News

Europe’s Biggest Firefighting Force Deployed as Wildfires Expose Prevention Gap

As wildfires sweep southern Europe, the EU has deployed its largest-ever shared firefighting force, but the escalating crisis highlights a widening gap between emergency response and long-term wildfire prevention. Portugal…

Read More Here

US has used ‘virtually all’ of its long-range precision missiles during Iran war

The U.S. Army has used up much of its global stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data,…

Read More Here

Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 5 August 2026

Morning Briefing Messages reveal close ties between Yorgen Fenech and former Deputy Police Commissioner Evidence presented in court in the trial against Yorgen Fenech has shed further light on the…

Read More Here

US State Department to close consulates in Canada, Japan and Indonesia

The U.S. State Department has notified Congress that it plans to close five foreign missions in a rare downsizing of ‌America's global diplomatic footprint, according to people familiar with the…

Read More Here

From Threats to Turnarounds: Seven Trump Reversals on Iran

President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening shipping through…

Read More Here

Edinburgh Fringe listing for Amanda Knox show draws renewed scrutiny over Kercher case

Amanda Knox is set to perform a one-woman comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that draws on her experience of being accused and later acquitted in the 2007 murder…

Read More Here

Updated – Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 4 August 2026

Updated 1020 Enemalta Highlights €141 Million Investment after Heatwave Power Cuts: Enemalta has defended its investment in Malta’s electricity distribution network following last month’s heatwave, highlighting a reduction in outage…

Read More Here

Sicily issues red heat alerts for Palermo and Catania as wildfire risk rises

Sicily remained under intense heat and heightened wildfire risk on Tuesday as regional authorities issued a new civil protection alert covering the next 24 hours. The Sicilian Civil Protection Department…

Read More Here

Malta joins 22 EU leaders opposing Spain’s Sánchez over migration policy

Twenty-two EU leaders — including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — on Saturday took aim at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s migration policies for undermining…

Read More Here

Updated – Malta News Briefing – Monday 3 August 2026

Updated 1130 Malta's Economy Stays Strong in Early 2026 Despite Slower Growth: Malta's economy continued to grow strongly in the first quarter of 2026, although at a slower pace than…

Read More Here

Liechtenstein says hackers access information on 31,000 legal entities

Hackers have illegally accessed and copied data from Liechtenstein's register of beneficial owners, compromising information relating to ‌about 31,000 companies, foundations and trusts, the principality's government said late on Sunday.…

Read More Here

Trump says deal reached to disarm Hamas, Israeli support for plan remains uncertain

U.S. President Donald Trump said talks in Cairo between mediators and Hamas leaders on Thursday have led to a phased disarmament agreement in Gaza, but a Hamas official described the…

Read More Here

Updated – Malta News Briefing – Friday 31 July 2026

Updated 1030am APS Bank Posts Record €23.9 Million First-Half Profit: APS Bank reported a record pre-tax profit of €23.9 million for the first half of 2026, up from €9.1 million…

Read More Here

France, Spain and Greece battle wildfires as Europe swelters

France, Spain and Greece battled major wildfires on Thursday as soaring temperatures, parched vegetation and powerful winds extended a summer of deadly fires, mass evacuations and mounting disruption across Europe.…

Read More Here

Unidentified object crashes in Poland as Russia strikes Ukraine

An unidentified airborne object crashed in eastern Poland early Thursday during Russia's latest attack on Ukraine, leaving behind a 10-meter-wide crater and scattered debris, said Polish authorities. The object was…

Read More Here

Updated – Malta News Briefing – Thursday 30 July 2026

Updated 1105 Chamber Calls for Economic Shift towards Productivity and Competitiveness: The Malta Chamber has called for a long-term economic vision focused on productivity, competitiveness and stronger governance, warning that…

Read More Here

Widening war engulfs more countries

The U.S. carried out fresh strikes in Iran on Wednesday, the U.S. military said, further intensifying a five-month-old war that was already expanding beyond its main fronts to embroil additional…

Read More Here

Mediterranean tourism powers ahead as Europe records resilient travel growth

Southern Mediterranean Europe remains one of the continent’s strongest-performing tourism regions, with international arrivals rising by 4% in the first quarter of 2026, according to a new report by Amadeus…

Read More Here

Russia charges Telegram founder Durov with facilitating terrorism

Russia has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorism, alleging the messaging platform was used by Ukrainian intelligence services to recruit operatives and coordinate acts of sabotage inside Russia.…

Read More Here

Individual Tax Programme: Can Simplicity Preserve The Appeal?

