The people elected to the European Parliament should not act as the government’s “fan club” but should be objective on issues, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Monday, repeating his appeal for all the Maltese MEPs to work together. The four Labour candidates elected to the European Parliament were a good mix of experience and new energy, he said. During a meeting with the four – Miriam Dalli, Alfred Sant, Josianne Cutajar and Alex Agius Saliba – he also noted with satisfaction the fact that there was equal representation of the sexes and that there was also a Gozitan. He said that he would soon start to consider who to nominate as a European Commission, saying that this would be done with the “best national interest foremost in his mind”. The proposal is currently for each prime minister of the member states to nominate two candidates with the new European Commission president to make the final choice. Dr Muscat said that this proposal is still being discussed and that the nominations would only be made once the procedure is finalised.

Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell said on Monday it had made «a significant light oil discovery» in Shpirag, a mountain region some 120 kilometres from the Albanian capital Tirana as earlier tests bore fruit. «We are pleased that these initial tests have confirmed the potential of this discovery and look forward to growing our business in Albania,» vice-president of the group in charge of the exploration Marc Gerrits was quoted by a statement as saying. Shell Upstream Albania, the Albanian branch of the oil group and a partner on the project since 2012, estimated that the deposit has a production potential of «several thousand barrels every day». In parallel with the production launch Shell will continue its explorations in the region of Shpirag. The announcement «is very important news for the Albanian oil and gas industry... this is the first such discovery in last 30 years,» Albanian Energy Minister Belinda Balluku told reporters. According to the authorities, Albania currently produces some 18,000 gross barrels of oil per day, but experts estimate that non-exploited reserves are still plentiful. These are believed notably to be along the coast in areas where Albania and Greece...

It was the biggest electoral victory in Malta’s history - until it wasn’t. The Labour Party’s landslide win in Saturday’s European Parliament election saw them open up a substantial 42,656-vote advantage over the Nationalist Party. However, it fell some way short of projections that at one point during the vote counting process had pointed to a gap in excess of 51,500 votes, prompting Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to declare it an “unprecedented” victory, and the widest margin in Malta’s electoral history. In the end, the PL received 54.3% of the vote, compared to the PN’s 37.9%.The revised predictions meant that the 2019 victory failed to break a record set in the 1947 general election by Paul Boffa, whose Labour Party triumphed by a margin of 44,104 votes and continues to hold top spot. The former Prime Minister had secured 59.9% of the vote - securing 24 of 40 available seats - ahead of the Nationalist Party on 18% and the Democratic Action Party on 13.3%. Dr Muscat’s latest victory does, however, go down as the largest since independence, ahead of his own recent wins in the 2017 general election and 2014 European Parliament vote. The difference between the two parties was of...

A major riot involving 500 prisoners broke out at a penitentiary in the Ukrainian city of Odessa on Monday with the inmates setting fire to buildings and wounding seven staff members, officials said. Authorities deployed several hundred National Guard troops and police to help put down the riot, an AFP photographer at the scene said. The violence broke out at the facility in the Black Sea port city as authorities planned to move several convicts to a different prison, officials said, adding that the situation was now under control. Prisoners «attacked and wounded seven employees» and set alight a fire engine and several areas including the prison library, Ukraine's prison service said. Ruslan Forostyak, a regional police spokesman, told AFP that the rioters barricaded themselves inside their living quarters. The country's rights ombudswoman, Lyudmyla Denisova, said the rioters also took three medics and three guards hostage, but later said on Facebook,«they have been freed». «The situation is under police control right now,» she said.  At least six men who had arrived at the scene to support the prisoners were detained, according to the AFP photographer. A law enforcement source...

