News

Look beyond profit to heal ‘lacerated world’, pope tells Davos leaders

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday urged political, economic and business leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos to look beyond…

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Kuwait forms first government under new emir and prime minister

DUBAI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Kuwait on Wednesday formed a government headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah, the state news agency said, the country's first cabinet after…

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Food prices keep inflation above EU average / Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 17 January 2024

Updated 1300 Food prices keep inflation above EU average In December, Malta experienced an inflation rate of 3.7%, a slight decrease from November's 3.9%. Despite the decline, it remains higher…

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Russia is developing ties with N. Korea in all areas, including ‘sensitive’ ones – Kremlin

MOSCOW, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Russia is developing its relations with North Korea in all areas, including "sensitive" ones, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. North Korea's foreign minister…

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UPDATED: Oslo airport closes due to heavy snowfall

OSLO, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Oslo's main airport closed for safety reasons on Wednesday due to heavy snowfall in Norway's capital region and many train services and other public transport…

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17

Jan

Britain’s Labour would need record vote swing to win majority, research shows

Britain's opposition Labour Party would need a record swing in votes to win a majority in parliament at the next national election, according to analysis which looked at the country's…

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France to reform parental leave after births hit post-war low

2023 births lowest since World War Two France has typically had high birth rate, supported by benefits Economic, social concerns weigh on birth rate By Leigh Thomas PARIS, (Reuters) -…

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Bill to avert government shutdown advances in US Senate

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - A bill to avert a partial U.S. government shutdown beginning this weekend cleared a first procedural hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday, as lawmakers scrambled to pass…

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Austrian incest father, Josef Fritzl, could soon be eligible to apply for release

An Austrian man who held his daughter captive for 24 years and fathered seven children with her could be transferred from a unit for the criminally insane to prison where…

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Gold extends slide as dollar firms on hawkish Fedspeak

Dollar index hovers near 1-1/2-month high Fed should not rush falls 1.3% on Tuesday Short-term fate of gold likely in hands of bond market - analyst By Harshit Verma Jan…

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Russian missiles hit Ukraine’s Kharkiv, 17 injured

(Reuters) - Two Russian missiles struck a residential area in the centre of Ukraine's second city Kharkiv on Tuesday night, injuring 17 people, two of them seriously, and badly damaging…

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UPDATED: Blinken tells Davos meeting that Gaza scenes are ‘gutwrenching’

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday described the conflict in Gaza as "gutwrenching" and said what was needed was a Palestinian state…

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US attacks Houthi anti-ship missiles, vessel hit in Red Sea

Biden administration expected to relist Houthis as terrorist group France says did not take part in strikes to avoid regional escalation The White House confirms additional air strikes hit Houthis…

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Pakistan says Iran violated airspace, killing two children

By Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam KARACHI/DUBAI, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Pakistan said neighbouring Iran has violated its airspace resulting in the death of two children, hours after Iranian state media said…

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EU’s von der Leyen warns West against slackening support for Ukraine

The West must not let up supplying Ukraine with weapons and money if it wants Kyiv to succeed in its war against Russia, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen…

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Jordan says Israel is placing ‘big impediments’ to aid for Palestinians

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Tuesday Israel was placing many obstacles to the entry of aid into Gaza, worsening the plight of Palestinians there. Safadi, speaking at a…

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First U.S. nitrogen-gas execution may constitute torture – UN rights office

The U.N. human rights office on Tuesday called on the U.S. state of Alabama to halt its first planned execution of a prisoner by nitrogen gas asphyxiation this month, saying…

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Update – Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 16 January 2024

Updated 1250 Tourist arrivals exceed 2.8m in first 11 months of 2023 – NSO: In November 2023, Malta experienced a notable surge in inbound tourism, with an estimated 217,487 visitors,…

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Iran says Revolutionary Guards attack Israel’s ‘spy HQ’ in Iraq, vow more revenge

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they attacked the "spy headquarters" of Israel in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, state media reported late on Monday, while the elite force said they also struck…

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Red Sea attacks raise costs for coffee roasters

Attacks by Houthi militants in Yemen on ships in the Red Sea have led to soaring costs for European coffee roasters, though these are unlikely to be passed onto consumers…

