The following are the top stories in the Maltese and overseas press.
Times of Malta and the Malta Independent report on the correspondence published yesterday between Giovanni Kessler, John Dalli and the Speaker. Times of Malta also reports how the partner of a murder victim asked a court to be given one of the victim’s shoes for ‘closure’.
l-orizzont focuses on the funeral of its first editor, Anton Cassar, who died aged 90.
In-Nazzjon reports how Olaf, the EU anti-fraud agency, requested assistance by the Malta police three times, but received no reply.
The overseas press
International Business Times quotes Libya's acting Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni saying his government had resumed control of two eastern oil terminals, Ras Lanuf and Sidra, that were seized by rebels last year. The government said the move, which resulted from an agreement with the rebels, ended the country's oil crisis. The two oil terminals have a combined capacity of about 500,000 barrels a day of crude oil. Before the blockade, Libya' usual oil capacity was about 1.5 million barrels per day.
The Daily Telegraph says Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has urged the UK to stay in the European Union, hours after Ukip leader Nigel Farage promised the UK was close to exiting.
Addressing the European parliament in Strasbourg, as Italy started its six month presidency of the European Union, Renzi said Europe without the UK would not only be less rich, but less Europe and less itself. His positive speech about Europe's prospects came hours after Mr Farage told the parliament the UK was “closer now to exiting than ever” and called the parliament “a museum”.
La Republica reports some 70 people are missing after a migrant-boat wreck a few days ago in waters south of Sicily. The findings by the UNHCR, on the basis of accounts from some of the 27 survivors, were confirmed by prosecutors in Catania. The news of the missing people came on the same day that the death toll of another migrant-boat disaster earlier this week was given as 45, not 30 as previously estimated. The dead migrants are believed to have died from being crushed or asphyxiated.
al bawaba says the Palestinians have accused Israeli extremists of abducting and killing an Arab teenager and burning his body, sparking hours of clashes in east Jerusalem and drawing charges that the youth was murdered to avenge the killings of three kidnapped Israeli teens. Seeking to calm the explosive situation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged a swift inquiry into the “reprehensible murder” and called on people to respect the rule of law. The UN and the US have condemned the killing.
CNN reports the US homeland security agency has said it would put into place “enhanced security measures” in certain overseas airports with direct flights to the US. The move comes amid reports that al-Qaeda affiliates in Syria and Yemen were developing bombs to smuggle on planes. The US security agency did not specify which countries would be affected nor did it say what triggered the move. It is unclear if the move would be permanent or for a limited period.
Deutsche Welle says the foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France have agreed on steps aimed at ending hostilities in eastern Ukraine. Germany's Walter Steinmeier said they agreed in talks in Berlin on a “package of measures” that paves the way for a bilateral ceasefire and to hold three-way talks that include the pro-Russian rebels “no later than 5 July”. Fighting in eastern Ukraine has increased since a shaky 10-day ceasefire expired on Monday.
Former president Nicolas Sarkozy has accused France’s justice system of trying to “humiliate” and “destroy” him, after he was charged in a corruption probe that could damage his future political ambitions. The former conservative party leader, who spent nearly a day in custody on Tuesday answering questions about his 2007 presidential campaign, said on TF1 TV and Europe-1 radio that he was “profoundly shocked” over his 16-hour detention. The prosecutors allege he took €50 million in illegal campaign funds from Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi.
O Globo says Police in Brazil have arrested 11 people and broken up an international gang that was involved in the illegal sale of World Cup tickets. The scheme is said to have earned the gang as much as €66 million per tournament and could have been operating for four World Cups. Some of the tickets seized were meant for sponsors, while others had been allocated to Brazil team officials.
Ansa quotes Rome prosecutors saying they would request indictments for some 60 men on suspicion of hiring two underage prostitutes working out of an apartment in an upscale Rome neighborhood. The statement comes a day after the courts convicted eight people, including the mother of one of the teenage hookers and two clients, who were sentenced to a year in jail. Prosecutors in March said they identified eight young women, two of them minors, as working in the teen bordello.