So much has been said about the principle of ‘equality of arms in justice’ that one would be led to believe that, from a procedural aspect, today it makes no difference whether on the other side there is an individual, a commercial entity or even the government. The law applies to all, without difference or favour. In theory, this principle refutes any concept of a privileged litigant. A look at our laws of procedure reveals a remarkable contradiction to this idealistic principle. Indeed, our Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure (Chapter 12 of the Laws of Malta) is jam-packed with privileges made principally to serve the government in court. Some of these are rather inconsequential; such as the fact that cases involving the government shall be heard before those involving ‘just’ private parties. Others are more significant than just a simple matter of queuing; most notably, the privilege afforded to the government in article 460 of Chapter 12 of the Laws of Malta. Under our law, one is not generally required to warn the other of its intentions to institute a lawsuit. Of course, there are ethical considerations to take account of (ideally, one does grant an advance notice),...

Defending champion Rafael Nadal got his bid for a record-extending 12th French Open title off to the perfect start by brushing aside German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, while world number one Novak Djokovic was also a comfortable victor in the first round at Roland Garros on Monday. Nadal, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, cruised to a 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 victory on the rebuilt Court Philippe Chatrier to set up a clash with another German qualifier -- world number 114 Yannick Maden -- in round two. Nadal had suffered three consecutive semi-final defeats earlier in the clay-court season, but appeared to find his best in an Italian Open title success sealed with victory over old rival Djokovic, while his French Open win-loss record now reads 87-2. «It's always amazing to play here, the new Chatrier is very nice,» the second seed said. «It's been an important place in my career. »I played a good tournament in Rome which was very important for my confidence. Now we'll see." The 32-year-old Nadal raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening set before a second break of serve in the eighth game sealed it after just 40 minutes. The second set was over in a flash as Nadal crushed nine winners past his...

The death toll from a boat disaster in western DR Congo at the weekend rose to at least 32, while scores more are feared drowned, a local official said Monday. The vessel capsized in choppy conditions on Lake Mai-Ndombe on Saturday, in the latest in a string of deadly accidents in Congolese waters. «There are 32 dead, 183 survivors,» Simon Mbo Wemba, mayor of the lakeside town of Inongo, told AFP. «The manifest given to the authorities states there were 113 passengers. But survivors say there were between 350 and 400 people on board,» he said. Other media reports said the death toll had already gone up to 45, with 200 missing. The boat «was decrepit and unfit» for transport, the mayor said, adding that its owner had been arrested. Lakes and rivers are widely used in the Democratic Republic of Congo in preference to a poor highway system. But accidents are common, typically caused by overloading of passengers and cargo and the poor state of the vessels. Tolls are often high because there are often no life jackets and many Congolese do not know how to swim. The boat in Saturday's disaster was a «baleiniere» or «whaler» =- a flat-bottomed vessel with a canoe-like prow that is...

Two of the three men accused of the car bomb murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia have protested in court over a draft Council of Europe report, saying it ignored their presumption of innocence. Bothers Alfred and George Degiorgio in a judicial protest called upon the Attorney General to prevent “interference by third parties”. They said that the draft report had stated as a fact that they were responsible for planting the bomb inside the journalist’s car in October 2017, thereby ignoring their presumption of innocence. Moreover, according to media reports, the council’s report on the journalist’s murder had stated that “those who placed the bomb in Daphne Caruana Galizia’s car have not yet been indicted and if this does not happen very soon, they will have to be released…” Such a statement amounted to a breach of their presumption of innocence besides being tantamount to  “serious interference in judicial institutions which should be independent and impartial”. The brothers urged the AG to “immediately take the necessary measures to stop the interference by third parties who should be extraneous to the judicial process,” or face further legal action. Lawyer William Cuschieri signed...

A man who admitted stealing three mobile phones in as many days has been remanded in custody pending judgment. Abdisalan Mahamad Afrah, a 32-year old Somali, admitted to stealing the phones last week.  Prosecuting Inspector Jeffrey Scicluna explained in court that two phones had been stolen from a car, whilst the third device was taken from a lotto booth. The police were put on the tracks of the suspect after receiving a call from a shop owner who claimed to have identified the culprit. Defence lawyer Dustin Camilleri, assisting the accused as legal aid counsel, made no request for bail. The prosecution, whilst insisting upon a prison term in view of the fact that the accused was a recidivist, also suggested that the man be assessed by professionals after he stated in court that he had escaped from Mount Carmel Hospital. Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, remanded Mr Afrah in custody whilst pointing out that he ought to have sought help which was readily available. The court adjourned the case for judgment next week.

