Update 2030 – One dies at the workplace
A worker was killed and another was seriously injured in separate accidents when sheets of metal fell on them on Wednesday.
The police said the fatality took place at about 5.30pm in a warehouse in Triq il-Haddedin, Mgarr. The worker, who has not yet been identified, was unloading sheets of metals when some fell on him.
He died on the spot. Magistrate Gabriella Vella is heading an inquiry.
Earlier, a worker from Georgia was seriously injured when a sheet of metal fell on one of his feet.
The police said the accident happened in a warehouse at Triq ix-Xatt il-Mollijiet, Marsa, at about 3pm.
The 38-year-old was hospitalised, suffering serious injuries.
Updated 1745- News Portal Briefing
Times of Malta reports that catering establishments want lower utilities rates as well as measures to attract more clients.
MaltaToday reports that the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) will instruct its members not to administer the influenza vaccine from 10 October, if issues over meal allowances and vacation leave are resolved.
Newsbook says that Former Partit Nazzjonalista leader Adrian Delia has challenged fellow MP Jason Azzopardi to resign if no wrongdoing emerged from the WhatsApp exchange he had with murder suspect Yorgen Fenech.
TVM says Dr Bernard Grech was sworn in this afternoon as Leader of the Opposition, following his swearing-in yesterday as a Member of Parliament.
Update 1330 – Bernard Grech sworn in as Leader of The Opposition
PN leader Bernard Grech was sworn in as Leader of the Opposition this afternoon.
He was sworn in by President George Vella at a ceremony held at San Anton Palace. He was accompanied by his wife AnneMarie and his children Neil and Maria.
Chief Justice Mark Chetcuti, Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar and PN Deputy Leaders David Agius and Robert Arrigo were also present for the ceremony.
Grech was sworn in as a Member of Parliament on Tuesday.
Updated 1218 – 41st Covid-19 victim.
A 96-year-old coronavirus patient has died, health authorities have announced. She is the 41st Covid-19 victim.
In a statement, the Ministry said that she was admitted to Mater Dei Hospital from a home for the elderly, on October 1. She remained in the hospital until her death early on Wednesday.
Updated 0901 – Newspaper Review
Malta Today reports on the first official meeting between Robert Abela and Bernard Grech which took a combative direction despite the Prime Minister describing it as ‘cordial’. Abela told Grech that his comments about migration hindered his work in Europe.
The Times says that the Labour Party is considering co-opting an MP to replace Joseph Muscat instead of the regular casual election. The paper claims that party officials are keen on MEP Miriam Dalli to become a House Representative.
L-Orizzont reports that more PN members have returned their membership cards following the result of the leadership election last weekend. The paper quotes a post by a party member who said that the PN has been ‘seized’.
The Independent says that Prime Minister Robert Abela met Bernard Grech at his office in parliament shortly after the PN leader was sworn in as a member of the house. The two disagreed on issues such as migration policy and the Electrogas deal.
In-Nazzjon reports on the co-option of Bernard Grech as a member of Parliament on Tuesday. In a short speech, he thanked the Speaker, Adrian Delia, and Ivan J. Bartolo who vacated his seat representing the ninth district.
The Independent speaks to Economy Minister Silvio Schembri who said that Malta acted on the recommendations by the latest Moneyval report and the one before it and is confident that the country will not be grey-listed.
L-Orizzont speaks to Professor Andrew Azzopardi about the election of Bernard Grech as PN Leader. The Dean of the Faculty of Social Wellbeing said that the greatest challenge for the new leader is to bring back voters who ‘emigrated’ to the Labour Party.
Malta Today picks up a clash on social media between PN MPs Jason Azzopardi and Adrian Delia. The former PN leader rejected claims by Azzopardi that he has met Prime Minister Abela several times.
The Times reports on the death of a 90-year-old woman who tested positive for Covid-19 at the end of September. Malta’s coronavirus death toll is now 40, making it the second-highest rate per 100,000 inhabitants in the EU.
Bernard Grech co-opted to Parliament
PN Leader Bernard Grech has taken the Oath of Office and is now officially a Member of Parliament after Ivan J Bartolo renounced his place on his behalf.
In his first address he thanked his family and those who wished to support him on the day but were unable to be present due to the current Covid-19 circumstances.
Former leader Adrian Delia also intervened.
“I asked myself whether it is possible to have an Opposition leader for all of the Maltese people, and not just for half of the people. In the same way, are we capable of having a Prime Minister for all the Maltese people and not just half. This contemplation is one of the reasons I entered politics. This is why I wanted a different approach to politics.”
Meanwhile, The Times of Malta suggests this morning that Labour is considering a co-option to replace Joseph Muscat in Parliament rather than going through a by-election process.
Abela, Grech, clash in first meeting
Robert Abela and Bernard Grech clashed in their first meeting, with the PM challening the latter to go to the police to sustain any claims of corruption, or go to a magistrate to seek an inquiry.
Abela accused that Grech was hindering Government’s efforts to solve the migration on Malta, re-iterating that Malta was full up. The new PN leader had suggeted a national conference to discuss this thorny issue.
In comments to the press after the meeting, Bernard Grech insisted that a probe into the Electrogas deal was necessary. “The Prime Minister heard me, but it does not seem that he understood what I was telling him. He again refused to launch a public inquiry. It seems that the Prime Minister forgot that there is an Auditor General’s report that indicates that there are serious failures in the contract. I believe that we are duty bound to ensure that such a public inquiry take place.”
The PN leader also said that his call for a conference on migration was to discuss all migration to Malta, including some 80,000 foreign workers brought to Malta under a Labour Government.
Covid-19 Update
A 90-year old woman passed away following infection by coronavirus. She had been hospitalised on 30th August, a month after being diagnosed as positive to the virus. The woman is the 40th victim of coronavirus in Malta.
47 new cases of coronavirus were reported by the authorities in the past 24 hours, while 42 patients have recovered. As a result, active cases increased slightly to 522.
CDE News
