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AirMalta received 15,000 booking cancellations in July / Malta News Briefing – Sunday 25 July 2021

Update 1235h Covid-19 Update - The number of COVID-19 patients receiving hospital treatment has shot up to 34 with one being in the intensive therapy unit, according to data given by the health authorities. The number of people in hospital reported on Saturday was 19. In their daily update on Faceb...

73-year-old woman is Malta’s 421st Covid death / Malta News Briefing – Saturday 24 July 2021

Updated 1400 A 73 year old woman became Malta's 421 Covid death. 171 cases were reported on Saturday while 92 recovered. Updated 0840 - Newspaper Review The Times reports on plans by health authorities to shorten the current 14-day isolation period for people who come into contact with Cov...

Just 7% of foreign students used govt vouchers Govt vouchers / Malta News Briefing – Friday 23 July 2021

Updated 1241 Covid-19 Update: 172 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Friday, the Health Ministry said. 65 patients recovered, while 97 have been repatriated, taking the active case tally to 2,497. 3,640 swab tests were taken yesterday. 19 patients are currently hospitalised. 7% of stud...

Malta: Food prices push inflation upwards / News Briefing – Thursday 22 July 2021

Updated 1300 Covid-19 Update: 166 new cases found today as 25 people recovered. 4,302 swab tests were taken as active cases reached 2487. Of the 199 cases reported yesterday, 149 cases were 10-39 year olds. The average age of yesterday’s cases was 28. A total of 17 Covid positive patients are b...

Minister defends tourism re-opening strategy / Malta News Briefing – Wednesday 21 July 2021

Updated 1233 Covid-19 Update: 199 new cases of coronavirus were reported on Wednesday, along 30 recoveries. These were identified through 3,976 swab tests. 15 patients are currently hospitalised, one of them in ITU. Party veterans expected to make way in further shakeup of PN – reports: The T...

Malta: Electric and hybrid cars increase by a fifth in the second quarter

The annual rate of inflation in July stood at 0.7 percent, the lowest increase in the months under review since January 2018. Figures by the National Statistics Office show that the biggest rise was recorded in Clothing and Footwear, climbing to 3.7 percent from the same month last year. At the othe...

Malta: House prices drop in the first quarter

The House Price Index fell by 1.6 per cent between January and March this year compared to the preceding quarter. Data by Eurostat shows that Malta was one of only three EU members to register a decrease in house prices over this period, along with Cyprus (-5.8%) and Slovakia (-1.2%). On average, p...

Malta: Retail registers one of the highest annual increases in the EU

Total retail trade grew by 22 per cent between May 2020 and May 2021, well above the 9.0 per cent average registered in the EU. Data by Eurostat shows that the highest increase was recorded by Bulgaria (23.9%) and Ireland (22.4%). Compared with the April 2021, the volume of trade in Malta went up b...

Malta: Public debt soars in first quarter

Total government debt grew to €7,478.2 million between January and March, up from €6,958.5 million in the preceding quarter. Figures by the National Statistics Office show an increase of €1.544.8 million compared with the same quarter in 2020. Central government debt made €7,474.8 million, a ris...

Malta: Youth unemployment drops below two thousand

Youth unemployment stood at 1,944 in May, the first time it fell below 2,000 in a year. Figures by the National Statistics Office show a month-on-month decrease of 0.7 percentage points in the unemployment rate of people in the 18-24 age bracket. The rate stood at 7.4 per cent, the lowest in the twe...

Malta: Local film productions to star Hollywood actor

Kullħadd reveals that a Maltese new film production featuring American star Frank Grillo is scheduled to start filming towards the end of the year. Lowell Dean will direct the movie scripted by Jean Pierre Magro. Another story quotes Prime Minister Robert Abela in his closing address to the Labo...

Malta: New PN council president confident about party’s future

Il-Mument carries an interview with the new president of the PN General Council Mark Anthony Sammut who said that the party is attracting new people that see it as the only alternative to the government. The paper reports that active coronavirus cases climbed to 2,373 by the latest count, with m...

