1745- Afternoon update
Times of Malta says Infrastructure Malta’s new CEO has quit just over a month after being appointed to the role, Times of Malta has confirmed.
MaltaToday says karozzini cannot operate on Malta’s roads between 1pm and 4pm from today until the end of August to safeguard the welfare of horses.
Newsbook says Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà asked court to reject Repubblika’s request for the prosecution of former Pilatus Bank officials on Friday.
TVM says 44-year-old Roderick Cilia of Ħal Għaxaq has been sentenced to six years and 33 days in prison after he was found guilty of being apprehended while driving a stolen car.
Updated 1234 – Covid-19 Update
Four new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Thursday from a total of 2,528 swab tests. Three patients recovered, as active cases reached 46.
Updated 1145 – Unemployment stable
Malta’s unemployment rate for May remained stable at 3.7% at the same level of April, and 0.8% down from the same month in 2020. This was revealed by the National Statistics Office this morning. This means that 10,105 people are without a job. Almost 2,000 of them are young people under 25. The EU unemployment rate was 7.3% in May 2021, down from 7.4% in April 2021 and up from 6.9% in May 2020.
Updated 0845 – Newspaper Review
The Times reports that over 2,200 people had their social benefits suspended by the Benefit Fraud Investigation Department since 2018, saving the government some €7 million in the process. The department investigates false claims for state support.
L-Orizzont quotes Prime Minister Robert Abela during a meeting with social partners discussing the FATF verdict last week. He said that the government will continue to support job creation and investment plans.
The Independent quotes Prime Minister Robert Abela that he cannot justify the Panama Papers but said that systemic failures predate Labour’s election in 2013. Asked about his predecessor, he said that Joseph Muscat no longer forms part of the government.
The Malta Business Weekly publishes an interview with the Commissioner for Trade Relations with the UK, Mario Vella, who said that the health of Britain’s economy is an important factor for Malta’s own economy.
In-Nazzjon covers an address by PN Leader Bernard Grech to the Council for Economic and Social Development. He said that no entity can take Malta out of the FATF grey list alone but expressed confidence in the success of a national joint effort.
The Times says that it has declined an advert by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban citing restrictions on the press in his own country. The right-wing leader is running an EU-wide campaign criticising European institutions and laying out his alternative ideas.
The Independent says that Malta will start accepting the EU digital certificates from today, but arrivals from the UK will, for now, still need to present a physical copy of their Covid-19 certificates issued by the NHS.
The Malta Business Weekly speaks with British High Commissioner Cathy Ward about the travel requirements between the UK and Malta. The Commissioner warned that the Covid-19 green listing places new rules that travellers must follow.
L-Orizzont reports the launch of the national post-Covid strategy focusing on twelve areas of action. The Minister for Research and Innovation, Owen Bonnici, said that the plan will prepare Malta for the world after the pandemic.
In-Nazzjon reports that the Nationalist Party has called a General Council between July 10 and 17. The Council will review amendments to the party statute and elect 18 new members to the Executive Committee.
L-Orizzont quotes Health Minister Chris Fearne that medicines related to IVF will be fully funded by the government after the coming Budget. Speaking in parliament he said that 180 IVF cycles were performed at Mater Dei hospital last year.
Morning Briefing
Economic recovery plan to be discussed today
Malta’s post-COVID economic recovery plan will be discussed in Parliament today after the Prime Minister accepted a report by the Opposition. Robert Abela sad that the plan puts the environment and the digital transformation at the centre. It carres a budget of some €320 million in EU post-pandemic recovery funds and must be approved by the European Commission before it can come into effect. Government’s plan, approved by Cabinet earlier thsi week, includes include funding the transition to electric cars and public transport, the digital transformation of public services and health systems, including the building of a new blood bank, investment in schools, and climate change.
In the health sector, a clinic will be established to monitor the progress of those who were infected by Covid as well as that of obesity which has now become a national problem.
Neil Agius completes world-record swim
Long distance swimmer arrived in Xlendi in Gozo on Thursday night, bringing to an end an incredible 125km swim from the island of Linosa. Thus Agius broke the world record for the the longest continuous, unassisted, current-neutral swim along a single-segment natural route in an ocean. The world record-setting swim was part of a campaign being run by the Wave of Change, an environmental activist group founded by Agius himself, which aims to raise awareness on the damage plastic pollution is doing to our oceans. The feat took 52 hours.
Covid-19 Update: Five new cases were reported on Wednesday. With no persons recovering for the third consecutive day, active cases now stand at 45. More than 320,000 persons are now fully vaccinated. 2,374 swab tests were taken in the last 24 hours.
CDE News
