Good morning
A looking campaign for HSBC to quit Malta, the latest on Lockerbie, the agreement between the US and Canada on a new NAFTA deal are amongst the latest news review with headlines from around the world and a thorough review of the front pages of Malta’s newspapers.
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The Latest
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HSBC must close its business in Malta if the tiny European Union state with a reputation for a lax approach to financial regulation does not do more to confront the scourge of money-laundering, a leading MEP has warned. Sven Giegold, a German MEP with a reputation for fierce campaigning on financial transparency issues, promised to turn his fire on HSBC if the Maltese government did not take more concrete action to tighten up regulations. The Telegraph
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Deep divisions over Brexit overshadowed the opening day of the Conservative party conference on Sunday as Theresa May attempted to wrestle back the focus on to her domestic agenda. The Guardian
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The United States and Canada reached a deal to update NAFTA and keep it a trilateral pact with Mexico, beating a midnight deadline with agreements to boost U.S. access to Canada’s dairy market and protect Canada from possible U.S. autos tariffs, two Canadian sources with direct knowledge of the talks said on Sunday. Reuters/BI/CD
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Macedonian voters on Sunday supported a plan to rename the country aimed at ending a decades-long spat with Greece and unlocking a path to NATO and EU membership, although the referendum was marred by low turnout. France 24
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Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said on Saturday that Tehran was closing in on an agreement to sell oil to European nations despite American threats of sanctions against any countries that do business with Iran.
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China has canceled a security meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis that had been planned for October, a senior U.S. official said on Sunday, days after a top Chinese official said there was no reason to panic over tensions between the countries.
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Poland have won the final of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Men’s Volleyball World Championships at the Pala Alpitour in Turin.
The Review
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The Malta Independent leads with a story about the arrival in Malta of the 58 persons on board the MV Aquarius, after being at sea and whose arrival in Malta was hindered by the bad weather in the Mediterranean. The persons arrived on board a patrol boat, as the MV Aquarius is denied permission to enter European harbours.
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Justice Minister, Owen Bonnici, said that it’s his duty to assist the Prime Minister on issues of national importance. Minister Bonnici, was reported by The Malta Independent saying this, in reaction to the revelation by the Attorney General, that as Minister of Justice, he had a copy of the Egrant inquiry, and that he was assisting the Prime Minister, something which was criticised as a breach of code of ethics.
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Operators who signed a five-year deal with the government as part of the free school transport scheme welcomed the increase in work but said better planning is still needed. Speaking to the Times of Malta on the condition of anonymity, operators said they had been inundated with work after signing the deal with the government that will see them providing minibus services to schools.
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Intelligence on fuel smuggling off the Maltese coast was passed to international investigators as part of an EU-wide crackdown. Senior investigators said intelligence on the known activities of fuel smuggling gangs just off the Maltese coast had formed part of an extensive six-month joint Europol operation. It was not clear at the time of writing whether any Maltese individuals or companies would be facing legal action as a result of the crackdown. The recent operation targeted organised crime groups involved in fuel fraud and has resulted in the arrests of almost 25 suspects. Times of Malta
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MPs have racked up to €4,000 in fines for absenteeism from Parliament, reports The Malta Independent.
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L-Orizzont reports on a Labour Party event in Marsa yesterday and says that the Prime Minister has a long-term vision of free universal public transport. The Prime Minister urged the party to keep itself rooted in the ‘values of the Labour Party’.
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In another story, L-Orizzont speaks to a 22-year-old suffering from bi-polar disorder who says that ‘monsters’ found a way to take control of her life’. L-Orizzont also carry an interview with House Speaker Anġlu Farrugia who speaks about the importance of appointing a Commissioner for Standards.
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In-Nazzjon says that support for PN is growing after a fund-raising marathon yesterday collected over €230,000. The newspaper quotes PN Leader Adrian Delia who said that people are looking forward to a ‘party, society, and government that care’.
