Malta News Briefing

Malta: Five charged over tourist bus fracas plead not guilty

The Times follows the case in court about the 2018 double-decker tragedy that left two passengers dead and many injured. Four company directors and the driver pleaded not guilty to…

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Malta: Bernard Grech tells government to stay out of police investigations

In-Nazzjon covers a press conference by PN Leader Bernard Grech who criticised the Prime Minister for trying to take credit for the latest developments in the Caruana Galizia case. Grech…

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Malta: Rosianne Cutajar resigns from junior minister

The Independent reports that junior minister Rosianne Cutajar stepped down pending the outcome of an investigation by the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life. In a Facebook post, Cutajar said…

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Ministry and union to collaborate on inclusion campaign: The Headline – L-Orizzont

L-Orizzont covers a meeting between Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli and the General Workers Union, launching a campaign to promote inclusion. Secretary general Josef Bugeja said the union considers inclusion at…

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Malta: Vince Muscat implicates former minister Cardona in assassination plan

The Times says that Vince Muscat told the police that former minister Chris Cardona was involved in a 2015 plot to kill Daphne Caruana Galizia which was later aborted. Contacted…

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Malta: PN begins consultation exercise on energy policy

In-Nazzjon reports on a meeting between the PN and the Developers’ Association, the first in a series of consultation sessions about policy proposals for the energy sector announced by the…

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Malta: Four men charged with 2015 murder

L-Orizzont reports that four people have been charged with the murder of Carmel Chircop, who was shot in Birkirkara in 2015. Two of the arraigned men are also believed to…

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Malta: Police say all Caruana Galizia murder accomplices caught

The Times quotes Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà who told the press that all suspects involved in the Caruana Galizia murder have been caught or are facing charges. He refused, however,…

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Malta: Chamber of Commerce urges investment in manufacturing

The Malta Business Weekly publishes an interview with Chamber of Commerce Deputy President Marisa Xuereb who said that the pandemic has demonstrated the need to strengthen the manufacturing sector in…

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Malta: People over 75 may sign up to vaccination from next week

The Independent reports that people in the 75 to 80 age group will start receiving letters to receive the vaccine from next week. Health Minister Chris Fearne said vaccination for…

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Malta: Vaccination in elderly homes to be completed next week

L-Orizzont says that vaccination in homes for the elderly will be complete by the end of next week. Minister for Active Ageing Michael Farrugia said that the jab is being…

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Malta: Opposition Leader applauds perseverance in the pursuit of justice

In-Nazzjon quotes a tweet by Opposition Leader Bernard Grech which said that, had the institutions not been “hijacked” by people in power, Daphne Caruana Galizia would still have been alive.…

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Malta: Caruana Galizia family calls for full justice for journalist’s murder

The Independent quotes a statement by the Caruana Galizia family expressing their hope that the guilty plea by Vincent Muscat may lead to “complete justice” for the murdered journalist. They…

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Malta: Police pick up suspected bomb suppliers

Malta Today reports on the arrest of brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, known as Tal-Maksar, and their associate Jamie Vella on Tuesday. The men are suspected to have supplied the…

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Malta: Vince Muscat admits his part in killing Daphne Caruana Galizia

The Times leads with a plea bargain for Vincent Muscat, who admitted to his material role in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Muscat received a reduced jail term of…

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OPM officials step down: The Headline – In-Nazzjon

In-Nazzjon reports the resignation of two OPM officials following internal disagreements in recent weeks. Deputy communications director Nigel Vella and head of customer care Sandro Craus joined Castille during the…

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Malta: Gozo mayors formed common front against overdevelopment

The Times quotes the president of the Gozo regional council, Samuel Azzopardi, who said that the Planning Authority has ignored a plea endorsed by all the island’s mayors raising concerns…

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Malta: Government to start maintenance works on 50 residential blocks

L-Orizzont says that the government invested €7 million in embellishment works on social housing units in the last three years. Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes said that 50 residential blocks have…

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Malta: Architects say government failed to consult them on construction Bill

