The following are the main stories in Friday’s newspapers.
Times of Malta says a Council of Europe report shows Malta is one of two countries with the highest increases in the incarceration rate among nearly 50 European countries between 2019 and 2020. In another story, the newspaper says Moviment Graffitti activists have remained in place on the site of a controversial road proposed in Dingli following a meeting with Ian Borg on Thursday evening.
The Malta Independent says that Health Minister Chris Fearne’s call for a joint EU roll-out of Sputnik’s vaccine has been rejected by the EU health commissioner.
L-Orizzont says that expenditure on social benefits has surpassed €1 billion.
In-Nazzjon says that former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri will have to face cross-examination by alleged murderer Yorgen Fenech’s lawyers.