Top US and Chinese trade negotiators held productive talks in Beijing on Wednesday, the American side said, as the economic superpowers head towards an endgame in a dispute that has hit businesses with bruising tariffs. Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, a close aide to President Xi Jinping on economic matters, met with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin ahead of possibly decisive talks in the US next week. The world's two leading economies have exchanged tariffs on $360 billion worth of goods since President Donald Trump launched a trade war last year. «Ambassador Lighthizer and I just concluded productive meetings with China's Vice Premier Liu He. We will continue our talks in Washington, DC next week,» Mnuchin wrote on Twitter. The US and Chinese officials posed for pictures but made no statements to journalists about the outcome of the talks after they emerged from their hours-long meeting at the Diaoyutai state guest house. Liu and the Americans exchanged pleasantries before and after the behind-closed-door talks, joking about wearing the same colour red ties. The Chinese vice premier gave US Ambassador Terry Branstad a blue album with...

A suspected bomb attack by Maoist rebels killed 16 paramilitary troops in western India on Wednesday, police said. «Maoists attacked a team of commandos travelling in a private vehicle to inspect an earlier attack. So far 16 men have died,» an official at police headquarters in Maharashtra state told AFP. «More teams have been sent to site for rescue and combat operations,» said the officer, who did not want to give his name. India is holding elections and attacks by Maoist rebels, who are active in several states, often spike as the country goes to the polls. A second police official put the death toll in the latest incident in the Gadchiroli region of Maharashtra at 15. «Maoists torched over 30 vehicles in Gadchiroli today at 12:30pm (0700 GMT). In another blast, 15 security officers were killed and rescue operations are ongoing to ascertain the damage,» Gadchiroli police official Prashant Dute told AFP. Indian forces have been fighting Maoists rebels for decades in several areas, in an insurgency that has killed tens of thousands. The Maoists are believed to be present in at least 20 Indian states but are most active in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand - and...

Malta’s quintessential identity and the way the island lifestyle appears to defy 21st century living takes the spotlight in a long-term photographic documentation that is the result of a project spanning over a decade. The results of the project have now been published in a book that brings together a series of photographic works and essays portraying some of the last remnants of authentic cultural identity. Postcards From Paradise is the brainchild of Serbian artist Duška Malešević, who first came to Malta in the late 1990s and who has been exploring Malta’s “quiet time capsule and a way of life seemingly untouched by Ikea” ever since settling here. The first edition of the book was published in 2016 and sold out soon after. The works have appeared in a number of exhibitions in Malta and abroad but the re-publication sees extended contributions by a number of writers and artists. “The book tells the story of the Maltese islands and its mutations through candid images,” the artist said.  “It explores an island where time is indefinable and events unfold at a slower pace. I view it as a stratification of customs, some long preserved, others irretrievably lost.” The project, Ms...

A year after the murder of the investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kusnirova, it was with great joy that I read about the election of the new  Head of State (‘Zuzana Caputova elected first female President of Slovakia’, April 1). Caputova, who is due to take office on June 15, believes in open, welcoming, kind and transparent societies. An environmental lawyer, she cut her teeth litigating and protesting against excessive building, waste and pollution in her home country. A novice in the political arena, she campaigned using the slogan Stand Up to Evil and has been described by the incumbent President, Andrej Kiska, as someone “who represents values like decency”. Even her main opponent in the election, who sent her flowers to congratulate her, seems to have welcomed Caputova’s election. This wonderful electoral result augurs well. It shows that if people of goodwill step forward and put in the necessary amount of work, there can be light at the end of the tunnel, sunshine after the storm, hope that springs from desperation. The scars will never disappear and those who paid for a good cause with their life will never see justice served but a social...

