Monday, April 30, 2018
Gender pay gap must be eliminated, GWU says
Foreign workers have to be shown more dignity and the pay gap between male and female employees has to end, the General Workers' Union said in its 1 May message
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Climbing the social ladder: 31% of Maltese say they fare no better than their grandparents did
While the Maltese are less likely to think that they have climbed the social ladder, they are more likely than other Europeans to place themselves at the top of the social ladder
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Jason Azzopardi alleges that a police sergeant tipped off criminals before Marsa raid
Nationalist Party MP Jason Azzopardi said in Parliament that police sergeant Aldo Cassar placed a phone call to one of three men accused with Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder just before the police raid last December during which they were arrested
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Sergeant involved in visa scandal tipped off accused in Caruana Galizia murder – Azzopardi
PN MP Jason Azzopardi this evening named the police sergeant who, according to sources who spoke to him, had alerted the three men accused of murdering Daphne Caruana Galizia about their impending arrest.
Claims that the accused had been tipped off from inside the police force were first made by La Repubblica, which is taking part in the Daphne Project.
Speaking during adjournment time on Monday evening, Azzopardi also claimed that the government had called an early election in 2017 after learning that Caruana Galizia had been handed tens of thousands of leaked Electrogas files.
Azzopardi named the 'mole' as Police Sergeant Aldo Cassar who, he said, was "close" to the PL and to Joseph Muscat.
The PN MP said Cassar had been transferred out of the immigration unit after the Libyan medical visa racket was uncovered. He was later transferred to the Criminal Intelligence Unit, where he was privy to sensitive information about ongoing investigations and surveillance.
He said a few weeks ago it was discovered that the sergeant had alerted the accused. He said the Police Commissioner, acting on orders from the Office of the Prime Minister, had given him a choice of transfer to a police station or to the Rapid Intervention Unit, instead of taking criminal steps against him. Cassar chose the RIU.
Azzopardi, who said he had received the information from various sources within the Police force, said the sergeant had breached several laws for which he could face up to three years in prison.
Azzopardi said news reports dating back to 2012 show how close PS88 is to the Prime Minister and the Labour Party.
He accused the government of "colluding with hardcore criminals", drawing a parallel with the violence at Tal-Barrani in 1986.
The government was covering up any tracks with the help of the intelligence services, he charged.
Azzopardi called on the Police Commissioner to resign, saying that his position was completely unacceptable. He said the police chief was "siding with criminals" rather than with law-abiding citizens.
The PN MP spoke about last year's snap election, referencing reports by Daphne Caruana Galizia, who had revealed how the Labour party had been preparing for a general election for months before it was called.
He said the election was not called because of the Egrant allegation. Back then he was very strong in the polls (despite weekly scandals) and there was no reason for him to call a snap election.
The only reason, he said, was because the government was told that Caruana Galizia had been given a massive cache of documents regarding Socar, a company she was already investigating.
The documents revealed that Socar (one of the partners in the Electrogas consortium, and with whom the government is contractually bound to buy LNG gas) was buying from Shell and selling back to government for double the price.
Times of Malta last week claimed that Malta was losing some €40 million a year through the deal negotiated by Konrad Mizzi.
This, coupled with the impending release of information about 17 Black, pressured Muscat into calling an early election, Azzopardi claimed.
He said the PM could not afford holding an election after this information came out.
He asked why the government was not hindering the investigation into Caruana Galizia's murder.
"Could it be that Daphne's death warrant was signed the minute she was given those documents?"
Azzopardi asked if the government had come to know that "for someone the journalist's assassination had become unavoidable as a result of the massive leak" and thus had to get the election out of the way as soon as possible.
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Godfrey Farrugia suggests abrogative referendum to repeal embryo freezing
Democratic Party MP Godfrey Farrugia says embryo freezing paves the way for abortion • Parliamentary Secretary Julia Farrugia Portelli insists IVF law changes are about giving hope
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Godfrey Farrugia gets thrown out of parliament as IVF debate heats up
Partit Demokratiku MP Godfrey FArrugia was booted out of Parliament on Monday evening as tempers flared during a debate on the controversial IVF amendments.
Farrugia was kicked out of the chamber by Speaker Anglu Farrugia following a commotion between Parliamentary Secretary Julia Farrugia Porteli, Godfrey Farrugia, and his partner, PD MP Marlene Farrugia
The latter could be heard calling Portelli Farrugia a 'purcinella' (clown). The PS requested protection by the Speaker.
The controversial Embryo Protection bill was being discussed when Farrugia Portelli and Marlene Farrugia got into a heated debate regarding the merits of money. It was then that an agitated Godfrey Farrugia was told by the Speaker to leave the room.
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Helena Dalli calls out Adrian Delia’s ‘inconsistency’ on domestic violence law
Opposition leader Adrian Delia appears to have been roasted by his own tweet in support of the domestic violence law, with the Equality Minister calling out his 'inconsistency' this evening in Parliament
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Over half-a-million spent on billboards by Government since March 2013
The government spent a total of €589,700 on billboard advertising in five years, according to information tabled in Parliament on Monday evening.
Shadow speaker for Justice Jason Azzopardi posed a set of Parliamentary Questions to each ministry asking how much it spent on billboard advertising since March 2013, when Joseph Muscat was first elected as Prime Minister.
It was the Energy Ministry which took the top spot for most spent on billboards, reaching a total of €155,289. A proportion of €57,600 was spent by the Regulator for Energy and Water Services in 2013, with €12,985 spent in 2014.
That same year, €48,226 was spent on billboard advertising by ARMS, the state water and electricity billing agency.
The Office of the Prime Minister was also asked to present its expenses for billboard advertising, however the information is still being gathered.
The Environment Ministry spent a total of €139,400 between 2013 and 2017. A significant amount has been spent for 2017 alone by the Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change department at €46,668, an increase from €31,112 spent in 2016.
Interestingly, the Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs and Finance Ministries did not spent anything on billboard advertising since March 2013.
The Ministries for Gozo, Education, Transport and Justice Ministries spent over €25,000 each.
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Drug Squad raid yields cannabis, MDMA; 25-year-old man to be arraigned on Tuesday
A 25-year-old man was arrested today after he was found to be in possession of drugs during a raid in St Paul's Bay.
The police said the man was found in possession of 2 kilos of cannabis plant, around a kilo of cannabis resin and around 100 packets of suspected MDMA. He was also carrying €6,000 in cash.
Magistrate Grazio Mercieca is leading an inquiry. The man is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday.
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Strengthening of work-life balance through reforms – Minister Helena Dalli
At the centre of labour law reforms is the strengthening of the work-life balance, Equality Minister Helena Dalli said on the eve of Labour Day (1 May).
Among the reforms is the requirement for employers to establish a clear policy which favours family life. In addition, employers will have to provide detailed pay slips, highlighting the normal hours worked, overtime, hours worked on Sundays and public holidays, leave and sick leave.
When it comes to the transfer of businesses, new laws will dictate that work conditions for employees cannot just be unilaterally changed, providing stability.
Dalli explained how some reforms strengthen the equal work for equal pay concept through the Temporary Agency Workers Regulations. These regulations will address the frustration workers feel who are employed on a temporary basis and ensure that they get paid equally for the same work as others within a particular company.
"Government will continue to work so that our country, which is passing through unprecedented economic growth, continues to priorities work conditions for employees," Dalli said.
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Wardens to join public payroll tomorrow
All wardens will, as of 1 May, be employed by the government local enforcement agency
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Former MFSA chairman Joe Bannister becomes chairman of Amagis Capital
The former chairman of the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), Joe Bannister, has been appointed as chairman of Amagis Capital, a London-based firm that provides 'Asset Management Architecture & Advisory Solutions.'
It has an office in London and another one in Valletta.
The company announced Bannister's appointment on its Facebook page on 24 April.
Bannister left the MFSA on 31 March of this year, havine served as its chairman from 1995 to 1997 and again in 1999 since his departure.
The authority now has Joseph Cuschieri as its Chief Executive Officer and John Mamo as non-Executive Chairperson.
Bannister was criticized over the MFSA's apparent lack of action when serious claims were leveled against Pilatus Bank and Nexia BT.
