Transport Operators Warn ETS Costs Will Hit Consumers Malta’s Association of Tractor and Trailer Operators has warned that the full implementation of the Emissions Trading System and fuel surcharge in January 2026 will impose a heavy financial burden on consumers and the logistics sector. The association said the charges on a single Genoa-Malta-Genoa trailer trip will reach €734.40. With around 54,500 trailers expected to operate on core Ro-Ro routes in 2025, the total annual impact could amount to €16.5 million. ATTO questioned whether it is fair for the EU to apply a uniform 100 per cent ETS surcharge on an island state with no alternative transport options, arguing this effectively penalises Malta’s geography rather than supporting economic sustainability. (maltatodaY)
Smoking Decline Driven Entirely by Men, Study Finds Cigarette smoking rates in Malta have fallen to record lows, but two decades of progress are almost entirely down to men, according to new research. The General Population Survey on Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Use shows male smoking rates dropped sharply between 2001 and 2023, while female rates remained virtually unchanged. In 2001, 42.5 per cent of men said they had smoked in the previous month, compared to 24.2 per cent in 2023. Among women, the figure stood at 21.2 per cent in 2001 and 20.9 per cent last year. Researchers surveyed 3,500 people in 2023. Gender studies professor Marceline Naudi said anti-smoking campaigns tend to target men, helping explain the disparity. (Times of Malta)
Labour Pays Tribute to Karin Grech 48 Years On The Labour Party has commemorated the 48th anniversary of the killing of Karin Grech, the 15-year-old who died after opening a letter bomb at her family home in San Ġwann in 1977. Prime Minister Robert Abela, accompanied by party officials and MPs, laid flowers at her memorial. Abela said Grech’s memory remains relevant, particularly at a time when atrocities nearby highlight the value of peace. He said her parents paid the highest price for their beliefs, losing their daughter at a young age. The murder, which remains unsolved, was linked to political unrest and a doctors’ strike at the time, during which her father continued treating patients. (Newsbook)
