Prime Minister defends cheques on eve of election as necessary

Mar 22 2022

Prime Minister Robert Abela defended the decision to distribute tax cuts and COVID relief cheques just two weeks before the election.

Abela claimed that the cheques were necessary to fend off rising prices from supply shortages and the damaging effects caused by the invasion of Ukraine. He described the cheques as a safety net against inflation.

Abela went on to insist his pledge to keep energy prices stable despite the rise in gas prices due to invasion. ‘This isn’t the first time that oil prices went up like this’ he said, recalling a similar incident in March 2020.

The government, Abela sad, is using the same economic model which was used at the start of the pandemic. The PM was interviewed by Saviour Balzan on TVM News Plus’ Xtra, where he refused to commit on two Labour proposals for mandatory union membership or the scrapping of homework for school pupils.

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Daphne will have died in vain if PL get large majority Bernard Grech says

Mar 22 2022

Speaking to Times of Malta’s Mark Laurence Zammit, Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said that if Labour is re-elected with a huge majority, Daphne Caruana Galizia will have died in vain.

Asked if he thinks he’ll win the election, Grech said that he doesn’t really think about it but he instead wants to see the country win.

Grech went on to say that apart from the late journalist having been killed in vain, the re-election of Abela’s Labour Party would mean that the work of journalists would have been futile.

‘If you’re fed up, you can’t just stay there and complain. You must vote to narrow the majority or elect PN to government. He went on to explain how he does not plan on stepping down and is instead focusing on narrowing the gap.

Grech had previously explained how he plans to stay with Malta ‘after Saturday’. The only survey which matters is the general election said Grech, also echoing something Prime Minister Robert Abela had stated during his political rallies.

Grech told Laurence Zammit that the party came a long way, saying that the election result will show just how much the party has improved after he took over as leader. Abela has also repeatedly stated that the election starts at 0-0.

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Victor Calvagna would have turned 64 today as tributes pour in

Mar 22 2022

Today, 22nd March 2022, would have marked the late Puttinu founder Victor Calvagna’s 64th birthday.

The birthday of the late doctor was commemorated by Puttinu Cares, through which Calvagna had worked tirelessly to help children sick with cancer and their families.

Calvagna was hit by a car in Qawra in December of 2021. He had been deemed brain dead and passed away a few days later. His funeral brought together numerous people as well as people bringing up memories of all that he had done to help.

Puttinu Cares also stated that it has been a year since Ramiro Mallia, a former Puttinu patient who passed away due to a gas leakage from a heater, died.

The NGO revealed that the two are dearly missed and are spoken about every single day. ‘How can such a wound ever heal’ they asked. ‘How can we ever forget all the good you have done?’

‘Take care of us from from above. We love you too much’ the post ended. Happy birthday Dr Calvagna and Rest in Peace Ramiro. Thank you both for everything.

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Russia has banned Instagram and Facebook calling them ‘extremist’

Mar 21 2022

A Russian court ruled on Monday that Facebook and Instagram be banned as extremist. This forms part of the efforts by Moscow to put pressure on social media during the invasion of Ukraine.

Russian authorities accused US tech giant Meta – which parents Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – as being tolerant of Russophobia ever since troops were sent to Ukraine on February 24th.

Facebook and Twitter have thus been inaccessible in Russia since early March, with Instagram blocked in the country a week ago. However, Meta’s WhatsApp messenger service was not prohibited because it is not used to post public statements.

Meta has yet to comment on the move. On Monday, Russia’s FSB security service accused the giant of working against the interests of Moscow.

‘We ask the court to ban Meta’s activities and oblige it to implement this ruling immediately’ said FSB representative Igor Kovalevsky. This follows an announcement by Meta on March 10th that the platforms would allow statements such as ‘death to Russian invaders’ but not credible threats against civilians.

However, in what seemed to be damage control, Meta global affairs president Nick Clegg said that these rules would only apply to people posting from inside Ukraine.

Experts said on Monday it remained unclear whether it was illegal for ordinary Russians to post on Facebook or Instagram. Net Freedoms Project said Russians could use Meta’s social media carefully but actions such as purchasing Facebook or Instagram advertising could be prosecuted for financing an extremist organisation.

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