Government to cushion energy price increase / Malta News Briefing – Saturday 23 October 2021

Mid-Day Briefing

Government to cushion energy price increase

PM Robert Abela said that Government will support local consumers against energy price increases. Speaking at the end of an EU Council focusing on the spike of energy prices, he said that “we will continue to support our people and businesses, in the context of the particular realities our country faces.”
Abela likened the energy situation with the wage supplement introduced to support people during teh pandemic, and insisted that authorities would ensure that rising energy prices “do not translate into an added burden on people.”
EU leaders formally asked the Commission to look into gas and electricity markets to see whether certain trading behaviours require regulatory intervention, inviting the executive to use the tools at its disposal to provide short-term relief to the most vulnerable consumers and companies, while “taking into account the diversity and specificity of the situations of the member states.”

Covid-19 Update
Active cases dropped further on Saturday with just new six cases and 21 persons recovering overnight. Of 236 current cases, 13 are in hospital, three in Mater Dei’s ITU.

Biker suffers serious injuries in Zurrieq

A man suffered serious injuries following a traffic accident in Żurrieq on Friday evening. In a statement, the police said the accident happened on Friday at 8.30pm at Triq il-Belt Valletta, Żurrieq. From its preliminary investigations, it results that a collision occurred between an Opel Astra, driven by a 27-year-old man from Gudja and a Yamaha motorcycle driven by a 24-year-old from Għaxaq. The motorcyclist was taken to Mater Dei hospital, where he was certified as suffering from grievous injuries.

Morning Briefing

Prosecutors, Yorgen Fenech lawyers spar on disclosure of info

An intense day in Court as Yorgen Fenech’s lawyers claimed that lack of disclosure of evidence will lead no trial, and accused prosecutors of wanting their client convicted at all costs. The prosecutors refused such claims, arguing that an inquiry into the murder was ongoing and that all the evidence would be produced at the trial. Judge Edwina Grima reassured the defence team arguing that “this will not be a trial that will be over in two weeks,” insisting that jurors would be told that only what they heard in court was relevant. (Times of Malta)

Life Network, Women Lobby trade barbs on PN sexual health proposal

The Life Network Foundation has come out against the Nationalist Party’s promise of free contraception and morning-after pill and accused the party of contradicting itself. However, the Opposition party found the support of the Malta Women Lobby, who dismissed LNF’s statement, and called on the organisation to check its facts before issuing statements about the use of contraceptives and the morning after pill. “Their claims are unscientific and harmful,” the lobby said in their own statement. “These deliberately misleading claims are not helpful in any way and will simply contribute to Malta’s already high rate of teenage pregnancies and rising STDs.

Covid-19 Update: Covid-19 cases declined further on Friday, with 23 recoveries exceeding the ten new cases reported by health authorities. Active cases stand at 251. During the last 24 hours, an 86-year-old became Malta’s 460th Covid-related death.