13-year-old boy jumps between balconies as house is robbed

May 9 2022

On the 22nd of July 2019, three men broke and entered a house in Triq is-Sajf in San Pawl il-Bahar armed with a knife. Living in the house were a 13-year-old boy and his father, with the former allegedly having jumped between balconies into the house of the neighbour to escape.

One of the men, a 43-year-old Libyan named Salah Sharif, was a former drug addict who was placed on probation following the case. However, his two companions with whom he broke into the house escaped from the site before they could be arrested.

Sharif was accused of having slightly injured the father, of having attempted to rob the apartment, stealing the father’s mobile phone and of holding the father and son hostage while threatening them.

According to evidence provided to Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, the police found the boy crying in the balcony alongside their woman neighbour. Entering the household, the father and the assailant were found, with the former claiming that he had went to the man’s house because he was his dealer as well as having owed him money.

The court ruled that from the evidence provided, the accused had entered by force into the apartment. However, it was not proven that he had a weapon. It also resulted that the victim used to traffic drugs and that this practice could have created enemies.

Seeing that the accused was free of drug addiction, the court placed him on probation for a year.

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WATCH: How Jubilee went from Gozo café to one of the most recognisable brands in Malta

May 9 2022

Very few companies have mange to glide from decade to decade whilst maintaining the same cross-generational respect that Jubilee Group does, but such a feat doesn’t come without its struggles. In our latest episode of MFiles, we met with Managing Director of Jubilee Group Anthony Scicluna, who gave us some insight on the birth, growth and longevity of Jubilee Group since its inception in 1998.

The history

The youngest of 4 siblings, Scicluna recalled growing up in a family-centric environment where he had a close relationship with his brothers and now-partners, Mario and Alex. One day, the eldest brother Alex approached his two brothers with a proposition for a restaurant and whilst it was never their intention to get into catering, they dove headfirst into the idea and after opening their first Cafe Jubilee outlet in Marsalforn, they didn’t have time for anything else.

Following their initial business venture at the Otters waterpolo pitch in Gozo, which would operate for four months per year due to direct exposure to the elements, the Scicluna brothers started looking into another Gozo outlet which could operate year-round – eventually opening the very first Cafe Jubilee in Rabat in December 1998.

The concept

With the original Rabat location being named ‘Silver Jubilee’, inherited from the British colony, the word itself ‘Jubilee’ was being mentioned frequently across various media outlets, so the brothers thought it would be a trendy, contemporary choice for their brand new cafe. Fast forward to 2022 and the name is still as iconic as ever and a household name.

Scicluna revealed that the cafe’s aesthetic concept stemmed from a desire to deflect from the (at the time) overused ‘farmhouse effect’ look, which led them to create something different. Plastered walls, British pub-style columns, French cafe-like frames and other decorative twists have contributed to Cafe Jubilee’s now-iconic look. The aesthetic, paired with the cafe’s aim to welcome all casual patrons for coffee and snacks, made Jubilee the success it was.

Jubilee in Malta

Following its Rabat opening in 1998, Scicluna recalled that Cafe Jubilee would welcome waves of Maltese patrons, who would take one-night trips to Gozo in the weekend to socialise and watch live bands. Such success in Gozo led the brothers to explore the possibility of opening an outlet in Malta, which led to the opening of another Cafe Jubilee in Valletta in the year 2000.

Scicluna stated that people would call him crazy for wanting to open a Valletta outlet and nowadays, not only did they open the outlet and perform well, but the shop has not closed for a single day in its existence.

This same drive led the brothers to strengthen the concept and after a opening the Gzira outlet and rebranding in 2005, Jubilee Group opened its first Cafe Jubilee in Budapest in 2010 – an opportunity which Scicluna called a great experience and a learning curve which offered a lot of information and personal growth.

The Expansion

From taking over the Otters’ pitch to opening the first Cafe Jubilee in Malta, Jubilee Group explored other business opportunities, leading to the occupation of the Hotel Calypso’s ground floor outlets. This allowed the entrepreneurs to launch of the Murella Pizzeria & Restaurant as well as the very familiar Candy Cafe, all of which considered different target markets.

With the group’s success on a high, the Jubilee Foods brand came as a by-product of the cafe. The Goat’s Cheese Ravioli and iconic Cheese and Pea Cakes became so synonymous with the brand that the group took a decision to create a manufacturing plant in Gozo to ship Jubilee’s products to the Jubilee outlets and other establishments and supermarkets.

The Next Step

In a long-standing attempt to avoid the ‘comfort zone’, Jubilee Group decided to open Murella Living, a 24-room B&B in Marsalforn, which also proved to be successful. Such an expansion solidified the Jubilee Group brand as a multi-faceted brand with different targets in catering and hospitality. Such a need to rethink, adapt and move forward allowed Jubilee Group to transform the Gzira Cafe Jubilee outlet into Ayu, a trendy fusion outlet which appeals to Gzira’s cosmopolitan state nowadays.

Today, Jubilee Group has 10 successful brands and the only thing Scicluna could say to address such development is ‘thank you’. Together with his brothers and business partners, Scicluna thanked Jubilee Group’s long-standing customers and highlighted the importance of perceiving negative comments constructively. He revealed that, rather than further growth and expansion, the next step for the Jubilee brand is-self reflection and consolidation.

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Minister Owen Bonnici announces ‘Ghaxaq Music Events’

May 9 2022

Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici announced the launch of ‘Ghaxaq Music Events’ after two years of a lack of such projects.

The Minister thanked Hal Ghaxaq’s Ghaqda Muzikali San Guzepp, in collaboration with the Malta Arts Council and Festivals Malta, for making such a project a reality.

All the proceedings will be going towards DAR Bjorn, which helps people suffering with neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. The festival will be seeing the likes of local stars Ivan Grech and Ira Losco performing to a public ready to welcome events back to the island after two years of hiatus.

Speaking to MaltaDaily, Minister Owen Bonnici said that the government strongly supports such projects as they give space for local talent to show what is capable of. They also give room for more critical mass to take place and thus move the industry forward.

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Birkirkara breaks national record with cross-shaped ‘fjakkolata’

May 9 2022

On the 2nd of May 2022, Birkirkara’s Santa Liena Fireworks Organisation broke a national record by creating a ‘fjakkolata’ (a series of coloured flames) in the form of a massive cross. There were over 260 flames making up the Christian symbol, lighting up all at once through a pyrotechnic system.

Spectators were offered a unique light show in St Helen Square as the locality celebrates the feast in the early days of the month.

The organisation thanked the Birkirkara local council for its collaboration and to all those who contributed as, through the hard work and innovation, the record can be documented in the Malta Records. Images uploaded by the local council’s Facebook page show us exactly how much work went into the project. Well done to all involved!

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