Malta: Covid-19 patient dies at Mater Dei

It-Torċa reports the death of a 73-year-old woman from Covid-19 at Mater Dei hospital on Saturday. Meanwhile, authorities confirmed that 299 infected students who were in Malta to learn English were repatriated. The paper speaks with a non-EU citizen who flagged wage discrimination between Malte...

Malta: Public health chief fends off questions on quarantine

Malta Today says that the Superintendent for Public Health has declined to answer questions about shortening the quarantine period for contacts of Covid-19 patients to five days. The system is currently reserved for essential workers at Mater Dei. Read more: https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/natio...

Malta: Government requests information on Dubai holdings

The Sunday Times says that the government has requested access to information on offshore holdings in Dubai obtained by Germany. Senior officials told the paper that the data will establish potential tax evasion. Read more: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/labour-leading-pn-by-more-than-50000...

10 landings with 177 people in Lampedusa

Ten boats, with 177 migrants, arrived in Lampedusa on Saturday night. Nine landings arrived before midnight and brought the landings on Saturday to 30 in the space of 24 hours. The Coast Guard patrol boats have rescued several small boats and sea carts with Tunisian women and minors on boar...

Putin says Russian navy can carry out ‘unpreventable strike’ if needed

The Russian navy can detect any enemy and launch an "unpreventable strike" if needed, President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday, weeks after a UK warship angered Moscow by passing the Crimea peninsula. "We are capable of detecting any underwater, above-water, airborne enemy and, if required, c...

Protests across Tunisia

Police and protesters clashed in several Tunisian cities on Sunday as demonstrators demanding the government step down attacked offices of Ennahda, the moderate Islamist party that is the biggest in parliament. Witnesses said protesters stormed or tried to storm Ennahda offices in Monastir, ...

Merkel aide warns of COVID-19 surge in Germany over coming weeks

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff fears the number of new coronavirus cases will soar in the next few weeks and could hit 100,000 a day by the end of September, causing big problems for many businesses, he told Bild am Sonntag weekly. After more than two months of steady decli...

Asian COVID epicentre of Indonesia extends curbs by a week

Indonesia extended its COVID-19 restrictions by a week to Aug. 2 on Sunday to try to curb infections, after the government said it would add more intensive care units amid a rise in deaths. Indonesia has become Asia's COVID-19 epicentre with hospitals deluged, particularly on the densely pop...

25th July 2021

Malta: Local film productions to star Hollywood actor

25th July 2021

Malta: New PN council president confident about party’s future

25th July 2021

Malta: Covid-19 patient dies at Mater Dei

25th July 2021

Malta: Public health chief fends off questions on quarantine

25th July 2021

Malta: Government requests information on Dubai holdings

25th July 2021

Malta: Nurses and hoteliers clash on Covid-19 measures

Illum reports on contrasting concerns by the medical and accommodation sectors. The union of nurses called for fresh measures to control the spread of the virus while the hotels’ association warned that the country faces financial ruin unless restrictions are eased. The paper publishes an interview with Health Minister Chris Fearne who said tha...

25th July 2021

Malta: MFSA to appoint first non-Maltese CEO

The Independent on Sunday says that the financial services authority has completed its search for a new CEO. The identity of the incoming officer is not revealed but sources told the paper that the appointment will be the MFSA’s first non-Maltese chief. Read more: https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2021-07-25/local-news/Financial-services-wat...

24th July 2021

Malta: Quarantine rules to be reviewed for contacts

The Times reports on plans by health authorities to shorten the current 14-day isolation period for people who come into contact with Covid-19 patients to five days if mandatory swab tests return negative. Read more: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/fully-vaccinated-could-soon-be-required-to-self-isolate-for-shorter.888733 Another story s...

24th July 2021

Malta: Financial adviser warns of stricter controls for businesses

In-Nazzjon speaks with financial investment adviser Jesmond Mizzi who said that Malta’s classification as a High-Risk jurisdiction by the UK will intensify due diligence requirements for businesses and banks. Read more: https://netnews.com.mt/2021/07/23/il-high-risk-listing-ta-malta-jista-jfisser-aktar-spejjez/ Another story quotes PN Leader Be...

