Malta to send humanitarian assistance to Ukraine / Malta News Briefing – Friday 25 February 2022
10033 Mins Read
Updated 1900 – Newsportal Briefing
The Times of Malta reports that Transport Malta official Clint Axisa charged with sexual harassment. Axisa denied the charges when he was brought before a magistrate on Friday in the case first highlighted by independent election candidate Arnold Cassola. He was granted bail.
Maltatoday says that Civil society NGOs have urged Malta to expel Russian diplomats who support the invasion of Ukraine and stop the sale of citizenship to Russian nationals.
Newsbookhighlights Malta’s decision to send humanitarian assistance to the Ukrainian people through the Civil Protection mechanism, the home affairs ministry announced on Friday.
PM Abela commits to ‘price stability’ in energy: Prime Minister Robert Abela said that Government will guarantee price stability in the face of rising prices of oil and natural gas following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Abela was speaking in Brussels after an urgent EU Council meeting approved unprecedented sanctions against Russia and President Vladimir Putin. The PM also revealed that there were some 70 Malta-flagged ships in Ukrainian ports, two Malta-registered airplanes in Ukraine. Abela expressed concern at the predicament of a number of Maltese investors in Russia who could be impacted with a freeze on the banking system.
Ukrainians in Malta call for peaceful gathering: The Ukrainian community in Malta has called for a peaceful gathering in support and solidarity with their home country after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. This will take place tomorrow outside the Triton Fountain in Valletta at 2m. “This is an exclusively peaceful gathering in order to show unity support and solidarity with our home country Ukraine in this terrifying moment in time,” a Facebook post by the Ukrainian community said.
Covid-19 Update: 80 new cases were reported on Friday, while 88 patients recovered. There are currently 725 active cases, three of whom in ITU.
Morning Briefing
PN commits to four-day week trials
The PN promised to give businesses incentives to participate in a national four-day week trial. The proposal was included in the party’s electoral manifesto, anf forms part a new ‘social pact’ that also includes the introduction of a living wage. Other economic proposals included a decrease in VAT for restaurants and bars to 7% and a 50% tax credit for hotels to carry out refurbishment works and improvements to their facilities. The electoral manifesto was approved on Thursday evening by the party’s general council.
Fearne praises golden passports scheme
Health Minister and Labour Party deputy leader Chris Fearne praised the golden passports scheme for offering a large source of revenue that government can tap into for community projects. During a political activity in Birżebbuġa on Thursday, Fearne specifically referred to a newly refurbished healthcare centre in Gżira, which he inaugurated earlier in the day.”The funds for this health centre, that will be welcoming patients as from tomorrow, came from the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF) and in turn from the revenue of the IIP,” he said. Coincidentally, EP President Roberta Metsola urged European leaders on Thursday to stop the sale of golden passports when she attended an EU emergency summit on the Ukraine crisis, her first since her election as European Parliament president.
Covid-19 Update: Another 95 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded, with 106 recoveries. 44 people are in hospital, 3 of whom are in the ITU.
