An investment of €1.2 million for a more sustainable Carnival

Jan 30 2023

Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici announced that the Maltese Carnival (il-Karnival ta’ Malta) will benefit from an investment of EUR 1.2 million worth of modern tractors and trailers that will raise the quality and standards of the Maltese Carnival.

In the upcoming edition of Carnival in February, Festivals Malta will use 20 new tractors equipped with modern technology. These will be used by the Carnival participants to transport their trailers from their warehouses to Valletta, as well as during Carnival celebrations to navigate their floats around the streets of Valletta, in the safest possible way. This investment also includes 20 new trailers that will be used as of next year’s edition of the festival.

Minister Bonnici stated that through this initiative, the Government will continue to reach its goals for more sustainable festivals that reduce the negative impact on the environment. He explained that carnival enthusiasts dedicate a lot of their personal time for this important event, for whom it is not merely a tradition or a pastime, but constitutes a significant part of their lives and therefore these 20 trailers and 20 tractors they will certainly make a marked difference for the better.

Minister Bonnici thanked the many volunteers for their dedication and time in the preparations for this event, which brings together a number of different talents and skills.

The Festivals Malta Chairman Aaron Zahra stressed that this investment is just one of the steps that Festivals Malta will be taking to not only raise the level of Carnival in Malta but also to considerably reduce the impact the festival has on the environment. Mr Zahra said: “These tractors are equipped with various features of the highest level in terms of safety, and are therefore safer to work with. So apart from reducing pollution, this investment will help safeguard the health and safety of the Carnival participants. Furthermore, the numerous members of the public who attend our activities, Carnival in particular, can put their mind at ease that they are in a safe place that can be enjoyed together with their family, as for us, health and safety are a priority in all the events we organise.”

The Festivals Malta CEO, Annabelle Stivala explaiend that these tractors represent a change for Malta Carnival. “Where in past years we had to use less adequate machinery as a means of transport for the Carnival floats, now we can facilitate our participants’ work while reducing the environmental impact. Thanks to these tractors Festivals Malta will be reducing its carbon footprint and harmful emissions by a considerable amount,” she said.

Ms Stvala stressed that apart from those considerations, through the use of the new vehicles, noise pollution caused by normal tractors, which can interfere with the lively atmosphere of Carnival, will be diminished.”

Apart from the investment in these vehicles, Festivals Malta will be allocating a number of containers scattered along the streets of Valletta, in which organic waste, plastic, and tins will be collected and separated. In this way, Festivals Malta will be serve as a platform for change for more sustainable festivals.

Il-Karnival ta’ Malta will take place between the 17 and 21 of February. For tickets and more information visit

Pelin Kaya was identified by her boyfriend on the night of the murder, court reveals

Jan 30 2023

Ahead of the compilation of evidence in the case of Pelin Kaya’s murder on January 18, it has been revealed that the victim was identified by her boyfriend, who arrived in Malta hours before the incident to meet her on her birthday.

The Times of Malta reported that Pelin was walking to meet her boyfriend and, as he was walking to meet her, he was met by police and first responders.

Upon telling them that he was there to meet his girlfriend, he rang her mobile phone, which was found in the spot where the incident happened.

The Times of Malta also reported that the accused attacked multiple individuals on the night of the murder and even told his ex-girlfriend that he was a ‘psychopath’, a ‘proud criminal’ and that she would hear about him on the news. The message was then deleted by Camilleri but retrieved by the investigators.

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‘I want to be famous’, Camilleri tells police after Pelin Kaya murder

Jan 30 2023

Appearing in court today, the man behind the killing of Pelin Kaya, it was revealed by Inspector Kurt Zahra revealed that Camilleri wanted to appear on TV due to him committing the atrocity.

Footage showed that Camilleri left his Lija home 8 to 10 minutes before the incident.

It was revealed that that night Camilleri had argued with his ex-girlfriend. He wanted to meet her and she didn’t want to. He sent a voice recording which he then deleted close to midnight, but police managed to retrieve it.

In the message he said that he was a proud criminal and a psychopath and that the next morning she would hear about him on the news.

It was also revealed that Camilleri insulted the victim by saying things like ‘f**k you’ as he threw stones at her, which was confirmed from eye witnesses and footage.

He reportedly told police that he was proud because he killed a person and threatened to find the police after it was all over.

When at the hospital emergency room, he made specific statements which Zahra found to be concerning. He reportedly told doctors that he wanted to hurt someone. ‘What’s the worst thing that ever happened in Malta’ he reportedly asked.

This is an ongoing case.

First Wednesday Addams actress Lisa Loring dies aged 64

Jan 30 2023

Lisa Loring, the actor who played Wednesday Addams in the original series of The Addams Family, passed away on January 28th at the age of 64.

Her close friend, Laure Jacobson, announced the news of her passing on Facebook, saying that she had suffered a massive stroke brought on by smoking and high blood pressure and had been on life support for three days before her family made the difficult decision to remove it.

Loring’s daughter, Vanessa Foumberg, later confirmed her mother’s passing, saying that she passed peacefully with both her daughters holding her hands.

Loring was the first to play the titular role of Wednesday Addams in the 1960s live-action adaptation of the beloved cartoon series by New Yorker cartoonist Charles Addams.

Wednesday was known for her gothic dress, iconic dance moves, and love of collecting creepy pets like Lucifer the lizard and a black widow spider named Homer.

Despite appearing in only 64 episodes, Loring’s interpretation of Wednesday has had a lasting impact. She said in 2017 that the series was like a real family and that she couldn’t have picked a better cast and crew.

Her portrayal of Wednesday went on to influence the hit 1991 film and, more recently, Jenna Ortega’s Netflix version of the character. Although audiences may be more familiar with Ortega and Christina Ricci, it was Loring who first brought Wednesday Addams to life.

#MaltaDaily