He also saw links in the Paradise Papers, after it was revealed that he held a directorship in a company based in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in 2007.
Speaking to The Malta Independent last November, Bannister said "that [his] involvement with investment companies had been declared with both prime ministers. Today I am no longer a director of anything," he said while adding that it had been cleared by the European Authorities.
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6,500 people to receive tax rebate for extra car registration tax paid
Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry for Transport in Floriana, Minister Ian Borg and Minister of Finance Edward Scicluna announced that 6,500 people are to receive a tax rebate for extra car registration VAT the government had taken between 2004-2008.
The total of this rebate will amount to €4.8 million, with the government this week due to post cheques to the 6,500 people. The rest will be paid this year, he said.
Till now €13 million has been given back to people, and the total will rise to €17 million this year.
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Environmental Health Directorate issues warning on dried Goji berry product
In accordance with the Food Safety Act and Regulation (EC) No. 178 of 2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council, the Environmental Health Directorate within the Superintendence of Public Health informs the public that from information received through the involved company and later via the Rapid Alert Systsem for Food and Feed (RASFF), the following products must not be consumed since it was found that the goji berries contain traces of the pesticides carbofuran and propargite.
| Product descripton: | Dried Goji Berries |
| Brand: | Emy |
| Lots and durability dates: | Lot beginning with number 8743; 24/01/2019 Lot beginning with number 8900; 31/07/2019 Lot beginning with number 9214; 26/03/2019 |
| Weight: | 125g |
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6,500 persons entitled to €4.8 million under this year’s vehicle tax refund
Refund scheme, now in its fifth year, applies to VAT paid on vehicle registration tax in 2007
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72-year-old man suffers facial injuries while using chaser
A 72-year-old man suffered grievous injuries after using a chaser, the police have said.
Assistance was called to Tumas Dingli Street, Mosta, at around noon. Police went on site and preliminary investigations revealed that the man, a Mosta resident, was injured while using a chaser. An ambulance was called and he was taken to Mater Dei Hospital.
Investigations are ongoing.
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Elderly man seriously injured while using chaser
The 72-year-old man, from Mosta, suffered serious injuries to his face
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Motorist ordered to pay €45,000 in compensation for crash
A failure to keep a proper lookout has led to a collision which left one motorist losing the use of his index finger and another one ordered to pay nearly €45,000 in compensation.
The courts had heard how John Mallia had been driving home one day in December 2014 when he collided with a Toyota Starlet driven by Kevin Fiorini which had pulled out of a parking bay in Triq in Dolmen, Marsascala, without warning.
Mallia had swerved to avoid the other vehicle, but had made contact with the car's front wheels, causing the Yaris to end up on its side and damaging four other parked cars.
Fiorini had been sued for damages by Mallia, who claimed that the accident had been caused by the other party's negligence as he exited the parking bay. Fiorini had denied responsibility, claiming that the fault for the accident lay with Mallia who had been driving too fast to avoid colliding with him.
Judge Lawrence Mintoff, deciding the case, observed that the two accounts he was given were conflicting and so sought corroboration with other evidence, including police sketches, accident reports, the absence of brake marks and the fact that Fiorini had said that he hadn't heard the approaching vehicle.
It also noted that Fiorini had been inconsistent in his account, first telling police that he had checked his mirror and seen the coast was clear, but later claiming to have not sensed the presence of the other car right before impact. "This is a typical reaction of a person who is not keeping a proper lookout...which must be kept at all times when exiting from a parking space onto the road," observed the court.
Fiorini's two passengers had not seen anything before the impact, the court was told.
On the basis of the evidence brought before it, the court reached the conclusion that the accident was caused by the defendant's failure to "see what is in plain view," by keeping a proper lookout.
Indeed, the Fiorini had also failed to use his indicator to signal his intention to pull out of the parking space, noted the court, saying this was "surely because of his poor judgment that, upon seeing an empty road, presuming that he didn't need to use his indicator or look at his mirrors as he exited."
In establishing the amount payable in damages, the court observed that Mallia had suffered a 10% permanent disability as a result of the collision, condemning the defendant to pay €44,817.03 for the injuries suffered and loss of future earnings.
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Marsaxlokk fireworks festival left dogs shaking with fear at nearby sanctuary
Volunteers at the Island Sanctuary in Marsaxlokk turned to Facebook where they uploaded footage of frightened dogs with fireworks clearly heard in the background.
In a comment, one volunteer wrote that the fireworks, coming from the Malta Fireworks Festival which takes place in Marsaxlokk, are set off "180 metres away from the sanctuary".
The volunteer continued to say that the fireworks terrify the dogs, questioning if any of the authorities care about the distress being caused.
In the initial social media post, it was reported that dogs were hyperventilating, hiding in corners, under blankets and were spotted trying to shield themselves from the noise.
Luckily, volunteers turned up at the shelter to comfort the dogs, but they questioned when fireworks will stop being released so very close to the sanctuary.
Videos uploaded by volunteers may be found on the sanctuary's Facebook page:
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Vlog: Michael Briguglio tackles ARMS and energy bills
Sociologist Michael Briguglio brought up a number of questions in relation to ARMS this week in his vlog on The Malta Independent website, following a number of articles about the issue printed by this newspaper.
He spoke of bill frequency issues, resulting in higher bills.
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Negligent driver ordered to pay €45,000 to accident victim
The court observed that Mallia had suffered a 10% permanent disability as a result of the collision, condemning the defendant to pay €44,817.03 for the injuries suffered and loss of future earnings
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Research breakthrough that aims to protect patients at risk from stroke
A collaborative study between scientists at the University of Malta and the University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry has led to the discovery of a new drug, QNZ-46, that was shown to protect the rodent brain after a stroke. Professor Mario Valentino, Dr Jasmine Vella, Professor Robert Fern and Dr Christian Zammit all took part in the breakthrough.
Previous attempts to find a drug that prevents brain damage after stroke have proved unsuccessful and this new research offers the possibility of a new exciting treatment.
Published in Nature Communications, the study identified the source of the glutamate, an amino acid neurotransmitter that is the cause of the damage produced in stroke and led to the discovery that the drug QNZ-46 protects the brain against this damage.
Professor Mario Valentino said that the results from this collaborative research could become a precursor to pharmaceutical trials. Most ischemic strokes involve both white and gray matter, yet 20% of strokes predominantly involve white matter. In addition, cerebral white matter is sensitive to ischemic injury at all stages of development and in particular to the protective nerve sheath (myelin) of its nerve fibres that leads to severe functional deficits in affected individuals. We have shown that the drug QNZ-46 prevents damage to the myelin of the nerve fibres and protects them from the toxic effect of the glutamate that is released by the damaged nerve cells.
A recognized authority on white matter injury, Professor Robert Fern said that this is the first study to show direct evidence of vesicular fusion within different cellular components in white matter, a process that was thought to be absent from white matter.
Preliminary results have shown that the new treatment with the drug QNZ-46 would benefit patients at high risk of suffering a stroke or other brain condition in which excessive and uncontrolled release of glutamate is the main agent that leads to death of brain cells. The study demonstrated that the trapped glutamate acts on specific receptors located on the myelin and leads to its disintegration and loss of brain function. Results from this study convincingly show that QNZ-46 prevents this damage.
The full study, entitled Vesicular glutamate release from central axons contributes to myelin damage (doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-03427-1) was funded by the University of Plymouth and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Alfred Mizzi Foundation through the RIDT, and is available for viewing in Nature Communications.
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Two young Maltese singers making waves away from our shores
Singers Emma Muscat on Italy's Amici show and Amy Marie Borg on Britain's Got Talent have been making the foreign news
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Last victim from Zurrieq bus crash flown to UK ITU facility
The last remaining casualty of March's horror double-decker crash in Zejtun was transferred to an intensive care facility in the UK last week.
Simon Morrison, 43, was left fighting for his life with a serious head wound, broken arm and eye injury in the 10 April accidet, which claimed the lives of a Bulgarian woman and a Belgian man.
Morrison, a football coach from Aberdeen, was flown to the UK in an air ambulance.
The transfer between hospitals involved the co-operation of the health authorities, the Foreign Affairs ministry and the Malta Tourism Authority.