A construction worker suffered serious injuries when he fell a height of two storeys on Monday morning. The police said the 31-year-old, resident in Fgura, had been working in Triq il-Ħaddiem, Marsa. He has been hospitalised. 

Staff at the Louvre in Paris went on strike Monday, forcing the museum to close and disappointing tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa and other masterworks. The museum said staff were striking on the grounds that their numbers were no longer sufficient to cope with ever-increasing visitor numbers. «Due to a strike by reception and security staff linked to high visitor numbers, the Louvre will exceptionally be closed on Monday,» the museum said on Twitter. The Sud Culture Solidaires trade union said in a statement that the Louvre was «suffocating» and staff were being overwhelmed by the number of visitors. «Staff have noticed an unprecedented deterioration in working and visiting conditions,» it said. «More than 10 million people visited the Louvre in 2018. Although visitor numbers have grown by more than 20 percent since 2009... staff numbers are falling,» the union said. The CGT Culture union said 150 museum staff had gathered outside the culture ministry in Paris to protest «against staff shortages». The Louvre said it would refund visitors who had bought tickets for Monday. It is usually particularly busy on Mondays as it is one of the few Paris museums to...

Players for Dutch fourth-tier outfit Harkemase Boys reacted with fury and disbelief after a strange deflection saw a referee scoring against them in a game -- and then awarding the goal. The incident happened as the Frisian amateur club faced southern visitors Hoek on Saturday. In a clip posted on Twitter shortly afterwards, the referee identified by Dutch media as Maurice Paarhuis, is seen running into the penalty box as the Harkemase Boys' defenders seem to have cleared a ball from danger in the 66th minute of the match. Hoek midfielder Rik Impens however takes another shot at goal from a tight angle, but the ball hits the front post before then glancing off the referee's shins and rolling across the goal line. Seconds later Paarhuis allows the goal, to the great consternation of Harkemase Boys who immediately surround him to protest, to no avail. «The referee was a so-called 'dead element' and could not but allow the goal,» the Dutch daily tabloid Algemeen Dagblad reported, and described the effort to make it 3-2 to Harkemase Boys as «bizarre». In any case, the goal turned out to have no impact on the full-time result as Harkemase Boys wrapped up their season with a 4-2 win...

The financial crisis that erupted over a decade ago brought about a seismic change in regulation. Some of the changes were easy to define, even if controversial and difficult to implement. In the bail-in era, investors in banks had to learn that when things go wrong, their capital may have to be used to save a bank from going out of business. In January 2019 Andrea Enria took over as chair of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank, replacing the no-nonsense Daniele Nouy. In an interview published on the ECB website, Enria made a very valid point about what remains to be done to strengthen the Single Supervisory Mechanism.  “Banks now have more and better capital, more liquidity, and have reverted to more stable sources of funding. However, all this is of little value if a bank suffers from poor governance, short-sighted leadership and a problematic culture,” he argued.  The change in culture, not just in banks but in all business communities, is the acid test of how successful the regulatory reforms will be in making another crisis less likely. Doing what is right is different from merely observing strict laws and regulations. It is difficult to define what...

Martin Luther King once said: “I have a dream.’’ This year’s Eurovision Song Contest had the theme ‘Dare to dream’. I too have a dream, maybe not so big, but, nevertheless, important for me. Recently, on the occasion of the inauguration of the regeneration of Ġnien l-Għarusa tal-Mosta, the Prime Minister remarked that Mosta lacks open spaces. That is true. But what has been done or is being done about this? This need has been felt for a long time. Our town, which developed quickly during the last few years, deserves better. My dream is that the two big private gardens in the centre will not be swallowed up and built, as happened and is happening to many gardens in Mosta and elsewhere but will be preserved and, in the future, turned into public gardens. Ġnien l-Għarusa tal-Mosta, “a gem’’ as the Prime Minister said, is too far from many parts of the town for the elderly whose numbers are increasing and who would benefit a lot from such open spaces. Fresh air is badly needed in our overpopulated island to combat the poisonous fumes produced by the increasing number of cars. As Stanley Farrugia Randon said in his article ‘Health versus economic growth’ (May 20), “the health effects...