24th July 2021

Malta: ICT jobs expected to grow by a fifth over ten years

The Independent quotes a report by eSkills Malta Foundation projecting an increase in demand of more than 20 per cent for ICT professionals in the next 10 years. Economy Minister Silvio Schembri urged businesses to prepare their workforces for new needs. Read more: https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2021-07-23/local-news/21-9-employment-growt...

24th July 2021

Malta: Walk-in clinics to administer Covid-19 jab in the evenings

L-Orizzont reports that more than 8,300 people visited the walk-in clinics to get their Covid-19 vaccine since they opened on Monday. Health Minister Chris Fearne said that the service will starts opening in the evenings too. Read more: https://www.inewsmalta.com/2021/07/fgimgha-inghataw-8323-vaccin-minghajr-appuntament-mill-walk-in-clinics/ Th...

23rd July 2021

Malta: Economy minister expects strong multiplier effect from vouchers

The Independent quotes Economy Minister Silvio Schembri that, for every €1 redeemed from the Covid-19 vouchers, customers have paid an additional €1. He said that he expects the multiplier effect to grow in the coming weeks. Read more: https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2021-07-22/local-news/16m-in-vouchers-spent-in-six-weeks-37-851-eligible-...

23rd July 2021

Malta: Stranded couple opens case against health authorities

In-Nazzjon reports that a Maltese couple filed a judicial protest against the health authorities after they were denied re-entry from a holiday in Portugal. They are holding authorities responsible for damages after they were forced to extend their stay abroad. A second story follows a meeting between PN Leader Bernard Grech and the Institute o...

23rd July 2021

Malta: IMF revises country outlook upwards

L-Orizzont reports on projections by the International Monetary Fund expecting GDP in Malta to grow by 5.8 per cent in 2022. The country report revised its forecast from earlier this which expected an increase of 4.7 per cent. The paper says that there have been more than 500,000 transactions using the government Covid-19 vouchers since these w...

23rd July 2021

Malta: Heritage watchdog interrupts Balzan roadworks

The Times reports that the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has ordered roadworks in Balzan to stop over concerns about the impact on the aqueducts. The Superintendence will assess the risk before the project can move ahead. Read more: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/heritage-watchdog-halts-central-link-works-near-wignacourt-aqueduct.8...

22nd July 2021

Malta slips in EU COVID rate list, but is only country with zero deaths

Malta's COVID-19 rates are the fifth-highest in the EU, official figures from last week's data show. Only Cyprus, Portugal and Spain and the Netherlands have a higher case rate compared to Malta's 379 new cases per 100,000 people. But the country is now only the only one in the EU to have a death rate of zero, a situation health authorities...

22nd July 2021

Maltese Editors Perspectives

The Times of Malta reflects, and expresses concern, on the announcement of the start of a process of declaring an exclusive economic zone in the central Mediterranean with the potential to extend its responsibilities and rights by an area that exceeds 71,000 square kilometres. The editor argues that regional wars can be sparked through such declar...

22nd July 2021

BOV’s Balluta and Mqabba branches closed off after Covid-19 cases

Bank of Valletta has closed off temporarily its Balluta and Mqabba Branches from today, Thursday 22nd July until further notice, after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 in both branches. The bank said that the Branches will be thoroughly sanitised and the Health Authority will contact those individuals who might have been exposed to t...

22nd July 2021

Malta: IMF calls for tapering of business support measures

Most of the Covid-19 support measures are set to expire by the end of 2021, and according to a report by the International Monetary Fund, as economic growth gains momentum, the authorities should prepare a plan for tapering support measures, including adjusting their size and eligibility criteria. Unwinding of support measures will need to be care...

