News Briefing
Repubblika claims police commissioner has evidence of obstruction in Caruana Galizia murder investigations
Repubblika president Robert Aquilina claimed the police commissioner has evidence against two people who obstructed investigations into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, with one of these people being the former commissioner Lawrence Cutajar. Aquilina made the allegation during a protest in Valletta calling for justice and change under the battle cry: “we will succeed”. With regards to the Attorney General, Aquilina claimed that Buttigieg signed a document in recent months ordering that two people who were supposed to be charged over the Pilatus Bank inquiry remain uncharged. “This document is being kept confidential as if it’s a state secret. This isn’t normal.” “I challenge Victoria Buttigieg to tell the truth about what I’ve revealed about this secret document she signed. I challenge her to face journalists, in the way other attorney generals around the world do, and give an overview to the public who pay her salary on what she has and hasn’t done in regards to the Pilatus Bank inquiry.” Malta Today
Budget to prove government having a social spirit – Abela | Grech calls for a solid economic plan
Quality of life is a key Budget concern for Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition leader Bernard Grech, with the former promising a balanced Budget and the latter demanding an admission of error in Labour’s previous economic plans, Malta Today reports.
Monday’s Budget will show how the government has the public’s best interest at heart, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday, holding back from revealing any specific measures. Speaking at a Labour Party event in Naxxar, Abela said it will be clear that the government’s guiding economic document has been drafted with the country’s best interest in mind. (Times of Malta)
PN Leader Bernard Grech went a step further and said that government should outline how it will cut spending, help people in need, and improve quality of life. “There needs to be a solid economic plan.” (MaltaToday)
Former Museum Director and Arts Historian Marius Zerafa dies, aged 93
Dominican friar Marius Zerafa, best known for his role in the successful recovery of Caravaggio’s St Jerome, has died, the Dominic Friars said on Sunday, Times of Malta reports. He was 93.
Gozo – Malta Tunnel project shelved
An ambitious plan to have the two islands of Malta and Gozo connected by a subsea tunnel has been shelved, government sources close to the controversial project have told MaltaToday. The sources, privy to the consultation and plans that took place on the bipartisan project launched right before 2013, said the billion-euro tunnel project would not be taking place in the foreseeable future.
Fast Ferry Service frequency to increase – EU approves contract
Newsbook.com.mt is informed that the European Commission has approved a two-year contract worth €12 million that will aid the operators of the fast ferry between Malta and Gozo sustain their services. Sources of this newsroom said that the contract will be signed in the coming weeks, allowing for the setting up of a schedule similar to that during the summer months, meaning that there will be 24 trips every day.
Woman dies after motorbike incident
Maltese roads have taken yet another life – this time that of a 42 year old woman, identified by the public broadcaster as Marie Claire Lombardi from Mgarr. The woman died after she skidded with her motorbike on the road towards Ta’ Qali. Despite prompt assistance by a medical team, she was certified dead in hospital. A magisterial inquiry is ongoing. (TVM)
Women’s participation in decision making is a fundamental right – President
Women’s equal participation in the decision-making process is a fundamental matter of rights apart from being in the best interests of society at large”, President George Vella said. The President was addressing a keynote speech in the first edition of the ‘Women, Peace and Security Forum: Partnerships for Sustainable Peace’ held in Pristina, Kosovo. Vella said that we need to acknowledge that reinforcing the role of women in all aspects of life is in itself a direct contribution to a more democratic, just, and equitable world. The women, peace and security agenda, the President said, is one of the priorities for Malta’s two-year term on the UN Security Council starting January 2023. “Malta aims to continue calling for work to advance this agenda to ensure the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women in peace processes by bringing down social, cultural, and political barriers and prejudices”, he argued.
Three injuries at work in 24 hours
Three men were injured between Friday and Saturday according to police reports. On Friday afternoon a construction worker was grievously injured by sawing machinery in Xagħra while Saturday morning another worker was grievously injured after a slip at a construction site in St Paul’s. The third victim, whose identity was still unknown, fell from a one-storey height in San Gwann. (Maltatoday)