Frans Timmermans, the Dutch politician tipped to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker, may well turn out to be the liberator of the Maltese people like the Persian King Cyrus who was providentially selected by God to free the Jews from the Babylonian exile. For we too, like the chosen people, have become exiled but unlike the former who were banished to a distant land, Maltese decent folks have become aliens in their own mother country. How could this contemporary Cyrus, a Socialist from the Netherlands, free us from servitude? Simple. Although he shares a number of idiocies advocated by our local hapless Cyrus’s bandwagon he does differ in one,  albeit crucial,  issue. Mr Timmermans is determined to wipe out tax haven economies from the European Union. Let us admit once and for all that Malta started its inexorable transformation into a successful tax paradise when the Gonzi administration laid the necessary legislative framework. This basis has remained basically unchanged and it was fine-tuned by the present government. Malta’s metamorphosis from a republic based on work into an international money spinning hub flooded by foreign companies eager to dodge their home countries’ taxes...

The notarial archives in Valletta have embarked on a project to digitise the massive collection of volumes – which take up 15 kilometres of shelving – in order to protect them from wear and tear and safeguard their contents if some tragedy were to befall the premises. As required by law, there are two archives, both in Valletta: the main one on M. A. Vassalli Street, which houses all original documents, and a secondary one in St Christopher Street, which holds copies of the originals as a precaution. While notaries have to submit all originals of wills and public deeds to the main archive by the end of each year, not all hand in copies to the archives on St Christopher Street, Dr German told The Sunday Times of Malta. This is because notaries can keep true copies at their offices throughout their practice. If they retire, die or lose their warrant, those true copies have to be passed on to the Chief Notary or another practising notary. While this practice has been going on for years, Dr German believes that times and resources have changed, and that the keeping of the register – a word used for the true copies of the original – should be eliminated. He is currently in discussion...

Wiping the floor with him

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen won her symbolic duel with President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday, as eurosceptic forces made strong gains in the EU parliamentary election. Turnout EU-wide was estimated at 51 percent, the highest in 20 years, implying that more than 200 million citizens across the 28-nation bloc voted in a poll billed as a battle between populists and pro-European forces. Mainstream parties put up enough of a defence to keep a majority in the 751-seat assembly -- and Green parties also did well -- but Le Pen's victory in her head-to-head with Macron set the tone of the night. Le Pen's National Rally was on track for around 24.0-24.2 percent, with Macron's centrists trailing with 22.5-23.0 percent, according to two polls from Ifop-Fiducial and Harris Interactive-Agence Epoka. The mainstream conservatives, centrists and socialists in the European Parliament now face a choice over whether to maintain a «cordon sanitaire» to keep the radicals from the levers of power, or to seek accommodation. Each previous EU election since the first in 1979 has seen turnout fall, but initial figures from across the 28-nation bloc suggested this year's culture clash has...

The United States capped their preparations for their women's World Cup title defense with a 3-0 victory over Mexico on Sunday in Harrison, New Jersey. The US, who will go to France undefeated since January, struggled for much of the game against a resolute Mexican side but scored two late goals to put a more convincing sheen on the scoreline. Tobin Heath opened the scoring in the 11th minutes, taking advantage of Mexico's defensive blunder to notch her 30th international goal. Carli Lloyd, who entered the game in the second half, created the second goal, bursting up the left side and delivering a cross that substitute Mallory Pugh tapped home in the 76th minute. Substitute Christen Press added the third goal in the 88th minute. In sweltering heat before a crowd of 26,332 fans at Red Bull Arena, the United States notched their sixth straight victory. They have scored 23 goals in those games and conceded just three -- all in a 5-3 win over Australia. The Americans are unbeaten in nine games since a 3-1 loss to France in January. Jill Ellis's women will open the defense of their World Cup title against Thailand on June 11 and will also face Chile and Sweden in Group F. The World...

