PN demand police investigation into Labour’s €200,000 finance deal

Sep 7 2021

The Opposition Party demanded a police investigation into a draft deal which would have resulted in a company linked to the Labour government to receive €200,000 from murder suspect Yorgen Fenech. The suspect was lead promoter of the Electrogas consortium when the deal was drafting, being the winning bidder for the venture backed by the government to build a new gas-fired power station.

Former PL mayor Charles Azzopardi addressed a press conference in which he accused the government for facilitating and failing to fight corruption. Now a PN candidate, Azzopardi said that a government who acted in such a way could never get Malta off the FATF grey list.

Fellow PN candidate Mark Anthony Sammut backed up Azzopardi’s claims saying that ‘this was an organised system of criminality.’ Sammut accused the government of a ‘whole bribery structure’, with people turning a blind eye, banks facilitating suspicious transactions and resulting in a context of people ready to kill.

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Photo Source: Charles Azzopardi FB

Ramla Bay Hotel to be renovated into three seven-storey blocks

Sep 7 2021

Ramla Bay Hotel’s owners wish to demolish their four-floor hotel to replace it with three seven-storey blocks. The Holden Developments’ new hotel will rise to around 30m above sea level to replace the last part of the old hotel. This comes five years after obtaining the permit for a heart-shaped extension which can be viewed from the Marfa coastline in Mellieha.

The design by architect Ray Demicoli, who designed the first phase approved in 2016, will include 400 guest rooms, indoor swimming pool, gym, car park facilities, restaurants and a banqueting area. The plans will result in the foreshore re-landscaped for a new outdoor pool with a sand surface over concrete. A new beach facility called the Alang Alang restaurant will also be introduced, with a natural sandy beach to the south-west remaining publicly accessible. The hotel was first constructed in 1967, having several alterations over the years.

Around 70 al fresco dining areas were approved for Valletta since 2016

Sep 7 2021

67 permits were issued by the Planning Authority since 2016 for Valletta catering establishments to place chairs and tables out for al fresco dining. A MaltaToday source revealed the information, indicating that the largest number of permits was issued in 2017, with a record of 23 requests being permitted. The authorities received 84 applications since 2016, compared to just 38 between 1994 and 2016.

The MaltaToday probe was limited to disclosing information in regards to the placing of tables and chairs, excluding other terminology which could be used in the request for permits. Changes to permits of establishments which already had outside dining platforms or sanctioning of similar dining areas may also be included.

The evident increase in applications and approvals seems to correlate to the 2015 policy which allows restaurants to set up platforms on kerb-sides, with pavements not being obstructed by chairs and tables in any way.

Despite the al fresco dining contributing to a ‘livelier atmosphere’ in the capital city, the increase of such platforms angered many residents due to the noise pollution and overall change in scenery in Valletta. The latest of such cases occurred over the past week when the Valletta local council protested the issue of a permit for a 44 square meter platform outside the AX group’s Rosselli hotel.

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Photo Source: Il-Kunsillier Mark Spiteri Lucas FB

Cardi B announces birth of her second child

Sep 7 2021

Artist Cardi B posted to social media revealing the birth of her second child with husband Offset. The parents shared a photo of themselves in what seems to be a hospital bed, with their newborn wrapped in a blanket. The gender of the child was revealed to be a son, with many fans suspecting this before it was officially revealed due to the emoji captions.

The post was captioned with a blue heart, a dinosaur and a teddy bear, making the as of yet unnamed Kulture Kiari’s younger brother. The pair married secretly in September 2017, but got engaged on stage a month later. Daughter Kulture was born in July 2018, with the couple splitting and reconciling more than once. Offset also has three other sons from previous relationships. Cardi’s second baby bump was revealed during a performance with Migos during the BET Awards in June.

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Photo Source: iamcardib IG, Harper’s Bazaar