Friday briefing: ​What does the acquittal in the Caruana Galizia case mean for the safety of journalists?

In today’s newsletter: Nearly nine years after Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed, the not‑guilty verdict for Yorgen Fenech ​has come to symbolise the struggle against the increased attempts to silence reporters

Good morning. Malta is reeling today from the shock acquittal of one of the country’s wealthiest and best-connected men for involvement in the murder of the anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

As the EU’s smallest member state once again faces intense international scrutiny over its response to the 2017 killing, opposition MPs are demanding the parliament be recalled for an immediate debate on a verdict that Caruana Galizia’s eldest son Matthew has denounced as “justice denied”.

UK politics | Nigel Farage is facing fresh criticism on the eve of the Reform UK party conference after some of his team were filmed appearing to plot to avoid electoral laws on foreign donations in an undercover investigation broadcast by Channel 4 News.

Nepal-Tibet | Two people have been pulled out alive from a hydropower tunnel in Nepal nine days after deadly flash floods left them trapped.

UK news | Homeowners in the UK are braced for a jump in mortgage rates, driven by higher inflation and interest rate increase expectations amid turmoil in the global bond markets.

US-Israel war on Iran | The US vice-president, JD Vance, said “sometimes things happen” when asked on Thursday whether an American strike was responsible for killing four people, including a child, at a wedding celebration in southern Iran this week.

Climate crisis | British people have been urged to have enough food and water on hand to survive a few days without power or water, as the UN said the El Niño climate phenomenon was “supersizing before our eyes”, exacerbating extreme weather events worldwide.