Update
Attempted self-harm incident at police headquarters, stopped just in time
A man, being held at the police headquarters in Floriana, was hospitalised on Saturday night after attempting to harm himself. The police say the incident happened around 9:45pm. In a statement on Sunday, the police said that “prompt action” ensured that the 24-year-old man suffered slight injuries in what could have been a life-threatening situation.
MaltaToday
Grech: Criticizing PA applications is a vote of no confidence in the institution
The prime minister’s criticism of developers for filing certain planning applications was a sign that the government lacked confidence in its own institutions to make sensible decisions about development, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday during a radio interview broadcast on the PN’s radio station NET FM
Nurses’ union boss Paul Pace to face action over misuse of public funds
Nurses’ union boss Paul Pace is to face a Public Service Commission disciplinary board after a fact-finding exercise concluded that he misappropriated public funds by requesting payment for work allegedly not carried out, even while he was abroad.
The inquiring board had been set up in April after Labour Party political pundit Manuel Cuschieri alleged that the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses (MUMN) president requested several hours of overtime at his workplace in Mount Carmel Hospital when he was actually on holiday in Egypt.
Times of Malta
Morning Briefing
Political consensus on opposition to Bkara hotel
Birkirkara MPs Randolph De Battista, Justin Schembri, Edward Zammit Lewis and Adrian Delia, and MEP Cyrus Engerer are all objecting to the proposed hotel opposite the Santa Liena parish church. Earlier this week, a proposal for a four-storey hotel on part of a palazzo’s garden overlooking Triq Mike Pulis across the street from the Basilica was submitted.
Engerer lodged an online petition, which has already been signed by over 1,200 people, appealing to the Planning Authority to reject the application. PN MP Justin Schembri said that there are “hundreds of thousands of reasons” to reject a hotel a few metres away from the Basilica. “I expect that politics aside, Birkirkara residents and those that love Birkirkara, say no to this crazy idea. I, however, cannot not agree with the palace’s restoration.” (Maltatoday)
TM whistleblower ready to spill the beans on corruption allegations
A former Transport Malta employee, who informed the police about a driving license racket, reportedly cautioned top politicians and aides about corruption, according to Arnold Cassola. The whistleblower, living abroad, triggered arrests of a transport agency director and two others. The informant is willing to testify in the ongoing court case, pending the magistrate’s decision. (Times of Malta)
91% of young people who graduated in Malta last year are employed
The post-tertiary employment rate for young individuals in Malta, including graduates from institutions like the University of Malta and MCAST, stands as one of the highest according to a report released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Based on Eurostat’s data, the previous year saw 91% of recent Maltese graduates securing employment. The leading positions in this regard were held by Germany (92%) and the Netherlands (93%). Throughout 2022, 82% of young Europeans aged between 20 and 34 who had completed their education found employment. Eurostat noted that the employment rate for this specific demographic rose by 7% from 2014 to 2022, with the pandemic being the sole hindrance to this upward trend. (TVM)
