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Seven more people die while positive with Covid-19 / Malta News Briefing – Sunday 23 January 2022

News Update Seven more people die of Covid Seven people died and 273 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Sunday. Those who died while positive with the virus are two men aged 86 and one 89, and four women, aged 74, 81, 86 and 89. So far, 531 people have died while COVID-positive in Malta.&nb...

Covid-19 rules to be relaxed next month – Fearne / Malta News Briefing – Saturday 22 January 2022

Update 1300 Covid-19 rules to be relaxed next month Authorities will next week launch the first phase of what is being dubbed as Malta's exit roadmap, which will see a number of health restrictions related to Covid-19 being removed. This was announced by Health Minister Chris Fearne today...

Claims of €540,000 contract to former PM Joseph Muscat / Malta News Briefing – Friday 21 January 2022

1745- Latest News update Times of Malta says that The man accused of raping and murdering a woman in Sliema told police he didn't intend on hurting her "that much". MaltaToday says that Nationalist leader Bernard Grech says Prime Minister should exercise political maturity. Newsbook says ...

PM refuses to say if he knew of Joseph Muscat search plans / Malta News Briefing – Thursday 20 January 2022

Updated 1300 PM refuses to say if he knew of Joseph Muscat search plans: Prime Minister Robert Abela on Thursday refused to say if he was forewarned about plans by police to search his predecessor Joseph Muscat’s home. Speaking to journalists outside Castille, Abela instead repeated Muscat’s...

NGO wants Pilatus officials charged with money-laundering offences / Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 19 January 2022

Times of Malta says that Joseph Muscat’s Burmarrad home was on Wednesday searched by police as part of a corruption probe into the Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) hospitals deal. MaltaToday says that European Parliament president Roberta Metsola will sign up to Simone Veil Pact that gurantees wom...

Malta registers third highest increase in debt levels among EU peers

Malta's debt level has reached 57.2% of GDP by the end of the third quarter of last year, an increase of 5.7% over the same period of last year. This was the third largest increase in the European Union. Compared with the third quarter of 2020, fifteen Member States registered an increase in the...

Malta: Inflation edges up, but remains euro area lowest

The cost of living continued to edge up in December 2021, with the NSO saying today that the annual rate of inflation as measured by the HICP was 2.6 per cent, up from 2.4 per cent in November 2021. The highest annual inflation rates in December 2021 were recorded in Recreation and culture (...

Malta lags European counterparts on renewables, but national targets achieved

Newly-released Eurostat data shows that Malta remains at the bottom of the pile in terms of renewable energy used as a percentage of final energy consumption. However, the data shows that the country has still achieved its set target. At EU level, the share of gross final energy consumption from...

Malta registers big drop in consumption expenditure

Malta has registered a significant drop in consumption expenditure, estimated by Eurostat to reach 22%, far exceeding the decrease registered on an EU-wide level, which reached 8%. Eurostat said that this is the largest annual reduction recorded since the time series started, attributing it to ...

Malta-Gozo travel up by 32% in 2021

Travel between Malta and Gozo increased substantially in 2021, with trips up by 32.4%. Including both the Gozo Channel ferry service and the fast ferry service, during 2021, the number of trips went up by 9,401 when compared to 2020. Vehicle movements between the islands increased by 175,491 or 11....

Malta: Injured migrant testifies from hospital bed

A migrant injured in a two-storey fall and allegedly dumped on the road by his employer is to testify from his hospital bed in the case. Lamin Jaiteh is being treated for spinal and arm injuries at Mater Dei after the incident last week. Source Times of Malta Updated 1745

Malta: Study to see if mask-wearing at school can be scrapped, Chris Fearne says

The health authorities will be conducting a study during October-November in schools to determine whether masks need to be worn in during the second semester, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced on Thursday. Fearne said that although mask-wearing in schools "seems necessary", the he...

Malta: Drug mule lands at MIA with €120,000 worth of cocaine

A 25-year-old woman was arrested at the Malta International Airport upon her arrival from Madrid, Spain. In a statement the police said that a joint operation between the Drugs Squad and Customs Department, the woman from the Dominican Republic was arrested on Monday. Source: Newsbook ...

