Corporate Dispatch Morning Briefing and Newspaper Review

Good morning,

These are the headlines from Malta’s newspaper front-pages.

The Malta Independent reports that Joseph Bonnici from Għaxaq admitted to police that he had killed his mother and sister and hid their bodies before filing a missing person report with the police last week.

The Times follows Bonnici’s arraignment in court where, through his lawyer Franco Debono, he pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges. Magistrate Rachel Bonello informing him that he is facing a life sentence.

L-Orizzont says that Bonnici, 39, who looked composed in the dock, I being charged with carrying an illegal firearm, manufacturing a silencer, shooting in an area of residence, hiding the cadavers, and filing a false police report.

The Malta Independent speaks to the executive director of the Foundation for Shelter and Support to Migrants, Ahmed Bugre, who says that politicians are aware of the ‘fear and prejudice’ among Maltese towards migrants.

The Times says that a police report filed by Opposition Leader Adrian Delia to investigate falsified signatures concerned a shelf company owned by the Bajada family, then clients of Delia’s law firm.

L-Orizzont quotes Prime Minister Joseph Muscat who, at a political event on Freedom Day said that racism betrays the entire concept that makes us free. Muscat warned against allowing extremist views to dominate public discourse.

In other news we read:

Ukrainian comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who plays a fictional TV president, has won the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election.

Turkey’s  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffered a major setback in local elections after his party lost the control of the capital Ankara.

Duchess Meghan Markle has chosen not to give birth at the London hospital where many royal babies, including her husband – Britain’s Prince Harry – were born, shunning a four-decade royal tradition.

A Vietnamese woman suspected of killing Kim Jong Un’s estranged half brother has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and asked for leniency.

Italian politician Alessandra Mussolini has publicly insulted Jim Carrey after he tweeted a drawing of the hanging of her grandfather, Benito Mussolini, and Claretta Petacci.

Italy is exploring a greater role in strengthening the Libyan educational sector with the possibility of including the Italian language in the school curriculum as an optional language. 

Hamilton lead in Mercedes’ second one-two of the year ahead of Valtteri Bottas while Ferrari’s Leclerc’s ended up third to claim his first podium in F1.