<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?><rss version="2.0">    <channel>        <title>MaltaToday News National </title>        <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/rss/news/national/</link>        <description>MaltaToday RSS Feed news national</description>        <copyright>(c) 2014 MaltaToday, All Rights Reserved</copyright>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Disabled learners’ rights must come first in LSE progression reform, parents society says ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142594/disabled_learners_rights_must_come_first_in_lse_progression_reform_npspd_says</link>            <description><![CDATA[ The National Parents&rsquo; Society for Persons with Disabilities say experience should not be treated as a substitute&nbsp;for appropriate professional preparation, training and qualifications ]]></description>            <pubDate>Fri,19 Jun 2026 18:38:09 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>disabled_learners_rights_must_come_first_in_lse_progression_reform_npspd_says</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Abela calls for increased regional funding as difficult talks on EUs €2 trillion budget kick off ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142668/abela_calls_for_increased_regional_funding_as_difficult_talks_on_eus_2_trillion_budget_kick_off</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Prime Minister Robert Abela attends European Council summit in Brussels focused on&nbsp;the long-term EU budget &bull; Leaders agree to produce draft deal by October ]]></description>            <pubDate>Fri,19 Jun 2026 18:26:08 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>abela_calls_for_increased_regional_funding_as_difficult_talks_on_eus_2_trillion_budget_kick_off</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Convicted murderer was allowed laptop in prison but no internet, Bedingfield confirms ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142667/convicted_murderer_was_allowed_laptop_in_prison_but_no_internet_bedingfield_confirms</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Home Affairs Minister Glenn Bedingfield dismisses claims that&nbsp;Adrian Agius, known as Tal-Maksar,&nbsp;snuck a laptop into the prison &bull; Laptop was confiscated because it was &#39;irregularly&#39; connected to the internet &bull; Internal inquiry given 30 days to conclude ]]></description>            <pubDate>Fri,19 Jun 2026 16:23:01 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>convicted_murderer_was_allowed_laptop_in_prison_but_no_internet_bedingfield_confirms</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Bernard Grech nominated as deputy speaker by the Opposition ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142663/bernard_grech_nominated_as_deputy_speaker_by_the_opposition</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Former PN leader Bernard Grech has been nominated by Opposition Leader Alex Borg for the role of deputy speaker when parliament convenes for the first time on Saturday ]]></description>            <pubDate>Fri,19 Jun 2026 14:21:09 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>bernard_grech_nominated_as_deputy_speaker_by_the_opposition</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Adrian Agiuss prison laptop investigation should be subject of magisterial inquiry, Repubblika says ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142658/adrian_agiuss_prison_laptop_investigation_should_be_subject_of_magisterial_inquiry_repubblika_says</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Repubblika has called for a magisterial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding prison inmate Adrian Agius&#39;s alleged use of a laptop with internet access, arguing the case raises serious concerns about evidence that may be found in relation to potential criminal offences ]]></description>            <pubDate>Fri,19 Jun 2026 11:05:22 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>adrian_agiuss_prison_laptop_investigation_should_be_subject_of_magisterial_inquiry_repubblika_says</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Advisory council gives the green light to governments fiscal forecast ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142659/advisory_council_gives_the_green_light_to_governments_fiscal_forecast</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Malta Fiscal Advisory Council says the government&#39;s deficit and debt projections are sound but warns Malta will exceed its cumulative spending limit and remains overly dependent on income and wealth taxes ]]></description>            <pubDate>Fri,19 Jun 2026 11:00:51 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>advisory_council_gives_the_green_light_to_governments_fiscal_forecast</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Momentum urges government to safeguard youths and act on social media ban ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142655/momentum_urges_government_to_safeguard_youths_and_act_on_social_media_ban</link>            <description><![CDATA[ The party says Malta cannot wait for big tech to self-regulate and must move at once to restrict social media access for children under 16 ]]></description>            <pubDate>Fri,19 Jun 2026 09:38:13 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>momentum_urges_government_to_safeguard_youths_and_act_on_social_media_ban</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Il-Kollettiv raises alarm over Abela’s new 100-days planning appeals reform pledge ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142653/ilkollettiv_raises_alarm_over_abelas_new_100days_planning_appeals_reform_pledge</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Il-Kollettiv warns against repeating the mistakes done with&nbsp;Bills 143 and 144 last year after Prime Minister Robert Abela pledges&nbsp;planning appeals reform within his first 100 days ]]></description>            <pubDate>Thu,18 Jun 2026 19:40:37 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>ilkollettiv_raises_alarm_over_abelas_new_100days_planning_appeals_reform_pledge</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Retired bishop George Frendo warns against dangerous post-election poisonous rhetoric ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142652/retired_bishop_george_frendo_warns_against_dangerous_postelection_poisonous_rhetoric</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Archbishop Emeritus George Frendo warns that&nbsp;politics becomes dangerous when it replaces religion and politicians are treated as gods ]]></description>            <pubDate>Thu,18 Jun 2026 19:34:38 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>retired_bishop_george_frendo_warns_against_dangerous_postelection_poisonous_rhetoric</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Abela pledges to halt developments under appeal in first 100 days ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142651/abela_pledges_to_halt_developments_under_appeal_in_first_100_days</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Prime