Midday Briefing
PM changes plans for election – PN Leader
The leader of the Opposition Bernard Grech insisted Prime Minister Robert Abela had decided on calling an early general election, but changed his mind at the last minute. “The reality is that he had considered calling a general election, he had also decided on going ahead with his plans, but something happened in the weekend after my speech in parliament,” he said in an interview on NET TV. MaltaToday Grech also called for a coalition for change on Sunday, saying that politicians alone cannot bring about change, adding that the Nationalist Party together with the public can bring about the change needed for the country. Newsbook.com.mt
Covid Upadate
6 new Covid-19 cases were recorded by the health authorities in their latest daily update. Nine people have made a recovery, taking the number of active cases to 215. The authorities said ten people are currently hospitalised, with four of them in ITU.To date, 878,722 vaccines have been administered, 51,932 of which were booster doses. Newsbook.com.mt
Daggers out as Melvin Theuma, Yorgen Fenech cite ‘lies’ over Daphne’s murder
Yorgen Fenech and Melvin Theuma have drawn their legal daggers on each other as the trial of the businessman charged with complicity in Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder looms. The lawyers for self-confessed middleman Theuma and the business tycoon have written to the police and to the president respectively, accusing each of shifting blame and lying. – Read more on Times of Malta / Newsbook.com.mt
Covid school closures affected some primary students’ basic skills
School closures related to the Covid-19 pandemic have led some primary students to lack basic skills upon their physical return to school, MUT president Marco Bonnici confirmed with The Malta Independent on Sunday. Speaking with the Malta Independent on Sunday, Bonnici said that most teachers in all sectors, including state, Church and private schools are seeing that some of their students require added support on certain basic skills as they are concerned about the learning lost during the pandemic. Read more on The Malta Independent on Sunday
Morning Briefing
No social distancing in vaccinated-only events as from tomorrow
A legal notice published on Saturday has confirmed that restaurants and events will be allowed to go back to “pre-COVID” distances from tomorrow, as long as they restrict entry to a maximum of 300 vaccinated people. Health Minister Chris Fearne had originally announced the changes a few weeks back, but had insisted that the authorities would only implement them if Covid-19 case numbers remaind low.
already announced the rules would change in November. Now, the latest mitigation measures by the government published on Saturday confirm the new rules come into force on Monday. (Times of Malta)
ADPD says large companies should adopt carbon neutrality to get State Aid
ADPD called for sustainable investment and a green transformation to Malta’s economy and society. In a press conference on Saturday, its Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo proposed that large companies should be obliged to adopt carbon neutral targets for their operations if they are to receive state aid. Speaking in Birzebbugia, Cacopardo insisted that “new buildings should be carbon neutral and generate all the clean energy that they need. It is imperative that solar rights are protected. Sustainable investment is needed for buildings to be retrofitted to also become zero-carbon.”
Protestors call for end of racism, discrimination
Valletta continues to be a host to protest. After a sizeable crowd on Friday called for justice and police action against former Minister Konrad Mizzi, another demonstration on Saturday called for an end to racism and discrimination. The protest was called following the case of Jaiteh Lamin, the migrant worker who was thrown by his employer on the side of the road, following a an accident on a construction site.
“Despite our differences, we all want the same thing equality for all”, the said. The protestors were addressed by Caroline Galea, the person who found and helped Jaiteh. She told the crowd that “I know you are in pain I know you are angry. We heard Jaiteh’s cries, we heard his pain. This need to change. “Make it safe for both employees and employers and leave no opportunity for exploitation at work. In a world so very corrupt, we need to unite. We need to unlearn. We need to stop turning back on people,” Galea stated. (Maltatoday)
Covid-19 Update: 19 new COVID-19 cases were reported on Saturday while 15 recovered. 10 persons are currently hospitalised out of 208 active cases.
CDE News