Before I start this article, I wish to inform readers that I am not an expert on religion. Or an expert about origins, or even about the universe. Far from it. But I, like others, have my own ideas on the subject, and quite honestly I cannot really get my head around it. There are two main ways of thinking about life and the origin of life. Some believe that we were created by God and the other half believe that we just happened by chance. Both are very difficult ideas to understand and at the end of endless discussions, no one has the correct answer, or to be more correct, can prove that they have the correct answer.  As we mature our ideas, we accept that certain things occur over a period of time, but what we cannot answer by logic is still a mystery. For example, we are now accepting that humans evolved over a long period of time.  But evolution started from something.  What we don’t know, or anybody knows, is where the starting point came from and what directed the starting point to develop into the multitude of creatures and plants we see before us today. If we accept that the world was created by a big bang, what we cannot accept is that what has resulted from the big...

Members of the Malta Institute of Accountants enjoyed a complimentary screening of the thought-provoking film Without Question. Produced by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the drama movie raises crucial issues relating to accountancy professionals and the impact of their decisions on businesses. In his remarks, MIA president William Spiteri Bailey said that Without Question makes a “pertinent point” about the role of accountancy professionals as consultants and experts. The film provides a fictional setting mirroring incidents and situations that accountants experience in their professional lives. The screening was followed by a debate moderated by ICAEW executive director Robert Hodgkinson. The panel of experts included Aileen Pierce, board member of the Public Interest Oversight Board, Anton Borg, director of Impresa Group, David Xuereb, president of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, Kyriakos Iordanou, general manager of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus and Nick Captur, Tax Partner at Deloitte.  Apart from members of the institute, the event also welcomed international delegates from other...

On November 30, 2016, former Parliamentary Secretary for the Elderly Justyn Caruana announced with great pomp and ceremony at a media conference that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had appointed the first Commissioner for Older Persons in Malta, in accordance with legislation passed by Parliament the previous month.   The government had informed the European Union about its intention to appoint the commissioner a long time before it actually did. In fact, merit was already given to Malta for its initiative in a report on the Active Ageing Index that was published by the EU more than six months before.   Caruana said that a big step forward had been made by the said legislation. Rightly so, because despite being recognised as a minority group by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality, up to that point older persons did not have a commissioner to safeguard their rights and interests. The appointment of the commissioner had put older persons on a par with other disadvantaged groups in the country including children, people with disability and refugees, which all had their own respective commissioner for a number of years.  The Commissioner for Older Persons is...

Liverpool have grown used to seeing their prized assets snatched away by Spanish giants over the past decade, but the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona has helped lay the foundations for a successful rebuild at Anfield. Coutinho, who has struggled to match the expectations of his £142 million ($183 million) price tag, will come up against his former team at the Camp Nou on Wednesday as Liverpool travel to Catalonia for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on the back of a 10-game winning run. Liverpool learned their lesson from the departures of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano to Madrid and Barcelona that quickly dismantled the title-challenging team put together by Rafael Benitez and the devastating effect of losing Luis Suarez to Barca had five years ago. With the Spanish champions desperate for star power when Neymar walked out to join Paris Saint-Germain in August 2017, the Reds hierarchy dug their heels in and drove the price up for the Brazilian. Coutinho finally got his dream move in January 2018, but by that time the centrepiece to the construction that has seen Jurgen Klopp reawake the five-time European champions as a force on the continent had...

It is easy to make comparisons between the former Nationalist administration and Muscat’s government without understanding the brutal economic realities of the time, Lawrence Gonzi has cautioned. “My government went through terrible years because of the financial crisis. And Malta sailed through with a positive outcome. I keep reading statements and I smile. Ten years ago the whole world was a disaster and we were doing very well, thank you very much,” the former prime minister said. Dr Gonzi, who served as prime minister between 2004 and 2013 was speaking on Times Talk to mark the 15th anniversary of Malta’s EU membership. Read: 15 years: taking stock of EU membership Sounding an optimistic tone about Malta's successes inside the EU bloc, Dr Gonzi nevertheless warned about “black holes” that have weighed down the country, notably issues like the environment and the lack of maturity in politics. He said the biggest disappointment of membership was the way EU leaders dealt with the issue of migration in the southern Mediterranean, despite the advice given by the EU institutions.  Taking a snapshot of the present political situation, he said the government should heed...

