PN announces changes to shadow cabinet

August 3, 2013, 3:27 am

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(Adds PL's statement) Changes to the shadow cabinet were announced this morning. The Nationalist Party said the changes follow the election of Chris Said as PN secretary general and the election of Antoine Borg to Parliament earlier this week. The changes were made following meetings held by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil with the members of the Parliamentary Group. The changes are the following: Clyde Puli MP - family and social solidarity, formerly tasked to Dr Said. Joseph Cassar - education. Claudio Grech - health. Ryan Callus - planning and simplification of administrative processes. Antoine Borg - EU Presidency 2017 and EU funds. Stephen Spiteri MP will retain employment but will also add the rights of persons with a disability to his portfolio. Albert Fenech - research and innovation. Dr Busuttil said the changes will enable all PN MPs to actively participate in the work of the Opposition. "The Parliamentary Group is now fully geared up to undertake its challenge of delivering an Opposition that is strong and constructive. I am proud of the excellent line-up in the PN shadow cabinet and I look forward to working with each and every colleague in the team to overcome the...

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Muscat ‘will regret’ Dalli, Debono jobs

August 3, 2013, 11:12 pm

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The Prime Minister will live to regret his decision to give former Nationalist MPs – rebel backbencher Franco Debono and former European Commissioner John Dalli – government posts, according to Lawrence Gonzi. “I think he’s making a big mistake and he will have to pay an enormous price in the future,” the former premier said, stopping short of elaborating. In a retrospective interview with The Sunday Times of Malta since bowing out of politics after 25 years, the former PN leader said this decision completely contradicted Labour’s pre-electoral battle cry to reward meritocracy. “It’s the worst thing one could possibly do... We now find out that the concept of meritocracy is completely different from what we had imagined it would be,” he said. Mr Dalli has long criticised Dr Gonzi, even suggesting there could be the hand of his people behind the snus scandal which led to his resignation as European Commissioner. Dr Gonzi vehemently denied these allegations and insisted that on the contrary “we tried our very best to try to get the whole of Malta out from what was becoming an embarrassing situation for us all”. Asked what went through his mind when he heard about Mr Dalli’s...

BirdLife's arrogance 'knows no boundaries' - FKNK

August 4, 2013, 11:32 am

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BirdLife's arrogance and their contemplated arbitrary exercise of pretended rights knew no boundaries or respect and correctness, hunters said this evening. The hunters' federation (FKNK) said in a statement that they sent their spring hunting derogation report to the authorities, including the European Commission last May. Referring to a statement by BirdLife Malta yesterday that the organisation sent an urgent communication to the Commission concerning the government’s failure to make available information on this year’s spring hunting season, the hunters’ federation (FKNK) said it requested the same data. Notwithstanding that this was not available then, it still compiled its derogation report without continuing “to tarnish Malta’s image at all costs both locally and abroad”. “Could it be that BLM had become used to easily 'obtain' any data or information from one of its supporters within Mepa (Malta Environment Planning Authority) up to last year? Or could it be that other BLM friends also within Mepa have been dragging their feet to supply any data being requested by Government?” The federation said that BirdLife's arrogance and their contemplated arbitrary exercise of...

Cash stolen in Birkirkara hold-up

August 4, 2013, 11:16 pm

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Cash amounting to less than €1,000 was stolen yesterday during a hold-up in Mgr Alfred Mifsud Street, corner with Karmnu Street, Birkirkara, the police said. The police said two sales assistants were approached by a hooded person wielding a firearm, who had raised the shop's shutter just as it was closed by one of the employees, an 18-year-old man from Santa Lucija. The thief went behind the shop counter and grabbed the money from the cash register's till before he escaped. The other employee was a 31-year-old woman from Santa Venera.

Updated: ‘No whimper’ when plant burned gas in past years

August 5, 2013, 1:01 am

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(Adds ministry statement) Gas flaring at the Marsascala recycling plant happened in the past and no one in authority bothered to flag the issue, according to scientist Edward Mallia. Writing in Times of Malta, Dr Mallia describes as “sheer hypocrisy” the Nationalist Party’s outcry on the matter when this came from “people who elected to be silent in fairly similar situations in the past”. He was reacting to criticism by PN exponents over the closure of the family park in Marsascala that had been prompted by the burning of an acidic gas in the adjacent recycling facility. Last month Dr Mallia led a team of experts who recommended the temporary closure of the park after an investigation found that a fault in the recycling plant led to the burning of hydrogen sulphide gas. Dr Mallia explains that the act of burning causes the sulphur in hydrogen sulphide to form the much less dangerous compound, sulphur dioxide. This is dispersed in “small but not negligible” quantities in the air around Sant’Antnin. “This is by no means the first time that biogas has been flared since the start of operations in 2010, but no one in authority – least of all the now-vociferous PN ex-ministers – raised...

