25 years ago - The Times Saturday, April 30, 1994 Demolition of part of St George’s Tower: PA admits giving go-ahead The Planning Authority has admitted it sanctioned the demolition of part of St George’s Tower because it “detracted from the historical integrity of the fortification”. But yesterday, both the Museums Department and historical group Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna (FWA) expressed outrage that the authority granted approval for the demolition without proper consultation. It approved plans by the Corinthia Group for “the tower to be ‘restored’ to its original 17th century state without the British-added fire control tower” in July last year. Damage at Mnajdra temples Two stone quaries near the Mnajdra neolithic temples had their supply of explosives suspended last week on the recommendation of the Minerals Board. A statement by the Planning Authority said the recommendation followed the recent collapse of a three-ton megalith at the 6,000-year-old temple. The damage was discovered following a heavy storm on April 4. Half a century ago - Times of Malta Wednesday, April 30, 1969 £11,000 research grant award The Royal University of Malta announced yesterday that Professor W. H.

The International Spring Orchestra Festival, which began last Friday, continues until Saturday. This year’s edition is commemorating the centenary of one of the most important artistic movements to shape the 20th century – Bauhaus. Today, Azerbaijani pianist Saida Zulfugarova will perform Beethoven’s Tempest Sonata and the final Op. 111 Sonata, together with Schumann’s Kinderscenen (Childhood scenes) at the Malta Society of Arts, Valletta, Palazzo De la Salle, Republic Street, Valletta, at 8pm. Tomorrow, baritone Joseph Lia will perform Schubert’s Der Tod und das Mädchen among other highly evocative repertoire at the same venue at 8pm. On Thursday, the Zürich-based Trio Ameraldi will perform Dimitri Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 1 and Five pieces for piano trio and Schubert’s Eb Piano Trio at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta, at 8pm. On Friday, the Estonian Sinfonietta – Danse Macabre – will perform Schnittke’s Polka from Dead Souls, Strauss’s Metamorphosen, Sibelius’s Valse triste Op. 44, No. 1 from Kuolema/Death, and Maskats’s Midnight in Riga at the Manoel Theatre at 8pm. In the closing concert on Saturday at 8pm, Brian Schembri will conduct the Estonian Sinfonietta.  In the...

Residents of the Mexican town of Xonacatlan have entered the Guinness Book of World Records with a giant teddy bear, measuring more than 20 meters long and weighing four tons. The colossal stuffed animal, named Xonita, took three months to be stitched together and is the biggest of its kind.  

The latest Eurobarometer poll once again lists migration as the current top issue that the Maltese public feels should be discussed in the context of the European elections taking place in less than a month’s time on May 25.  A public discussion on migration is being co-organised by the European Parliament Office in Valletta in cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency Office in Malta (UNHCR) with the support of the EDIC University. The discussion will feature a keynote speech by Dr Derek Lutterbeck, holder of Swiss chair and deputy director at the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies in Malta.  There will also be interventions by Kahin Ismail, UNHCR representative to Malta, and Jamil Addou, interim executive director of the European Asylum Support Office.  This will be followed by a panel and public discussion. The public is invited to attend. The public discussion is being held on Thursday at 5.30pm at the European Parliament Office in Malta, Europe House, 254, St Paul Street Valletta.

Last month, a government delegation led by Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Clint Camilleri, had the opportunity to visit Foodex Japan 2019, one of Asia’s largest food and beverage trade shows – now in its 44th year of operation.  The aim of the visit was to explore new market entry opportunities for Maltese products, which will benefit under the new EU-Japan trade deal that entered into force on February 1.  According to EU data, there are currently 44 Maltese companies that export to Japan and the number of jobs in Malta that EU exports to Japan help support is said to be almost 1,262. Malta already exports tuna, electrical components, switches and metal alloys to Japan.  In 2018, Malta exported more to Japan than any other trading partner outside of the European Union with a total value of around €149 million in goods. It is indeed an achievement to see such positive figures and high trade levels with Japan. For this reason, and for the excellent ongoing bilateral relations, Malta will open an embassy in Tokyo that will help the promotion of Maltese products and services in Japan.  It is therefore important to keep building on this success,...

