Updated 1700 – Newsportal Review
The Times of Malta quotes a Caritas report which claims that the average family of four is spending €100 a month more on food bills than in 2020 and the elderly are facing an even higher increase, according to a new study. Two years ago an average family of two adults and two children would spend €7,100 a year on food, or €600 a month, Caritas found.
Newsbook also dissects the same study, focusing on findings that show that an elderly couple on low income has experienced the highest increase in their food and medicine expenses when compared to 2020 by 25% and 36% respectively.
TVM reports that 40-year old Johann Sultana was imprisoned for three years after he was found guilty of running a message parlour in Fgura for prostitution. His parntner, 28-year old Pawlina Cutajar was handed a suspended prison term. The couple, parents of a girl, were accused with living on prostitution and with money laundering.
Maltatoday quotes Speaker Anglu Farrugia who has suggested shorter speaking times in a bigger parliament. The new parliament is the largest it has ever been with 79 MPs.
Updated 1245 – Mid-Day Briefing
Govt revising economic growth projections downwards: Government was revising Malta’s economic growth projections “a bit downwards” because of global inflation pressures, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said. The Finance Minister noted how inflationary pressures are being experienced across Europe and the rest of the world in large part due to rising energy costs. He said all these factors could lead to some economic slowdown in the coming months, and especially next year. According to the Central Bank, growth rates this year will slow down from 6% this year to 5.3% in 2023 and 3.8% in 2024, adding that these figures were forecasted prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
PN Council expresses full trust in Bernard Grech, Jason Azzopardi resigns: The Nationalist Party administrative council has expressed its unanimous confidence in leader Bernard Grech, with the latter insisted that he never had any discussions concerning a pardon to Yorgen Fenech. PN leader Bernard Grech described Jason Azzopardi’s allegations as ‘very serious’, denying categorically ever having discussed a pardon with anyone and insisted that he had always ensured the presence of a third party when discussing donations to the party. Earlier, Azzopardi resigned from member of the PN.
Covid-19 Update: Covid cases have gone down to 3,328, health authorities have reported, while the country has registered two further deaths, taking the tally to 702. 175 new cases were reported on Tuesday.
Updated 0630 am – Never discussed any pardons: Grech
PN leader Bernard Grech described Jason Azzopardi’s allegations as ‘very serious’, denying categorically ever having discussed a pardon with anyone and insisted that he had always ensured the presence of a third party when discussing donations to the party. A late night administrative meeting by the party expressed its full confidence in Grech on the issue.
Morning Briefing
Jason Azzopardi resigns from PN amid pardon allegations
Jason Azzopardi has resigned from the Nationalist Party after alleging party leader Bernard Grech promised a presidential pardon which has been interpreted by sections as the media to refer to Yorgen Fenech. The resignation comes a day after the PN gave Azzopardi 24 hours to substantiate claims he made on social media. Azzopardi, who failed to get elected as MP, said that members of the accused family insisted that they would no longer vote PN if he stayed on as MP. Questioned about Azzopardi’s claims, a PN spokesperson told Times of Malta that Bernard Grech: “never discussed Yorgen Fenech, a clemency deal or a pardon with anyone”. (Times / Maltatoday)
Swab tests discarded illegally in Iklin
Health authorities have reported the illegal dumping of biohazard clinical bags full of Covid-19 swab tests in Iklin. “Mater Dei Hospital have filed a police report with regards to the above-mentioned waste, for the necessary investigations to be conducted by the Police Force,” a health ministry spokesperson said. The bags were discovered in a field in the Iklin valley by volunteers from environmental NGO Żibel, who raised the alarm in a Facebook post. (Newsbook)
Covid-19 Update: Covid cases have gone down to 3,351, health authorities have reported, while the country has registered its 700th pandemic-related death after two people passed away overnight. Today Malta has lifted more restrictive measures, including the need to wear masks except on flights, in hospital and in care homes. All social activities were green-lighted from today.
