Latest update- 1745
Times of Malta says that Malta is set to have the strictest rules in the EU on mask-wearing outside, according to a Times of Malta analysis, with only one other country in the bloc requiring its citizens to mask up everywhere.
MaltaToday says that the Malta Chamber of Commerce has taken umbrage at the pushback for an EU-funded gas pipeline and appealed for everyone to keep the national interest in mind.
Newsbook says that the Standards Commissioner has found Education Minister Justyne Caruana in breach of ethics when the Education Ministry’s decision to grant a €5,000-a-month contract to former Malta international footballer Daniel Bogdanovic.
TVM says that a 40-year-old man was sentenced to eight years in jail after he pleaded guilty to repeatedly raping his partner’s daughter, who at the time was only 14 years old.
Mid-Day Briefing
Airport travel still 36% below pre-Covid levels: Over 315,000 passengers travelled through the Malta International Airport last month. While this number still represents a drop of 36% on pre-Covid numbers, the MIA said that this figure represented the lowest gap since the start of the pandemic. The MIA added that just under 70% of the 455,802 seats available on flights to and from Malta were occupied. The seat load factor for the past three months remained largely unchanged, decreasing only marginally from 70.2% cent in September to 69.3% in October and November.
PN wants Petitions Committee to consider cannabis bill petition: The PN has asked the Petitions Committee chairman Joe Mizzi, for an urgent meeting to discuss the petition that 53 organisations and individuals submitted against the cannabis bill. “The Opposition formally wrote to the Chairman so that urgently, before a vote is taken with regards to the cannabis legislation on 14 December, the committee meeting is held,” PN said in a statement on Friday. “The members of the Opposition that form part of the Committee are disposed to meet at any time and day prior to the vote, so that the petition is discussed and the Government stops bypassing everyone,” PN concluded.
Covid-19 Update: 88 new cases of coronavirus were reported by health authorities on Friday, with 59 recoveries. During the last 24 hours, a 77-year-old man passed away, taking the death tally to 470. 23 From 1364 active cases, 23 are currently hospitalised, three in ITU.
Morning Briefing
Fenech says his statement was given under cocaine influence
Yorgen Fenech’s lawyers are challenging the validity of statements he gave police investigators, claiming he was under the influence of cocaine at the time. The Times of Malta reports that this was one of the challenges put up by lawyers of the businessman who in November 2019, while being interrogated following his arrest, strongly denied involvement in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, saying he “had no reason to do it”. “What did she ever write about me for me to do such things,” Fenech had asked, offering investigators information about state corruption in exchange for a presidential pardon. (Times of Malta)
Miriam Dalli defends gas pipeline, says quoted figures for compensation to Electrogas are incorrect
Energy Minister Miriam Dalli has refused to to quantify the compensation payment to the Electrogas consortium that will be triggered by the gas pipeline project but defended plans to tap into EU funds for hydrogen-ready gas pipeline. However, Dall insisted that the quoted €100 million payment was incorrect. She said the payment will be “the fair value of the assets” at Delimara plant on the day. (Maltatoday)
Masks to be worn again: Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that masks have once again to be worn again in the outdoors. “Mask-wearing and booster vaccines are effective to contain COVID-19,” he said, adding that the measure is applicable even when walking alone outdoors, in public spaces, workplaces and businesses. People will not need to wear a mask when sitting in a restaurant”, Fearne said. (CDE News)
Covid-19 Update: A total of 81 new daily cases were reported today while 107 people recovered. 27 people are being treated in hospital, 4 of whom are in the ITU.
