Updated 1745 – News Portal Briefing
The Times of Malta reports that the health authorities have set up a special unit to treat elderly with COVID-19, Charmaine Gauci announced on Friday.
MaltaToday says that a group of Valletta residents woke up on Friday morning to find their cars practically destroyed in what is clearly a high-speed hit-and-run along the Marsamxett Road.
TVM reports that Education Minister Owen Bonnici has said that where post secondary and tertiary education is concerned it is not beneficial for students for all lessons to be held online.
Newsbook reports that the Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) Joseph Cuschieri and MFSA’s General Counsel and member of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit, FIAU, Edwina Licari have been suspended.
Updated 1250 – Covid-19 Update
Malta registered a decline in active cases of coronavirus for the first time in four weeks with 76 new cases recovered being balanced out with 110 recoveries. The new cases were identified from 3,075 swab tests.
Malta now has 1,891 active cases.
In the weekly briefing by Prof Charmaine Gauci, the Health Superintendent said that the largest number of new cases were related to family and work clusters, Gauci said. A total of 161 cases were from households while a further 57 came from workplaces. Fifteen cases were traced to from social gatherings while six were imported.
Updated 1033
The Ministry of Health said that a 68-year old died early this morning after contracting the coronavirus. He had been hospitalised five days ago and was identified as positive to the virus a day after. The man had underlying medical conditions, the Ministry said, in its announcement of Malta’s 61st Covid-related death.
Updated 0833 – Newspaper Review
The Independent publishes an interview with cardinal-elect Mario Grech who said he was surprised to be named for the rank in the Church. Fr Grech said that he wants to retain a sense of simplicity in his new role.
The Times reveals that former OPM official Charlene Bianco Farrugia joined a trip to Las Vegas funded by businessman Yorgen Fenech in 2018. The travelling party included financial services authority chief Joseph Cuschieri and gaming authority official Edwina Licari.
L-Orizzont says that Air Malta is pledging a stable connection to 15 major EU destinations throughout the winter months. The airline said that it will operate both passenger and cargo journeys for peace of mind.
In-Nazzjon follows a meeting between the Nationalist Party and the Developers Association. PN Leader Bernard Grech explained the party’s economic vision based on 12 pillars and said that development can elevate people’s quality of life.
The Independent says that questions to Economy Minister Edward Scicluna about reports that top officials from the MFSA and the FIAU holidayed with Yorgen Fenech in 2018, remained unanswered.
The Times quotes a report by the EU Commission for the Efficiency of Justice which finds that court cases in Malta take anywhere between double and four times longer to conclude than the average in European courts.
L-Orizzont says that Malta has filed a joint appeal with six other EU members before the European Court of Justice against a new directive regulating conditions for truck drivers. MEP Alfred Sant said the directive negatively affects countries in the periphery.
In-Nazzjon says that the number of Covid-19 casualties rose to 60 on Thursday after three more patients died from the virus. There are currently 1,937 active cases as consultants urge authorities to act before the intensive care unit is overwhelmed.
L-Orizzont reports on the death of Jesuit Fr Lino Cardona after he contracted Covid-19. The paper says that there were 35 victims of the disease in October, the highest rate since the start of the pandemic.
Morning Briefing
PM rules out early election
Prime Minister Robert Abela yesterday evening ruled out the possibility of an early election, saying that it would be irresponsible to do so at a time when the country is facing a pandemic and in the midst of an economic recovery.
In an interview aired on the national broadcaster, Abela insisted that the date of the next election would be decided in the national interest. He also dismissed as speculation talks of reshuffle in Cabinet.
Covid deaths edge up to 60
Health authorities reported three deaths yesterday, all men. The first two, announced in the morning, concerned two men aged 82 and 66 respectively. Later in the day, a third death was reported, that of a 76-year old, identified as Fr Lino Cardona, a well-known and loved priest, particularly among the Jesuit community and former St. Aloysius’ College students.
Malta registered another 106 cases of coronavirus in Malta over the past 24 hours. These were identified from 2,966 tests and take the tally of active cases to 1,927.
Increased pressure on MFSA CEO to resign
Following earlier revelations that MFSA CEO Joseph Cuschieri enjoyed a trip to Las Vegas with the alleged mastermind of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, it was later revealed that the two were accompanied by Edwina Licari, a former gaming authority official, now at MFSA, as well as Charlene Bianco Farrugia, Keith Schembri’s former PA. Cuschieri said that he found no conflict of interest in accepting this trip, where he acted, in his own words, as a consultant on regulatory matters.
The Opposition and NGO Repubblika have issued strong calls calling for Cuschieri’s resignation in view of the damage that such news had on the reputation of Malta’s financial service industry.
Licari is also a deputy director at FIAU, with an official from the latter telling The Malta Independent that it does not have the power to remove its own board members.
According to Alfred Zammit, “decisions regarding the composition of the Board of the FIAU, including the appointment and termination of Board members, as per Article 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, are not within the remit of the FIAU. The Unit is therefore not in a position to take any action.”
CDE News
