Bonġu News on 2 January 2023

More than 50,000 people are estimated to have welcomed the new year in Valletta. Due to the pandemic, the national New Year’s Eve celebrations had not taken place in the previous two years.

However, the Malta Tourism Authority denied funding the traditional fireworks display in the capital. Instead, a display in Mellieħa received funds – coincidentally in Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo’s electoral district.

Prime Minister Robert Abela said the government is committed to strengthening civil liberties.

In his New Year’s Eve message, the Prime Minister indirectly referred to the ongoing medical emergency abortion debate. “No reform receives full agreement. And we never made changes that were not followed by a discussion”, Abela said.

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech said that his Nationalist Party cannot remain passive when presented with large societal challenges.

“The value of human life cannot be used or discarded depending on the moment”, Grech said.

Bernard Grech further referred to road and construction accidents, growing poverty, and a “drowning” situation of the environment. Grech further said a modern state must strive to be “clean, serious and responsible”.

Ukraine has entered the new year accompanied by Russian airstrikes. Four people were killed and dozens injured. 45 Iranian-made combat drones had been shot down, 32 of them after midnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said.

The country will continue to fight for its victory, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his New Year’s speech. “We were told: you have no other option but to surrender. We say: we have no other option than to win”, Zelenskyy said.

Following the death of Joseph Ratzinger, former Pope Benedict XVI, his body has been laid in state.

Benedict’s mortal remains have been laid in the chapel of the Mater Ecclesiae monastery. Today they will be brought to St Peter’s Basilica for public viewing.

The former pope’s funeral, presided by Pope Francis, will be held at St Peter’s Square on Thursday morning.

Croatia has joined both the Eurozone and the Schengen area.

The Croatian Kuna and the Euro will co-exist for a short transitional period of just 14 days. ATMs and internet banking in the country are expected to be fully functional again from today.

Croatia is also the first country to join the Schengen zone in 11 years. This will allow people to travel freely from and to other EU member countries without border controls.

Vella to stay in Malta for ‘abortion’ vote

President George Vella will cancel overseas trips if they coincide with the parliamentary vote on medical emergency abortion.

This decision dismisses rumours that the president could go abroad again, as he did last year to avoid signing the IVF law. Sources told the Times of Malta that Vella intends to sign a more restricted version of the bill, otherwise he would resign.

The legal amendments on medical emergency abortion will enter committee stage when parliament reconvenes after the Christmas recess. At this stage MPs will discuss every detail of the bill’s wording which is understood to be tweaked then.

Several Labour sources told Bongu the plan is for the final vote to take place no later than the third week of January.

Weather

The first week of 2023 starts off cloudy, with highs between 17 and 18 degrees. The second half of the week is expected to be rainy.