AFM evacuates four migrants in need of medical attention

August 5, 2013, 1:35 am

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Four migrants on board a dinghy headed to Sicily were medically evacuated by the Armed Forces of Malta last night after they requested medical assistance. Two were pregnant. The other migrants on the dinghy proceeded towards Italy as an AFM patrol boat oversaw their journey from close by. Italy assumed responsibility for the migrant craft when this entered the Italian search and rescue region at around 9.10am. A group of 111 migrants arrived in Malta on a dinghy yesterday. Another group rescued by a merchant ship were refused entry into Maltese territorial waters.

Hopes of an oil deal with Libya by end of the year

August 4, 2013, 12:11 am

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The Government is hoping to conclude talks on a preferential oil supply deal with Libya by the end of the year, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt. An understanding was reached on a deal that could see Malta receiving oil shipments at a fixed price from Libya during a meeting between Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his Libyan counterpart Ali Zeidan in Tripoli last month. “There is a political agreement but we are still negotiating the details,” a government source told this newspaper. Over the past few weeks, the tempo of discussions was hampered somewhat by continued instability in Libya and the Ramadan but sources said the Government was hopeful a deal could be reached by the end of the year. Libyan sources said the Tripoli government was struggling on a number of fronts, not least the oil sector itself, where it has faced criticism related to the low production of oil. “But the commitment has been made and they (the Libyan government) will make good on their word. Malta has assumed renewed importance for the Libyan government at this critical juncture, partly on the basis of its role during the revolution and partly because of the help the country needs from Europe on many...

Forget ‘glamour’ of CSI, this is real forensics

August 4, 2013, 6:05 am

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A large, heavy door swings shut. A sign labelled ‘Scene of Crime Unit’ hangs above the pristine room, which is lined with black and white photographs depicting figures clad in white overalls carefully performing swabs or poring over evidence. “Forget the glamour and high heels of CSI,” Sergeant Arthur Debattista grins, referring to American television series Crime Scene Investigation. “We’re normally caked in dirt after a day’s work.” The forensics department within the Malta Police Force comprises 40 people. Twenty are scene-of-crime officers who work gruelling 12-hour shifts on a day-night-rest-day-off rotation. “In particular cases, the officers would work beyond their 12-hour shifts – it’s not the first time they’ve clocked in 24 hours,” head of forensics, Inspector Ramon Cassar, explains. “The same team of crime scene officers work on a particular case in order to ensure continuity.” A scene of crime officer (SOCO) may perform the dual, but not simultaneous, roles of court-appointed expert and police investigator. In both, the SOCO is bound to preserve the crime scene, recover and compile evidence and report his findings. In the case he is appointed as a court expert, his...

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Café owner loses battle with the Master Gunner

August 4, 2013, 7:04 am

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The owner of a Valletta café overlooking the Grand Harbour will have to pack up and leave after a planning tribunal threw out his appeal to save the property from being demolished. Martin Baron was hoping to stop Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna from knocking down his Café Deux Baronnes in the Saluting Battery – beneath the Upper Barrakka Gardens – and creating a small room to mirror the Master Gunner’s quarters during the colonial era. However, the planning tribunal said FWA would have to amend and revise the plans for the building to perfectly reflect the structure as marked in a particular map kept at the Museum Department. The original permit had been approved last November, after which Mr Baron filed the appeal against FWA’s Mario Farrugia and the planning authority. The issue led to a number of disputes between the two men who contested each other’s claims. The heritage group, which runs the Saluting Battery, had argued that the rebuilt Master Gunner’s quarters would offer “much needed roof space” for the many visitors. The original building formed part of the Saluting Battery and was used as the quarters of the Master Gunner who manned the battery. Built in the 1860s, it was...

How not to do an accent from Mwolta

August 3, 2013, 8:26 am

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An American speech coach who thought it was a good idea to illustrate the “Maltese accent” to her audience was in for scathing reviews from thousands of people who thought the accent she did sounded nothing like Maltese. In the video, uploaded on You Tube by Howcast, a website providing short how-to videos, voice coach Andrea Caban says that the accent from “Mwolta” has the oral posture of a smile. However, what came out of her mouth sounded more like a blend of East-European and Italian accents. “The musicality of the Maltese accent is very fast and very expressive,” she said, reiterating that speaking in the accent somehow came with a smiling oral posture that “kind of tells you a little bit about who the Maltese people are – they’re friendly people”. But despite meaning well, Ms Caban got an avalanche of negative responses. In fact, the two-minute clip spread like wildfire on the social media, pushing the number of views for the video to 26,000 and breeding memes and a video in response. Most noted that the accent was off, more similar to the Italian one. Many urged the coach to do her research better. But what seems to have added fuel to the fire is Ms Caban’s geographic faux...