France continued preparations for their charge for Women's World Cup glory with a stuttering but eventually comprehensive 3-0 win over Thailand on Saturday. Substitute Kadidiatou Diani was the star for the much-changed 'Les Bleues', who have never won the World Cup before, with a second-half brace that saw a France team shorn of the majority of its Lyon stars cruise to victory despite missing two penalties after the break. The French are hosting the World Cup, which kicks off in just under two weeks, and are among the favourites for the tournament given the number of their players that play for Europe's best club side Lyon -- who hammered Barcelona 4-1 to win their fourth straight Women's Champions League last week. However at kickoff Delphine Cascarino, who came on as a late substitute against Barca, was the only starter from Lyon's cast of stars. Her teammates Wendie Renard, Griedge Mbock Bathy, Amel Majri, Amandine Henry and goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi were all substitutes, while attacker Eugenie Le Sommer was out injured. However Corinne Diacre's side nonetheless made short work of the Thais, ranked 34 in the world and not taking part in the World Cup, despite a wasteful...

Astana's Dario Cataldo won the 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Sunday outsprinting the other survivor of a long breakaway, fellow Italian, Mattia Cattaneo in Como. Richard Carapaz, the overall leader, finished 11 seconds behind with Simon Yates and Vincenzo Nibali, but Primoz Roglic, who came off his bike on the final descent, lost 40 seconds to the Ecuadorean. While Catalado and Cattaneo of Androni played cat and mouse up the final straight for the stage victory, the heavyweight contenders were fighting a desperate battle for seconds behind them at the end of the 232-kilometre stage. Briton Yates, of Mitchelton Scott, Movistar's Carapaz and Italian Nibali of Bahrain Merida, along with a second Briton Hugh Carthy of Education First, managed to escape in the closing stages to finish just 11 seconds behind Cataldo. Yates snatched third to pick up a four-second bonus. Spaniard Mikel Landa, Movistar's team leader, was part of a quintet that finished 36 seconds behind the winners. Slovenian Roglic, who started the day seven seconds behind Carapaz, rode into a barrier taking a corner too wide as the contenders took terrifying risks on the final descent. He had to exchange bikes...

From flower auctions to flower parades and flower museums, it is no surprise that seven million bulbs are exported every year from Holland, making it the world’s leading bulb trader, says Kevin Pilley. We agreed on one thing. It would be a Tiny Tim Free Zone. Instead we tiptoed through the tourists. Through ‘The Greatest Flower Show on Earth’. The 32-hectare Keukenhof (kitchen) gardens in Lisse between Amsterdam and Haarlem are one of the world’s largest flower gardens and perhaps Holland’s most famous spring garden. Seven million bulbs are planted every year, flowering from the end of March to the end of May. The best time to see tulips – the unofficial flower of the Netherlands – is mid-April to May. Situated in 15th-century hunting grounds, Keukenhof, a 40-minute bus ride from the capital, was originally the source of herbs for the local castle. The garden was established in 1949. Surrounded by commercial bulbfields, it’s a showroom for the queen of bulbs and a peaceful place. Which means you aren’t continually dodging cyclists or trams. Only selfie sticks. There are 800 varieties of tulips on show. And probably more nationalities than cultivators. It is a bulb zoo. As well...

