News

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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Chile’s presidential election confirms South America’s far-right turn

For the first time, a supporter of former dictator Augusto Pinochet has been elected president of Chile. Ultraconservative José Antonio Kast won the presidential runoff on Sunday, December 14, securing…

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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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European leaders hail progress on Ukraine peace talks

European leaders welcomed what they described as “significant progress” in talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, with discussions for the first time outlining how strong security guarantees could…

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LAPD launches murder investigation Rob Reiner and wife’s death

Legendary director Rob Reiner and his wife, producer Michele Singer Reiner, have died in their Brentwood, Los Angeles home, the family confirmed. A spokesperson said the couple’s sudden deaths have…

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Majority of Ukrainians against giving major concessions to secure peace

A recent Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll shows that three-quarters of Ukrainians reject major concessions in any peace deal with Russia, posing a challenge for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy amid…

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Cyprus seeks to ease EU-Turkey tensions while advancing NATO bid

Cyprus plans to use its upcoming EU Council presidency to lower tensions with Turkey in exchange for progress on joining NATO, President Nikos Christodoulides told POLITICO. The key goal is…

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Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 16 December 2025

Morning Briefing New entity to centralise Malta’s strategic investments and partnerships Malta’s strategic investments and public-private partnerships will be overseen by a new government entity, the Malta Investments and Economic…

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EU set to yield to pressure from automakers as it rethinks 2035 combustion car ban

Europe’s struggling carmakers are looking to Brussels for relief when the European Commission unveils an automotive package on Tuesday, potentially softening the effective 2035 ban on new combustion engine cars.…

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Father and son suspected in Bondi Beach Hanukah attack

Police say the alleged gunmen behind the deadly Bondi Beach attack were a father and son who are suspected of using legally obtained firearms. Naveed Akram, 24, was arrested at…

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Blast seen in Russian city as Kyiv and Moscow launch scores of drones overnight

Russia’s air defence systems intercepted dozens of drones overnight in what the Defence Ministry described as a large-scale Ukrainian attack across multiple regions. According to the ministry, 130 fixed-wing drones…

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Europe’s housing costs akin to ‘new pandemic’, warns Barcelona mayor

The spiralling cost of housing is like a “new pandemic” gripping Europe, Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni has warned, as he and 16 other city leaders called on the EU to…

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Islamic State embraces AI to produce fake content and recruit new members

Islamic State-linked groups began experimenting with artificial intelligence soon after tools such as ChatGPT became widely available, and their use of the technology has since grown more sophisticated, according to…

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France seeks delay to EU-Mercosur vote, exposing deepening divisions over trade deal

France has called for a postponement of a key EU vote on the long-running EU-Mercosur trade agreement, deepening divisions among member states over the deal. Paris wants December deadlines pushed…

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Ukraine willing to drop ambitions to join Nato, Zelenskyy says

krainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signalled a willingness to abandon Ukraine’s long-standing ambition to join the Nato military alliance, as part of intensive talks with US representatives aimed at ending…

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Meloni urges Europe to build its own defence as US signals disengagement

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni used the closing address of her party’s annual Atreju rally in Rome to call on Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defence, citing…

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Eleven killed after gunmen target Jewish festival in deadliest Australia shooting in decades

Eleven people have been killed and 29 others taken to hospital, including a child, after a shooting targeting the Jewish community at Bondi Beach, New South Wales Police have confirmed.…

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Malta News Briefing – Monday 15 December 2025

Morning Briefing Onshore Power Supply Expansion to Cut Emissions in Grand Harbour Work is progressing well on a second major onshore power supply project in the Grand Harbour, which will…

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Less New York, more Nashville: Europeans head to smaller US cities

European travelers, nearly a year into President Donald Trump's administration, are popping up in less-heralded - and often more affordable - destinations in the U.S. like Tennessee, Montana and Idaho,…

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Sea urchin species on brink of extinction after marine pandemic

A marine pandemic is bringing some species of sea urchin to the brink of extinction, and some populations have disappeared altogether, a study has found. Since 2021, Diadema africanum urchins…

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Trump’s new ‘America First’ security strategy: What to know

It's long been a key slogan for Donald Trump, but "America First" appears closer to reality than ever, after the release of a key US strategy document outlining the administration's foreign…

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Former Iraq president named UN refugee chief

Iraq's former president Barham Salih has been chosen as the next High Commissioner for Refugees for the United Nations, a letter showed on Friday, breaking with a tradition of appointing…

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Revealed Papers Indicate U.S. Interest in Prompting Select Members to Part Ways with the EU

The United States, led by President Donald Trump, aims to persuade four EU countries to follow the UK's example and leave the EU, according to a longer leaked version of…

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Europe cracks down on badly behaved tourists

While cost-hiking measures serve a dual purpose of cutting visitor numbers and raising funds, other new rules are aimed more squarely at curbing undesirable tourist behaviour. San Sebastián is the…

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NATO’s Rutte says Europe must prepare for ‘scale of war our grandparents’ endured

