timesofmalta.com

Updated - Large crowd welcomes Gianluca

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:41:00 +0200

Updated - A large crowd of people packed the airport arrivals lounge this morning to give a hero's welcome to Gianluca Bezzina on his return from the Eurovision Song Contest, where he placed eighth yesterday. Security officers had to struggle to control people as they surged towards the young doctor when he showed up at the arrivals lounge, applauding and cheering. Among them were members of his family and many people from his hometown Qrendi. Many are carrying Maltese flags, balloons, pictures of the singer and autograph books. Some children had 'Oh Oh' painted on their faces. Gianluca expressed his gratitude and said he had never expected such a warm welcome. He said he was overwhelmed by the whole Eurovision experience and the opportunity it had provided him to meet so many people.

Calleja: The day will come when a Maltese lifts the Eurovision trophy

Sun, 19 May 2013 11:50:00 +0200

Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja believes the day will come when a Maltese will lift the Eurovision trophy. Writing in his blog, Malta's most successful singer, Calleja said that Malta had a brilliant song yesterday, and it was delivered impeccably, yet Malta did not win. "No doubt there will be many who will cry foul, bring up the unfair issue of neighbourly cross voting and insist on having Malta withdraw from future contests." Whether it is in the office or on stage cross voting is a common and normal factor that has to catered for and dealt with in the long road of realising one's goal, he said. The road to success will be constantly besieged by factions, jealousy, envy, loyalties, nepotism or downright corruption. "Multiple spokes in the wheels are not only the norm but they are to be expected and dealt with. Indeed I view these acts of cheekiness as adding to one's achievement and a sad reminder that human nature can sometimes be petty and small minded." To those who felt that Malta should stop competing in the Eurovision, Mr Calleja said his reply was that form of “tomfoolery” would always be present and could really be avoided. It was the marking of true, real talent to...

‘I trust everyone and no one’

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:29:00 +0200

He runs a vast portfolio that will be largely responsible for giving the Labour government its visible deliverables. Transport Minister Joe Mizzi tells Kurt Sansone why he is the hands-on type. Soon after becoming minister you said administrative delays had stalled the work on some large projects and EU funds risked being lost. Which are these projects? There were various projects that ran such a risk but we wanted to understand the problems and try to find solutions. We are still in the process of salvaging the EU funds and this is not the right time to identify the affected projects before we have a clearer picture. One such project was the underpass being built on Marsa’s December 13 road. We are going to meet the deadline. Another project is the storm water tunnels. There were problems with this project but we solved most of them. So EU funds will not be lost? If we solved most problems then there will be no massive loss of funds as was going to happen. But I still believe we will deliver on time. Will these projects be also delivered within budget? Our aim is to deliver the projects within budget but with some we will have problems. There are certain capital projects we have...

Thrilled Gianluca may seek Eurovision return, but not next year

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:34:00 +0200

Gianluca Bezzina was thrilled last night after Malta placed eighth in the Eurovision Song Contest, the best result since 2005 when Chiara came second. He told Eurovision.tv after the show that he just loved the atmosphere on stage. When asked whether he would seek to return he replied that he would, but maybe not as soon as next year. Gianluca, who sang Tomorrow, was fourth in the second semi-final on Thursday. The singer and his band as well as a PBS delegation, return to Malta this afternoon at 3.40 on a flight from Frankfurt. See the reactions of the various singers, including Gianluca, above.

Updated - Muscat calls on Busuttil at PN headquarters - leaders call for less aggressive political media

Kurt Sansone — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:27:00 +0200

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil have agreed that their two parties should hold open-agenda meetings every two months. The two leaders had a meeting at PN headquarters this afternoon, with Dr Muscat reciprocating a visit by Dr Busuttil a few days ago, after he became PN leader. During the meeting's introduction, Dr Busuttil also called for a less antagonistic approach by the political party media. Dr Muscat agreed. Dr Busuttil said he was ready to contribute to making politics a positive experience, adding he was willing to see the party media "calm down". Dr Muscat agreed with Dr Busuttil's remark, adding that people were fed up of politics. The introductory comments came on the back of a light-hearted moment when Dr Muscat said he last visited the PN headquarters five years ago. "I met with my predecessor... Or rather your predecessor... our predecessor," he said, using the Labour election slogan taghna lkoll. Dr Busuttil took the cue and with a smile told the Prime Minister that everything was Taghna lkoll now, "except nominees to public agencies". The two delegations met behind closed doors.Later, Later, in a joint meeting with reporters, the...

