Corporate Dispatch Morning Briefing and Newspaper review

Good morning

Start your day informed with our morning briefing provides you with a quick roundup of the main news from Malta, Europe and around the world.

A major operation took place at the Malta Freeport as the Customs unit has identified four containers full of cocaine. Around 288 kilograms of cocaine were found in temperature controlled trailers which were carrying fruit and transited through Malta from South America enroute to an EU state.

Malta’s newspapers report:

 The Times says that hunters are expected to lobby for the opening of the spring season to hunt turtle dove, a protected bird. The consulting body Ornis Committee is due to meet today to make recommendations to government.

The Malta Independent reveals that most unions and associations in Malta prefer to keep to the summer time in the debate about daylight saving time. The European Parliament voted last months to stop the seasonal time change across the EU.

MaltaToday reports that the Nationalist Party is demanding votes to be manually checked for irregularities before being fed to the electronic scanning system. PN Secretary General Clyde Puli said that at least 5 percent of dubious votes were not correctly marked by the e-counting machines in mock tests.

In-Nazzjon also leads with amendments to the e-voting system put forward by the Nationalist Party which, in a statement, says it expect ballot counting to be transparent, just, and free of manipulation that could dent the electorate’s trust in the process.  

The Times reports that works starting today in Xewkija on the construction of a Park & Ride and bus terminus have not met demands for environmental studies by the Environmental and Resources Authority.

The Malta Independent reveals that an application for the construction of 66 residential units in Madliena has been withdrawn by the applicants. The Planning Authority was set to decide on the development on Thursday.

MaltaToday says that three cases of measles are being investigated by the Superintendence of Public Health. In statement, the Superintendence assured the public that the cases were separate and not related.

L-Orizzont reports on the compilation of evidence beginning today against Jordan Azzopardi, who the police say is the head behind a large narcotics ring. Police sources described the arrest of Azzopardi, 29, as a defining moment in the fight against drug trafficking.

L-Orizzont speaks to Theology Faculty Dean Fr John Berry about homosexuality who says that any form of discrimination is immoral. Fr Berry said that the church believes in everyone’s equal dignity before god.

In-Nazzjon announces a new on-demand service to be launched today on net.com.mt, featuring programmes aired on Net Television and Net FM.

These are the main headlines.

The first funerals have taken place of victims of the Christchurch terror attack. These were of father and son from Syria.

Dutch police say they have arrested another man on suspicion of involvement in the deadly tram shooting in Utrecht.

In an effort to beef up the EU’s defences against governments of member states flouting its key principles, Belgium and Germany have proposed that EU member states should be given the powers to scrutinise each other’s democratic track record.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has reassured the Lower House of Parliament in Rome that Italy is fully prepared for the eventuality of a no deal Brexit and the rights of Italians in Britain will be protected if the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.

A federal jury in San Francisco found Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide was a substantial factor in causing the cancer of a California man, in a landmark verdict that could affect hundreds of other cases.

Facebook announced that it will introduce changes to its ad platform that prevent advertisers for housing, employment or credit from discriminating based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and several other factors covered by federal, state, and local civil rights laws.

The Morning Briefing is produced by CI Consulta’s Media Monitoring Team. For more detailed and specific media monitoring service contact us on beinformed@ciconsulta.com.