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Murdered man knew of imminent plot on his life

June 1, 2013, 11:23 pm
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The man who was shot dead in Marsa on Friday knew there was an imminent plot on his life, police sources told The Sunday Times of Malta. Paul Degabriele was known to police as a ‘bad apple’ with extensive knowledge of firearms, partly through a short career in the Armed Forces where he earned his nickname: is-Suldat (the soldier). He was also known to be a tough character, but well-placed sources said Mr Degabriele knew there would be an imminent attempt on his life and made it apparent to people close to him that he was fearful. “It says a lot when a fellow like is-Suldat looks that scared,” the source said. The theory is that his murder was payback in a tit-for-tat game that has been going on for some years. Just last December, Mr Degabriele had been arrested in connection with the murder of 45-year-old Joseph Cutajar il-Lion in Mosta. Two months earlier, Mr Degabriele had escaped an attempt on his life when he was alerted about a man acting suspiciously next to his Toyota pick-up truck and a car bomb was discovered. He was not so lucky on Friday, when he was shot dead at close range in broad daylight just outside Sammy’s Bar, near the Enemalta Customer Care office in...
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Rival protesters face off in London

June 2, 2013, 12:37 am
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Police intervened to separate about 150 far-right protesters from a much larger anti-racism demo in central London yesterday to stop them from coming to blows over the killing of a British soldier on a busy street last week. A number of protests and counter-protests have taken place in the wake of the May 22 killing of Lee Rigby, a serving soldier and veteran of the war in Afghanistan, which the authorities are treating as a terrorist incident. Michael Adebowale and Michael Adebolajo are now in custody on suspicion of killing Rigby. Adebowale has been charged with murder and possession of a firearm. Small but noisy far-right groups have taken to the streets several times since Rigby's killing to express anti-Muslim views. Their actions have been widely condemned and police, politicians and religious leaders have appealed for calm. The protest by the far-right British National Party (BNP) near the Houses of Parliament was dwarfed by a counter-demonstration by a group called Unite Against Fascism (UAF). Rigby's family issued a statement on Friday (May 31) saying his death should not be used as a pretext for reprisal attacks against Muslims.
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Magnitude 6.5 earthquake strikes Taiwan

June 2, 2013, 12:48 am
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A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the island of Taiwan today and caused some damage, Taiwan media reported. The quake struck 24 miles (38 km) southeast of the city of T'ai-chung at a depth of nine miles (14.5 km), the U.S. Geological Survey said. The agency initially said it was 6.6 magnitude but later downgraded it slightly. Taiwan television said the quake triggered a gas explosion in the centre of the island but it gave no details. There were no reports of any casualties. The quake also rattled the island's capital of Taipei. "The house was shaking but nothing fell," said one resident of the city. An earthquake of such a magnitude can cause severe damage. The island sits near the so-called ring of fire region of seismic activity around the Pacific Ocean.
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Italy confirms first case of new virus

June 2, 2013, 12:53 am
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Italy's health ministry has confirmed the country's first case of a new respiratory virus that is alarming global health officials. The patient is a 45-year-old man recently back from a 40-day visit to Jordan. The ministry said he was in good condition and being treated for the coronavirus in a hospital in Tuscany. The virus is related to SARS, which killed about 800 people in a 2003 global epidemic. The UN health agency says it has been informed of 51 confirmed cases of the new virus since September. Thirty of those cases were fatal, including that of a Frenchman who died earlier in the week. Cases in Britain and Germany also have been reported. Most of those infected had travelled to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan. Last week the World Health Organisation said the  new Sars-like respiratory illness is a "threat to the entire world". Experts raised concerns that the disease is "emerging faster than our understanding". WHO's director general said that the novel virus, which has been called Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus - or MERS-CoV, is her "greatest concern".
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Maltese shake Everest

June 2, 2013, 1:08 am
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A group of Maltese mountaineers recently orchestrated what is likely to be the highest-altitude Harlem Shake ever, from the base camp of Mount Everest. At 17,000 feet, Keith Marshall and Fabrizio Valente gave a new twist to the dance fad that took the internet by storm some months ago. Their aim was to encourage people to donate money to the Kilimanjaro Challenge 7 group who are striving to raise €60,000 for a home for 100 disabled children in Kenya. Donations can be made by sending an SMS to these numbers: 5061 8062 for €4.66 or 5061 9224 for €11.65.
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Health Minister: ‘Give me a chance and I’ll show you solutions’

