Corporate Dispatch Morning Briefing – Tuesday April 30th, 2019

Good morning

A group of 147 mainly African refugees, rescued from the Libyan city of Misrata, were flown to an Italian military airport near Rome on Monday for resettlement. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Sunday that there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis. In Malta Magistrate Doreen Clarke that evidence in the Panama Papers leaks must be preserved as evidence. In the UK Theresa May is scrambling to find legislation to keep MPs busy over the summer so that she can delay a potentially fatal Queen’s Speech until the autumn. In the US President Trump, his three eldest children and his private company filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against Deutsche Bank and Capital One, in a bid to prevent the banks from responding to congressional subpoenas.

This is your Morning Briefing.

The Maltese Newspapers Front Pages

The Times leads with a story about a decree by Magistrate Doreen Clarke that evidence in the Panama Papers leaks must be preserved as evidence. The request was made by former Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil.

In-Nazzjon carries the story, too, and says that Magistrate Clarke has ordered the opening of an inquiry into the Panama Papers case involving Minister Konrad Mizzi and Chief of Staff Keith Schembri.

The Malta Independent speaks to Justice Minister Owen Bonnici after the Faculty of Laws Dean described the constitutional situation in Malta as a mess. The Minister insisted that people still have trust I the judiciary despite what newspapers publish.

The Times says that investigations lead the police to determine that the fire burning down Floriana’s historic arch on Saturday was an arson attack. The paper says fuel was poured over the 120-year-old wooden structure.

The Malta Independent says that the Planning Authority has released the public consultation document on fuel policy reform. The paper says that although it deals with service station size, the policy does not mention any minimum distance between stations.

L-Orizzont says that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat dismissed claims that the Labour Party will win the MEP elections by more than 50,000 votes over the Nationalist Party.  At an event on Monday, the PL presented its 14 candidates for the upcoming elections.

In-Nazzjon carries a story about the change of stance by the Labour Party on Malta’s EU membership. The paper says that Prime Minister Muscat wants the electorate to vote for the party’s candidates when the EU was never his ‘super favourite’.

L-Orizzont speaks to Broadcasting Authority Chief Executive Joanna Spiteri who said that a decision in favour of the protection of minors is not interference. The Authority intervened after a three-year-old girl appeared ‘well-exposed’ on TV.

Other News Headlines 

A group of 147 mainly African refugees, rescued from the Libyan city of Misrata, were flown to an Italian military airport near Rome on Monday for resettlement.

The UN envoy for Libya has made his strongest attack yet on the military strongman Khalifa Haftar as his forces intensify their assault on the capital, Tripoli.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Sunday that there is no military solution to the Libyan crisis.

The Islamic State group has released a video of a man it says is its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, vowing to seek revenge for its loss of territory.

President Trump, his three eldest children and his private company filed a federal lawsuit on Monday against Deutsche Bank and Capital One, in a bid to prevent the banks from responding to congressional subpoenas.

Japan authorities ramped up security for the start of Japan’s new “Reiwa” imperial era.

A divisive anti-immigrant party, led by a father and son, is now part of the Estonia n Government with the family duo taking the oath as Estonia’s interior and finance minister.

This week, the Lego Foundation, which is funded by the Lego Group, the Danish toy company that makes the blocks, announced a new project that will repurpose the usual knobs atop the bricks as Braille dots.

Marriott International has become the first major hotel company to launch its own home rental service, taking aim at the business at the heart of Airbnb’s success.

During the presentation of the book ‘From Calciopoli to Pink Floyd’ by Alberto Costa, the Rossoneri coach Gennaro Gattuso revealed a particular anecdote about the winter retreat in Malta that led to the 2007 Champions League.

CD