romania said it had found fragments of what appeared to be a drone on a farm near the river Danube and the border…

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Earthquake in Greece causes tremors across Malta

Tremors were felt across Malta on Friday morning, as a 5.8 magnitude earthquake described as 'moderately strong' was reported in Greece. The Times of Malta reported rooms shaking and waking…

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Poland scrambles fighter jets

Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled Friday morning after Russia launched missile strikes on Ukraine, the Operational Command of the Polish armed forces said. “Polish and allied aircraft are operating…

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Russia’s Lavrov tells newspaper that Ukraine peace plan is pointless

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview published on Friday, said Ukraine's proposed peace plan was pointless as it was based on unacceptable notions like Moscow's withdrawal from areas…

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Italian government to ensure majority of students in classrooms are Italian

The government will take measures to try to ensure that the majority of Italian school classes are Italian pupils and that foreign students assimilate along with their parents by learning…

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Latvian Foreign Minister resigns amid private jet scandal, EU ambitions affected

Latvian Foreign Minister Krišjānis Kariņš announced his resignation on Thursday, engulfed by a scandal on taking private jets to official meetings. His departure effectively eliminates him as a challenger to…

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World Court orders Israel to halt Gaza famine; Hamas says ceasefire needed

The World Court unanimously ordered Israel, accused by South Africa of genocide in Gaza, to take all necessary and effective action to ensure basic food supplies to the enclave's Palestinian…

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