According to The Sun, Morrison has since woken from a coma and has spoken to family members.
His brother-in-law Michael Henderson had also been seriously injured in the crash.
50 people had been treated for injuries, although the majority of casualties had suffered slight injuries. Six people had been taken to intensive care, including two young British boys.
At least two other victims had been flown to hospitals in their own countries.
The 24-year-old bus driver had been questioned by the police. A magisterial inquiry is underway.
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AD insists on social protection for the growing number of vulnerable workers
Malta has made great strides forward when it comes to workers' rights and working conditions, however the world is changing rapidly and social protection laws are not keeping up, the Alternattiva Demokratika has said.
"The neoliberal economy is moving ahead at breakneck speed without adequate regard to the plight and quality of life of workers", said AD Deputy Chairperson Mario Mallia on the occasion of Workers' Day.
"The demand for workers is increasing rapidly, so much so that foreign labour is being imported to fill up vacancies. There are clear signs that the gains in workers' rights are being eroded in a bid to keep up with an economic vision of growth at all costs. It is a fact that many workers choosing to work in Malta, end up leaving due to exorbitant rents. This is leading to a situation where many foreign workers live in crowded conditions, and even in garages. There are also indications of workers who left their countries to avoid poverty ending up exploited for poor wages here in Malta. This is unacceptable."
AD spokesperson on Social Dialogue and Equality, Anna Azzopardi added: "An economy which grows on the backs of vulnerable workers is not something to be proud of. The Dubai model mentioned frequently by the Prime Minister is precisely what our country should avoid; an unsustainable, runaway economic built at the expense of workers from third world countries."
"We Greens urge the trade union movement to keep up with the changing realities of the economy and increase its invaluable work in order to meet the needs of so many workers, especially those in certain sectors who are being exploited daily. We also urge the government to strengthen the state's supervisory agencies including those on health and safety."
"We are also concerned that, in order for people to be able to take out a mortgage, they must earn at least 20,000 Euro a year. Given that this is slightly higher than the average gross income of workers in Malta, it is patently obvious that many people are facing huge difficulties. Most people earn wages which are not enough for a good quality of life."
"AD insists that economic growth cannot be the only measure of progress. We insist that the economy should be at the service of social justice and environmental sustainability, and not the other way round. On Workers Day we insist on an economy which respects and offers a good quality of life to workers, the people who literally make the economy tick. We insist on an economy for the many and not the few", concluded Azzopardi.
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Is-Sufu loses appeal against 2003 attempted murder conviction
Court throws out appeal of Ronnie Azzopardi, who had been jailed 20 years for the attempted murder of his neighbour
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Is-Sufu’s appeal against attempted murder conviction thrown out
Three judges have thrown out an appeal filed by Ronnie Azzopardi, known as is-Sufu, against his conviction for the attempted murder of his neighbour, Jonathan Spiteri in 2003, saying his actions showed that he placed little value on human life.
Spiteri had suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder but had survived the murder attempt, ducking in the car he was driving, just before he lost control of the Toyota Corolla and crashed into a wall. The victim had played dead to avoid being shot again.
The case followed a longstanding family feud between the Azzopardis, nicknamed tas-Sufu, and the Spiteris. The two families lived in the same neighbourhood of Cospicua, known as Verdala.
Two years earlier, Jonathan Spiteri's brother, Melchior, had killed Azzopardi's brother, Jason, after he got to know that Azzopardi had threatened Spiteri's mother about some money he had lent her. Melchior Spiteri was later imprisoned after being convicted of Jason Azzopardi's murder.
The accused had attempted to avenge his brother's death, the jury had been told.
In 2011, Azzopardi was jailed for 20 years for Spiteri's attempted murder. He had subsequently filed an appeal.
The Court of Criminal Appeal, presided by judges Joseph Zammit Mackeon, Abigail Lofaro and Edwina Grima, noted that the appellant claimed the jury had been misdirected by the presiding judge and had not been correctly appraised of the rules of corroboration, amongst other things.
It also noted that after filing the appeal, he had changed his lawyer, who ended up contradicting the grounds for the appeal as laid out in the original application.
The court said that Azzopardi's objections to the judge's address did not deserve consideration as they were raised at too late a stage in the proceedings and weren't mentioned in the original appeal, but in any case, the court had examined them and found that the objections did not have merit.
Another objection was that the jury trial should have been restarted with different jurors after a witness revealed that the accused had tried to kill her with a car bomb. This request had been rejected by the Criminal Court as no reference was made to ongoing judicial proceedings against the accused with regards to the bomb.
The Court of Criminal Appeal felt that the first court had given adequate direction to the jurors on how to evaluate this particular piece of evidence, rejecting this ground of appeal. The same went for the rest of the contested evidence.
Azzopardi had also complained that the punishment meted out to him was excessive, given the social and family background - his brother, Jason had been murdered by the victim's brother Melchior Spiteri - as well as due to the delays in the conclusion of the case and the fact that the victim had only suffered slight injuries. Additionally, he said, the jury had not returned a unanimous verdict of guilt, but despite this he had been handed a punishment close to the maximum for the crime of attempted murder.
But the court dismissed this argument, saying that there were "certainly" no grounds for amending the punishment. The appellant was a relapser whose convictions stretched back to 1991, a man with a criminal character built on the social and family background he grew up in, where the resolution of disputes meant violence, said the court.
It said it "adjudged the punishment laid down by the First Court was not excessive in the particular circumstances of this case where the appellant, with clear intent, wanted to end a human life which appears to have a very low price to him."
The court said its duty was to "reign in this attitude by imposing a prison sentence that reflects the seriousness of the consequences of this type of deviant and antisocial behaviour."
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Jason Micallef’s comments are ‘hardly out of this world’ – PL MEP Alfred Sant
Former PL Leader and current MEP Alfred Sant has come out in defence of embattled V18 Chairman Jason Micallef in his opinion piece on The Malta Independent.
"With abject apologies to Salman Rushdie and all those who must have spent hours poring over the writings of Jason Micallef," Sant opened," just cannot understand why they found them so disturbing. Micallef expressed views that you can agree or disagree with, but which are hardly out of this world.
"Whoever found his approach offensive must still not have read articles by a learned pundit who in "The Times" regularly instructs us about the writings of Mrs Caruana Galizia. He teaches how nothing in her discourse should be considered as obnoxious or as undignified, as bullying or as based on hate speech, in the context of how in today's world, modern stylists express themselves in writing, even through a sense of exaggeration."
"Nowhere did Micallef come close to her [Caruana Galizia] model for how to "strongly" express your convictions."
Should the argument concern Micallef's public role and the discourse he should use, Sant explained, it should also apply to Archbishop Scicluna.
"Ironically, the people who want to remove Micallef and Scicluna from their positions seem to be the ones who are missing out on the truly wholesome meaning of "European" values.
Over the last few weeks, local artists, 72 MEPs, and PEN international writers have called for Jason Micallef's resignation over the irreparable damage he has caused to the reputation, programme and leadership of Valletta 2018, with Ulrich Fuchs, the Chairman of the committee that monitored Valletta as European Capital for Culture in 2018, saying that he would not attend any V18 event "as long as people representing the project destroy European values."
Meanwhile, the common message sent by various Maltese and foreign members of the selection committee that awarded Valletta the title of the European Capital of Culture has also been that V18 Chairman Jason Micallef's post is untenable.
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When MPs heard a priest justify embryo freezing
Long read • 1,633 words | Regulating in-vitro fertilisation was on the agenda of a parliamentary committee 13 years ago when MPs heard Fr Peter Serracino Inglott justify embryo freezing. MaltaToday goes back to the transcripts of that hearing
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'An embryo is not a human' – PL MP Rosianne Cutajar
PL MP Rosianne Cutajar has published a rather controversial statement on Facebook, saying an embryo is not a human.
She had posted a video about her Parliamentary intervention in the Embryo Protection Act discussion in Parliament, and in the comments further down, made the aforementioned statement.
The Act has come under heavy scrutiny. As an example, The Cana Movement had said that "the proposed amendments allow embryo freezing which inevitably leads to embryo stock piling. Human embryos are destined to become frozen orphans in violation of the dignity with which every unborn child should be treated. "
The Act has caused nationwide debate, with sections of society backing the bill, and others questioning the amendments.
