The morning’s headlines are dominated by Saudi’s admission that Khashoggi’s death took place at the country’s consulate in Turkey. We also read about Moody’s downgrade of Italy’s credit rating and the tragic train accident which killed 60 in India. Malta’s newspapers refer to the Reporters without Borders criticism to Malta’s government and proposed reforms in Local government following the publication of a White Paper on the matter.
Your morning briefing brings you the latest from Malta and the world to help you start your day informed.
The Latest
Saudi Arabia admitted journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside its consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul, saying he died in brawl but made no mention of where his body is. Al Jazeera
A speeding train has run over a crowd watching fireworks during a religious festival in northern India, killing at least 60 people, police said. The Guardian
Rating agency Moody’s on Friday downgraded Italy’s credit rating in a widely expected move that left it one notch above junk territory. FT
Thousands of activists, politicians and celebrities will take to the streets of London today to make an extraordinary appeal for a second Brexit referendum. Independent
Brazil’s electoral court has said it will investigate whether election front-runner Jair Bolsonaro backed misinformation campaigns on WhatsApp. The messaging app has played an outsized political role in this year’s vote.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has demanded that the Polish government halt an initiative forcing dozens of Poland’s Supreme Court judges into early retirement.
Plastic is becoming too expensive to recycle, councils across Britain will on warn Saturday, raising fears that homeowners’ efforts to sort through their waste may be futile. The Telegraph
Thousands of Central American migrants have defied Donald Trump and streamed over the international bridge from Guatemala into Mexico, where some clashed with riot police in an attempt to continue their journey north. AP
Royal fans hoping to witness one of Harry and Meghan’s famous PDAs (public displays of affection) weren’t disappointed – the pair held hands and gazed at each other adoringly as they left the podium after an Invictus medal ceremony. News.com.au
The Review
L-Orizzont reveals figures that will be published in tomorrow’s edition of It-Torċa which show a 58 percent electoral support for the Labour Party and 40 percent for the Nationalist Party.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has been urged to guarantee independent media “full, regular access and interviews” by a group of international press freedom organisations following their three-day mission to Malta. The Times
In-Nazzjon says that Benna will increase prices on its dairy products from today, while the price of milk is expected to go up in December.
The number of early school leavers in Malta is the highest in the European Union – a percentage that has to be halved by 2020 to meet EU targets. Figures released on European Statistics Day, marked today, show nearly one out of every five Maltese aged between 18 and 24 leave education or training. The Times
A White Paper on local government reforms is proposing that 16-year-olds are allowed to stand for local council positions and even be elected as mayors. The Malta Independent
The Malta Independent also says that the Budget will allocate more funds for the prevention of cardiac diseases.
L-Orizzont, too, leads with a story related to the Budget, with the Secretary General of the General Workers Union expressing hopes that it will give priority to pensions, housing, and the facilitation of trade unionist.
Another story In-Nazzjon says that the Socialists & Democrats grouping within the European Parliament is calling for a ban of the sale of EU ‘visas and passports.’ The S&D is the political family of the Labour Party.
