28 November
Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is under increasing pressure to resign as police extend their investigation to his fellow politicians over the murder of a journalist.
Protesters surrounded the parliament building in the capital of Valletta on Tuesday night, calling for the prime minister's immediate resignation.
Their frustration grew after local media reported police were questioning Keith Schembri, a top aid of the prime minister, as part of the murder investigation.
Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb in October 2017. She had been reporting on political corruption for 30 years, including alleged money-stashing by relatives of the prime minister.
Muscat told reporters on Tuesday that Schembri had stepped down. Local media said the tourism minister also resigned.
And economy minister Chris Cardona announced that he will suspend himself from his duties until the investigation is completed. The police have asked Cardona to provide information related to the unsolved murder.
The investigation entered a new phase after an alleged middleman was arrested earlier this month. Last week, a business person who is reported to have a strong connection with the government was also arrested.
NHK
