News

UPDATED: Police clash with mourners at Palestinian journalist’s funeral

JERUSALEM, May 13 (Reuters) - Israeli police clashed with Palestinian mourners packed around the coffin of killed Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh at the start of her funeral procession…

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Erdogan says Turkey not positive on Finland, Sweden joining NATO

ANKARA, May 13 (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday it was not possible for NATO-member Turkey to support plans by Sweden and Finland to join the pact, saying the Nordic countries…

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EU says talks with Iran “positive enough” to reopen nuclear negotiations

WEISSENHAUS, Germany May 13 (Reuters) - The EU's foreign policy chief said on Friday that he believed there had been enough progress during consultations between his envoy and Iranian officials in Tehran…

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Germany’s Scholz pushes for Ukraine ceasefire in call with Putin

BERLIN, May 13 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine as soon as possible during a telephone call on Friday, a…

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German Finance Minister Lindner says favours using Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine

BERLIN, May 13 (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said he would be in favour of financing post-war reconstruction of Ukraine with seized Russian state assets, according to an interview published…

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EU’s Michel, on Hiroshima visit, says global security is under threat

TOKYO, May 13 (Reuters) - European Council President Charles Michel who is visiting Japan's Hiroshima, the first city to suffer an atomic bombing, on Friday said global security was under threat from…

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UK says new sanctions hit Putin’s network including ex-wife and cousins

LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday it had imposed its latest round of sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin's financial network, including his ex-wife and cousins. "We…

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UPDATED: G7 backs more aid and weapons to Ukraine in show of unity against Russia

WEISSENHAUS, Germany, May 13 (Reuters) - Foreign ministers from the G7 group of rich nations backed giving more aid and weapons to Kyiv as they met on Friday in what Germany called…

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UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed dies

DUBAI, May 13 (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has died, state news agency WAM reported on Friday. He was also ruler of Abu Dhabi emirate.…

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Pupil assaults students, teachers / Malta News Briefing – Friday 13 May 2022

1745- Latest News update Times of Malta says Twenty four people stranded on a sinking boat in Malta's search and rescue Zone have been rescued by a humanitarian organisation. MaltaToday…

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Musk says he prefers ‘less divisive’ candidate than Trump in 2024

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Billionaire Elon Musk made clear that even though he wants Twitter to lift its permanent ban on former President Donald Trump, that doesn't mean he supports Trump in a…

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Swiss release some frozen Russian assets

The Swiss government reported 6.3 billion Swiss francs ($6.33 billion) worth of Russian assets frozen under sanctions to punish Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, a drop from early April as around…

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Six people confirmed dead in Slovenia chemical plant blast

May 13 (Reuters) - Six people were confirmed dead after an explosion at a chemical plant in southeastern Slovenia, state news agency STA reported on Friday. The explosion occurred on Thursday in…

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Kuwait’s octogenarian emir departs to Italy on private visit

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah traveled to Italy on Thursday on a “private visit”, state news agency KUNA reported without providing further details. The ruler of…

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French prosecutors probe death linked to E. coli at Nestle Buitoni pizza plant

French prosecutors have launched a preliminary criminal investigation after E. coli infections linked to a pizza factory for Nestle's Buitoni brand could have led to the death of one person.…

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EU to provide new 500 million euro military aid to Ukraine – Borrell

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday the bloc would provide a further 500 millions euros worth of military support to Ukraine and that he was confident a…

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Ukrainian joins thousands in Portugal to pray for peace

Armed with a candle and a blue and yellow flag, Karina Potomkina, a Ukrainian who has been watching her country being ravaged by war from afar, joined tens thousands of…

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Blue Skills Brought to the Fore in Conference held by Malta Maritime Forum and Westmed National Hub for Malta on European Maritime Day

Today, the Malta Maritime Forum in collaboration with the organised an event entitled “Blue Skills: Bridging the Skills Gap through Education and Ocean Literacy”. Through the partnership between the MMF…

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Tunisian president hints he will not accept foreign observers in next elections

TUNIS, (Reuters) - Tunisian President Kais Saied indicated on Thursday he will not accept foreign observers for votes he plans this year to change the political system after having already taken control…

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Ukrainian forces prevented attempted Russian river crossing in the Donbas, First war crime trial in Kyiv