Yobetit’s three furry companions Skeeve, Lilly, and Peppa are integral additions to the company, not only in the office but also within the company’s daily practices. The brand logo is, in fact, a depiction of the oldest office-dog Skeeve, and all three of the dogs are heavily included in the company’s vision. The dogs inspire the four qualities implemented within the brand: loyalty and trust, awareness, companionship and rewards. Just as dogs show loyalty and trust, the company maintains the same qualities. Within the gaming industry loyalty and trust are at the forefront of all interactions - between the customer and the company, business-to-business, and between Yobetit employees. Yobetit maintains exceptional practices to ensure everyone involved with the company are safe and supported, always, even the dogs. Within Yobetit the quality of awareness also plays an important role. Being aware of external happenings as well as internal ones is critical within the business. Awareness between employees, customers, the market, ethics and work practices all fit into the bigger picture of running a successful company. Along with awareness comes patience and acceptance, as without...

Maltese beekeepers are missing out on EU subsidies due to the “copy paste implementation” of European rules that make no distinction between small member states and larger countries, an MEP candidate has lamented.    Peter Agius, who is running on the Nationalist Party ticket in the forthcoming May 25 election, levelled this criticism when meeting beekeepers.  “Rules designed for Poland and France, where the average agricultural holding is 100 times bigger than Malta’s are making it impossible for them to tap into the €125 EU funding subsidy per bee box,” Dr Agius said.  He added that EU rules could have been adapted to suit the needs of the apiculture industry in Malta, as part of the ongoing efforts to protect home-grown Apis Mellifera Rutneri, which is an endemic bee particularly well suited to Malta.  “Instead, we have a copy-paste approach, forcing beekeepers to move bee boxes every year with a view to promote an objective, which makes sense in France but is totally ridiculous in Malta,” he said.  While EU rules foresee bee box movements to ensure wider pollination on holdings spanning kilometres, in Malta such a measure is “futile” given that a bee can travel five...

Joe Biden has taken a commanding lead in the crowded 2020 Democratic presidential nomination race, polls showed Tuesday, boosting the former US vice president's standing as he began campaigning in early-voting Iowa. A CNN poll had Biden breaking away from the pack of 20 candidates with 39% support among Democrats or Democratic-leaning voters. Liberal Senator Bernie Sanders was a distant second at 15%. Progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren, young South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former congressman Beto O'Rourke of Texas were bunched together with eight, seven, and six percent respectively. Biden also came out on top in a Quinnipiac University poll with 38% support among Democrats and voters leaning Democratic. Twelve percent of those polled by Quinnipiac backed Warren while 11% were for Sanders and 10% for Buttigieg. California Senator Kamala Harris was at eight percent followed by O'Rourke with 5%. The CNN survey signaled, however, that Americans are still a long way from making up their minds this far out from the statewide primaries, which kick off next February. Only 36% of respondents with a preference said they will definitely back the candidate they currently...

The Malta U-17’s will be in search of a qualification berth in the European Championship finals which will be held in Georgia this summer when they open their commitments in the qualifying tournament at the National Pool on Wednesday. Karl Izzo’s boys open their commitments with a double assignment when they face Poland Wednesday morning before taking on Switzerland in the day’s final match in the evening. Greece and the Czech Republic are the other teams in the group, with top two sides making the finals. The Malta coach has named a 15-man squad for the qualifying tournament who have already shown a lot of promise during their recent participation in an international tournament in Slovakia last month. In fact, the Maltese youngsters finalised in a commendable fourth place in the competition after impressive wins over more-quoted sides such as the Ukraine and Romania among others. “This is a very important tournament for us as after the disappointment of missing out with our U-15 team we are determined to take this team to the Euro finals,” Izzo told the Times of Malta on Tuesday. “I was very pleased with our preparations for the tournament, particularly with our performance in...