When Malta first introduced its special tax residence programmes, they were designed to address specific segments of the international market. Over time, these programmes became an important component of Malta’s…

Read More Here

How Malta’s Financial Services Sector Is Shaping the Talent of Tomorrow

As automation takes over routine processes, the sector’s competitive advantage is shifting towards professionals who can interpret complex information, exercise judgement and advise clients through increasingly uncertain regulatory and commercial…

Read More Here

GO’s TOKIS Investment Reaches New Milestone with €5 Million Commitment to Maltese Productions

GO is strengthening its commitment to Malta’s creative industry with a continued multi-million-euro investment in local storytelling, as TOKIS prepares to launch its biggest season yet with ten new Maltese…

Read More Here

Updated – Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 29 July 2026

Updated 1010 Malta’s R&D Spending Rises to €140 Million in 2024, NSO Data Shows: Malta’s research and development (R&D) expenditure increased to €140.2 million in 2024, up €19.2 million from…

Read More Here

France’s Far Right Seizes on Wildfires to Attack Macron Government

France’s far-right National Rally is using the country’s devastating wildfires to criticise President Emmanuel Macron’s government, arguing that it has failed in its fundamental duty to protect citizens and their…

Read More Here

US and Saudi Arabia Launch Strikes on Iran-Backed Militias in Iraq

The United States and Saudi Arabia have carried out joint air strikes against Iran-backed militia targets in eastern Iraq after a wave of drone attacks on US forces and Saudi…

Read More Here

Gulf states back plan to let Iran collect voluntary fees to use Hormuz

Gulf states have backed a proposal aimed at reducing disruption to global oil trade by allowing Iran to collect voluntary fees from ships using the Strait of Hormuz, according to…

Read More Here

US begins review of its military presence in Europe

The United States has launched a review of its military presence in Europe, a move aimed at shifting greater responsibility for conventional defence onto European NATO allies. The decision follows…

Read More Here

Finland closes southern airspace near Russia over drone risk

Finland’s Defence Forces on Tuesday restricted part of the airspace off the country’s southern coast near the Russian border due to the risk of stray drones, a military spokesperson said.…

Read More Here

Japan lifts tsunami advisory after 7.1-magnitude quake

Japan has lifted a tsunami alert issued after a powerful earthquake struck the country’s southwest on Tuesday. The Japan Meteorological Agency removed the warning from its website less than two…

Read More Here

Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US

US President Donald Trump sought to shape expectations ahead of his first meeting in months with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by stressing Israel’s reliance on American support and dismissing…

Read More Here

Updated – Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 28 July 2026

Updated 0850 Parliament begins Summer Recess After Approving Two Bills Linked to EU funds: Parliament rose for its summer recess on Monday after MPs approved two Bills tied to Malta's…

Read More Here

Iceland opposition leader urges EU to stay out of referendum on membership talks

Iceland’s opposition leader has called on European politicians to avoid influencing the country’s upcoming referendum on whether to reopen negotiations on EU membership, arguing that the decision should be made…

Read More Here

Argentine leader calls Brazilian president a ‘thief’ and a ‘convict’

Brazil has recalled its ambassador to Argentina following comments by Argentine President Javier Milei targeting Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during a political rally in São Paulo. Milei,…

Read More Here

Italy braces for fourth heatwave as wildfires force hundreds to be evacuated by sea from Puglia

Firefighters in southern Italy are battling several major wildfires as rising temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds fuel blazes across the country, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate. In Puglia’s…

Read More Here

Typhoon Noul makes landfall in China, with hundreds of thousands evacuated

Typhoon Noul has struck southern China, bringing powerful winds and heavy rainfall to Guangdong province and Hong Kong, forcing more than 700,000 people to evacuate as authorities prepared for flooding…

Read More Here

UK’s Burnham pledges full support to Ukraine in first meeting with Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met newly appointed UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth on Monday, marking the first visit by a foreign…

Read More Here

Off-duty police officer detains man who attacked three women with knives in Paris