Malta: Hugo Chetcuti lost around two litres of blood after knife stabbing

One of the doctors that took care of Hugo Chetcuti after he was stabbed explained that the entrepreneur lost around two litres of blood. Doctor Jonathan Joslin was a witness in court as 38-year-old Bojan Cmelik was found accused with the murder of Chetcuti Source TVM Updated 1745

Malta: Man, 25, injures 70-year-old man in violent robbery in Birkirkara

A man of foreign nationality, aged 25, will be arraigned in Court this morning and charged with injuring a 70-year-old man while carrying out a violent robbery on 19 September. The Police said the man was arrested following a joint effort between the Violent Crimes Unit and the Birkirkara Police...

Pope confers lay ministries on women, formalising recognition of roles

VATICAN CITY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday for the first time conferred the lay Roman Catholic ministries of lector and catechist on women, roles that previously many had carried out without institutional recognition. He conferred the ministries at a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica...

Pope calls for world day of “prayer for peace” over Ukraine crisis

VATICAN CITY, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Sunday called for an international day of "prayer for peace" on January 26 to stop the Ukraine crisis from worsening, saying the tensions were threatening the security of Europe and risking vast repercussions. Francis announced the prayer day ...

Voting starts in Portugal’s snap election

Early voting began in Portugal on Sunday for a snap general election, with polls showing the incumbent Socialists still ahead though with their lead over the nearest centre-right rivals narrowing. Over 300,000 voters have signed up to vote a week early, with polls opening at 8am (0800 GMT). ...

Russian ships, tanks and troops on the move to Ukraine

Russia has sent troops more than 4,000 miles to Ukraine’s borders and announced sweeping naval drills as Moscow expands its preparations for a potential attack on Ukraine as negotiations appear at a deadlock. Six Russian landing ships capable of carrying main main battle tanks, troops and ot...

Pfizer CEO sees annual COVID vaccine rather than frequent boosters

Pfizer Inc Chief Executive Albert Bourla said that an annual COVID-19 vaccine would be preferable to more frequent booster shots in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Pfizer/BioNtech's COVID-19 vaccine has shown to be effective against severe disease and death caused by the heavily-mutated O...

23rd January 2022

Binance abandoned Malta’s plans as founder grew nervous of country’s stringent AML protocols – Reuters report

ATTARD, Malta, Jan 21 (Reuters) - In the courtyard of a secluded limestone palace, Malta's political elite welcomed a guest: Changpeng Zhao, chief executive of Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange. It was October 2018. Zhao was in Malta to find Binance a new home, having quit mainland China the year before wh...

23rd January 2022

European Climate Pact: Time to share your ideas on climate change during Malta’s Peer Parliament

The world is facing the worst known climate emergency of humankind – with fears that our planet is approaching a point of no return. Facing such a challenge, the European Union has taken up leadership of the fight against climate change and resolved to meet some of the most ambitious targets from across the globe. Citizens are worried – and...

21st January 2022

PB Group Awarded Major Contracts For Algerian Water & Energy Market

PB Group, the Malta-based company specialising in the supply and servicing of complex water and energy equipment, has been awarded three major procurement and engineering contracts in Algeria. These awards are the result of a focused and intensive market development embarked upon by the Group over the last years, targeting the extensive w...

21st January 2022

Malta registers third highest increase in debt levels among EU peers

20th January 2022

Malta: Inflation edges up, but remains euro area lowest

19th January 2022

Malta lags European counterparts on renewables, but national targets achieved

19th January 2022

Malta registers big drop in consumption expenditure

18th January 2022

Malta Business Registry ramps up activity in fight against financial crime

The Malta Business Registry is perhaps one of the longest-standing entities within the Maltese public sector, with a history going back as far as five decades since its original inception as part of the trade department. After years of operating in the background, its role and relevance have grown in significance as Malta steps up its efforts to s...