Ajax closed in on a first Champions League final for 23 years as Donny van de Beek's early goal beat an injury-hit Tottenham 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday. Van de Beek's opener on 15 minutes was just reward for the Dutch side's first-half dominance as Tottenham badly missed the presence of the injured Harry Kane and suspended Son Heung-min. Tottenham improved after the break despite another injury blow as Jan Vertonghen had to be helped down the tunnel after a sickening head knock, but lacked the inspiration needed to get back on level terms without their two top scorers. And Ajax could easily have had an even greater lead to take back to the Johan Cruyff Arena for the second leg next week when David Neres hit the post 10 minutes from time. Ajax had shown they are not fazed on the road despite the tender age of many of their squad by shocking Real Madrid and Juventus away to reach the last four and started confidently. Spurs were happy to sit deep and wait for their chances to counter-attack, but that gameplan was undone when Hakim Ziyech's through ball picked out midfielder Van de Beek who took his time to leave Hugo Lloris prone before slotting into...

A 30-year-old man from Pietà was hospitalised on Tuesday after he was involved in a traffic collision in his hometown. The police said the man was riding a motorbike that collided with a car.  The accident took place just outside Appoġġ offices in Gwardamanġa, limits of Pietà. No information about the victim's medical condition was available at the time of writing. The police said they are investigating further 

A €5 million rehabilitation of Chadwick Lakes will begin in the coming weeks, with the project expected to take two years to complete. Named after British engineer Sir Osbert Chadwick, who designed most of the existing water dams dating back to the end the 19th century, this popular spot  at Wied il-Qlejgħa, limits of Rabat has been left neglected for decades. Details about the rehabilitation project, which is being managed by the Energy and Water Agency and was first announced in January, were revealed on Tuesday afternoon in a news conference. What will works involve? Works will include restoring existing dams' storage capacity and removing debris and silt deposits which have accumulated over the years. Banks and retaining walls will be rebuilt in an environmentally-friendly manner, while intrusive development such as a playground in the valley bed, constructed during the 1990s, will be removed. How will the project help the area? Energy and Water Agency CEO Manuel Sapiano noted that a number of studies had already been carried out as part of the permitting process. The project aims to cleanse the valley of various invasive flora, so that endemic species can flourish in the...

British police opened an investigation on Tuesday into a hospital where hundreds of patients are believed to have died prematurely after being given powerful painkillers. Police are examining the care provided to patients who died at Gosport War Memorial Hospital in southern England between 1987 and 2001, police said in a statement. A review last year found that more than 450 people had their lives shortened at the hospital while another 200 were «probably» also given strong opioids. «This is a highly complex and emotive case that some family members have been living with for more than 30 years,» said Nick Downing, the police officer who has been reviewing the findings of the review. «I hope the news that we will now be carrying out a full investigation is of some comfort to them,» he said. Maggie Cheetham told the BBC she wanted «closure» for her aunt Ethel Thurston who died in 1999 aged 78 after being admitted to the hospital following a fall. «All she needed was some tender loving care. She did not deserve to die,» Cheetham was quoted as saying. «I want to know why she was given the cocktail of drugs, and I want someone held to account for killing her.» Last year's review...

What Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando did in his private life was not in the public interest provided that it did not affect his public role, a tribunal ruled on Tuesday in case concerning photos published by Daphne Caruana Galizia. The Information and Data Protection Appeals Tribunal ruled that news reports purely intended to satisfy the curiosity of people who thirsted for details of a person’s private life did not qualify as matters of public interest and could not be afforded protection under a claim of freedom of expression. Dr Pullicino Orlando, a former MP who currently chairs the Malta Council of Science and Technology, had filed the case against Daphne Caruana Galizia, claiming that five images about his private life which the late journalist had published on her blog Running Commentary breached data protection laws. The images were included in six blog posts Ms Caruana Galizia uploaded between 2010 and 2016 when Dr Pullicino Orlando had been dining out at a St Paul’s Bay restaurant, signing a deed at a notarial office, accompanying his girlfriend on a Valentine’s trip to Sicily, traveling with the same girlfriend to London and Sicily and also attending a local song...

