News

UPDATED: Putin warns West of risk of nuclear war

MOSCOW, Feb 29 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin warned Western countries on Thursday that there was a genuine risk of nuclear war if they sent their own troops to fight…

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Putin allies tell Macron: Any French troops you send to Ukraine will suffer fate of Napoleon’s army

By Andrew Osborn Macron troop comments anger Russia Putin allies liken him to Napoleon Moscow portrays Macron as reckless Notes other Western countries baulked (Reuters) - Allies of Russian President…

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North Korea’s Kim seeks ‘industry revolution’ in rural areas amid widening inequality

By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL, Feb 29 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for an "industry revolution" in rural regions by building factories nationwide, state media KCNA…

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Pope Francis had CT scan during hospital check-up

By Alvise Armellini VATICAN CITY, (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who has been suffering from influenza, made a brief trip to a Roman hospital for medical checks on Wednesday but was…

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US closely watching Moldovan breakaway region after request for Russian help

The United States is closely watching the situation in the breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria after the unrecognized statelet asked Russia for help, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. “Given…

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‘Mob rule’ replacing democracy in Britain, warns PM Sunak

Britain is descending into "mob rule" and police will do more to protect the country's democracy, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday, after the government announced extra funding to…

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Trump is disqualified from Illinois ballot, judge rules

(Reuters) - An Illinois state judge barred Donald Trump from appearing on the Illinois' Republican presidential primary ballot because of his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on…

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German warship, part of EU Red Sea mission, shoots down two drones

BERLIN/LONDON (Reuters) - A German warship shot down two drones in the Red Sea this week amid escalating attacks by Yemen's Houthis and efforts by the European Union to protect…

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US Supreme Court to decide Trump criminal immunity claim in 2020 election case

Justices will hear arguments in the case in late April Trump claims presidential immunity from prosecution By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on…

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‘Leap year glitch’ shuts some New Zealand fuel pumps

By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, Feb 29 (Reuters) - A number of New Zealand petrol pumps stopped working on Thursday due to a "leap year glitch" in payment software, fuel stations…

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Thailand to ban recreational cannabis use by year-end, health minister says

Draft heads to cabinet for approval next month, minister says Misuse of cannabis seen having negative impact on children Industry is projected to be worth $1.2 bln by next year…

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Tens of thousands flee in new wave of brutal Mozambique attacks

MAPUTO, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Mozambicans are fleeing their homes in the restive Cabo Delgado province amid a surge in deadly insurgent attacks since January. The…

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Macron’s Ukraine troop talk shakes up NATO allies

By John Irish, Michel Rose and Andrew Gray Macron floats idea of West sending troops to Ukraine His comments spark backlash among allies French officials say Macron wants to stimulate…

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European countries eye reopening embassies in North Korea after pandemic closures

By Josh Smith and Alexander Ratz SEOUL/BERLIN Feb 28 (Reuters) - A German delegation visited the North Korean capital of Pyongyang for the first time since its embassy was shuttered…

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Germany hosts peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan

BERLIN, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Germany is hosting two days of peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia five months after Azerbaijan recaptured its Karabakh region from its ethnic Armenian majority,…

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Putin vows to boost Russian special forces’ ability to strike

President Vladimir Putin promised this wek to increase the mobility and striking potential of Russia's special operations forces, saying this is a key priority to make the country's army stronger.…

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UPDATED: Navalny to be buried on Friday, wife fears possible arrests

By Andrew Osborn and Mark Trevelyan Feb 28 (Reuters) - Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny's funeral service and burial will take place in Moscow on Friday, his spokesperson said, but his allies…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 28 February 2024

Updated 1200 State should shoulder responsibility, Sofia public inquiry says: The public inquiry established after the death of Jean Paul Sofia at a construction site said that the State should…

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UPDATED: Pope Francis has hospital check-up, returns to Vatican

By Alvise Armellini VATICAN CITY, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who has been suffering from influenza, made a brief trip to a Roman hospital for medical checks on Wednesday…

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Thousands told to flee homes in Australia amid heat spike, bushfire threat

