Updated 1055
Malta and Gozo Hit by Widespread Power Cut
A widespread power cut affected Malta and Gozo shortly before 10.15am on Monday, with Enemalta restoring electricity to most areas within around 15 minutes. The utility’s online outage map initially showed disruptions across several parts of the islands, including areas in both the north and south of Malta as well as locations in Gozo. By later morning, the map indicated that the only remaining unplanned outage was in St Paul’s Bay, where a fault had been reported on a high-voltage cable. The brief disruption affected a large number of localities, although electricity was restored relatively quickly in most areas. Enemalta has not indicated the cause of the wider outage in the information available. The incident comes as the utility continues to monitor and maintain the national electricity distribution network, with individual faults occasionally resulting in localised or wider interruptions.
Malta Leads UN Meeting on Children in Armed Conflict
Malta led a high-level meeting at the United Nations in New York focusing on the protection of children in armed conflicts, with particular attention to explosive weapons in populated areas and emerging technologies used in warfare. The meeting was organised by Malta’s Permanent Mission to the UN together with UNICEF, War Child Alliance and the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, marking 30 years since the establishment of the UN mandate. Foreign and European Affairs Minister Chris Fearne said protecting children must remain central to international peace and security efforts. The UN verified more than 14,200 cases of children killed or injured in conflicts during 2025, with explosive weapons and their remnants among the leading causes. Malta is one of 91 countries supporting a political declaration aimed at reducing civilian harm from explosive weapons in populated areas.
Teachers’ Union Condemns Delay in Support Services Agreement
The Malta Union of Teachers has criticised the Education Ministry over what it described as a failure to support professionals providing essential services to students at the start of the new scholastic year. The union said counsellors, career advisers, psychotherapists, resource workers and other student support professionals have been without a renewed collective agreement since the previous agreement expired in December 2023. The delay also affects Church schools, where an agreement with the Government directly impacts grades within student support services, the MUT said. According to the union, several attempts have been made to reach a new agreement, including negotiations and industrial action. The latest step involved invoking the public service’s conciliation mechanism, but the requested conciliation had not taken place by Monday. The MUT said professionals are being affected by the prolonged delay and students are not receiving the support they need.
Morning Briefing
Polish boxer arrested over suspected St Julian’s murder
A 27-year-old Polish professional boxer has been arrested in connection with the suspected murder of a 31-year-old Moroccan man in St Julian’s. The victim was found dead in Spinola Gardens on St George’s Road at around 6.30am on Sunday. Police said the suspect was traced to St George’s Bay about 90 minutes later after officers analysed CCTV footage from the area. Witnesses reported seeing the two men involved in a fight. The victim is believed to have suffered a deep cut to the back of his head after being punched, falling backwards and striking his head on concrete. The Polish national was in Malta on holiday and had been due to leave the country on Monday. Police and forensic experts remained at the scene, which was cordoned off as investigations continued under the direction of Magistrate Joseph Mifsud. The victim was understood to live in Malta. (The Times of Malta)
New school behaviour framework to be introduced
The Government is preparing a new behavioural framework for students that will introduce updated protocols covering behaviour, searches and responses to emergencies across schools. Prime Minister Robert Abela announced the plans during an education discussion with educators at the MCAST campus in Paola. He said consultation with school heads would begin in the coming days before the framework is published. The aim, he said, is to give educators greater certainty about how to respond in particular circumstances while ensuring a healthy and safe working environment. Abela also said the new school year had started with almost 200 new educators. He highlighted the ongoing review of the National Curriculum, saying it should better prepare students for the labour market and developments such as artificial intelligence. (TVM News)
PN expresses education concern after dismal PISA results
Malta’s latest PISA results have highlighted significant gaps between local students and the OECD average in reading, mathematics and science. The 2025 assessment, covering 91 countries, found that 52% of Maltese students reached at least Level 2 proficiency in reading, compared with 69% across the OECD. In mathematics, 56% reached the baseline level, against 65% internationally, while the figure for science was 63%, compared with 74%. Malta’s performance also declined compared with 2022 in all three subjects, with reading and science scores falling below those recorded in every assessment before 2022. Nationalist Party leader Alex Borg has called for a national conference involving politicians, unions, educators and students to discuss the findings. He said the results should prompt a broader examination of education policy, including school infrastructure, teachers’ working conditions and the resources available to educators. According to the assessment, 43% of Maltese students attended schools where principals reported inadequate physical infrastructure was hindering education. (Maltatoday)
