The following are the top stories in the national and international press today.
The Sunday Times of Malta says the embattled ex-supermarket boss and meat importer, Ryan Schembri, who fled Malta leaving a trail of debts worth millions of euros, has been living in Dubai. In another story, the newspaper says a woman and her children were forced to live in a tiny room on the roof of their three-storey home in a “malicious and sadistic” relationship.
Illum says some 100 policemen reinstated in the police force on a part time basis under former Home Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia have been informed their contract has expired and will not be renewed.
Il-Mument says €90 million belonging to the Libyan people were being held by BOV in accounts calling accountant Joe Sammut, the Labour Party’s former treasurer. The money belonged to the late Muammar Gaddafi’s son Mutassim.
The Malta Independent on Sunday speaks to rogue oil trade George Farrugia who says that if his pardon is revoked the case against his brothers may not even start.
MaltaToday speaks to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat who says that the rapidly deteriorating situation in Libya can only be resolved through an “organised intervention led by the United Nations”.
It-Torca says that only about 20 Maltese people remained in Libya.
International news
Denmark is on high alert as the police hunt a gunman in Copenhagen after a 40-year-old man was killed and three police officers injured in an attack on a cafe where a conference on blasphemy, Islam and freedom of expression was being held.
Jyllands Posten quotes Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt describing the shooting as a “terrorist attack”. The event was organised by Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks – the 68-year-old Swedish artist who ended up at the centre of an international dispute in 2007, for having portrayed Muhammad as a stray dog. The cartoons were to be initially displayed at an exhibition in Sweden in July of that year, but were removed by the organizers just before the opening for safety reasons. Plots to kill him in 2009 and 2011 were foiled. He has since lived under police protection.
Le Soir reports the European Commission and the EU Foreign Policy chief have condemned the Copenhagen attack. A statement said Europe and Denmark were united in the defence of freedom of expression, adding that Europe would not be intimidated. Donald Tusk and Federica Mogherini said Europe was in shock because of another brutal attack on fundamental values.
According to Libya Herald, Islamic State militants have given local militias until today to leave Sirte. On Friday, the jihadists took control of two radio stations in the city, “Free Voice” and “Radio Mikdashi” broadcasting verses from the Koran and speeches of Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and the spokesman for the group, Abu Mohammed al-Adnani.
al-Wasat reports that the jihadists exploded an oil pipeline in al-Sarir in southern Libya, interrupting the flow of oil to Tobruk, the eastern city which houses the Libyan government recognized by the international community. The pipeline carries about 180,000 barrels a day to the export terminal of al-Hariga in Tobruk. Earlier, militiamen linked to the Islamic State had attacked the pipeline in al-Bahi in central Libya.
Meanwhile, several hundred protesters took to the streets of Benghazi to request the creation of a military council headed by General Khalifa Haftar to address the threat of an Islamic state in Libya. According to reports in Libya Herald, the protesters also demanded the resignation of the government of Abdullah al-Thinni and the breaking of diplomatic relations with Turkey, Qatar, the United States and Britain. Pro-Haftar demonstrations were also held at Beida and Tobruk.
The official radio of the Islamic State (Is), al-Bayan, has quoted, for the first time, the statement made by Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni expressing Italy’s willingness to participate in and lead a UN force against the threat of the self-Islamic State. The radio referred to Italy as a part of a “crusade” against ISIS. Gentiloni had told SkyTg24 Italy was under threat from what was happening in Libya.
After the capture of Sirte, and the threat by the militants to move to Misrata, sources told Adnkronos, Italian authorities have strengthened their alert in military bases and objectives more directly exposed to the danger of jihadist terrorism – buildings of worship and prayer, religious, cultural venues, editors of news organizations considered at risk, school structures that are characterized by the religious setting and each additional site that could be the subject of threats
Daily News Egypt says the Libyan parliament has confirmed the death of 21 Egyptian Copts kidnapped by ISIS in Sirte early last month. In recent days, the Egyptian media had reported that Isis had slain 21 Copts, but Cairo maintained it had no confirmation.
The New York Times reports from Baghdad that Iraqi soldiers and Islamic State militants clashed again over the weekend in a western Iraqi town that has changed hands several times in skirmishes near a military base where American troops are training Iraqi soldiers. Hundreds of IS fighters captured most of the town, Baghdadi, on Thursday, but by Friday evening Iraqi soldiers had retaken several government buildings. Then early Saturday, in what has become a familiar routine, the soldiers suddenly withdrew, all but handing the town back to the militants.
Italy will be asking the EU to help strengthen the Triton operation tasked with search and rescue of illegal migrants in the Mediterranean. La Sicilia quotes Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni telling his party’s conference on “How to change the world” it was not acceptable that Italy carried the burden of €3.9 million a month for the humanitarian operation alone.
Kyiv Post reports that the cease-fire in eastern Ukraine, which began one minute after midnight this morning, was holding. Both President Putin and President Petroshenko confirmed their intentions to order a stop to the conflict that has killed at least 5,300 people and displaced more than one million. Under an agreement struck last week, Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatist rebels are to begin pulling back their heavy weaponry this week to form a wide buffer zone.
Greece intends to review a €1.2 billion deal with German airport operator Fraport to run 14 Greek airports, with government minister Alekos Flambouraris saying the contract would be put on ice. He told Mega TV the contract had not been ratified yet, and they had asked it be frozen in order to review its content. In the run up to the elections, the new government had promised voters it would halt privatisations.
El Pais says hundreds of Spaniards have marched in Madrid and 20 other cities against a government plan to toughen penalties for unauthorised demonstrations. The Bill increases possible jail terms for certain public order offences and sets fines of up to €600,000 for organising unauthorised demonstrations. The government says the new legislation will improve public security and protect rights and freedoms.
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