Weekly News highlights

Reginald Borg is in critical condition after crashing into two vehicles in a matter of minutes along the same stretch of road last Sunday. Mr Borg was driving along Dingli Road towards St Dominic's church in Rabat in a Daewoo Espero when he collided with a Peugeot being driven in the opposite direction.

About a mile further on, after losing a mirror, Mr Borg hit a Vauxhall Astra being driven in the opposite direction.

Mr Borg continued for another 150 feet before coming to a halt after hitting a wall. An ambulance took him to hospital. No one else was injured in the accidents.

Earth tremor jolts Malta

Malta was jolted by an earthquake on Monday afternoon, sending people scurrying out in panic into the streets and then jamming the mobile phone system as they contacted relatives and friends.

Seismologist Pauline Galea confirmed that an earthquake had taken place at 5.08 p.m. measuring nearly four on the Richter scale, with its epicentre in the sea 30 km to the north of the island. No injuries or structural damage were reported.

Suspected rapist arraigned

A 21-year-old Libyan, Jamal Badawi, late on Monday night was charged with the rape of a 55-year-old Floriana woman. Badawi, who pleaded not guilty, was not Ashref Mohamed Ahmed Aroud, the man whose photograph was released by the police in connection with the rape investigation, although he bears a strong resemblance to him. Badawi was refused bail.

Sacked nurse awarded compensation

rose zammit, a pregnant nurse who went on sick leave for five days without producing a medical certificate, has been awarded Lm1,120 compensation for unfair dismissal in June last year after an industrial tribunal heard that her sick leave had been authorised by a doctor at St Philip's Hospital, where she worked.

Man facing extradition granted bail

George Cauchi, 44, of Tarxien, who is facing extradition to Italy in relation to tobacco smuggling, was granted bail on Monday. However, he was bound not to leave his house without authorisation. Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna set the bond at a Lm10,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of Lm10,000.

Cauchi is wanted by the Italian authorities for alleged involvement in the smuggling of tobacco in Italy, Greece, Montenegro and England between March 20, 1999, and October 15, 2001.

Two injured in separate accidents

A 38-year-old motorcyclist from San Gwann is in critical condition and a 21-year-old from Marsaxlokk suffered broken bones in two separate traffic accidents on Tuesday morning. The police said the motorcyclist, driving a Yamaha, was involved in a collision with a Mini which was turning into Birkirkara Street in San Gwann. The motorcyclist suffered serious head injuries.

The traffic accident involving the 21-year-old occurred in December 13 Street, in Marsa. He was driving a Land Rover when he lost control and mounted the centre strip. The vehicle flipped over but was only slightly damaged.

Qrendi council condemns decision

Qrendi council has condemned the government's decision to create temporary landfills in quarries at Ix-Xaghra tal-Maghaq and Qasam il-Kbir, saying the former is an integral part of the Mnajdra temples.

Qasam il-Kbir, he added, was in the same zone as the seven prehistoric Misqa wells. There were also Punic graves close to the two sites. And both sites led to the Maghlaq valley, the entrance of which was beneath the reverse osmosis plant that provided water to the south of the island. The council condemned the fact that it had not been consulted and later said it was writing to UNESCO to protest the government's decision to set up temporary landfills in these areas.

Illegal immigrants land at Birzebbuga

A total of 94 illegal immigrants landed at Birzebbuga on Wednesday afternoon. Police said the immigrants claimed to be from the Congo; they include 82 men, five women and seven children. The AFM operations centre was earlier informed that a fishing-boat carrying illegal immigrants about one nautical mile off Delimara.

A patrol craft and a search-and-rescue boat were immediately deployed to assist the boat to sail towards Wied il-Buni,limits of Birzebbuga, as an army helicopter hovered overhead. The immigrants were later taken to the detention centre at police headquarters, in Floriana.

MIA's Lm2.17 million pre-tax profit

Malta International Airport announced on Wednesday a pre-tax profit of Lm2.17 million for the year ending March 31. The company's profit last year was Lm2.71 million.

During the financial year, the company made a profit of Lm13.6 million after tax, but this included the exceptional pre-tax profit of Lm16 million made from the sale of the terminal land held by the company.

The company announced a dividend of 2c per share.

New Asia-Europe service to pass through Freeport

A container ship of Sunda Express, the fixed-day weekly service linking Asia and Europe, called for the first time at the Malta Freeport on Wednesday. This service will be operated by CMA-CGM Group and Norasia Container Lines, both major clients of the Freeport and APL, a member of New World Alliance. Sunda Express will be served with seven vessels, with a capacity of around 3,000 TEUs each.

The Freeport also said that the internationally renowned shipping line APL has chosen its facilities for transhipment operations in the Mediterranean.

La Salle arrives for major refit

The American Sixth Fleet flagship, the USS La Salle, commanded by Captain J.R. Haley, USN, returned to Malta on Friday to begin a major refit at Malta Drydocks. The contract was won amid stiff competition from 13 other major shipyards. The ship is expected to remain in dock for several weeks.

Charged with church thefts

A 17-year-old youth was yesterday charged with burgling churches, chapels and parish offices all over the island over the past months. The Valletta teenager pleaded not guilty to stealing cash, crucifixes, mobile phones, bags, friars' garments, a ring, a wallet and other items from 13 churches, three parish offices and two chapels. He was granted bail against a personal guarantee of Lm500.

Charged with manslaughter of Austrian tourist

Two people were charged on Friday with the manslaughter of Barbara Bertl, the 24-year-old Austrian tourist killed in traffic accident in Cirkewwa on July 5. One was her boyfriend, Manfred Habacher, 23, who was driving the rented Kia Avella in which Barbara Bertl was riding as a passenger when she died. The other was Carmen Scerri, 34, of St Paul's Bay, who was driving the Toyota Land Cruiser involved in the collision.

Habacher was given a two-year jail term suspended for four years and fined Lm1,000 after pleading guilty. Scerri pleaded not guilty.

APS posts Lm0.9 million profit

APS Bank announced pre-tax profits of Lm907,262 for the financial year ended December 31, 2002. Pre-tax profit at the end of 2001 was Lm1.1 million but it was largely attributable to profit generated from exceptional gains realised on the disposal of investment securities.