June 2, 2013, 1:09 am
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He claims to have inherited a broken system that he is adamant he can fix, but Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia tells Kurt Sansone this will take time. One of the defining moments since you became minister was when you shed a tear for the patients you had to leave behind as a result of your appointment. Not everybody understood that emotional moment. How did you feel? After 28 years of continuous service as a family doctor with a catchment population of patients for whom you are not only a doctor but also a friend, it is obvious that separation hurts. But I know that my country has called me for service and those same people have lent me to the state to serve in this ministry. The pain is there but with self-discipline you have to stop serving them. On that particular day all these thoughts crossed my mind, including the children I used to see, who are like my children. Is it fair on your patients to suddenly stop seeing them? It is definitely not fair on you. There are obligations and ethical considerations to make, but it does create an element of unfairness when you have to stop seeing those patients, most of whom would have given you the chance to serve in a political role by...
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Fish Festival draws hundreds to Zurrieq

June 2, 2013, 1:36 am
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Business was brisk at the Zurrieq Fish Festival this morning, with hundreds of people buying a variety of fish during the activity organised by the locality's local council this morning. Fish stalls were set up along much of the main road and nearby roads, harking back to the days when many of the locality's residents were fishermen. This morning's events also included stalls selling fruit and veg as well as traditional craft. Visitors could also enjoy the locality's cultural attractions including għana. A wartime shelter was open for viewing. The activity continues till the early afternoon.
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Pole admits drug possession

June 2, 2013, 2:58 am
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A Polish man was this morning conditionally discharged for eight months after he was caught red-handed rolling a joint in the toilets of a Sliema bar. Mikolaj Bartlomiej, 22, was caught preparing the drug during a surprise police inspection. Before Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, the man pleaded guilty to being in possession of five pieces of cannabis resin. Police Inspector Jason Sultana prosecuted while lawyer Mark Busuttil appeared for the man.
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Concern over delay to summer bus schedule

June 2, 2013, 3:01 am
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The tourism industry is “very concerned” about the delay in Arriva’s summer bus schedule. Malta’s image is damaged by having large groups of tourists waiting for long periods at bus stops, according to Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association president Tony Zahra. With Malta experiencing a huge influx of tourists each summer, the new time-table featured greater frequencies, later operating hours and some new routes to meet demand. It was supposed to be operational from today but the transport company became embroiled in an industrial dispute after drivers complained about their new rosters. Following a conciliation meeting with the General Workers’ Union, Arriva agreed last Thursday to postpone introducing its summer schedule until June 30 so it can devise a new drivers’ roster. Drivers who spoke to Times of Malta last week complained they would be forced at times to work 14-hour days with 90-minute breaks, which were too short for them to go home and spend time with their families. Arriva did not have enough drivers to cover all routes, the drivers claimed. The company has advertised in Spain and the UK for drivers willing to work May to October. Mr Zahra said the MHRA would try...
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Sinkhole opens up after Oklahoma storm

June 2, 2013, 3:13 am
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A speed limit sign is all that remains of part a of road in the U. state of Oklahoma after a huge sinkhole opened up in the state's capital when tornadoes triggered rain storms. Local media said major flooding caused the ground to give way, revealing a pipe from a natural gas line. In the nearby community, almost 200 people were evacuated from flooded mobile homes as up to 25 centimetres of rain fell.
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Man killed by runaway police van in the UK

June 2, 2013, 3:20 am
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An elderly man has died after being hit by a runaway police van in the UK. Officers were called to reports of a disturbance in Pudsey Park, between Bradford and Leeds, in west Yorkshire, shortly after 2pm yesterday. Police left the van to deal with the disturbance when the vehicle rolled into the path of an elderly man, who was walking through the park. A police spokesman said the matter has been referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
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Angelina Jolie makes first public appearance after mastectomy

June 2, 2013, 11:04 pm
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Angelina Jolie made her first public appearance since announcing her double mastectomy last night, joining fiance Brad Pitt on the red carpet in London where she welcomed the debate on women's health that the surgery had sparked. The Oscar-winning actress has stayed out of the spotlight since announcing her operation in a New York Times column last month, saying the decision was made after finding she carried a gene giving her an 87 percent chance of getting breast cancer. The 37-year-old mother of six, praised for her courage in publicly announcing her surgery, is now reported to be planning another operation to remove her ovaries as the BRCA1 gene also gives her a 50 percent chance of ovarian cancer. On the red carpet for the world premiere of Pitt's latest movie, zombie blockbuster "World War Z", Jolie praised her partner as being "a wonderful man and a wonderful father. "I'm very, very grateful for all the support ... and I have been very happy just to see the discussion of women's health expanded and that means the world to me," she told reporters. "After losing my mom to these issues, I am very grateful for it," added the American actress, wearing a long black, backless Yves...
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Proud twice, or three, times over