17th January 2022

Malta-Gozo travel up by 32% in 2021

16th January 2022

Over 1,000 Drivers Join eCabs’ Partner Driver Model

eCabs, the leading ride-hailing operator in Malta, has registered record growth in the last quarter of 2021, pursuant to the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. And a year since eCabs launched its Partner Driver Model in 2021, the platform today hosts over 1,000 drivers, and growing at a steady pace. “Interest in the eCabs Partner model keeps ...

14th January 2022

Tuning Fork Lauds Recent Launch of Government’s ESG Portal

Tuning Fork Advisory, a boutique business advisory firm specialising in business process optimisation and sustainability, amongst others, has lauded the recent launch of the ESG portal launched by the Ministry for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development. “This portal is a fantastic initiative that will shine a spotlight on the ESG cr...

13th January 2022

Malta: Deficit on the increase as government salary bill increases €29.2m in third quarter

During the third quarter of 2021, the General Government recorded a deficit of €267.6 million, NSO data reveals. Salaries continued to play a significant role in expenditure increase, with some €29.2 million more paid in this specific period. During the period July to September 2021, Government total revenue stood at €1,313.6 million, an increa...

11th January 2022

Malta: Industrial production in heavy decrease over 2021

In November 2021, the seasonally adjusted index of industrial production decreased by 3.7% over the previous month, data released by the NSO has shown. When compared to November 2020, the working-day adjusted index of industrial production fell by an even greater mark (-7.5%).Index of Industrial Production: November 2021 Decreases in product...

10th January 2022

Rent Laws to be discussed at Chamber of Advocates’ first Quarterly Law Seminar for 2022

“A process was initiated in 2006 through which human rights violations against landlords started being addressed, a process that finished or seemed to have finished in 2021. At the same time however, we are still awaiting a final pronouncement on whether the current structure is in conformity with human rights or not,” stated Dr Kurt Xerri, a ...

10th January 2022

Malta Chamber expresses support towards PN legislative proposals on good governance

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry welcomed the Opposition's initiative to put forward concrete legislative proposals to address the shortcomings identified by the public inquiry into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Parliament is the legislative arm of the country, and it is indeed the job of our parliamentarians, from bo...

5th January 2022

Air Malta reducing flight frequency as demand falls

Air Malta is consolidating its flight schedule for the months of January and February by reducing frequencies on certain routes without however cancelling any of the 16 routes the airline is operating to this winter. This curtailing, necessitated due to the dramatic downturn in demand over recent weeks, is presently very common in the industry esp...

4th January 2022

82% of people in Malta own their property – Eurostat

Malta continues to register high rates of property ownership, with a Eurostat study finding that some 81.9% of people living in Malta owning their own property. In 2020, 70% of the population in the EU lived in a household owning their home, while the remaining 30% lived in rented housing. The highest shares of ownership were observed in Rom...

3rd January 2022

GO’s National Connectivity Project Enters Final Phase

With the start of winter comes the start of the final phase of the PEACE project, an investment by GO of €25 million in a 3rd submarine cable which will directly connect Malta to France, Egypt, and beyond The project, announced last July, forms part of the global PEACE System (Pakistan East Africa Connecting Europe) project – a multi-millio...

28th December 2021

BOV closes off branches after rise of employees contracting COVID-19 or in quarantine

Bank of Valletta has announced that due to a number of employees currently positive to COVID-19 or in quarantine, the service in several BOV Branches will be impacted. Nadur and Xagħra Branches These branches are temporarily closed until further notice. Birżebbuġa, Ħ’Attard, Msida and Fleur de Lys Branches These branches will be offeri...

23rd December 2021

FELTOM Calls For Extension of COVID Wage Supplement Till Spring

FELTOM, the Federation for English Language Teaching Organisations in Malta,welcomed the Government’s recent announcement that the COVID Wage Supplement has been extended till January 2022. FELTOM has been engaging in discussions and consultations with Government for a number of months regarding the need and the value of extending the COVID...

