Good morning,
Your morning briefing provides you an overview of the latest news, which are dominated by the tropical storm Florence and the monster typhoon Mangkhut. It also brings you a review of the front pages of Malta’s News papers.
Just in case you missed anything, our headline digest keeps you updated with the main news of the past hours.
The Latest
Start your day informed
- Weather forecasters warn of the risk of life-threatening flash flooding in parts of North and South Carolina, and Virginia, from storm Florence. It has been downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm but continues to soak the East Coast area with rain, downing trees and damaging homes. On the other hand, the ‘monster’ Typhoon Mangkhut has crashed into the northern Philippines coast, prompting a mass evacuation. The storm is also expected to batter southern China. DW/Guardian
- London’s vast financial services industry must never again be the “master of the economy”, the opposition Labour finance spokesman will say on Saturday in a speech accusing bankers of profiting from speculation at the expense of ordinary people. Reuters
- Tunisia’s ruling Nidaa Tounes party said on Friday it had frozen the prime minister’s membership in the latest escalation in a row between the prime minister and the president’s son. Reuters
- The EU is pushing for a resolution at the U.N. Human Rights Council to prosecute those responsible for crimes against humanity against Myanmar’s Rohingya population, according to a draft obtained by POLITICO.
- Lithuania will elect municipal councils on March 3, 2019, its next president on May 12 and members of the European Parliament on May 26. The Baltic Times
- The Russian Orthodox Church has downgraded “diplomatic relations” with Istanbul-based Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. Bartholomew I has been accused of “anti-canonical activities” for sending bishops to Ukraine. DW
- Brazil’s far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, in intensive care after being stabbed at a campaign rally, kept his first-round lead in an election opinion poll on Friday, but a leftist rival from the Workers Party (PT) made solid gains. Reuters
- In Australia $100,000 reward has been offered for information on the Queensland strawberry saboteur amid fears six brands across four states have been targeted with needle insertion.
- The leaders of Ethiopia and Eritrea will attend a summit in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to sign a peace agreement “cementing” the relations between the two former Horn of Africa bitter rivals, according to a United Nations spokesperson. Al Jazeera
The Review
Malta’s Newspaper Front Pages
- The Times says that Malta has the highest proportion of buses in Europe. According to Eurostat figures. the public transport fleet stands at 4.4 vehicles per 1,000 people with the EU average is 1.8 per 1,000.
- The Times also reports on the revelation by Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia that an investigation will determine whether excessive force was used to remove activists from the Planning Authority building on Thursday.
- The Malta Independent reports that private schools are asking parents to foot the bill for school transport supervision. In the meantime, one of the main operators in the services warned that it was unable to guarantee that all routes could be served.
- A story in in-Nazzjon on the same subject says the Education Minister Evarist Bartolo is not completely confident in the school transport service and says there are issues that need to be fixed.
- Minister for European Affairs and Equality Helena Dalli yesterday launched a 2022 strategy with the aim to “mainstream” LGBTIQ rights, reports The Malta Independent.
- L-Orizzont says that political pundits ho spoke to the paper rated Adrian Delia’s first year at the PN helm negatively. Another story by the newspaper speaks to sexologist Matthew Bartolo on misconception about homosexuality, bisexuality, and heterosexuality and says there are gay people who “are still afraid” to come out.
- L-Orizzont follows the case of Cristiano, the baby found abandon last week, and speaks to sociologist Godfrey Baldacchino about the judgemental mentality our society is developing.
- The main story in In-Nazzjon is about the week-long Independence Celebrations which open today at the Granaries in Floriana. Adrian Delia said that Independence Day unites us as a people.
The Headline Roundup
In case you missed anything
21 bodies or people found lifeless on Mediterranean shores as more migrants try to reach Spain
Syria on the agenda as Putin meets Russia’s security council today and Erdogan on Monday
Three Palestinians die in fresh clashes along the Gaza border
Macron’s centrist party and far-right party share top place in MEP elections opinion poll
Any deal with Kosovo needs to include EU membership for Serbia in 2025 – Serbian Prime Minister
U.S. approves US$ 2.6 billion new arms sale to South Korea
Italian government blocked addition to Russians’ sanction list
Malta has fastest-rising house prices
Fiat family bids farewell to Sergio Marchionne
Breast implant safety to be analysed in view of a study about certain rare health problems
The Economic & Monetary Union: how has Malta benefitted and what does the future hold?
Bank of England’s governor warns on chaotic ‘no-deal’ Brexit future
Osaka says Williams told her she was proud of her
