Gunmen attacked the Chinese consulate in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi early on Friday and appeared to have entered a part of it, security sources and media said.
US President Donald Trump has said the CIA did not conclude that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
As Britain heads for a weekend summit designed to seal its impending departure from the European Union, Spain is threatening to throw a last-minute spanner in the works over the tiny peninsula of Gibraltar. Spain’s EU secretary accused the UK of “maliciously” altering a section of the Brexit divorce treaty relating to Gibraltar and said Madrid would block a deal unless the text is modified.
Strong winds have caused chaos at Sydney airport with almost 100 flights in and out of the city cancelled, leaving thousands of travellers stranded.
The News Paper Front Pages
The Times says that a third of adults go though periods when they can’t make ends meet. The paper reports on the conclusions of a study commissioned by the Family Ministry which found that, in the past twelve months, 32 percent of people aged 18 and over could not balance incomes with costs.
Another story in The Times reports on a €20,000 drug find by the Customs Department after sniffer dog Sparky alerted the officials. A Sicilian man had 10 kilograms of cannabis hidden in his car, travelling by ferry from Pozzallo to Malta.
The Malta Independent says that since the opening of the Autumn hunting season two months ago, 100 protected birds have been shot. Parliamentary Secretary responsible for hunting, Clint Camilleri, told the newspaper that the hunters will not be given an amnesty and says that enforcement has become stricter.
L-Orizzont leads with a story about new equipment purchased by the Customs Department which will scan arriving luggage at the airport. The newspaper says the department will now be able to scan 10 times more luggage.
In another story, L-Orizzont quotes Economy Minister Chris Cardona who said that local outdoor markets need a “comeback” and the government will launch a white paper on the reform of the street markets. The Minister said the document present a bold vision.
In-Nazzjon says the magisterial inquiry into 17 Black started after Reuters started sending questions to the government. The paper says that this contradicts what the Justice Minister said in parliament when he announced that an inquiry requested by the police was opened before the Reuters article was published.
