Ta’ Qali construction accident leaves one dead and another injured

Jan 27 2022

A 40-year-old worker sadly lost his life yesterday on a construction site in Ta’ Qali.

The incident happened at around 18:30hrs, with police being informed that their assistance was needed on the site where works on the Ta’ Qali National Parks are being done.

Police convened on the site immediately, with preliminary investigations revealing that heavy machinery, on which two workers were operating, had tilted and fell.

One of the two men, one from Ħal Għargħur and another from Imġarr, fell out of the vehicle to a height of around one storey into a narrow shaft. Despite the intervention of the Civil Protection Department and a medical team from Mater Dei, the 40-year-old was pronounced dead on spot.

The other worker, 35-years of age, was taken to Mater Dei, with the state of his injuries still pending confirmation. Magistrate Dr Rachel Montebello LL.D was informed of the case and opened an inquiry.

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Photo Source: Uffiċċju tal-Komunikazzjoni, Il-Korp tal-Pulizija ta’ Malta

Christian Eriksen trains with former club Ajax ahead of Premier League move

Jan 26 2022

Former Inter and Tottenham Hotspurs midfielder Christian Eriksen, has started training with his old team Ajax’s reserve squad. The Danish star has been inactive after suffering from a cardiac arrest at last summer’s Euros during a match versus Nordic rivals Finland. Eriksen had to terminate his contract with Italian champions Inter, because of a law in Italy which states that professional athletes can’t have an ICD (Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) whilst participating.

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In a statement the Dutch champions had this to say;

“The Dane was given the green light by his doctors in December to resume his football career after completing months of individual recovery.”

“Because he wears an ICD, inserted after he suffered a cardiac arrest during the European Championship match between Denmark and Finland, he had to cancel his contract with Inter. Professional athletes are not allowed to play with an ICD in Italy – the only country in the world with such a rule.”

Eriksen also decided to comment saying “I am very happy to be here. At Ajax I know the people, it feels like coming home because I was here for so long. All facilities are available here and with Jong Ajax I can train at a high level in a group. That’s the perfect foundation for me at the moment. I want to be at my best again as soon as possible so that when I find a new club, I can perform well there as quickly as possible.”

Reports in England and some in Italy have stated that the midfielder is close to agreeing a deal with Premier League outfit Brentford. The West London based club actually has a huge Danish influence with there being two Danish players Mathias Jensen and Christian Nørgaard and a Danish coach in Thomas Frank. He will reportedly agree to a 6-month deal.

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We wish Christian the best of luck in his much anticipated return!

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It’s raining iguanas out of trees in Florida due to cold weather

Jan 26 2022

If you thought Malta’s temperatures were cold, the freezing weather in Florida is leading to iguanas falling out of trees. Warnings have ben issued to people so that they beware reptiles potentially falling on them, causing injury. As temperatures plummet, the iguanas – which as reptiles are cold-blooded animals – can get so cold that their bodies turn absolutely rigid. This makes them unable to cling to whichever branch they’re holding onto.

This leads them to fall out of the trees but are also quick to recover. This is why people are also being urged not to approach frozen iguanas as they will recuperate pretty quickly. Weather anchor for WSVN Vivian Gonzalez posted Twitter saying ‘We’ve entered FALLING IGUANA territory as temperatures are in the widespread 40’s […] Don’t approach. Once the sun is out, they will move.’

Back in 2020, communications director for Zoo Miami Ron Magill said that the temperature threshold for when iguanas begin to go into a dormant state depends greatly on the size of the iguana.‘The larger the iguana, the more cold it can tolerate for longer periods.’ Adult male iguanas can reach a length of five-feet and weigh up to 9kg – so one falling on you isn’t the best thing to have happen.

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Drug-related emergencies on the rise with 516 in 2020 in Malta

Jan 26 2022

The latest Annual Drug Report revealed that in 2020, there were 516 drug related emergencies. Cocaine and cannabis were the main drugs leading individuals to see medical assistance due to intoxication. 273 of these cases were cocaine induced, 136 cannabis related, 58 cases related to heroin and 49 related to Cannabinoid Receptors Agonists (SCRA).

Family Minister Michael Falzon said during the report’s launch in Valletta that the public must not look at drug addiction as something of the past as it was still very much present in the community. The report found that despite the prevalence of heroin use having declined in recent years, the use of these substances remained linked to the most severe health and social consequences among drug-using populations.

An estimated 896 high-risk opioid users were reported in 2020, meaning 2.60 per 1,000 people aged between 15 and 64. Figures declined since 2015, registering the highest daily opiate users at 1,708 down to 896. The number of service users entering drug treatment services for the first time in 2020 was also a record at 497 individuals. The report also found there have been a total of 1,762 individuals seeking treatment for the first time in the last five years.

Cocaine is the second most common, primary drug among those in treatment. 601, or 30% of individuals in treatment, reported cocaine as the drug that created the most problems for them. Cannabis also continued to be the second most used primary drug among the overall population seeking treatment for the first time. In 2020, 269 individuals (14%) sought treatment due to cannabis. 2020 also saw a decrease in overall drug seizures, possibly due to the pandemic. The number of drug law offences for 2020 amounted to 283 in total, with 166 for possession and 117 for trafficking.

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