22nd December 2021

MEA calls on Government to issue clear policy guidelines on Covid-19

The Malta Employers’ Association said today that the current surge in COVID cases is worrying many employers, and warned that inaction on the part of government might lead to a serious economic slowdown during the first quarter of 2022. The Association said that that public health should never be subject to popular opinion. In such emergencies,...

22nd December 2021

Malta: Unemployment stands at just below 9,000 – Labour Force Survey

During the third quarter of 2021, the Labour Force Survey estimates that total number of persons in employment was 268,987, 3.6 per cent higher when compared to the previous year. NSO data released on Wednesday showed that 60.7 per cent of the population aged 15 and over is in employment. Unemployed persons stood at 9,897 (2.2 per cent) while i...

21st December 2021

Enhancing quality, upholding the rule of law: accountancy professionals and Registrar of Companies share common objectives in frank discussion

The provision of timely, reliable and complete documentation, in observance of established rules and regulations is in the common interest of practitioners and the Malta Business Registry. This key message was highlighted during an exchange of views between the newly-appointed Registrar of Companies and Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Busines...

20th December 2021

Malta: CBM expects domestic demand to drive recovery in 2022

The Central Bank of Malta (Bank) is forecasting that Malta's gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by 6.0% in 2021, by 6.5% in 2022, 5.3% in 2023 and 3.8% in 2024. Compared to the Bank's earlier projections, GDP growth is being revised upwards by 0.9 percentage points in 2021, 0.7 percentage points in 2022, and 0.5 percentage points in 2023. T...

20th December 2021

Malta has third highest share of non-national children in EU

On 1 January 2020, around 6.5 million persons aged less than 18 years were non-national, meaning they did not have the citizenship of the EU Member States they lived in, representing 8% of the total number of children in the EU, according to data published by Eurostat. In relative terms, the EU Member State hosting the highest share of non-nati...

17th December 2021

Malta: Cost-of-living increases to 2.4% in November

In November 2021, the annual rate of inflation as measured by the HICP was 2.4 per cent, up from 1.4% in October 2021. The 12-month moving average rate for November stood at 0.5%. The largest upward impact on annual inflation was measured in the Food and non-alcoholic beverages Index, largely due to higher prices of vegetables. The second ...

16th December 2021

GO Customers to Enjoy Free Upgrade to 5G Mobile Services

As of today, GO pay monthly customers with 5G enabled handsets will get to enjoy the latest generation of mobile technology, for free, when in 5G covered areas, such as the St Julian’s and Sliema areas. GO today announced a €16 million investment and a new network agreement with telecommunications giant Nokia which will see GO undertaking a cha...

14th December 2021

GO Launches Secure Net For Safer and More Secure Internet Experience

GO’s home internet and mobile internet now, are not only fast, reliable and robust but safer and more secure as GO launches its Secure Net product bringing increased security on both fixed home internet, as well as mobile internet. “We know how important safety and security is to our customers because it is something that we too value highly as...

12th December 2021

Russia holds U.S.-born retail businessman with Maltese passport on embezzlement charge

A St Petersburg court ordered the American-born co-owner of Russia’s Rive Gauche cosmetics high-street chain to be held in custody this week on charges of embezzling 2.4 billion roubles ($32.6 million), the court said. August Meyer, who holds Russian citizenship and was a co-owner of the Ulmart online retailer, was detained on Wednesday wit...

10th December 2021

Timely exit from FATF grey-list is crucial – President of The Malta Institute of Accountants

On 7th December 2021, the Malta Institute of Accountants (MIA) organised a physical conference to address the role of professions in Malta’s efforts to exit the FATF’s ‘Grey List`. Mr David Delicata, the President of the MIA kicked off the conference by explaining how getting Malta out of the ‘Grey List` has been one of the Institute`s prioriti...

10th December 2021

Jeopardising EU funding for Malta’s energy transition is a dangerous game – Malta Chamber

The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry has appealed for caution and to keep in mind the national interest in matters related to energy provision. "It is therefore imperative that we find ways of addressing concerns related to the existing agreements independently of proposed projects that could provide us with more options for e...

