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European Union ambassador Aidan O'Hara is assaulted at his home in Khartoum. EU Foreign Affairs High Representative Josep Borrell calls the assault a "gross violation of the Vienna Convention". [https:--www.bbc.com-news-world-africa-65306695 (BBC News)]Sudan closes its airspace, cancelling all flights in and out of the country. Kenya likewise suspends all flights to and from Sudan. [https:--www.flightglobal.com-air-transport-sudanese-airspace-closed-as-armed-conflict-erupts-152865.article (Flight Global)] [https:--www.kenyans.co.ke-news-88216-kenya-airways-adjusts-flight-schedules-over-khartoum-fighting (Kenyans.co.ke)]China, Malaysia, and the United States urge their citizens in Sudan to hide, find shelter, or evacuate the country. [https:--www.scmp.com-news-china-diplomacy-article-3217317-chinese-embassy-sudan-issues-high-alert-notice-tells-citizens-stay-indoors-away-windows (SCMP)] [https:--www.freemalaysiatoday.com-category-nation-2023-04-17-foreign-ministry-looks-for-ways-to-get-malaysians-out-of-sudan- (FMT)] [https:--www.cbsnews.com-news-sudan-military-factions-at-war-civilians-cower-death-toll-tops-100- (CBS News)]"De facto" leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declares the Rapid Support Forces to be a rebel group, and orders the group dissolved. [https:--www.aljazeera.com-news-2023-4-17-sudan-army-declares-rsf-a-rebel-group-orders-dissolution (Al Jazeera)] Battle of Khartoum
2023-04-17

Malta legalizes the personal use and limited cultivation of cannabis, becoming the first country in the European Union to do so.
2021-12-15

Malta reimposes one of the EU's strictest mask mandates that requires people to wear masks outdoors, with fines of €50 to €100 for failure to comply.
2021-12-11

Malta has vaccinated 70% of its adult population with at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot, thereby becoming the first country in the European Union to achieve this herd immunity-related milestone.
2021-05-24

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat says that migrant rescue ship MV "Lifeline", stranded in international waters with over 200 rescued people on board for five days, has been granted permission to dock on the island and will do so later today. Muscat says that those on board will be split among Malta and seven other European Union nations.
2018-06-27

Twenty-three European Union countries sign a defence integration pact known as the Permanent Structured Cooperation. NATO members Denmark, Portugal and the United Kingdom (withdrawal from EU underway), and non-NATO members Malta and Ireland, opt out.
2017-11-13

The leader of Poland's Democracy Defence Committee, Mateusz Kijowski, says the government has "broken the country" after Polish President, Andrzej Duda, enacted a measure curbing the powers of the country's highest legislative court, the Constitutional Tribunal, despite protests and warnings from the European Union. Kijowski further called for foreign intervention in the country from "Europe and the United States" to topple the Law and Justice (PiS) government, saying "they must help us, otherwise Poland will leave the community of democracies". After news broke that Duda had signed into law the constitutional tribunal bill, he made a speech on television defending his move. Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza quoted U.S. sources saying Barack Obama had objections and had let it be known he would delay meeting Duda. The newspaper also suggested Poland’s hosting of the next NATO summit, planned for July 2016, was in the balance.
2015-12-28

The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta calls for an ambitious and legally binding outcome at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference.
2015-11-28

Moody's Investors Service downgrades the credit ratings of several European Union members including Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain and issues a negative outlook for the ratings of Austria, France and the United Kingdom.
2012-02-13

Former President of the United Nations General Assembly and President of Malta Guido de Marco, who led his country into the European Union, dies suddenly after having apparently recovered from surgery, shocking the nation of Malta.
2010-08-12