May 13 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces successfully prevented an attempted Russian river crossing in the Donbas, the British defence ministry said in a regular Twitter bulletin on Friday. Images suggest that Russia…

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UK PM Johnson orders ministers to cut 91,000 civil service jobs

May 13 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered ministers to slash 91,000 civil service jobs to free up billions for tax cuts, the Daily Mail reported. Johnson used a…

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Australian defence minister says Chinese spy ship in waters ‘an act of aggression’

SYDNEY, May 13 (Reuters) - Australia's defence minister, Peter Dutton, said a Chinese intelligence ship had been tracked off the West Australian coast, describing it as an "act of aggression" by Beijing.…

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North Korea reports first COVID-19 death as fever ‘explosively spreads

At least one person confirmed to have COVID-19 has died in North Korea and hundreds of thousands have shown fever symptoms, state media said on Friday, offering hints at the…

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Ukraine says it damaged another Russian ship, seeks evacuation of wounded Mariupol fighters

KHARKIV, Ukraine, May 13 (Reuters) - Ukraine said it had damaged a Russian navy logistics ship near Snake Island, a small but strategic outpost in the Black Sea, while relatives of Ukrainian…

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Eleven dead after Haitian migrant vessel capsizes near Puerto Rico

At least 11 people drowned when a vessel carrying Haitian migrants capsized near Puerto Rico, the U.S. Coast Guard said, amid a steady increase in migrants attempting reach U.S. shores…

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The Eurovision Song Contest in Turin heads to the final, Malta fails to qualify

Emma Muscat from Malta with the song 'I am what I am' performs during the Second Semifinal of the 66th annual Eurovision Song Contest (ESC 2022) in Turin, Italy, 12…

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Malta retains top spot for ‘Rainbow Europe’ rights

A new dynamic has emerged in protecting the rights of the LGBTQ+ communities across Europe, but significant difficulties remain and youngsters are particularly vulnerable, activists said. Malta retained its top…

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Dubai Airport sees busiest quarter in two years as travel gains pace

DUBAI, May 12 (Reuters) - Dubai's main airport on Thursday reported its busiest quarter in two years as the rebound in international travel gains pace, with its chief executive predicting Dubai International…

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UN rights chief says many Ukraine abuses may amount to war crimes

GENEVA, May 12 (Reuters) - The UN Human Rights chief said on Thursday that a thousand bodies had been recovered in the area of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in recent…

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EXPLAINER-The inflation quirk that is costing Spain billions

MADRID/LISBON, May 12 (Reuters) - Surging energy prices pushed Spanish inflation to a peak of just under 10% in March, the highest in the euro area and nearly double the 5.3% in…

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Swedish inflation surges to new high in April

STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Swedish headline inflation surged higher in April as the lingering effects of the pandemic and the war in Ukraine pushed up prices across the board, figures published…

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Denmark hikes economic growth forecast despite war, inflation

COPENHAGEN, May 12 (Reuters) - Denmark's economy could grow as much as 3.4% this year despite the negative effects of the war in Ukraine and record-high inflation, the country's finance ministry forecast…

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Photo Story: Nurses in India mark the International Nurses Day

Nurses and medical staff members take part in a candlelight vigil to mark International Nurses Day to honour the birth anniversary of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale, at…

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UK consumer gloom over finances sinks to new low: YouGov/Cebr

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - The gloom among people in Britain over their personal finances hit a fresh all-time low in April, according to a survey which added to signs of how…

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Italy’s population risks dropping by 5 million by 2050

Pope Francis and Italian President Sergio Mattarella both made appeals for action to combat Italy's declining birth rate on Thursday as the two-day 'General States of Birth' meeting got under…

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A look at Finland and Sweden’s path to NATO membership

HELSINKI/STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden have been considering applying for membership of the NATO military alliance, which would mark a major policy shift for…

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Tourists return to Paris post-pandemic but Asians, Americans stay away

On a sunny afternoon this week, Eli Mwenda happily snapped pictures of his sister Rebekah Mithinji by the Eiffel Tower, two of many tourists enjoying a long overdue break in…

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EIB chief Hoyer calls for Marshall-style Plan for Ukraine

BRUSSELS, May 11 (Reuters) - A top European official has backed a multi-trillion-euro "Marshall"-style plan to rebuild Ukraine, pledging the firepower of the EU's lending arm for what he said must be…