Disney’s 1992 animated musical Aladdin is a lynchpin of the studio’s so-called ‘Renaissance Era’, so it is hardly surprising that it is the latest in the line of Disney’s recent ‘Remake/Reimagine’ era. Loosely based, of course, on the tale from One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, Aladdin is the exciting tale of charming street urchin Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. It was producer Jonathan Eirich who initially entertained the idea of bringing Aladdin back again as a live-action movie; and to his delight, Disney was keen to revive it as well. Yet the question they kept coming back to was, why? “It is so beautifully structured, and the music is so incredible that we realised there isn’t anything we would ever want to fundamentally change here,” says Eirich. “The challenge then became: how do we make it as fresh as possible to ensure we are still giving audiences something new, while delivering on what they love?” Eventually, screenwriter John August delivered a screenplay that was a more modern retelling of the story; and when Guy Ritchie added his signature touch to the script and signed on to direct,...

Juventus on Sunday poured cold water over rumours in Italy that they were planning a dramatic pounce for Pep Guardiola, saying that they had never even spoken to the Manchester City boss. «It's a strange world, we've not had any contact with Guardiola and nor have we ever thought about it given that he's under contract,» Juve's sporting director Fabio Paratici said to DAZN ahead of their final day clash at Sampdoria. Juve sealed their eighth straight Serie A title weeks ago and are on the hunt for a new boss after removing Massimiliano Allegri earlier this month, following a Champions League quarter-final exit to Ajax in April. Allegri had won the league five times in as many years but the club are without a Champions League title in over two decades despite signing Cristiano Ronaldo last summer. Paratici added that Juve would wait until the end of the season to announce Allegri's successor. «We want to build the best team possible and we will act on the recommendations of the new manager,» he said. «We will wait until the end of the season. There are still competitions ongoing and I think we should keep quiet out of respect for others.» Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri and Lazio...

A group of young people hailing from Malta, Africa and Asia have been invited to dinner at the Curia by Archbishop Charles Scicluna as part of an effort to promote inclusion and tolerance. Titled ‘A good neighbourhood dinner’, the event will be held on June 11, and an estimated 60 youths will be present, half of whom migrants. Mgr Scicluna announced this initiative when addressing academics, migrants and students during a dialogue session at University organised by the Faculty for Social Well-being. “We need to invite each other to share our narratives and our story. But we also need to invite our friends, especially from Africa and Asia, to be part of our celebrations,” the Archbishop said. The dialogue session was organised in the wake of the murder of Lassana Cisse from the Ivory Coast, who was shot dead last month in cold blood along a road in Ħal Far. Two young soldiers have been charged with racially motivated murder. Mgr Scicluna noted that when the victim came to Malta, he had been aided by the Malta Emigrants Commission with the processing of his papers. “Unfortunately, he ended up with one of the more difficult decisions and labels. He was known as a ‘rejected’. That...

Students from one of Malta’s leading dance schools, Seed Dance Studios, are soon to hold a unique dance event, following their performance as part of the final of a major dance competition in New York. Led by the school’s artistic director Marisha Bonnici, 14 young dancers from Seed were selected through a series of regional semi-finals held worldwide to be a part of the New York final of the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), where they performed In the Village. Fresh from this one-of-a-kind experience, students from #TeamSeed are now preparing for a new show that will be performed at St Agatha in Rabat on June 22. The hour-long performance and awards ceremony will showcase classical ballet, contemporary dance, Spanish dance and street jazz routines; performers will include students graduating from the school and who are moving on to full-time international vocational training. The event will be free of charge, but booking is essential. While giving the opportunity for younger students to aspire to the successes of the Seed graduates, the show also aims to encourage those who may be considering attending the school over the next scholastic year. The Seed Dance Studios performance...

Joseph Muscat called it “the largest majority in Malta’s history” and said it had left him «speechless». Adrian Delia has yet to speak, though his inner circle claim the PN had done better than predicted. Here is how some key players have reacted to Malta’s 2019 European Parliament elections, which the PL has won with a landslide.  Initial projections have the party polling 55 per cent of the vote, with the Nationalist Party at 37 per cent and smaller parties and independent candidates splitting the remaining seven per cent.  This article will be updated throughout the day, as other stakeholders speak. Follow our blog for the latest updates. Labour leader Joseph Muscat: «It's a big victory for the PL, it's the biggest in Malta's electoral history... I'm speechless. It's a vote again division. It's a vote against those scaring people over issues which don't exist. There were also many people who did not vote at all and we need to hear them out. Now we can’t let this result go to our heads. Nationalist Party deputy leader Robert Arrigo: »We’re still in the running for the third seat. About 90,000, maybe 100,000 did not bother to vote. That’s massive. I think the smaller parties...

