Other people possibly involved in Caruana Galizia murder

Feb 15 2022

The Deputy Attorney General said in court on Tuesday that there were probably other people involved in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Gaizia. He said this in court on Tuesday whilst making his case against the latest bail request by two alleged hitmen in the murder.

Alfred and George Degiorgio said in their latest bail request that they had been held behind bars for around 50 months since their arrest in December 2017.

Deputy AG Philip Galea Farrugia said that he was proved right in saying that the inquiry was still ongoing when making previous objections to bail. ‘It is quite a unique case. It could be, or rather it is probable that other persons were involved.’

Galea Farrugia recalled that in a previous bail decree, the Criminal Court had declared that the assassination involved a web of criminality. The European Court of Human Rights itself acknowledged the fact that in such case of organised crime, investigations were expected to take longer.

Whereas earlier pronouncements by the European Court appeared to be weighing in favour of the bail, more recent judgements focused on balancing the rights of the accused and the presumption of innocence agains the rights of society at large and the proper administration of justice.

Vince Muscat, known locally as il-Koħħu, is currently serving a 15-year sentence after registering a guilty plea in the murder case. Yorgen Fenech also stands accused of complicity in the murder but is pleading not guilty to charges. He claims that it was former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri who ordered the assassination.

The prolonged detention was questioned by lawyer William Cuschieri who represents the Degiorgios. he also said the prosecution had produced no proof showing that the two were planning to escape. As for the web of criminality claim, he said that citing that as a reason to deny bail would mean throwing the presumption of innocence out of the window.

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Peaky Blinders final Season 6 returning 27th February 2022

Feb 15 2022

The release date for the sixth season of Peaky Blinders has finally been announced, with the Shelbys returning to our screens for the last time. The final instalment was delayed due to the pandemic, with the release date for the Birmingham-based crime drama having been teased on numerous occasions.

Director Anthony Bryne shared a teaser clip in November, captioning the post saying; ‘we’re coming for you sooner than you think.’ Plenty of speculation was circling when this might be, but at last, it was revealed that it will return on Sunday 27th February. Each episode will be airing weekly on Netflix from that date. Unfortunately, Helen McCrory will not be present, having tragically passed away of cancer last year aged 52.

McCrory played matriarch Polly Gray, with main character Cillian Murphy (Tommy Shelby) saying that it was really difficult to make the show without her. ‘She would have been in series six if the pandemic hadn’t put everything on hold’ he had said.

‘We were just five days away from shooting in March 2020 when the lockdown was announced. Helen was the heart of that show and it was hard to make it without her. There was a huge absence on the set. We all felt it. She died while we were shooting.’ The new series will also be welcoming Stephen Graham to the cast, while Tom Hardy’s character Alfie Solomons will also be returning to the how. So set your reminders for one last ride of Peaky Blinders!

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Studies ongoing about fourth COVID-19 booster dose

Feb 15 2022

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is currently undergoing research into a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose due to the fact that the effect of the third dose is starting to diminish.

Speaking on this morning’s TVAM programme, Director of WHO’s regional office in Europe, Dr Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, said that the organisation is working hand in hand with pharmaceutical companies on the development of a best quality vaccine.

She said that it has yet to establish the number of variants the fourth dose will cover, when it should be administered, who will be the first to be inoculated and if it will be available to everyone.

Dr Azzopardi Muscat also said that a study is underway on the situation in countries where vaccination started with the fourth dose, such as Israel. She also revealed that talks are underway for the entry into force of different systems of testing for COVID-19.

Superintendent for Public Health Charmaine Gauci recently also spoke to TVMnews, revealing that there are preparations in case the fourth dose is required.

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Calls for Malta to decriminalise abortion by Council of Europe

Feb 15 2022

Malta is being called upon by the Council of Europe commissioner for human rights to decriminalise abortion. The call reiterates one made by her predecessor who in 2018 called for new legislation to provide abortion care to women who request it. Commissioner Dunja Mijatovic strongly urged the authorities to repeal provisions criminalising abortion in a report published on Tuesday.

This follows a trip she made to Malta last October, going on to urge the development of comprehensive regulation of women’ access to legal and safe abortion as well as to improve the availability of sexual and reproductive health services. She noted that despite there being a list of pharmacies stocking emergency contraception, women in Malta are often left without access to the necessary medication.

Reports all show that numerous pharmacies refuse to dispense such contraceptives on grounds of conscience. There are no measures in place to enforce the obligation of pharmacists referring patients to other professionals. This follows former commissioner Nils Muiznieks saying in 2018 that Malta should ensure its ban on abortion does not deprive women of a range of fundamental human rights.

In may 2021, independent MP Marlene Farrugia tabled draft legislation to decriminalise abortion. However, the bill was not discussed in parliament. The commissioner expressed disappointment at learning that despite this bill, authorities did not have a timeline for decriminalising abortion.

“The authorities did not consider it likely that such a bill could be adopted in the near future, although they admitted that the prohibition of abortion did not stop women, including girls, from seeking abortions.

“The commissioner was disturbed, furthermore, by the authorities’ apparent lack of concern about the serious risks incurred by women who seek or undergo abortions in unauthorised circumstances, which are aggravated by the lack of access to post-abortion care in Malta, both in the public and private health sectors.”The government, in reaction to the observations, said it was working to improve reproductive health services. Malta did not however agree with the interpretation that the right to sexual and reproductive health services includes an intrinsic right to abortion.

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