Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has returned for another court sitting today which, according to Magistrate Montebello, should not extend beyond 3pm.
The first court case in regards to Joseph Muscat and the Vitals controversy lasted up to nine hour, with another session the following day dragging on for 11.
The former PM refused to give any comments to reporters, with former chief of staff Keith Schembri and former minister Konrad Mizzi also entering court for the sitting.
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In May 2024, the number of final deeds of sale and promise of sale agreements for residential properties in Malta were 1,077 and 1,256, respectively.
This represents a 0.6% decrease in final deeds compared to May 2023, although their value increased by 15.9% to €303.6 million. Individual buyers accounted for 91.7% of these deeds, contributing €235.6 million (77.6% of the total value).
The highest numbers of final deeds were in the Northern Harbour and Northern districts, with 305 and 216 deeds, respectively. San Pawl Il-Baħar, Il-Mosta, and Il-Mellieħa had the most transactions, totaling 15.7% of all deeds. In terms of property types, apartments (415) and garages (271) were predominant, representing 34.9 % and 22.8 % of transactions, respectively.
Promise of sale agreements also saw a decrease of 3.2% from the previous year. Individual buyers accounted for 90.4% of these agreements. The Northern Harbour district led with 364 agreements, followed by the Northern district with 270.
San Pawl Il-Baħar, Birkirkara, and Il-Mosta recorded the highest numbers of agreements, totaling 20.7% of the registered agreements for May 2024. The lowest figures were in the Western, and Gozo and Comino districts.
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Today, at around 0615hrs, police were informed of a traffic accident which took place in Pjazza Vittorja, Naxxar.
Police convened immediately in site and preliminary investigations showed that an 89 year old man resident of Naxxar had been hit by a Mazda Demio driven by a 31 year old woman resident of Mosta.
He was given preliminary aid and taken to Mater Dei, where he was certified as having suffered serious injuries.
An inquiry has been opened and investigations are ongoing.
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In the 2024 local council elections in Malta, Labour retained control of Valletta, appointing Olaf McKay as the new mayor, who narrowly defeated the incumbent Alfred Zammit by 32 votes.
The Nationalist Party (PN) managed to flip St Paul’s Bay, where former PN minister Censu Galea led the victory. ADPD leader Sandra Gauci also secured a seat in St Paul’s Bay.
Labour held a majority in 14 out of the 23 localities counted on Wednesday, while the PN made significant gains, adding seats in Dingli, Qrendi, Birżebbuġa, Fontana, Xewkija, and Żurrieq, and nearly flipping Pembroke.
The overall vote gap between the two main parties stands at 14%, with Labour capturing one-third more votes than the PN.
In Mellieħa, the council is balanced between four Labour and four PN councillors, with independent candidate Matthew Borg Cuschieri as the deciding vote.
In Żebbuġ, Steve Zammit Lupi and his mother Lillibeth Zammit Lupi, both independents, were elected, making the council composition four Labour, three PN, and two independents.
In Gozo, 19-year-old Simona Refalo, daughter of Labour minister Anton Refalo, became the mayor of Xewkija. The elections saw a turnout across 67 localities, with a total of 471 councillors being elected. The vote counting continues, with results from other localities expected in the following days.
More details:
In Birżebbuġa, Scott Camilleri (PL) serves as Mayor. The PL councillors are Josette Busutill, Alexander Caruana, Ivan Grech Abela, Maria Mifsud, and Rohasia Zammit. The PN councillors are Johann Borg, Mark Doneo Debono, and Karel Zahra.
Dingli’s Mayor is Raymond Schembri (PL). The PL councillors include Miguel Abela and Ryan Tanti, while the PN councillors are Jean Paul Barbara and Jean-Toin Magri.
Thomas Mizzi (PN) is the Mayor of Fontana. Other PN councillors are Ivana Mizzi and Joseph Mercieca. The PL councillors are Horace Micallef and Carmelo Micallef.
In Għajnsielem, Kevin Cauchi (PN) holds the position of Mayor. The PN councillors are Joseph Debono, Stephen Mercieca, and Teddy Saliba. Larry Buttigieg and Silvano Spiteri represent the PL.
Għasri’s council is led by PL councillors Daniel Attard, Elizabeth Mintoff, and Sammy Saliba. The PN representatives are David Felice Pace and Emanuel Mintoff.