22nd July 2021

Malta: PN says country cannot wait 18 months to exit FATF greylist

In-Nazzjon quotes a PN statement warning that the country cannot afford to stay in the FATF greylist for 18 months. The party said that, if elected, it would return Malta to the whitelist within three months. Read more: https://netnews.com.mt/2021/07/21/pajjizna-ma-jistx-jistenna-18-il-xahar-biex-jerga-jkun-fuq-il-lista-l-bajda-tal-fatf-pn/ Ano...

22nd July 2021

Malta: Solidarity Ministry says social policy programme almost complete

L-Orizzont reports that 17 of the 18 social policy measures announced in the budget have been implemented. The permanent secretary in the Family and Solidarity Ministry said that the measures address challenges by a broad range of vulnerable sectors. Another report quotes a Eurobarometer survey showing that the confidence of businesses in the j...

22nd July 2021

Malta: Bank chief flags financial abuse of elderly

The Times quotes HSBC chief executive Simon Vaughan Johnson that many elderly people are experiencing financial abuse, often by their own family members with access to their bank cards and accounts. Another story says that the tourism authority has chartered a plane to return around 130 French students with Covid-19 to their home country this a...

22nd July 2021

Malta: Tourism Authority looking for second quarantine hotel

The Independent says that the Corinthia Marina in St Julian’s is nearing maximum capacity as a quarantine hotel and the tourism authority has issued a call for a second facility to host unvaccinated visitors. The paper follows a conference by FinanceMalta addressed by the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader. Robert Abela said that the outlook ...

22nd July 2021

Malta: Robert Abela says government determined to get country of greylist

The Malta Business Weekly quotes Prime Minister Robert Abela that the government will make a focused effort to implement the recommendations by the FATF and take the country out of the grey list. Read more: https://maltabusinessweekly.com/abela-heartened-by-positive-financial-reviews-vows-to-redouble-efforts-to-get-off-grey-list/15275/ The pape...

22nd July 2021

Malta: Unease in the business community with EU carbon neutrality plan

Business Today says that businesses raised concerns about proposals by the European Commission to tax aviation and shipping as part of a strategy to curb emissions. Sustainable Development Minister Miriam Dalli said Malta will make its case before the Commission. Another paper reports on the opening of a 3D print farm in Bulebel industrial esta...

21st July 2021

Malta: Electric and hybrid cars increase by a fifth in the second quarter

21st July 2021

Malta: Neighbour countries disappointed by government’s unilateral decision of repatriation

In-Nazzjon says that the tourism authority has repatriated dozens of students learning English in Malta to Italy, Spain, Germany, and France. The paper reports that other countries are disappointed by the government’s unilateral decision. The paper quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech that young people as the agents of change. In a meeting with the n...

21st July 2021

Malta: Majority of active Covid-19 patients are non-residents

The Times says that six in ten active coronavirus patients are non-residents in Malta with students at English language schools making a quarter of total cases. The Ministry of Health noted a high share of infections among teenagers. Read more: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/foreign-students-make-up-a-quarter-of-covid-cases.888076 A sec...

21st July 2021

Malta: Police investigating second case of racial abuse

L-Orizzont says that the police have launched an investigation into a physical gang attack on a black homeless person in Swatar. The attackers fled the scene when the victim was left motionless on the street and a couple of witnesses called an ambulance for help. The paper says that the teachers’ unions are still in the dark about the new schol...

21st July 2021

Malta: Tourism minister confident red-listing will not impact sector

The Independent asks Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo about Malta’s return to the ECDC red-list for rising Covid-19 cases. The minister said that the decision should not affect the tourism sector because the country has a high rate of vaccinations. Read more: https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2021-07-20/local-news/Watch-ECDC-red-listing-does...

21st July 2021

Malta: Vaccinated persons without Maltese ID can now download certificate

Malta Today reports on plans by the Health Ministry to issue unique codes for visitors who do not have a Maltese ID number to be able to download the vaccine certificate after they take the jab. Read more: https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/111000/foreigners_in_malta_to_receive_sms_code_to_download_vaccine_certificate Another story quo...

