Valletta
Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, under fire over his handling of the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, said on Sunday he would step down after his replacement is chosen in January. Muscat declined to make a link with Caruana Galizia’s 2017 murder, saying in a televised address that he was resigning “as this is what needs to be done.” The announcement came after two weeks of mounting pressure and popular protests calling for Muscat to quit for his handling of the probe into Caruana Galizia’s car bomb killing. Muscat said he would resign after his successor is chosen by January 12. Earlier Sunday, the Labour leader got the unanimous backing of part MPs at an emergency meeting called a day after tycoon Yorgen Fenech was charged with complicity in the murder. A court has also frozen Fenech’s assets. The investigation has rocked the southern Mediterranean island, reaching the highest echelons of government.— AFP