NATO Chief Mark Rutte urged member countries to do more to prepare for the possibility of large-scale war, warning that Russia may be ready to attack the alliance within five…

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UK hospitals facing ‘worst case scenario’ from super flu, doctors warn

Hospitals in Britain are facing a "worst case scenario" from a wave of super flu, healthcare bosses warned on Thursday, as flu hospitalisations jumped 55% in a week. Health leaders…

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Oil gains on Venezuelan supply concerns, but poised for weekly loss

Oil prices rose on Friday supported by concerns of Venezuelan supply disruptions, though they remained on track for a weekly drop amid cautious market sentiment and optimism over the prospects…

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Bulgaria faces turmoil after protests topple government on eve of euro entry

The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve…

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Malta News Briefing – Friday 12 December 2025

Morning Briefing AUM Rector Resigns After Citing Governance ConcernsThe rector of the American University of Malta has resigned less than six months into the role, pointing to governance issues as…

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Estonia plans to extend military service to 12 months

Estonia plans to extend compulsory military service to 12 months for all conscripts starting in 2027, under reforms proposed by the government. A draft bill submitted by Defense Minister Hanno…

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Taiwan’s deputy foreign minister made secret trip to Israel

Taiwan's high-profile Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu made a previously unpublicised visit to Israel recently, three sources familiar with the trip told Reuters, at a time when Taiwan is looking…

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Russia says there are no misunderstandings with the U.S. over Ukraine any more

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that all "misunderstandings" with the United States over Ukraine had been resolved following a meeting earlier this month between President Vladimir Putin…

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Nobel laureate Machado appears for the first time in 11 months

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado appeared in public for the first time in 11 months Thursday after a daring escape from her homeland when she emerged from a hotel…

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‘He’s going to be next’: Trump threatens Colombian president

President Donald Trump ratcheted up his threats against Colombia on Wednesday, telling reporters Colombian President Gustavo Petro is “next” in the White House’s regional campaign against drug trafficking. While initially,…

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US seizes oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela

US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump said, marking a sharp escalation in Washington's pressure campaign against Nicolás Maduro's government. "We have…

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Trump launches $1m ‘gold card’ immigration visas

President Donald Trump has launched a scheme offering fast-tracked US visas to wealthy foreigners who can pay at least $1m (£750,000). The card will give buyers a "direct path to…

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Malta News Briefing – Thursday 11 December 2025

Morning Briefing Multiple car ownership in Malta reaches new highs New parliamentary data shows that more than 73,000 people in Malta now own two or more vehicles, an increase of…

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South Korea scrambles jets amid Chinese and Russian drill

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that Russian and Chinese aircraft entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) at around 10 a.m. local time (0100 UTC/GMT) on Tuesday.…

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British and Danish PM urge European leaders to reform human rights laws to tackle illegal migration

Sir Keir Starmer has urged European leaders to reform human rights laws to make it easier to deport illegal migrants ahead of crucial talks on a potential shake-up of the…

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US could ask foreign tourists for five-year social media history before entry

Tourists from dozens of countries including the UK could be asked to provide a five-year social media history as a condition of entry to the United States, under a new…

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Poland could give Ukraine MiG jets in swap for drone tech

Poland is in talks to transfer MiG-29 jets to Ukraine in exchange for access to Ukrainian drone technology, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on public radio on Wednesday. "In some…

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Venezuela’s Machado will not receive Nobel Peace Prize in person, Nobel institute says

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will not receive the Nobel Peace Prize in person at Wednesday's award ceremony in Oslo, the director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute said on…

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Lithuania weighs suspending passenger routes to Russia and Belarus

As Latvia moves to suspend regular passenger services to Russia and Belarus, Lithuania’s interior minister said that adopting a similar measure is worth considering in response to growing security threats…

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Danish Fertility Clinic Under Scrutiny After Cancer-Linked Donor Sperm Used in Dozens of Pregnancies

A sperm donor who unknowingly harboured a genetic mutation that dramatically raises the risk of cancer has fathered at least 197 children across Europe, a major investigation has revealed. Some…

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Zelenskiy says he is open to elections if US ensures security

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was prepared to hold elections within three months if the U.S. and Kyiv's other allies could ensure the security of the vote. Wartime elections…

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Russian bombers join Chinese air patrol near Japan as Tokyo-Beijing tie strains

Japan has scrambled jets to monitor Russian and Chinese air forces conducting joint patrols around the country, the Japanese defence ministry said late Tuesday, amid rising tensions between Tokyo and…

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Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 10 December 2025

Morning Briefing Tourism needs Michelin-style industry benchmarks - Airport CEO Malta International Airport CEO Alan Borg has called for the introduction of industry-wide benchmarking initiatives, similar to the Michelin Guide,…

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Border battle expands as Thailand and Cambodia clash for second day

Heavy clashes between Thailand and Cambodia continued for a second day on Tuesday, spreading to new parts of their contested border as both sides traded accusations of targeting civilians. Thailand…

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