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Five arrested
The police drug squad continues its string of busts, detaining five people after ecstasy, cannabis resin and heroin are found in their possession.
Police arrest a 30-year-old man from Naxxar after finding 39 grammes of heroin in his Bugibba apartment. Some of the drug was in sachets ready to be sold.
The other arrests are made at a party in Paceville, where four men aged between 20 and 26 are caught in possession of ecstasy and cannabis.
Couple surprised by thieves
A young couple are surprised by two armed and hooded thieves who break into their residence in Triq Victor Denaro Msida. The thieves steal two laptop computers, mobile phones and around Lm50 in cash.
Monday, 1 May
Watch it
At the traditional May Day demonstration organised by the Labour Party in Valletta, Alfred Sant warns Lawrence Gonzi to “watch it” over the proposed amendments to the electoral districts. Sant says Gonzi is simply using Gozo as a pretext to change all the other districts, which the Labour Party says are the fairest in 30 years.
Sant also warns government over the introduction of dual pricing as early as 1 January 2007, claiming that such a move would only contribute to an increase in the cost of living.
Upbeat Gonzi
Speaking at a conference organised by the Nationalist Party focussing on work and investment, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi sounds very upbeat about economic prospects citing various companies that had success stories.
Gonzi stresses the need for children to continue studying beyond the age of 16, insisting that education was the key to a dynamic economy that created opportunities for everyone.
Journalists’ Committee
Journalists hailing from different media organisations officially form the Journalists’ Committee, a new organisation to campaign for journalists’ rights and media freedoms.
Tuesday, 2 May
Boat house and car burnt
A boathouse in Qawra and a car in Valletta are the latest addition to the list of properties and cars that have been burnt by unknown individuals.
The car, a Skoda Octavia, belongs to a woman from Marsa and is parked in Triq l-Assedju l-Kbir, Valletta, when it is set on fire at about 1.30am.
The boathouse, consisting of a single room belongs to a man from Mosta. It is unclear whether these arson attacks are linked to recent attacks directed against the Jesuit community and people connected to them.
Bakers on war path
The bakers' cooperative threatens to raise the price of traditional Maltese bread if government does not take measures to lighten the burden of additional expenses brought about by higher fuel costs. Bakers give government a week’s ultimatum.
They insist the price of a Maltese loaf will increase from 19c to 21c and the price of the small loaf would go up by one cent to 13c.
Bakers claim that higher fuel costs are making it difficult for bakers to survive.
Church on Da Vinci Code
In a brief statement the Curia calls on Catholics to deal with the Da Vinci Code novel and film in a sensible and responsible way. Reiterating that both the novel and film contained inaccurate historical facts, the Maltese bishops say the church believes in the divinity of Christ, his resurrection from death and other truths contained in the Holy Gospel.
Wednesday, 3 May
Arsonists target editor
The spate of arson attacks against selected targets continues with criminals setting alight the front door of the residence of MaltaToday editor Saviour Balzan during the early hours of the morning.
The residence is situated just a few metres up from the Naxxar police station. Nobody is injured in the incident.
Campaigner burns petition
Anti-Da Vinci code campaigner Vince Marshall burns the more than 4,000 signatures he collected in a petition against the viewing of the Da Vinci Code in Malta after the Curia fails to give him its go-ahead for a pilgrimage against the film.
Thursday, 4 May
Police chase pushers
A high speed car-chase ends with the police arresting two men caught in possession of 5kg of cannabis resin. First intercepted in Marsaxlokk, the two men manage to escape capture but are finally caught in Marsaskala after a high-speed chase during which the criminals hit another vehicle and run over a pedestrian.
The two men, aged 30 from Marsaxlokk and another aged 37 from Marsa, are held for questioning. A woman from Marsaxlokk is also arrested.
EU forum set up
Government accepts a proposal by the Union Haddiema Maghqudin to set up a consultative forum on EU affairs on the same lines as the pre-accession forum, MEUSAC.
The new forum falls under the responsibility of Foreign Minister Michael Frendo and will be called Consultative Meeting on EU Affairs (Comeu)
Friday, 5 May
Warning on dual pricing
The GRTU warns government it would be facing the ire of retailers if the decision to impose dual pricing on 1 January 2007 is not reversed.
Last month cabinet decided that retailers and the service industry would have to display prices in both Euros and the Maltese Lira from January next year, contrary to initial plans to have dual pricing introduced six months prior to adopting the single currency in 2008.
The GRTU says that imposing dual pricing will unnecessarily create an added burden for retailers, more so when the exchange rate with the Euro is not yet fixed.
Malta will only know for certain the final Euro conversion exchange rate in June next year after the Commission gives its go-ahead.
Euro-changeover funds
EU Commissioner Joachim Almunia cautions government about the introduction of dual pricing on 1 January 2007 when the exchange rate to the Euro would not have been yet established officially.
Almunia pronounces these words during the signing of a partnership agreement with government for the allocation of funds for Malta’s euro-changeover information campaign.
The Commissioner also dismisses the arguments raised by Alfred Sant that the Euro should be introduced when Malta experiences economic growth rates of between three and four per cent, saying they have nothing to do with the introduction of the single currency.
Saturday, 6 May
Car torched
Criminals strike again with their favourite hobby of burning cars with their latest target being a Fiat Ritmo that is torched in Triq il-Kanonku Bonnici, Hamrun during the early hours of the day. Nobody is injured in the fire. Police are investigating.
Pharmacist held up
Two armed and hooded robbers hold up a pharmacist in Gudja and steal an undisclosed amount of cash from the pharmacy.
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