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UK's May replaces minister for immigration as scandal widens
British Prime Minister Theresa May has named Sajid Javid as Britain's new interior minister after the previous minister resigned amid an immigration scandal.
Javid, Britain's former communities secretary, is the first minority politician to hold one of Britain's four top government jobs.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd resigned late Sunday, saying she had "inadvertently" misled lawmakers about whether the government had deportation targets.
The furor began when the Guardian newspaper reported that some people who came to the U.K. from the Caribbean after World War II had recently been refused medical care in Britain or threatened with deportation because they could not produce paperwork proving their right to live here.
Javid, whose parents came from Pakistan, has expressed anger at the treatment of those U.K. citizens, telling the Sunday Telegraph: "That could be me."
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Woman jailed for smuggling heroin stashed in a condom to Maximilian Ciantar
27 year old Maria Cassar from Birzebbugia was jailed for 8 months and fined €900 after she was found guilty of smuggling heroin into the Corradino Correctional Facility. The heroin was stashed inside a condom which the woman had inserted into her private parts.
On June 6 2010, the woman had been detained following a strip search at the prison, where she had gone to visit her boyfriend Maximilian Ciantar, who was being held at the YOURS division of the prison.
It had been during this search that the drug-laden condom was found inside Cassar, who was taken to the Fgura police station for questioning.
A court expert had established the substance inside the condom to be 0.16 grams of heroin of 15% purity.
Cassar had chosen to testify, telling the court that she had been coerced by Ciantar into bringing him the drugs in jail.
He had given her a phone number and told her to buy the €30 of heroin and then bring it to him in prison on the day in question.
The woman claimed that Ciantar had attacked her on a number of occasions, but that she had never gone to hospital for the injuries she suffered. Her father testified to say that he had seen bruises on his daughter on one occasion but that she hadn't told him she was being beaten.
Other family members, however, had told the court that Ciantar would mistreat her and threaten her father.
Deciding the case, magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras found the woman guilty. The court took into account the fact that the woman had a clean criminal record at the time and although she hadn't pleaded guilty, she had cooperated with the police investigation. The amount of drugs was minimal and Cassar had since stopped taking heroin herself.
On the other hand, the court also pointed out the serious nature of the crime, in particular, the fact that the drugs had been delivered to a place of rehabilitation.
Cassar was sentenced to imprisonment for 8 months and fined €900.
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Sainsbury's to buy Asda from Walmart for $10.1 billion
Sainsbury's has agreed to buy Walmart Inc.'s U.K. unit, Asda, for 7.3 billion pounds ($10.1 billion) in cash and stock in a deal that would create Britain's largest supermarket chain and marks a seismic shift in the country's grocery market.
The deal combines Britain's second- and third-largest supermarket chains, giving the combined company 31.4 percent of the market and putting it ahead of the current leader, Tesco, which has 27.6 percent, according to data from Kantar Worldpanel. The company will retain both the Sainsbury and Asda brands and there are no plans to close any of its more than 2,800 stores, Sainsbury said in a statement Monday.
"This is a transformational opportunity to create a new force in U.K. retail," Sainsbury's CEO Mike Coupe said.
The move underscores the intense competition in Britain's grocery market as discounters take market share from traditional chains such as Sainsbury's and Tesco.
The Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart, meanwhile, is building fewer big stores and focusing more on internet businesses in an effort to compete for the online shoppers who use Amazon.
J Sainsbury plc, the chain's corporate name, says Walmart will receive 4.3 billion pounds worth of Sainsbury's stock and 2.98 billion pounds in cash. Walmart will own 42 percent of the combined company. Sainsbury's said the deal will produce costs savings of at least 500 million pounds ($688 million) due to increased efficiency.
The proposed merger is "consistent with our strategy of looking for new ways to drive international growth," Judith McKenna, CEO of Walmart's international business, said in the statement.
The deal will be subject to review by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority because of concerns about market dominance.
The Labour Party's business spokeswoman, Rebecca Long-Bailey, has already called for an investigation of the proposed deal.
The merger risks "squeezing what little competition there is in the groceries market even further," Long-Bailey told the BBC on Saturday when the news of a possible deal first emerged.
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Woman jailed for smuggling drugs to imprisoned Maximilian Ciantar
Court pointed our seriousness of crime and the fact drugs were delivered to place of rehabiliation
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Flexible working hours, autonomous vehicles and night-time deliveries could fix traffic issues
Project Aegle, a non-profit organisation, had conducted a study, published a fortnight ago, of real time data collected during January and October 2017, showing that people who use the Birkirkara bypass daily spend around 66 hours stuck in traffic on that road alone, every year.
"One of Malta's biggest challenges is traffic. The Maltese Islands face great challenges in the form of traffic congestion and parking problems. These cause economic losses in the hundreds of millions, as well as a range of preventable health problems," project manager Nicoletta Moss said.
"One of the projects we are currently working on is the idea of flexible working hours and flexible locations. In this world of technology we are coming into a time where we do not need to be at the office from 9 to 6 every day. Technology can allow us to be in the same room through a phone or computer. If this were to happen this would mean less cars on the road at peak times, with the office being a place for meetings and team work. Individual work does not need to be done in the office," explained Moss.
She said there is this mind-set that people need to be at work in the office but really if, we arrived at situation where employees have to be in the office for half the time, we would see drastic decreases in traffic.
The next project the team is working on is related to the logistics of delivery trucks and vans on the island. "It is a problem all commuters experience when delivery trucks and vans stop to drop of deliveries at every corner store in the morning," Moss noted. The group is currently forming plans to test night-time deliveries instead. "This will mean much faster deliveries and a huge decrease in stop and start traffic issues. This can all easily be done with a pin code operating system when dropping off deliveries," Moss said.
Moss explained how Malta is such a unique place to try out new technology, arguing that the Island could be a pioneer and leader for trying new technological methods of transport. "I believe autonomous vehicles are the future and could be a great venture Malta could adopt. In this case a car which drives itself would pick you up and drop you off instantly and when you need it, catering for all the people on the Island," she said.
Asked about the causes of traffic, Moss insisted that anything that makes people not to use their cars for every single thing is great. She explained how smoother road surfaces and better infrastructure decreases traffic times, but added that sometimes even adding more roads, flyovers and junctions could lead to more cars on the roads, which in Malta's case.
Moss highly encouraged the use of bicycles around the island referring to a project the group are carrying out with businesses, in which a company hires e-bikes for employees who live short distances away, up to 10km. "We will be tracking their times in order to see the system's reliability."
The Project Manager of Project Aegle also suggested bigger use of the sea. ""On an island surrounded by water why not use a ferry system from, let's say St Paul's Bay to St Julian's/Sliema. The ferry system from Valletta to the Three Cities has worked tremendously well."
"It is important for people to realise that the car is not the only form of transport and that at least the notion of car-pooling should be so much more common," she said.
"The idea of smart parking and parking sensors is great and I am a big believer in those, so I highly encourage the country to adopt such methods," she added.
Moss also addressed the issue of driving mentalities in Malta. "The Maltese people are some of the loveliest and warmest people but when it comes to driving, there needs to be consideration for other drivers, which doesn't really exist right now. I am a big fan of the 'merge like a zip' method, where you have two lanes of traffic merging into one. This is where a vehicle from the left lane goes and then a vehicle from the right lane goes, and so on. As you merge, one vehicle from the left goes, and then one from the right. Statistically this leads to quicker times," she said.
Questioned about some of the issues surrounding the island, in particular construction and its effects on traffic, Moss concluded that cranes placed in such ways that block roads obviously causes traffic. "For us the issue with high rise buildings is parking. How can such buildings and influx of people accommodate all those cars and parking in an area? High rises should only be built in places where there is space like Smart City."
"What brings us all together as a team is our love for Malta. We are mixed group of people with several professors working on finding solutions to one of the biggest issues that impact our lives. Project Aegle is intended to provide a collaborative platform where people can share knowledge, propose ideas and implement solutions. Debono group, which founded the group, believes that everyone should enjoy world class solutions which improve everyday quality of life. We are very excited for future projects and we have some interesting studies come soon," Moss concluded.
