Updated 1020
Food and Housing Costs Push Malta Inflation Up to 2.8%: Malta’s annual inflation rate edged up to 2.8% in April from 2.7% in March, according to the National Statistics Office. Food prices were the biggest driver, contributing 0.85 percentage points, with higher vegetable, restaurant and takeaway costs playing a key role. Housing costs also rose sharply, adding 0.46 points as maintenance materials and services became more expensive. Higher air transport prices boosted transport and communication costs. Clothing and footwear provided the only downward pressure, with prices falling 4.3% year-on-year. Inflation has been rising steadily since January 2026, after reaching a low of 1.2% in December 2024. (Newsbook)
Teen Arrested Over Hoax Bomb Threat at Mosta School: A 15-year-old Italian boy has been arrested in connection with a bomb threat made against the Lily of the Valley secondary school in Mosta. Police said they received a call at around 9am from a male caller reporting the threat, prompting the immediate evacuation of students and staff. Armed Forces personnel conducted a search of the premises, but no explosive device was found. The suspect was arrested within hours and is alleged to have been responsible for the hoax. Police investigations remain ongoing. (Newsbook)
Over 93% of Voting Documents Distributed as Malta Enters Final Election Preparations: More than 93% of voters in Malta have now received their voting documents, with 22,333 still uncollected, according to the Electoral Commission. Documents can be collected until midnight on Thursday from Naxxar or Gozo, while special voting arrangements remain available until Wednesday evening for those who have lost theirs. The Commission confirmed that police and election officials will vote on Tuesday, hospital patients on Thursday, and polling will take place on Saturday. Vote counting will begin Sunday at 9am, with results expected later that evening after scanning and verification processes. (TVM News)
Morning Briefing
Leaders clash in final business debate
Prime Minister Robert Abela and Opposition Leader Alex Borg faced off again in a final-week election debate organised by the Malta Chamber, with both leaders pitching themselves as the best option for business. Abela said Labour’s manifesto would cost €6.3 billion and insisted it would be funded by economic growth without new taxes. Borg refused to give a cost for the PN programme and argued businesses need less government intervention and more autonomy. The two also clashed over transport plans, taxation, and EU funding, each accusing the other of unrealistic promises and misunderstanding key economic issues. The debate was opened by Chamber president and CEO William Sptieri Bailey and Marthese Portelli, respectively, who called on both leaders to look beyond the sloganeering of an electoral campaign and focus on more realistic and “doable” narratives during the campaign’s final week. (Times of Malta)
MIA launches €12.5m project to cut airport emissions
Malta International Airport is rolling out a €12.5 million electrification programme aimed at cutting pollution and modernising ground operations. The project, due by 2028, is expected to reduce carbon emissions by around 1,000 tonnes annually. It will allow aircraft to plug into electric power while parked, replacing diesel-powered ground units. The airport will also add battery-powered equipment, 20 charging stations, and 15 electric bus charging points. Officials say the upgrade is part of a wider push to meet climate targets and comply with new European environmental rules. (The Malta Independent)
Greens want tighter control on short-term rentals
ADPD – The Green Party has called for tighter democratic control over short-term rentals, warning that speculative development and the rise of short-let accommodation are placing growing pressure on local communities. Speaking during a press conference in Marsascala, party spokesperson and candidate Brian Decelis said that studies have shown that coastal towns are increasingly being shaped by investment apartments and short-let platforms rather than the needs of residents or sustainable tourism. The party reiterated its proposal to give local councils veto powers over permits for short-let accommodation, arguing that local communities are best placed to determine what their areas can sustain. ADPD also proposed that revenue generated from tourism accommodation should go directly towards local councils and infrastructure projects. Chairperson Sandra Gauci said Malta needs planning policies that prioritise residents, affordable housing, environmental protection, and quality of life over unchecked development and speculative profit. (Maltatoday)
