Weekly News highlights

Recurrent revenue during the first quarter of the year totalled Lm172.1 million and made up 18.1 per cent of this year's budget forecast, according to the National Statistics Office.

Compared to the same period last year, this represented an increase of Lm8 million, or 4.9 per cent. Revenue for the comparative period in 2005 amounted to Lm164.1 million.

Total expenditure amounted to Lm232.6 million, an increase of Lm7.3 million, or 3.2 per cent, from Lm225.3 million expended in 2005. The total expenditure for the first three months amounted to 22.8 per cent of this year's approved budget estimates.

Diver, 17, dies in Zurrieq

Simon Farrugia, 17, a scuba diver from Zebbug, died at sea off Wied iz-Zurrieq on Monday morning.

The police were called to the scene at about 8 a.m. after the diver was spotted on the surface, apparently having difficulty keeping afloat.

Some men reached the diver on a boat and brought him ashore but by the time a doctor made it to the spot he had died.

Sant warns Gonzi on electoral districts

In an intense, often angry address Labour leader Alfred Sant on Monday warned his rival, Lawrence Gonzi, to "watch it" on the issue of electoral districts, questioning the motives behind the latest move by the Nationalist Party.

"Gonzi should be ashamed to play this game," he charged, referring to what the MLP is interpreting as a PN attempt to change electoral districts in its favour once again.

Talks between the PN, Labour and Alternattiva Demokratika, aimed at reaching an agreement on a fair electoral system, reached a stalemate last week, according to the PN.

The Prime Minister last Wednesday week served notice of a Bill to amend the Constitution so that Gozo will be declared a single electoral district.

Visa fee for non-EU travellers to double

The cost of a visa for visitors to the EU from non-member states will almost double. EU Justice Ministers decided to raise the price of a Schengen visa from €35 to €60 from the beginning of next year for a stay of up to 90 days.

Malta backed the proposal but will not be affected immediately, since the island does not yet form part of the Schengen zone. All the new EU member states must form part of the zone and Malta is likely to join in around two years' time.

Insurance company to pay accident victim Lm35,000

Montaldo Insurance Agency Ltd last week was ordered by the Court of Appeal to pay damages amounting to Lm35,000 to a man who had been involved in a traffic accident 10 years ago.

Trevor Buhagiar had sued the insurance company as agent and local representative of American Home Assurance Company. He claimed he had been seriously injured in a traffic accident while walking on the pavement in Marsascala in May 1996 when he was hit by a car driven by Joseph Farrugia who had been insured by the company in question.

Government reiterates commitment on freedom of information law

Government said on Wednesday it remains committed to what it declared in last year's pre-budget document that it would publish a White Paper on freedom of information by the end of this year.

"There will be a period of public consultation on the government's proposals following the publication of the White Paper. However, should any interested party wish to propose any ideas for inclusion in the legislation, they are welcome to do so even as of now," the government said.

Submissions should be sent to the Office of the Principal Permanent Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister, Valletta CMR 02, or by e-mail to pps@gov.mt.

Both the Institute of Maltese Journalists and the Journalists Committee last week called for the introduction of a Freedom of Information Act.

Newspaper editor's front door torched

The front door of Malta Today editor Saviour Balzan's house was torched by arsonists early on Wednesday morning.

Mr Balzan, whose residence in Triq iz-Zenqa, Naxxar, just a stone's throw away from the police station, said he was roused from his sleep at 3.50 a.m. by his dog's barking to realise his front door was on fire.

"This makes me aware of what victims of arson go through when they experience attacks on their property. In no way will this stop me from doing my job as a journalist," Mr Balzan said.

The police are investigating and duty magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna has opened an inquiry.

Campaigner burns petition

A distraught Vince Marshall, who planned to hold what he called a "protest pilgrimage" on May 20, destroyed a petition, with 4,071 signatures calling on the authorities to ban the release in Malta of The Da Vinci Code on the big screen, in a bonfire on Wednesday night after the Church frowned on his plans.

In a letter it sent to him on Tuesday, the Curia expressed its disapproval on the planned pilgrimage that would have been led by a statue of Our Lady of Fatima.

The letter, signed by the Curia's pastoral secretary, Fr Charles Cordina, was short and to the point: "While the Church regrets the harm that could result from the book and film, the Church authorities disapprove of any pilgrimages. Therefore, it does not even permit religious statues to be used in such pilgrimages".

