News

UPDATED: US Congress averts government shutdown, passing $1.2 trillion bill

By Richard Cowan, David Morgan and Makini Brice WASHINGTON, March 23 (Reuters) - The U.S. Congress early on Saturday overwhelmingly passed a $1.2 trillion budget bill, keeping the government funded…

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World reaction to deadly shooting at Moscow concert hall

March 23 (Reuters) - Camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons on concertgoers at a hall near Moscow on Friday, killing at least 60 people and injuring 145 more in…

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U.S. says it conducted self-defense strikes against Houthi facilities

CAIRO, March 23 (Reuters) - U.S. forces conducted self-defense strikes against three Houthi underground weapons storage facilities in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said. The strikes targeted…

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UPDATED: Russia arrests suspected gunmen as concert toll soars to 115

11 arrested, including four suspected gunmen, Kremlin says Death toll jumps to 115 FSB says gunmen arrested heading to Ukraine border Ukraine has denied involvement; Islamic State claims attack By…

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Kate, Princess of Wales, says she has cancer

By Michael Holden LONDON, (Reuters) - Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, said on Friday she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after tests taken after she had major abdominal surgery in January…

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Austrian economy to nearly stagnate this year, institutes forecast

(Reuters) - Austria's economy is expected to nearly stagnate this year, pressured by a weaker European Union economy and higher interest rates, according to two leading economic institutes which cut…

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Malta News Briefing – Saturday 23 March 2024

Morning Briefing National debt tops EUR10bn - NSO Central Government debt reached €10,076.1 million, rising by €795.8 million compared to 2023, the NSO said on Friday. Conversely, Government fund recorded…

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After 100 days, Poland’s Tusk faces questions over election promises

By Alan Charlish WARSAW, March 22 (Reuters) - Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk hit his first 100 days in office on Friday with solid public support but facing criticism for…

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Russia warns Western banks of catastrophic consequences over asset confiscation

MOSCOW, March 22 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Friday said Western banks' legal departments understand the "catastrophic consequences" that would follow should the EU proceed with plans to confiscate Russian…

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Exasperated by cost of housing, Salzburg could elect a Communist mayor

By Francois Murphy VIENNA, March 22 (Reuters) - Salzburg, the home of Mozart and "The Sound of Music", is not a place known for radical change. The picturesque Austrian city,…

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Kremlin says it would prefer US told Kyiv to halt strikes on residential buildings not refineries

MOSCOW, March 22 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Friday commented on a media report that Washington had told Ukraine to stop striking Russian oil refineries, saying it was a matter…

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Russia stages largest air strike of war on Ukraine’s energy facilities, Kyiv says

Over 150 missiles and drones fired in attack Kyiv says Russia targeted energy facilities Over a million people cut off from power in Ukraine Ukraine's largest dam hit but no…

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US surgeons perform first pig-to-human kidney transplant

By Nancy Lapid (Reuters) - A 62-year-man with end-stage renal disease has become the first human to receive a new kidney from a genetically modified pig, doctors from Massachusetts General…

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UN Security Council to vote Friday on US resolution on Gaza ceasefire

By Daphne Psaledakis and Simon Lewis WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The United States will ask the U.N. Security Council on Friday to back a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in…

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Russia, Ukraine see crisis eventually resolved through talks, China’s special envoy says

By Joe Cash BEIJING, March 22 (Reuters) - Russia and Ukraine both believe the conflict will end through negotiations, China's special envoy for Eurasian affairs said on Friday, even though…

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Exiled separatist Puigdemont will run to lead Catalonia, return to Spain if he wins

By Joan Faus Exiled Catalan separatist Carles Puigdemont will seek to lead the northeastern region in elections in May, he said, and would return to Spain should he regain the…

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EU naval mission in Red Sea destroys missiles, Houthi seaborne drone

ATHENS (Reuters) - The EU's naval mission in the southern Red Sea said it had destroyed three ballistic missiles and a Houthi seaborne drone to protect merchant ships. The EU's…

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Moldovan Parliament backs bid to join EU

By Alexander Tanas Moldova's Parliament on Thursday endorsed an appeal to press on with a drive to join the European Union, but the opposition walked out of the vote and…

