Weekly News highlights

Malta Shipbuilding workers on Sunday laid the keel of a Norwegian supply vessel, starting the construction of the 73-metre, 3,800-ton VS 470 Mk II. The seven-month project will involve 120 workers, and will cost Havtrade AS of Norway around Lm7 million, 40 per cent of which will be generated at the Malta yard.

Man electrocuted

Joseph Borg, 31, of Birkirkara died on Sunday after receiving an electric shock at 6.05 p.m. while laying concrete on a garage roof.

Call for inquest after mother's death

The sons of a woman who died on Wednesday requested the duty magistrate to order an autopsy, claiming their mother died in suspicious circumstances.

Sheila Frendo was taken to hospital about three weeks ago suffering from intestinal problems. She was sent home, but returned to hospital the next day where she was kept for observation.

Her sons received a phone call at 5.45 a.m. on Sunday informing them that their mother had to be operated on urgently, and received another call half an hour later informing them she had died. The brothers were told that the cause of death was "ruptured aortic aneurysm", but a doctor consulted privately said the reason given was suspicious.

Magistrate Joseph Cassar ruled that he could not take cognisance of such a request if it were not made through the police.

Woman jailed for selling heroin to minors

Josette Bickle, 32, of Valletta on Thursday was jailed for three years and fined Lm200 for selling heroin to minors, between May 16 and September 4, 1996. She was also found guilty of robbing Richard Spiteri and relapsing.

Deportation of 91 immigrants ordered, 80 more arrive

The Magistrates' Court in Gozo charged 91 illegal immigrants from Egypt, Iraq, Eritrea, Pakistan, Somalia and Ethiopia with breaching immigration laws. They all pleaded guilty. They were given a one-month jail term suspended for six months and a deportation order was issued against them, executable only after a decision is taken on their refugee status.

On Friday another 80 illegal immigrants, mainly from Liberia, berthed at Haywharf. Following a lengthy rescue operation, the immigrants were brought to land and split into groups and were being taken care of by the AFM and the police.

This brings the total number of illegal immigrants to Malta beyond 1,200 this year, the highest ever.

Air Malta smoking ban

Air Malta will be imposing a ban on smoking on all scheduled and charter flights between today and March 29. The smoking ban is in line with moves by other major airlines to provide an optimum environment inside the aircraft.