Today's front pages

Published on 23 October 2012 at 09:48

Malta's serving Minister of Foreign Affairs Tonio Borg has been chosen to replace John Dalli as European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy. Dalli was forced to resign on October 16 after being cited in a case of trafficking of influence. Borg will be heard by the European Parliament, in particular on possible conflicts of interest, before his appointment is approved by MEPs.

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Tonio Borg’s grilling session set for next month – The Malta Independent

A group of scientists were sentenced to six years in jail for manslaughter after providing “an incomplete, inept, unsuitable and criminally mistaken” assessment of risks posed by the L’Aquila earthquake that killed more than 300 people. The six scientists and a former government official were all members of the Major Risks Committee which met in the central Italian city on March 31, 2009, after several small tremors had been recorded in the region. At the time, they ruled that it impossible to determine whether the tremors would be followed by a large quake, in a judgment which reassured residents. Just six days later, a 6.3 magnitude quake devastated L’Aquila.

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Scientists sentenced to six years for earthquake – Corriere della Sera

The Spanish Socialist Party's (PSOE) poor showing in this weekend's regional elections in Galicia and the Basque Country — just 20.5% and 19.1% respectively — has raised questions about Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba's leadership, as well as that of the party's regional leaders. The PSOE recognizes the need for an "internal ideological debate" to become a political alternative to PM Mariano Rajoy's conservative Popular Party.

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Electoral debacle brings to light Socialist party instability again – La Vanguardia

The value of Greek government bonds has more than doubled since June as investors now believe that the EU will not see it fail. Several investment funds that were not forced to take haircuts on Greek debt last March, have retained their bonds (worth €5.5 billion at the time), and are taking advantage of this revaluation.

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Hedge funds splendidly earning money again with Greece – Der Standard

Russian oil giant Rosneft became the world's biggest oil producer on Monday after announcing a landmark deals to buy TNK-BP from British oil major BP and the AAR consortium of Russian billionaire shareholders. It will now pump more oil and gas than Exxon Mobil.

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Way is open for new oil giant – Luxemburger Wort

France's Customs has complained that it cannot seize contraband in transit through the EU. This follows a December 2011 ruling by the European Court of Justice according to which goods "may be qualified as counterfeit only if proven that they are intended for sale in the EU." "European laws governing intellectual property apply only to products actually for sale on the European market," notes the Parisian daily.

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Europe complicit in contraband – Aujourd'hui en France - Le Parisien

As part of EU single market rules, member states can entrust private companies, known as “notified bodies”, to carry out conformity assessment according to EU directives. Posing as representatives of a Chinese company, undercover reporters for the British daily sought to win a license for a replacement hip with specifications similar to a banned product suspected of poisoning thousands of people. They found that some notified bodies were prepared to approve the “toxic hip” in exchange for bribes.

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For sale: a European Union licence for faulty medical implants – The Daily Telegraph

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