News

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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Trump thrashes European leaders in wide-ranging interview: ‘I think they’re weak’

President Donald Trump denounced Europe as a “decaying” group of nations led by “weak” people in an interview with POLITICO, belittling the traditional U.S. allies for failing to control migration…

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Suspected drones seen over French military intelligence base

Suspected drones were seen flying above a French military intelligence base on three separate nights last month, the French Air and Space Force said on Tuesday, in the latest possible…

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Lithuania declares state of emergency over balloons from Belarus

Lithuania’s government on Tuesday declared a state of emergency over smuggler balloons originating in Belarus that have disrupted aviation,and asked parliament to allow the military to operate alongside police and…

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Pope Urges Continued Dialogue in Meeting With Zelensky

Pope Leo XIV underscored the need to press ahead with dialogue aimed at ending the war in Ukraine during talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday at the papal…

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Shield protecting Chernobyl nuclear power plant no longer blocks radiation, IAEA says

The protective shield that covers the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine has "lost safety function" following a drone strike in February, the UN nuclear watchdog has said. The shield,…

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Veteran Italian Journalist Giletti Struck While Probing Sensitive Lead in Orlandi Disappearance

Veteran TV journalist and presenter Massimo Giletti was reportedly assaulted on the streets of Rome last Thursday while preparing a segment for the programme Lo Stato delle Cose on Rai…

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More arrests after ‘pepper spray’ incident at Heathrow Airport

Two more people have been arrested following a "pepper spray" incident at London's Heathrow Airport The incident took place shortly after 8am on Sunday, when two women were allegedly robbed…

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Australia social media ban set to take effect, sparking a global crackdown

Australia is set to become the first country to implement a minimum age for social media use on Wednesday, with platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube forced to block more…

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Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 9 December 2025

Morning Briefing Malta Courts Chinese Investment at Luxury Property ExpoMalta has sent its largest-ever business delegation overseas to promote the country as an investment destination, with more than 80 property-sector…

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Malta News Briefing – Monday 8 December 2025

Sharp Rise in Traditional Gender Views Among Maltese Women, EU Study Shows: A new EIGE Gender Equality Index shows that 45% of women in Malta now believe a man’s primary…

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Growing Inequality and Digital Dependence Reshape Italian Life

A newly released national survey this week by Censis paints a stark picture of contemporary Italy: a middle class under pressure, a generation growing older, and a collective “dream” increasingly…

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France investigates reports of drones over nuclear sub base

French prosecutors are investigating after drones were suspected to have flown over a nuclear submarine base on the Atlantic coast late on Thursday, a prosecutor in charge of military affairs…

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Sweden wants to strip organised crime leaders of citizenship

The Swedish government on Friday proposed changes to the constitution that would allow revoking the citizenship of some criminal gang leaders, as part of its work to combat widespread organised…

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The 10 happiest places to live in the UK

Skipton, a market town in North Yorkshire has been crowned the happiest place to live in 2025, according to an annual study by Rightmove. Home to a medieval castle, a…

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Sweden to cut development aid to five countries, divert money to Ukraine

Sweden will phase out development aid to five countries in coming years and use the money to increase support for Ukraine, the government said on Friday. The Nordic country plans…

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US wants Europe to take over most Nato defence capabilities by 2027

The US wants Europe to take over the majority of NATO’s conventional defence capabilities, from intelligence to missiles, by 2027, Pentagon officials told diplomats in Washington this week, Reuters reports.…

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