Russia

Russian President attends Austria’s Foreign Minister

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stopped off on the way to a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel today to attend the wedding of Austria’s Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl –…

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Saturday Morning Briefing

Good morning Today's morning briefing covering news from Malta, the Mediterranean, Europe and the World as reported by the main news agencies and outlets. Special counsel prosecutors are asking…

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A lie by Papadopoulos set Maltese Professor Joseph Mifsud free from being investigated further in Russia’s link with Trump campaign probe

CNN reports that the federal authorities had cornered the man they suspected could be part of Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election, and they might have been more successful in…

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US voices suspicion over Russia’s pursuit of new space weapons

The United States voiced deep suspicion on Tuesday over Russia’s pursuit of new space weapons, including a mobile laser system to destroy satellites in space, and the launch of a…

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Thursday Morning Briefing

Good morning, The following Morning Briefing presents the salient news as reported from the main newspapers and news media. Malta’s frontpages report the settlement of the MV Aquarius stalemate…

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Manafort’s lawyers rest case without defence witnesses

Paul Manafort’s lawyers declined Tuesday to call any witnesses to defend him against charges of bank and tax fraud. Mr. Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign chairman, also told the judge…

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Saturday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Your morning briefing for today. We wish you a good day. The Police issued a statement stating that former Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit and Economic Crimes Unit…

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Friday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Start your day informed with your morning briefing providing you the highlights of what happened in the last 24 hours Malta, Europe and the World, in just under…

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Al-Mismari : Libya needs a Russian intervention like in Syria to get rid of foreign players in the country

According to the Libya Observer, the Spokesperson of Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled army, Ahmed Al-Mismari, has requested a Russian intervention in Libya similar to the one in Syria "to get rid…

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Thursday Morning Briefing

Good morning Your morning briefing brings you some of the main news reported by the Newspapers in Malta, the latest from the major news agencies in Europe and…

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POLITICO : Putin lobbied Trump on arms control

Vladimir Putin presented President Donald Trump with a series of requests during their private meeting in Helsinki last month, including new talks on controlling nuclear arms and prohibiting weapons in space, according…

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The Inquiry about the ties between Russia and President Trump’s campaign to include woman who ran upscale escort service

A woman who once ran an upscale New York City escort service will appear on Friday before a federal grand jury that is hearing evidence in the wide-ranging inquiry into…

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Trump urged to stop tweeting about meeting with Russians at Trump Tower

President Donald Trump has been urged to stop tweeting about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump's top advisers and several Russians, a source familiar with discussions tells CNN. The…

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Trump changes versions about meetings his son held, where ‘dirt on Clinton’ was provided

AP reports that President Donald Trump appears to have changed his story about a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower that is pivotal to the special counsel’s investigation, tweeting that his son…

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Reuters: Despite tensions, Russia seeks U.S. help to rebuild Syria

An exclusive story by Reuters says that Russia has used a closely guarded communications channel with America’s top general to propose the two former Cold War foes cooperate to rebuild Syria and repatriate…

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Saturday Morning Briefing

Good morning As expected the death of Shannon Mak is the lead story on Malta's Newspapers. Various happenings take different priorities around the world. As we go through 40…

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Friday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Your Morning Briefing for today follows. Both the Times and The Malta Independent refer to the S&P credit rating on the banking system. Respected credit ratings agency Standard and Poors has…

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Russian Election Interference Probe investigations : Trump tweets that Attorney General should stop “Rigged Witch Hunt’ – Giuliani: Mueller should put up or shut up – Mueller insists Trump should answer in person – White House argues Trump’s tweets are just an opinion and not orders

On Wednesday Trump unleashed several tweets on Wednesday attacking special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election interference and possible ties to the president’s campaign. Special counsel Robert Mueller has…

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Facebook discovers network of suspected Russian-linked accounts aimed at interfering in US mid-terms

Dozens of Facebook fake accounts are being used to try and change the result of November's U.S. midterm election, the company reported. But it is not clear what the secretive…

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Trump vents his anger at Mueller as former campaign chairman Manafort’s trial gets closer

