News

US targets former EU commissioner, activists with visa bans

The Trump administration imposed visa bans on a former European Union commissioner and anti-disinformation campaigners it says were involved in censoring U.S. social media platforms, in the latest move in…

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UPDATED: Libyan army’s chief dies in plane crash in Turkey

The Libyan army's chief of staff, Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad, died in a plane crash on Tuesday after leaving Turkey's capital Ankara, the prime minister of Libya's internationally recognised government…

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Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 24 December 2025

Morning Briefing MIDI says it had proposed Fort Tigné return to government The MIDI consortium said on Tuesday it had held discussions about returning Fort Tigné to the government before…

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Pakistan to strike multi-billion-dollar fighter jet deal with Libya’s Haftar

Pakistan and Benghazi are in the process of signing a major defense memorandum of understanding that could include the supply of 16 to 18 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, in a…

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Starmer Says Closer EU Trade Ties Are a ‘Strategic Necessity’ for UK Firms

Keir Starmer’s government has been told a closer EU trade deal is a “strategic necessity” for companies in Britain as growing numbers of exporters find it tougher to do business…

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US seeks to cancel thousands of asylum cases

The Trump administration launched a nationwide campaign to void asylum claims of thousands of people with active cases in immigration courts by arguing that they can be deported to countries…

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Finland to roll out stricter rules on permanent residence permits from January

The conditions around obtaining a permanent residence permit in Finland will become stricter from 8 January 2026, the interior ministry has said in a press statement. The new rules will…

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Poland scrambles aircraft after Russia strikes Ukraine

Polish and allied aircraft were deployed early on Tuesday to ensure the safety of Polish airspace after Russia launched airstrikes targeting western Ukraine near the border with Poland, the armed…

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Polish Expert Suggests Possible Vice Presidency Could Enable Trump Third Term

Prof. Zbigniew Lewicki, an American studies expert at the University of Warsaw, told Polish state news agency PAP that Trump could try to sidestep the US constitution's two-term limit by appearing…

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Trump administration recalls dozens of US ambassadors

The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 ambassadors and other senior career diplomats to ensure embassies reflect its “America First” priorities, a move critics said would weaken U.S. credibility abroad.…

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Trump announces plans for new navy warships to be known as ‘Trump-class’

Donald Trump has announced plans for the US navy to build a new generation of warships – known as “Trump-class”. The ships will be bigger, faster and a hundred times…

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Oil steady as market weighs Venezuela, Russia supply risks

Oil prices held steady on Tuesday after rising more than 2% in the previous session, as the U.S. said it might sell the Venezuelan crude it has seized, while Ukraine's…

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Protests Erupt in Albania as Corruption Case Puts Political Leadership Under Pressure

Protesters in Tirana hurled petrol bombs at the government building housing Prime Minister Edi Rama's office on Monday, demanding the government's resignation after prosecutors indicted the deputy prime minister for…

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Trump insists US needs Greenland for security

President Donald Trump reasserted on Monday that the United States needs Greenland for its national security and said a special envoy he appointed to the Arctic island would "lead the…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 23 December 2025

Updated 1200 HSBC Bank Malta confirms agreement to sell majority stake to CrediaBank HSBC Bank Malta announced on Tuesday that its majority shareholder, HSBC Continental Europe (HBCE), has entered into…

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Netherlands calls for EU ban on powerful fireworks

The EU must introduce a track-and-trace system for powerful fireworks and ban the production of “cobras”, the firework of choice used in a growing number of targeted explosions at private…

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SpaceX Explosion Blast Endangered Commercial Flights

Flights were put at more risk than previously realised after the Starship rocket exploded during a test flight, with three airliners having to navigate through a temporary no-fly zone where…

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Italian Civil Protection Issues Weather Warning for Sicily as Winter Cyclone Approaches

A winter cyclone is set to affect Italy in the days leading up to Christmas, bringing widespread bad weather and snowfall at higher elevations. Based on the latest forecasts, the…

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Car bomb kills senior Russian general in Moscow

A Russian general was killed by a car bomb in southern Moscow on Monday, Russian investigators said, adding that they suspected Ukrainian special services could have been behind the attack.…