In serene turquoise waters off Egypt's Red Sea coast, scuba divers ease among delicate pink jellyfish and admire coral - yet a rebounding tourism sector threatens the fragile marine ecosystem. The Red Sea is a top scuba diving destination, but Egypt's tourism sector was buffeted by a wave of security shocks through much of this decade, before a partial recovery since 2017. A diving instructor in the town of Hurghada, a top resort, warned that the rebound brought dangers for the corals. Before the decline in visitors «there was way too much activity because it was so cheap» he said, asking to remain anonymous. «In some areas, they've disappeared - although in others we see they're coming back». The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says coral reefs are among «the most beautiful, biologically diverse and delicate ecosystems in the world». It describes these resources as vital to maintaining food supply and protecting the shorelines of low-lying island nations. Along the seafront in the town of Hurghada, bazaars and resorts offer unbeatable prices to attract budget-conscious European visitors to a country whose vital tourism sector was battered by a 2011 uprising and...

The Malta Football Players Association Awards were held on Monday at the Xara Lodge where the top performers of the 2019 season were honoured during a gala night. This event has become a staple in every football player’s calendar. Year in year out the anticipation grows and player’s cannot wait to see who will be taking home a coveted MFPA Award. During this year’s event, the best young player award went to Hibernians forward Joseph Mbong, first time nominee and winner of two awards on the night. The highest honour, went to Valletta and Malta defender Steve Borg. The special award went to players who have served the Maltese National team for 100 games or more. Michael Mifsud, David Carabott, Gilbert Agius, Carmel Busuttil, Roderick Briffa and Joe Brincat were given special recognition for this achievement. President Emeritus George Abela was given the MFPA Merit award as recognition for the work done during his presidency at the helm of MFA and the positive effect such measures still have. MFPA General Secretary Carlo Mamo in his speech gave a brief overview of the work carried out in fulfilment of the position paper which will be expiring at the end of the current season. Mamo...

A former police sergeant has been fined €10,000 for leaking police information involving Adrian Delia to Daphne Caruana Galizia.  A court was told that an investigation was launched by the police after a blog by the late journalist under the headline 'Nationalist Party leadership contender Adrian Delia replies to questions about anonymous report to the police' included a photo of a police report. The blog was uploaded on August 16, 2017. As part of their investigations, the police established who had sought information from PIRS, the National Police System. It was found that then-sergeant Roderick Sammut, stationed at Qormi, had accessed the system four times between June 14 and August 13, 2017, and searched for particulars about Dr Delia. Two screenshots of a police report were discovered among the 'sent' items on the former sergeant's WhatsApp folder, after his mobile phone was examined. One of those pictures was identical to the one posted by Caruana Galizia although it was not determined whether any calls or messages had ever been exchanged between the accused and Ms Caruana Galizia, the court was told. Service providers asked to report on this had returned a negative...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Tuesday declined to say if he had ever asked his top aide and close friend Keith Schembri what his plans for 17 Black were. Speaking to the media, Dr Muscat said that was a question for an inquiry to ask, and not simply something to ask out of curiosity. Dr Muscat has kept Mr Schembri by his side ever since the Panama Papers scandal broke in 2016. The massive data leak revealed Mr Schembri’s 2015 plans to receive large payments using complex offshore structures that disguised his financial interests in them. Dubai-based company 17 Black was mentioned in a leaked e-mail as being one of two companies that would feed up to $2 million into Mr Schembri’s secret offshore holdings. Since 2016, Mr Schembri has always maintained that the money from his offshore holdings was going to come from his business earnings before taking office. He only volunteered that he had “draft business plans” with 17 Black in April 2018, and only after the Daphne Project revealed the e-mail link between the Dubai company and his Panama company. A joint investigation by the Times of Malta and Reuters would later reveal that 17 Black was owned by power station investor Yorgen...