SYDNEY, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of residents in Australia's southeast were told to evacuate on Wednesday due to an intense heatwave that authorities said could further spread…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy arrives in Albania for southeastern Europe summit

Feb 28 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in the Albanian capital of Tirana, where he will attend a summit with countries of the Western Balkans and hold bilateral…

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China urges largest nuclear states to negotiate a ‘no-first-use’ treaty

BEIJING, Feb 28 (Reuters) - States with the largest nuclear arsenals should negotiate a treaty on no-first-use of nuclear weapons against each other or make a political statement in this…

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NATO allies rule out sending troops to Ukraine as Russia rebukes Macron

By Andreas Rinke and Guy Faulconbridge Macron raises option of sending Western troops to Ukraine Germany, UK, Poland, others say they have no such plans Kremlin says such a move…

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Gaza’s warring enemies cautious over truce talks after Biden says deal nearing

By Samia Nakhoul, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Saleh Salem DUBAI/CAIRO/RAFAH, Gaza Strip, (Reuters) - Israel and Hamas as well as Qatari mediators all sounded notes of caution on Tuesday about progress…

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Greeks strike to mark train crash anniversary, protest low wages

ATHENS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Rail services will be halted and ships will remain docked at ports near the capital Athens on Wednesday, as workers walk off the job to…

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Odysseus moon lander still operational, in final hours before battery dies

By Steve Gorman and Joey Roulette (Reuters) - Odysseus, the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon since 1972, neared the end of its fifth day on the lunar…

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Volcanic ash forces some airlines to suspend flights from Mexico City

MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) - Mexico City International Airport said airlines have canceled 22 domestic and international flights to carry out safety checks after planes encountered ash from the Popocatepetl volcano…

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Trump, Biden win Michigan primaries but Democrats mount Gaza protest vote

By Nandita Bose and Tim Reid DEARBORN, Michigan, (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden easily won the Democratic presidential primary in Michigan on Tuesday, but a protest vote by Democrats…

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North Korea has sent 6,700 containers of munitions to Russia, South Korea says

North Korea has shipped about 6,700 containers carrying millions of munitions to Russia since July to support its war against Ukraine, in a sign of ongoing arms transfers, South Korean…

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Man jailed in Russian-annexed Crimea for ‘rehabilitating Nazism’

A court in Russian-annexed Crimea has sentenced a man to two-and-a-half years in prison for "rehabilitating Nazism", the regional Investigative Committee said on Tuesday, amid a crackdown on behaviour deemed…

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France’s Macron does not rule out Europeans sending troops to Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron opened the door on Monday to European nations sending troops to Ukraine, although he cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage as allies agreed…

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MDB brings together key stakeholders from the commercial banking sector to foster a strategic dialogue and step up collaboration

As part of its efforts towards enhancing access to finance in Malta, the MDB brought together key stakeholders from the commercial banking sector to foster strategic dialogue and deliberate on…

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A Quest To Transform The Culture of Tax

For Tax Commissioner JOSEPH CARUANA, a change in the mindset of taxpayers to understand their obligations to be tax compliant is not enough. “Transformation is key and this means a…

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Foreign Talent Starts Shining in Maltese Workplaces

Two Major Companies Award ‘Employee of the Year’ To Non-Maltese Employees If one wants to see how multicultural Malta has become, one only needs to ride a bus. Malta’s demographic…

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Doctors Start Embracing Digimed’s Potential

Healthcare Platform To Offer 24/7 Medical Consultations The first 30 doctors have just been onboarded on DIGIMED’s platform, in a positive response from the medical industry to the revolutionary healthcare…

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Italy’s Meloni suffers setback as centre-left claims Sardinia election win

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is set for her first regional election loss since winning power in 2022 after a centre-left candidate appeared to have won the vote for the…

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Biden says Israel is ready to pause Gaza fighting; Hamas says deal not done yet

Israel is ready to halt its Gaza attacks for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in a ceasefire that could be signed as soon as next week, Joe Biden said,…

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New Zealand set to scrap world-first tobacco ban

New Zealand will repeal on Tuesday a world-first law banning tobacco sales for future generations, the government said, even while researchers and campaigners warned of the risk that people could…

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Is It Time To Start Showing Up?

