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Russia has no plans to deploy nuclear arms beyond Belarus

U.S. likely to deploy nuclear weapons in England - researchers Russia says UK deployment will not deter Russia Russia says discussing Ukraine as part of BRICS MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia…

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Ukraine hails EU’s approval of aid, says hopes US follows suit

By Olena Harmash KYIV, (Reuters) - Ukraine hailed the EU's approval of a major aid package on Thursday, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy saying the backing was a "clear signal" both…

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Second malaria vaccine highly protective, trial results show

By Jennifer Rigby LONDON, (Reuters) - A malaria vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India prevented around three-quarters of symptomatic malaria cases in young…

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Israel turns focus of Gaza attack to Rafah as Hamas weighs ceasefire proposal

Israeli defence minister vows to move on to Rafah and 'eliminate terror elements' there Diplomats await Hamas response to ceasefire proposal that could see 40-day pause in fighting and hostage…

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Saudi Arabia has not yet joined BRICS – Saudi official source

Saudi Arabia is still considering an invitation to become a member of the BRICS bloc of countries after being asked to join by the group last year, a Saudi official…

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UPDATED: Korea fires multiple cruise missiles

SEOUL, Feb 2 (Reuters) - North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles off its west coast on Friday, South Korea's military said, markingthe fourth time in just over a week that…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Friday 2 February 2024

Updated 1250 National Education Strategy places focus on the individual, minister says: Education Minister Clifton Grima has introduced a revolutionary education strategy, emphasising a people-centric approach for sector transformation. Focused…

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Ban the AfD or fight it? Germany grapples over how to counter the far-right

By Andreas Rinke and Sarah Marsh Berlin frets about strength of AfD ahead of slew of elections Mainstream parties consider strategies to contain the AfD Aim to push AfD into…

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Russia says it has evidence U.S. Patriot missiles downed transport plane

MOSCOW, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Russian investigators said on Thursday they had evidence showing that Ukraine's military shot down a Russian Il-76 military transport plane last week with U.S.-made Patriot…

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UK minister quits politics over death threats for pro-Israel views

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - British lawmaker Mike Freer, who represents an area in London with a large Jewish population, said he would be giving up his parliamentary seat at…

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15 arrested for arranging sham marriages in Cyprus

Europol’s Operational Task Force (OTF) Limassol, at the end of the month of January, carried out an action day led by Cyprus, involving Latvia and Portugal, supported by Eurojust. The…

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French food industry lobby sees 0-1% price cuts after talks with retailers

PARIS, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The head of French food industry lobby ANIA said on Thursday that the latest round of negotiations between retailers and large consumer goods companies was…

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Russia’s Putin to visit NATO member Turkey on Feb 12

By Tuvan Gumrukcu Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Turkey on Feb. 12 to meet counterpart Tayyip Erdogan, a Turkish official told Reuters , in what will be the Russian…

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Italy’s government clashes with Fiat-owner Stellantis

ROME, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's rightist government is set to unveil new subsidies on Thursday for buyers of electric, hybrid and low-emission internal combustion cars.…

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Iran’s Guards pull officers from Syria after Israeli strikes

Iran pulls top officers from Syria after Israeli attacks-sources Tehran draws on allied Shi'ite militia to help preserve sway Top Iranian general among high-level casualties of strikes Iran avoids direct…

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Italy plans $1 bln of subsidies this year to boost car industry, ready to buy stake in Stellantis

By Giuseppe Fonte ROME, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Italy will provide 950 million euros ($1 billion) in subsidies this year to help drivers make the switch to cleaner cars and…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Thursday 1 February 2024

Updated 1200 €78 million euro offer set to transform Evans Building into quality tourist accommodation Valletta Luxury Projects has been suggested for the Evans Building site design award, proposing an…

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Italy may send aircraft to the Red Sea

Italy may send aircraft to the Red Sea as part of its involvement in the EU Aspides naval mission to protect merchant ships from attacks from Houthi rebels based in…

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UPDATED: Germany’s airport security staff to ground flights in nationwide protests