Thousands of flag-waving Labour supporters celebrated outside Labour's headquarters in Ħamrun on Sunday afternoon following their party's major victory at the European Parliament elections. In an address, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat thanked supporters for giving Labour its 10th successive victory, saying the margin was unprecedented. Speaking from the balcony of party headquarters he said the Labour majority had grown to 48,000 votes so far, making it a bigger victory than the general election. With his wife Michelle and his two young daughter’s by his side, Dr Muscat said that this was a moment he and his family would cherish all their lives. The result, he said, was down to party unity. It also imposed a heavy responsibility and he would continue to ensure that the government remained rooted to the ground. The government, he promised, would not be arrogant. He said that while he appreciated the backing of his supporters, he was appealing for national unity. “Let us again extend our hand of friendship, this is not the movement of division but of unity,” he said. In a reference to outgoing Nationalist MEPs, he said the electorate had declared it did not want anyone to go...

The temperatures may be rising but what is definitely lowered is my tolerance for ignorance and people being precious about things when they really shouldn’t. For the last couple of weeks now, a debate has been raging about what kind of sexual education our children should be receiving, and with the wading in of the pretty ironically named, all things considered, Alleanza Bidla, I can no longer hold back. I want to start by speaking about the wholly unhealthy relationship quite a few parents seem to have with their children. Maybe it’s the Mediterranean in us but a quick look around your local McDonald’s will almost surely confirm that many parents seem to think that they have either given birth to the next Einstein, or in some very wonderful, select cases, the promised Messiah. With the amount of bubble wrap some children have around them, it’s a wonder they are still physically able to breathe, let alone function as people who are able to positively impact and give back to society. Yet, ironically, despite us being a society that hero-worships children, we seem to be less capable and willing to educate them about the basics: there were a reported 149 births to teen mums in...

Traces is a photo exhibition by Stephanie Galea, a Maltese fashion photographer and visual artist based in London, that offers an immersive celebration of the female body​. It features series of works depicting female bodies set within a natural landscape. Almost like landscapes themselves, the bodies are incredibly detailed – freckles and even tiny hairs are visible in the photographs. The viewer is almost compelled to trace these forms as the sense of sight stimulates our sense of touch, possibly evoking a memory. The paint represents these sensory imaginings; past, present or even future, drawn by the artist as she experienced the images. Additionally themes of exploration, sensuality and freedom are illustrated through the choice of colour – primaries representing the essence of all other colours.  The nature of the lines transition from on the body to the space around it; the framing changes from single meticulous crops to whole beings in a space as the bodies are liberated on this illustrative journey. Through the female gaze, the body is used as a canvas to create harmonious lines. All the images are faceless, as we are then able to project our own bodies or those we...

The Labour Party achieved the biggest-ever political victory through the European Parliament elections, winning 55 per cent of the vote as many Nationalist-leaning voters stayed away. The PN won just 37 per cent of first count votes, with the rest going to the smaller parties and independent candidates.The gap between the two main parties is expected to be some 45,000 votes, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said in a TV statement with the Labour Party expected to win four seats in the European Parliament.  The Labour Party opted for a ‘positive’ campaign with Joseph Muscat also pitching the campaign as a direct contest between him and Dr Delia. The PN gave more emphasis to its candidates but also picked on issues like abortion and the treatment of cancer to plug its campaign, a decision criticised by many.Dr Delia declared, months ago, that he would not stand down on the basis of this result, arguing that these elections came too early and he viewed the next general election as his first real test since.Turnout in the EP elections has been on a steady downward trend from a peak of 82 per cent in the first elections in Malta in 2004, to 72.60% per cent now. Vote-counting is for...