Minister says the planning measure will be among the government&#39;s earliest priorities as the Labour Parliamentary Group meets for the first time ]]></description>            <pubDate>Thu,18 Jun 2026 16:20:00 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>abela_pledges_to_halt_developments_under_appeal_in_first_100_days</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Balluta Bay closed to swimmers after sewage overflow ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142648/balluta_bay_closed_to_swimmers_after_sewage_overflow</link>            <description><![CDATA[ The Environmental Health Directorate says&nbsp;the overflow was caused by a sewer line blockage after construction waste was illegally dumped by third parties ]]></description>            <pubDate>Thu,18 Jun 2026 14:42:16 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>balluta_bay_closed_to_swimmers_after_sewage_overflow</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Wardija Resource Centre to reopen admissions after teachers, LSEs allocated ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142644/wardija_resource_centre_to_reopen_admissions_after_teachers_lses_allocated</link>            <description><![CDATA[ The Dun Manwel Attard Resource Centre in Wardija will reopen in the new scholastic year and all students who applied and are eligible will be admitted, the Education Ministry says ]]></description>            <pubDate>Thu,18 Jun 2026 12:35:23 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>wardija_resource_centre_to_reopen_admissions_after_teachers_lses_allocated</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Government opens €6.5 million heritage restoration scheme for Maltas eastern region ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142636/government_opens_65_million_heritage_restoration_scheme_for_maltas_eastern_region</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Government says that &euro;32 million have been set aside for restoration schemes in just six months, nearly matching the total spent over the past three decades ]]></description>            <pubDate>Thu,18 Jun 2026 10:10:08 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>government_opens_65_million_heritage_restoration_scheme_for_maltas_eastern_region</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Unhatched truths: Why are sensitive turtles nesting on popular beaches? ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142525/unhatched_truths_why_are_sensitive_turtles_nesting_on_popular_beaches</link>            <description><![CDATA[ New research suggests loggerhead turtle nests on busy Mediterranean beaches are recording hidden environmental stress beneath the sand ]]></description>            <pubDate>Thu,18 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>unhatched_truths_why_are_sensitive_turtles_nesting_on_popular_beaches</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Lawyers to boycott court on Monday in protest over claims of lawyer-client meeting monitoring ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142632/lawyers_to_boycott_court_on_monday_in_protest_over_phonetapping_claims_</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Advocates are told to immediately inform their clients that they would not be available to represent them in sittings on Monday ]]></description>            <pubDate>Wed,17 Jun 2026 16:06:19 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>lawyers_to_boycott_court_on_monday_in_protest_over_phonetapping_claims_</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Ramona Attard warns public after Whatsapp account hacked in scam ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142631/ramona_attard_warns_public_after_whatsapp_account_hacked_in_scam</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Government MP Ramona Attard warns public to not reply to Whatsapp messages sent by her after account was hacked in scam ]]></description>            <pubDate>Wed,17 Jun 2026 15:36:37 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>ramona_attard_warns_public_after_whatsapp_account_hacked_in_scam</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Gender mechanism masks deeper problems keeping women out of politics, Agius Mamo argues ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142627/gender_mechanism_masks_deeper_problems_keeping_women_out_of_politics_agius_mamo_argues</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Independent business advisor and former Chamber of SMEs CEO Abigail Agius Mamo warns gender mechanism risks becoming permanent without wider reforms which had been pledged together with the mechanism&nbsp; ]]></description>            <pubDate>Wed,17 Jun 2026 14:40:19 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>gender_mechanism_masks_deeper_problems_keeping_women_out_of_politics_agius_mamo_argues</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Updated | Contractor damages Gżira homes boundary wall during demolition works ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142623/contractor_damages_gira_homes_boundary_wall_during_demolition_works</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Updated | After MaltaToday article revealing damage by the contractor, BCA says it has intervened and the developer will fix damage, but resident insists he has yet to be contacted ]]></description>            <pubDate>Wed,17 Jun 2026 14:30:58 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>contractor_damages_gira_homes_boundary_wall_during_demolition_works</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ Repubblika accuses Labour media, online groups of intimidation campaign against activists ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142621/repubblika_accuses_labour_media_of_intimidation_campaign_against_critics</link>            <description><![CDATA[ The NGO says activists, journalists, and critics are being dehumanised and ridiculed through AI-generated images and online attacks since the election ]]></description>            <pubDate>Wed,17 Jun 2026 13:00:40 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>repubblika_accuses_labour_media_of_intimidation_campaign_against_critics</guid>        </item>                <item>            <title><![CDATA[ PN wants accountability over claims of electronics misuse, illegal phone tapping at prison ]]></title>            <link>https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/142619/nationalist_party_calls_for_accountability_over_corradino_prison_claims</link>            <description><![CDATA[ Nationalist Party says recent reports about the Corradino Correctional Facility raise grave concerns over security, fundamental rights and the running of the facility&nbsp; ]]></description>            <pubDate>Wed,17 Jun 2026 12:27:52 +0200</pubDate>            <guid>nationalist_party_calls_for_accountability_over_corradino_prison_claims</guid>        </item>            </channel></rss>