Mr Marshall felt it would be unwise to forge ahead with the pilgrimage without the Curia's blessing, and on Wednesday went to the police station to cancel the application for the permit, which would have allowed him to realise his plans.

The Church plans to issue an information manual in mid-May to answer questions raised by the novel.

Gonzi for talks with Finnish PM

Talks in Brussels between Finnish Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen, and presidents of the European Commission and European Parliament, José Manuel Barroso and Josep Borell, on Wednesday focused on the future of the European Constitution; energy policy; justice co-operation and enlargement - characteristics which are all expected to dominate the Finnish presidency's term of office from July.

Malta's priorities for the latter six months of this year will clearly be explained next week in Helsinki during a one-on-one meeting between Maltese Prime Minister, Lawrence Gonzi, and his Finnish counterpart on Wednesday. Malta's plea for more tangible help from the EU on fighting illegal immigration is one of the subjects expected to be tackled during these talks.

Dr Gonzi will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Michael Frendo. The Prime Minister also attended an ECOFIN meeting on Friday in Brussels, accompanied by Malta's Permanent Representative at the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana, the Permanent Secretary at the Finance Ministry, Alfred Camilleri, and Policy Co-Ordinator at the Office of the Prime Minister, Leonard Callus.

Sliema council held responsible for injury

Sliema Local Council on Thursday was ordered to pay Lm90.55 in damages to a woman who broke her ankle due to a pothole in the road.

The judgment was delivered by the Small Claims Tribunal in the claim filed by Veronica Busuttil against the council.

Peter Borg Costanzi, presiding over the tribunal, heard that in June, 2004, Ms Busuttil was walking to her car parked in St Nicholas Street, Sliema. As she got off the pavement onto the road, she twisted her foot when she stepped into a pothole. She was taken to hospital where it was established she had damaged her right ankle.

Ms Busuttil told the tribunal she had to spend time in a plaster and six weeks in an ankle brace. She had also undergone six weeks of physiotherapy, but still limped.

Ship captain fined Lm4,000

The Palestinian captain of a Panama-registered ship was fined Lm4,000 on Thursday after he admitted to breaching maritime regulations when, due to the misunderstanding of English text on a navigation chart, he steered his ship through the south Comino channel.

Arif Jamaid, the 43-year-old captain of MV Lion Princess, filed a guilty plea to breaching the Malta Maritime Authority Act on Wednesday at about 4 p.m. when he sailed the 146-metre-long vessel through the channel that is restricted to non-commercial vessels and vessels that are not longer than 50 metres.

Retailers' warning over early dual pricing

The Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, GRTU, has warned the government it would be clashing with retailers unless it reversed its decision to impose dual pricing six months prior to original plans.

The GRTU argued that dual pricing is a painstaking and costly exercise that would place added burdens on retailers - causing prices to shoot up - if it is imposed before the exchange rate is fixed.

Reuben Buttigieg, the GRTU's representative on the National Euro Changeover Committee (NECC), told a press conference on Friday that if the euro is introduced before the rate of exchange is fixed, the public would get used to a wrong conversion rate, arguing that confusion would defeat the government's own plan of gaining support for the euro.

EU Commissioner rejects MLP's euro arguments

Joachim Almunia, the European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, on Friday dismissed the Labour Party's arguments against the introduction of the euro in Malta in 2008.

He said that Labour leader Alfred Sant's arguments on the issue "have nothing to do with the introduction of the euro in Malta".

Mr Almunia was speaking after the signing of a partnership agreement between the Maltese government and the European Commission for Malta's information campaign before the introduction of the single currency. The agreement was signed in Brussels between Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Mr Almunia.

Almost 300 new cases of melanoma in 12 years

Almost 300 new cases of melanoma were reported over the 12-year period between 1993 and 2004, statistics compiled by the Maltese National Cancer Registry show.

In the same period, 59 people succumbed to melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Lawrence Scerri, head of dermatology at Sir Paul Boffa Hospital, pointed out that the five-year survival rate has increased, going up from 74 per cent between 1993 and 1997 to 92 per cent between 1998 and 2002.

However, the improvement in survival rates should not lead to complacency and Dr Scerri, together with other dermatology experts, urged people to avoid sun exposure and have any suspicious moles checked out.