10th December 2021

Malta: Airport travel drops in November 36% lower than 2019, but MIA sees green shoots

Last November saw 315,964 passengers travel through Malta International Airport. This total translates into a decrease of 35.9 per cent compared to 2019 figures, which is the lowest percentage drop to be registered by Malta International Airport since the start of the pandemic. Out of a total of 455,802 seats available on flights operated to an...

9th December 2021

Biden nominates Ambassadors for Malta, Kenya and Iraq

U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced the nomination of former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Margaret Whitman as ambassador to Kenya, a key partner for Washington on issues including counterterrorism. Whitman, a billionaire former Republican commonly known by her nickname "Meg," was a major donor backing Democrat Biden's campaig...

7th December 2021

Malta Chamber cautiously welcomes tourism strategy

“The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry’s Tourism Operators Business Section is pleased to note that the Government’s strategy launched last Thursday is very strongly aligned to The Chamber’s tourism vision which was also launched three weeks ago and captures very broadly the challenges and opportunities facing the local tourism in...

1st December 2021

Health cash plans for employees launched in Malta

HSF health plan (Malta) Ltd is part of a group of Health Cash Plan providers wholly owned by the charity, called The Hospital Saturday Fund. The health plan provided by HSF health plan (Malta) Ltd (“the health plan”) offers flexible and cost-effective health protection to a company’s most important resource: its workforce. Covering a rang...

1st December 2021

Malta: Graduates drop 5% in 2020 – NSO

Tertiary-level graduates totalled 4,629 during 2020, equivalent to a decrease of 4.9 per cent over the previous year.The largest share of tertiary graduates (55.5 per cent) attained a qualification at ISCED Level 6 (Bachelor’s or equivalent). This was followed by 35.8 per cent of total tertiary graduates who attained their qualification at ISCED L...

30th November 2021

The Malta Institute of Accountants welcomes 222 new graduates to its fore

Accountancy leaders highlight need for ethics, integrity and life-long learning among professionals The Malta Institute of Accountants has formally welcomed 222 new accountants as members within its ranks following the completion of their studies through the avenues provided by the University of Malta and the ACCA throughout the 2020-21 academi...

30th November 2021

Good sales required throughout the whole year, Malta Chamber insists

Resilience and Digital Innovation is key to ensure recovery Despite the number of challenges faced by business, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry said today that this year’s Black Friday, like in the previous years, in general left a positive impact on business particularly since the majority anticipated the challenging env...

30th November 2021

Malta lags behind in R&D as only Romania fares worse in EU scoreboard

In 2020, the Member States of the EU spent around €311 billion on research & development (R&D). This is a decrease of €1 billion compared with 2019 (€312 billion). The R&D intensity, i.e. R&D expenditure as a percentage of GDP, stood at 2.3% in 2020, compared with 2.2% in 2019. However, this small increase is due to a decrease in G...

29th November 2021

Malta expresses strong support for Union for the Mediterranean

Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo expressed Malta's strong support for the Union for the Mediterranean as it is the only regional structure that addresses the common challenges of the Mediterranean region. Minister Bartolo attended the sixth regional forum for the Mediterranean, organised by the Union for the Mediterranean ...

Tiley denies reports Djokovic will sue Tennis Australia

MELBOURNE, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Australian Open chief Craig Tiley said he does not believe Novak Djok...
Pele ‘super strong’ as he recovers from tumor, daughter says

Pele is at home and “super strong” as he recovers from a colon tumor, his daughter said in what app...
Beijing Games had 72 COVID cases, none athletes, among early arrivals

BEIJING, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Beijing Olympics organisers said on Sunday they had confirmed 72 cases ...
Hungary opposition leader flags tax cuts for poor as Orban’s party gains ground

Hungary's opposition plans to lower the tax burden on the poor while ensuring fiscal discipline...
Photo Story: Sotheby’s Auction Preview of Botticelli Masterpiece

Sotheby's art handlers with the painting 'Man of Sorrows' by Sandro Botticelli as part of a pre...