News

Egypt faces painful choices after Sisi’s re-election

By Patrick Werr CAIRO, (Reuters) - A steady deterioration of the economy puts Egypt under pressure to take long-awaited measures following a presidential election, foremost among them a currency devaluation…

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How could North Korea use its nuclear weapons?

By Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said a missile test this week shows his country would not hesitate to launch a nuclear attack if…

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French city of Montpellier makes public transport free for all residents

The French city of Montpellier this week became the latest European metropolis to allow all its residents to ride public transport for free. The entire European country of Luxembourg including…

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Italian population falls to under 59 million

Italy's population continues to decline, national statistics agency ISTAT said this week.As of December 31, 2022 the number of people living in the country fell to 58,997,201, according to the…

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Malta News Briefing – Saturday 23 December 2023

Morning Briefing No rain for Christmas - MET Office The Meteorological Office anticipates a cloudy yet rain-free Christmas across Malta and Gozo, coupled with windy conditions and temperatures higher than…

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Royal family persuaded Queen Elizabeth to spend her last days at Balmoral

The late Queen was persuaded to spend her final days at Balmoral as she and the Royal family made preparations for her death, it has emerged. Queen Elizabeth II had…

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Philippines poverty rate at 22.4%

MANILA, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The Philippines' poverty rate dropped to 22.4% or 25.24 million people in the first half of 2023, the government's statistics agency said on Friday, from…

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Russia dismisses Wall Street Journal’s ‘pulp fiction’ after Prigozhin death report

MOSCOW, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The Kremlin accused the Wall Street Journal of publishing "pulp fiction" on Friday after it reported that the death of mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in…

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Israel, Cyprus discuss ‘fast track’ maritime lane for aid to Gaza

LARNACA, Cyprus/JERUSALEM, (Reuters) - Israel and Cyprus agreed to pursue ways to set up a maritime aid corridor to Gaza, a move Israel said was an "important step" towards disengaging…

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Italy’s government wins Senate confidence vote on 2024 budget

ROME, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The Italian government on Friday comfortably won a vote of confidence in the Senate, which it called to speed up approval of its expansionary 2024…

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Rudy Giuliani seeks bankruptcy after $148 million judgment in defamation case

By Luc Cohen and Dietrich Knauth NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy on Thursday, just days after he was ordered to pay $148 million to two former…

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Czech police patrol public areas, university lectures off after shooting

By Jan Lopatka PRAGUE, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Czech police tightened security around schools and other public buildings across the country and Prague's Charles University cancelled all lectures and events…

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Italy parliament rejects ESM reform, irking Brussels

By Giuseppe Fonte and Angelo Amante Italy's lower house of parliament voted on Thursday against a long-awaited reform of the euro zone bailout fund, throwing into doubt ratification of a…

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Panama Canal has seen no traffic increase amid attacks in Red Sea

PANAMA CITY, (Reuters) - The Panama Canal Authority said it has not seen a notable traffic increase due to the situation in the Red Sea, where attacks by Yemen's Houthi…

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Moldovan parliament dismisses central bank chief over $1 billion fraud scandal

By Alexander Tanas CHISINAU, (Reuters) - Moldova's parliament dismissed central bank chief Octavian Armasu on Thursday for failing to act over Moldova's "theft of the century" fraud scandal in which…

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UPDATED: Russia threatens to sever ties if U.S. confiscates its assets

Russia may cut diplomatic ties with the United States if Washington confiscates Russian assets frozen over the Ukrainian war, the Interfax news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as…

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Turkey detains 304 people over suspected Islamic State ties

ANKARA, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Turkish authorities have detained 304 people suspected of having ties to militant group Islamic State in operations across 32 provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said…

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UK and Switzerland strike ‘first of its kind’ financial services deal

The U.K. and Switzerland have signed a financial services deal described as the “first of its kind” by British Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. The mutual recognition agreement will allow British firms…

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Eurotunnel ends strike, cross-Channel traffic to resume gradually after major disruptions

Traffic on the cross-Channel Eurotunnel will gradually resume following an agreement with unions, Eurotunnel said, after a strike by French workers interrupted traffic on the undersea link between Britain and…

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Norwegian cruise ship loses navigation ability in North Sea during storm