BERLIN, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Security staff at 11 German airports, including the global hub Frankfurt, walked off the job on Thursday to press for higher pay, grounding flights and…

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Tech CEOs told ‘you have blood on your hands’ at US Senate child safety hearing

By David Shepardson and Makini Brice WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - U.S. senators grilled leaders of the biggest social media companies and said Congress must quickly pass legislation, as one lawmaker accused…

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State Dept says US actively pursuing the creation of a Palestinian state

By Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk The United States is actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel and exploring options with partners in…

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Israeli PM says UN agency for Palestinians must close

RUSALEM/GAZA/DOHA, (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the closure of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) as his forces conducted more air strikes in Gaza amid diplomatic…

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Questions swirl over future of Ukraine’s popular ‘Iron General’

For Ukrainian armed forces commander General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, even his status as national hero for leading the war effort against Moscow's invading forces is not enough to quash questions over…

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XL Bully: England bans unregistered dogs after attacks

By Farouq Suleiman and Hannah Ellison LONDON, (Reuters) - Owning an unregistered 'XL Bully' dog will become a criminal offence in England and Wales from Thursday under government plans to…

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Finnish workers begin strikes against labour reforms, welfare cuts

HELSINKI, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Some 290,000 Finnish workers will begin two days of strike action on Thursday to protest against the right-wing government's planned labour market reforms and proposed…

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US strikes multiple drones in Yemen

By Idrees Ali and Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - The United States struck up to 10 unmanned drones in Yemen that were preparing to launch, a U.S. official said late…

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India deploys unprecedented naval might near Red Sea to rein in piracy

India has deployed at least a dozen warships east of the Red Sea to provide security against pirates and has investigated more than 250 vessels as Western powers focus on…

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World Court dismisses much of Ukraine’s case against Russia

By Stephanie van den Berg Ukraine request for compensation from Russia rejected Russia discriminated minorities in occupied Crimea, court finds Kyiv had accused Moscow of violating two U.N. treaties Court…

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Italy to hunt tax dodgers on social media, deputy minister says

ROME, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Italy plans to use information on living standards that professionals and entrepreneurs post on social media to track down tax dodgers, Deputy Economy Minister Maurizio…

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German military headed for 56-bln-eur spending gap in 2028 – Spiegel

BERLIN, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The German military is looking at a 56 billion-euro ($61 billion) deficit in 2028, once its special fund for defence spending is exhausted, according to…

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Farmers in Europe step up protests against rising costs, green rules

PARIS/BRUSSELS, Jan 31 (Reuters) - French and Belgian farmers set up dozens of blockades on highways and on access roads to a major container port on Wednesday to press governments…

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Norway urging UNRWA donors to “reflect on wider consequences” of cutting funding

By Gwladys Fouche OSLO, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Norway, a top donor to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), is urging countries that have cut funding to the agency…

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Yemen’s Houthis threaten more attacks on US, British warships

DUBAI, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group said on Wednesday it would keep up attacks on U.S. and British warships in the Red Sea in what it called…

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Berlin airport says no departures on Thursday due to strike

Berlin Brandenburg airport said there would be no departures for passengers on Thursday due to strikes announced by public sector union Verdi. Security staff plan to stage strikes at airports…

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Russian anti-war candidate Nadezhdin says he has enough signatures to run for president

MOSCOW, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Russian anti-war candidate Boris Nadezhdin said on Wednesday he had submitted 105,000 signatures in his support to the Central Election Commission (CEC) to underpin his…

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Israeli forces pound Gaza, Hamas studies ceasefire proposal

Gaza residents said Israeli forces had struck areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza and Gaza City in the north Israel's military said its forces had killed at least 25…

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UK says no post-Brexit checks on EU fruit, vegetables until Oct at earliest

By James Davey UK's new post-Brexit border rules start Jan. 31 Last week Defra reclassified some fruit and vegetables to 'medium risk' 'Easement' means reclassified items still treated as 'low…

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Taiwan president tells Pope Francis she supports his AI concerns

TAIPEI, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has written to Pope Francis offering support for his concerns over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and pledging deeper cooperation…

