Updated 1215
Three constables suspended, investigated on use of unnecessary violence: The Police Force said the morning that three of its constables have been suspended from duty and are under criminal investigation for having used unnecessary violence. All three constables are suspected of having “seriously failed to uphold their duties, including through the use of unnecessary violence”. (Times of Malta)
PN calls for better health and safety after 12 deaths at workplace
The Nationalist Party said that the death of 12 people at the workplace over the last months, indicated the need for an improved and clear set of health and safety practices at work. In a statement on Saturday, PN Labour Spokesperson Ivan Castillo and PN Planning Spokesperson Stanley Zammit said the party met with the Malta Occupational Safety and Health Practitioners Association (MOSHPA), which is primarily composed of experienced and qualified professionals in the area. (Maltatoday)
85 Ukrainians get asylum in August
Malta has granted asylum to 85 refugees from Ukraine during August. Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, some 1,355 Ukrainian were granted asylum in Malta : 190 arrived in March, 390 – April, 415 – May, 190 – June, and 85 in July. The figures were issued by Eurostat in connection with the Ukraine war. (TVM)
Morning Briefing
International journalis mbody says Government plans on media are actually a threat: The Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists expressed concern about three bills tabled in Malta’s parliament this week, describing the proposed reform as not only falling short of recommended standards but are actually a threat. The Maltese Government had described the new media laws as historic. The platform which made the assessment, is part of the Council of Europe’s efforts to combat threats to the media. IT said that the new laws actually constitute a chilling effect on media freedom. (Times of Malta)
30% of ‘O’ Level mark to be linked with school performance
Students will get a part of their Ordinary Level exam mark on the basis of their class performance, in a move to alleviate the dependency on a single examination result, which will now contribute 70%. The Education Ministry’s Director General Jude Zammit said that while the examination will make up 70 per cent of a student’s overall mark, the remaining score will come from an ongoing assessment carried out during the final three years of secondary school. (Newsbook)
PN wants flyover allegations investigated
The Opposition has asked the Permanent Commission Against Corruption to investigate bribery claims linked to the Marsa flyover project. In a presser, the PN said that it was also requesting a separate investigation of the Marsa junction project by the National Audit Office. In a letter to retired judge Lawrence Quintano, chair of the Permanent Commission Against Corruption, MP Karol Aquilina flagged the bribery allegations that were revealed last week in the press. The allegation, which is also being probed by the EU prosecutor’s office (EPPO), revolve around exchanges between Turkish billionaire businessperson, Robert Yildirim, and Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect, Yorgen Fenech. (Maltatoday)
Savings from lower gas prices to be used on projects
At the end of an informal European Summit in the Czech Republic, PM Robert Abela said that discussions focused primarily on energy, with leaders seeking ways of fixing prices so that these go down as soon as possible. He recalled that in Malta there will be no particular impact from these decisions since Government was anyway subsidising the price, adding that Government would be using the savings on other projects. (TVM)