CNN: Donald Trump is giving Americans a glimpse of the fury raging inside him as a pivotal moment nears for special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, and different strands of political…

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Italian Prime Minister Conte in USA to meet President Trump

The Economist reports that Donald Trump is always unpredictable. But guessing how he will react to Italy’s prime minister, Giuseppe Conte, at the White House today, is particularly tricky. Mr Conte…

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Trump “knew in advance” about campaign meeting in which Russians were expected to offer material for ‘dirt’ campaign against Clinton – Former Personal Attorney Cohen

CNN: Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, claims that then-candidate Trump knew in advance about the June 2016 meeting in Trump Tower in which Russians were expected to offer…

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Friday Morning Briefing

Good morning, Your Morning Briefing provides you with the salient news of the main happenings in Malta, Europe and the World. Wishing you a good day. Greece has “serious…

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Russia thanks Israel for hitting IS launcher in Syria

Times of Israel: The Russian Defence Ministry said it thanked the Israeli army for destroying an Islamic State missile launcher that fired two rockets Wednesday that landed in the Sea of…

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Putin – Trump summit delayed until 2019

AP: The White House said Wednesday that President Donald Trump’s proposed Washington meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin had been delayed until 2019, citing the ongoing probe into Russian interference in…

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Thursday Morning Briefing

Good morning From Malta to Washington, from Pakistan to Brussels, from Syria to France, from Italy to Mars and back... here are the main news as reported by main news…

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Trump “very concerned” about Russia’s potential involvement in the next midterm elections

CNN reports that President Donald Trump, a week after downplaying Russian interference in US elections, said Tuesday he is "very concerned" that Russia will look to impact the 2018 midterm elections and…

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Tuesday Morning Briefing

Good morning, This is our morning briefing, bringing you the highlights of the main news as reported in Malta, Europe and the World. Two women were killed early yesterday…

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Russian Foreign Minister meets Netanyahu in talks over Iranian presence in Syria

YNEWS: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday in talks focusing on the Iranian presence in Syria. Netanyahu announced earlier at a…

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Greece warns Russia not to interfere further in an increasingly hostile war of words

Kyiv Post: Mounting tensions between Athens and Moscow have exacerbated growing friction on NATO’s south-eastern flank, with the two traditional allies locked in an increasingly hostile war of words. As evidence…

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Estonia Spy Chief: Network of operatives pushing Russian agenda in West

VOA reports how or the past several months, intelligence and security officials in the U.S. government and private sector have cautiously marveled at the seemingly slow pace of Russian cyberattacks and…

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Syria rebels continue their surrender to Bassad’s government in deals negotiated by Russia

AFP: Syrian rebels have agreed to surrender a sensitive area bordering the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, a monitor and opposition source said Thursday, the latest in a series of deals expanding regime…

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Friday Morning Briefing

Good morning The dust haven't settled yet on Monday's summit Trump invites Putin for a second meeting for Autumn, this time in Washington. The EU issued a stark warning to…

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Thursday Morning Briefing

Good morning, From Trump's back pedalling to the Queen's messages hidden in brooches. From the court room in Valletta to the temporary beach volley court in the same city. Our…

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More than half of Americans disapprove of Trump’s way of handling relations with Russia

Euronews: More than half of Americans disapprove of the way U.S. President Donald Trump is handling relations with Russia, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after his controversial summit and joint…

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Matteo Salvini wants that EU sanctions against Russia are dropped by end 2018

Politico: The Italian government would “not be afraid” to use its veto powers in the EU as a “last resort” to push the bloc into lifting sanctions against Russia, Interior Minister…

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CNN: Trump’s Day of Infamy

For as long as history remembers Donald Trump, it will be a day that will live in infamy. The President's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday…

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Russian pro-gun activist linked to NRA charged with spying in US for Moscow

New York Times: A Russian woman who tried to broker a pair of secret meetings between candidate Donald J. Trump and the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, during the 2016…

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Trump condemned as treasonous by US for siding with the Kremlin over his own government agencies

