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Opposition describes as 'scandalous' continuation of school foundation works on ODZ land in Mosta

February 13, 2015, 1:22 am
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Work in an Outside Development Zone in Mosta being carried out by the government’s Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools has continued even though it was stopped by the planning authority, Opposition planning spokesman Ryan Callus said this morning. Addressing a news conference on site accompanied by Mosta mayor Shirley Farrugia, Mr Callus described the infringement as “scandalous” since it was being committed by the government. Dr Farrugia noted that the planning authority had ignored the residents’ and council’s reports of the illegality, only stopping work being carried out without a permit following the intervention of Times of Malta. After Times of Malta sent questions to the authority, an enforcement officer visited the area and stopped the foundation from proceeding with digging and clearing work intended to also create an access passageway and a gate to the field. However it was clear on site today that the works had continued despite Mepa’s orders. Mr Callus said this not only showed that Mepa’s enforcement directorate was asleep but it was also a reflection of the government’s lack of priority to take action against illegalities. The foundation has applied for a permit to...
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Talented girls not being encouraged to pursue careers they wanted - businesswoman

February 13, 2015, 2:49 am
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Malta was losing "hundreds of talented girls" who had the potential to become leaders because they were not being encouraged to pursue the careers they really wanted, businesswoman Claudine Cassar said today. Speaking during a conference of women in leadership organised by HR Consulta at the Palace Hotel in Sliema, she said she knew of instances of young girls who were discouraged from becoming engineers or pursuing a career in IT by their school guidance teachers or parents because those were "boy's jobs" and one day they would have a baby. Dr Cassar, the executive chairwoman of Alert Group, said there was still pressure on women to "be all women" and behave in ways associated with women. "I'm not going to let anyone tell me it's ok for a man to behave like this but not for women...  I am assertive and I'm all woman," she said. These discouraging messages were not limited to schools, she said, as she gave the personal experience of a bank refusing to give her an overdraft because "one day" she might have children and her business might collapse - something which did not happen despite her having three children. She urged parents and teachers to be careful what messages they...
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Updated: No final decision yet on spring hunting referendum - hunters' federation

February 14, 2015, 12:38 am
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(Adds SHout reaction) Hunters this morning took the media to the Mizieb reserve for a news conference about their ‘conservation’ work and to rebut claims by the Spring Houting Out campaign (Shout) that Malta was losing nature to hunters Hunter Romina Cuschieri said the Mizieb hunting reserve was entrusted to the hunters’ federation (FKNK) in an agreement signed 1986 and confirmed in 2011. Through this agreement FKNK had the right to use the reserve during the hunting season, maintain the area and keep it clean and accessible to the public when it is not hunting season. Before it was taken over by FKNK, the area was overgrown and not very accessible to public. With the government’s support, hunters planted indigenous trees, restores girnas, built rubble walls, removed weeds, cleared pathways, pruned the trees, installed picnic benches and saw that the area was kept clean. Unfortunately, Ms Cuschieri said, there was also a lot of vandalism and the benches that had been installed were stolen. She pointed out that the reserve was not blocked off by gates so people were free to enter when it was not hunting season. In spring, Ms Cuschieri said, hunters occupied it for just 20...
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Art removed, vandalism retained

February 13, 2015, 3:52 am
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A number of readers have expressed dismay and surprise at the way a highly visible Maltapost box that was the subject of vandalism has not been cleaned up, while street art that was carried out by respected French artist C215 in October was removed overnight. The postbox, which is situated in a high-traffic area close to the University roundabout in Msida, lost its trademark red sheen to scribbles, spray paint and torn posters and has been described by students who use the area frequently as "yet another ugly eyesore", lending a decidedly shabby air to the residential spot. Student and artiste Leander John Schembri commented that it was "ridiculous the way street art was not appreciated or respected in Malta, with works by an artist who is celebrated on an international scale, like C215, removed and possibly destroyed". "On the other hand, no-one bothered to clean up this particular box and it has been like that for weeks now. I wish that Maltapost were as conscientous about keeping its postboxes free of graffiti that has no artistic merit as it was about removing genuine artwork." C215 had courted controversy when he visited Malta last year and left a number of works inspired...
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Junior Eurovision: €1.8 million direct orders

February 14, 2015, 2:28 am
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The national broadcaster was given clearance by the Ministry of Finance to issue 47 direct orders in the run-up to the Junior Eurovision last November. The direct orders issued by Public Broadcasting Services – to the tune of €1.8 million – covered almost all the requirements for the hosting of the Europe-wide festival for young singers: from security to catering and accommodation. The total amount does not tally with information given by Justice Minister Owen Bonnici in Parliament recently, who said the government paid a total of €1.4 million in taxpayers’ money for the event held at the former Marsa shipbuilding site. However, details of direct orders approved by the Ministry for Finance and published in the Government Gazette indicate that PBS actually paid a total of €1.8 million.
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Joseph Muscat welcomes Italy announcement on possible intervention in Libya