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Pope Leo Appeals for Renewed Spirit of Joy in Address to Church Hierarchy

Pope Leo indicated on Monday that he plans to follow the reform agenda of his predecessor Francis, praising the late pontiff's attempts to make the global Catholic Church more inclusive…

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E-scooters to be banned in Brussels on New Year’s Eve

Scooters are prohibited in Brussels on New Year's Eve, following a decision by outgoing Brussels Minister-President Rudi Vervoort. The ban applies to both private and shared scooters and will be…

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Japan prepares to restart world’s biggest nuclear plant, 15 years after Fukushima

Japan took the final step to allow the restart of the world's largest nuclear power plant on Monday as the region of Niigata voted to resume operations, a watershed moment…

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Germany registers over 1,000 suspicious drone flights

Germany has registered over 1,000 suspicious drone flights so far in 2025, the head of Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) told German newspaper Bild in comments published on Sunday.…

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Malta News Briefing – Monday 22 December 2025

Morning Briefing Christmas leaders unite behind message of peace and solidarityPolitical and religious figures came together during the annual Milied Flimkien activities in Valletta to deliver a joint appeal for…

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European nations have no choice but to raise retirement ages – our case study shows why

Group of elderly Italians sitting on a bench in the centre of Scicli, Italy. Eddy Galeotti/Shutterstock Javier Díaz Giménez, IESE Business School (Universidad de Navarra) and Julián Díaz Saavedra, Universidad…

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What’s missing from the Epstein files release

The Justice Department’s long-awaited release Friday of documents related to the federal government’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein was perhaps most notable for what it lacked. Financial records, internal memos from…

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Russia with submarine in the Mediterranean and Tanker Attack Reflecting a Spreading War

A Russian naval group made up of the Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar and the support tug Altay docked in the Algerian port of Algiers on December 18 for a planned four-day…

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Investigation Advances in Emanuela Orlandi Case as Friend Becomes Subject of Inquiry

A significant development has emerged in the long-running investigation into the disappearance of Vatican citizen Emanuela Orlandi, who vanished in Rome on 22 June 1983 at age 15. Laura Casagrande,…

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Putin vows no more wars if West treats Russia with respect

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said there will be no more wars after Ukraine, if Russia is treated with respect - and dismissed claims that Moscow is planning to attack…

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US Epstein files release highlights Clinton, makes scant reference to Trump

The U.S. Justice Department released hundreds of thousands of pages of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday that made scant reference to…

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Ukrainian war spreads to the Mediterranean

Ukraine says it has attacked a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker with aerial drones 1,250 miles (2,000km) from its borders, in the first such strike in the Mediterranean Sea since Moscow’s…

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Ukraine video claims to show long-range attack on oil tanker in Mediterranean

Ukraine says it has carried out a long-range drone strike on a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker in the Mediterranean. The Oman-flagged Qendil was reportedly targeted in neutral waters, with multiple…

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Suspect in shootings of Brown University and MIT professor found dead

The suspect in last week’s mass shooting at Brown University has been found dead in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, ending a six-day multi-state manhunt, police said. He…

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Greece rescues 545 migrants off Gavdos as Libya route sees surge in crossings

Greek authorities rescued 545 migrants from a vessel off Gavdos on Friday in one of the largest recent operations, amid a sharp rise in arrivals from Libya to Greece’s southern…

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Pope Leo replaces New York’s Cardinal Dolan in shake-up of US church

Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan and appointed Bishop Ronald Hicks of Illinois as his successor, the Vatican announced on Thursday. Dolan, a…

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Meloni says Italy will back EU-Mercosur deal, but does not commit to a date

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Italy is prepared to back the EU-Mercosur trade deal but stopped short of committing to a timeline, as divisions persist among EU leaders over…

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French lawmakers in final attempt to get 2026 budget approved

French lawmakers will make what is likely their final attempt this year to approve the country’s 2026 fiscal plans when members of the National Assembly and Senate meet in a…

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Malta News Briefing – Friday 19 December 2025

Morning Briefing Rising prices dominate Maltese concerns, Eurobarometer showsInflation and the rising cost of living remain the foremost concern for people in Malta, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey, with…