Investigators have concluded that fuel was used to burn down Floriana’s historic arch early on Saturday morning, in a case that was ‘definitely arson’. Sources close to the investigations said that the probe is well under way and investigators are combing closed-circuit television footage to identify the perpetrators.  The 120-year-old wooden arch was erected for the feast of St Publius this weekend. It was destroyed in a fire that raged for 90 minutes and also destroyed four parked cars. The fire on Triq San Tumas was reported at 1.30am.   A magisterial inquiry, led by Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, is still under way.   Tests on the remains have so far pointed towards the use of a type of fuel, probably petrol.  According to the Floriana parish priest, Fr Charles Cini, it looked like the fire had risen through the arch’s right column, which had a door and access shaft. He vowed to have the arch rebuilt: “We have the original plans, and we have the determination to do it. Hopefully, we will get the financial aid needed to make that possible.” Built in 1899, the arch was used regularly until 1939, when the outbreak of World War II forced organisers to put it into long-term...

Payments group Secure Trading have entered into a new partnership with Verdi Media, a Republic of Ireland-based full-service digital agency offering a range of creative and technical services. Secure Trading and Acquiring.com will become the preferred payment gateway and acquiring platform for Verdi Media. With no downtime on Secure Trading’s payment gateway during the past 18 years, and with a dedicated account manager and access to a UK-based support team, Verdi Media’s merchants will have the reassurance that their payments system has the reliability and support to power their business forward. On the acquiring side, Acquiring.com, Secure Trading’s merchant acquirer, will benefit Verdi Media’s merchants by providing AI-based risk management, an immediate decision on merchant accounts, instant boarding and a specialised account management structure for different verticals.  “Secure Trading and their acquirer, Acquiring.com, are the perfect choice for our e-commerce projects,” Paul Kieran of Verdi Media said. “Their technology is very easy to use, very easy to set up, and extremely cost-effective.” “Strategic partnerships such as these are one of the best ways that our flexible...

Employment is rising in OECD countries but most jobs continue to be created in relatively low-productivity, low-wage activities, says a new OECD report. The latest edition of the Compendium of Productivity Indicators says the trend has compounded the impact of generally weak business investment on productivity growth.  The downward pressure on wages may have allowed firms to defer investment decisions, instead meeting increased demand by hiring additional staff and, in turn, undermining the potential for investment-driven productivity growth, the report says. In France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the top three sectors with the largest employment gains between 2010 and 2017 accounted for one-third of total job creation but paid below-average wages. Moreover, in Belgium, Finland, Italy and Spain, industries with above-average labour productivity levels saw net job losses. The data show wage growth (adjusted for inflation) improving in recent years but remaining below pre-crisis rates in two-thirds of OECD countries despite a period of negligible or slow wage growth, and earlier declines in purchasing power in the aftermath of the crisis. Indeed, real wages remain below crisis...

In  around four weeks’ time the Maltese and the EU residents in Malta will be electing their six representatives in the European Parliament. It is a strange scenario, with the Labour Party and the Nationalist Party united in their hara-kiri quest of destroying our small nation once and forever through their unconditional support for unbridled building and over-development, their megalomania for the Gozo tunnel, their continued reverence of spring hunting and bird trapping. The Democratic Party will be presenting three genuine and well-intentioned candidates, but their good intentions are cast into doubt by the ambiguous behaviour of Marlene and Godfrey Farrugia, who proclaim themselves environmentalists but then are four square behind spring hunting and trapping all the year round and declare that they are against the Gozo tunnel but then do not bother to go to Parliament to voice their dissent and vote a clear “no” to the tunnel.  This leaves the voter with very little choice. In my opinion, only Alternattiva Demokratika and certain independent candidates. I am one of the independent candidates for the MEP elections. Unfortunately, today, here in Malta the current crop of...

Kevin Durant scored 35 points to lead the defending champion Golden State Warriors over Houston 104-100 Sunday while Boston ripped Milwaukee in the openers of their NBA second-round playoff matchups. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, each playing despite right ankle injuries, scored 18 and 13 points respectively while Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green each added 14 as the Warriors jumped ahead in the best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series. James Harden led Houston with 35 points while Eric Gordon added 27 and Chris Paul contributed 17 in a losing cause, the Rockets hitting only 41.9 percent from the floor. «We just made them shoot tough shots,» Durant said. «I think our defense won this game.» At Milwaukee, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford sparked the Boston Celtics to a 112-90 victory. Irving had game highs of 26 points and 11 assists while Horford scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots. The Warriors had lost their two prior playoff home games to the Los Angeles Clippers before escaping the first round, but hung on down the stretch to halt that unwanted streak. Curry sank a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a five-point lead with 25 seconds remaining,...

