Natura 2000 Boost: Malta has launched Project E-CORE, a ~€9 million push to strengthen biodiversity and improve visitor management across the Natura 2000 network, with education and better access built in. Tourism Pressure Signals: Eurostat data shows Malta’s overnight stays rose 9.9% in H1 2026, but the wider EU picture is uneven—highlighting how quickly tourism demand can shift and ripple through local jobs and services. Waste Collection Row: The PN links this summer’s waste crisis in Sliema, Swieqi and St Julian’s to centralised decisions that sidelined local councils, calling for eco-tax funds to return to the localities where they’re collected. Energy Resilience Warning: A World Bank assessment says Malta’s critical infrastructure is too centralised, raising the risk of cascading failures during disasters—especially for coastal damage, transport, and utilities. Gozo Power Cuts Hit Comms: Prolonged outages in Gozo are now affecting mobile and data services as backup systems run down, underlining the need for more reliable energy infrastructure. Heat in Schools: The PN demands urgent action after complaints of excessive heat during MATSEC resits, arguing students deserve safe, dignified exam conditions. Plastic-Free Dive Mission: Ocean campaigner Kristijan Curavić is taking plastic-removal efforts underwater in Croatia as a Guinness-style operation, aiming to set a model for tourism areas worldwide.