1745- Latest News update
Times of Malta says seven senior officials at Delimara power station have filed a judicial protest, claiming to have suffered years of discrimination and injustice.
MaltaToday says that the scandalous Vitals hospitals deal continues to affect everyone, while millions continue to be stolen from the public, PN MP Adrian Delia said on Monday.
Newsbook says a court Colonel Clinton O’Neill has been appointed Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM), the interior and national security ministry announced.
TVM says that the Superintendent of Public Health, Professor Charmaine Gauci said that from today the Covid vaccination certificate will no longer be required in a number of establishments because cases were falling despite the fact that Omicron was a more widespread variant.
Update 1240
Govt to push for two-year delay to introduce minimum corporate tax – reports
The Maltese Government is pushing for an extension, of up to two years, on the introduction of a new minimum corporate tax rate which, would have wide repercussions on foreign investment in Malta. The OECD and many Western nations are pushing for a new global 15% minimum tax, which would severly dent Malta’s ability to attract international firms. While for the time being the OECD is pushing for a such minimum tax to apply on companies with certain high turnovers, this is being considered as a first step towards further tax convergence as the global institutions step up their fight against tax avoidance. (Times of Malta)
Gozo sees better 2021 in tourism
The majority of tourism establishments in Gozo had an upturn in business in 2021 when compared to the previous year, a Gozo Tourism Association online survey found. The survey carried out among the association’s members focused on the performance of the Gozitan tourism establishments during the past year 2021, the festive season as well as on issues related to human resources. The Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) survey “confirmed the obvious effect on the business generated by the Gozitan tourism establishments during the past year, showing encouraging signs that 2021 ended up better than 2020.” (Newsbook)
Covid-19 Update
175 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Monday, with 236 recoveries, leaving an active case tally of 2331. 90 persons are currently hospitalised, five in ITU. A 65-year old man became the 570th victim of the pandemic in Malta.
Morning Briefing
No election date yet as political parties rally party faithful
The upcoming general election was high on the public agenda throughout Sunday, with no date yet revealed on the upcoming polling day. This week technically presents the last opportunity by when a 12 March election could be called, with media reports speculating that PM Robert Abela could be also considering a May-June election. While announcing his intention to contest the fifth electoral district, which the PN media described as a direct challenge to Joseph Muscat, who had previously been elected on the same district. It will also mean that the leaders of the two major political parties will contest the same district. Further fuelling the agenda, two political surveys were published in the Sunday papers, with Maltatoday polling a 36k majority for Labour, equivalent to 54.3% of the vote, while a separate poll on It-Torċa gives the Labour Party a larger lead, at 56% while the Nationalist Party would get 42.4%.
(Times of Malta/Maltatoday)
Protection of life should be borne of convinction, not convenience
The principle to protect life should be a commitment and not used just for convenience, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi said on Sunday. The bishop delivered his homily during a mass commemorating the day celebrating Life organised by the Unborn Child Platform at St John’s Co-Cathedral. Mgr Galea-Curmi said that to say no to abortion just because people are not ready, or because now is not the right time, is politics of convenience. He said one needs to take into account the interests of the unborn. He insisted that the protection of life from conception had to be one of conviction. (Newsbook)
Covid-19 Update
Four people died while having Covid-19 in the past 24 hours according to the latest bulletin published by the Health Ministry. The victims were a 38-year-old, an 82-year-old and an 90-year-old men and an 87-year old woman. There were 158 new cases recorded.