February 13, 2015, 2:10 pm
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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat welcomed an announcement by Italy this evening, that it would be ready to join a UN-led force to battle "an active terrorist threat" after recent advances by a faction in Libya that has sworn loyalty to Islamic State militants. In a tweet, Dr Muscat said: "Glad #Italy willing to intervene in #Libya under UN mandate. #Malta will play it's part to ensure #Mediterranean stability -JM @matteorenzi" Earlier, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said in an interview with SkyTG24 television, that Italy backed efforts by United Nations special envoy Bernardino Leon to bring warring factions to the table to try to broker a ceasefire. But he said should talks fail, Italy "is ready to fight naturally in the context of an international mission". "We cannot accept the idea that there's an active terrorist threat only a few hours from Italy by boat." The situation in Libya, already chaotic, "is deteriorating", Gentiloni said, adding that Italy "cannot underestimate" the possibility of an attack by Islamic State militants. In recent days, Italian officials have made generic statements about being willing to lead a UN force in Libya, but Gentiloni's comments on...
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Updated: Italian embassy employees evacuated from Tripoli

February 15, 2015, 3:43 am
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A group of Italian nationals who work at the Italian embassy in Tripoli are on their way home after they were evacuated by a Virtu Ferries Catamaran chartered by the Italian government. The catamaran San Gwann left Tripoli at about 12.15pm with 44 Italians. It is being escorted by an Italian military drone and vessel. It left Malta at 1am and docked in Tripoli this morning. It should be arriving in Malta at 7pm for refuelling before heading on to the port of Augusta in Sicily. Italy closed its embassy in Libya today due to the worsening conflict there and stepped up its call for a UN mission to help calm the situation. Libya is unravelling as a state with two rival governments operating their own armed forces under separate parliaments, nearly four years after the civil war that led to the overthrow and death of leader Muammar Gaddafi. "The deteriorating situation in Libya made it necessary to close (the embassy)," Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said in a statement. Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti said in an interview with Il Messaggero newspaper that groups in Libya that have been infiltrated by extremists should be "anaesthetised" and a peace-keeping mission should be...
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'No' vote to spring hunting a step towards turning Delimara into national park - SHout

February 15, 2015, 3:22 am
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Putting an end to spring hunting would help make Delimara a place where Maltese people could enjoy the sight of arriving birds, Spring Hunting Out (Shout) campaign spokesman Mark Sultana said this morning. Speaking to the media in Xrobb l-Ghagin, Mr Sultana said this would also help promote the idea of transforming the area into a national park for the people of Malta. The idea, he said, was first proposed in 1997 and in July 2013, Marsaxlokk mayor Edric Micallef called on the government to take it on board. The area, he said, was the arrival point for many tired and exhausted birds flying across the sea from Africa on their way to breed. Mr Sultana said that on a particular day in October a huge flock of more than 100 grey herons were photographed resting in Delimara. If spring hunting was banned, birds could rest safely there on their way to mainland Europe to breed. Unfortunately, the area also had one of the highest densities of hunters. Volunteers, he said, reported instances of widespread illegal hunting in the area over the years. Giving an example, he said there were 215 incidents over a span of 20 days in April 2013. Research also showed that it was easier for hunters...
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Street sellers not giving VAT receipts - GRTU

February 14, 2015, 1:16 am
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The Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, GRTU, this morning called for an investigation into street sellers in different localities who were not giving VAT receipts. In a statement, the GRTU said it sent mystery shoppers to shop from seven street sellers in different localities and they were, not once, given a receipt. The shoppers reported they did not see cash registers or VAT receipt books. The GRTU said it alerted the Commissioner for Revenue Marvin Gaerty about the situation and called for an immediate investigation. It pointed out that, much to its surprise, the average prices charged by these sellers were 30 per cent higher than the prices in licensed shops.
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Bishop Mario Grech encourages young people to take initiatives to help build better world

