Good morning,
Your morning briefing for today.
The Headlines
Dr George Vella will be Malta’s 10th President of the Republic – MaltaToday
Brexit Vote – The Day After – Is it the beginning or the end?
European Court of Human Rights orders Italy to provide assistance to 47 persons on board Sea Watch
Which EU country is perceived to be the most corrupt?
Venezuela Crisis: Supreme Court placed a travel ban on Juan Guaido
Southern EU Countries MED7 meet in Cyprus Summit
EU and NATO are Ukraine’s President Poroshenko launches campaign for re-election
The NewsPapers Front Pages
MaltaToday leads with a story saying the former minister George Vella is to be appointed President of the Republic after Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca’s term ends in April. The paper said that the family doctor from Żejtun was one of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s mentors.
The Malta Independent says that an agreement between government and the GRTU will lead to increased profit margins for fuel station operators. Details have yet to be ironed out but the GRTU said that the change will not be reflected in customer prices.
The Times speaks to unnamed PN MPs who said that a parliamentary group meeting on Monday was ‘fiery’ but leader Adrian Delia was open to listen everyone’s concerns. A source told the paper that, while the group did not affirm confidence, no one directly called for Adrian Delia’s resignation.
MaltaToday also reports on the meeting and says that former PN Leader Simon Busuttil has dismissed any possibilities of running for the role again. During the five-hour session, members brought up allegations facing current leader Adrian Delia.
The Malta Independent asked the Office of the Prime Minister about the ongoing allegations against Huawei in the EU. The paper says the OPM replied that discussions on cyber-security issues could not be disclosed but pointed out that the EU has not taken any official position regarding the Chinese tech giant.
Another story in MaltaToday quotes PL MP Robert Abela who said that the fall in the corruption perception index by Transparency International was caused by the attempts to gain power by former Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil.
The Times follows the developments in the UK where parliament voted on Tuesday for PM Theresa May to re-open negotiations on the withdrawal deal with the EU. A plan to delay Brexit if no new deal was reached by February did not pass the parliament’s voting.
In-Nazzjon also report on the session in the Commons and says that the plan would have seen Brexit delay by nine months. The paper says May warned parliament that the EU is reluctant to re-negotiate the agreed deal.
L-Orizzont quotes Minister Konrad Mizzi who said he is proud to have ‘lowered his head’ and supported the Prime Minister. Thee Minister for Tourism spoke to the paper after the court rejected a recourse by PN MP Simon Busuttil and MEP David Casa to revive the inquiry into allegations of graft.
L-Orizzont reports that Crisis Resolution Malta has been hit with a series of scam call by numbers with EU dialling codes. The organisation made urgent appeals to keep its lines available for people who may be in real crisis situations.
In-Nazzjon quotes PN Leader Adrian Delia who reacts to Malta’s fall by five ranks in the corruption perception index and says that Joseph Muscat’s government is more corrupt that undemocratic countries. Delia said that when in Opposition, the Labour Party adopted the index by Transparency International as its measure for good governance.
Other News
- Philippines urges calm after grenade attack on mosque kills two – Reuters
- Arrests made in Brazil dam disaster as death toll continues to rise – France 24
- US returns asylum seekers under ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy – DW