Barcelona warmed up for their Champions League semi-final against Liverpool with a title party while Paris Saint-Germain crashed to a shock defeat in the French Cup final as golden boy Kylian Mbappe got himself sent off. Here, AFP Sport takes a look at five main talking points from the weekend in European football: La Liga belongs to Barcelona It was only a matter of time, but Barcelona are champions of Spain again, wrapping up their eighth title in 11 years with three games to spare by beating Levante 1-0 on Saturday. It was the perfect way for the Catalans to warm up for their Champions League semi-final against Liverpool, with Lionel Messi starting on the bench before coming on to score the winning goal. Messi has now won 10 league titles with the club, more than any other player, and he raised aloft the trophy at the Camp Nou to start the party. «To win the title with a distance and gap is difficult with the rivals we have. We've done it two years in a row,» coach Ernesto Valverde said. The hope now is that Barca can go on to complete a treble, with a Copa del Rey final against Valencia to come as well. Real want season to end The end of the season cannot come soon enough...

Arsenal's Denis Suarez will miss the rest of the season after suffering a groin injury, the midfielder announced on Monday. Suarez has been limited to only six substitute appearances for Arsenal since arriving on loan from Barcelona in January. «I want you all to know that I will not be able to play again this season,» Suarez tweeted. «Some issues with my groin have made things tough since the game against BATE in the Europa League, now they have forced me to stop training altogether. »After various medical consultations, the conclusion has been reached that I cannot keep on pushing it and I have started a period of treatment that cannot be done alongside competitive football.« Suarez's last appearance for Arsenal was in their win against Manchester United in March. His contract with Barcelona runs until 2021, but the Gunners have an option to buy the Spaniard when his loan expires this summer. »I'm sorry that all the effort and sacrifice that was made to come to Arsenal hasn't come to fruition as hoped and you can't even imagine how angry I am about it, but health comes first,« Suarez added. »I want to give my thanks again to such a big club for trusting in me, although...

Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks has had surgery on a groin injury that is likely to rule him out for the rest of the season. Winks hasn't played since coming off in the closing stages of Tottenham's Champions League quarter-final first leg win against Manchester City. The England international has featured just three times for Mauricio Pochettino's side since February and now looks set to miss Tottenham's remaining matches this term. That is a blow to Pochettino, whose side face Ajax in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday. They also sit third in the fight to finish in the Premier League's top four with two games remaining. «Harry Winks has today undergone groin surgery. The England midfielder will be monitored by our medical staff as he continues his recovery before commencing rehabilitation,» a Tottenham statement announced on Monday. Winks had enjoyed a breakthrough season with Tottenham before his injury issues. The 23-year-old had established himself as a regular in central midfield and had also featured for England. As well as missing the conclusion of Tottenham's campaign, Winks isn't expected to recover in time for England's Nations League semi-final in...

Heavy rain battered northern Mozambique on Monday as residents and relief workers confronted devastation wrought by Cyclone Kenneth, the strongest cyclone to ever hit Africa, which killed 38 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Roads have been washed away, fields submerged and many buildings wrecked by the storm, which came weeks after Cyclone Idai struck the Mozambican city of Beira, 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) to the south. Cyclone Kenneth made landfall late on Thursday in Cabo Delgado province, packing wind gusts of up to 220 kilometres per hour. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described it as the strongest cyclone to ever lash the continent, and predicted further heavy rain over the coming days. «Cyclone Kenneth made landfall at the end of the rainy season, when river levels were already high, increasing the risk of river flooding,» the UN agency said in its latest update. «Humanitarian needs in Mozambique have sky-rocketed, and the humanitarian response will need to rapidly scale-up.» According to figures provided by the Mozambique authorities to NGOs, around 200,000 people in Pemba city, the capital of Cabo Delgado, are in danger. The...