‘I want to know who killed my mother...’

Claudia Calleja — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:23:00 +0200

Almost 30 years after an unidentified driver ran over his mother and dragged her along the road for about a kilometre, Gaetano Sammut is still searching for justice – and is now reaching out to the public for help. “I want justice. Before I leave this world I want to know that my mother’s case has been closed. You can’t imagine what it feels like – having your mother killed by someone who is not held responsible. “I still feel angry all the time. I just want peace,” the 55-year-old told Times of Malta. Mr Sammut’s mother, Ċensina, was 66 years old and a widow with four adult children when she was run over and killed while crossing the road in Ħamrun, on June 13, 1984, at 9pm. She was on the zebra crossing near the police station when a car identified to be a station wagon hit her and dragged her the distance of about a kilometre to the area near the Labour Party club in Santa Venera. Back then Times of Malta reported: “Her handbag and shoes were found on the spot where she was hit, while the pieces of her dress were found at the other end in St Joseph Street where the runaway car swerved and dashed into St George’s Street…” Ms Sammut was left moaning in pain in the middle of the...

Migrant was ‘severely humiliated’ on a bus

Ivan Martin — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:00:00 +0200

The African man who was dragged off a bus by two Arriva employees was scared and humiliated, a witness has told The Sunday Times of Malta. Malicia Dabrowicz, a 33-year-old Polish expat, was returning home to St Julian’s when she heard the “threatening voice” of an Arriva employee, verbally abusing a passenger in the back compartment of a bendy bus travelling along route 13 towards Paceville. Arriva said last Thursday it was carrying out an internal investigation following media reports that an African man was dragged off a bus and insulted by inspectors. The employee, a stocky man with “an aggressive disposition”, hurled insults at the petrified immigrant, according to the witness. “Everyone on the bus was scared. I saw one controller dragging the man to the front of the bus by his clothes, while the second stared the other passengers down,” the witness told this newspaper. An Arriva spokesman said CCTV footage indicated there was no physical contact between the two parties at any point and the passenger got off the bus of his own accord after being asked to leave. Ms Dabrowicz insisted that although the passenger had not been “punched square in the face” he was threatened and...

President not interested in a second term - explains Community Chest Fund controversy

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:05:00 +0200

President George Abela said today that the case where the board of the Malta Community Chest Fund offered to help the sister of his daughter-in-law in her masters’ course on eating disorders was a one-off incident and he was confident that the people would continue to back the presidency in the remaining year of its term. He also declared that he had no intention of serving a second term, even if that was possible. Dr Abela insisted that the offer made by the board following his own proposal was not unprecedented. Among others, over the past years, the Community Chest Fund had also assisted two nurses follow a course in palliative care (a cost of €29,000). Another person was assisted in a specialist course on equipment used by patients. Indeed, such assistance fell within the statute of the Community Chest Fund. Speaking on TV Hemm, Dr Abela said that Darleen Zerafa was giving voluntary help to the Community Chest Fund as it set up a much-needed residential institutional to help people with eating disorders. The home, called Dar Kenn Ghall-Sahhtek, will open in the autumn, offering professional help to some 30 residents for up to six months. The project was launched last year...

Burmarrad apartment damaged in blaze

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:47:00 +0200

An apartment in Burmarrad was badly damaged by a fierce fire this morning. Eyewitnesses said they could see flames from the windows and balcony of the property, which was empty at the time. Much of the furniture inside was destroyed. The blaze happened at the time of a power cut and the restoration of the power supply. The blaze was put out by Civil Protection Department fire-fighters.

'Star' killer's effective jail term converted to suspended sentence

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:38:00 +0200

Alfred Vella, 45 of Birzebbuga, who had been convicted of killing the dog popularly known as Star has had an effective three-month jail term converted into a three-month jail term suspended for two years. A €10,000 fine was reduced to €9,000. The decision was taken by the Court of Appeal. In the original case, Mr Vella admitted to charges of animal cruelty, manufacturing a home-made gun and being in possession of stuffed, illegally hunted birds. Both the Attorney General and Mr Vella had appealed. Mr Justice Lawrence Quintano dismissed both appeals and said that after he took into consideration the early admission by Mr Vella and his 'clean' police record, he was converting Mr Vella's effective jail term into a suspended one. Mr Vella was also suspended from hunting for two years from today. The tragic story of Star hit the international headlines after she was discovered almost totally buries near Għar Ħasan by Animal Welfare Department officers on May 19, 2011. Whimpering, she poked her nose through the soil of the grave, which managed to save her life. However, she died on June 6 from an acute inflammation of the pancreas, barely 24 hours after hundreds rallied in a protest...