20th July 2021

Rule of law in Malta: EC sees improvement in judicial affairs, but media freedom still restricted

In a country report on the rule of law in Malta, the European Commission noted that the reforms of 2020, in particular the reform of the system of judicial appointments and of judicial discipline, have contributed to strengthening the independence of the Maltese justice system. Steps have been taken to depoliticise the appointment of the Chief Jus...

20th July 2021

Expenditure on R&D in Malta barely exceeds half a point of GDP

In 2019, total expenditure on Research and Development amounted to €80.0 million, or 0.6 per cent of GDP, reflecting an increase of €5.4 million, or 7.3 per cent, was registered, the NSO reported today. The Business Enterprise sector contributed 62.0 per cent to total R&D, whereas the Higher Education and Government sectors contributed 37.0...

20th July 2021

Maltese Editors Perspectives

The Times of Malta says that it is crucially important for Gozitans to persuade politicians not to promote policies presented as enhancing the island’s development prospects and living up to environmental aspirations but which would, eventually, turn Gozo into a mini-Malta. The Independent reflects on the aftermath of devastating floods which w...

20th July 2021

Malta: Government joined call for uniform EU ban on fossil fuel cars

L-Orizzont says that Malta was one of nine countries that recently wrote to the European Commission urging it to set an EU-wide cut-off date for the banning of new combustion engine cars. Sales of petrol and diesel cars will not be allowed in EU markets from 2035. The paper says that a reported incident of a black man attacked by a group of peo...

20th July 2021

Malta: Long queues for Covid-19 vaccines

In-Nazzjon says that hundreds of people formed long queues at the Technopark in Mosta and the University of Malta as the walk-in clinics administering the Covid-19 vaccine opened on Monday. Several foreign visitors took the opportunity to get the jab. Another story reports that the parliamentary committee for standards is still without a date f...

20th July 2021

Malta: Businesses mull mandatory swab tests for employees

The Times reports that several companies are considering requirements for weekly Covid-19 tests for unvaccinated employees. The director-general of the employers’ association said that it is not unreasonable to ask workers to take periodical swab tests. Another story says that two teenage students were rushed to hospital with food poisoning whi...

20th July 2021

Malta: New plans for former Ħal Ferħ complex

The Independent leads with plans by Corinthia Hotels to convert the Ħal Ferħ complex in Mellieħa into a low-rise hotel and tourist residence. The company said the design will respect traditional Maltese architecture. The paper quotes a statement by Moviment Graffitti demanding an investigation into Infrastructure Malta after works carried out o...

19th July 2021

McDonald’s launches loyalty programme on mobile app

McDonald’s has unveiled MyMcDonald’s Rewards, a loyalty programme exclusive to its mobile app designed to reward customers with their favourite products. Customers can redeem points for iconic rewards in the programme – from the Apple Pie to a Big Tasty McMenu. With MyMcDonald’s Rewards, McDonald’s becomes the first quick service restaurant...

19th July 2021

Malta: Employee struck off the company books without her knowledge

L-Orizzont carries the story of a worker at a nursing home who was laid off without being informed. The woman was on unpaid sick leave for several months during the pandemic, but when restrictions were eased, she was told that she had been made redundant. Another report follows a controversy surrounding PL general election candidate Audrey Demi...

Abu Dhabi reduces business setup fees by 94% from current rates

Abu Dhabi will reduce business setup fees to 1,000 dirham ($272.27), a 94% reduction from curre...
CDE News Views – This Day in Photos

Today's salient news in pictures as taken by the pool of photographers of EPA/EFE for CDE News. ...
UK financial watchdog warns consumers over CoinBurp crypto launch

Crypto broker CoinBurp is not fully authorised before Monday's planned launch of its $BURP toke...
Lewandowski named Germany’s footballer of the year

Berlin (dpa) - Bayern Munich's record-breaking striker Robert Lewandowski was named ...
Motorcycling-Spanish 14-year-old dies in junior race crash

(Reuters) - Hugo Millan, a 14-year-old Spanish rider, died on Sunday after he was involved in a ser...