Good morning
Your morning briefing for Monday with a round up of the latest headlines and a review of the front pages from Malta’s newspapers, to help you start the day informed.
Newspaper Review
The Malta Independent quotes President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca who, at the President’s Fun Run held yesterday, said that the Maltese are distinguished by solidarity and generosity. The President said that the Malta Community Chest Fund spent some €8,000 for chemotherapy monthly. In-Nazzjon also gives coverage of the Fun Run which marked its 10th edition. The paper said that thousands of people participated in the event, including PN Leader Adrian Delia.
The Times says that one of the five men accused of beating up Liam Debono last week, fainted during the court hearing on Sunday, prompting an ambulance to be called in. The case is not related to the hit-and-run incident Debono is involved in.
In an interview with The Malta Independent, Marsa Mayor Francis Debono said that turning the demolished power station into a yacht marina would be ideal to start a regeneration process of the town.
The Times reports that Secondary Education Certificate examiners say that the overall performance by students in Maltese language is worse that in English language. The report for this year flags mistakes in orthography, grammar, and essay writing.
L-Orizzont speaks to Fr Rene Camilleri who said that couples in cohabitation may still participate in Christian sacramental life. The priest said this is the position of the episcopal conference in Malta and Pope Francis after the Synod on the Family.
Another story in L-Orizzont reports comments by Caritas that an educational campaign about the effects of drugs, announced by the government, should not overlook the home situations. The newspaper also quotes Prime Minister Joseph muscat who said that Malta is becoming a bridge for investors.
In-Nazzjon follows an address by PN Leader Adrian Delia on Net FM who said that Malta has the fourth highest rate of air pollution in the EU, adding to the problems of waste management and traffic congestion. The party leader said the government is showing no planning to deal with the situation.
In another article, In-Nazzjon says that Castille is trying to get rid of Education Minister Evarist Bartolo.
The Latest Headlines
The US unleashed its “toughest ever” sanctions against Iran on Monday, a move that has already sparked mass protests in the oil-rich nation. The Trump administration reinstated all sanctions removed under the 2015 nuclear deal, targeting both Iran and states that trade with it. They will hit oil exports, shipping and banks – all core parts of the economy.
The United Nations Human Rights Council is to debate on Monday the dismal human rights record of Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the ongoing assault on Yemen. The so-called Universal Periodic Review, a compulsory four-yearly process, will also focus on Riyadh’s role in Yemen’s civil war. Meanwhile, British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt said he will lobby the UN Security Council to try and find a political solution to four years of hostilities in Yemen.
Jamal Khashoggi’s body was dismembered and put into five suitcases after he was strangled upon entering Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul last month, according to a report by a Turkish pro-government newspaper.
Meanwhile the sons of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Sunday issued an appeal for the return of their father’s body and said they wanted to return to Saudi Arabia to bury him.
Britain is urging hundreds of thousands of UK citizens living in the EU without registration documents to take action to guarantee their post-Brexit residence rights. Diplomats estimate that up to 50% of UK citizens living in some of the EU countries with large British communities have not complied with local legal requirements to register as residents from another EU country.
Meanwhile British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has privately demanded the right to pull Britain out of a “backstop” arrangement for the Irish border after three months, the Telegraph reported on Sunday.
Eurozone finance ministers gathering in Brussels on Monday will discuss Italy’s escalating budget standoff with the EU as the bloc waits for the government in Rome to respond to the unprecedented rebuke it received two weeks ago.
The head of Spain’s Central Bank slammed the country’s recent 22 percent minimum wage increase on Thursday, claiming thousands of young people will lose their jobs as a result.
Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) suffered a blow in Sunday’s mayoral runoff elections, according to exit poll data. The second-round vote between the top two vote-getters from the October 21 first round took place in 649 cities, towns and municipalities. Official electoral returns are not expected until Monday.