A 49-year motorcyclist from St Paul's Bay was grievously injured in a traffic accident in Burmarrad on Monday evening. Police said the person, who was riding a Honda motorcycle, collided with a Hyundai Getz being driven by a 73-year old person from Mosta at around 5.45pm in Triq Burmarrad. A medical team was called to the site and the motorcyclist's injuries were later certified as grievous. Police investigations are ongoing.

A wanted man, who landed back in police custody last week, has been handed a 10-month effective jail term and forfeiture of bail bonds totaling almost €20,000, upon his arraignment on Monday. Clive Agius, a 34-year old Floriana resident, had been the subject of a public request for information launched by the police following a court order for the re-arrest of the man who was facing ongoing drug-related proceedings. The man was tracked down two days after publication of that police request, landing back in court on Monday where he admitted to having committed an offence punishable with imprisonment during the operative period of a suspended sentence. The accused was also charged with having breached two bail decrees, handed down in March and May, 2018 respectively, and with relapsing. The court, presided over by magistrate Josette Demicoli, was informed that the accused had allegedly failed to sign the bail book for the last month or so, sparking the police search for his whereabouts. Upon the accused’s own admission, the court declared him guilty and condemned him to a seven-month jail terms for the breach of two bail decrees and a further three months in terms of the suspended...

The MSE Equity Price Index opened the week slightly higher as it added 0.02% to 4,705.554 points. Overall, six equities trended in positive territory including BMIT and MIDI, both of which traded on robust volumes. On the other hand, BOV, HSBC and GO posted declines whilst a further three shares closed the day unchanged. BMIT Technologies plc advanced 1% to recapture the €0.53 level on strong activity totalling 546,531 shares having a market value of €0.29 million. The company is due to hold its AGM on 27 May. Similarly, MIDI plc rebounded by 1.7% from its 2019 low of €0.59 to the €0.60 level across 432,998 shares having a market value of €0.26 million. Last Thursday, MIDI reported record revenues of €52.5 million and a net profit of €11.6 million for the 2018 financial year largely reflecting the delivery a large part of the apartments within the Q2 residential block. Shareholders as at close of trading on 8 May will be entitled to a net dividend per share of €0.008 (representing an increase of 14.3% over the previous year). Looking ahead, the Directors explained the progress being made with respect to the Manoel Island project as well as plans for the development of the last...

The elusive chief of the Islamic State group Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has purportedly appeared for the first time in five years in a propaganda video released Monday by the jihadist organisation. It is unclear when the footage was filmed, but the man said to be Baghdadi referred in the past tense to the months-long fight for Baghouz, IS's final bastion in eastern Syria, which ended last month. «The battle for Baghouz is over,» the man said, sitting cross-legged on a cushion and addressing three men whose faces have been blurred. But he insisted that IS's operations against the West were part of a «long battle,» and that IS would «take revenge» on members who had been killed. «There will be more to come after this battle,» he said. Baghdadi, 47, had a long grey beard that appeared dyed with henna and spoke slowly, often pausing for several seconds in the middle of his sentences. He appeared for the first and last time in public in Mosul in 2014, where he declared an Islamic «caliphate» in the swathes of territory IS then held in Syria and Iraq. He was reported killed or injured multiple times since then. His whereabouts have never been confirmed.  His last voice recording to his...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat reframed the forthcoming European Parliament elections as a choice between himself and Opposition leader Adrian Delia during his party’s first campaign event on Monday.Dr Muscat insisted that while his counterpart argued that the election was not a choice between parties but MEP candidates, voters would in fact be choosing between the two party leaders.“I have full faith in each of our candidates, so I am putting my name alongside theirs,” he said during an interview at the Labour Party event in Marsa.In the wide-ranging interview, the Prime Minister also took aim at the Opposition’s stance on migration, referring specifically to images circulated by the PN accusing the government of having “filled Malta with foreigners” (fqajtu Malta bil-barranin).“This is the rhetoric of far-right parties,” he said, arguing that the PN was contradicting itself by stoking these fears while at the same time proposing in its electoral manifesto that Malta could become what he called a “centre for migration”. He said the government had been clear that Malta could not bear the burden of irregular migration alone, and that while Malta was ready to be “part of the...