Bid to relax suit-and-tie policy in the courtroom

August 3, 2013, 6:27 am

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Men could be spared from wearing the obligatory jacket in court in summer if a proposal by the Justice Reform Commission goes through. The commission feels that a shirt and a tie should suffice in the hot summer months. The proposal will require changes to a legal notice governing behaviour in court. Legal Notice 279 of 2008 includes other provisions too, such as banning photographs, use of mobile phones and smoking inside the courthouse. Although the rules do not spell out what sort of attire men have to wear in court, it says they should be appropriately dressed. All courtrooms have air conditioners nowadays but the corridors, where plaintiffs, defendants, witnesses and court experts wait till they are called inside, remain stifled and hot. All cases are given an appointment at 9am, meaning there can be some waiting time until a case is heard. The Justice Reform Commission, which earlier this week submitted its second report containing almost 300 recommendations, is suggesting that more seating be provided in the law courts’ corridors. There should also be water dispensers. The commission also mentions a canteen. It also suggested the setting up of a proper customer care...

‘Phenomenal’ mismanagement at Mater Dei costing ‘exorbitant’ sums – PM

August 4, 2013, 3:08 am

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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat described the level of mismanagement at Mater Dei Hospital as “phenomenal” saying that this was costing taxpayers “exorbitant” sums of money. Interviewed on One this morning, Dr Muscat said that from the review being carried out at Mater Dei, it transpired that this hospital was being run like “a headless chicken”. However, Dr Muscat expressed his optimism that with the right organisational set up in place the situation could improve. Referring to the issue of out of stock medicines, he said that the situation was not acceptable. The Prime Minister said that disorganisation and the procurement system were to blame, remarking that even simple changes to the yellow card, used to get free medicines, were not being tracked. He said that patients who were ordered new medicines, were still receiving the old ones even if they did not need them anymore. Dr Muscat said that such negligence at Mater Dei “verges on the criminal”. The Prime Minister said that Government has commissioned a review of the medicines’ procurement, heaping praise on the Health Commissioner who took the initiative and compiled a report. Dr Muscat said that in the coming weeks a number of...

Young man in critical condition after crash

August 4, 2013, 3:01 am

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A 20-year-old man from Santa Venera is in a critical condition following a traffic accident in Sir Temi Zammit Street, Mgarr at 4.45am. The police said the man crashed into a crash barrier and a residence when he lost control of his Ford Fiesta as he was driving towards Zebbiegh.

Reshuffle blown out of proportion – Cassar

August 5, 2013, 12:00 am

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Former health minister Joe Cassar has dismissed the suggestion that criticism of his track record had a bearing on Simon Busuttil’s decision to remove him as Opposition spokesman for health. On Saturday, PN leader Dr Busuttil announced a host of changes to the shadow cabinet barely three months after assuming control of the party. Claudio Grech, whose background is mainly in IT and management, was named the new shadow minister for health. He was previously covering planning and simplification of administrative processes. Dr Cassar was named shadow minister for education, while newly elected MP Antoine Borg was tasked to shadow the EU Presidency 2017 and EU funds portfolio. Dr Busuttil called the changes necessary following Mr Borg’s victory in last week’s casual election to fill the seat vacated by former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, and the election of Chris Said as PN general secretary in June. Dr Said, who was formerly spokesman on solidarity and the family, has been left free to focus exclusively on his party role. Still, the reshuffle raised some eyebrows. The Labour Party said Dr Busuttil “was trying to escape the disaster his party left behind in the health...

TV host: ‘I am a victim of the judicial system’

August 4, 2013, 1:10 am

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TV presenter Jean-Claude Micallef, who aspires to be an MEP but is facing criminal charges of misappropriation of funds, believes he is a victim of the judicial system. Mr Micallef thinks it would be “absurd” for the Nationalist Party to exclude him as an MEP candidate because of this pending court case since it is his fundamental right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. “This is the PN which fought for liberty and human rights. If you think this is why the Commission did not select me then we are saying the PN is breaching fundamental human rights.” His case has been going on for more than two-and-a-half years and it has been deferred around six times, pending judgment, he told The Sunday Times of Malta. To further delay matters, the case was originally being heard by magistrate Antonio Mizzi who has now been appointed a judge. This means his case must be transferred to a magistrate, but this has not yet happened. Mr Micallef recently took to Facebook to say he understood people’s disappointment after his name was not on the list of eight MEP candidates fielded so far by the PN. His reaction caused critics to compare him to Franco Debono, the former Nationalist MP who...

