Good morning,
The heated debate in the Maltese parliament following the story on La Repubblica as part of the Daphne Project, the arrest of a suspected person in the murder of the Bulgarian journalist, the resignation of US ambassador to the UN and the fresh failure of approval for the presented Italian budget dominate today’s news.
Your morning briefing brings you the latest headlines in a review of the main news sites and Malta’s newspaper front-pages.
The Latest
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is scheduled to hold a press conference early on Wednesday where he is expected to confirm details of the arrest of suspect tied to the murder of Bulgarian journalist Viktoria Marinova. The man, described as a Bulgarian national between the ages of 20 and 30, had left Bulgaria on Sunday for Germany, where his mother is believed to live. DW
Ivanka Trump says she won’t replace Nikki Haley as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations despite her father, President Donald Trump, saying she’d be “incredible” in the role. AP
Frans Timmermans, the first vice president of the European Commission, is poised to put his name forward as a lead candidate for the Commission’s top job after winning the backing of the German Socialists and support from parties across the Continent.
Dominic Raab has vowed there will be no “blindfold Brexit”, as he voiced confidence the UK would strike a deal with Brussels by the end of November. Sky News
Up to 30 Labour MPs are considering defying their party leadership and voting for Theresa May’s Brexit deal — or abstaining — because they fear the economic consequences of the UK leaving the EU with no agreement. FT
The Italian Parliamentary Budget Office did not validate the 2019 GDP forecast as presented in the Def update note, judging it to be “overly optimistic” and creating new tensions in the Italian administration. TgCom Economy Minister Giovanni Tria on Tuesday underwent a lengthy grilling session before the budget committee of Italy’s lower house of parliament. Ansa
Hurricane Michael intensified Tuesday as it barrelled toward the Florida coast, becoming a category 3 major storm as the governor of the southern US state warned residents to prepare immediately for a “monstrous” hit.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has invited Pope Francis to visit Pyongyang in a gesture designed to highlight peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula
The United Nations has called for a “transparent, independent investigation” into the death of jailed opposition politician Fernando Alban. The opposition has accused Caracas of making Alban’s death look like a suicide. DW
Older diesel car models could be banned from major roads in Berlin after a court ordered the German capital to follow in the footsteps of Hamburg, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart and establish exclusion zones for them. Euronews
Citizens’ trust in the illiberal governments of Hungary, Poland and Turkey is growing, despite declining standards of democracy in these countries, according to a new report. FT
In the UK a minister for suicide prevention has also been appointed for the first time, to mark World Mental Health Day this Wednesday. Sky News / BBC
The Review
The Malta Independent reports that a parliamentary sitting was cut short yesterday by Deputy Speaker Claudette Buttigieg after question time turned into disorder. The House descended into chaos following questions by the Opposition side about allegations that Minister Cardona was in contact with an unidentified fuel smuggler and with Alfred Degiorgio, charged with the killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Meanwhile, Malta Today spoke to the man thought to have been the fuel smuggler who, the newspaper says, was evasive and said was unaware of reports about him in the press. The newspaper said that Pierre Darmanin was once represented in a court case by lawyer Peter Caruana Galizia, the killed journalist’s husband.
Malta Today, also reports on the events in parliament and says that PM Joseph Muscat called PN MP and former Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil a fraudster. In a point of order during the plenary session, Busuttil said he still believed that Egrant belonged to the Prime Minister.
In-Nazzjon says that PN Leader Adrian Delia defended Simon Busuttil in parliament and said it was unacceptable of the Prime Minister to use information from the Egrant inquiry that only he is privy to, to attack the former Leader of the Opposition.
In a separate story from the same sitting, Malta Today reports that Minister Chris Cardona dismissed allegations made by The Daphne Project as ‘smears.’
The Times reports that, asked by the press about allegations involving Chris Cardona, the Prime Minister stuck by the statement released by the Minister himself. Joseph Muscat did not answer a question on whether he still had confidence in Minister Cardona, says the newspaper.
Another story in The Malta Independent says that the Prime Minister and the Justice Minister have been ordered to testify in a constitutional case brought by the Leader of the Opposition. Adrian Delia filed the case requesting the Opposition to be given a copy of the magisterial inquiry into the ownership of Panamanian company Egrant.
In-Nazzjon publishes the story, too, saying that the court decision was given despite the resistance put up by the Attorney General. The paper relays the Opposition Leader’s argument that the AG’s refusal to give him access to the full contents of the inquiry created a situation of political discrimination.
The Times reports on a global report tracking UN sustainability targets which says that Malta fell eight places from 22nd to 30th among 156 countries. Malta scored 74.2 points over a possible 100, down from 77 last year.
L-Orizzont says that works on the Barts Medical School in Gozo have been completed and the institution is expecting its first students from the beginning of the coming year. Health Minister Chris Fearne said works on the interiors will start within two months.
In another story, L-Orizzont speaks to European Trade Unions Confederation president Rudy de Leeuw about the role of trade unions. De Leeuw said unions must answer the social-economic questions of today.
In-Nazzjon reports about sentences handed down by the court in Gozo to two ‘drug queens’, who were given prison sentences for crimes related to drugs.