June 2, 2013, 11:10 pm
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The Maltese people and the popular TVM/WE programme, Xarabank, did it again! A heartfelt and big ‘thank you’ to both. Last Friday the sum of €566,000 was raised for the people of Tanzania. Even after subtracting the €100,000 that was contributed by one individual, the amount is still staggering. Last Friday’s fund raiser is the latest in a series of special fund raising programmes held since the beginning of the October 2012 – September 2013 schedule. Just a few weeks ago, end of March to be precise, Xarabank raised €517,284 for Puttinu Cares during a special Good Friday edition of the programme. Xarabank’s fund raiser for Caritas succeeded in netting €183,000. In all Xarabank, on its own and without any cost to the beneficiaries, helped these three organisations with the enormous sum of almost €1.3 million. These fund raising successes are another sign of the great generosity of the Maltese people. Perhaps instead of singing “din l-art helwa” during our national anthem we should sing “din l-art hanina u generuza.” The sums raised by Xarabank are made up of the donations of myriad individuals. There are no corporate sponsors. Barring the donation of one individual who contributed...
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Disabled fan left in the dark at match

June 2, 2013, 11:20 pm
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Wheelchair-bound football fan Kevin Vella. Photo: Paul Spiteri Lucas

A wheelchair-bound football fan was left cold and alone in a dark access passage at Ta’ Qali National Stadium after security personnel told him it was the only place from where he could watch the match. “They told me I had to go all the way around the stadium and then took me to a place behind the corner flag. I couldn’t even see the game. There was a boundary wall that went above my line of vision. I was left cold and alone, judging what was going on in the game by the distant cheers from the stands above,” Kevin Vella said. The Malta Football Association, MFA, maintains that the stadium’s Millennium Stand offers full accessibility. However, the wind and rain that often beats down on the exposed eastward facing stand poses a serious risk to Mr Vella, whose muscular dystrophy means that exposure to extreme weather conditions can lead to severe health complications. “The Millennium Stand is fully accessible but the weather it’s often exposed to is more than just uncomfortable for me. Not to mention the fact that they rarely open that stand anyway,” Mr Vella said. The National Commission People with Disability (KNPD) filed a judicial protest against the MFA in February accusing it...
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THE PRESCRIBED TONE

June 2, 2013, 11:47 pm
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I'm so glad the PM is going to sleep well. When PMs don't sleep well, it means we have something to worry about, because either there's something on his mind that affects us or he's been sitting up concocting some fresh legislative horror with which to make our lives less pleasant. So when we had a panoply of the Great and Good of the Government, with assorted Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, ordinary members and such ranging themselves behind the PM and his lectern in the Palace for the portentous announcement that prescription has been abolished for corruption crimes committed by politicians, his announcement that this makes him sleep easy was doubly welcome. It meant that there was nothing worrying him, all was well with the world, and it meant that although it seems to have taken a good third of the Cabinet to do it, all we were being told that was new was that corrupt politicians can't hide behind the clock.This is all well and good, or rather bad, for the politicians, but for your common-or-garden member of the Great Unwashed, such as Yours Truly, it doesn't really make cold or make hot, to use an Italian phrase Googly-translated. I'm not, and never have been, a...
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Douglas blames cancer on sex life

June 3, 2013, 12:21 am
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Hollywood actor Michael Douglas has revealed his battle against throat cancer was caused by performing oral sex, it has been reported. The 68-year-old claimed his stage-four cancer was contracted through the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease. He told the Guardian: “Without wanting to get too specific this particular cancer is caused by HPV.” Douglas said: “I did worry if the stress caused by my son’s incarceration didn’t help trigger it. “But yeah, it’s a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer.” However, his claim that oral sex is also the cure for the cancer was disputed by doctors, the paper said. Douglas, who is married to Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, said that after “a rough few years” he is “back with a vengeance” and feels “blessed and fortunate to even be alive”.
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Nursing firm must pay €3,000 to ex-employee

June 3, 2013, 1:09 am
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A file photo of a nurse getting into an MMDNA car. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