Malta is regressing in its fight against corruption, the lead candidate for the European People’s Party (EPP) Manfred Weber fears. “I feel Malta is going backwards in its fight against corruption. This is a threat to democracy and impoverishes the Maltese citizens,” Mr Weber said in comments to the Times of Malta following a short visit to attend the Nationalist Party’s General Council. “The European way of life is what we Europeans have in common, what defines us. It is our common values of democracy, freedom, freedom of the press and the respect of the rule of law. We are seeing with concern the developments in Malta. This is damaging the image of the country European-wide. “The government should  implement the recommendations made by the Council of Europe, the Venice Commission and the European Parliament,” the EPP candidate insisted. He also reiterated calls for the launch of a public and independent inquiry into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, stressing that it was not acceptable that those who are responsible for her assassination “are still not behind bars”.  Read: Roberta Metsola is Malta's most active MEP  More efforts need to be done in the...

Maltese singing sensation Giorgia Borg, 10, continues to stir up excitement in the UK, with video of her Britain’s Got Talent performance seen more than 3.4 million times on YouTube in just three days. Young Giorgia was sent straight to the semi-final of the British reality TV show after wowing judges with a powerful performance of a song she co-wrote with local songwriter Muxu. Her Golden Buzzer-worthy appearance and precocious talent have proven popular with online audiences too, who have rushed to watch and share video of her performance. A YouTube video of Giorgia’s performance uploaded by Britain’s Got Talent has been seen more than 3.4 million times, with that same video also getting more than half a million views on the show’s official Facebook page. The singer is also the youngest-ever performer to get a Golden Buzzer on Britain’s Got Talent. A Golden Buzzer allows an act to go straight through to the semi-finals of the competition. Each of the show’s five judges is given one Golden Buzzer per series. Sour grapes? Giorgia’s sudden fame seems to have rubbed some viewers the wrong way, however.   A vocal minority took to Twitter to complain that the talented Maltese...

Police recovered the remains of a fourth victim of a suspected serial killer in Cyprus where the search for bodies continued Monday after a string of grisly murders that have shocked the Mediterranean island. The woman's remains were found Sunday stuffed in a suitcase at the bottom of a toxic man-made lake next to a disused mine southwest of the capital Nicosia, police said. The suspect, a 35-year-old Greek Cypriot army officer, has allegedly confessed to killing five foreign women and two of their daughters in a crime spree that went undetected for nearly three years. «After a long and persistent effort and a lot of difficulties, a travel suitcase was pulled from the lake, which contained a woman's body and also a cement block,» senior police inspector Neophytos Shailos told reporters. He said tests would be conducted to determine the woman's identity. Police said they expected to bring a second suitcase to shore on Monday and will also search for a third travel bag believed to be in the lake. British police experts - called in by Nicosia - were expected to join Cypriot authorities Monday to help solve the gruesome case dubbed Cyprus's «first serial killings». Police are still...

Roberta Metsola was Malta’s most active MEP during the past five years, and the popular party’s fourth most engaged, according to an online ranking site. The PN MEP is the only Maltese one to make it with the top 30 parliamentarians – placing 27th most active overall. The ranking was made public following the last European Parliament plenary session for the 2014-2019 legislature. It takes into account every activity undertaken by all MEPs, including drafted laws, voting records, legal amendments, speeches, voting transparency and parliamentary roles. Dr Metsola’s ranking places her at the very top of the EPP Group, just after President Antonio Tajani, Group Chairman Manfred Weber and British MEP Julie Girling. During this past legislature, Dr Metsola won the MEP of the Year award twice and was named as one of the top 10 young leaders of the world in 2017. Her office said that the PN MEP has also been “at the forefront of pushing forward a European agenda that suits the reality in Malta and Gozo”, keeping in touch with different stakeholders. She recently managed to pass a new EU border security law that will see 10,000 additional border guards at Europe’s external borders. For...

Updated 4.15pm with OPM response A court on Monday upheld a request by former Opposition leader Simon Busuttil for evidence in the Panama Papers scandal to be preserved.In a decree by magistrate Doreen Clarke, the court said the documents presented by Dr Busuttil and NGO Repubblika gave credence to the request for an inquiry to preserve evidence.The magistrate said a series of facts were presented that could indicate a crime took place.The court said the list of potential crimes presented to it were not fully covered by another inquiry being led by magistrate Charmaine Galea. For this purpose, the court ordered that the evidence presented to it form part of the inquiry being led by Dr Galea.The inquiry by Dr Galea is looking into the ownership of the Dubai company 17 Black. Evidence implicating Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri, Nexia BT’s Brian Tonna and Karl Cini as well as LNG tanker agent Mario Pullicino will now form part of this inquiry.A joint investigation by Times of Malta and Reuters last year revealed that 17 Black is owned by Tumas Group CEO Yorgen Fenech, who forms part of the Electrogas power station consortium. The...

