Weekly News highlights

A one-time improvement grant to child day care facilities was launched last Sunday with the publication on national standards. The standards deal with the adequate training of child care providers; the adequacy of the premises; encouraging learning through play; providing the necessary equipment; promoting inclusion and celebrating diversity; and collaboration between the centres and parents. The Department of Social Welfare Standards will administer the grant, which will run from August to December next year and will work on a phased-in approach, giving initial priority to four of the 10 standards.

Tourism lowest in a decade

The number of tourists visiting Malta in the first six months of the year has hit a 10-year low for this term. A total of 471,000 visitors arrived between January and June, a drop of 2.4 per cent against the same period last year, data by the National Statistics Office show.

The drop is of almost 64,000 since 1999. The first six months of this year were the worst. June alone registered a drop of 4.3 per cent to 109,038 from 113,931 in June last year. This was also the worst performing June since 1998.

Migrants lose loved ones at sea

Yesterday week's migration tragedy has left a gaping hole in the lives of many of the 13 immigrants who survived the ordeal. A 15-year-old boy lost both his parents, a man lost his pregnant wife and three women mourned the loss of their sons, one of whom just 40 days old; 17 people are believed to have lost their lives when the boat sank. The 13 who made it - eight men and and five women - were picked up by a Sicilian fishing boat, the Saverio del Ceglia, some 40 km east of Malta.

Developer, columnist to be charged

Building contractor Charles Polidano will be charged on October 5 with "using force" against columnist Claire Bonello, a lawyer, with the intent to insult, annoy or hurt her. On the same day, the police will also be charging Dr Bonello with the intent to damage Mr Polidano's reputation and for offending him with words, gestures and other means. The incident took place last June. Dr Bonello claimed Mr Polidano slapped her after she referred to him as a "baron". Mr Polidano claims he was called a "drug baron" and denies slapping Dr Bonello, insisting he had pushed her.

Tourists die while diving

British tourist John Avent, 58, and his son Rhydian, 16, died while scuba diving with relatives and friends in the limits of Xwejni, near Marsalforn on Wednesday morning. They were given assistance by people nearby but Mr Avent and his son died on the spot.

The two men had only been in the water for five minutes when something went wrong. A post-mortem examination revealed they died of barotrauma and drowning. Their equipment is to be tested.

Judge halts 'crucial' GWU meeting

A judge on Thursday upheld a request by General Workers Union official Josephine Attard Sultana not to allow an extraordinary general meeting of one of the union's sections to take place tomorrow as decreed by the central administration. Ms Attard Sultana, the union's Public Sector Section Secretary, on Tuesday asked the court to stop the extraordinary general meeting which would have decided on whether she would keep her job or not, arguing that the manner in which the meeting had been summoned violated the GWU's statute.

Mr Justice Joseph R. Micallef ruled that if the meeting were allowed to go on, the prejudice suffered by Ms Attard Sultana would be greater than that suffered by the union were the meeting to be halted. GWU general secretary Tony Zarb argued in a reply filed on Wednesday that Ms Attard Sultana's bid was not democratic. Mr Zarb said the meeting was called following a petition signed by 37 of the 77 section delegates, which satisfied the quota set by the statute.

MEPA gives partial clearance to Sliema square development

MEPA on Thursday sanctioned the demolition and reconstruction of part of a development on St Anne Square, Sliema, that has sparked off a controversy even ending up before the courts last week. The authority did not give a go ahead to the whole development, postponing that decision to a later date and asking for more façade design options.

On Thursday a court also dismissed a request filed by Sliema residents to stop the MEPA board from processing applications for the development during a meeting held in the morning.

Mr Justice Joseph R. Micallef, in the First Hall of the Civil Court, gave the ruling about two hours after the MEPA board had started evaluating the applications.

Rosa Marie Bauer Winter, Chris Vassallo, Michel Micallef Trigona and Philip Forace - whose homes overlook St Anne Square - asked the court to issue a warrant of prohibitory injunction to stop MEPA from processing the two applications.

Court orders man's extradition

Lewis Muscat, who lived in the US for 40 years, will be extradited to America to face charges of defiling a minor on several occasions over two years, after a court ruled on Friday that he had "a clear case to answer". Muscat, 56, is wanted by Californian authorities for 18 counts of defiling a girl between the age of nine and 11.