Donald Trump has been condemned as “treasonous” for siding with the Kremlin over his own government agencies after a stunning joint appearance with Vladimir Putin in which he seemingly accepted the Russian…

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Press Conference by Putin and Trump after USA – Russia summit

CNN : US President Donald Trump, in a stunning rebuke of the US intelligence community, declined on Monday to endorse the US government’s assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016…

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Agents of disruption meet in 1-to-1 summit

AP: With rattled world capitals watching, President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin are ready to go one-on-one in a summit that plays out against a backdrop of fraying Western alliances,…

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Monday Morning Briefing

Good morning, France wins the World Cup while Trump arrives in Helsinki for his summit with Putin. Before leaving the UK he stresses that the EU is a foe of…

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Trump – Putin summit : No high expectations for Trump

AP: President Donald Trump says "nothing bad ... maybe some good" will come out of Monday's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as he attempted to lower expectations for what…

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Gianni Infantino believes that 2018 World Cup changes international opinion about Russia

AIPS Media: Gianni Infantino believes that the 2018 World Cup has wrought a sea change in international opinion about host nation Russia. The president of world football federation FIFA told a…

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US Secretary of State warns about Russia’s use of Social media to divide Americans

The U.S. homeland security secretary said on Saturday there are no signs that Russia is targeting this year’s midterm elections with the same “scale or scope” it targeted the 2016…

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Sunday Morning Briefing

Good morning Wishing everyone a good Sunday. Here's our morning briefing. In an official statement, the government of Malta said that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat pledged to participate in…

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The Saturday Morning Briefing

Good morning, He came, he disrupted, he conquered. Or not? For sure he conquered the headlines. In a nutshell that's the essence of Trump's visit to the UK impact. However…

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Breaking News: 12 Russian intelligence officers indicted for hacking Democrats during 2016 presidential elections

Special counsel Robert Mueller has obtained a new indictment charging 12 Russian intelligence officers with hacking Democrats during the 2016 presidential election. Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, on…

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Greece expels Russian diplomats accused of supplying funds to protest groups opposing Macedonia deal

VOA : Greece has moved to expel two Russian diplomats accused of supplying funds to protest groups opposing a deal that would end Greece's longstanding name dispute with neighbouring Macedonia,…

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The Friday Morning Briefing

Good morning, The world news scene was 'overshadowed' by Trump's tirades and comments at NATO summit and in Britain. He can easily be dubbed as a the 'agent of disruption'…

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Syrian army units enter Deraa al-Balad and raise the national flag in the main square

Syria’s army entered rebel-held parts of Deraa city on Thursday, state media said, raising the national flag in the cradle of the uprising that sparked the country’s seven-year war. After securing…

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On this day, in 1990, Yeltsin resigned from President of Russia paving the way for Vladimir Putin to become President

In 1990, just two days after Mikhail Gorbachev was re-elected head of the Soviet Communist Party, Boris Yeltsin, president of the Republic of Russia, announced his resignation from the Party. Yeltsin’s…

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Germany is totally controlled by and captive to Russia – Donald Trump

AP News: In a combative start to his NATO visit, President Donald Trump asserted Wednesday that a pipeline project has made Germany “totally controlled” by and “captive to Russia” and blasted…

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British man poisoned by Novichok regains conscience

Reuters: A British man poisoned with the Novichok nerve agent 10 days ago has regained consciousness and he is now in a critical but stable condition, Salisbury District Hospital said…

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Trump visits Europe for summits with NATO and Russia against a backdrop of ‘geopolitical disruption’

AP: President Donald Trump launched a weeklong Europe trip Tuesday with harsh criticism for NATO allies and predicted predicted that his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin “may be the…

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Salvini prepares for political-football mission to Russia as he indicates his hope that France won’t make it to the World Cup final

The Local: Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini says he plans to go to Moscow this weekend to combine a visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin with the World Cup final. Salvini…

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Nerve gas victims must have handled material’s container – British Police / Kremlin expresses condolences

AP News: British police say they believe the latest victims of poisoning by nerve agent Novichok must have handled the material’s container. Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said Monday the death of…

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