1745- Latest News update
Times of Malta says A man who stands accused of murdering his partner in Gozo last month confessed to the police to strangling her because he thought she was cheating on him, a magistrate heard on Friday.
MaltaToday says the Planning Authority voted to approve an application to build a block of 125 apartments just 300 metres from the cliff edge in Sannat, Gozo.
Newsbook says The need to move towards sustainable energy has never been clearer, as sanctions imposed on Russia are expected to lead to fuel scarcity, candidates from ADPD – The Green Party said on Friday during a press conference in Msida.
TVM says that Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced that a supply of medical equipment will be dispatched to Ukraine tomorrow.
Updated 1300
No new taxes despite Ukraine war – Caruana
The government will not introduce new taxes, despite the intensifying Ukraine war, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said on Friday. Adressing a Labour conference, Caruana said that “introducing new taxes will backfire on the economy because it generates inflation”. “That is why we are dedicating €200 million to cover rising costs of gas and fuel till the end of year, so that we cushion the impact before it seeps into the economy.
At the same time, he said that Labour’s 25% corporate tax pledge will only apply to company profits that remain in the company and not on dividends paid out to shareholders
Horse sulky rider killed in crash with car: A man has been killed in a crash between a horse sulky and a car in Rabat on Friday morning. The 66-year-old victim was riding the sulky along with another 64-year-old man when it was involved in a collision with
Skoda Yeti driven by a 49-year-old woman. It happened on Triq Ħad Dingli at around 9am, police said and all involved were residents of Rabat.
Covid-19 Update: Another 139 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded overnight as the number of cases in hospital rose to 49. Statistics published by the health ministry show that 68 people recovered, leaving the number of active cases at 1,149.
Morning Briefing
Say no to corrupt clientelism, Church Commission says
A report by a Church commission calls on voters to reject “corrupt clientelism” and urged politicians to “leave nature alone”. It calls for political parties to become less dependent on business donations with the introduction of state-financing of parties and a shift to full-time MPs.
The report drawn by the Justice and Peace Commission urges voters to use their “vote and behaviour to say no to a corrupt system whereby candidates try to ‘buy’ the vote of constituents by bypassing systems which should be in place to ensure transparency and fairness”. (Times of Malta)
Abortion no longer taboo in Uni debate
Abortion was no longer the elephant in the room during an electoral campaign, with Prime Minister Robert Abela saying that he will not “kick out people” from the Labour Party for expressing pro-abortion views, and said the public debate on abortion should not be stifled. PN leader Bernard Grech said it is important for the country to have a discussion on abortion, but stated his party was in favour of life “from conception to death”. “We need to understand why women undergo abortions and treat them with empathy,” he added. Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said the party was in favour of decriminalisation of abortion for women. “No woman who receives an abortion, for whatever reason, should be treated like a criminal. They need help, empathy, not state persecution,” he said. (Maltatoday)
Covid-19 Update: Another 153 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded overnight as an-86-year-old man died while positive to the virus. Statistics published by the health ministry show 76 people recovered, leaving the number of active cases at 1,078.
