Good morning,
From the far side of the moon to the furthest point ever explored in space, from UK to the US, the Maltese portals and newspapers, these are the main highlights for your Morning Briefing.
The Latest
A Chinese spacecraft has become the first to land on the far side of the moon, according to state media.The lunar explorer Chang’e 4 touched down on Thursday morning Beijing time (just before 2.30am GMT), official China Central Television said. Sky News
UK Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to speak to European Union leaders this week including Dutch PM Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Council President Donald Tusk, the Financial Times reports.
President Donald Trump has claimed he could be “the most popular person in Europe” and could “run for any [European] office” if he wanted – as he dismissed how lowly he is thought of across the continent. The Independent
Psychological and emotional abuse in intimate relationships is now considered a criminal offence in Ireland. On Tuesday, the Domestic Violence Act 2018 came into effect offering broader protections to individuals suffering from various forms of “coercive control” from abusive partners or spouses. – Euronews
Four billion miles from the sun floats Ultima Thule, an icy celestial body that NASA scientists announced Wednesday is aptly shaped like a giant snowman. – France 24
North Korea’s top diplomat in Italy has sought asylum, according to a report, in what would be another high-profile defection bid by one of Pyongyang’s envoys. Jo Song-gil, the acting North Korean ambassador to Rome, applied for asylum to an unidentified western country with his family, South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo daily said, citing unnamed diplomatic sources in Seoul. – The Guardian
The News Papers
The Malta Independent says that the Malta Tourism Authority is not funding Nuseir Tassin’s event at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on Saturday, but it is helping with logistics. The influencer chose to hold his 1,000 and final video blog of the Nas Daily series in Malta.
The Times quote Malta Insurance Association director General Adrian Galea who says is sceptical of the very low number of people caught drink-driving over the festive period. He told the paper the law should allow random breathalyser tests and called for more police presence on the road.
The Times says that a rise in hate speech directed at migrants was observed in the past few months since more migrants disembarked in Malta. The paper speaks to SOS Malta CEO Claudia Taylor-East who said that anti-migrant sentiment was growing online.
The Malta Independent follows the developing story with rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 which has been allowed to move closer to Malta to shelter from deteriorating weather, but not to dock. The ship carrying 32 migrants rescued off the coast of Libya has been stranded since December 22 with no EU country granting it access.
In-Nazzjon carries a story about an elderly lady and her son who will be ejected from the house they have lived in for 30 years after the owner decided to develop the site. The paper says that ministers, parliamentary secretaries, and the Housing Authority are aware of her situation but were unable to offer a solution.
L-Orizzont follows arguments made on whether Opposition Leader Adrian Delia should resign in the wake of separation proceedings with Nickie Vella de Fremaux. The paper says that while some commentators said he should step aside others believe that the matter is a private one and should not affect his public role.
In-Nazzjon says that the annual Bethlehem to Għajnsielem pilgrimage will this year see children from the Palestinian town taking part, dressed as the biblical three wise men. The children arrive in Malta from Tel Aviv tomorrow.
In another story, L-Orizzont says Friday is expected to be the coldest day this winter with temperatures likely to fall to five degrees Celsius.
The Portals
Rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 has been granted permission to shelter in Malta’s waters without docking, as weather conditions are quickly deteriorating. The Times says that 32 migrants rescued on December 22 are still aboard the vessel as neighbouring countries are refusing to allow them into their harbours. MaltaToday says that the medical team aboard the ship has expressed concern about the health of the three children among the migrants. Agreements over redistribution of the migrants have not been reached by EU leaders.
Over 1,400 irregular immigrants arrived in Malta during 2018 while 2,200 lost their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean. Net News reports that 49 immigrants are currently aboard the Sea-Watch 3 while search operations are ongoing for another 72 people.
Authorities in Kuwait are investigating claims that citizens of the Persian Gulf country have acquired Maltese passports. The Malta Independent quotes a parliamentary secretary who warned that nationals acquiring second passports will lose their Kuwaiti citizenship.
A backlog of applications being processed by the Stipends Office has left students at MCAST without their maintenance grant. LovinMalta publishes an email sent by the College asking students to have a little more patience after they were promised they would receive the funds by the end of the year.
The Planning Authority and the Resources Authority have sealed off an area in Ta’ Qali afterNewsbook revealed that it was being using to dump construction waste. The website said that the police has taken no action about the case.
The funeral for Chris Portelli, who died in a tragic accident at the power station in Delimara, was held today. Fr Hayden Williams described the 49-year-old as “God’s work in our times”, in a story carried by TVM. A father of two, Portelli died after hitting his head in a fall at work last week.
The EU is advising members to re-assess national calls for the installation of 5G infrastructure, after security concerns about Chinese company Huawei were raised globally. The Shift News says that the risks involved may be wide-ranging and reports that the telecoms company has two memorandums of understanding in place with the government in Malta.
A road collision involving four cars in St Julian’s is causing heavy and slow traffic in the direction towards Paceville. One News advises drivers to avoid the area around the tunnels.