The Independent quotes Architects’ Chamber president, Andre Pizzuto, who warned that reforms proposed in the construction Act overlook the advice of industry experts. Pizzuto said that the government did not…

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Malta: Rise in explicit video leaks

The Times says that the cybercrime police have registered an increase in reports about illicit video leaks of sexually explicit material. There were eight cases in 2020, double the normal…

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Malta: New car park proposed for Ta’ Qali

The Independent reports that the government has filed a planning application to convert a site in Ta’ Qali into a 500-car parking facility below a bike park. The 9,900 square…

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Malta: PM to discuss rentals plan with parliamentary group

L-Orizzont says that the Prime Minister is holding a meeting of the PL parliamentary group today to discuss plans by the government to reform the property rentals laws for contracts…

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Malta: Yorgen Fenech promised junior minister Cutajar his help

The Sunday Times says that Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar sought Yorgen Fenech’s help to conduct a survey in her constituency in 2019. The businessman assured her of his support, adding…

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Malta: Total bank deposits topped €14 billion in 2020

Kullħadd quotes Central Bank figures showing that bank deposits stood at €14.3 billion by the end of last year. The paper says total savings were five times higher than those…

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Malta: Court issues garnishee order against AUM

The Independent on Sunday reports that a judge ordered a €1.1 million garnishee on the American University of Malta over case against it filed by the institution’s former lawyer Louai…

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Malta: Brexit bureaucracy raising prices for importers

It-Torċa says that businesses are experiencing long delays on goods imported from the UK, following new regulations and procedures introduced with the Brexit agreement. One trader said that import prices…

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Malta: Government official sought to push story against a college in 2019

Illum says that a senior government official in 2019 gave businessman Yorgen Fenech the go-ahead to pitch a negative story about another government official to an English-language Sunday paper. The…

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Malta: PM to hold urgent parliamentary group meeting tomorrow

Il-Mument says that the PL parliamentary group is holding an emergency meeting at Castille on Monday. The paper says that sources believe this is another step towards an early election…

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Malta: Government identifies Gozo site for offshore wind farm

Malta Today reports that a site of the north-east of Gozo has been identified as a possible offshore wind power plant that could generate enough electricity for the island. Government…

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Malta: Pharma companies researching vaccines for Covid-19 variants

The Independent reports that 52 cases of the UK coronavirus variant were discovered while one case of the South African strand was detected. Public Health Commissioner Charmaine Gauci said that…

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Malta: PN leader visit Gozo business community

In-Nazzjon covers a visit to companies in Gozo by PN Leader Bernard Grech on Friday and reports positive feedback by the business community about the energy proposals announced by the…

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Malta: Abattoir workers test positive for Covid-19

L-Orizzont reports that meat-processing workers had to be transferred from Gozo to Malta after 10 workers in the public slaughterhouse were infected with the Covid-19 virus. The Ministry for Agriculture…

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Malta: Widespread industrial actions by healthcare workers

The Times reports that Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin issued a series of directives to 1,300 workers in the healthcare sector, slowing down medical appointments and testing. The union accused the government…

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Malta: Government assessing options on rentals laws

L-Orizzont speaks with Parliamentary Secretary for Housing Roderick Galdes who said that the government is considering different solutions to address issues surrounding the pre-1995 rentals policy. Another story says that…

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Malta: Developers pressing for seat on construction authority board

The Times says that the developers’ association is looking to appoint a representative on the board of the proposed Building and Construction Authority, leading environmentalists to raise concerns about possible…

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Malta: Opposition party launches new energy vision

In-Nazzjon leads with the announcement of a new energy policy by the PN on Thursday. The party said its proposals would reduce prices, increase incentives for cleaner energy, and generate…

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Malta: PM lowers expectations on lifting of Covid-19 measures

The Independent quotes Prime Minister Robert Abela who said that the government will take a cautious approach to reverse Covid-19 measures. He signalled that safety precautions will likely remain in…

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Malta: New designs for Delimara boutique hotel

The paper reports on revised plans for a hotel in Delimara Bay, Marsaxlokk after original designs submitted in 2018 were withdrawn. The new boutique hotel would be lower in height…