For more information contact:
+356 22 694 000
info@projectaegle.com.mt
Debono Group, Mdina Road, Zebbug
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Sunday, April 29, 2018
More than 20 people dead as two explosions hit Kabul's city centre
Authorities said at least 21 people, including a journalist, were killed and 27 wounded in the rush hour attack
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EU island regions not benefiting enough from European fund for strategic investment – Alfred Sant
The European Investment Bank (EIB) data shows that island regions are not managing to benefit from the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), PL MEP Alfred Sant has said.
"Currently, both Malta and Cyprus feature at the bottom of the list for expected investments mobilised per million euros of GDP under EFSI, former he said when he addressed the Islands Commission Conference - "How can the post 2020 Cohesion Policy meet EU Islands challenges?" at the European Parliament.
"The main problem here, is that such funds are not structured with island economies in mind. They do not take into account that these economies often lack the needed good economic endowments, a large population, and proximity to other regions."
Dr Sant said EU Competition rules in the context of state aid in islands should be structured much more differently, much more clearly.
"We need to continue the pressure to downscale the way that competition policy gets applied to island and peripheral regions, in this case, also in the context of state aid in the form of Cohesion funding. Island by island, region by region, there should be a full and clear exemption from competition rules as they apply to state subsidy and support. There is no way by which such exemptions can affect in any manner, the operations of the European single market."
The Maltese MEP proposed the setting up of a suitable EU special fund for EU regions with "special" geographical conditions or "handicaps".
"The current tools that have been designed for the single market approach have tried to solve or adapt to higher developed regions themselves. These are tools that need to be adapted to the needs of island regions. We need to make these funding tools the most effective. From a horizontal view of European funding, it is very important that new funds (such as the Defence Fund), or new competition-based methods of funding, such as the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), do not undermine the strategic long-term perspective of Cohesion Policy."
"We should present the case of EU islands within a future Cohesion Policy with focused demands regarding the tools that we should put forward. We need to now prioritise on the long battle of insular regions to have geographical characteristics taken into account when calculating the development level of EU regions.We need to make the case for the insular and peripheral nature of regions to be taken into account as indicators additional to the per capita GDP in order to achieve socio-economic cohesion across all EU regions."
Sant argued that island and peripheral regions must also strongly advance the case for regional development.
"Shifting available funds towards a levered financial profile, on the grounds that this would mobilise greater volumes of money will be counterproductive for those at the periphery of Europe. Grants must continue as a centrepiece to compensate for the disadvantages that they need to overcome, especially in the context of an economic and monetary union."
The Conference was organised in preparation for the ongoing discussions on the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF) post 2020 and the European Commission proposals expected this month. The Conference was attended by MEPs representing EU islands, representatives from different island regions and Corina CRETU, Commissioner for Regional Policy.
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Double Kabul suicide bombings kill 21, including journalists
A coordinated double suicide bombing hit central Kabul on Monday morning, killing 21 people, including an AFP photographer and a cameraman for a local TV station, Afghan officials said.
Also, at least 27 people were wounded, according to Wahid Majroh, the public health ministry's spokesman who gave the latest casualty tolls. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both Taliban and Islamic State group are active and have repeatedly claimed attacks in Kabul.
Agence France-Presse reported that the news agency's chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai, was among those killed. AFP said Marai died in a blast that was targeting a group of journalists who had rushed to the scene of the earlier suicide attack in Kabul.
Sediqullah Tawhidi, an official form the Afghan Journalist Safety Committee, said a cameraman form the local TOLO TV also was killed. Police officer Jan Agha said the journalists died in the second blast, which also wounded two police officers.
The suicide attacks took place in the central Shash Darak area, which is home to the NATO headquarters and a number of embassies in Afghanistan. The second was meant to hit those rushing to the scene of the attack to help the victims of the first blast.
Kabul chief of police Dawood Amin said the area of Kabul that was targeted, which includes many foreign offices, was quickly sealed off. Mohammad Mousa Zahir, director of Wazir Akbarkhan Hospital, said several people suffering injuries from the blasts were being treated at the hospital.
The local Islamic State group affiliate and the more firmly established Taliban carry out regular attacks around the country, with the Taliban usually targeting the government and security forces and IS targeting the Shiite minority. Large-scale attacks by the two militant groups have also hit the Afghan capital. Both groups want to establish strict Islamic rule in Afghanistan.
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British home secretary resigned amid Windrush scandal
MP Amber Rudd resigned, saying she 'inadvertedly midled' the a parliamentary committee by denying the government had targets for the deportation of illegal immigrants
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TMID Editorial: Domestic violence Bill - Riding the wave
When Adrian Delia voted against the Domestic Violence Bill last week, he not only voted against important legislation that brought Malta fully in line with the Istanbul Convention on domestic violence but he also went against his own vote from a few weeks earlier.
Among other things, the bill has doubled the maximum jail term for rape from six to twelve years.
The definition of rape has been broadened to include all types of nonconsensual sexual assault.
The courts have been given the power to kick the perpetrators of domestic violence out of their family home, and to deny them custody of their children in cases of separation and divorce.
The Bill was discussed at length over a number of years, and never before now was there a problem with it.
When Parliament voted on the Bill in its second reading towards the end of January, only one MP - Edwin Vassallo (PN) - had voted against.
Vassallo had taken exception to the wording in part of the bill, where a reference to the unborn child had been removed. He had argued that this could open the door to abortion. The government had strongly denied that this was the case, reiterating several times that it was and would remain against abortion. It had also explained that the unborn child was still protected because the mother was protected - that there could be no domestic violence on the unborn child without there also being violence on the mother.
No free vote was given on that day, and all MPs save for Vassallo voted in favour. Delia had even tweeted the following: "PN in favour of the Domestic violence bill while recognizing Edwin Vassallo's ethical dilemma. #positiveparty #strongopposition"
Yet is seems that something changed between the second and third readings, and it is not difficult to understand what.
A few weeks ago the government announced proposed amendments to the IVF law which, among other things would introduce embryo freezing and surrogacy. These are two controversial procedures that the government had no mandate to introduce, so the Opposition is right in showing concern. The debate became very heated, and a protest held in Valletta last week attracted huge crowds. The subject quickly turned on abortion again.
It seems that the PN leader decided to ride the wave, even if this meant throwing out his statements and reversing his vote.
So Delia gave his MPs a free vote. But he also declared, in no unclear terms, that he was now all out against the law, adding that he would repeal these amendments were he to be elected Prime Minister.
In voting against he has opened the PN up to ridicule and criticism, not only for voting against a law that will help many victims of domestic violence (and for a silly reason at that), but also for backtracking and, in doing so, looking like a populist.
Furthermore, the vote has further exposed the split within the party, with many of Delia's supporters openly attacking the eight MPs who 'defied' their leader's wishes and voted in favour of the government. This small group included former party leader Simon Busuttil, who expressed hi disappointment at the way he was now being labeled as a traitor by those who, up until a few months ago cheered him on at mass meetings.
Delia could have easily voted in favour of the bill, just as he did at the second reading stage, while giving an explanation of vote and voicing his concerns. In failing to do so he has no only antagonised victims of domestic violence but also those who are more liberal within the party and those who did not, and probably still do not support him as leader of the party.
His decision to give a free vote on this subject has been construed by many as a sign of weak leadership.
Over the years, including under the leadership of Eddie Fenech Adami, there were internal disagreements within the party but the leader always had the final say. Some might say that this approach is dictatorial, that it is more suited to the PL, but, politically, it is a wiser move.
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Almost 90% of Air Malta pilots backed industrial action
Almost 90% of Air Malta pilots voted in favour of industrial action on Friday, The Malta Independent has learnt.
On Friday afternoon, Air Malta said the airline pilots' association (ALPA) had instructed its members not to fly the airline's newest aircraft over an issue related to a cabin voice record deletion button. The announcement came just 22 minutes before the Airbus was scheduled to fly to Catania.
Air Malta explained that the new aircraft lacked a button that deleted voice recordings after uneventful flights. It said voice recordings were only accessed in cases of air accident investigations, accusing ALPA of resorting to "disproportionate" action which was also in breach of the recently signed collective agreement.