A nursing company was ordered to pay €3,000 in compensation to a former employee who had lost her job due to injuries sustained when she was assaulted by a patient’s relative. Josette Cassar took her case to the Industrial Tribunal after the Malta Memorial District Nursing Association, MMDNA, terminated her employment as a State-registered nurse. In November 2005, the nurse was violently assaulted in Siġġiewi by the relative of a patient she was seeing to. Her aggressor was arraigned. Although a doctor had initially certified her as having suffered slight injuries, she subsequently suffered pain to her back and legs. She was forced to go on injury leave and returned to work in July 2006 after an orthopaedic surgeon certified her fit for work. She had asked to be given light duties but none was available to her and she was given a company car and instructed to make the rounds like all other nurses. However, her pain increased when she sat in the driver’s seat and, despite asking for it to be changed, the MMDNA did nothing and so she again went on injury leave. A specialist declared she had suffered a 10 per cent disability as a result of the incident. In March 2007, after a full...
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Hunters hit at judge’s call to ban blood sports

June 3, 2013, 1:10 am
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The law does not consider hunting to be a form of animal cruelty, association president says. Photo: Jason Borg

A hunter’s organisation, St Hubert Hunters, believes that Mr Justice Michael Mallia’s argument that all forms of blood sport, including hunting, should be banned is “ludicrous”, given that the judge is a former hunter himself. The call was made on Wednesday in a judgment on animal cruelty in which a nine-month jail term given to watchman Joseph Galea for dumping a dog in a skip was confirmed on appeal. In his judgment, Mr Justice Mallia said that, while he did not want to be misunderstood that animals should never be killed, it had to be within reason for the survival and health of humans and done in a controlled manner. Thankfully, he added, in Malta people had an adequate supply of food and, therefore, there was no need to kill wildlife for sustenance. Those who did kill wildlife did so for their own emotional satisfaction or the thrill they had at the moment the animal was killed, he said, adding that this sort of emotional satisfaction belonged to the troglodyte era. “Perhaps, one day, we’ll realise what we’re doing and pluck up the courage to once and for all stop all forms of blood sport,” the judge said. The president of St Hubert Hunters, Mark Mifsud Bonnici, said that the...
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Mourinho to be Chelsea manager by end of the week

June 3, 2013, 1:14 am
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Jose Mourinho has said that he will be the new Chelsea manager by the end of the week. Mourinho's era as Real Madrid boss ended on Saturday night with a 4-2 win over Osasuna in the Primera Division, with the Portuguese having already confirmed he would leave the Spanish giants at the end of the season. Before he left Spain, Mourinho spoke to TV football show Punto Pelota about his future plans, and said: "I'm going to London on Monday and at the end of the week I will be the manager of Chelsea." He added: "I feel the people there love me and in life you have to look for that. Life is beautiful and short and you must look for what you think is best for you." Mourinho managed Chelsea between 2004 and 2007 and led them to back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006. The 50-year-old looks set to replace former interim manager Rafael Benitez, who left the club are leading them to a third-place finish and the Europa League trophy. Mourinho's appointment may be imminent but the Premier League was forced to issue an apology to Chelsea after their own website jumped the gun on the announcement. An article, headlined 'Jose Mourinho makes Chelsea return', was published on Sunday...
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Temporary residence for prisoners set to be freed

June 3, 2013, 1:44 am
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Corradino Correctional Facilities chaplain Fr Franco Fenech. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Paul*, barely 30, has already been in prison three times and, unfortunately, his is far from being an isolated case. A worrying 56 per cent of inmates are repeat offenders, having broken the law and sentenced to prison on more than one occasion. It is this state of affairs that prompted Corradino Correctional Facilities chaplain, Fr Franco Fenech, and Fondazzjoni Dar Suret il-Bniedem coordinator Charles Mifsud to do something about and set up RISe (Rehabilitation in Society) Foundation. Officially launched today, it aims to help prisoners develop a useful, self-sufficient way of life that will keep them away from further offences and from ending up behind bars again. “Society looks at prison from different points of view,” Fr Franco, 47, said. “Some view it in a punitive light while others think of it as a place of reform. However, everyone expects prisoners to emerge from incarceration as better people. “Unfortunately, I keep seeing the same faces behind bars. People who would have walked out of prison determined not to return to their old ways are back two months after being released. “The need was felt for a rehabilitation programme that is run while a person is serving time,...
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