PN’s fading southern star

Kurt Sansone — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:19:00 +0200

On Mothers’ Day they voted to have two deputy leaders, but Nationalist Party councillors also took the chance to discuss the most severe of election defeats. After a result that saw the PN trail Labour by more than 36,000 votes, and a nine-seat deficit in Parliament, councillors spoke about the causes. Some offered solutions while others blamed voters for not appreciating the PN’s work in government. But in the lively exchange, three solitary voices sounded a warning about the PN’s collapse in the south. They reiterated a message first spelled out by Mario de Marco when conceding victory to Simon Busuttil in the leadership contest. The south has always been problematic for the PN for social, economic and historical reasons but a breakdown of election figures for the second, third, fourth and fifth districts shows a worsening situation in the past decade. In the March election, the PN gained 28,441 votes in the four districts, winning only four seats from the 20 up for grabs. It managed 30 per cent of the vote. This means that in 10 years since the 2003 election, the PN lost almost 5,000 votes, half its parliamentary seats and saw its voter share drop by eight points. Voter...

Brussels brought in on chairman’s forced exit

Patrick Cooke — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:30:00 +0200

Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola has asked the European Commission if the forced resignation of former Malta Communications Authority chairman Antonio Ghio was in line with EU law. Dr Metsola tabled a parliamentary question on Monday asking whether a change in the government of a member state constituted grounds for the removal of the head of a national regulatory authority under the EU Telecoms Framework Directive. Due to internal EU procedures, the question is not expected to be sent to the European Commission or published online until this week. Dr Ghio offered his resignation as authority chairman on March 14 after being requested to do so by the new Labour government in a letter on March 12. In the letter, the permanent secretary at the Communications Ministry at the time, John Gatt, informed Dr Ghio and his fellow board members that their resignations were “customary... to enable the new government to effect any changes that are considered desirable”. In his resignation letter, Dr Ghio made it clear his decision to step down was forced and that he did not feel he was obliged to do so according to the conditions laid out in national and EU law. Dr Ghio’s resignation letter...

Nissen Hut destroyed in blaze

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:00:00 +0200

An old former British services Nissen hut in Sa Maison Hill was destroyed in a fierce blaze this morning. The hut was one of five used formerly used as stores by GO plc. The fire was put out by fire-fighters of the Civil Protection Department.

US seeking extradition of German from Malta on child porn distribution charges

Mon, 20 May 2013 12:21:00 +0200

A German national, Reuben Rudtke, has started undergoing extradition proceedings for the alleged distribution of child pornography. The man was arrested in Malta recently and is wanted in the United States. Dr Donatella Frendo Dimech, deputy attorney general, told a court that the man was arrested in October 2011 in the United States and ordered to wear a tracking device. Some three days before he was due to stand trial, he threw the device away, went to Germany and came to Malta where he has been joined by his wife. His parents also live here. Dr Frendo Dimech said that paperwork known as the 'authority to proceed' and other documents have still not been received from the United States. Lawyers Lucio Schriha and Abigail Bugeja filed an application for bail, saying Mr Rudtke has ties in Malta and will not abscond. Dr Frendo Dimech said he had left the US before his trial and she strongly objected to bail. Magistrate Neville Camilleri postponed the decision, which will later be given in camera. Mr Rudtke will be kept under arrest.

Romanian arrested in pick-pocketing racket investigation

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:22:00 +0200

George Bigu, a 29-year-old Romanian resident in Paceville, was arraigned in court today after having been arrested early yesterday for allegedly trying to steal from the handbag of a woman. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody. Police sources said the arrest was part of an investigation into a racket of pick-pocketing currently going on in Paceville. A spate of pick-pocketing thefts have been reported, involving mostly the theft of cash and mobile phones from handbags.