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US puts pressure on Israel with Gaza ceasefire resolution as Qatar talks continue

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Daphne Psaledakis CAIRO/WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - Israel's spy chief was due to travel to Qatar on Friday for ceasefire negotiations while the U.S. planned to…

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UN adopts first global artificial intelligence resolution

By Alexandra Alper (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the first global resolution on artificial intelligence that encourages countries to safeguard human rights, protect personal data, and…

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Malta News Briefing – Friday 22 March 2024

Morning Briefing Malta gets negative review in anti-corruption report Malta is “not in sufficient compliance” with the recommendations made by a European anti-corruption body, with only four of the 23…

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Pakistan PM Sharif says another IMF bailout is inevitable

By Asif Shahzad ISLAMABAD, March 21 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that a long-term bailout from the International Monetary Fund (MF) was inevitable given the…

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US Congress releases $1.1 trillion spending package to avert shutdown

By David Morgan and Makini Brice WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - After days of delay, U.S. congressional leaders unveiled a $1.1 trillion bipartisan spending measure for defense, homeland security and…

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Kremlin will retaliate if the EU uses profits from Russian assets to arm Ukraine

MOSCOW, March 21 (Reuters) - Russia will take retaliatory measures in accordance with its own interests and use every legal mechanism at its disposal if the European Union uses profits…

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Who will become Ireland’s next prime minister?

By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN, March 21 (Reuters) - Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday he would step down as Ireland's prime minister and the leader of the governing Fine Gael party,…

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Terrorism threat against Denmark has increased, security service says

COPENHAGEN, March 21 (Reuters) - The threat of terrorism in Denmark and against its interests abroad has increased, the Nordic country's PET security and intelligence service said on Thursday. The…

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Australia, UK to boost defence cooperation

By Kirsty Needham and Renju Jose SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a new defence and security cooperation agreement that makes it easier for their…

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GO surpasses record 2022 performance with exceptional 2023 results

GO’s Chief Executive Officer Nikhil Patil described 2023 as “a transformational year for bringing our Purpose of Driving a digital Malta to life. We have been firing all cylinders to…

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Australia tightens student visa rules as migration hits record high

By Renju Jose and Stella Qiu SYDNEY, March 21 (Reuters) - Australia will begin enforcing tougher visa rules for foreign students this week as official data showed migration hit another…

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Trump campaign pleads for one million donations as cash crunch looms

Donald Trump's campaign called for donations from one million of his backers, warning he could lose his New York properties, two days after the former president failed to secure a…

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Indonesia’s president-elect Prabowo urges unity after resounding victory

By Stanley Widianto and Stefanno Sulaiman JAKARTA, (Reuters) - Indonesia's Prabowo Subianto pledged on Wednesday to be a president for all Indonesians after official results showed him sweeping last month's…

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Once beacon of stability, Vietnam to name third president in a year

By Francesco Guarascio and Khanh Vu HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam is seeking its third president in little more than a year after its ruling Communist Party on Wednesday forced the…

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Portugal’s president names centre-right leader Montenegro as PM

By Sergio Goncalves, Catarina Demony and Andrei Khalip LISBON, March 21 (Reuters) - Portugal's president named Luis Montenegro, head of the centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD), as the country's new prime…

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UPDATED: Russia launches largest missile attack on Kyiv in weeks

Russia fired more than 31 missiles at Ukraine overnight Damage caused even though all missiles were downed- Kyiv Zelenskiy urges allies to keep up air defences supplies By Olena Harmash…

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Malta News Briefing – Thursday 22 March 2024

Morning Briefing Wages stagnated in recent years, study shows Despite experiencing relatively strong economic growth in recent years, excluding the Covid-19 pandemic period, workers have not seen any significant benefits.…

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UN report documents Russian rights abuses in occupied Ukraine

KYIV, March 20 (Reuters) - The UN's Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has released its first comprehensive report on the situation in the territories of Ukraine occupied since…

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India’s richest 1% has highest concentration of wealth in decades, study shows

NEW DELHI, March 20 (Reuters) - The wealth concentrated in the richest 1% of India's population is at its highest in six decades and the percentage share of income exceeds…