Two NGOs - Animal Liberation Malta and VeggyMalta - have twinned to ask MEP candidates ten questions in a campaign we are calling “Tell them how you will vote, before we vote for you”. The questions are being sent to all candidates contesting the MEP elections, which answers (or lack of response) will be made public. All the questions are all related to vegan and animal rights issues. Darryl Grima, VeggyMalta Coordinator said that what happened at the European parliament affected the people - from stupid matters like banning the use of words like veggie-burger to how the focus of the new Common Agricultural Policy would be. The reform of the Common Agriculture Policy could have an impact on climate change. Furthermore, the EU parliament had a  role to improve animal welfare issues with the EU. Leila Scott from Animal Liberation Malta said the NGO had been raising awareness on the conditions in which farm animals lived and it wanted MEPs to do the same. "It is so cruel that an animal should live all its life in a cage. Similarly, we ignore the welfare issues that relate to fish and that fish too feel.” The 10 questions: 1: Vegan product names Will you vote to ban the right of...

Norman Darmanin Demajo has decided to step down from his role of MFA president when his term in office will come to an end during this year's annual general meeting. The MFA chief announced his decision during Tuesday's Council Meeting. “I have always stated that any announcement related to my position would be made in the appropriate fora,” Darmanin Demajo said. “Today I'd like to announce that I will not be contesting the election of Malta FA president at the next Annual General Meeting. “I’m stating my position several weeks in advance to dispel any doubts about my intentions. “I take the opportunity to thank all those who have worked with me over the past nine years." Darmanin Demajo had been at the helm of the local governing body of football for the past nine years. He was elected as president of the MFA for the first time in 2010 when he defeated his predecessor Dr Joe Mifsud during an election. During his term in office, Darmanin Demajo has been instrumental in upgrading the club's infrastructure with the installation of several artificial pitches in various club training grounds while also the construction of a number of football stadiums. Following Darmanin Demajo's...

Gżira Athleta 90Hibernians 73 (17-10, 24-17, 24-16, 25-30; Gżira lead series 2-0) The first game in the series went down to the wire with Gżira Athleta finally snatching a marginal two-point win after an encounter that could have swayed either end. Fast forward three days and game two was played. This time the Maroons opened a 2-0 series lead, putting immense pressure now on the reigning champions Hibernians as the latter need to win Game Three tomorrow to keep their hopes alive in the best of five series. Gżira opened a substantial first-half lead which they then extended in the second part of the game. The winners paraded again American Kwame Thompson who returned to their fold for the first time since the start of the year and joined the other elements of their ‘foreign legion’. On the other hand, Hibs had skipper Marko Matijevic missing for this second game in the series. The game had a slow start with the score tied at 6-6 midway in the first quarter with Luca Tardito neutralising Gżira Athleta’s first hoops from Julio Guity and Vincent Pace. Here, Athleta registered their first positive stretch with an 11-2 run with seven points coming off Connell Crossland. At the start...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Tuesday that the government wanted to shift people away from the mentality that social housing was inherited by successive generations. Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, the first part of which was open to the press, Dr Muscat made it clear that this was not aimed at changing the rules for those already in social housing. Dr Muscat said the idea was to track a person’s means throughout his or her lifetime, and cater for their housing requirements accordingly. The Prime Minister has hinted at a shift in social housing policy in previous years, having said that the culture of entitlement that went with such benefits needed to be done away with. On Tuesday, the Prime Minister said one in every three euros of public funds was spent on the social sector.  At the same time, the government had managed to decrease the amount of people who were dependent on social benefits, Dr Muscat said. Dr Muscat said the main aim remained the eradication of poverty. He said those classified as living in property had decreased from 43,000 people in 2013 to 14,000. Turning to the rental market, Dr Muscat said the government would help those in need in a manner...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Tuesday morning signalled generous pension raises, saying at a rally that what had been given to pensioners so far was nothing compared to what was in store, in the interests of social justice. Dr Muscat told elderly supporters that his government had already done a lot for pensioners, having raised pensions in successive years and made pensions non-taxable. Still, he said, more remained to be done. Some categories of pensioners, particularly some women, were at risk of poverty, he admitted. More also needed to be done to help elderly people who could not live on their own. The elderly would be helped, as far as possible, to continue to live in their communities. It was in this context that schemes were being set up to provide financial assistance for the provision of carers. All this, however, underlined the need for a strong economy and a healthy surplus. Those who wished to continue to work would be encouraged to do so, but those who opted to retire should have the means to keep up with the cost of living.

