A magnitude 5.1 tremor off the southern coast of Italy startled numerous individuals in Malta on Saturday morning.
The tremor was initially identified by seismic instruments managed by the National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology, based in Rome, at 5:53am.
It spread across the sea and Malta, with residents from all over the country—Marsascala, Mgarr, St Julian’s, Kirkop, and Birkirkara.
According to the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the earthquake in the Ionian Sea was recorded at a depth of 58 km, approximately 62 km offshore from Reggio Calabria.
Morning Briefing
Saint James Hospital Invests €36m to Expand Complex Surgery Services Saint James Hospital is investing €36 million to expand its facilities and introduce advanced medical technologies aimed at treating complex health conditions. The investment will enable the private hospital to undertake specialised cancer surgery and intricate cardiac interventions, a development described as a first for Malta’s private healthcare sector. Chief executive Jean Claude Muscat said the project reflects a commitment to taking private healthcare to the next level and ensuring patients benefit from cutting-edge medical advances. Speaking during a visit by Prime Minister Robert Abela and Health Minister Joe Etienne Abela to the hospital’s Żejtun facility, Muscat said closer collaboration between private and national healthcare systems could improve outcomes, shorten waiting times and reduce duplication of resources. He added that patients with complicated conditions no longer need to rely exclusively on state hospitals for advanced treatment. (Times of Malta)
Ministers Stop Submitting Detailed Asset Declarations Ahead of Planned System Change Cabinet ministers have stopped submitting detailed asset declarations as the government prepares to introduce a single declaration system for all members of parliament. The move would remove the additional disclosure requirements that previously applied to ministers, including detailed information on income, property holdings, financial investments and certain assets held by spouses. Standards Commissioner Joseph Azzopardi said that despite repeated requests, ministers did not submit their 2024 declarations after Cabinet decided that all MPs should use the same declaration form. Prime Minister Robert Abela had already opted not to publish ministers’ declarations for 2023, insisting there was no obligation to do so. The Office of the Prime Minister said the commissioner’s concerns would be addressed through reforms to the asset declaration system, which would eliminate existing distinctions between ministers and backbench MPs. (Maltatoday)
PN Warns Financial Services Fees Will Continue Rising Throughout the Year The Nationalist Party has said that a number of fees introduced by the government over the Christmas period for financial services operators will continue to increase throughout the year, adding to businesses’ operating costs. The party said legal notices were issued raising application and supervisory fees for banks, investment service providers, insurance companies and intermediaries, trustees, pension scheme operators and crypto operators. According to the PN, the measures were not announced in the Budget despite government assurances that no new taxes would be introduced. The party argued that higher regulatory costs would ultimately be passed on to consumers in the form of increased fees and insurance premiums, while linking the increases to what it described as rising public debt driven by uncontrolled government spending. (The Malta Independent)