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Israeli military says it killed 90 gunmen at Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital

JERUSALEM/CAIRO, March 20 (Reuters) - Israel's military said on Wednesday it had killed around 90 gunmen and arrested 160 in a raid on Gaza's Al Shifa hospital, an allegation the…

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Slovakia scraps graft prosecution unit despite EU criticism

By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, March 20 (Reuters) - Slovakia dismantled its dedicated state graft prosecution unit on Wednesday despite European Union concerns, but seemed unlikely to face anytime soon hefty…

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Gloomy youth pull US and western Europe down global happiness ranking

By David Milliken LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Rising unhappiness among younger people has caused the United States and some large western European countries to fall down a global wellbeing…

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London Tube drivers to strike for two days in April and May

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Train drivers on the London Underground will take strike action on April 8 and May 4 in a long-running dispute over working conditions, the ASLEF…

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Ireland’s Varadkar unexpectedly quits as PM

By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN, March 20 (Reuters) - Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday he would step down as Ireland's prime minister and the leader of the governing Fine Gael party,…

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Russia says CERN decision to cut science cooperation is unacceptable

MOSCOW, March 20 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that a decision by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) to cut cooperation with Russian…

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Court orders Dutch state to do more against Schiphol airport noise pollution

AMSTERDAM, March 20 (Reuters) - A Dutch court on Wednesday ordered the government to do more to cut noise pollution from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, potentially limiting traffic at one of…

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Kremlin says the Russian election was absolutely clean

MOSCOW, March 20 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the presidential election was absolutely clean and that President Vladimir Putin had won a unique victory of unprecedented significance.…

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Russia gets new head of Navy after Black Sea Fleet suffers at hand of Ukraine

MOSCOW, (Reuters) - The new head of Russia's Navy was formally presented in his new role for the first time on Tuesday at a pomp-filled ceremony, the state RIA news…

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Spanish airports schedule 8% more summer seats

Spanish airport operator Aena said the airlines in its network have scheduled nearly 8% more seats for this summer than last year, as a rebound in tourism continues since pandemic-related…

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Far-right AfD peppers Germany’s top court with complaints, accused of blocking tactics

AfD files more legal challenges, questions than other parties Party's frequent cases burden German courts, ministries AfD says it's challenging violations of its political rights Accused of trying to snarl…

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Italian PM Meloni against direct NATO military intervention in Ukraine

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni rejected French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion that NATO troops could be sent to Ukraine saying that this risked unacceptable escalation in the conflict with Russia.…

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Ukraine’s survival in danger, Pentagon chief warns

By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that Ukraine's survival was in danger and sought to convince allies that…

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Russia’s Putin says he will consider China for his first trip in new term

March 20 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said late on Tuesday that he will consider China for his first overseas trip during his new presidential term that he secured…

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Russia conducts navy drills in Sea of Japan

March 20 (Reuters) - A detachment of Russia's Pacific Fleet ships conducted comprehensive naval exercises, including live fire, in the Peter the Great Gulf and Sea of Japan, Russia's Interfax…

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Britain’s Cameron says Gaza ceasefire crucial but ‘a whole lot of conditions’ to meet

By Panu Wongcha-um NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand, March 20 (Reuters) - Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Wednesday said it was vital for a pause in fighting between Israel and militant…

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Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 20 March 2024

Morning Briefing Malta's air pollution double recommended levels A recent report reveals that Malta's air contains more than twice the recommended levels of pollutants set by the World Health Organization…

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Germany arrests two over suspected Islamist plot on Swedish parliament

Germany has arrested two suspected Islamic State (IS) members for allegedly planning an attack on the Swedish parliament in retaliation for Koran burnings in the Scandinavian country, the federal prosecutor's…

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Russians vote for Putin must be accepted, Italy’s Salvini says

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini distanced himself on Monday from Western leaders' critical response to Vladimir Putin's landslide victory in Russia's presidential election, saying the voters' verdict must be…

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Houthi attacks must ease for salvage of two vessels, UN shipping agency says

Efforts to limit environmental damage from a cargo vessel that sank after a Houthi missile strike and another abandoned during a fiery assault are on hold until attacks on ships…

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