Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/917808
maltatoday WEDNESDAY 20 DECEMBER 2017 News 6 MARIA PACE EMMA and Luca are still the most popular baby names on the island in 2017. While traditional names aren't as common as before, even once popular names like Daniel, Mark, Maria and Nicole are slowly fading from Malta's newest generations. The most popular girls' name throughout the 10 years appears to be Emma, being the most common name for five years, including 2017. Other names like Ella, Julia and Amy have also been very frequent. When it comes to boys' names, there seems to be a competition between the names Luca and Jake, both very popular in the last few years, with Luca being the most popular for the last three years. Both Emma and Luca have been popular for a while now, however, these last ten years have also introduced a new era of innovative names, such as Xemx, Faith, Zen, and Cat- aleya. W ho knows, maybe 2018 will see more baby names like Donald, Adrian and Marlene. mpace@mediatoday.com.mt Birzebbuga Local Council Dar Birzebbuga Triq Santa Marija Birzebbuga BBG1651 Tel: 21650165 Fax:21650444 BIRŻEBBUĠA Email: birzebbuga.lc@gov.mt The Birżebbuga Local Council notifies that during its next Council meeting, scheduled for Monday 8th January 2018, it shall be discussing the following bye-law: - Control of Pigeons (Birzebbuga Local The general public is being informed that a copy of the mentioned bye-law will be made available at the Local Council's Offices which shall be receiving any suggestions/complaints up till Friday 5th January 2018 Svetlick Flores Executive Secretary For third year in a row, Emma and Luca top baby names list in 2017 Year Girls' Names No. of Boys' Names No. of times times 2007 Martina 40 Jake 50 2008 Mariah 44 Jake 69 2009 Mariah 40 Jake 56 2010 Amy 38 Luca 73 2011 Julia 43 Luca 58 2012 Emma 43 Jake 75 2013 Ella 42 Luca 50 2014 Emma 51 Jake 51 2015 Emma 45 Luca 55 2016 Emma 57 Luca 64 2017 Emma 57 Luca 54 Said motion on Daphne Caruana Galizia allegations approved - but with government amendments CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 In a short but impassioned speech, Vassallo accused government MPs of "talking bullsh*t" and of not relating facts correctly. Government MP Byron Camilleri said the government would be moving a number of amendments to the motion. These included highlighting the police's good work in the investigation and the respect which Malta has for the rule of law and European democratic values, and stating that Malta has functional institutions, in- cluding the police corps and armed forces, whose work was seen when ten people were ar- rested in connection with the murder while three men were arraigned in court. Justice minister Owen Bon- nici added the government was requesting that the text be changed to emphasise the role the police had in the arraign- ments. Similarly, government MP Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said the motion should include the government's efforts to strengthen the rule of law in Malta. Said insisted that the amend- ments showed that the govern- ment was not willing to have a serious investigation on the murder. "The amendments are a means of the government prais- ing itself," Said maintained, adding that the amendments showed that the government had something to hide, and was afraid to approve the motion as originally worded. Caruana Galizia was considered med- dlesome by some, Said said, but she was doing her job. The government had a role in creating the climate for the murder to happen, he claimed. He told the House that the government had to do all it could to catch whoever had commissioned the crime, and not only those who had under- taken the order. "Daphne was not killed on October 16 – her assassination happened long before. The per- fect environment for her to be killed was created over a period of time. Her murder did not happen in a country were the rule of law reigns supreme," Said said. Some commotion broke when Said claimed the gov- ernment had labelled Caruana Galizia a 'witch', and had done all it could to discredit her, with government MP Glenn Bed- ingfield protesting loudly. "What I want is that a seri- ous and independent investi- gation takes place on Daphne's writings," Said reiterated, add- ing that the motion was in no way politically biased, and that those voting for the motion as amended by the government would show that they either have something to hide, or had no interest in seeing the coun- tries institutions function cor- rectly. Democratic Party MP Mar- lene Farrugia said that what was being discussed was a result of an investigative jour- nalist having been murdered under Joseph Muscat's admin- istration. "Just because three people were arraigned in court does not mean that the killer has been caught. The murderer – the person who commissioned the three accused – is still roaming the streets as a free man." Turning to the motion, Far- rugia said the government's amendments completely elimi- nated the possibility of a seri- ous investigation on Caruana Galizia's claims, and that it was the MPs' duty to vote in favour of the motion as tabled by Said. Subsequently, the Prime Min- ister told the house that he had been lied about [when it came to claims that his wife owned the Panama company Egrant], and he had subsequently asked for an investigation about the allegations. "I reiterate my and the gov- ernment's effort to ensure jus- tice is done," Muscat said. This was followed by an im- passioned speech by former PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami, who stressed that the government's amendments to the motions were meant to stop a real investigation of Caruana Galizia's allegations from tak- ing place. Opposition leader Adrian Delia, addressing the house towards the end of the debate, said that the rule of law implied that every person was subject to the law, including lawmak- ers, the police, and judges. The motion, he said, had been tabled so that govern- ment officials, departments, the police corps, and the FIAU – that were the subject of Caruana Galizia's claims – could be investigated. "I did not hear anyone in this House, from either side, explain with which part of the original motion as tabled by Said they did not agree. I would thus vote in favour of the motion as ta- bled by Said, as I have nothing to hide," he said.