The surcharge on water and electricity bills will be reduced from 59% to 54% from the 1st of January 2007. Enemalta has also asked the Resources Authority for authorization to reduce the current Thin Fuel Oil prices to a range of between Lm6.50 and Lm8.00 per ton when the next price revision takes place on the 1st of December. Prices for petrol, unleaded petrol, diesel, petroleum and light heating oil will remain as they are until February 2007.

Ghajnsielem local council is holding an exhibition of old photographs of the locality. The exhibition which opens on Sunday is one of the activities being held to coincide with the parish feast celebrations. The exhibition is to be held at the St Joseph Band Club and will be opened by the Mayor of Ghajnsielem, Francis Cauchi. The exhibition will include photographs which show the way the locality has developed over the years, including the construction of Mgarr Harbour, and the building of the parish church.

?Disney World Wonderful Dreams? is the Cats Dance Company?s latest production and is being produced in aid of the Gozo Oasi Foundation. Now in it's fifteenth year since its institution, the Oasi Foundation is dedicating this production to all Gozitans and Maltese, so that all will appreciate that Life is Beautiful, and to encourage everyone to Live it to the Full. This dance and music extravaganza takes us on a voyage through Disney's most loved animated classics, with accompanying illusions and audience participation. Children are invited on stage to join in the fun and adventure, and hopefully receive a gift or token. With costumes done to Disney specifications, enchanting sets and props, dazzling lighting designs, stunning dance sequences and a couple of surprises, this show promises to thrill both young and old. A must for all the family. The production ... Read more...

After its success at the Catholic Institute in Floriana, Hermann Bonaci Productions will be staging the comedy Simpatici l-Aqwa Familja in Gozo. The performance will take place at the Aurora Theatre on 9th December at 6.30pm. This is the second time the Simpatici cast have performed in Gozo. Four years ago, they were given a tremendous welcome, and they are looking forward to their return next month. The actors are Hermann Bonaci, Frida Cauchi, Mary Rose Bonello, Brian Farrugia, Ray Abdilla, Joe Gatt, Mary Rose Mallia, John Suda, Simon Curmi, Kurt Castillo, Rachel Micallef, Doreen Cini, Antoinette Bonaci, Ronnie Galea, Kevin Spiteri, Stephanie Bonaci and Mariah Bonaci. Tickets are on sale from the Aurora Theatre in Victoria.

Xaghra farmer Joseph Micallef was rather upset on receiving a ticket to face a tribunal or pay Lm20 for having contravened a one-way sign. When he read the charges, he realised it could only have been a mistake as he was being accused of driving his Massey Ferguson tractor against a one-way sign in Tower Road, Sliema. Mr Micallef said "I use the tractor solely in the fields at Marsalforn. It has a very slow engine and barely does 30 kilometres an hour. So you can imagine me driving all the way from Marsalforn, boarding the ferry and then driving to Sliema on a Friday afternoon in August and contravening a one-way sign." The former policeman said he does go to Malta from time to time, but he simply drives to the vegetable market at Ta' Qali, and very seldom might have ... Read more...

Din l-Art Helwa has rejected the contents and demands of a judicial letter filed by the owners of Ta? Cenc against its president Martin Galea. In a counter letter filed in the Civil Courts this week, Din l-Art Helwa described the allegations as "manifestly unfounded" and confirmed it will not be withdrawing the petition against a proposed villa development in the area it submitted recently to Parliament, as demanded by the Ta? Cenc owners. Palazzo Palina Holdings Limited and Real Finanz filed a judicial letter on 6th November calling on DLH to withdraw the petition, which they described as "misleading" and requested Mr Galea to make good for any damages incurred. The Ta? Cenc owners insist the petition was full of half-truths, misinformation and failed to reflect the true nature of the development as proposed. Citing Article 9 of the Constitution of Malta, Din ... Read more...

Two youths were yesterday being held by the police after they were found in possession of 386 Ecstasy pills on Friday evening. The young men, a 21yr old from Zebbug, and a 24yr old from Qala, were also found in possession of counterfeit Lm20 notes. They were held at Cirkewwa after police searched a number of people preparing to travel to Gozo. Duty Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera appointed various experts to help her in her inquiry. Police investigations are under way.

Two brothers from Victoria were each fined Lm300, whilst a third brother was jailed for 13 months, suspended for two years, after they were found guilty of involvement in a fight that broke out in Victoria in August 2002 during which a man was seriously injured. The incident took place in August 2002 when the three brothers, Mario Azzopardi, 30, Martin Azzopardi, 32 and 28-year-old John Azzopardi, all from Victoria, attacked Joseph Portelli, from Nadur, a hawker who had a stand at it-Tokk in Victoria square. The court heard how the fight occurred at the market, where both Mr Portelli and Mario Azzopardi work. The victim had testified that he had been savagely attacked by the three brothers for no apparent reason. He said was punched and kicked repeatedly, even after falling to the ground. The victim stated that at one ... Read more...

The Criminal Court, presided over by Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano, yesterday ordered the re-arrest of four men charged with living off the earnings of prostitution and for acting as pimps, after the court noted that they should not have been granted bail before the Romanian woman allegedly involved in the case testifies in court. The men are Josef Camilleri, a 30yr old shop owner from Gharghur, Clemenzju Zerafa, aged 56, from Ghajnsielem, who said he is a butcher, Ferdinando Veneziani, 27, from Gharghur, who said he works as a foreman with a private company and local warden Anthony Muscat aged 32, from Munxar. During the arraignment before magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, the men pleaded not guilty to living off immoral earnings and conspiring to bring Leila Cadri to Malta for prostitution. They also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to ... Read more...

A man from Gharb was jailed for 13 months yesterday, suspended for two years, and was fined Lm1,110 after he pleaded guilty to defrauding the government out of Lm7,000 in customs duty and VAT. Gordon Micallef, 32, admitted falsifying documents, providing false information to the Customs Department and making a profit of Lm11,107 to the detriment of the Maltese government on 20th April 2003 and before. Micallef also pleaded guilty to not declaring the full amount of VAT and customs duty on the goods he had imported. Handing down her judgement, magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera noted that Micallef had a clean record and had repaid the full amount due. Police Inspector Joseph Cordina prosecuted.