Residents of what used to be a quiet street in Mqabba are considering moving out of their homes, having been exhausted by the noise and danger of construction trucks driving through. “Our houses shake each time a heavy truck drives by and, since the street has no pavement, we cannot step out of the house for fear a truck will run us over,” one resident said. Narrow Triq Valletta has signs that ban heavy vehicles from driving through, and there is a speed limit of 25 kilometres an hour. Both are repeatedly ignored and trucks drive through for hours on end throughout the week. The residents said they repercussions if they speak up. Last week, two facades were defaced with black liquid and residents expressed fears that the vandalism stemmed from complaints they had already made about the situation. Read - Vandals attack historic buildings following residents' construction complaints “It seems someone is trying to pass on a message, to instil fear but they got the opposite reaction from the public as people have united to support those affected,” Mqabba mayor Charlene Muscat told Times of Malta.  One resident said that when he tried to talk sense to a driver he reacted with threats...

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido announced Tuesday that he had support from a group of «brave soldiers» in a video recorded at an air force base in Caracas and broadcast on social media. «Today brave soldiers, brave patriots, brave men supporting the Constitution have answered our call,» Guaido said in a video recorded with a small group of uniformed men. At the same time opposition politician, Leopoldo Lopez said he was «freed» from jail by soldiers supporting Guaido. The Venezuelan government of President Nicolas Maduro denounced an «attempted military coup.» It called for supporters to rally at the presidential palace in Caracas. Spain warned against 'bloodshed.'   

Investors closely monitoring the markets would not be at fault for stating that volatility seems to have increased over the past 15 months or so. With 2018 being a year to forget, both in terms of total returns and the volatility it brought with it, the first quarter of 2019 was benevolent to investors, with both the ECB and US Federal Reserve more-than-expected dovish stance, sending risks assets markets higher. Volatility levels were muted in the first three months of the year but did experience bouts of elevated volatility. Inevitably, times of increased volatility provide investors with attractive investment opportunities, but they might not necessarily have the adequate expertise to take advantage of such situations. Furthermore, it could be challenging for investors to control their emotions. When equities (or bonds) are enjoying a rally, the so-called ‘herd instinct’ kicks in as investors seek to jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the ride on the upside. The same can be said when markets correct; moves can be further exacerbated on the downside as panic moves prevail and corrections deepen. The wisest thing for investors would be to remain calm. Having an investment...

Christian Eriksen's present meets the Danish midfielder's past when his former side Ajax travel to Tottenham for the first leg of an unexpected Champions League semi-final for both sides on Tuesday. But where Eriksen's future lies will give a good indication of whether times have truly have changed at Spurs. Ajax arrive in London already in the knowledge that despite reaching a first Champions League semi-final since 1997, they will sell a number of their shining lights this summer and start again. Frenkie de Jong has already sealed a 75 million euro ($85 million) move to Barcelona for next season, captain Matthis de Ligt is expected to command a similar fee, while Hakim Ziyech, Donny van der Beek, David Neres and Nicolas Tagliafico could also go. Spurs have benefited themselves from the conveyer belt of talent that rolls through the academy at the Dutch giants. As well as Eriksen, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez will come up against their former club in the last four. Tottenham have long since had a similar, if less prolific strategy. Luka Modric and Gareth Bale eventually outgrew Spurs' status to join Real Madrid, where they went onto win four Champions...

