The following are the top stories in the national and international press today.
Times of Malta speaks to the owner of a Sliema apartment being investigated by police after at least 50 foreigners submitted the address as their official residence who insists she is the victim of this sham activity. In another story, it says official figures show the Labour government has recruited more than 100 employees per month into the public sector since coming to power.
The Malta Independent says that although Sliema residents were seemingly enthusiastic about setting up a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme following a meeting with the police about the recent crime spike in the area, the council received no requests for assistance in getting the project off the ground.
L-Orizzont says that the gas turbines for the Delimara power station are being sent to Malta in November.
In-Nazzjon leads with a report of a news conference by shadow minister Claudio Grech during which he said that the €360 million state guarantee for the new power station discriminated with the commercial community.
International news
An image of a young boy lying face down on the beach – one of the 12 Syrians including five children that drowned off Turkey in their attempt to reach Europe by sea – has sparked an international outcry over the human cost of the crisis. The BBC says the picture, released by a Turkish news agency, is trending worldwide on Twitter under the #KiyiyaVuranInsanlik#. Of 23 people on board the two boats, only nine people are thought to have survived.
Germany, France and Italy want a “strong response” from the EU on migrants. Ansa reports that a document by foreign ministers Paolo Gentiloni, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Laurent Fabius, sent to EU Foreign Affairs commissioner Federica Mogherini, urges the EU to revise the content and implementation of the European rules on asylum and insists on the need to achieve the goal of a fair distribution of refugees in Europe. It asks that the issue be discussed at tomorrow’s foreign ministers’ summit in Luxembourg.
According to The Associated Press, Russia says the United Nations Security Council is discussing a draft resolution to address Europe’s migrant crisis, likely by authorising the inspection of suspected migrant ships. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin says the council “may well” adopt the resolution this month. Russia holds the council presidency this month.
UK Independent Party leader Nigel Farage has told The Daily Telegraph it was clear the Schengen Agreement was crumbling, as recent events were putting so much pressure on the political agreement. “Schengen has now hit the buffers of the real world and is falling apart.” Daniel Hannan, a British Conservative MEP, said: “The two pillars of European integration were Schengen and the euro. Both have now crumbled at the first crisis.”
France 24 reports Russia has dismissed as “populist” a French proposal to limit the use of the veto at the UN Security Council and said it would oppose it. France had launched an initiative to persuade the other four Security Council permanent members – Britain, China, Russia and the US – to refrain from using their veto when action is required to address a mass atrocity. It was the first time that Russia had come out so clearly in opposition to restricting the use of the veto.
CNN says President Obama has secured a landmark foreign policy victory as Senate Democrats amassed enough votes to ensure the Iran nuclear deal survives in Congress despite ferocious opposition from Republicans and the government of Israel. Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland became the crucial 34th vote in favour of the agreement. She called the accord ‘the best option available to block Iran from having a nuclear bomb’.
In a reported first, Pentagon officials said they had been monitoring three Chinese combat ships, a replenishment vessel, and an amphibious ship, which in the last few days have entered the Bering Sea. Sputnik reports US officials declined to say how close the vessels were to American shores, but stressed the ships remained in international waters. The incident comes just hours before a large-scale military parade is set to be held in Beijing to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
AFP says French judges have dropped an investigation into claims that former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was poisoned, possibly by highly radioactive polonium. Arafat died in Paris in 2004, aged 75. His wife’s claims were seemingly backed up by tests carried out in Switzerland. But a statement by prosecutors said polonium poisoning had “not been demonstrated” and that they would not continue their inquiries.
Haaretz reports Israel is considering giving its security forces a freer hand to shoot at young Palestinian stone-throwers. Under standing orders, Israeli soldiers facing violent Palestinian protests can open fire with live bullets only in life-threatening situations. Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, criticised the potential new policy.
Eighteen days ahead of snap elections, Greece’s conservative opposition New Democracy party has, for the first time, taken a slender lead over the ruling left-wing Syriza, an opinion poll out for the Mega TV channel shows. New Democracy has 25.3 per cent support among voters just ahead of former premier Alexis Tsipras’ Syriza. The third most popular party is the ultra-nationalist Golden Dawn, with just 5.5 per cent support.
AGI reports Italian Premier Matteo Renzi has made it clear that it will be Rome and not Brussels who will decide the government’s tax-cutting moves. Speaking a day after Brussels appeared to dictate limits, Renzi rebuffed EU criticism of his pledge to abolish the IMU and TASI taxes, saying that he hoped it was just hot summer weather that affected judgements in European offices.
Le Parisien says French police have arrested a suspect after eight people, including two children, died in a Paris apartment building fire – the city’s worst in a decade. Early investigations had suggested an arson attack. Two residents jumped out of windows from the building to escape the fierce flames and smoke.
More than 150 students stormed out in protest after a transgender teen insisted on using the girl’s changing rooms. But 40 other students came out in support of Lila Perry, 17, who has identified as female since the age of 13. Speaking to local news station KMOV, the teen insisted she had as much right as any of the girls to get changed in the female changing room before PE. Lila has not undergone any gender reassignment surgery, but wears a wig and female clothes. But she insisted, even though she had male organs, she would be no threat to anyone using the changing room.