February 14, 2015, 12:02 am
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Young people should not be afraid to take initiatives to be close to those who wept, Bishop Mario Grech said in his pastoral letter for Lent. In his letter, which is being read in Gozitan churches this weekend and which can be read in the pdf documents below, Bishop Grech spoke about the people he saw weeping throughout his life as a priest - some with happiness, many others of a broken heart. “Whatever the reason for the tears in your eyes, God who is weeping with you wishes to let you savour his compassion and mercy. His tears mix with yours and transform salty tears to sweet tears, because divine tears are the dew of the Holy Spirit,” he said. “I want to encourage those who weep. I wish to remind them that if we humans do not take notice of them and leave them to wail on their own, God loves them so much that He bends over them and cries with them...” Bishop Grech said that this applied to every kind of wailing, “but mostly if our weeping is the silent cry due to all kinds of spiritual weakness we might have.” He noted that nowadays, many, through their egoism and indifference, were not prepared to weep with those who wept. “Very few people give their time for someone who weeps.
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Prime Minister calls for UN intervention in Libya

February 15, 2015, 2:20 am
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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning called for a United Nations mission to restore order and security in Libya, so as not to allow it to become “a failed state”. “We cannot have the cake and eat it, by staying put and expecting the situation to improve,” he said when interviewed on One Radio. In his remarks, the Prime Minister reiterated that Malta was not facing any imminent threat from extremist groups in Libya. He added that Maltese security services together with intelligence agencies from other countries were constantly monitoring the situation. He urged people not to spread dubious or false news from unreliable internet sources. “We are working closely with other countries, and there are no imminent threats to Malta,” he said. Dr Muscat said that the real threat was to the entire Mediterranean region, as this would also aggravate the problem of irregular migration. “If nothing is done the situation in summer will only get worse,” he said. If Libya is a failed state, there will be a free-for-all situation for criminal gangs running these illegal crossings, he added. He noted that even though last year arrivals by sea dropped significantly, the situation could change...
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Removal of Munchies kiosk should lead to Golden Bay acquiring Blue Flag status

February 14, 2015, 4:12 am
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The removal of Munchies Kiosk in Golden Bay should lead to the beach acquiring Blue Flag status, Blue Flag Malta said in a statement. It said that, for years, this beach had to remain on a Beach of Quality Standard since one of the main criteria for full Blue Flag status was not compliant. This was because it was failing the environmental protection of the habitat of an ecological area on the site - in this case the sand dune. Moreover, the kiosk was in the midst of several infringements and hindering the process.
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Worker critically injured in quarry accident

February 14, 2015, 11:07 am
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A 54-year-old man from Għajnsielem is in a critical condition after he was hit by falling stones while working in a quarry in Qala, the police said. They said the accident, in Triq il-Fortin Sant’ Anton, took place at around 3pm. The man was taken to Gozo General Hospital. An inquiry is being held.
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Updated: Italian coastguard goes to rescue of at least 600 migrants

February 14, 2015, 9:37 am
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Two merchant ships and an Italian coast guard vessel went to the rescue of more than 600 migrants who sent emergency calls for help from their packed rubber boats near the Libyan coast. The rescue operation is the second of its kind in two days, and closely follows the deaths last week of more than 300 people who were trying to make the crossing to Europe. The Italian coast guard in Rome said the rescue vessels had located six boats drifting about 50 miles from the coast of Libya, after receiving calls for help by satellite telephone. The coast guard ship Peluso has started the rescue operation, a spokesman for the coast guard said, a day after about 700 other migrants were plucked from overcrowded boats. An improvement in the weather last week encouraged migrants to make the perilous journey from North Africa which the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR says claimed 3,500 lives last year. Last week's deaths reignited criticism of Italy's decision to close its full-scale search and rescue mission last year. The "Mare Nostrum" operation was replaced with an EU border control operation called Triton, which has fewer ships and covers a smaller area.
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Updated: Malta assisting in rescue of at least 1,000 migrants

February 15, 2015, 4:56 am
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The Armed Forces are assisting the Italian coastguard in the rescue of at least 1,000 migrants on 12 boats some 110 miles south of Lampedusa. This is the third operation of its kind in as many days. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted: "#Malta @Armed_Forces_MT working with #Italy authorities in major joint operation rescuing migrants on numerous boats leaving from #Libya." The Italian coast guard said it had plucked more than 130 people from two rubber boats about 180 kilometres south of the island of Lampedusa so far, and was working to save eight more vessels. "We are certainly at more than 1,000 migrants" involved in today's rescue operation, a spokesman for the coast guard in Rome told Reuters. Assistance has also been provided to 40 people on board a dinghy just a few miles off Libya. Better weather since last week has encouraged migrants to make the perilous journey from North Africa, where a breakdown of order in Libya has made it almost impossible to police the traffickers who pack people onto rickety boats. More are said to be leaving Libya, which seems to be experiencing a mass exodus, according to Italian media. Migrants who landed in Pozzallo this morning included...
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St James Hospital shuts down Libya clinic

