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Malta News ROUNDUP

PUPILS MUST WEAR MASKS IN CLASS BUT OTHER SCHOOL MEASURES EASED

Schools will re-open in September but student must still wear masks in class. P.E., lab work, fieldwork and classroom birthday parties will still go on. Education Minister Justyne Caruana said students in Year 8 and under will have to sit 1.5 metres apart whereas those in Year 9 and over have to keep their desks one metre apart.

AIR MALTA ADOPTS GENDER-NEUTRAL PHRASES

Air Malta announced they will be using gender neutral terms like “guests” and “passengers” instead of phrases like “ladies and gentlemen”. The airline said diversity and equality were core values at Air Malta.

MALTESE STILL RELUCTANT TO GO ON HOLIDAY

A survey commissioned by Times of Malta found that many people are still unlikely to take a holiday in the coming months despite fear of travelling lifting. The survey found that 54 per cent of respondents were generally concerned about travelling. This is split between 44 per cent who say they are “not at all comfortable”, and a further 10 per cent who say they are “rather uncomfortable”.

24 COMPANIES RENOUNCED MALTA LICENCE AFTER GREYLISTING- PN

Some 24 companies have moved from Malta since the country was greylisted by the Financial Action Task Force. This has compounded uncertainty in the financial services industry, the Nationalist Party said.

JOHN DALLI TO FACE CHARGES OVER €60 MILLION BRIBERY SCANDAL

John Dalli is set to face criminal charges over an attempt by his aide to solicit a €60 million bribe to help overturn an EU-wide ban on snus, a form of smokeless tobacco. At the time the alleged bribe was solicited, Dalli was the European commissioner for health leading reforms to the EU’s tobacco directive.

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YORGEN FENECH INDICTED FOR MONEY LAUNDERING

A court case against Yorgen Fenech saw the accused’s messages exposed. In one alleged WhatsApp message, Fenech asked “how much did we launder?” Fenech is accused of fraud and attempting to launder a total of €45,000 in a case involving four other alleged associates. Four others are also accused of similar charges.

LABOUR-LINKED FIRM IN DRAFT ‘CONSULTANCY’ DEAL WITH YORGEN FENECH

A company linked to the Labour party fronted a draft “consultancy” deal that would have seen it receive up to €200,000 from 17 Black owner Yorgen Fenech. This allegedly could have been an attempt to disguise funding from the Tumas magnate. Fenech received a 33-month “consultancy” agreement in May 2016 by then Labour Party CEO Gino Cauchi.

MALTESE RANK HIGH FOR STREAMING AND GAMING DURING COVID-19

The Maltese were among the most likely in the EU to use online streaming services and play online games to entertain themselves in 2020, the year of the lockdown. Over 90 per cent of internet users in Malta reported streaming television and video content last year.

GIOVANNA DEBONO’S HUSBAND AGAIN CLEARED OF FRAUD, MISAPPROPRIATION

Anthony Debono, husband of former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono, has again been cleared of all charges linking him with a ‘works-for-votes’ scandal by a court of appeal. In a judgement, the court said the whistleblower who made the allegations was not credible.

HEALTH MINISTRY UPDATES WILL NOW FOCUS ON HOSPITALISATIONS

Health Minister Chris Fearne has signalled a shift in the focus from COVID-19 daily case numbers to hospitalisation rates. He said the “main emphasis” of the daily Covid-19 update will be placed on the number of people being treated in hospital and in intensive care.