Fortune teller jailed for gambling €200,000 while on social benefits

Mar 7 2023

A woman, who gambled over €200,000 while living off of social benefits and failed to declare her fortune telling earnings, had a suspended sentence and fine changed to imprisonment.

The name of the woman was banned from publication, with criminal investigations beginning after police received confidential information back in 2020 about her gambling at local casinos.

Times of Malta revealed that the woman was spending large sums of money – far more than she declared for tax purposes.

A criminal proceeding had began against her earlier on after she was fired from her job in 2008 for allegedly stealing cheques at the workplace.

A year later she registered as ‘sole trader’ with the VAT department and set up business as a fortune teller whilst living in government housing and applying for social benefits.

It was reported how she received a total of €35,123.30 in 2008, 2009, 2012, and from 2014 to 2021 when she stated she had no job due to a medical condition. Police investigations however showed that she gambled around €203,604 between 2009 and 2020.

In 2022 she was declared guilty and was handed a 2 year jail term suspended for 4 years and a fine of €28,000. Apart from being ordered to pay €1053.98 in court expert expenses, the attorney general appealed the decision and thus saw an increase in punishment.

The attorney general argued that the accused admitted to money laundering, fraud and misappropriation after prosecution ended the evidence stage. The accused was sentenced to a 2 year jail term, with court adding one and a half year for separate charges.

#MaltaDaily

Family claims baby’s leg had to be amputated due to Maltese doctors’ mistake

Mar 7 2023

As reported by Australian news platform 7News.com.au, a 10 month-old baby boy’s leg had to be partially amputated below the knee following a mistake by a Maltese medical team.

Zayn Seguna, born to a Melbourne based family, was taken to Mater Dei Hospital to be treated for bronchiolitis, aged seven months, last year.

His mother Joanne claimed that doctors informed her that they had damaged an artery while inserting a central line during treatment, restricting blood flow and quickly resulting in extensive muscle and tissue damage.

7News was informed by Joanne that he was given a blood thinner after the line was pilled out. Zayn remained in hospital for more days but his condition did not improve.

This led to the family being flown out of the country via air ambulance for emergency surgery, with Zayn undergoing surgery at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

The family, now back home in Australia, have written a complaint letter to Mater Dei Hospital claiming negligence on behalf of the doctors who failed to report to Zayn’s parents the need to send the baby to another hospital with urgency to address the artery damage.

Meanwhile, a fundraiser has raised more than $90,000 to help the Seguna family with the recovery. Joanne revealed that despite having lost his leg, Zayn has made great progress.

#MaltaDaily

Puttinu’s Good Friday walk is back for the 18th edition

Mar 7 2023

The 18th edition of the Good Friday Walk by Puttinu Cares will take place on the night between Thursday 6th April and Good Friday 7th of April 2023, with the beginning time being midnight.

Participants will be kicking off the marathon from Pjazza tas-Santwarju in Mellieħa and will pass through Xemxija, St Paul’s Bay and continue all the way to Furjana at the Fosos.

The distance is set to be around 17 kilometres and will take approximately 4 to 5 hours to finish. A €10 donation will be collected from the beginning site.

Free transport will be offered before the marathon begins at 1030pm from Furjana and back after the walk. Participants who wish to make use of this service are urged to book ahead of time.

#MaltaDaily

Today’s kids will probably reach age 100

Mar 7 2023

According to demographers, kids who are aged 5 today will have a much better chance of becoming centenarians.

It is very likely that the norm for newborns in wealthier nations such as Europe or the USA will be reaching age 100 by the year 2050. This changes how we typically view a normal life – youth, middle age and retirement/old-age.

The world population hit the 8 billion mark last November, but according to National Geographic, the growth rate is slowing with numbers expected to peak by the mid-point of the century.

In essence, a less populated world inhabited by older people could be the very real future we’re approaching. Psychology professor and founding director of Stanford Centre on Longevity Laura Carstensen says that we have an opportunity to redesign our lives into an extended middle age.

Technological advances will be part and parcel of the lives of kids getting older. Retiring at age 65 would also not make sense as the three-stage life will not make sense either.

The education system can even change, beginning later in life and lasting longer with more early years of play and gap years in between studying. A 100 year life isn’t ‘about striving to stay younger for longer, its about staying healthy and connected enough to maintain a sense of purpose.’

#MaltaDaily