The airline said the recording deletion function has no relevance to the safety of flights, nor does it in any manner jeopardise the pilots' privacy rights.
Notwithstanding this, Air Malta said it had made arrangements with the aircraft company to install the feature.
Air Malta said on Friday that the initial delays would cost the company some €180,000, including on compensation fees and other charges. It said ALPA's action was also aimed to disrupt the holiday plans of several Maltese and tourists who were travelling with their families on this long weekend.
Later that day the airline went to court and filed a warrant of prohibitory injuction against ALPA.
Air Malta later said that following the court's decision to provisionally uphold the injunction request, ALPA had suspended its action.
Sources yesterday told The Malta Independent that 89% of pilots had voted in favour of the industrial action.
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Police probe Italy, Dutch crime links to Caruana Galizia murder suspects
Europol director's reference to "room for improvement" in "cooperation with other countries" was connected to investigation of organised crime links, between Caruana Galizia murder suspects, in Italy and the Netherlands
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MFSA alerted of risk Pilatus posed to Malta came in May 2016
FIAU's warning on Pilatus Bank in 2016 was copied to deputy chairman and MFSA compliance boss and spelt out breaches of money laundering rules which "exposed Malta jurisdiction to high level of risk" • But serious probe was only launched on the eve of FBI arrests
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Sicilian man who was injured in Mellieha accident a week ago dies in hospital
A Sicilian man who was injured in a road accident in Mellieha last week has died in hospital, the police said.
Carmelo Tornabene, 29, was hurt in an accident that took place on Triq il-Marfa last Sunday. He was being kept at the intensive care unit at Mater Dei Hospital.
The police had said that a 36-year-old Englishman had lost control of his car, which veered onto the opposing lane, hitting the Sicilian man's car.
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FA Trophy: Ten-man Valletta keep on course for double with Piciollo late winner
VALLETTA 2
BALZAN FC 1
Valletta: H. Bonello, S. Borg, R. Camilleri, S. Malano, M. Piciollo, K. Nwoko (J. Borg), E. Beltre', J. Zerafa, R. Saleh, R. Muscat (J. Cruz), M. Alba (D. Dos Santos)
Balzan FC: S. Mintoff, S. Bezzina, A. Effiong, I. Bozovic (J. Grioli), E. Serrano, B. Kaljevic, M. Lepovic (S. Arab), P. Fenech, M. Johnson, C. Mendes (R. Fenech), A. Alves
Referee: C. Pisani
Asst.refs: A. Camilleri, L. Portelli
Additional asst.refs: S. Pace, I. Barbara
4th official: G. Tonna
Scorers: A. Alves 67, D. Dos Santos 80 pen , M. Piciollo 82
Yellow cards: S. Borg, E. Serrano, I. Bozovic, A. Effiong, C. Mendes, J. Zerafa, S. Arab, B. Kaljevic, H. Bonello, M. Johnson
Red cards: S. Borg
Attendance: 2,472
Valletta reached the final of the FA Trophy final after turning the tables on Balzan, putting a remarkable fight back, with ten men in the second half, and overcoming a one-goal deficit, with a penalty from Denni Dos Santos and the winner from Matteo Piciollo.
This was after Valletta had dominated in the first half, but found themselves a man down early after the restart, following Steve Borg's sending off, and a goal down after 67 minutes through Alex Alves.
Balzan, at first struggled to cope with the pace and intensity of their opponents, but, after having survived the poor opening half, they found a path back into the contest after Valletta had themselves pointed the way. They even took the lead and produced an authorative display for almost a half hour until they were downed by two late goals.
Valletta thus keep on course for another memorable season. The last time they played in the Trophy final was in 2014, beating Sliema Wanderers for a double.
The prospect of another spiky collision with coach Paul Zammit and Birkirkara in the domestic season finale will merely add to the sense of occasion.
The magnitude of this FA Trophy second semi final meant Valletta and Balzan have never met with more at stake this season after Balzan had beaten their opponents in the Premier League's first round and the second match between the two ended scoreless.
Valletta, who clinched the league title the previous week, wanted to stay on course for a second honour this season. Balzan, who were disappointingly ousted for the title, relished the chance to end a campaign, consumed by anticlamax, with a flash of silver.
Both teams had rather navigated easy passages to this stage of the competition. Valletta had eliminated Zejtun Corinthians and Balzan Lija Athletic in the quarter finals.
It was never going to be a nerveless occasion and Balzan's attacking side, with Alex Alves, Alfred Effiong, Bojan Kaljevic and Carlos Mendes all involved from the start, tried to seize the initiative by pressing high up the field.
But that might have left them a bit exposed in midfield, with only Milos Lepovic and Paul Fenech providing cover to their four-man defence.
Valletta were emboldened by Balzan's impotence to exert pressure.
They took a stranglehold on the proceedings after the first quarter hour and Balzan's display was gradually cramped by caution.
Valletta should have ended the first half in front as they played with more intensity. Balzan's keeper Sean Mintoff did well to hold out an Alba direct free kick and an Nwoko rising shot.
Beltre's shot was blocked after Piciollo's cross was partially cleared by the Balzan defence.
On 28 minutes, Saleh headed Alba's free kick from the right wide and seven minutes later Blazan survived a scare. Malano's shot was blocked by Serrano. Piciollo picked the loose ball and advanced inside the area to thump his shot against the bar.
It was still goalless at halftime.
But the match took a twist early in the second half. After only three minutes, and after Mendes had already played a one-two with Kaljevic but shot tamely at keeper Bonello, Valletta's defender Steve Borg pulled Mendes and received his marching orders following his second bookable offence of the match.
Valletta coach Doncic replaced Borg with Juan Cruz in the heart of the defence, with Muscat making way.
That moment gave Balzan some encouragement as they suddenly jerked into shape after their first half struggles.
On 53 minutes, Kaljevic headed Alves' cross wide. On the hour, Effiong resisted Camilleri's challenge as he chased a Kaljevic through pass inside the Valletta area but missed the target with his final shot.
Three minutes later Alves played a square pass to the unmarked Lepovic whose central shot took a deflection into a corner. Alves' clever running was putting the Valletta defence in real trouble and on 67 minutes, after the Valletta keeper Bonello failed to hold a long distance low drive from Effiong, Alves picked the chance by shooting in the loose ball from close range.
Balzan's purple patch continued and three minutes later Mendes, one of several key players who ultimately disappointed for Balzan, fluffed a good chance. After beating the Valletta offside trap on an Alves pass, he shot wastefully wide.
On 72 minutes, Mendes claimed a penalty after falling inside the area, but Valletta defender Camilleri made no contact with the player and Mendes was rightly booked for simulation.
The penalty came on the other side though, eight minutes alter. Balzan substitute Ryan Fenech pushed Beltre' inside the area and Valletta's substitute Denni Dos Santos tucked it away to restore equilibrium.
And Valletta flourished to win the tie with Matteo Piciollo's strike two minutes later, beating keeper Mintoff from a tight angle from the right and kill all of Balzan's hopes.
If this victory was never destined to be comfortable, it was in the end convincing.
And as Valletta celebrated their reaching the final, Balzan were left to ponder what went so horribly wrong again this season.
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Seven doctors contract gastroenteritis during Mount Carmel hospital training session
Seven people contracted gastroenteritis at Mount Carmel hospital but none of them are patients, the health ministry said this evening.
The ministry said the contaminated food was consumed during a training session for doctors.
The food was ordered from an outside catering company. The case is being investigated by the Superintendence for Public Health.
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Formula 1, Azerbaijan GP: Hamilton benefits from late Bottas puncture to win ahead of Raikkonen
Lewis Hamilton lit the blue-touch paper on his Formula 1 title defence by snatching a dramatic victory in Sunday's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, cashing in from a dramatic final 15 laps to pick up his first win of the season.
Hamilton was running more than 20 seconds back from race-leader Valtteri Bottas with 15 laps to go, only for a collision between Red Bull teammates Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen to kick-start a dramatic sequence of events that swung the race in the Briton's favour.
Sebastian Vettel appeared to have the race under control for Ferrari, but he could only finish fourth after a late mistake as Sergio Perez took Force India's first podium since 2016, while Valtteri Bottas saw his win hopes evaporate after suffering a puncture with just three laps to go.
