23-year-old man charged with hit-and-run that killed Antoine Degabriele

Man to be charged with hit-and-run that killed Antoine Degabriele

Aug 7 2022

A 23-year-old man resident of Birzebbuga is set to be charged in court on Sunday with the fatal hit and run which took place in Zejtun last Friday.

The victim was a Zejtun resident by the name of Antoine Degabriele, who was found on the pavement on Triq President Anton Buttigieg. The 51-year-old was pronounced dead on the spot.

The police said on Sunday morning that the suspect was being charged later on that morning. Investigations had led to police to discover that the car used in the incident was a Mazda Demio.

Police were alerted to incident by an anonymous call. Car parts of the vehicle, including a bumper and a side mirror, were found in the vicinity.

The accused, Dean Donovan Frendo, was accused of the involuntary killing of Degabriele, whilst also being accused of driving with excessive velocity, of not possessing a valid driving license as well as tampering with evidence. The accused plead not guilty to the accusations but did not plead to be released from arrest.

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Photo Source: TVM

Study reveals interest in superhero movies is officially dropping

Aug 7 2022

Despite both Marvel and DC ramping up the production of their superhero content, namely movies and accompanying TV series, studies have suggested that public interest is officially waning.

A study carried out by Morning Consult revealed that 59% of respondents enjoyed superhero movies, and despite this being quite a large number, it is still a drop from 64%.

The number of self-identified Marvel fans who like superhero movies is also dropping, going from 87% to around 82% last November. This comes after Marvel announced two whole new phases of movies.

We are set to get 10 new projects, with some only being titles at this point in time, and competitors like DC also pumping out their own respective flicks.

It might not be the end of superhero movies just yet however, as four out of the top 10 highest grossing films of all time are all superhero centred, with the likes of ‘Endgame’ and ‘No Way Home’ breaking massive records.

In fact, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder have become some of the highest grossing movies of 2022, despite not being Marvel’s best ranked entries.

A challenge the likes of Marvel are facing now is moving away from more iconic characters like Iron Man and Captain America. The Infinity Saga saw a whole army of fans rushing to theatres, but whether this can be maintained with lesser known characters, and even actors, remains to be seen.

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Transport Minister gives latest update on flyover construction

Aug 7 2022

Taking to social media, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Aaron Farrugia gave an update on the latest developments concerning the KTAIP flyover project.

The construction project, which will connect roads coming from Birzebbuga to Vjal l-Avjazzjoni, is currently being coordinated between Transport Malta and Infrastructure Malta. The two are jointly coordinating the transportation of the steel beams which will be used for the project.

Minister Aaron Farrugia said that work is progressing swiftly and efficiently, highlighting how the majority of the work is being done during the night so as to reduce traffic pressures for drivers passing through the area.

Record number of people seek help from Caritas due cocaine use

Aug 7 2022

Throughout last year, non-profit organisation Caritas registered a record number of people seeking help from its services due to the use of cocaine.

According to TVM, almost half of a total of 700 people who sought help from the organisation were people who were seeking assistance with some form of cocaine usage.

Caritas Director Anthony Gatt was interviewed by newsroom TVM, and revealed that this information shows how things are changing and that prevention work needs to take a more prominent and active place in the local context.

He pointed out how around 20 years ago, the majority of people seeking help from Caritas due to drug use were doing so due to the use of heroin, not cocaine. These dropped from 90% to just around 25%.

Conversely, 45% of people seeking help were using cocaine as a primary drug, with 20% seeking help due to cannabis abuse. Gatt said that both of these drugs are finding a more stable place in the Maltese community.

He said that society needs to ask why people, especially the youth, are turning to such substances for recreational purposes. He urged those who need help to speak up and thereby break the stigma of seeking help.

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