1745- Latest News update
Times of Malta says a new variation of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has been detected in Malta and has caused an increase in community transmission of the disease, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Friday.
MaltaToday says the Used Vehicle Importers Association has unanimously agreed to implement stricter measures following revelations surrounding a racket on Japanese-imported cars.
Newsbook says prospective parents receiving IVF treatment can opt for Polar Body Testing, health minister Chris Fearne said on Friday.
TVM says a 28-year-old motorcyclist from Swieqi is in danger of dying after being involved in a traffic accident on the Marsa-Ħamrun Bypass on Friday afternoon.
Updated 1245
Malta’s inflation higher than eurozone – CBM: The Central Bank of Malta noted that food prices in Malta are inflating at a higher rate than in the euro area. In a report on the state of the Maltese economy, the CBM said that food inflation rose by 0.2% in April 2021 to 1.6% just a year later in April 2022. As of last April, food inflation in Malta stood at 1.2% higher than that in the euro area. It said that the price increased in response to pressure on international food prices and compounded by transportation costs. “Malta imports around 70% of its food products and is therefore particularly susceptible to developments in international food prices and other commodity prices that affect food production as well as transport costs,” the CBM said.
President highlights importance of active citizenship: President George Vella emphasized the importance of active citizenship outside of political parties, as a survey found that Maltese citizens have begun to lose interest in politics. Dr Vella was addressing the State of the Nation conference. Data from a national poll conducted by statistician Vince Marmara revealed the centrality of the immediate family in Maltese society and decision-making, as well as diminishing interest in politics beyond the 2022 election, and strong confidence in God but not necessarily religion. The poll also found that 64.6% of youths between the ages of 16-25 are the most dissatisfied with their life, revealed a study on the State of the Nation.
Covid-19 Update: 187 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Friday. 102 people have recovered from the virus. The active case tally now stands at 1,548.
Morning Briefing
Malta makes it to UN Security Council
Malta has been assigned to the United Nations Security Council as a new non-permanent member for a two-year tenure. Malta received 97 percent of the vote in a vote held on Thursday among the 190 voting member states. With two abstentions and no invalid votes, Malta received 185 votes from 190 countries. A total of 127 votes were required to secure the nomination.
Debate to start on deletion of minor drug possession from conduct sheet
Following the decriminalization of cannabis, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Thursday that the government is now aiming to launch a debate on the deletion of conduct sheets tainted by simple drug possession convictions. According to Ablea, the government believes that, in line with Labour’s electoral pledge, a person should be given the option to start a new life since it is not fair to force someone to live with a label for the rest of their lives. As a result, it will start a discussion with entities that run drug recovery programs about the potential of allowing those whose behavior has been compromised by simple drug possession, whether cannabis or any other drug, to review their conduct record.
Covid-19 Update: Yesterday, 175 new cases of Covid-19 were reported, while 99 people recovered, the health authorities said. No new deaths were recorded.