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German police seizes $2.17 billion in bitcoin in ‘most extensive’ action ever

German police have confiscated 50,000 bitcoin worth $2.17 billion in the country's 'most extensive' cryptocurrency seizure ever, it said in a statement. "This is the most extensive seizure of bitcoins…

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Britain faces more rail strikes

By Sachin Ravikumar Britain faced another week of disrupted travel from rail strikes from Tuesday, in a failure for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's new strikes law that was intended to…

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Ukraine’s new 100-mile bomb from Boeing is ready, sources say

By Mike Stone After successful testing in the U.S., Ukraine will soon receive it first big batch of long-range missiles made by Boeing, that promise to extend its range deep…

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Ship carrying 16,000 sheep and cattle stranded off Australia

By Peter Hobson CANBERRA, Jan 31 (Reuters) - A ship carrying around 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle is marooned off the coast of Australia in sweltering heat after it was…

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Germany to approve EU’s planned AI act

Germany will approve the European Union's pioneering AI Act after the minister responsible for digital issues said a compromise had been reached. The European Union in December reached a provisional…

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China reports death of woman from combined H3N2, H10N5 bird flu

By Mei Mei Chu BEIJING, Jan 31 (Reuters) - China on Wednesday reported the death of a woman due to an infection of combined H3N2 and H10N5 strains of bird…

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Explorer may have found wreckage of Amelia Earhart’s plane in Pacific

By Ashraf Fahim A former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer says he believes he has found the wreckage of Amelia Earhart's plane, which disappeared nine decades ago, on the bottom…

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Iran warns of decisive response to any type of attack

Iran's envoy to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani warned that Tehran would respond decisively to any attack on its territory, its interests, or Iranian nationals outside its borders, state…

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Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 31 January 2024

Morning Briefing Nine on 12 months last year were warmer than usualLast year exhibited weather conditions characterised by higher temperatures and lower precipitation than the usual climate, as reported by…

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Hamas studies ceasefire proposal after deadly Israeli hospital raid in West Bank

Hamas said on Tuesday it would study a new ceasefire proposal in the war with Israel in Gaza, hours after Israeli commandos killed three Palestinian militants in a raid on…

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EU options for granting aid to Ukraine, and what Hungary wants

European Union leaders will meet in Brussels on Feb. 1 to try again to agree on granting Ukraine new financial aid as Kyiv fights against Russia's invasion. Last month, Hungary…

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Biden raising money on Trump’s home turf in Florida

.S. President Joe Biden will be on Donald Trump's home turf on Tuesday, raising money for his 2024 reelection bid against the Republican primary frontrunner in Florida. Biden, a Democrat…

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The Future of Medical Equipment is Total Lab Automation and Digital Solutions

The constantly increasing demand for health services in Malta, both in the public as well as the private sector, requires ongoing investment not only to serve citizens better but to…

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Immigration to add 6.1 million to UK population by 2036 – ONS

Immigration is expected to add 6.1 million people to the UK population by mid-2036, official projections that will add to pressure on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to reduce it…

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Euro zone economy stagnates as Germany struggles

The euro zone's economy stagnated last year, weighed down by an industrial malaise in Germany, its former powerhouse, data showed on Tuesday. The 20 countries that share the euro barely…

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MDB strengthens ability to finance green projects through EIB’s Green Gateway support

The Malta Development Bank (MDB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) have kicked off an extensive collaboration project aimed at enhancing the ability of the MDB to support the Maltese…

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Scholz calls for 15% corporate tax rate in EU countries

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on the European Union to complete its creation of a banking and capital markets union so the bloc can compete with the U.S. and China for…

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Pakistan court jails ex-PM Imran Khan for 10 years days ahead of polls

A Pakistan court sentenced Imran Khan to 10 years' jail on Tuesday for leaking state secrets, his party said, the harshest sentence against the former prime minister and cricketer in…

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Russian shelling kills four in northern Ukraine, one in devastated Avdiivka

Russian shelling in northern Ukraine killed four people in two villages in Sumy region near the Russian border, while a woman died in a fresh assault on the devastated eastern…

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