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In show of strength, Trump dominates Iowa caucus, DeSantis edges Haley for second

Donald Trump secured a resounding victory in the first 2024 Republican presidential contest in Iowa on Monday, asserting his command over the party despite facing scores of criminal charges as he seeks a rematch…

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Hamas shows dead bodies of two Israel hostages

Hamas appeared to show the dead bodies of two Israeli hostages after warning Israel they might be killed if it did not stop its bombardment of Gaza. A new video released by the…

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Azerbaijan arrests journalist, charges another as press crackdown continues

Azerbaijani police on Monday arrested one journalist and ordered pre-trial detention for another, the latest reporters to face legal trouble since a crackdown on the country's independent media that began…

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‘We will fight,’ US VP Harris says, warning of threats to US freedom

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris warned Americans that their freedom is under threat as she commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day in early-voting South Carolina on Monday, wielding the civil-rights…

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EU’s eastern members demand import duties on Ukraine grains

The European Union's eastern states are demanding the EU impose import duties on Ukraine grains, citing unfair competition, Hungary's agricultural ministry said on Monday. The ministry said the farm ministers from Bulgaria, Poland,…

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Greece has absorbed 15 bln euro from EU’s Recovery Fund – minister

ATHENS, (Reuters) - Greece has received nearly 15 billion euros in grants and loans from the European Union's Recovery Fund since 2021, a sum which is equivalent to about 8%…

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Switzerland to host Ukraine peace summit at Zelenskiy’s request

Switzerland has agreed to host a global peace summit on Ukraine at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Neutral Switzerland has previously acted as a broker to resolve conflicts…

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Britain’s Conservatives set for 1997-style election defeat – poll

LONDON, (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party is set for an electoral defeat on a par with its heavy loss to the Labour Party in 1997, according…

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Poland to change process for judges’ nominations with eye on EU funds

Polish Justice Minister Adam Bodnar outlined a bill that aims to correct the way judges are appointed as a first step in rolling back the previous nationalist government's judicial reforms…

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Lamborghini Urus Performante enters service with Dubai Police

The Lamborghini Dubai dealership continues its successful collaboration with Dubai Police, delivering an Urus Performante before the end of 2023, the year that marked its 60th anniversary. At a special…

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There’s no more money, German minister tells rowdy farmers

By Thomas Escritt BERLIN, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner took to the stage on Monday in front of thousands of jeering farmers protesting against tax rises…

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North Korean hackers, criminals share money laundering networks in Southeast Asia – UN

By Tom Wilson LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - North Korean hackers are sharing money-laundering and underground banking networks with fraudsters and drug traffickers in Southeast Asia, according to a United…

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Iran: US can’t call for restraint while backing Israel’s war in Gaza

The United States cannot call for restraint while supporting Israel's war in Gaza, Iran's foreign minister said on Monday, while calling for a diplomatic solution to the war in the…

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Houthis vow to keep up Red Sea attacks after US-led strikes

By Aziz El Yaakoubi RIYADH, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The chief negotiator for Yemen's Houthis said on Monday the group's stance has not changed since U.S.-led air strikes on its…

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Turkish strikes hit water, power infrastructure in Syria’s Kurdish-held northeast

BEIRUT, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Turkey has carried out a wave of air strikes on electricity and oil infrastructure in Syria's Kurdish-held northeast that has put several power stations out…

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Pope defends same-sex blessings declaration, says it is misunderstood

By Philip Pullella ROME, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday defended a landmark decision approving blessings for same-sex couples, suggesting that those in the Catholic Church who have…

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UK to ‘wait and see’ on possible further strikes against Houthis, says defence minister

Adds background in paragraphs 3-4, Shapps quotes in 5-6 LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Britain will "wait and see" before deciding to launch fresh military strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis…

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Updated – Malta News Briefing – Monday 15 January 2024

Updated 1300 Duo rake in half a million euros from jobless scheme run by GWUTwo individuals closely associatedwith the General Workers Union, namely former GWU lawyer Aron Mifsud Bonnici and…