Sharing is caring – a common phrase used with children to instill the importance of sharing from a very young age. Indeed, sharing remains vital throughout our lives, particularly in adulthood, as the concept of sharing responsibilities, shared parenting and shared domestic responsibility is prevalent. Gender roles have evolved to align with the changing demands of postmodern societies by seeking a balance between work and domestic responsibilities. However, working long hours to meet work demands or due to financial necessity may be in conflict with the needs of an employee to honour personal commitments. But how does this issue of hours of work affect employers? First and foremost, employers must ensure that their staff do not work more than 48 hours per week on average (including overtime), over a reference period of up to four months (https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/human-resources/working-hours-holiday-leave/working-hours/index_en.htm). Moreover, em­ployers may encourage a balanced lifestyle for their employees by enforcing lower expectations of work hours and less presence at the office as well as offering more flexible solutions. Some employers are already giving...

Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar, who is leading a military offensive against the UN-recognised government in Tripoli, said in an interview published Sunday he will continue fighting until militias in the city laid down their arms. Haftar had justified the offensive last month by saying he was fighting against «private militias and extremist groups» who he said were gaining influence in the capital under Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. «Of course a political solution is the objective,» Haftar told the Journal de Dimanche newspaper in France. «But to return to politics, we need to finish with the militias. »The problem in Tripoli is a security one.« He offered an amnesty to fighters in Tripoli who laid down their arms, saying they would be allowed to »return home safe and sound.« He also took aim at UN mediator Ghassan Salame, who has warned the country is »committing suicide« due to a conflict that 6-10 foreign states are involved in. »Salame is making irresponsible statements,« Haftar said. »He wasn't like that before, he has changed. From an impartial and honest mediator, he has become a biased one.« Salame has warned that Haftar's offensive is »just the start of a long and...

SurfsideTower RoadSliemaTel: 2134 5384 Food: 3/10Service: 3/10Ambience: 6/10Value: 3/10Overall: 4/10 I feel like everybody should have a basic grasp of some form of culinary ability. Nothing fancy mind you, but boiling pasta or frying an egg doesn’t require some sort of great talent. I have a friend who insists that all he is able to make is tortellini con panna, frozen salmon or a sandwich. He has famously turned many a frozen pizza into solid carbon and has skipped entire meals due to his ineffectiveness in the kitchen. Another friend of mine once burned soup. The mind boggles. I do a lot of cooking at home. Food is a passion of mine and, luckily, is a varied and easily accessible hobby with great pay-off. This is a result of my upbringing where we were fortunate enough to eat out semi-regularly but also where my mother would have a few go-to recipes in her back pocket that she could whip out when in a rush. Her 10-minute carbonara became my life’s obsession, setting the benchmark for every trattoria I ever set foot in. Leftovers were mixed with an egg and fried to become tarja moqlija. She would also make a couple of kilos of ragu and bag them in individual portions that we...

Game of Thrones fans are in for a treat as the team behind Comedy Knights give the comedy treatment to George RR Martin’s epic tale. Adam Brimmer finds out more from producer Wesley Ellul and actress Giulia Gatt. Do you actually follow Game of Thrones? Wesley: Up until six weeks ago, all I had seen was Episode 1, Season 1… about four times. It’s one of those shows I kept meaning to get down to watching but, you know, life sort of got in the way! But for the purposes of directing this show I was the perfect test audience as I could watch the first read through and see if it was funny in its own right. And it was! Following that first reading, though, I needed to become well accustomed with the story, characters and events of GoT (as fans know it) so as to make sure we’re actually doing justice to it with the fans themselves. Chris (Dingli) is a mega fan, and knows the show inside out so we made the perfect partnership.   Giulia: Religiously, ever since binge watching the first season eight years ago! Your favourite House is? And why? Wesley: I am a fan of classic fantasy and can’t help but love the well-intentioned Starks. They are the Skywalkers of the saga. The family who you...