Zelenskyy vows not to join NATO in exchange for Russian ceasefire

Mar 22 2022

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he is willing to compromise in exchange for a Russian ceasefire. This comes after he expressed doubts as to whether Putin intends to stop the war.

Zelenskyy was addressing an interview on Monday 21st March, in which he revealed that he would be willing to not seek NATO membership.

‘It’s a compromise for everyone: for the West, which doesn’t know what to do with us with regard to NATO, for Ukraine, which wants security guarantees, and for Russia, which doesn’t want further NATO expansion’ he said.

The Ukrainian president said that Kyiv will be willing to discuss the status of Crimea as well as the eastern Donbas region which is held by Russian-backed separatists. This follows a message by Zelenskyy to Putin saying ‘it’s time to talk.’

‘Negotiations about peace, about security for us in Ukraine, should be substantial, fair and without delays’ he said. ‘This is the only chance, the only chance for Russia to reduce the harm from its own mistakes.’

Zelenskyy said that it is time to meet and restore territorial integrity for Ukraine as otherwise, it would take several generations to recover Russia’s losses. This also follows accusations by US president Biden that Russia is preparing for chemical and biological warfare in Ukraine.

#MaltaDaily

G7 Events return to Café del Mar with 1st of May special featuring chart-topping DJ Topic

Mar 22 2022

As the sun begins to emerge and the clouds begin to scatter, G7 Events have just announced the return of their annual 1st of May celebration at Café del Mar and it’s a banger!

Local events brand G7 Events have just announced their FREE 1st of May special at the iconic beach club featuring none other than the chart-topping DJ & producer Topic! Ever since he burst onto the scene, topic has released one hit after the other with tracks like Breaking Me, Drive and Your Love (9PM) dominating the airwaves in Malta and beyond. His latest track In Your Arms (For An Angel) has already proven to be a summer banger and we honestly can’t wait for 1st of May.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Topic (@topic)

The much-awaited day-to-night event is absolutely free of charge and starts at 5PM so you can say that the daytime vibes have finally returned!

#MaltaDaily

Health officials created illusion of pandemic crisis hotelier decries

Mar 22 2022

Hotel owner Michael Zammit Tabona filed constitutional proceedings against the Superintendent for Public Health, saying that the quarantine requirement for Maltese residents returning from abroad without a booster dose breaches fundamental rights.

The Superintendent and the state were also accused of having created an illusion of a national health crisis and having ‘painted a very negative picture for the public’ and that this picture was not based on facts or science.

The application was filed this morning before the First Hall of the Civil Court in its Constitutional jurisdiction. Zammit Tabona’s lawyers, Eric Micallef Figarro and Keith Borg, explained that the businessman had been administered two doses of the vaccine but has not yet taken the booster shot as he deemed it ‘scientifically useless’ and ‘potentially dangerous.’

In the case he filed against Charmaine Gauci as well as State Advocate Chris Soler, Tabona said that the covid measures around travel were affecting his work which involved lots of overseas travel. The hotelier had allegedly sent a letter to Gauci in January, attaching results of laboratory tests conducted in November, December and January. The tests concluded that he had immunity against the virus and that the booster was thus useless and possibly dangerous.

With no reply received, he sent a reminder on the 9th of February, which also went unanswered. A third letter was sent on March 3rd upon return to Malta, but this was also ignored after he was placed in quarantine. His lawyers argue that the requirement for COVID-19 certification and quarantine restrictions are not based on science and breach fundamental human rights.

Zammit Tabona has called upon the court to declare the legislation and measures it implements as going against fundamental rights and therefore null and void.

#MaltaDaily

Ukraine war a major concern for local voters

Mar 22 2022

A survey commissioned by Times of Malta found that around one in four Maltese people see the war in Ukraine as one of the main problems facing their country.

The war placed second alongside COVID-19, just below the rising cost of living. A total of 19% of respondents view the war as the biggest threat to Malta at present.

The cost of living has ben listed as the leading concern by 25.7% of respondents. The last survey was conducted by the newsroom between March 5th and 15th by market research firm Esprimi.

A survey carried out in February showed that rising prices had risen to second place in the lit of concerns, with the first being the pressure on Malta’s healthcare system due to COVID-19.

The latest round of the survey showed that the pandemic is a leading concern for 19% of respondents, placing equally up with the war in Ukraine. Corruption dropped to fourth place, replaced by traffic.

Around 13% think corruption is a leading concern, compared to around 16% who think that traffic congestions are the biggest problem facing the country. This was followed by salaries as being the biggest problem (around 6.7%). Despite the invasion being seen as a threat to the country, it is not seen as an issue which will personally impact the Maltese people.

The youngest of voters, between 16-to-24-year-olds, said they are least concerned with the war, with just 12.5% of this group thinking the war is the greatest threat to the country.

#MaltaDaily