Vettel made an excellent start from pole position to retain his lead over Hamilton, with the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas staying put in third. In the second Ferrari, Kimi Raikkonen made a more sluggish start, entering battle with Esteban Ocon. Ocon tried a pass around the outside of the Finn at Turn 3, only for the pair to collide, sending the Force India driver into the wall and out of the race.
Just behind, Sergey Sirotkin's push into the top 10 proved to be short-lived as he was sandwiched between Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso, leaving the Williams driver with damage that forced him to retire and debris on the track, sparking a Safety Car. Alonso did not escape the incident unscathed, with punctures to both his right-side tyres forcing him to crawl back to the pits, eventually returning to his box on two wheels.
With the debris cleared on-track, the race resumed on Lap 6, with Vettel opting to leave it as late as possible before pulling away from Hamilton, who called the move "dangerous" as he slipped almost three seconds behind in the space of a single lap.
The bunching of the field also played into the hands of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Pierre Gasly, who gained positions to rise to P5 and P7 respectively, split by Daniel Ricciardo, who lost a place after being pushed wide by Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen.
Sainz was able to continue his climb by passing Verstappen at the end of Lap 9, with teammate Hulkenberg following his lead by taking a place off Ricciardo before quickly closing on Verstappen, who was struggling with a battery issue. Despite easing past at the end of the straight, Hulkenberg made it around just two more laps before a mistake at Turn 4 saw him hit the wall, bringing his race to an early end.
Despite gaining a place as a result of Hulkenberg's retirement, the two Red Bulls continued to dice for position, with Verstappen refusing to give up his place without a fight. A lock-up at Turn 1 nearly caused him to push Ricciardo into the wall as they touched wheels, albeit without sustaining any damage. Both were able to pass Sainz as he hit the cliff with his Ultrasoft tyres, forcing the Spaniard to come into the pits at the end of Lap 16
The race soon settled down with Vettel pushing ahead at the front, enjoying a lead of around four seconds over Hamilton approaching the first round of pit stops. However, this more than doubled on Lap 22 when the Mercedes driver ran wide at Turn 1 and complained his tyres were "fricking done", prompting the team to draft him into the pits for a switch to the Soft compound.
Ferrari kept Vettel out as he continued to find time on the Supersoft tyre, all while Hamilton dropped further back and towards the clutches on the oncoming Red Bulls. Verstappen soon became more occupied keeping his teammate behind, pulling some staunch defensive moves to stay ahead and cling on to fourth place despite appearing to be running slower.
At the sharp-end of the field, Vettel blinked first at the end of Lap 30, coming in for a set of fresh Soft tyres before emerging back on-track in clear air, eight seconds ahead of Hamilton with Bottas now leading the way.
With Hamilton's hopes of victory over, Mercedes looked to put Bottas onto an alternate strategy in case of a late Safety Car with a set of Ultrasoft tyres. The Finn showed few signs of slowing down on his Supersofts, though, eking the gap to Vettel open.
The tester for Mercedes to make the switch would come courtesy of Red Bull. After finally taking P4 off Verstappen with a late braking move at Turn 1 a few laps earlier, Ricciardo came in for Ultrasofts at the end of Lap 37. Verstappen followed suit one lap later, reclaiming fourth place after a slow outlap from Ricciardo.
After being given the call to push and recover the position, Ricciardo got a tow heading down the main straight and began to close. Verstappen shut off the inside with a late move, leading Ricciardo to plough into the rear of his car. Both cars came to rest in the run-off area, with a weekend that started with promise ending in embarrassing fashion for Red Bull.
The resulting Safety Car played into Mercedes' hands, having opted to keep Bottas out for as long as possible. The Finn came in for a fresh set of Ultrasofts, and crucially kept his lead when Vettel followed suit, with Ferrari fearing he would not be able to hold back the Mercedes driver on his Softs that had been on the car since Lap 30.
The majority of the field followed suit by pitting before getting ready for the restart, only for the green flag to be delayed when Romain Grosjean crashed out while weaving behind the Safety Car in sixth place. His car was eventually cleared to allow the race to resume with just four racing laps remaining.
Bottas made a perfect restart to pull clear of Vettel, with Hamilton and Raikkonen lurking behind the drivers' championship leader. In a vain attempt to try and reclaim the lead, Vettel made a divebomb attempt down the inside of Bottas, locking up and running wide before slipping back to fourth place in the process.
Just as Bottas looked to be closing in on victory, disaster struck for the Finn as his rear-right tyre blew at the end of the main straight, causing him to slow. Unable to get his car home, he had to resign himself to a late DNF, handing the lead to Hamilton.
Hamilton was able to sit around two seconds clear of Kimi Raikkonen all the way to the flag, snatching an unlikely victory for Mercedes to put himself into the lead of the drivers' championship by four points.
Raikkonen held on for second ahead of Sergio Perez, who took Force India's first podium for nearly two years after passing Vettel late on. Perez had been hit with a time penalty for passing before the Safety Car line earlier in the race, but having taken this at his second pit stop was able to hold on for a big result.
Carlos Sainz Jr. recorded his best finish of the season so far in fifth ahead of Sauber's Charles Leclerc, who nailed his strategy and benefitted from the drama ahead to pick up his first points in F1 with P6.
Fernando Alonso finished seventh for McLaren ahead of Lance Stroll, who scored Williams' first points of the season in eighth. Stoffel Vandoorne wound up ninth ahead of Brendon Hartley, who also took his maiden F1 score in P10.
Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Full race classification
1. Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport 51 laps
2. Kimi Raikkonen FIN Scuderia Ferrari3. Sergio Perez MEX Sahara Force India F1 Team
4. Sebastian Vettel GER Scuderia Ferrari
5. Carlos Sainz Jr. ESP Renault Sport Formula One Team
6. Charles Leclerc MON Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team
7. Fernando Alonso ESP McLaren F1 Team
8. Stoffel Vandoorne BEL McLaren F1 Team
9. Lance Stroll CAN Williams Martini Racing
10. Brendon Hartley NZL Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda
11. Marcus Ericsson SWE Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team
12. Pierre Gasly FRA Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda
13. Kevin Magnussen DEN Haas F1 Team
Did not finish
Valtteri Bottas FIN Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport
Romain Grosjean FRA Haas F1 Team
Max Verstappen NED Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
Daniel Ricciardo AUS Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
Nico Hulkenberg GER Renault Sport Formula One Team
Esteban Ocon FRA Sahara Force India F1 Team
Sergey Sirotkin RUS Williams Martini Racing
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Protesters gather in Valletta calling for 'justice and truth'
Protest connected to The Daphne Project revelations on going in front of the Auberge de Castille
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North Korean nuclear test site 'to be closed down by May'
News comes from the South Korean President's office following the Korean summit held last week
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‘We are the force of change’ - Muscat says discriminatory IVF law must be modernised
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told supporters that the Labour Party was the only force of change in the country, in a rousing speech in which he reiterated his government's commitment to enact the reforms needed to modernise IVF law, while also lambasting PN Leader Adrian Delia's "lack of conscience" in voting against the domestic and gender-based violence bill.
Addressing supporters at the Annual General Conference held at the Labour Party headquarters, Muscat spoke of the determination, strength, and drive to achieve substantial change and the forces that fear and do not understand it.
Saying that history had been written by those who enacted change, he said that while governments may usually speak about the importance of continuity, his government would continue being a conductor for change and progress; while the PN was in a crisis of identity because it had become a party without any principles.
"The only positions they have are those against change, for everything to remain the same," he said.
Referring to the general strike of 28 April 1958 and the interdiction of the 1960s, he said that the labour party and its supporters have always been courageous in combatting the oppression of their rights with the goal of seeking change, against the conservative forces continuously seeking to maintain the status quo.
Muscat also stressed the principles of social mobility, social justice, and equality, which he said had been an intrinsic party of the Labour movement's model and the key to its success.
"The movement started long before me and will end a long time after," he said to widespread applause.
Speaking of a paradigm shift in how the Maltese economy works, Muscat said that his government ensured that it communicated, listened, and worked with all stakeholders to achieve an economic surplus while also consistently reducing the national debt and unemployment.