A recent article published on fortune.com told of how a ‘Return To Office’ drive by SAP, Europe’s largest software company prompted 5000 employees to sign a letter saying that they…

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Lockbit cybercrime gang says it is back online following global police bust

By James Pearson LONDON (Reuters) - Lockbit, the cybercrime gang that was knocked offline by a comprehensive international police operation earlier this month, says it has restored its servers and…

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Maltese Startup TriStratus Opens Office in Cairo

TriStratus was established in 2021 as a startup specialising in cloud services. After only three years, the company has now just opened its first office abroad to tap into the…

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Economic activity in EU to regain pace through 2024 – report

Economic activity in the European Union is anticipated to gradually pick up throughout 2024 after a weak start to the year, according to the Commission’s latest economic forecast. As inflation…

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Study To Assess Key Trends in Employment Amongst 50,000 Europeans

Understanding the dynamics that shape our professional lives is paramount as part of a collective effort to improve the quality of the workplace. A comprehensive understanding of working-life quality enables…

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Spain’s ports see goods traffic rise as Red Sea crisis continues

The volume of goods moving through Spain's top ports rose by as much as 25% in January as attacks on shipping in the Red Sea caused companies to divert Europe-bound…

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Ukraine’s Zelenskiy urges ‘fight’ for Crimea after 10 years of occupation

Ukraine and its international partners must continue fighting to restore Ukrainian control over Crimea, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Monday as Kyiv marked a decade of Russian occupation of the…

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Bank of England calls on further regulation of non-banks

Regulators need broader oversight of financial firms to prevent a crisis in the vast non-bank sector turning into a credit crunch and wreaking havoc on the economy, Britain's central bank…

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Sweden clears final hurdle to join NATO as Hungary approves accession

Hungary's parliament approved Sweden's NATO accession on Monday, clearing the last hurdle before the historic step by the Nordic country whose neutrality lasted through two world wars and the simmering…

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Slovak PM says some Western states consider bilateral deals to send troops to Ukraine

Several NATO and European Union members are considering sending soldiers to Ukraine on a bilateral basis, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Monday. Fico, who has long opposed military…

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Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 27 February 2024

Morning Briefing Court says FIAU's fines 'completely illegal' A court has declared that fines levied by the anti-money laundering watchdog are "completely illegal." According to the ruling, the Financial Intelligence…

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US government shutdown: What would close, what would stay open?

By Andy Sullivan Feb 26 (Reuters) - Significant swaths of the U.S. government would have to suspend operations as soon as March 1 if Congress does not pass spending legislation…

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Navalny was close to being freed in a prisoner swap, says ally

MOSCOW, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny was close to being freed in a prisoner swap at the time of his death, Maria Pevchikh, a Navalny ally,…

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Israeli delegation heads to Qatar for ceasefire deal push

Israeli officials go to Qatar for truce talks, source says Israel under pressure from U.S. to agree a truce soon Egyptian security sources says proximity talks scheduled Israeli and Hamas…

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Greece approves military participation in EU Red Sea mission

ATHENS, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The Greek government on Monday approved the country's participation in a European Union naval mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships from attacks…

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Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh resigns

By Ali Sawafta RAMALLAH, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Monday he was resigning to allow for the formation of a broad consensus among Palestinians…

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Israel strikes deeper into Lebanon as Hezbollah downs drone

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Israel mounted airstrikes west of the Lebanese city of Baalbek on Monday, killing at least two Hezbollah members, sources in Lebanon said, in its deepest…

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Pope Francis cancels appointments twice in three days as mild flu persists

VATICAN CITY, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Pope Francis canceled his appointments on Monday for the second time in three days because he has mild flu, the Vatican said. The 87-year-old…

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Israeli industry minister meets Saudi counterpart at WTO talks in UAE

ABU DHABI, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Israeli Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat met his Saudi counterpart on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Abu Dhabi…

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