News

Malta News Briefing – Sunday 19 May 2024

Morning Briefing Vitals inquiry should be published since both Muscat and Abela are aware of contents - Grech Opposition Leader Bernard Grech insisted that both former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat…

Read More Here

New rules for draft-age Ukrainians abroad come into effect Saturday

As of this Saturday, draft-age Ukrainians living abroad will have to update their data in a special register before they can use consular service. Kyiv is increasing efforts to mobilise…

Read More Here

Alcohol ban in Ibiza and Majorca

Tourists in parts of Majorca and Ibiza will face hefty fines for drinking alcohol on the streets as part of a crackdown in areas of "excessive tourism". The government of…

Read More Here

Malta News Briefing – Saturday 18 May 2024

Morning Briefing Muscat wants full publication of evidence against him Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who is facing criminal charges for alleged money laundering related to the privatisation scandal of…

Read More Here

Scrambles of NATO jets against Russian aircraft up more than 20%,

Scrambles of NATO jets to intercept Russian aircraft approaching allied airspace over the Baltic Sea region went up 20% to 25% in the first quarter of 2024, a NATO source…

Read More Here

Western nations urge Israel to comply with international law in Gaza

Israel must comply with international law in Gaza and address the devastating humanitarian crisis there, a group of western nations wrote in a letter to the Israeli government seen by…

Read More Here

Aid trucks move through U.S.-built pier to assist Gaza crisis

Aid trucks began moving through a temporary U.S.-built pier off the Gaza Strip on Friday, amid growing international pressure to get more supplies into the besieged coastal enclave, where hundreds…

Read More Here

Vatican urges caution over weeping Madonnas and other supposed apparitions

The Vatican issued new guidelines on Friday recommending a cautious approach to supposed supernatural events such as weeping Madonnas and blood-dripping crucifixes that have for centuries whipped up the Catholic…

Read More Here

Putin says Russia is carving out a buffer zone in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russian forces advancing in Ukraine's Kharkiv region were creating a "buffer zone" to protect Russian border regions, but said capturing the city of…

Read More Here

Updated – Malta News Briefing – Friday 17 May 2024

Updated 1300 Shipping tax: study will detail Malta’s challenges A government-commissioned study will quantify Malta's unique economic challenges as a small island state to the European Commission, announced Economy Minister…

Read More Here

Pope Francis to visit Turkey next year

Pope Francis is planning to visit Turkey next year to mark the anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, the spiritual head of the world's Orthodox Christians said.The early centuries…

Read More Here

Spain will not authorise calling of ships carrying weapons for Israel

Spain will not authorise ships carrying weapons for Israel to call at its ports, Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Friday, after the country refused to let a ship…

Read More Here

Suspected gunshots near Israeli embassy in Stockholm, synagogue arson averted in Rouen, France

Swedish police have detained several people and cordoned off an area in Stockholm after a patrol heard suspected gunshots, they said on Friday, with the Israeli embassy located in the…

Read More Here

Biden, Trump agree to debate on June 27 and Sept. 10

U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican rival Donald Trump agreed to face off in two debates on June 27 and Sept. 10, setting up the highest stakes moments yet of…

Read More Here

Italian police uncover billion-euro tax credit scam

Italian police said they had uncovered a billion-euro scam to obtain illegal tax credits from government incentives that were meant to encourage home renovations. Finance Police (GdF) in the northwestern…

Read More Here

Yemen’s Houthis say will target all ships heading to Israel

All ships heading to Israeli ports will be targeted by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis and not just in the Red Sea region, the group's leaded Abdulmalik al-Houthi said in a televised…

Read More Here

Meta Under EU Investigation for Child Protection Failures

Meta was today hit with a new European Union investigation over alleged failure to protect children in part because of Facebook and Instagram's "addictive" algorithms. The European Commission said it…

Read More Here

Long air raid alert lifted in Kharkiv after drone strikes, missile warning

A protracted air raid alert in most of Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region was lifted early on Friday after officials reported Russian drone strikes and a missile warning in the city…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Fico remains in a serious but stable condition

Slovak doctors will meet on Monday to assess Prime Minister Robert Fico's health and discuss the possibility of transporting him from Banska Bystrica to the capital Bratislava, local media reported…