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Updated: Man's body found in Zejtun

August 5, 2013, 4:11 am

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The police have found a man’s body in a field at Triq ic-Cawsli, Zejtun. The find was made at 12.45pm. The police said later investigations indicated that the man died suddenly, of natural causes.

Law students will not choose legal studies, Pulse warns

August 3, 2013, 9:57 am

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Students wishing to pursue a law course at the university are unable to choose the newly introduced ‘legal studies’ due to a clash between the general and special entry requirements for University, Pulse representatives told a news conference today. The conference, in front of the Junior College, was addressed by Pulse special spokesman on the matter Paul Caruana Turner and Matthew Zerafa and Clive Gerada, presidents of Pulse and the Law Students Organisation, respectively. They said that the College’s Look Before You Leap handbook said legal studies “introduces the concept of legislation and its effect on human society with a particular focus on the implementation of law and the organisation of the Maltese court system”. But legal studies was not being made an entry requirement for the law course. The subject would also end up not being chosen by prospective law students, due to a clash between the general and special entry requirements for University. This defied the logical aim of the subject, which had the possibility of potentially helping hundreds of students prepare for their University course, the students' representatives said. They said that while they were in favour of...

‘My dad loves to go out but we can never park’

August 4, 2013, 8:22 am

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The scratchy sound of 1930s music resonates throughout the house of Linda Williams perched on a hill in San Martin, St Paul’s Bay, overlooking the sea. “Let me go and get dad… He loves photographs and he loves to dance and sing,” Ms Williams, 62, says with teenage enthusiasm before she sprints into the house. Minutes later she returns to the shaded terrace with her 96-year-old father, Eddie. But before she helps him into his wheelchair, the two unexpectedly waltz to Cole Porter’s Night and Day. Ms Williams, a nurse by profession, urges her father to lift his tired legs and holds onto him tightly to make sure he does not fall over. He sings along and enjoys the attention of his small audience. “My dad loves to go out and loves to go to karaoke. But we can never find a place where to park. The parking here is a huge issue. Something must be done,” she says, pointing to the lack of parking spots for disabled in Malta. All too often parking spaces are either already taken up by blue sticker holders or, worse, by cars that do not display the badge, says Ms Williams. She believes Maltese law should change to reflect the UK’s, which allows holders of blue stickers to park in areas where...

Irregular migrants land in Delimara

August 4, 2013, 10:07 am

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A group of 111 irregular migrants have landed in Delimara. Sources said the group was made up of 86 men, 15 women, nine children and a baby. A number of the migrants, who arrived on their own dinghy, have been taken to Mater Dei Hospital. Sources said that the Armed Forces of Malta are currently monitoring another group some 30 nautical miles south of Malta. The group is heading north and has not requested assistance but a couple of them may be medically evacuated to Mater Dei. A group of 90 Somalis, including 14 women, also arrived in Lampedusa this afternoon. The immigrants, who were on a raft, were rescued by a merchant ship. They said that three women died during the five-day crossing.  

Muscat ‘will regret’ Dalli, Debono jobs

August 3, 2013, 11:12 pm

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The Prime Minister will live to regret his decision to give former Nationalist MPs – rebel backbencher Franco Debono and former European Commissioner John Dalli – government posts, according to Lawrence Gonzi. “I think he’s making a big mistake and he will have to pay an enormous price in the future,” the former premier said, stopping short of elaborating. In a retrospective interview with The Sunday Times of Malta since bowing out of politics after 25 years, the former PN leader said this decision completely contradicted Labour’s pre-electoral battle cry to reward meritocracy. “It’s the worst thing one could possibly do... We now find out that the concept of meritocracy is completely different from what we had imagined it would be,” he said. Mr Dalli has long criticised Dr Gonzi, even suggesting there could be the hand of his people behind the snus scandal which led to his resignation as European Commissioner. Dr Gonzi vehemently denied these allegations and insisted that on the contrary “we tried our very best to try to get the whole of Malta out from what was becoming an embarrassing situation for us all”. Asked what went through his mind when he heard about Mr Dalli’s...