Construction worker dies after falling three storeys

Jul 22 2022

Police were informed this morning at around 0900hrs that their assistance was needed at a construction site in Ħandaq, Ħal-Qormi.

Police convened immediately on site and found that a 52-year-old Georgian man resident of St Paul’s Bay had gotten seriously injured after falling three storeys from a building he was working in.

Civil protection officers were called onto the site, with an ambulance transporting the victim to Mater Dei Hospital. Unfortunately, he was certified dead a few moments later.

An inquiry has been opened as police investigations continue.

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Child abuse reports doubled in the past two years in Malta

Jul 22 2022

New data shows that in the past two yeas, reports of child abuse as well as the amount of applications for care orders doubled.

The concerned authorities are attributing this phenomenon to the fact that professionals who work with children now have the legal obligation, set in motion two years ago, to report abuse on minors.

The reports can take place even if the professionals simply have the suspicion of there being a case of abuse on minors. The number reached up to 4,162 cases, with 57% of them being solved cases.

The Directorate for Child Protection Services, along with the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, is offering a number of protective measures to victims through a new law which was approved two years ago. Among these new initiatives is the opening of a new home for children wherein they can stay as they undergo legal procedures safely without the threat of experiencing more trauma.

Steve Libreri, from the Directorate, said that this law gave a voice to children as it gave professionals the duty to talk to children whilst giving the ability to the Directorate to protect said children.

Minister for Social Policy and Children’s Rights Michael Falzon said that, through this new law, we can now look at how we protect children in a brand new light. He explained how the latest measure to be taken in the process of child protection was the application of a care order.

The number of care orders doubled over these past two years, as it increased from 12 applications in 2020 to 36 in 2021. The year 2022 already registered 36 applications.

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Millie Bobby Brown to make history as highest paid actor under 20

Jul 22 2022

Netflix is reported as being set to pay Stranger Things and Enola Holmes star Millie Bobby Brown a staggering figure just to reprise her latter role.

The 18-year-old actor was thrust into the spotlight by the hit series Stranger Things, and then went on to portray the role of detective Sherlock Holmes’ sister in 2020.

Despite already being paid a significant amount for her role as Eleven, the teenager’s pay check for the Enola Holmes sequel is set to make history. Brown is reported to receive $10 million for the second instalment.

If she is in fact paid that amount, Brown will have been paid the highest upfront salary any actor under the age of 20 has ever been given.

Fans of the actress commended the pay, saying that the actress definitely deserves it for her breadth of work and her capabilities as an actress.

Netflix confirmed a sequel to the 2020 film earlier in May, announcing on Twitter that Millie Bobby Brown and Henry Cavill will be returning for their roles. For the first movie she earned a whopping $6.1 million.

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Snap election for Italy as PM Mario Draghi resigns

Jul 22 2022

Italian President Sergio Mattarella dissolved parliament on Thursday and effectively triggered a snap election following the resignation of Prime Minister Mario Draghi earlier on the same day.

The national election will be taking place on the 25th of September, with Mattarella describing the developments as inevitable. In a short address from his Quirinale Palace residence in Rome, the president thanked Draghi and his ministers for their efforts over the past 18 months.

“The political situation that has been determined has led to this decision,” he added. “The discussion, the vote, and the manner in which this vote was cast yesterday in the Senate made clear the loss of parliamentary support for the government and the absence of prospects for forming a new majority. This situation made the early dissolution of the chambers inevitable.”

The resignation by Draghi comes after several key parties in his coalition boycotted a confidence vote in the government Wednesday night. Draghi’s resignation came despite his popularity among many, both within Italy and outside, as many world leaders see him as an important voice in standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mattarella continued on to say that the period Italy will be going through does not allow for pauses in the interventions that are indispensable to counteract the effects of the economic and social crisis. In particular, the rise of inflation has caused much turmoil across the globe.

Draghi, a prominent economist unaffiliated with any political party, became prime minister in February 2021, leading a cabinet of ministers from across the country’s vast political spectrum.

The fifth prime minister to lead the country in just eight years, he won the moniker of ‘Super Mario’ after saving the euro during Europe’s sovereign debt crisis.

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