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Malta: Central Bank forecasts jobs growth

L-Orizzont quotes a Central Bank report which said that the jobs market showed “extraordinary resilience” in 2020 despite a decrease in the rate of employment. The report expects jobs to…

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Malta: Energy minister dodges questions on electricity feed-in rate

In-Nazzjon says that Energy Minister Miriam Dalli refused to commit to raising the feed-in rate for families generating electricity from solar panels. The minister said that the government is reviewing…

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Malta: Vince Muscat drops charges against prosecution

The Times leads with the withdrawal by the lawyers of Vince Muscat of an appeal against a court decision turning down offers for a pre-trial deal. One of the three…

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Malta: Organic farmers demand equal incentives

The Malta Business Weekly publishes an interview with the president of the Organic Farming Association, Mario Salerno, who called for state incentives enjoyed by conventional farmers to encourage more organic…

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Malta: Cabinet to discuss Right to Disconnect proposals

Business Today speaks with Minister Carmelo Abela who said Cabinet will discuss the proposals about introducing the Right to Disconnect in the coming weeks, but assured employers that no decisions…

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Malta: Lowest rate of violence against LGBTQI persons in Europe

L-Orizzont quotes a report which says that Malta registered the lowest rate of threats against the LGBTQI community in Europe last year. The study, published by ILGA-Europe, shows that two…

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Malta: Opposition calls for more effective virus screening

In-Nazzjon quotes opposition spokesperson for health Stephen Spiteri who urged the government to step up the Covid-19 screening efforts, particularly after the first cases of the virus mutations have been…

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Malta: First case of South African variant detected

The Times reports that a case of the Covid-19 variant first observed in South Africa was detected in Malta during gene sequencing tests. The strain makes the virus more infectious…

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Malta: Fewer occupational accidents in 2020

The Independent says that non-fatal occupational accidents fell by almost 900 last year, compared with over 3,200 cases in 2019. The construction sector and manufacturing accounted for the highest number…

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Malta: Parliament debating Bill to regulate legal profession

Malta Today leads with an announcement by Health Minister Chris Fearne who said that educators will start receiving the Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the month. People working in…

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Malta: PN warns that inaction against junior minister harms the country’s reputation

In-Nazzjon quotes a PN statement criticising the Prime Minister for failing to act against Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar. The opposition party said that impunity of Cabinet members tarnishes the country’s…

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Malta: Studies on Għadira beach extension ongoing

The Independent says that Projects Plus, a government body, is still carrying out studies on a beach extension project announced in 2018. The initiative seeks to extend the sandy beach…

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Malta: Hundreds of cab drivers and food couriers working illegally

The Times reveals that JobsPlus informed the Cabinet that around 1,200 third-country nationals are working illegally as cab drivers and couriers for food companies. According to employment laws, non-EU nationals…

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Malta: Over 90 percent of frontliners have been vaccinated

L-Orizzont says that nine percent of front-liners in the healthcare sectors have not been administered the Covid-19 vaccine. Health Minister Chris Fearne told parliament that, of these, some could not…

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Malta: PN pledges lower night tariffs for EV charging

In-Nazzjon says that the Nationalist Party is proposing to lower the night tariff for the charging of electric vehicles by 20 percent. Party leader Bernard Grech said a PN government…

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Malta: Development permits extended by three years

The Times reports that the Planning Authority has given a three-year extension to all development permits expiring between March last year and December 2022. A spokesperson said the decision would…

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Malta: PM says government measures sustained economy through pandemic

L-Orizzont follows a political rally addressed by the Prime Minister on Sunday who said that the government’s measures during the pandemic gave families and businesses a needed boost and kept…

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Malta: Government seeking to rebuild air links

The Independent speaks with a spokesperson for the Tourism Ministry who said the government will seek to phase in air connections with a number of airlines, targeting a range of…

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Malta: Activists warn Burmarrad road-building project will cost agricultural land

Il-Mument covers a press conference by Moviment Graffitti which denounced plans by Infrastructure Malta to build new roads in Burmarrad. Activist Andre Callus said that farmers in the area risk…

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