"Instead of people looking for work, we are in a situation where employers are seeking workers," he said.
Muscat also said that following the introduction of Vote 16, it is only the Labour Party who can achieve the push for change, equality, and a better environment, which defines the younger generation.
'What kind of conscience can you have to vote against victims of domestic and gender-based violence?'
Muscat lambasted PN Leader Adrian Delia over his decision to grant a free-vote and vote against the domestic and gender-based violence bill, along with 19 other of MPs, questioning how Delia could have the "conscience to vote against victims of domestic violence", explaining the bill increases penalties for those who commit domestic or gender-based violence, grant victims greater protection and care, and increases the rights of police officers to better protect victims.
He also pointed out a lack of consistency with the PN's position, after all their MPs, excluding Edwin Vassallo, had voted in favour of the bill after its second reading,
Describing the PN as a party "in a thousand pieces" after 8 PN MPs, including former leader Simon Busuttil, voted with the government on the legislation, Muscat said that there was no justification for voting against the bill.
"Within the PN there is a conflict of ideas and is divided due to their conservative influence. We are the ones working for change, we are the party of the future," he said.
'We must have empathy for thousands of couples who suffer with infertility'
Referring to a silent minority, Muscat sought empathy for the "thousands of couples who struggle with infertility" who wish to start a family.
Describing the legislation as "antiquated and discriminatory" Muscat said that under the current system "couples have to pay thousands to travel abroad and get better treatment, and for many, it is simply not possible."
"Our electoral manifesto was clear. We said that we would be modernising the IVF law, anyone who says anything different does not know the reality."
He assured that following the second reading of the bill, there will be a long discussion in the committee stage which involve significant consultation on the subject, including surrogacy.
"I want to make certain that women will not be commercialised, and surrogacy will be available to genuine altruistic cases."
Muscat stressed the needed to move for the mixing of politics and religion, referencing the interdiction by saying that "we and our families have suffered enough from this in the past" and that "we did not want to open that chapter once again."
He reiterated that he respected the church's position on the subject and it was their right to express it, stressing the importance of dialogue in political discourse.
"We have to respect them and discuss the issues, even if we do not agree, it is the core of democracy. However, as the state, we are responsible for every single person and need to see how best we help and address their needs."
Referencing Fr Peter Serracino Inglott, Muscat said that prior to tabling the bill, there was a long period of reflection and consultation, and explained that the freezing of embryos actually double the chances of successful fertilisation, and actually increased the chances for life.
Muscat went on to say that current legislation as also unconstitutional given that it was discriminatory to individuals based upon their sexual orientation.
Photos: Jonathan Bugeja
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Delia: ‘We must not let this government marketing machine trick us'
Opposition leader reiterates call for long-term investment in the future, claims government's vision is short-sighted and driven by personal gain
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Prime Minister emphasises government drive for change, importance of IVF law change
Annual General Meeting sees Joseph Muscat go through Labour administration's achievements and highlighting the importance of change
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Company linked to Keith Schembri providing equipment to Electrogas
Berner, co-owned by Schembri, reportedly made over €40,000 from supplying equipment to Electrogas power station project
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Confusion over ARMS eco-reduction workings while more consumers miss out
As if ARMS cutting up electricity quotas per day was not bad enough, consumers have now come to the realisation that their eco-reduction electricity concession is also being rationed, making it that much more difficult to be eligible for the benefit.
Following a series of stories about the billing system, readers sent in correspondence with ARMS, even roping in the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) and the Regulator for Energy and Water Services (REWS).
The eco-reduction concession is a form of 'discount' awarded to consumers who stay below a specific amount of electricity consumption, acting as an incentive to be mindful of waste. The eco-reduction was introduced under previous Nationalist Party (PN) administrations and retained by Joseph Muscat's 2013 Labour government.
Eligibility for the eco-reduction can be attained by not exceeding 1,750 units per person per year, in the case of households with more than one person registered to be living there. A proportion of 25 per cent is discounted on the first 1,000 units consumed and a further 15 per cent on the remaining 750 units consumed. For households with one registered person, the threshold is 2,000 units per year.
If that seems deceptively simple to understand, it's because it is. The official definition that has been provided by ARMS to consumers who have inquired, as well as the definition found on the Enemalta website, reads:
"A Residential Premises Service, which is provided to the primary residence of an individual, shall be eligible for an Eco Reduction of the amount due for consumption of electricity for the billing period in question, which shall be calculated in accordance with the following rates and thresholds, on a pro rata basis of the relative annual cumulative consumption. The reduction will not be applicable if the indicated thresholds are exceeded:
"Two or more person households
"Subject that consumption does not exceed 1,750 units per person per year, the following discounts will apply: (1) 25% on the first 1,000 units; (2) 15% on the remaining 750 units or part thereof."
Some consumers contend that this definition is open to interpretation as to whether the eco-reduction is calculated on annual cumulative consumption, or whether it is to be calculated pro rata for the billing period in question. The inclusion of the seemingly conflicting provisions within the same definition has caused confusion for many who believed that they would be receiving an eco-contribution but, on receiving the bill, find they have not.
Quota rationing
The issue lies in the way the eco-reduction is being calculated, where it is essentially being rationed per day. In order to remain eligible, you would need to work out your daily consumption. Going over the daily quota just once in a two-month billing period results in losing the eco-reduction for the entire billing period.
When one particular consumer wrote to ARMS to ask about why he has not received his eco-reduction, as he is accustomed to benefitting from it due to his family's energy efficient home, this is the reply he received:
"Below please find how the eco reduction is calculated: 1750 units are entitled per person per year if more than one person is registered on the account.
"1750 multiplied by the number of persons (4) = 7000 divided by 365 days = 19.17 (units that can be used per day) multiplied by the amount of days of the bill (61 days) = 1169.86.
"This amount was not to be exceeded during the 61 days in order to benefit from the eco reduction."
His family had consumed 1,441 units of electricity in the billing period in question, and therefore he did not qualify for the eco-reduction. His reply does however confirm that ARMS calculates the eco-reduction by working out the quota per day.
Conflicting Information
From the explanations provided on the ARMS website, this consumer - and many more - believed that, in addition to seeing the total consumed in the billing period in question, ARMS would also look at how much that household consumes on average annually. In this case, the consumer highlighted the fact that the billing period had come at a time of the year of high consumption.
In the 'Frequently Asked Questions' page of the ARMS website it is equally confusing, with no mention of billing periods or daily quotas to be found anywhere:
"Your eco-reduction is calculated on the number of registered consumers on your account. If your electricity account has one registered consumer and you consume less than 2000 electricity units during the whole year, a reduction of 25% on the electricity bill will apply. For residences with more than one person registered on the account, and where consumption is less than 1,750 units per person, a reduction of 25% per person will apply on the first 1,000 units and a further 15% per person will apply on the remaining 750 units."
When the consumer wrote to the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA), it replied saying that this issue was not in its remit, directing him to the Regulator for Energy and Water Services (WERS). WERS informed him that the way ARMS calculates the eco-reduction is in line with the law, citing a legal provision to support this claim. When the consumer asked if he could begin receiving bills every six months, so that at the very least he could smooth out his consumption which helps keep ARMS electricity bills lower, he was presented with a legal notice stating that ARMS can bill for any period of days it may determine.
Authorities silent when asked for comment about ARMS rationing
The issue surrounding the eco-reduction calculations are the same in principle as the way ARMS calculates electricity consumption as a whole. It chops up the various electricity quotas, which are charged at different rates per day. A bill covering a high consumption is likely to result in customers moving up to more expensive electricity because the cheap electricity ration is consumed quickly and what is left are more expensive units of electricity. Either a reconciliation exercise together with a rebate, or less frequent bills, would resolve this issue.
For over a week, this newsroom has written to Parliamentary Secretary Deo Debattista for comment on the matter. Despite daily reminders, no replies have been forthcoming.
The same can be said for the MCCAA which, according to correspondence with various consumers such as the reply referred to above, shows that it does not believe the issue is within its remit.
Energy Minister Joe Mizzi was away on business when questions were sent to his office, but the Ministry replied promptly, saying that on his return he will be fully briefed on the matter in order that he can respond more comprehensively.
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