Weekly News highlights

Fr joseph mary Ghigo, a 76-year-old Jesuit priest, died on Sunday morning after finding himself in difficulties while swimming in the area known as Taht iz-Ziemel in Valletta. Fr Ghigo, a long-standing editor of the Jesuit publication Problemi ta' Llum, was a frequent contributor to The Sunday Times.

Odour at Freeport causes nausea and sickness

Operations at the Freeport in Kalafrana were disrupted on Sunday owing to a pungent odour that caused workers to suffer from nausea and sickness. Three workers were taken to St Luke's Hospital but were released after they were examined.

The Freeport management decided to send all the workers home at about 2 p.m. The odour was reportedly emitted during an oil tanking operation when gases are known to escape.

Illegal immigrants "fled to Italy"

Some of the 54 illegal immigrants who escaped from detention at police headquarters yesterday week fled to Italy on a boat just hours later, according to a phone caller who claimed he was one of the escapees. The caller, who said he was a 27-year-old Palestinian named Abdullah, called The Times on Monday saying he was one of those who escaped.

Some 140 police were involved in the hunt for the escapees, of whom 30 had been caught by Thursday. However, the police also rounded up about 100 other immigrants of various nationalities who were in Malta illegally. At least 20 have already been deported.

Two escapees were seriously injured during an operation to capture them on Monday night, when they tried to flee from the Good Shepherd home in Balzan, where they had been let in by some residents without the nuns' knowledge.

Passenger found with 800g of cannabis

A 38-year-old Libyan was caught with 800 grammes of cannabis resin hidden in his shoes as he arrived on an Air Malta flight from Tripoli on Monday afternoon.

The discovery of the drugs - 400 grammes of resin in the sole of each shoe - was made during a body search by a customs officer following a sharp reaction by a 15-month-old German Shepherd during the routine checking of passengers arriving on flight KM695.

A search in the luggage of the passenger by members of the Customs Anti-Drug Squad proved negative. Customs PRO Alfred Cappello said that this was the largest catch of drugs made with the help of a sniffer dog.

The Libyan, Fathi Milud Bugseaa, was charged in court on Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty, but was remanded in custody.

Found seriously injured

Police are investigating the discovery of a 36-year-old man from Floriana who was found sprawled on the ground in a street in St Paul's Bay early on Monday morning. The man was suffering from serious injuries to his head and face.

An ambulance took the man to hospital where he was found to be in danger of dying, the police said. The police said they identified him from a document in his possession.

Airport runway closed because of fireworks

Malta International Airport is being closed for arriving aircraft at several times during the day - in deference to the feast of St Joseph at Zebbug and to the dismay of international airlines operating from Malta.

The Department of Civil Aviation decided to ban arrivals at several periods because of fireworks being let off from near the airport for the feast. The need to order the ban, but not call off the fireworks, arose after it was reported that a flight had a "close encounter" with a petard launched during the feast of St Philip celebrated recently, also in Zebbug.

International airlines reacted with outrage after being notified by the DCA that the runway for incoming aircraft would be closed until today "because of fireworks activity". Air traffic returned to normal on Wednesday afternoon as it was established that the field where fireworks are let off for this weekend's feast of St Joseph, in Zebbug, was not in the flight path.

Charged with defiling girl

A 52-year-old man from Zabbar on Wednesday was charged with defiling a 12-year-old girl. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody.

Malta told to phase out 'harmful' tax breaks

Malta is one of three EU acceding countries which have not done enough to phase out harmful tax schemes, according to a report drawn up by the European Commission.

The Commission has identified no fewer than seven harmful tax measures in Malta, according to the report, parts of which were reproduced in Tuesday's Financial Times. The other two countries are Poland and Lithuania.

Italian minister's visit

Rocco Buttiglione, the Italian Minister for European affairs, was in Malta for a few hours on Thursday. Italy, which currently holds the presidency of the European Union, intends to strengthen the role of the Competitive Council to develop the EU's economic development policies, drive forward the action plan on better regulation, and register progress in removing barriers to a single market for services.

Mr Buttiglione had a meeting with Finance and Economic Affairs Minister John Dalli and called on Acting Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and President Guido de Marco.

Charged with manslaughter after fireworks factory blast

benjamin farrugia, 53, of Mqabba, on Wednesday was charged with the manslaughter of Godwin Debono, 55, who died in an explosion at a fireworks factory in the limits of Ta' Kandja on April 24.

He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail against a personal guarantee of Lm500.

Sisters injured in Poland

Two elderly sisters - Carmen Deguara, 72, and Maria Azzopardi, 69, of Rabat - were hospitalised in Krakow, Poland, on Tuesday after they were hit by a tram on the last day of their tour. Ms Deguara suffered nine broken ribs and a broken pelvis and Ms Azzopardi suffered injuries to her head and brain and is being kept in the ITU until she is operated on.

Floriana subway rape: DNA samples 'do not match'

Fresh developments in the investigation of the rape of a 55-year-old Floriana woman has led the Magistrates' Court to recall the case against a young Arab charged with the crime. Sources said on Thursday the court is expected to be told that preliminary results of DNA tests involving Jamal Badawi, the accused, did not match.

The sources said this unexpected result could mean the collapse of the case against Badawi who has always protested his innocence and had even requested that the case against him be heard in open court because he had nothing to hide.

Badawi, married to a Maltese woman, is pleading not guilty to the rape and illegal arrest of the woman in Floriana on June 29, violently and indecently assaulting her, offending public morals, seriously injuring her and carrying an air pistol without a licence.

On Friday the Magistrates' Court continued hearing the case against Jamal Badawi. By the end of the sitting, Magistrate Lawrence Quintano granted him bail without setting down conditions or establishing a bond. But witnesses were heard behind closed doors after the prosecution made the request in the interests of "the investigation". Magistrate Quintano ordered a total ban on the publication of the proceedings since publication might be detrimental to the investigations at this stage.

Boy, 16, charged with indecent assault

A 16-year-old Hamrun boy was charged in court on Friday evening with the violent indecent assault on two women - one in St Venera on June 8 at about 5 a.m. and the other in Hamrun last Thursday at about 5.30 a.m. The boy was also charged with holding the women against their will, and with being a relapser. He was denied bail.

Jail term in hospital rape case confirmed

An appeal court on Friday confirmed a four-year jail term imposed on Mario Falzon, a former Mount Carmel Hospital health assistant, convicted of raping a patient at the hospital in 1999. Mr Falzon had pleaded guilty to raping the woman when she was unable to offer resistance owing to physical or mental infirmity. He had also admitted committing a crime he was in duty bound to prevent but appealed for a lesser punishment in view of the circumstances.

Man arrested in Malta to face terror charges in Italy

An Italian judge has indicted five Tunisians - including one who had been apprehended in Malta - over alleged links to the terror network al-Qaeda. This move has paved the way for Italy's first trial on charges of international terrorism.

The defendants, suspected of having links with Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda terror network, were arrested in October in a series of raids in Milan, Naples, Sanremo and Malta. Another Tunisian eluded arrest and remains a fugitive.

The Tunisians are pleading not guilty.