Your daily morning briefing brings you a review of the main stories from Malta’s newspapers and the agencies and news outlets around the world, including the latest on Brexit, the developments on Khashoggi’s death, the decision by the French government to abandon plans to increase fuel taxes and the Yemeni peace talks.
Quote for Today
We’re living at a time when attention is the new currency – Pete Cashmore, CEO of Mashable
Malta’s News Paper Headlines
The Malta Business Weekly carries a story about the most recent Passport Index rankings and says that the Maltese passport is the sixth most useable in the world with visa-free access to 162 countries. Another 15 EU countries rank ahead of Malta and behind the UAE passport which is the most powerful.
The Times reports that non-Maltese students account for 10 percent of the school population at primary and secondary stage. National Statistics Office figures show that the numbers doubled in five years, with students of Asian and African origin increasing by three times.
The Malta Independent says that insufficient resources at the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry means that only around 18 percent of pensions are be re-assessed every year. A report by the NAO warned that, since the re-adjustment are still owed to the entitled even if the individual passes away, the arrears may balloon into large amounts.
Another article in The Malta Business Weekly says that Malta registered a negative 2.3 percent decrease in retail sales in October, compared to September. Eurostat figures show that this was the biggest decrease in the EU with an average increase of 0.3 percent in the eurozone and 0.1 percent in the EU28.
The Malta Independent covers the launch of a holistic mental health strategy covering the period 2020 through to 2030. The Ministry for Health said that the strategy introduces 75 measures that focus on different facets of the sector.
L-Orizzont reports that among the plans in the new mental health strategy is the development of a new specialised hospital by 2025. Quoting Health Minister Chris Fearne, the paper says that Mount Carmel Hospital will be re-organised and equipped with the latest technology.”
The Times says that the Planning Authority is today expected to approve two hotel developments in Qawra and Paceville. The ten-storey Seaview Hotel in Qawra will be rebuilt while Bay Street in Paceville is set for a twelve-storey extension.
L-Orizzont reports that one of the three men accused of executing the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia was taken to a private hospital on Wednesday, suffering from pain in his shoulder. George Degiorgio was escorted by hooded officials.
Another story in L-Orizzont says couples go through a second trauma to seek a church annulment, after obtaining separation from the civil courts. The paper speaks to a clinical psychotherapist who says the procedures for annulment are more intense.
In-Nazzjon covers an TV interview with PN Leader Adrian Delia who says that people are paying the price for government corruption. Delia said that the Panama Papers and 17 Black scandals are having repercussions on the Maltese economy, affecting families.
