Malta

The delay in the reopening of the Ta' Qali animal hospital is jeopardising the veterinary course that is due to start this academic year; animal hospital was closed last year after some of the machines suffered extensive damage due to a power surge

Nature Trust- FEE Malta, major environment protection actor, is facing financial challenges after a building contractor claimed over €200.000 in damages and froze the NGO's assets with an attachment order

The Maltese archdiocese's shareholding in APS bank has been diluted to around 55% in 2022, compared to the 79% it previously owned, and the Catholic Church intends to continue 'withdrawing' from Maltese banking sector by further diluting its shareholding

Groups of residents and activists took to the streets of Valletta on Sunday to protest against the occupation of public pavements by businesses; around 50 people accompanied by percussionists from protest group Banda Graffiti asked for "no pavements"

Recent regulations limiting the number of pet boarding houses will likely lead to a significant increase in fees, animal rights activists and pet sitters have warned, up to a 40% increase in daily fees

Nominations for the upcoming Labour Party elections, scheduled for 13-14 September, have been closed on 25 August; each role open was filled with either one or two people contesting while the executive members, open for 12 members, received 38 nominations

The second turtle nest of the season sees 60 turtles hatched, out of the 74 eggs in the nest; in the whole of Malta there are currently six more nests expected to hatch in the coming weeks

Żminijietna, left-wing think-tank organisation, declared the need for more accessible and safe pavements in local communities

The number of 24-hour health centres in Malta will be increased from three to five following government plans

More patients die from stroke in Malta than in the EU average, Mater Dei Hospital's neuroscience department reported and highlighted the need for brain health initiatives to improve outcomes and reduce the number of deaths

The Oceanography Malta research group at the University of Malta has launched a new app, ANDROMEDA, to help spread awareness about the problem of microplastics in the sea; it focuses on the collection, analysis and monitoring of microplastics

Plastic bags have replaced the pipes in a new drip irrigation system in the municipality of Zebbug; each PVC bag contains over 70 litres of water that drips slowly into the ground over 8-10 hours

A new government agency, Real Estate Market Agency, will regulate the real estate market and protect real estate agents, real estate consultants and brokers, and also create standards for brokerage and related services