By Jacob Gronholt-pedersen COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The Norwegian cruise ship MS Maud suffered a power outage after a rogue wave shattered windows on the bridge while it sailed in the…

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Red Sea attacks disrupt world trade, more ships vow to avoid waters

By Vera Eckert, Jonathan Saul and Lisa Baertlein FRANKFURT/ATHENS/LONDON/LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) - Germany's Hapag-Lloyd and Hong Kong's OOCL said on Thursday they would avoid the Red Sea, the latest shipping…

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UPDATED: Mass drone attack hits several Kyiv districts

Dec 21 (Reuters) - More than two dozen Russian drones targeted Ukraine's capital early on Friday, officials said, injuring two people and damaging residential buildings in Moscow's latest overnight drone…

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UN Security Council delays vote on Gaza aid until Friday

By Bassam Masoud, Michelle Nichols and Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA/UNITED NATIONS/CAIRO, Dec 22 (Reuters) - U.N. Security Council diplomats delayed until Friday a vote on a resolution to increase humanitarian aid…

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Czech Republic in shock after unprecedented mass shooting at Prague university

By Jan Lopatka and Jason Hovet A 24-year-old Czech student shot dead his father, then killed 14 people and wounded 25 others at his Prague university on Thursday before possibly…

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Malta News Briefing – Friday 22 December 2023

Morning Briefing ARB recovers €5m through asset freezing Between January and September this year, the Asset Recovery Bureau conducted 45 inspections and, as of June, secured €5 million through asset…

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Gaza children dizzy from hunger as war impedes food deliveries

By Fadi Shana and Ibraheem Abu Mustafa RAFAH, Gaza Strip, (Reuters) - The children displaced to south Gaza were craving chicken, but all their mother had left to feed the…

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High-debt Italy to carry on fighting for laxer EU budget rules

ROME, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Hours after signing up to a European Union deal on more lenient budget rules for the 20-nation eurozone, highly-indebted Italy said the rules were still…

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Ukraine says it received last tranche of EU’s 18 bln euro aid package

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Ukraine has received the last 1.5 billion euro ($1.65 billion)tranche from the 18 billion package from the European Union for 2023, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said…

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Europe-wide police operation against criminal network behind shock calls terrifying elderly across Europe

In a coordinated action which ran between 27 November and 8 December, law enforcement and judicial authorities from five countries joined forces to take down a criminal network suspected of…

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Albanian opposition leader faces arrest after immunity lifted

TIRANA, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Albania's parliament voted on Thursday to lift the immunity of opposition leader Sali Berisha after his indictment on corruption charges, a decision expected to lead…

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Sirens, interceptions in Tel Aviv as Hamas fires rockets from Gaza

TEL AVIV, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and a Reuters camera crew witnessed rocket interceptions on Thursday as Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip said they…

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UPDATED: Hungary’s Orban in talks with European conservatives ECR group as European election nears

BUDAPEST, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Hungary's ruling Fidesz party is in talks with the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) but will decide which grouping to join only after the…

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Polish parliament votes for court reform resolution

WARSAW, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Poland's parliament voted for a resolution seeking changes in the National Council of the Judiciary (NCJ), as the new government attempts to undo reforms by…

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UPDATED: A22 releases European Super League proposal after EU court verdict

Dec 21 (Reuters) - Sports development company A22, which was formed to assist with creating the soccer European Super League, proposed a new competition on Thursday with 64 men's and…

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Belgian PM sees China as ‘hostile’ country after espionage allegations

Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre de Croo on Wednesday described China as a "sometimes very hostile" country, following allegations that Beijing had recruited a member of the Belgian far-right party Vlaams…

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Moldova obtains air defence radar from France’s Thales

Moldova revealed it had acquired an aerial surveillance system from French defence electronics maker Thales, a first step towards developing air defences after missile debris from the war in Ukraine…

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Swiss capital Bern considers legal cocaine project

By John Revill Switzerland's capital is examining a pilot scheme to allow the sale of cocaine for recreational use - a radical approach to the war on drugs that is…

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Meloni sick with flu, cancels engagements

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is sick with the flu and has had to cancel all her engagements for the coming days, premier's office sources said. These include the traditional…

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China’s cold snap reaches Shanghai with chilliest year-end in 40 years