Read More Here

US House votes to force weapons shipments to Israel, rebuking Biden

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would force President Joe Biden to send weapons to Israel, seeking to rebuke the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments as…

Read More Here

Tunisian lawyers go on strike, protest against alleged police abuse

Tunisian lawyers staged one-day nationwide strike on Thursday, with hundreds taking to the streets of the capital, to protest against the recent arrest of two of their colleagues, one of…

Read More Here

Turkey convicts former pro-Kurdish party officials over protests

A Turkish court handed down convictions to former prominent officials of the pro-Kurdish HDP party, including co-leader Figen Yuksekdag, for their alleged role in inciting protests in 2014 following an…

Read More Here

Trump laying groundwork to contest potential election loss

Donald Trump and his allies are laying the groundwork to contest a potential loss in November, stoking doubts about the election's legitimacy even as opinion polls show the Republican presidential…

Read More Here

New Dutch government to look for ‘opt out’ of EU asylum rules

The incoming Dutch government led by nationalist Geert Wilders' PVV party will look to opt out of European Union migration rules, as its says it is facing an asylum crisis.Wilders…

Read More Here

UPDATED – Slovak PM Robert Fico Survives Assassination Attempt

Update 1411 Reuters reports that the suspect in Fico’s assassination attempt acted alone and had previously taken part in anti-government protests, according to the country’s interior minister. Matus Sutaj Estok described…

Read More Here

Teachers’ strike on the cards as industrial talks collapes / Malta News Briefing – Thursday 16 May 2024

Updated 1330 7,000 public officers to benefit from better working conditions The government has announced the signing of three collective agreements benefiting 7,000 public officers in various sectors. These agreements,…

Read More Here

Five Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza attackFive

Five Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in Gaza, as reported by the military, marking one of the deadliest incidents of its kind since the conflict began in October. Israeli…

Read More Here

Xi lauds China-Russia ties as Putin lands in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to work with counterpart Vladimir Putin to "rejuvenate" their countries as the pair started a day of talks in Beijing, saying China would "always be…

Read More Here

Starmer challenges Sunak on ‘get-out-of-jail’ cards for hardened criminals

UK Labour leader Keir Starmer has called on Rishi Sunak to cease issuing "get-out-of-jail" cards to criminals, likening the British Prime Minister to a "jumped-up milk monitor." During PMQs, the…

Read More Here

450,000 flee Rafah in a week – UN

Approximately 450,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah in the past week, according to the UN, amid reports of Israeli tanks advancing further into the southern Gaza city. The UN agency for…

Read More Here

Undecided voters key in US Presidential election

U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican challenger Donald Trump are tied in the race to win the November presidential election, as Trump fights criminal prosecution and Biden weathers criticism over…

Read More Here

Russian infantry enters Ukraine border town

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy postponed all his foreign trips as the battlefield situation continued to deteriorate on Wednesday and Kyiv said fighting raged in the northeastern border town of Vovchansk in…

Read More Here

Biden vs. Trump: Who is leading the polls?

U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican challenger Donald Trump are tied in the race to win the November presidential election, as Trump fights criminal prosecution and Biden weathers criticism over…

Read More Here

Ireland to recognise Palestine as a state this month

Ireland’s foreign minister has said his country will recognise Palestine as a sovereign state by the end of the month. Speaking to the Newstalk radio station, Micheál Martin said “We…

Read More Here

Russia suspends two airports’ traffic over drone threat

Russia said on Wednesday that a major airport near the city of Kazan, 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) from Ukraine, had been temporarily closed after the region was targeted by a…

Read More Here

Spain tell mariners to stay close to the shore after orca attack

Officials in Spain are warning mariners after a killer whale was responsible for sinking a boat in the Strait of Gibraltar. Small vessels have been warned to stick to the…

Read More Here

China military incursions inch closer to Taiwan

China's military has sailed and flown closer to Taiwan in recent weeks than it has before, and staged mock attacks on foreign vessels ahead of the inauguration of the island's…

Read More Here

Strengthening EU Consultation Structures is Key for Malta’s Maritime Industry

“The EU and its policies are ever so relevant to the Maltese maritime industry particularly at this juncture when an unprecedented focus is being placed on decarbonisation and taxation issues. …