Two youths were taken to hospital on Monday afternoon after they lost control of a car, flipping it over on Tal-Barrani road. The two, aged 28 and 23 and who live in Marsascala and Żejtun respectively, were taken to Mater Dei Hospital following the crash, which was reported to the police at around 2.20pm. Police said that no vehicles other than the Mitsubishi Colt were involved in the crash. No information about the pair's medical condition was available at the time of writing.

As the campaign for the European Parliament elections, scheduled for May 25 gains momentum, it is important to reflect how these elections can change Europe’s political landscape. This may lead to a reshaping of European democracy and have a direct impact on the future of the Union as well as on its ability to deal with migration and socio-economic issues which are of most concern to European citizens. For several decades the EU institutions have been dominated by a broad alliance between the mainstream centre-right and centre-left parties. Together, mainstream parties have enjoyed a comfortable majority and have dominated the EU’s principal institutions, including the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission. To a large extent this arrangement guaranteed the continuity and relative stability of the European integration project, though, in the view of its critics, it has also led to European institutional sclerosis. The eight direct elections to the EP that have been held so far between 1979 and 2014, have all roughly reflected the traditional left-right ideological spectrum of most member states. However, the waning support for mainstream parties,...

The Prime Minister has disclosed that soon, and suddenly, only electric cars will be imported – EV Day.  Is this a whimsical dream or a declaration taken on advice from competent persons? There are issues that need to be addressed relating to infrastructure, social, economic, mobility, health and the environment. This piece will deal with the latter two. Effective, affordable and efficient mobility is essential for the economy. Public transport, cycling and personal transport will ensure this, but only if all the options are according to the needs of individuals.  Each citizen’s mobility requirements can only be known by the citizen himself, not presumed by third parties.  Transport emissions have an impact on the environment and our health. Local media highlight the effects road transport pollutants have on citizens’ health, and rightly so.  There is less exposure on equitable and more pressing health issues. To name a few - obesity, smoking, urban densification, lack of open spaces and unhealthy advert-driven lifestyle choices. If the aim of going for electric passenger cars (EV) is to improve the environment and the health of the inhabitants on this isle, number crunching...

Fringe party Alleanza Bidla has started online streaming its own political station after its discussion TV programme was cancelled by the Broadcasting Authority until after next month’s local and European elections. Party co-leader Ivan Grech Mintoff told the Times of Malta that his current affairs show Exodus, which until a few weeks ago used to be broadcast on F-Living TV, had been banned until after the European Parliament and local council elections set for the end of May. “We refuse to abide by the BA's undemocratic decision. Exodus will therefore be broadcasting as Exodus DGT TV transmitting 24 hours-a-day, every day, on the internet and via IPTV,” he said.  Mr Grech Mintoff said the BA was insisting that its decision was meant to ensure fair media coverage in the run-up to the local council and European elections. However, the Eurosceptic Grech Mintoff does not see it that way. “The two major parties have their own TV and radio stations and can transmit their political message all day without being limited by the Broadcasting Authority,” he said. All other minor parties, Mr Grech Mintoff added, were merely given a few minutes each on the public service channel during the...

Secure Trading Limited/ acquiring.com have announced they have successfully completed the pilot of their brand-new POS devices. The devices, it has been confirmed, completed the pilot with seamless and secure transaction processing via acquiring.com – the award-winning merchant acquiring solution. The expansion into POS completes the Secure Trading/acquiring.com’s evolution into a complete omnichannel payment solution provider. The pilot comes off the back of Secure Trading/acquiring.com’s recently announced global partnership with AEVI Technologies, through which they are now offering both stand-alone and semi-integrated POS and mobile POS solutions. Over the next six months this product bundle will also include a cloud-based app environment for POS solutions, driving additional cross-product functionality and value to existing and future clients. “We now join the family of omnichannel payment processors who accept customer payments across multiple sales channels and devices, whether via telephone, mobile, online or via a point-of-sale system. This shift in our business model allows us to service our existing and future clients in an offering that truly encompasses enterprise...