Dorian Scibberas (PN) serves as the Mayor of Iklin. Other PN councillors are Yvonne Bartolo and Mary Grace Gusman. The PL councillors are Mario Fenech and Matthew Fenech.
Luke Farrugia (PL) is the Mayor of Marsa. The PL councillors include Joseph Azzopardi, Joseph Cachia, Anthony Meilak, Joseph Scerri, and Dominic Spencer. Gloria Aquilina represents the PN.
In Mellieħa, the PL councillors are John Buttigieg, Rebecca Bartolo Cutajar, Kurt Buttigied, and Jude Cauchi. The PN councillors are Emvin Bartolo, Corinne Castillo, Loridana Darmanin, and Gabriel Micallef. Independent councillor Matthew Borg Cuschieri also serves.
Mqabba’s Mayor is Marie Grace Zerafa (PL). The PL councillors are Jonathan Dingli and Patrick Ghigo, while the PN councillors are Noel Galea and Owen Scibberas.
Eucharist Camilleri (PN) serves as the Mayor of Nadur. The PN councillors include Kevin Curmi and Edward Said. The PL councillors are Rebecca Vella and Corey Cardona.
Kaylon Zammit (PL) is the Mayor of Pembroke. The PL councillors include Adrian Ellul and Raymond Lanzon. The PN representatives are Therise Abela and Charles Cesare.
David Michael Schembri (PL) serves as Mayor of Qrendi. The PL councillors are Marion Parnis and Anthea Sacco. The PN councillors are Nina Skye Briffa and Karmenu Farrugia.
San Ġiljan’s Mayor is Gabriel Borg Ferrando (PN). Other PN councillors are Patricia Camilleri, Guido Dalli, Sean Gauci, Victor Vella, and Rita Dimech Portelli. The PL councillors are Mario Amaira, David Caruana, and Carlo Mifsud.
In San Pawl il-Baħar, Censu Galea (PN) is the Mayor. The PN councillors are Alexander Agius, Chris Vella Petroni, Anne Marie Fenech, Rachel Antoinette Williams, Antoinette Bezzina, and Sandra Smart Constantino. The PL councillors are Alan Bugeja, Daryl Connor, Alfred Grima, Joseph Matthew Attard, and Clevion Micallef. Sandra Gauci represents the ADPD.
Santa Venera’s Mayor is Gianluca Falzon (PL). The PL councillors include Darren Grech, Stephen Sultana, and Silvio Vella. The PN councillors are Karl Carabott, Roberta Sultana, and Joseph Vella.
Max Zammit (PL) serves as the Mayor of Ta’ Xbiex. The PL councillors are Sarah Borg and Ronnie Portelli. The PN councillors are Louise Cachia Castaletti and Gino Muscat.
Joseph Abela Galea (PL) is the Mayor of Tarxien. Other PL councillors are Easier D’Amato, Nicole Farrugia, Neil Portelli, and Darlene Vella. The PN councillors are Anabella Marmara and Glenn Gerald Urry.
Valletta’s Mayor is Olaf Mc Kay (PL). The PL councillors are Raymond Azzopardi, Daniel Diacono, and Alfred Zammit. The PN councillors include Roberta Bonello, Vincent Fabri, and Elena Montfort.
Simona Refalo (PL) serves as Mayor of Xewkija. Other PL councillors are Paul Azzopardi and George Zammit. The PN councillors are Jeanelle Attard and Josef Charles Hili.
In Żebbuġ, the PL councillors are Joseph Agius, Paul Baldacchino, Godwin Grech, and Ayrton Mizzi. The PN councillors include Mario Attard, George Cortis, and Paul Mazzola. Independent councillors are Lilibeth Zammit Lupi and Steve Zammit Lupi.
Joan Agius (PL) is the Mayor of Żejtun. Other PL councillors are Christian Attard, Anthony Aquilina, Raymond Caruana, Dorcas Camilleri, and Ivan Giardina. The PN councillors are Enya Abela and Roderick Caruana.
In Żurrieq, Rita Grima (PL) serves as Mayor. The PL councillors include Jeremy Coleiro, Ignatius Farrugia, Marisa D’Amato, Kenneth Farrugia, and Daniel-Michael Muscat. The PN councillors are Dino Bonnici, Kyle Mifsud, and Marylyn Sammut.
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