A man armed with two kitchen knives injured three women in Paris on Monday before being overpowered by bystanders and detained by an off-duty police officer, French Interior Minister Laurent…

Read More Here

Ukraine wants prototype of European missile defence system by mid-2027

Ukraine is aiming to develop a prototype of a new European anti-ballistic missile defence system by the first half of 2027, as Kyiv pushes allies to create a home-grown alternative…

Read More Here

Updated – Malta News Briefing – Monday 27 July 2026

Updated 1105 Abela defends equality reforms as Borg says PN walk-out gave ‘voice to the voiceless’: Prime Minister Robert Abela defended the government’s Equality Bill after the Opposition walked out…

Read More Here

US and Iran hold fire for third night as talks given ‘space’

The United States and Iran have paused military strikes for a third consecutive night as both sides seek to give diplomacy another opportunity after nearly two weeks of escalating conflict.…

Read More Here

France and Germany Seek ‘Made in Europe’ Deal to Boost Industry

France and Germany are working on a major industrial agreement aimed at strengthening European manufacturing and reviving the bloc’s struggling automotive sector. The proposed deal would see Berlin support stricter…

Read More Here

Burnham Rules Out Early UK Election

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has ruled out calling an early general election, insisting his priority is delivering the programme voters backed at the last election rather than returning to…

Read More Here

Berlin Pride Attack Suspect Shot Dead by Police

The man suspected of carrying out what German authorities have described as a likely Islamist terrorist attack at Berlin's Pride celebrations has been shot dead by police, bringing a nationwide…

Read More Here

More Than 320,000 Evacuated as Wildfires Spread Across France and Spain

More than 320,000 people have been evacuated across France and Spain as severe wildfires continue to spread through southern Europe, with thousands of emergency personnel deployed to tackle the blazes.…

Read More Here

Car rams crowd at Berlin Pride event, killing one and injuring 16

A manhunt is underway in Berlin after a car drove into a crowd attending the city’s Christopher Street Day Pride celebrations on Saturday night, killing one person and injuring at…

Read More Here

Dubai offers rewards to residents as tourism suffers from Iran war

Dubai has launched a scheme offering residents rewards worth more than 700 euro if they encourage friends and relatives to visit, as the emirate attempts to revive tourism hit by…

Read More Here

Updated – Malta News Briefing – Friday 24 July 2026

Updated 1256 Police Officer Seriously Injured in Ta' Giorni Shooting A police officer was seriously injured in a shooting at a construction site in Ta' Giorni on Friday morning following…

Read More Here

Spain Declares National Emergency as Wildfires Force 10,000 Evacuations

Spain has declared its first-ever national emergency over wildfires after multiple blazes near Madrid and in the neighbouring province of Ávila forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate and stretched…

Read More Here

UK’s Burnham opens ‘No10 North’ to shift economic power from London

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will on Friday officially open a new government hub in Manchester, branded "No10 North", in a symbolic extension of his Downing Street office as he…

Read More Here

Qantas Tests Ultra-Long-Range Airbus on 17,000km Nonstop Flight to Melbourne

Qantas has completed a major test flight of its new ultra-long-range Airbus A350-1000ULR, with the aircraft landing in Melbourne after a nearly 19-hour nonstop journey from France as the airline…

Read More Here

US House rebukes Trump again over Iran war

The US House of Representatives has approved a Democratic-led war powers resolution criticising President Donald Trump's handling of the conflict with Iran, with four Republican lawmakers joining Democrats in a…

Read More Here

Germany Delays Combat Drone Plans Amid Defence Industry Debate

Germany’s plans to introduce a fleet of advanced combat drones by 2029 are facing delays as officials remain divided over whether to buy an Australian-developed system or wait for European…

Read More Here

Ukraine Strikes Russian Logistics Hubs in Latest Drone Attacks

Ukrainian drone strikes have targeted logistics facilities belonging to Russia’s largest online retailer, disrupting warehouse operations and injuring workers as Kyiv intensifies attacks on supply networks linked to the war…

Read More Here

Updated – Malta News Briefing – Thursday 23 July 2026

Updated 1155 Parliament Unanimously Backs Constitutional Protection for Disability Rights: Parliament has unanimously approved constitutional amendments adding disability as a protected characteristic under Malta’s Constitution, strengthening legal safeguards against discrimination…

Read More Here