Inclusive education is about acknowledging – and celebrating – diversity among students. It is therefore also about providing for students’ different needs in schools and in the classroom. A key question then is: how do we go about catering for these diverse needs? But there is a more fundamental question that, unfortunately, very often remains unasked: who is going to identify what each individual student’s needs are? The answer to that question is often taken for granted, with educators, allied health professionals and parents determining students’ individual educational needs. There is no doubt that the expertise of the different professionals and the experience of parents are extremely important. But leaving out the perspectives and voice of the students themselves means that an equally vital component of inclusive education goes missing. Unfortunately, this is the case with the National Inclusive Education Policy and Framework that were recently published for consultation. While these documents identify many of the key issues and challenges that need to be addressed for Malta to have a truly inclusive education system, and while they also propose valid actions for...

Some weeks ago, I had the joy of visiting in pilgrimage the burial place of Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, the spiritual director of Solidarność (Solidarity), who was killed by the Communists in 1984. The entire priestly ministry of Blessed Popiełuszko revolved around the sentence from St Paul to the Romans: “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). Why not make it our life’s unending motto, as Blessed Popiełuszko did?

The following ships are expected in Malta: The APL California from Kopper to Port Said (CMA CGM Malta Agency Ltd) today. The Majestic Maersk from Singapore to Tanjung Pelepas (Thomas Smith & Co. Ltd) tomorrow. The Astrid Schulte from Antwerp to Pireaus, the Maersk Arun from Bejaia to Port Tangier, the Atlantic Bridge from Algiers to TBA (all Thomas Smith & Co. Ltd) on Wednesday. The Maersk Laberinto from Malaga to Genoa, the Bremen Belle from Hamburg to Alexandria (both Thomas Smith & Co. Ltd) and the Mayssan from Spezia to Genoa (Bianchi & Co. Ltd) on Thursday.

We do need to improve our transport network, this was never in dispute. It’s how we do it that is. The challenge is to create a real change in how we travel. There lies the problem. Clearly, those unwilling to change should rejoice at those who do, voluntarily, but to a car-centric society these inoffensive ahead-of-the-curve few vary from being viewed as outcasts to, even more absurdly, threats. Infrastructure Malta’s quite cheesy claim that everyone is getting 12 minutes extra leisure time a week certainly had a lot of people on bikes and pedestrians wondering where their 12 minutes went? Most have seen their commute get a little longer with each improvement. The reality is commuters’ trips are becoming longer, not due to traffic but design. Poor design. Consider how Marsa removed traffic lights for car drivers yet pedestrians, people on bikes and, to a certain extent, bus users will have to potentially wait at six lifts to cross the scheme.  And the list is getting longer: Tal-Balal’s single-sided footpath and dearth of pedestrian crossings; Kappara’s unfinished cycle lane or still hole-in-the-ground pedestrian subway; the atrocious SMITHS cycling corridors. These stand as a...

The undeniable truth is that so-called warlord Khalifa Belqasim Haftar always had the discreet backing of many other strong European, western and other countries. There were many reliable reports in reputable magazines and newspapers during the last three years, which were totally ignored by the Foreign Ministry under George Vella, who is now President. Also, the fact is that countries like Libya and many others in North Africa need strong, determined leaders to control the many different tribal and cultural groups.

Many years ago, during a visit by our prayer group at Id-Dar tal-Providenza in Siġġiewi, I met a very young Debbie Schembri who welcomed us. A young woman full of determination, with a strong character, I met her again at the Millennium chapel. She knew what she wanted and was doing her best to achieve it. These last couple of years I came to know Debbie better and the love of her life, her son David. She lived and worked looking forward to the couple of hours she could spend with her son at the weekend. It was a pleasure to be with her and her son; the happiness she experienced in his company and the joy of her laughter as she watched David play. Debbie enjoyed her independence, notwithstanding the obstacles she encountered to achieve it. She made light of her suffering, which was a daily experience for her, which she accepted and did not allow it to be a setback in her daily life. Her prayer was the way she welcomed and helped the clients at her place of work. May she rest in God’s loving arms as she watches over her beloved son.