Prime Minister Answers MCESD Meeting Call Over Power Cuts

Jul 26 2023

After the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry called for an urgent MCESD meeting due to the power cuts hitting various Maltese localities, prime minister Robert Abela took to Twitter to state:

“I asked MCESD Chairman to convene a meeting of the social partners. The Government will be updating MCESD on the present climate challenges, energy and the ongoing and upcoming works to strengthen the electricity distribution system.”

I asked MCESD Chairman to convene a meeting of the social partners. The Government will be updating MCESD on the present climate challenges, energy and the ongoing and upcoming works to strengthen the electricity distribution system. – RA

— Robert Abela (@RobertAbela_MT) July 25, 2023

This comes as various Maltese homes enter the second week of extended power cuts, leading to a social media backlash as well as planned protests, with the Opposition urging the government to declare a national emergency.

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2.3 Million Tourists Visited Malta In 2022

Jul 26 2023

In 2022, tourism in the Gozo and Comino region of Malta saw a total of 460,514 visitors, with domestic tourists making up 72.0% of the total, NSO revealed.

Domestic tourism across regions decreased by 5.0% compared to the previous year. In the same year, inbound tourists in Malta reached 2,286,597, with single centre destination trips comprising 97.2% of total trips.

Gozo and Comino region had 369,000 domestic tourist arrivals, with most tourists traveling for holidays and staying for 1 to 3 nights. The average length of stay decreased from 2.8 to 2.7 nights.

Domestic tourism expenditure in this region was estimated at €63.4 million, a decrease of 20.0% from the previous year.

The Malta region saw 2,157,538 inbound tourists visiting as a single centre destination, mainly aged between 25 and 44 and coming from EU Member States.

The UK was the strongest market, with 18.4% of the total. The total nights spent by single centre inbound tourists in Malta reached almost 15.3 million.

Inbound tourists visiting Gozo and Comino region as a single centre destination amounted to 64,687, with the majority coming from EU Member States.

The UK was the strongest market with 32.4%. Twin centre destination trips attracted 64,372 inbound tourists, with the majority aged between 25 and 44 and coming from EU Member States. France was the strongest market at 19.3%.

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Videos Of Burning Sicily As Wildfires Rage

Jul 26 2023

Italy is experiencing extreme weather events with wildfires in the south and violent storms in the north, resulting in the deaths of seven people within 24 hours.

In Sicily, temperatures reached a scorching 47°C, leading to wildfires and temporary closure of Palermo airport. Three people died in a house hit by a wildfire, and an 88-year-old woman couldn’t be reached by emergency services due to the fires. More than 55 wildfires were reported on the island, prompting evacuations and medical emergencies from smoke inhalation.

In the northern region of Lombardy, violent storms caused significant damage, and four people lost their lives, including a 16-year-old girl killed by a falling tree during a camping trip.

The extreme weather also disrupted transportation, felling trees and blocking the metro and railways in Milan.

The Sicilian city of Catania faced temperatures close to 47°C, leading to power cuts and water supply issues. Photos showed wildfires threatening the ancient archaeological site of Segesta.

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The extreme heat has caused deaths in other regions of Italy within the last two weeks.

Sicily is facing an unprecedented catastrophe with incalculable environmental damage due to the wildfires, as stated by the farmers’ association Coldiretti. Meanwhile, the northern regions are experiencing torrential rain and gales from cooler air coming from northern Europe.

The situation has prompted the governor of Sicily to request a state of emergency declaration from the central government in Rome. The extreme weather conditions have caused widespread damage, disruptions in transportation, and immense challenges for the affected regions in Italy.

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Source: @cosminontheroad, @humenintelligence TikTok

Rosianne Cutajar Cleared Of Wrongdoing After 2 Year Investigation

Jul 26 2023

Rosianne Cutajar, former Labour MP, announced that she has been officially cleared of any wrongdoing by the Inland Revenue Department, marking the end of investigations into her activities.

In a Facebook post, Cutajar expressed relief after enduring two years of allegations and lies regarding her alleged involvement as a property broker and tax evasion.

She expressed disappointment in former Standards Commissioner George Hyzler, whom she believed had prematurely judged her and hindered her political career.

The controversy surrounding Cutajar arose from a report by Hyzler two years ago, stating that she breached parliamentary ethics standards due to her involvement in a multi-million euro property deal with Yorgen Fenech, who faced charges related to the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Hyzler recommended an investigation by the tax department.

Media reports in 2020 indicated that Cutajar assisted in brokering a property deal involving Fenech, allegedly receiving a bag containing approximately €46,500 in cash.

Despite consistently denying any wrongdoing, she temporarily stepped down from her cabinet post while under investigation. In November 2021, parliament’s Standards Committee endorsed Hyzler’s report, leading to her removal from the Cabinet.

Last April, Cutajar resigned from the Labour parliamentary group but continued as an independent MP following the publication of chats between her and Yorgen Fenech.

In her recent Facebook post, she asserted that she had always spoken the truth and any false accusations and misguided decisions were made by others against her.

She acknowledged the injustice her family endured but expressed relief in being cleared of guilt, allowing her to live her life without the burden of allegations or suspicion.

#MaltaDaily