Arriva to introduce bus services to beaches- schedules to be adjusted

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:08:00 +0200

Arriva said today that it will be making a number of changes in its summer schedule aimed at improving transport services. It said some services will be operating on different schedules following a recalculation of journey times for all routes, taking into account variables such as traffic conditions. The major public transport summer services will also start operating from June 2. These will include direct bus services to Malta’s most popular beaches such as Route 225 which will provide a direct service from Sliema to Għajn Tuffieħa. Route 71 will be extended every hour to the Blue Grotto and Għar Lapsi, which are also served by Route 109. Route 101 and 102 will be serving Ġnejna Bay, Għadira Bay and Għajn Tuffieħa. Route 237 will be providing a connection between Għadira, Anchor Bay (Popeye Village), Paradise Bay and Ċirkewwa. The full summer schedule will be announced in the coming days.

Valletta Open Market may move to Ordinance Street

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:28:00 +0200

Talks are underway on a possible transfer of the Valletta open market to Ordinance Street, close to the entrance of Valletta, economic affairs minister Chris Cardona said this evening. He was replying to a parliamentary question by Jason Azzopardi. He also asked if a deal had been reached between the Labour Party and the hawkers before the general election, and whether this could see stalls being set up right next to the new Parliament House designed by Renzo Piano. The minister said he could not speak in parliament on what was agreed or otherwise by the PL, However, government talks on the issue were still under way and he could not give further details. The open market stalls are currently set up in Marchants' Street during weekdays and at Horn Works Ditch outside Floriana on Sunday mornings.

Pedestrian compensated for zebra-crossing incident

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:40:00 +0200

A man who was run over while on a pedestrian crossing has been awarded over €38,000 in damages by Mr Justice Lino Farrugia Sacco in the First Hall of the Civil Court. Alex Azzopardi filed his writ for damages against Anna Ellul. Middle Sea Insurance plc later intervened into the law suit. Mr Azzopardi told the court that he was crossing Valletta Road in Mosta on the pedestrian crossing when the lights permitted him to do so. While crossing the road he was hit by a car driven by Ms Ellul and suffered injuries including a fracture to his knee cap and facial injuries. Ms Ellul told the court that the traffic lights were obscured by trees and that she could not see the lights due to the sun in her eyes. But Mr Justice Farrugia Sacco said that it was the duty of every driver to maintain a proper look out and he found Ms Ellul totally responsible for the accident and for the injuries sustained by Mr Azzopardi. The court found that Mr Azzopardi had suffered a six per cent permanent disability and ordered Ms Ellul and her insurers to pay him €38,630.58 in damages.

Gozo Church to rent St Joseph Home to government for use as Home for the elderly

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:33:00 +0200

St Joseph Home in Ghajnsielem is to be rented out by the Gozo Church to the government for use as an old people's home. The agreement was signed today in the presence of Bishop Mario Grech and Gozo Minister Anton Refalo. The government said the home is to be rented at a lower rate than the market value. It will be converted into a home for the elderly and administered by the ministry, while the Gozo church will provide religious services including two masses every day. The Home will have 70 rooms and 140 beds with views of Fort Chambray, Xatt l-Aħmar, Comino and the countryside. The Home may also be used for foreign elderly persons and preliminary talks to this end have been started.

Daily Express highlights power billing discrimination against foreigners in Malta

Sun, 19 May 2013 09:29:00 +0200

The mass-selling Daily Express has highlighted the complaints of Britons and other foreigners living in Malta who are being ‘ripped off’ in electricity billing. The charges affect more than 25,000 EU nationals, many of whom retired to the island looking for a better life, the newspaper says. “Patricia Graham has been left almost penniless after receiving water and electricity bills totalling 24,000 euros over three years as Malta’s government charges foreigners 60 per cent more for water and 35 per cent more for electricity than locals. The mother of eight, from Aberdeen, moved to Malta in search of a more gentle way of life. She now works as a foster mother, caring for three Maltese children – she is paid just 210 euros a week or 70 euros a child,” the newspaper reports. She said: “The bills are ridiculous. I had a bill for three years for 24,000 euros for electricity and water, that’s £8,000 a year. When I tell my Maltese neighbours they are incredulous this is going on.” Ms Graham has joined a campaign group, called European Union Against Discrimination, which is demanding an end to the inflated tariffs. The group is taking legal action against the Maltese government to get the...