Corporate Dispatch Morning Briefing and News Review

Good morning,

The elections in Spain, the turmoil in Libya, the serial killer investigations in Cyprus and the frontpages of Malta’s newspapers in your daily morning briefing for Monday.

Spain: With nearly all the votes counted in Spain’s general election, results showed the Socialists under the leadership of Pedro Sanchez gained the most votes with 123 seats but fell well short of a majority (176 seats). Read More Here 

Libya: Forces backing Libya’s internationally recognized government fought house-to-house battles with troops loyal to commander Khalifa Haftar in southern parts of the capital Tripoli in the area of southern neighbourhood of Ain Zara on Sunday and appeared to be gaining ground.

SAS: Scandinavian airline SAS has canceled a further 1,213 flights for Monday and Tuesday after pilots began their strike on Friday. Mediators say there are no signs of fresh negotiations and differences remains wide.

‘Avengers: Endgame’ has made box office history by taking a record-breaking $1.2bn (£929m) in global ticket sales in its opening run.

Malta’s Newspapers 

The Times reports that physiotherapists at St Luke’s hospital are threatening to take action over the lack of adequate facilities. The paper says that the department never migrated from ST Luke’s and has been taken over by private operators Steward Healthcare.

The Malta Independent picks up a report from US newspaper The Hoya revealing that Maltese national Mustafa Abdel-Wadood has been arrested in New York for fraud. The Independent says Abdel-Wadood has dual Egyptian and Maltese citizenship.

The Times says that fringe party Alleanza has set up its own TV streaming service after a programme produced by leader Ivan Grech Mintoff on F-Living channel has been suspended by the Broadcasting Authority until after the elections.

The Malta Independent quotes Partit Demokratiku leader Godfrey Farrugia who said that the government betrayed the electorate by drawing the scrutiny of international governance bodies on Malta.

L-Orizzont covers the General Conference of the Labour Party on Sunday in which leader Joseph Muscat assured party delegates that he will not step down abruptly. The Labour Party launched its electoral campaign during the General Conference.

In-Nazzjon leads the Nationalist Party’s General Council on Sunday, attended by EPP spitzenkandidat for EU Commission president Manfred Weber. PN Leader Adrian Delia said that the party remains the guardian of the country’s European and Maltese identity.

L-Orizzont reports on the passing away of Thomas, just short of his second birthday. The paper quotes mourners who said that the child’s short life brought many people together; someone said that he now grew wings and escaped pain.

In other news:

Police in Cyprus found human remains on Sunday in an ongoing investigation into a suspected serial killer who went undetected for almost three years.

The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has urged British political leaders to break the deadlock over the country’s departure from the bloc and said the week ahead would be “very important” in deciding the outcome.

Three flights have been diverted to Stansted Airport following reports of a possible drone sighting at Gatwick.

CD