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Kremlin says Davos talks on Ukraine will achieve nothing as Russia is not there

MOSCOW, Jan 15 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Monday said that talks in Davos on Ukraine's peace proposals would achieve nothing as Russia was not participating in the discussions. President…

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Biden campaign, allies raise $97 mln in fourth quarter

By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's 2024 re-election team and his Democratic party said on Monday they raised over $97 million in the last three…

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Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech leading European favourite to succeed Pope Francis

Cardinal Mario Grech is being named as the “European” who stands the biggest chance to become pope, according to an article in the Irish Times. “A European more likely to…

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UK commits 20,000 military personnel for NATO exercise in Europe

LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Britain will commit 20,000 military personnel to serve across Europe in a major NATO exercise in the first half of this year, as well as…

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Trump, rivals urge Iowans to brave extreme cold and vote in Monday caucus

By Nathan Layne, Gabriella Borter and Tim Reid INDIANOLA, Iowa, (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidates exhorted their supporters to brave glacial, life-threatening temperatures in Iowa to vote in the party's…

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US says it shot down anti-ship cruise missile from Houthi-controlled areas

WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - U.S. fighter aircraft on Sunday shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward a U.S. destroyer operating in the…

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Did the US just get lured into war with the Houthis?

By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali WASHINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's blistering strikes on Yemen followed weeks of warnings to the Houthis to stop attacking Red…

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UPDATED: Israel pounds targets across Gaza, awaits Hamas word on three hostages

By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Fadi Shana and Dan Williams DOHA/GAZA/JERUSALEM, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Israeli forces bombarded targets in the south, north and centre of Gaza on Monday ahead of an…

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UPDATED: Ukraine says it has shot down a Russian spy plane and command aircraft

Ukraine said on Monday it had destroyed a Russian Beriev A-50 spy plane and an Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command post in the Sea of Azov area, dealing a blow to…

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Trump is on track to win in Iowa – but can he deliver a knockout punch?

By Nathan Layne and Tim Reid DES MOINES, Iowa, (Reuters) - Donald Trump appears headed to victory in Iowa, but the size of the win matters if the former U.S.…

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Iowa Caucus 2024: How does it work and why is it important?

By James Oliphant Republicans in Iowa will be the first to cast their votes in support of a presidential candidate in the 2024 election when they attend public gatherings on…

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Israel plans to bring in more foreign workers for construction sector

JERUSALEM, (Reuters) - Israel plans to bring in around 70,000 foreign workers from China, India and elsewhere to boost its construction sector, which has been largely frozen since the Oct.…

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Smersh: why Putin has reinstated Stalin’s notorious and much-feared anti-spy unit

A man under arrest by Russian internal security forces was seen confessing to a “crime”, in a video posted on January 2. He had been apprehended after allegedly posting a…

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Davos 2024: Ukraine to hold fourth peace formula talks on Sunday

Ukraine and Switzerland will host around 120 national security advisors on Sunday in the Swiss resort town of Davos, Switzerland's foreign affairs department said, the latest in a series of…

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Queen Margrethe, Denmark’s uniting figure, set to step down from throne

By Louise Rasmussen and Johannes Birkebaek COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - During her 52-year reign Denmark's Queen Margrethe II has become a uniting figure for Danes, inspiring broad support for the monarchy…

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Malta News Briefing – Sunday 14 January 2024

Morning Briefing PN reshuffles Shadow Cabinet Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech has designated the health portfolio to his predecessor Adrian Delia and elevated Darren Carabott to the position of home…

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Zika cases surge by almost 300pc in Thailand

Zika has surged to levels not seen since before the pandemic in Thailand, with more than 750 people infected and at least 13 babies born with birth defects in 2023. …

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Scientists assert ‘alien mummies’ in Peru are really dolls made from Earthly bones

By Marco Aquino LIMA, (Reuters) - A pair of "alien mummies" that mysteriously turned up at the airport in Peru's capital last October have entirely Earthly origins, according to a…

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New Zealand ex-Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern weds longtime partner

WELLINGTON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern married her longtime partner Clarke Gayford in a private ceremony on Saturday, finally tying the knot after cancelling…

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