February 14, 2015, 12:45 pm
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St James Hospital have shut their clinic in Libya and evacuated their expatriate staff due to the escalating tension. Only one member of staff was Maltese. The hospital first opened its doors in 2006 with a small specialised clinic in Ben Ashour, Tripoli and expanded with a second clinic in 2012. However, the company took a decision to evacuate staff after Islamic State continued to make progress in Libya. St James Hospital Group chairman Josie Muscat confirmed that the decision to close the hospital was taken following intelligence reports of a serious threat. Last month, nine people including guests were killed during an attack in the Corinthia Hotel Tripoli by a number of terrorists. The hotel remains closed. The situation in Libya continues to worsen with the government yesterday renewing its travel advice against all travel to the country. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat earlier welcomed an announcement by Italy that it would be ready to join a UN-led force to battle "an active terrorist threat" after recent advances by a faction in Libya that has sworn loyalty to Islamic State. Libya's National Oil Corporation urgently called for more official protection for its installations...
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Boy who raped his sister cannot face police action

February 15, 2015, 12:59 am
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A 16-year-old girl filed a report saying her brother raped her – but nothing can be done. Photo: Shutterstock

A 16-year-old girl has expressed dismay at a legal amendment that prevented police from taking action against her brother – whom she claims raped her six years ago – because he was under 14 at the time of the alleged crime. “This law makes absolutely no sense. It’s as though you are telling people like my brother they can do what they want until they are 14. “Let’s face it, someone who can do these things will not stop the day he turns 14. Something must be done to change this senseless law and make sure people like him face some sort of consequence,” the teenager told The Sunday Times of... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.
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'Sadist' husband forced wife and children to live in one tiny room

February 14, 2015, 11:12 pm
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A woman and her children were forced to live in a tiny room on the roof of their three-storey home in a “malicious and sadistic” relationship, according to divorce papers seen by The Sunday Times of Malta. In accepting her request for a divorce, a judge acknowledged that the woman and children had been subjected to “cruelty and violence” spread over a number of years and a life of “incredible suffering” because of her husband’s behaviour. Mr Justice Robert Mangion made the observations as he threw out the man’s objection to the divorce application filed by his estranged wife who wanted to sever all ties with her husband, who subjected her to physical and emotional violence. Despite objecting to the divorce request, the man failed to appear in the Family Court to substantiate his objection, Mr Justice Mangion said. Read more in The Sunday Times of Malta.
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Runaway boss Ryan Schembri in Dubai

February 14, 2015, 10:31 pm
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Ryan Schembri pictured before he disappeared.

The embattled ex-supermarket boss and meat importer, Ryan Schembri, who fled Malta leaving a trail of debts worth millions of euros, has been living in Dubai, The Sunday Times of Malta can reveal. The 35-year-old businessman was staying at an aparthotel on the coast of Dubai City, about 30 minutes away from the iconic Burj Al-Arab tower. However, it is believed he checked out yesterday morning, after this newspaper established contact with him. The Sunday Times of Malta obtained confirmation of his location through a phone call, in which a female journalist from this newspaper asked to be put through to his room. One of Mr Schembri’s former business associates said he was confident the recorded male voice on that call, with an unmistakeable Maltese accent, was that of the man wanted by numerous creditors. Attempts by this newspaper to obtain more information on Friday evening appear to have put Mr Schembri on alert, as he hurriedly checked out of the residence the following morning, a hotel receptionist confirmed. ‘He hurriedly checked out the next morning’ The probe carried out by this newspaper suggests Mr Schembri has been staying and working in Dubai for some months,...
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Simon Busuttil challenges Prime Minister to stop General Workers Union abuse

February 16, 2015, 3:02 am
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Opposition leader Simon Busuttil this morning challenged the Prime Minister to intervene and stop the abuse of a public contract by the General Workers' Union. Speaking in Qormi, Dr Busuttil referred to a contract that the GWU signed with the government in which it was given the land for the Workers Memorial Building (its headquarters) on condition that it did not sub-lease any of it to third parties. However, the GWU, which was paying just €800 a year for the building, was receiving €300,000 over five years for leasing part of the property to Arms Ltd, a state company. “This is in breach of the contract that if the Prime Minister iis serious, he should intervene and stop this blatant abuse. This is scandalous,” Dr Busuttil said. The GWU’s abuse was even more scandalous as the lease was concluded with a government entity, Dr Busuttil said. Dr Busuttil, who this morning toured various areas in Qormi as part of the council's election campaign, also visited a parcel of land close to a sports and recreation area, which was passed on to the Malta Sports Council to develop into an extension of the sport facilities. He said that, so far, nothing had been done and the area had been...
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