Good morning,
This is your morning briefing for Saturday, with a review of the main news from Malta, Europe and the world.
Latest News
At least 50 migrants die off the coast of Tunisia after their boat capsized
Iran could target U.S. commercial ships including oil tankers, the U.S. Maritime Administration said on Friday, as a senior Iranian cleric said a U.S. Navy fleet could be “destroyed with one missile.”
The UN Security Council called for warring Libyan parties to recommit to political talks and agree to a ceasefire as a month-long offensive on the capital showed no signs of ending.
Italian police capture gunman suspected of shooting 4-yr-old
Maltese web-portal Newsbook is reporting that 85 migrants were saved by an AFM Maltese patrol boat during the night and are expected to be brought to Malta in the coming hours.
Pete Buttigieg, a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for the Presidential election in 2020, continues to ramp up support amongst the American electorate
Reuters reports that Israel has launched a PR campaign to counter boycott of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest final in Tel Aviv ,
Greece’s left-wing government late Friday won a confidence vote called by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras nearly two weeks before European Parliament elections.
These are the headlines from Malta’s newspaper front-pages.
The Times quotes President George Vella who called for a review of working conditions in the construction industry. The President said that workers’ health should not be sacrificed for the interests of their employers.
The Malta Independent leads with the unveiling of the national strategy against single-use plastics. The consultation document proposes the banning of plastic confetti and balloon releases in public events by 2020, among other measures.
The Times carries a story about plans to increase the Ta’ Qali park by 200,000 square metres. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that an area used as a concrete factory will be transformed into open space for families.
L-Orizzont also covers the announcement by the Prime Minister who described the project as the largest open space in the country, effectively doubling the park in Ta’ Qali in size. The paper says government is investing €20 million to convert the site.
The Malta Independent asks Education Minister Evarist Bartolo whether parents whose children are still on the free transport waiting-list will receive any compensation. The minister said that there are currently no plans for that.
In-Nazzjon quotes PN Leader Adrian Delia who said that the Nationalist Party is working on a European masterplan to fight cancer. Delia said that the party has already spoken to the EPP’s spitzenkandidat Manfred Weber who welcomed the proposal.
L-Orizzont reveals that Palm Village in Libya, which is led by ‘Maltese interests’, will remain open despite the internationally-recognised government ordering the suspension of some 40 foreign companies from the country.
In-Nazzjon says that 10 of 14 Labour Party candidates for the MEP elections failed to answer a survey by Life Network Malta about their positions on abortion. The paper says that the Nationalist Party candidates declared their opposition to abortion, surrogacy, and euthanasia.
Other Stories
The US is sending a Patriot air defence missile system and a warship to the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran.
900 children involved in fight against Boko Haram freed by pro-government militias in Nigeria.
Macron demands more from Facebook in combatting hate speech
David and Victoria Beckham have acquired full ownership of the footballer’s brand company, buying out the minority stake held by Simon Fuller, their longtime business partner and creator of the American Idol talent show.
Uber began trading on the New York Stock Exchange Friday at $42 per share, below its IPO price of $45.
Uefa, European football’s governing body, has come under fire over a proposal to change the structure of the Champions League that would ensure the richest clubs are likelier to play each season in one of the sport’s most valuable and prestigious tournaments.
A Montenegro court has sentenced 14 people including two Russian military intelligence officers, two Montenegrin opposition leaders, nine Serbian citizens and another Montenegrin to up to 15 years in prison after they were found guilty of attempting to overthrow the Montenegrin government in 2016.
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The Pentagon is investigating whether hackers caused refrigeration systems to fail at shops on US military bases in August, following a similar incident affecting hundreds of supermarket...
European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde has announced she will step down on 7 February 2027, before the end of her term.
The ECB said Lagarde had informed its Governin...
Updated 1140
Malta Marks 105 Years of Parliamentary History with Commemorative Plaque: Malta’s Parliament has commemorated 105 years of parliamentary history with the unveiling of a p...
Update 1125
Project Green’s Urban Greening Budget Cut by a Third Amid Years of Underspending: Project Green’s urban greening budget will fall from €30 million in 2026 to €20 million i...
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
GO plc has become an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Direct Connect Partner, making it the only Maltese entity confirmed to hold the designation and giving local businesses a private, resilien...
As pet owners increasingly view their animals as family members, expectations around veterinary care are evolving, placing greater emphasis on preventive healthcare, early diagnosis and ...
What began last year as a blood donation initiative involving six companies is expanding into a broader corporate effort, with three additional companies joining this...
Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving up the boardroom agenda, raising an important question for non-executive directors: are boards equipped to oversee the transformation AI is brin...
GO plc has become an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Direct Connect Partner, making it the only Maltese entity confirmed to hold the designation and giving local businesses a private, resilien...
As pet owners increasingly view their animals as family members, expectations around veterinary care are evolving, placing greater emphasis on preventive healthcare, early diagnosis and ...
Fears of renewed escalation gripped the Middle East on Wednesday after the United States and Iran exchanged their biggest barrage since July, with Washington striking Iran's southern co...
President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening ship...
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
Ukraine said Thursday it struck a Russian oil refinery and damaged six Russian warplanes at an airfield, resuming attacks on Russian energy infrastructure after President Volodymyr Zelen...
Ukrainian drones hit Russia's biggest data centre, owned by the country's largest bank and technology company, Sberbank, but did not disrupt its operations, a senior company executive ...
