Cost-of-living eclipses corruption as nation’s foremost concern / Malta News Briefing – Monday 24 July 2023

Updated 1200

Cost-of-living eclipses corruption as nation’s foremost concern: The most prevalent concern among most Maltese citizens remains the cost of living, with nearly one in five individuals identifying it as the country’s most significant problem. Furthermore, almost a third of respondents described it as their top individual concern, as revealed in the latest Times of Malta survey.  Corruption emerged as the second-largest problem in the country, with 15% of all respondents expressing this concern. However, despite its prominence on a national level, the personal impact of corruption appears to be relatively low, with only 6% of respondents identifying it as their most significant individual problem. Other issues such as traffic congestion and excessive construction garnered more concern from the participants. (Times of Malta)

Five charged with Sofia involuntary homicide, plead not guilty: Five individuals faced charges in court on Sunday evening in relation to the tragic incident at the construction site that led to the death of Jean Paul Sofia. The 20-year-old lost his life on December 13, 2022, when the include the project’s developers Kurt Buhagiar and Matthew Schembri, architect Adriana Zammit, contractor Milomir Jovicevic, and Dijana Jovicevic, who is a co-director of the contracting company involved. They were charged with the involuntary homicide of Jean Paul Sofia, and having grievously injured other people in front of Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras. The accused all plead guilty and were granted bail. (The Malta Independent)

Localities still struggling with powercuts: Despite Enemalta’s statement on Sunday claiming that power had been fully restored to all areas affected by cable faults, several localities experienced power cuts on Sunday night and Monday morning. Residents from Sliema, Dingli, Rabat, Attard, St Julian’s, St Paul’s Bay, and Żejtun reported enduring power outages during this period, leading to sleep difficulties in the high temperatures. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health issued a health warning due to an ongoing heatwave across the Maltese Islands, with the maximum temperature predicted to reach 42°C. It strongly advised individuals at higher risk of heatstroke, such as the elderly and children, to avoid sun exposure during peak hours. (MaltatodaY)

Earlier

ADPD to lead protest against corruption and incompetence

Malta’s green party ADPD has announced a protest against what they perceive as “corruption, incompetence, and carelessness” that has resulted in a series of power cuts affecting thousands of Maltese and Gozitans in the past week. The demonstration is scheduled for Thursday, 27th July, at 7 pm, and will take place outside Parliament in Valletta. In their statement on Sunday, ADPD expressed their intention to protest against the prevailing situation of frequent and prolonged power outages, holding those responsible accountable for the crisis. (The Malta Independent)

Maltese firefighters assist in Greece wildfires

A group of 20 firefighters from the Civil Protection Department (CPD) are in Greece to help fight wildfires which have swept large swathes of the country. They were deployed after a request for help made by Greece to the European Union. The CPD said that during the past week the CPD Firefighters battled wildfires in various part of Greece, assisting the country’s Civil Protection as part of the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid mechanism. (Newsbook)