A new law will grant foster carers the right to request adoption of minors after five years in their care. MaltaToday says that the bill will be debated in parliament as part of the Child Protection Act, and that it enjoys bipartisan support. The Times quotes Minister Michael Falzon who said that 150 children are currently under care order.
The Malta Business Bureau welcomed the agreement reached on Thursday between the European Parliament and European Commission over the work-life balance directive. Net News reports that the Bureau lobbied in favour of the regulations on behalf of the Malta Chamber of Commerce and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association. The Shift News says that Malta is one of the countries to benefit most from the directive when it comes into force.
An eight-year-old was caught in the middle of an anti-drug raid on a Birkirkara home. One Newssays that police moved in to arrest two brothers suspected of drug trafficking. Aġenzija Appoġġ was called in to protect the minor.
The court awarded €3,000 each to 17 former drydocks employees who sued for exposure to asbestos. The Malta Independent says that the workers argued that they were not offered adequate protection against the cancerous substance. TVM reports that some of the 17 workers have passed away since the case was opened in 2015.
The Church Environment Commission challenged views that the volume of construction is indispensable to economic progress. In a Newsbook story, the commission said it has repeatedly warned authorities of the dangers of over-building.
Fuel station operators have been instructed to suspend the strike as a sign of goodwill ahead of talks with the government on Saturday LovinMalta quotes a GRTU statement which says that service stations want to cause as little disruption as possible.
