1745- Latest News update
Times of Malta says the sound of explosions interrupted an interview with a Maltese man living in a besieged Ukrainian city on Monday morning.
MaltaToday says Nationalist and Labour candidates crossed paths at the Birgu flea market on Tuesday, all meeting and greeting constituents lined along the stands
Newsbook says the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s delivered an emotional and passionate plea for Ukraine to gain EU membership in view of the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
TVM says that National Statistics Office provisional estimates show that last year the Maltese economy grew by 9.4% in real terms, following a decrease of 8.3% registered in the previous year due to the pandemic.
Mid-Day Briefing
Strong Rebound in The Services Sector Drives Strong 9% Growth In GDP: Provisional estimates published by the NSO indicate that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2021 amounted to €14,533.8 million, registering an increase of €1,473.9 million, or 11.3%, when compared to 2020. In volume terms, GDP rose by 9% following the drop of 8.3% registered a year earlier as a result of the pandemic. The main driver behind this 9.0 per cent growth was the services industry, with the largest contribution (8.1%), followed by much smaller contributions by industry (0.6%) and construction (0.3%). Compared to the year before, service activities increased by 9.6%, industry by 5.6% and construction by 5.8% in volume terms.
Third of PL voters prefer Joseph Muscat: More than one-third of Labour votes prefer former PM Joseph Muscat as party leader, according to a Times of Malta survey. His successor, Robert Abela enjoys the support of just under half of PL voters, at 47.1%. The remaining said they do not know which leader they prefer, while only 1.1% claimed to prefer neither.
Ukrainian nationals, supporters, return to Valletta urging for end of invasion: Ukrainian nationals and supporters returned to the Tritons Square outside Valletta on Monday, calling for an end to Russia’s invasion of their home country. Waving the blue and yellow flags of Ukraine, they urged for peace as hostilities entered the fifth day.
Covid-19 Update: A total of 86 people tested positive for COVID-19 between Monday and Tuesday according to data released by the health authorities, which also shows that a further 64 had recovered from the virus. 38 are at Mater Dei Hospital, three of whom are receiving intensive treatment.
Morning Briefing
PN leader links early election to media reports on Robert Abela
PN Bernard Grech said Prime Minister Robert Abela is not prepared for the election, and is spending his energy on trying to amend his reputation following the recent scandals revealed by the media. “Robert Abela is focused on hiding his past, and is not prepared, but we are,” Grech said at another PN rally in Paola. Hours after Robert Abela appeared to avoid answering questions related to his relationship to an alleged criminal, Grech provokingly noted that “no wonder he called the elections as soon as stories on Christian Borg started emerging”. [Maltatoday]
“Not all Russians are bad” – Parl Sec justifies passport sales
The Parliamentary Secretary for citizenship, Alex Muscat, refused to say whether Malta will stop selling passports to wealthy Russians, arguing that “not all Russians are bad.” There have been several calls for Malta to stop selling passports to Russians, in view of the international sanctions imposed against Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine. Some have argued that by obtaining a Maltese/EU passport, Russian individuals could circumvent the sanctions. Muscat said that the argument against golden passports does not hold water: “What we have is a residency scheme that even the Opposition agrees with. The due diligence we have is next to none. We even train other countries on due diligence. Let’s not make blankets statements that all Russians are bad. I have spoken to several Russians in Malta who do not approve of what their government is doing.” [Independent]
Labour to extend IVF services
Extending already existing IVF services is pro-life, Labour leader Robert Abela said on Monday evening. Addressing a PL event in Birkirkara, Abela shared details on the PL’s proposals targeting families and students. The Labour leader described the current legislation on in vitro fertilization (IVF) as “advanced” but it was not enough. Legislative amendments envisaged by the PL if re-elected to power include amendments to the age limit, removing the limit which bars parents who have conceived a child unassisted and would like to have a second child but are experiencing fertility issues, among others. [Newsbook]
Covid-19 Update
There were 40 new cases of Covid-19 on Monday, with 61 new recoveries. Active cases have declined below 700. Meanwhile, a 76-year-old woman passed away while Covid-19 positive.