By Casey Hall and Ryan Woo SHANGHAI, Dec 21 (Reuters) - China's financial hub Shanghai was set to record its chilliest period in December in four decades, spurring authorities to…

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China warns Philippines not to ‘miscalculate’ situation in South China Sea

BEIJING, Dec 21 (Reuters) - China warned the Philippines that if the latter "miscalculates" the maritime situation, is bent on having its own way or colludes with "ill-intentioned" external forces,…

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Malta News Briefing – Thursday 21 December 2023

Morning Briefing Home Affairs Minister unhappy with new EU migration pact Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has expressed disappointment at the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, suggesting that the political…

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Greece advises vessels to avoid Yemeni waters after Red Sea attacks

ATHENS, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Greece has advised commercial vessels sailing in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to avoid Yemeni waters, keep only the necessary crew on…

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COP29 climate summit host Azerbaijan touts country’s gas potential

After winning a fraught bid to host next year's United Nations climate talks in Baku, a senior Azerbaijani official promoted the country's gas reserves in aiding the global the energy…

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Canada says all cars and trucks must be zero emission by 2035, industry unhappy

By David Ljunggren OTTAWA, (Reuters) - Canada released final regulations mandating that all passenger cars, SUVs, crossovers and light trucks sold by 2035 must be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), part of…

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Hungary ready to lift objection to Bulgaria’s Schengen entry

BUDAPEST, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Hungary will lift its objection to Bulgaria joining Europe's passport-free Schengen zone after the Bulgarian parliament formally confirms its scrapping of an extra tax on…

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More than 170 Jeffrey Epstein associates to be named next month

More than 170 associates of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are set to be named in public next month after a ruling by a New York court. Judge Loretta Preska’s…

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Pope backs Italian migrant rescue group targeted by prosecutors

VATICAN CITY, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday spoke out in favour of an Italian migrant sea rescue charity whose members are facing charges of abetting illegal immigration.…

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Angola’s Isabel dos Santos loses fight against freezing order over assets

LONDON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos on Wednesday lost her fight against an application to freeze up to 580 million pounds ($735 million) of her assets…

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What does Trump’s disqualification ruling in Colorado mean?

By Jack Queen Dec 20 (Reuters) - Donald Trump was disqualified from Colorado's presidential primary ballot by the state's Supreme Court on Tuesday, an extraordinary ruling that could be struck…

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Hamas leader visits Egypt amid intensive talks on new ceasefire

By Nidal Al-Mughrabi, Bassam Masoud and Dan Williams CAIRO/GAZA/JERUSALEM, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The leader of Hamas made his first visit to Egypt for more than a month on Wednesday,…

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Tougher French immigration bill passes, Macron’s parliament majority wobbles

By Elizabeth Pineau and Michel Rose French lawmakers gave their final approval to a contested bill that toughens rules for immigrants on Tuesday, giving President Emmanuel Macron a policy victory…

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UPDATED: Kuwait’s new emir demands state accountability in first speech

By Ahmed Hagagy KUWAIT, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Kuwait's Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, in his first speech as emir since the death of his predecessor last week, criticised lawmakers and…

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UPDATED: Kremlin says there is no basis for peace negotiations with Ukraine

MOSCOW, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Wednesday that there is no current basis for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and that Kyiv's proposed peace plan was…

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US launches Red Sea force as ships reroute to avoid attacks

By Phil Stewart and John Davison MANAMA/DUBAI, (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday launched a multinational operation to safeguard commerce in the Red Sea as attacks by Iran-backed Yemeni…

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Ukraine considers proposal by army to mobilise another 500,000 for war

By Pavel Polityuk and Tom Balmforth KYIV/LONDON, (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the military had proposed mobilising 450,000-500,000 more Ukrainians into the armed forces in what would mark…

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Israel battles Hamas on streets of Gaza city as UN delays vote again

Heavy street fighting in southern city of Khan Younis UN vote on aid delayed by another day as diplomats try to resolve U.S. concerns Islamic Jihad releases video showing two…

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Chinese rescuers brave freezing cold to find earthquake survivors

131 dead, 980 injured, 16 missing in earthquake-hit area Sub-zero conditions imperil trapped victims High-altitude, complex terrain challenges rescuers By Liz Lee BEIJING, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Braving sub-zero conditions,…

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