Good morning,
Whether the new cyber-war will be the new cold war is still be seen, but in the past 24 hours the cyber warfare took centre stage in global affairs, with the a number of NATO allies accused Russia’s military as masterminding cyber attacks and hacking. Indonesia’s earthquake and tsunami death toll superseded the 1,500 mark, while the alleged sexual scandal involving Cristiano Ronaldo continues to evolve as police started investigating the alleged abuse. In Malta the industrial dispute between the government and the union of teachers retain a central role.
This your morning briefing with the latest news from around the world and a review of Malta’s newspapers front pages.
The Latest
Canada joined NATO allies on Thursday in blaming the Russian military for new cyberattacks that targeted the international chemical weapons agency and the investigation into the mysterious 2014 crash of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine. The EU leaders also expressed their concern and condemned these cases. CBC
An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 (ml/mb) has struck on Friday, 37 kilometers (23 miles) from Tomakomai in Japan. Earthquake Today
Turkey will not leave Syria until the Syrian people hold an election, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday. Reuters
Pope Francis, Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un are among the contenders for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize following their historic peace talks in June. The winner is expected to be announced on Friday. CD – Sky
Thousands of protesters have rallied in Washington ahead of a final vote that will determine the legal fate of the US for decades. Brett Kavanaugh has defended his credentials, saying he “might have been too emotional. DW
Ireland has boosted Theresa May’s hopes of breaking the impasse in Brexit talks by backing her emerging plan for an all-UK customs union with the EU. FT
With the clock ticking on a deadline to spare Idlib from a regime attack, Syria’s last rebel stronghold is eerily calm. As violence subsides and the opposition tentatively embraces a ceasefire deal, locals and negotiators alike are hopeful that the agreement will hold – marking a diplomatic breakthrough at a late stage of the war. The Guardian
China angrily denounced on Friday renewed US allegations that it was interfering in upcoming American midterm elections. Al Jazeera
Following the civil complaint filed on behalf of Kathryn Mayorga with the district attorney’s office in the U.S. state of Nevada on September 27, police in Las Vegas have also now opened an investigation into the American woman’s allegations that the Portuguese player raped her in June 2009. Der Spiegel
The Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, said they are ready to train Libyan military forces. Stoltenberg said in a presser after a meeting for NATO defense ministers in Brussels that the alliance wouldn’t reject training Libyan forces and is ready to help the country rebuild its security and military institutions, especially the defense ministry and security apparatuses. Libya Observer
More than 58,000 pregnancy tests that were sold in the UK have been recalled after some returned inaccurate results. People who bought Clear & Simple digital pregnancy tests have been urged to check the lot number after a small number returned false positives. Sky News
The Review
The Malta Independent and In-Nazzjon follow the dispute between the Union of Teachers and government reporting on comments made by the Prime Minister that the MUT was formally consulted about the upcoming Education Act. Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said that the door was still open ahead of strikes called by the Union for Monday. The MUT fears that the new Act will revoke permanent warrants. MUT president Marco Bonnici in reaction to the Prime Minister’s statement said that the Union misinterprets the proposed amendments. Teachers do not want explanations of the proposals, said Bonnici, they want the proposals to be removed.
L-Orizzont covers the Extraordinary National Congress held on Thursday to mark the 75th anniversary since the foundation of General Workers Union. The paper quotes GWU Secretary General Josef Bugeja who said that union is the basis to social stability, and that every worker should be a union member.
The Malta Independent says that PM Joseph Muscat did not give a direct reply to answers on whether former General Workers Union Secretary General Tony Zarb should be stripped of the Gieh ir-Repubblika Award.
In-Nazzjon reports on the 2018 Worldwide Governance Indicators report published by the World Bank Group and says that, under Joseph Muscat’s watch, governance in Malta received a ‘downwards knock’, comparing data across six indicators between 2012 and 2017.
The Times quotes figures published by the European for the Efficiency of Justice showing that Malta spends €175 per case to provide legal aid (0.6 percent of the annual budget allocated to the judicial system).
The Times also reports that rescue NGO Sea-Watch acquired a new ship under the Italian flag for its rescue missions, after its other vessel MV Lifeline is being detained in Malta.