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Soaring food, fuel ramp up social unrest risk for emerging markets -report

Rising fuel and food prices look set to stoke an “inevitable” rise in civil unrest, with developing middle-income countries such as Brazil or Egypt particularly at risk, a report by…

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The Ukrainian roundup

May 12 (Reuters) - Finland said on Thursday it would apply to join NATO "without delay", with Sweden expected to follow suit, suggesting Russia's invasion of Ukraine will bring about the very…

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Photo Story: Official funeral of Al-Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh

Palestinian honour guard carry the coffin of Al-Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh during an official funeral at the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank city of Ramallah,…

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China to “strictly limit” unnecessary overseas travels by Chinese citizens to combat COVID

BEIJING, May 12 (Reuters) - China would "strictly limit" unnecessary travel outside the country by Chinese citizens as part of its COVID-19 response, the National Immigration Administration said in a statement on…

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Kremlin says Finland joining NATO is definite threat to Russia

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Thursday that Finland's move to join NATO was "definitely" a threat to Russia and that the expansion of the military bloc would not…

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Photo Story: Wind-fueled wildfire ravages upscale waterfront homes in Southern California

A firefighter works at extinguishing a fire in a house affected by the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel, California, USA. Latest reports state the 200 acres fire destroyed more than…

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Kosovo hopes to join Council of Europe after Russia’s exit

PRISTINA, May 12 (Reuters) - Kosovo government said on Thursday it will apply for membership at the European rights watchdog the Council of Europe, seizing an opportunity after Russia quit…

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Work to begin on three new flyovers / Malta News Briefing – Thursday 12 May 2022

Updated 1300 Work to begin on three new flyovers: Major road inconveniences will soon hit Maltese motorists with work on new flyovers in Msida, Qormi and Mrieħel. Transport Minister Aaron…

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Russia warns West over risk of conflict with NATO

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - One of President Vladimir Putin's closest allies warned the West on Thursday that the increasing military support given to Ukraine by the United States and its allies…

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Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes eastern Uzbekistan region – EMSC

May 12 (Reuters) - An earthquake measuring 5.7 magnitude struck the eastern Uzbekistan region on Thursday, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said. The quake was at a depth of 10 km, EMSC said.…

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Sweden plans to send NATO application next week

STOCKHOLM, May 12 (Reuters) - Sweden's government plans to submit an application to join NATO next week, following neighbour Finland in re-writing its post-World War Two security policy in the…

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UPDATED: North Korea fires 3 ballistic missiles after reporting COVID outbreak

SEOUL, May 12 (Reuters) - North Korea fired three ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea said, in the latest such move by the…

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Poland’s PM says Vladimir Putin ‘more dangerous than Hitler or Stalin’

Vladimir Putin is more dangerous than Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin, the Polish prime minister has warned, while calling for the destruction of the Russian president’s “monstrous ideology”. Poland’s leader…

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UK PM Johnson says no return to normal relations for Russia’s Putin

LONDON, May 12 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday he did not see how there could be a normalisation of relations with President Vladimir Putin following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.…

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Factbox: Probable steps in any Finnish, Swedish NATO bid

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto is expected on Thursday to say whether his country should join the NATO alliance, with Sweden following suit with its decision in the coming days. Russia's…

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Many Sri Lankans flee capital as political leaders meet to seek solution to crisis

COLOMBO, May 12 (Reuters) - Many Sri Lankans thronged buses in the main city Colombo on Thursday to return to their hometowns with leaders of political parties due to meet after the…

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Ukraine keeps up counterattack to north of Kharkiv

May 12 (Reuters) - Ukrainian forces are keeping up a counterattack to the north of the second largest city of Kharkiv and recapturing several towns and villages toward the Russian border, Britain…

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France investigates Interpol chief over allegations of complicity with torture

French prosecutors have opened an investigation into global police agency Interpol president Ahmed Nasser Al-Raisi over allegations that he may have been an accomplice to torture, an official said. Raisi,…

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Hong Kong Catholic cardinal released on bail after arrest on national security charge

Cardinal Joseph Zen, one of the most senior Catholic clerics in Asia, and three others who helped run a now-disbanded Hong Kong fund for protesters were arrested on charges of…

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