Updated 1745- News Portal Briefing
Times of Malta reports that Christmas shopping is expected to be a ghost of its former self.
MaltaToday reports that Corporate services provider Credence, which featured in an extensive European Investigation Collaborations exposé on tax avoidance in Malta, has been fined €261,000 by the Financial Investigation Analysis Unit for breaches of various money laundering obligations.
Newsbook reports that the National Youth Council (KNŻ) expressed its disappointment following the Government’s reshuffle.
TVM reports that 20-year-old Kimberly Aly of Vittoriosa, who is five months pregnant, has admitted in court to trafficking drugs.
Updated 1433 – Five people die of coronavirus
Five COVID-19 patients died between Monday and Tuesday, the Health Ministry reported this afternoon, meaning Malta’s death count now stands at 122.
The fatalities were 76, 83, 82 and 88 years old men and a 75-year old woman.
Two of them died at Mater Dei, two at the Good Samaritan Facility and one -at the Gozo General Hospital.
Updated 1300
Covid-19 Update
The Health Department reported 133 new cases of coronavirus in the previous 24 hours, with 107 recovering. The number of active cases has reached 2082.
2664 swab tests were carried out in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the number of deaths linked to Covid-19 has reached 117.
Covid-19 patients in intensive care have a 60% death rate
COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care have a 60% death rate, according to figures by Mater Dei Hospital’s Intensive Treatment Unit doctors. It rises to 70% if a patient also develops kidney failure, according to the first comprehensive data on critical care since the start of the pandemic.
These figures, revealed to the Times of Malta by the ITU Consultant Group, have been gathered to gain a better understanding of how the disease is impacting local patients.
String of arrests related to fuel smuggling ring
Two former footballers, a lawyer, and an accountant have been arrested in connection with investigations into an international fuel smuggling ring, according to The Times of Malta.
Former footballers Darren Debono and Jeffrey Chetcuti were arrested, arraigned and charged with money laundering as well as smuggling offences on Monday. It is understood that they were denied bail and spent the night in prison.
Meanwhile, lawyer Arthur Azzopardi and accountant Chris Baldacchino – who in the past was fined by the FIAU over a lack of compliance on anti-money laundering matters – are also reportedly under arrest and being interrogated in connection with suspected money laundering activity.
Updated 0900 – Newspaper Review
L-Orizzont leads with an interview with government MP Silvio Parnis who said that his political career is coming to an end because he cannot ‘help people’ any longer. The former Parliamentary Secretary admits that he was hurt by the Cabinet reshuffle.
The Independent publishes results from a survey by the Faculty of Social Wellbeing which finds that a quarter of people in Malta believe that immigration is the main reason for low wages. Just over 27 percent said they strongly disagreed with this view.
The Times quotes figures showing that six in ten Covid-19 patients who are taken into intensive care die from the disease despite the ventilators. Published by Mater Dei doctors, the report says the rate compares to other hospitals abroad.
In-Nazzjon covers a vigil by Malta Can Association to raise awareness about a seven-year-old girl who was abducted by her biological mother 44 days ago. The girl has been in foster care with a family since she was six months.
The Times says that Malta has the third largest Cabinet in the EU, with 21 ministers including the Prime Minister. Greece, Poland, and Croatia also have 21 ministers while Spain and Sweden have 23 and Italy has 22.
In-Nazzjon says that the family of a man who died in police custody filed a case with the Constitutional Courts to have access to the ongoing inquiry. Richmond Tong died aged 35 in June this year.
The Independent speaks to CME Chamber CEO Abigail Mamo who said that businesses expect to see a rise in sales on Black Friday, despite the pandemic. Mamo said that families this year have saved more than ten times the usual amounts.
L-Orizzont reports that Covid-19 recoveries were more than double the number of new cases on Tuesday. The total number of registered cases since the start of the pandemic has surpassed 9,000.
In-Nazzjon reports that four Covid-19 patients died between Monday and Tuesday, three at Mater Dei and one at a residence for the elderly. The number of victims in Malta has now risen to 117.
L-Orizzont speaks with Covid-19 patient Graziano Ostuni who said that he had to battle a severe pneumonitis in hospital for two weeks. The patient praised healthcare professionals for the humanity and dignity they are showing.
Covid-19 Update
Health authorities on Monday afternoon announced the death of four more persons from COVID-19. The four fatalities are all men, aged 71, 75, 80 and 94 respectively. These deaths mean that Malta has now lost 117 persons from coronavirus infection.
80 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the previous 24 hours, from 2192 swabs. With 177 persons recovering, the number of active cases has gone down to 2060.
Jason Azzopardi cleared by Courts on Yorgen Fenech comments
The Court deemed that Jason Azzopardi’s comments on radio when answering “yes” to the question of whether Yorgen Fenech was guilty, was not “condemnable” or “to be censured”. He had qualified his answer during the same answer, adding that Fenech “stands accused of masterminding” the journalist’s murder.
The Court however called for “greater caution” during such public discussions.
Lawyers for the businessman, who is accused masterminding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, had claimed that Fenech suffered “irreparable damage” on account of statements made by Nationalist MP Azzopardi when participating in a Saturday morning live talk show on 103 Malta’s Heart.
Malta has more work to do on violence against women, says Council of Europe
In its first baseline evaluation report published today on implementation by Malta of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, known as the “Istanbul Convention”, the Group of Experts (GREVIO) emphasised a number of positive legal and policy measures that have been taken by the authorities, which demonstrate firm resolve to stem violence against women.
Nevertheless, GREVIO has observed several issues where urgent improvement is warranted to reach higher levels of compliance with the requirements of the convention. While, in principle, Malta has broadened its policies to address other forms of violence against women beyond domestic violence, on the side of implementation the Council found hat strategy and action plans fail to provide for specific integrated measures to tackle harmful forms of violence against women other than domestic violence. Moreover, Malta has adopted a gender-neutral approach to violence against women.
The report welcomes the will to address all experiences of violence in intimate relationships but stresses that it is of paramount importance that the different forms of violence against women are addressed as a gendered phenomenon because they affect women disproportionately, GREVIO said.
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