Latest Update- News Portal Briefing
Times of Malta says Nationalist Party election candidate Emma Portelli Bonnici has called for an end to the “systematic abuse of women” and “witch hunts” after she was inundated by a barrage of hate speech over something she never even said.
MaltaToday reports the construction developer Michael Stivala has clinched a memorandum of understanding with the developers of Sliema’s Townsquare, to take over the project.
Newsbook reports that the Commissioner for Standards in Public Life, George Hyzler, has dismissed dangerous driving allegations levelled against Opposition MP Karol Aquilina by PL’s TV presenter Karl Stagno Navarra and Joe Cardona.
TVM says that Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar has launched a new strategy for the public service for the next five years, entitled ‘Towards a Service of Excellence’ (‘Lejn Servizz t’Eċċellenza’).
Mid-Day Briefing
Covid-19 Update: 37 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Thursday and 17 patients recovered. Eight virus patients are receiving hospital treatment, including four in intensive care, the health authorities said.
Traffic accidents up by a quarter in summer: Traffic accidents increased by 26% in the third quarter of the year, compared with the same period last year, national statistics show. There were 3,980 accidents between July and September, up from 3,167. The figures include two fatalities – a driver who crashed into another vehicle and a pedestrian, the NSO said. Birkirkara remains the worst place for accidents, accounting for 253, followed by Qormi and St Paul’s Bay, with 208 and 204 cases respectively.
Major producers boycott Malta Film Awards: Malta’s major film-makers intend to boycott the first edition of the Malta Film Awards in protest at the amount of money being spent on the one-night event in comparison with the country’s annual film fund. The awards are set to cost the taxpayer €400,000, while the annual budget allocated to the Screen Malta film fund, administered by the Malta Film Commission, is just €600,000.
Morning Briefing
CoE postpones Cutajar decision
The Council of Europe has postponed its decision as to whether to sanction Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar for possible ethical breaches, saying it needs will await for developments from the Maltese parliament. “Pending receipt of this information and the completion of the national parliamentary procedure, [the Council of Europe] decided to resume the consideration of this matter, no later than during the 2022 second part-session of the Assembly”, it noted.
The CoE was discussing whether Cutajar was in breach of ethics when criticising a report on the rule of law in Malta without declaring a conflict of interest on the matter. However, the Council concluded that Cutajar’s failure to submit a declaration of interests since 2018 for four consecutive years “constituted a minor breach of the Code of Conduct” and decided to inform the Speaker of the Maltese parliament. (Times of Malta)
Mizzi defends Electrogas project at PAC
Former Labour Minister Konrad Mizzi defended the Electrogas project insisting that the selection process was fair.
hen remarks were passed by the Opposition MPs on Mizzi’s Panama account, he repeatedly mentioned the Capital One case, and the way the Maltese police had handled the money laundering case.
Speaking on the Auditor General report, Mizzi insisted his role was one which was concerned with policy.
“What the auditor general published on the Electrogas deal, does not compare to the BWSC report,” he said. He also said the auditor report clearly showed “Malta needed the project.”
Mizzi said that administrative shortcomings were normal, especially in a project of this magnitude,” he said. Most of the session was a shouting game between Mizzi and Opposition MPs.
Covid-19 Update: The uptick in coronavirus cases continued on Wednesday as 34 new cases were reported, partly compensated by 21 recoveries. Active cases stand at 251, nine of whom remain in hospital.
