The following are the top stories on the national and international press today.
Times of Malta reports European Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos saying the refugee crisis would determine the future of Europe because failure to deal with it would mean failure of the idea of a union. In another story, it says Archbishop Charles Scicluna has obtained a court injunction against the Carmelite Order to stop the construction of a supermarket on priory grounds in Balluta.
The Malta Independent speaks to one of the victims of Sunday’s attack in Paceville, footballer Richard Galea, who hoped the horrific incident would not affect his football career or his “positive and jolly character”.
L-Orizzont says the General Workers’ Union has joined other European and international unions to criticise legislation which threatened workers’ rights being introduced by the British government.
Malta Today says the European Commission is to take Malta to the EU court over its refusal to end bird trapping.
In-Nazzjon says Maltese and Gozitan families are paying institutionalised corruption tax under this government.
International news
France 24 reports humanitarian groups Doctors Without Borders and UNHCR have condemned Hungary’s crackdown on migrants attempting to cross into the country through its border with Serbia. They warned that its approach could have a damaging knock-on effect across Europe.
The French edition of Huffington Post says two cartoons in Charlie Hedbo – one depicting a drowned child reminiscent of drowned Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi and the other of a Jesus-like character walking on water – have reignited criticism of the French satirical magazine. Many commentators, both in the press and on social media, expressed outrage at the magazine, with some even threatening legal action. Others have defended it, saying the cartoons were clearly intended to indict European governments for failing to address the migrant crisis.
The New York Times reports the UN General Assembly opened its annual session yesterday, marking the organisation’s 70th anniversary. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the UN faced a daunting task of dealing with an increasing number of crises around the world. Cuba’s President Raul Castro is on the UN assembly list of speakers later this month, along with Pope Francis.
Avvenire quotes Vatican spokesman Mgr Federico Lombardi saying a meeting between Pope Francis in Cuba and Fidel Castro “is entirely plausible”, even if “for now” it is not on the agenda. President Raoul Castro, during his meeting with the Pope in the Vatican, had expressed the desire for such a meeting.
ABC News reports the FBI have arrested a 15-year-old boy suspected of planning an attack on Pope Francis when he visits Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families on September 26. The FBI said the teen, who was inspired by ISIS, was arrested last month.
A total of 464,876 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2015. Le Temps says the figure, announced by the International Organisation for Migration, refers to the migrants that arrived in Italy, Greece, Spain and Malta updated yesterday. In the same period were 2,812 deaths in the Mediterranean. Frontex has announced that more than 500,000 migrants were detected at the borders of the EU in the first eight months of 2015.
Le Soir reports the Luxembourg Presidency of the EU Council has called an extraordinary meeting for September 22. The Presidency hopes to push through a decision on a mechanism for the temporary relocation of 120,000 refugees.
Meanwhile, Deutsche Welle says German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged hotspot centres for the registration of migrants and refugees be set up in Italy and Greece, stressing that an agreement on redistributing asylum seekers depended on it. The Chancellor also called for an extraordinary European Council on Refugees as early as next week.
According to USA Today, meeting the King of Spain in Washington, President Obama addressed the migrants issue, saying the whole of Europe must work together to solve the crisis. He also commended King Felipe for the work that Spain has done to address the issue and also expressed a preference that Spain remain united.
Miami Herald reports a group of 12 Cuban migrants and a dog in a makeshift sailboat washed onto the tourist-lined sands of Miami Beach yesterday. Under US policy, Cuban migrants who reach US soil on smuggler vessels without visas are permitted to stay.
Haaretz reports Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed tougher measures to curb Palestinian violence as police clashed with Palestinian protesters in a third straight day of unrest at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site during the Jewish new year holiday of Rosh Hashanah. He said Israel “will use all necessary measures to fight against those who throw stones, firebombs, pipe bombs and fireworks in order to attack civilians and police".
Utah Globe says the county’s sheriff has confirmed that 12 are dead after flash floods tore through a small town along the Utah-Arizona border. One individual is still missing. Some victims could be as young as four.
The Guardian says a woman has been convicted in England of impersonating a man over two years to dupe her friend into having sex. Gayle Newland, 25, disguised her appearance and voice as she demanded the other woman put on a blindfold when meeting up. The pair had sex about 10 times until the complainant ripped off her mask and in disbelief saw Newland wearing a prosthetic penis.