Man who died on Saturday tried to break up fight – reports: The man who died on Saturday night during a brawl inside a Marsalforn apartment was attempting to break up the fight, according to reports. According to preliminary investigations, the man who paid the ultimate price was not even involved in the original fight between a group of Syrian nationals but intervened to try to calm the arguing parties. The 25-year-old victim was admitted to Gozo General Hospital with stab wounds, but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, according to police. He also suffered a serious head injury. The police are reportedly questioning four people, all of them being Syrian nationals.
April tourist numbers reach almost 80% of pre-pandemic levels: 513,979 passengers passed through the Malta International Airport during April, which is equivalent to around 79% of pre-pandemic passenger numbers. The airport company said the seat load factor for April was just 5.6% below pre-pandemic levels, as airport traffic saw the strongest recovery yet. The airport said the positive results were due to several factors, including the launch of the airport’s summer flight schedule, which offers better connections, as well as the easing of Malta’s entry restrictions on 11 April.
Covid-19 Update: 70 new Covid-19 cases were reported on health authorities with active cases standing at 2,705. Two new deaths were reported overnight.
Morning Briefing
Ukrainians in Malta protest Russian invasion
The Ukrainian community in Malta staged a peaceful demonstration outside the Russian consulate in Kappara, dubbing the Russian commemorations of WWII’s end “Russian Shame Day.” Reversing the Russian narrative that the unlawful invasion of Ukraine was meant to liberate it from Nazi-Fascism, Sandro Zammit, a representative of the Ukrainian community in Malta, accused Russia of replicating the horrors perpetrated on Europe by Nazi Germany in the twentieth century. Violeta Hromova, a Ukrainian journalist, told the gathering in Kappara that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is “bloody and merciless,” and that the horrors witnessed are worse than those witnessed during WWII.(Newsbook)
Scheme for artists launched
Culture Minister Owen Bonnici announced on Sunday that the Arts Council has created a €800,000 funding scheme to encourage creative and community development projects. According to Arts Council head of financing and strategy Mary Ann Cauchi, the plan intends to address the continued development of the cultural and creative industry, leave a lasting legacy, and achieve the council’s strategic goals for arts excellence. It involves two open calls for content development, two open calls for project implementation, funding television shows for private broadcasters, and supporting international exchanges for artists to strengthen their global contacts in order to export more Maltese work. (Times of Malta)
Covid-19 Update:
119 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Sunday, while a person has died, according to health authorities. Active cases kept declining steadily, and now stand at 2,825.
