Gozitan church murals feature tattoos and smartwatches in modern take

Jul 18 2022

Manuel Farrugia is no stranger to producing works of art which reinvent religious imagery with modern spins.

After including the features of local migrant workers, painting even the late Lassana Cisse, Farrugia has unveiled the images making part of the ‘Fejn Hu Ħuk?’ (Where is Your Brother?)’ project.

The four latest images, made especially for the St George’s Basilica, represent the ‘Acts of Mercy’ in a contemporary setting. ‘I hope that when one looks upon these images, they remember that Jesus is hidden in each and every one of us’ explains Farrugia.

The images feature a vulnerable person being cared after by a woman in a COVID mask and wearing a smartwatch, a tattooed pregnant woman and a hungry child being fed parts of the Bible as nourishment.

Each image goes into detail about each of the four acts of mercy, but also portrays the absolute aesthetic talent by Farrugia who is given a unique platform to blend the modern with the traditional.

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Photo Source: Manuel Farrugia FB

€16,000 in damages for woman after injury on uneven paving

Jul 18 2022

A 46-year-old woman is set to be paid upwards of €16,000 in compensation by Transport Malta and the Valletta council after she tripped on an uneven paving and broke her ankle.

Due to the incident, the woman suffered 7% disability, with the court ruling last week and finding both entities responsible for the damages.

The case goes back to April of 2017, which is when she fell in St John Street, opening up a case against the transport agency and the council in 2019.

The woman, who is not being named on confidentiality reasons, was operated on in hospital and spent 12 weeks recovering in bed. She was operated once again to remove pins in her ankle, and ended up paying €704 in medical fees.

The council had argued that work on the paved road had just been completed by contractors employed by Transport Malta and stated that the woman was careless to walk on the pavement.

TM told the court that the road did not fall under its responsibility at the time – in fact, none of the Valletta streets did, it held. The defence lawyers of the victim asked for €19,203 in compensation. This was equivalent to 7% of the woman’s annual pay multiplied by 19: the number of years spanning 2017 and her retirement.

The court noted that neither the council nor the agency contested the road’ state. The council’s executive secretary said that Transport Malta carried out paving works and operate works following the accident.

Judge Toni Abela awarded €15,689.23 in compensation as he found both the agency and the council responsible for the incident.

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Paolo Dybala set to join Mourinho’s AS Roma

Jul 18 2022

Argentine superstar and former Juventus vice-captain Paolo Dybala is set to join fellow Italian club AS Roma.

This move has surprised many calcio fans with most reports earlier in the summer stating the Dybala would join Inter Milan rather than Mourinho’s Roma. The news was broken out last night by transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio.

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The Giallorossi did not want to lose out on the 28-year-old to the incredibly interested Napoli and so they made a desperate lunge last night, offering the Argentinian forward a three-year contract worth €6m net per season. Dybala was also tired of waiting around for Inter Milan who were trying to get rid of Alexis Sanchez before signing the Argentinian.

As of right now he is in Portugal with Roma sporting director Tiago Pinto completing his medical examinations.

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Man accused of ejaculating on woman in bus pleads guilty

Jul 18 2022

A court heard how a young female passenger was the victim of unwanted sexually intimate acts on a packed bus last Saturday after a man standing behind her pleasured himself sexually and ejaculated on her.

The accused, a 36-year-old Somali construction worker named Mohamed Mahmud Dirie, was charged with committing non-consensual sexual acts on the woman. He was also accused of subjecting her to unwanted acts of physical intimacy and other unwelcome sexual behaviours.

Magistrate Gabriella Vella presided over the arraignment, with Inspector Saviour Baldacchino said that Dirie performed the acts on a packed number 14 bus.

The incident happened at around 10pm on Saturday as the bus transported passengers from Valletta to St Julian’s. The court appointed lawyer Yanika Bugeja to assist the accused as legal aid due to the man declaring that he could not afford a lawyer.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charges and confirmed his plea even after consideration time. The defence requested a suspended sentence and asked the man be released on bail pending his sentencing hearing August 1st.

He was ordered to sign a bail book three times a week and provides a personal guarantee of €5000.

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