In a feisty match, played under a scorching sun, Stompers managed to overcome Kavallieri’s stern challenge, succeeding to lift the silverware to make it a double for yet another year, having won the Cisk Lager League as well. The match did not start on a positive note for Kavallieri, as Jordan Heathley, just back from injury, suffered physical damage in the first minute and had to be replaced with Edmunds. Stompers drew first blood some minutes later, when Betts was given a pass from a central play-move and sprinted towards the tryline to ground the ball with no conversion being made – 5-0. Stompers continued to pile up the pressure on Kavallieri’s backline, thanks to a flowing forward drive scored by the evergreen Richard Gum. The latter continued to pile misery on Kavallieri by converting his own try and put his team 12-0 ahead. Although Kavallieri did not manage to create too many goal-scoring opportunities, full back Eduard Toderika pierced Stompers’ strict defence-line after a supporting move by Kavallieri’s pack. Stompers and Kavallieri continued to exchange fierce forward drives, resulting in two converted tries by Stompers’ Keith Azzopardi and Kavallieri’s Branton...

Emotions ran high among fans at the National Stadium and Corradino as Valletta and Hibernians battled from the distance for the 2019 BOV Premier League title. It looked as though Valletta were set to retain the championship crown for a second successive year when they headed into stoppage time of their match against Ħamrun Spartans leading courtesy of Mario Fontanella’s first-half goal. However, a rare lapse of concentration in defence cost the Citizens dearly as Donneil Moukanza fired home the equaliser for Ħamrun Spartans that left Valletta facing a title decider against Hibs, who joined them at the top with a 5-1 win over Balzan, on Saturday at the National Stadium (kick-off: 4pm). Victor Sciriha, the Valletta president, was left disappointed to see his team throw away what looked a certain win over the Spartans and said that he expected a strong response from his players ahead of Saturday’s showdown. “You have to be disappointed when you see how the game developed,” Sciriha said. “We completely dominated the match... Ħamrun didn’t have one shot on target for the whole 90 minutes. But then we suddenly switched off and we got punished. “The team should only blame themselves as...

When a woman leaves an abusive relationship, she most often ends up with no financial means, a weak CV and a disheartened spirit.  But a survivor-run hub, the first of its sort in Malta, will provide the space and support for women to be trained and learn new skills that will hopefully open their door to gainful employment. A townhouse in Tarxien is currently going through refurbishment to host, among others, a shop, an industrial kitchen and a clinic for probono and government agency practitioners. The work is already under way, but a further €69,000 is needed to complete the project. The hub will not be a shelter, but more like a day centre providing long-term peer-to-peer support, explained Elaine Compagno, who leads SOAR, a service provided by the Jeanne Antide Foundation. She said that the hub will house a social enterprise, initially involving the making of bath cosmetics and candle products by the women themselves. This will support SOAR’s sustainability, and the foundation will also go for a permaculture approach and grow crops in the house’s garden.  The produce will be given to survivors facing food poverty, who will also be involved in growing the fruit and...

The following retreats are due to be organised by the Centre for Ignatian Spirituality at Mount St Joseph Retreat House, Mosta.  • ‘Using a Labyrinth to pray’. Led by Clare Camilleri, Maria Theresa Portelli and team on May 4.  Description: Embark on a spiritual pilgrimage by using the Labyrinth Prayer, an ancient form of a walking meditation that helps personal and spiritual growth. Come along for this one-day experience as we join others from around the globe who use this method of prayer as a tool to intensify their relationship with God. • ‘The Book of Revelation and Select Themes from the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius’. Led by Prof. Anthony Frendo – May 3-5.  Description: The Book of Revelation was written to comfort the  early Christians during the persecutions by the Roman Emperor. During this retreat we will reflect on the timeless messages in this book and compare them to similar ideas in the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius.  • ‘Praying with Music and Song’. Led by Clare Camilleri, Maria Theresa Portelli and team on June 15.  Description: We shall explore how music, song and dance can enrich our prayer life. There will be time for personal reflection and...