Read More Here

Poland to boost intelligence spending due to Russian threat

Poland will allocate an additional 100 million zlotys ($25.30 million) to boost its intelligence services, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced, as he warned of a rising threat from Russia. Poland…

Read More Here

Zelenskiy cancels Spain and Portugal trip

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has cancelled a trip to Spain and Portugal, with some media outlets reporting it is because of renewed fighting in Ukraine. King Felipe of Spain was due…

Read More Here

King Charles unveils his first portrait since coronation

Britain's King Charles unveiled the first official portrait of himself since his coronation last May. The portrait by artist Jonathan Yeo depicts Charles against a background of vivid red hues,…

Read More Here

Putin backs China’s Ukraine peace plan, says Beijing understands the conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview published early on Wednesday, said he backed China's plan for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis, saying Beijing had a full understanding…

Read More Here

Three Libyan fighters killed in clashes with smugglers near border with Algeria

Three Libyan fighters of a military force based in Tripoli were killed in clashes with smugglers and drug dealers in the desert near the border with Algeria, the force said…

Read More Here

Ukraine pulls back in two areas of Kharkiv region, warns of buildup near Sumy region

Ukraine's military said its forces pulled back to new positions in two areas of the northeastern Kharkiv region where Moscow is pressing an offensive, and warned of a Russian force…

Read More Here

Sun unleashes strongest solar flare in nearly decade

The strongest solar flare in nearly a decade has erupted from the Sun, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced. The mega category X8.7 flare is much stronger than…

Read More Here

Summer 2023 was the hottest in 2,000 years

The intense northern hemisphere summer heat that drove wildfires across the Mediterranean, buckled roads in Texas and strained power grids in China last year made it not just the warmest…

Read More Here

North Korea laundered $147.5 mln in stolen crypto in March

North Korea laundered $147.5 million through virtual currency platform Tornado Cash in March after stealing it last year from a cryptocurrency exchange, according to confidential work by United Nations sanctions…

Read More Here

Scholz says Germany needs strong military recruitment

Germany must find ways to convince people to sign up for a career in the military, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, as the country looks at conscription as a possible way…

Read More Here

Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 15 May 2024

Morning Briefing PM defends CBM Governor, sees no reason for resignation Prime Minister Robert Abela said that that he will not dismiss Edward Scicluna, despite the Central Bank Governor facing…

Read More Here

Angela Merkel memoirs to be published in November

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel's memoirs will be published on November 26, the publisher, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, announced. It comes nearly three years after the end of Merkel's 16-year tenure and her thoughts…

Read More Here

Italy police find drug dealers testing remote-controlled sub

Italian police on Tuesday said they had uncovered a gang of drug dealers testing a remote-controlled submarine which they were most likely planning to use for smuggling. The organisation was…

Read More Here

Austrian court lets incestuous rapist Fritzl move to regular prison

An Austrian court said on Tuesday the country's most infamous living criminal, incestuous rapist Josef Fritzl, could move to regular prison from a prison psychiatric unit but he was still…

Read More Here

Israeli tanks push into Gaza’s Rafah

Israeli tanks forged deeper into eastern Rafah on Tuesday, reaching some residential districts of the southern border city where more than a million people had been sheltering after being displaced…

Read More Here

Two French prison guards killed, inmate escapes in ambush; manhunt launched

At least two French prison guards were shot dead and three others seriously injured on Tuesday after heavily armed men ambushed a prison van to free an inmate, French police…

Read More Here

Georgia parliament passes divisive ‘foreign influence’ bill

The Georgian parliament on Tuesday approved in the third and final reading a divisive bill that sparked weeks of mass protests. Georgian lawmakers brawled in parliament on Tuesday during a…

Read More Here

UN denies Gaza death toll of women and children has been revised down

The World Health Organization (WHO) has voiced full confidence in the death toll figures from Gaza’s ministry of health after Israel questioned a change in the numbers. Gaza’s health ministry…

Read More Here

Swedish police say disqualified Dutch Eurovision contestant Joost Klein likely to face charges

Joost Klein, the Netherlands’ Eurovision contestant who was disqualified from the competition just hours before the grand final, will probably be charged with making illegal threats, Swedish police have said.…

Read More Here