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Malta tops EU for share of money sent abroad

Malta recorded the highest share of personal transfers sent outside the European Union in 2024, highlighting the scale of money flowing out of the country to non-EU households, according to…

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Poland to start producing anti-personnel mines to lay along eastern border – reports

Poland has decided to resume the production of anti-personnel landmines for the first time since the Cold War, with plans to deploy them along its eastern border and potentially export…

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Trump expands travel ban and restrictions to include 20 new countries

The Trump administration has announced a major expansion of US travel restrictions, adding 20 countries and people travelling on documents issued by the Palestinian Authority, bringing the total number of…

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UK to transfer €2.8bn of Abramovich’s Chelsea cash to Ukraine fund, PM Starmer says

The UK has authorised the release of €2.8 billion from Roman Abramovich’s sale of Chelsea FC, but only for humanitarian aid in Ukraine, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told Parliament on…

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Belgium says Russian assets plan ‘going backward’ ahead of EU summit

EU leaders are set to meet in Brussels to discuss funding for Ukraine’s war effort, but Belgium has warned that talks are moving backwards. Belgium’s EU ambassador, Peter Moors, told…

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Malta News Briefing – Thursday 18 December 2025

Morning Briefing Prime Minister Defends Galdes Amid Property Deal ScrutinyPrime Minister Robert Abela said there was no reason to dismiss Housing Minister Roderick Galdes, insisting that information provided to him…

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Turkey wants to extend military presence in Libya by two more years

Turkey has formally requested its parliament to approve a 24-month extension of its military mandate in Libya, according to a motion submitted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The document highlights…

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Liverpool parade attacker jailed for more than 21 years for ploughing car into fans

A former Royal Marine has been sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for driving into crowds of Liverpool supporters during a victory parade, in an attack described by…

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Russia rejects compromise on occupied Ukraine regions

Ukraine’s president said that, following talks in Berlin, the US delegation is expected to move on to discussions with Russia, though there is uncertainty over whether Washington’s envoys can persuade…

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Spanish PM rejects calls for early election despite scandals

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rejected calls for snap elections despite mounting sexual harassment allegations and corruption investigations involving members of his Socialist Party. In his end-of-year address on Monday,…

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Europeans vow to assist Ukraine against future Russian attack after Berlin talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed progress in talks with US negotiators following two days of discussions in Berlin, as European leaders pledged to support Ukraine against future Russian aggression, including…

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Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 17 December 2025

Morning Briefing Rents soar far above salary growth, study showsA recent study by tenants’ union Solidarjetà highlights a sharp rise in Maltese rents, revealing that between 2022 and 2024, average…

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MEPs approve lighter sustainability reporting rules

The European Parliament has approved a provisional agreement with EU governments on revised sustainability reporting and due diligence rules for companies, scaling back obligations in a bid to boost competitiveness…

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US military strikes 3 more boats in the Pacific Ocean, killing 8

The U.S. military reported on Monday that it struck three additional suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Eastern Pacific, resulting in eight fatalities. In a post on X, U.S. Southern Command…

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Italy’s silence puts EU–Mercosur trade deal on a knife edge

Italy’s reluctance to declare its position on the EU–Mercosur trade agreement is emerging as a decisive factor as the bloc edges closer to a final vote. With France leading opposition…

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Hong Kong’s last opposition party votes to disband under China pressure

Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy party has voted to dissolve, drawing a close to more than 30 years of political activism and underscoring the dramatic narrowing of the city’s political space.…

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Bondi attack suspects ‘inspired by Islamic State’, authorities say

Australian authorities believe the father and son accused of carrying out the deadly Bondi attack were inspired by Islamic State, as investigators piece together their movements and alleged extremist links.…

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Trump sues the BBC for defamation over editing of speech, seeks up to $10 billion in damages

US President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit seeking at least $10 billion from the BBC over a documentary that edited his January 6, 2021 speech to supporters ahead of…

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Russia’s ‘export of chaos’ creating new security threats, warns MI6 chief

The new head of Britain’s foreign intelligence service, MI6, has warned that Russia’s strategy of spreading instability abroad is reshaping modern conflict and creating complex security challenges for the UK…

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