Updated 1200
Woman murdered in Sliema
A Colombian woman was murdered in Sliema this morning. The authorities became aware of this incident when a 43-year-old Colombian man entered the Sliema police station at 6:15 am and confessed to the on-duty officers that he had committed a homicide. The man’s clothing showed apparent stains of blood. The victim, identified as 43-year-old Sandra Ramirez, was discovered with stab wounds in the bed of a rented apartment on Triq Sir George Borg. (Times of Malta)
PN reshuffle underway- reports
According to Maltatoday, the PN will undertake a “major reshuffle” today, with a number of MPs seeing changes to their shadow portfolios. The electronic portal indicates that Joe Giglio and Darren Carabott are expected to be among the prime movers of this reshuffle.Saturday’s changes are expected to be annoucned by the party later in the day.
Malta used all available EU funds – PM
During the inauguration of the Grand Master’s Palace on Friday after a comprehensive restoration programne, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that Malta has effectively utilized 100% of the European funds allocated to it for the period of 2013-2020. The Office of the Prime Minister indicated that the funds disbursed during this timeframe totaled €1.1 billion. The Prime Minister highlighted that these funds were directed towards capital projects, social initiatives, and various other programs. He specifically mentioned an investment of €925.5 million across 128 projects with the overarching aim of enhancing the economy’s competitiveness and fostering innovation.
Morning Briefing
Government debt reahces €9.4bn by end of Q3
In the third quarter of 2023, the General Government recorded a deficit of €44.5 million, according to the NSO. Compared to the corresponding quarter in 2022, total revenue increased by €176.5 million, while total expenditure increased by €36.4 million. At the end of the third quarter of 2023, the General Government debt stood at €9,409.8 million, an increase of €714.9 million over the same quarter in 2022. The Government guaranteed debt amounted to €1,189.1 million at the end of September 2023, an increase of €12.4 million when compared to the third quarter of 2022. (NSO)
Warmer December recorded - Met Office
In spite of marking the onset of winter, December in Malta turned out to be drier and warmer than the usual, as indicated by recent data from the Meteorological Office. According to the Met Office’s announcement, the final month of the year experienced only 52.5 mm of rainfall, which is 32.3 mm below the climatic average calculated over a 30-year period. The elevated temperatures were notable, with the highest recorded temperature reaching 23.4°C, and the lowest hitting 10.3°C. These warmer conditions persisted consistently throughout the entire month, encompassing both Christmas and New Year’s. The average temperature for December reached 15.9°C, surpassing the climatic norm by 1.4°C. (Times of Malta)
Maltese nurse requests Filipino colleague to be struck off register
A Maltese nurse, boasting five decades of experience in the field, has initiated legal action to challenge the Maltese nursing license issued to a Filipino national. The petitioner contends that the Filipino nurse lacks all the necessary qualifications stipulated by the Nursing Act. This information comes to light through a sworn application submitted this morning in the First Hall of the Civil Court by Denis Tanti. Tanti has filed against the Council of Nurses and Midwives, the Health Minister, and the Filipino woman. In his application, he urges the court to annul her nursing license and mandate the removal of her name from the roster of registered nurses. (Maltatoday)
