A cat climbs on scaffolding placed around a Valletta building currently undergoing restoration.  Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

The Maltese authorities have once again turned down a request to open their ports to a humanitarian boat with rescued migrants, according to NGO Sea-Watch. The NGO on Wednesday rescued 65 people 30 nautical miles off the coast of Libya. Among them are 11 women, two babies, five children and eight unaccompanied minors. A person with disabilities is also on board. «Many are exhausted and dehydrated,» crew aboard the Sea-Watch said. Italian and Dutch authorities have also turned down requests for help, the organisation said. The Armed Forces of Malta said it had nothing to add. «Our crew is taking care of our guests, they are OK, but crammed on little space, awaiting instructions,» the organisation said, adding it was time for the EU to show its ability to act. «Tell Europe that those people are humans,» the organisation added.  Malta has refused entry to several rescue boats, insisting it could not continue to shoulder the burden of migrants fleeing Libya to get into Europe. The authorities have also engaged in several spats with Italy's right-wing minister Matteo Salvini over providing a safe port to the rescue vessels.  Very few countries have offered to take in migrants rescued...

Many of the beliefs people hold about rape are downright wrong. For example, women are often told they can avoid sexual assault by monitoring how much alcohol they drink on a night out. “Don’t leave your drink unattended” and “drink from bottles instead of cups” are common pieces of advice. There’s even a wristband that’s marketed as a “simple, wearable test to see if your drink may have been spiked”. This is because alcohol and other drugs are widely thought to increase women’s vulnerability to sexual violence. At the same time, such substances are often said to be the cause of - or an excuse for - sexual aggression in men. This can even lead to double standards in people’s perceptions of sexual assault: one study found that intoxicated perpetrators tend to be held less responsible for their actions, while intoxicated victims tend to be held more responsible.  Such stereotypical or false beliefs about sexual assault are called “rape myths”, and they have a big impact on the way the victims and perpetrators of sexual assault are treated by society, the police and the legal system. Believing in rape myths often leads people to place responsibility on victims for what happened to...

The EU's powerful anti-trust authority on Thursday fined five major banks - including Barclays and Citigroup - more than €1 billion for collusion in the massive foreign exchange currency market. The European Commission sanctioned Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Citigroup, JPMorgan and Japan's MUFG Bank a total of €1.07 billion after finding that traders colluded to fix exchange rates using electronic chat rooms, a statement said. The commission said Swiss giant UBS received no fine as it revealed the collusion to the authorities. «These cartel decisions send a clear message that the commission will not tolerate collusive behaviour in any sector of the financial markets,» said EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. «The behaviour of these banks undermined the integrity of the sector at the expense of the European economy and consumers,» she added. The decision involves two cases of forex manipulation, with the first known as «Essex Express 'n the Jimmy» because all the traders (except Jimmy) lived in the county to the east of London, the commission said. The other one was called «Three-way banana split», though the EU's executive arm did not explain why. "Some of...

Not every story has a happy ending and, sometimes, it is left up to the reader or viewer to guess how the plot unfolds. As in the case of a set of pastel paintings that are going on display in Valletta on Thursday. The running theme of Henry Falzon’s first solo exhibition, Morphing Isle, is the concept of the untold story − a narrative that is only partially told. “The viewer must resolve the ending armed with his or her experiences in life,” Mr Falzon, an engineer by profession, says. The artist has been doodling and drawing since his childhood but only took up painting seriously in the past 10 years. During this decade, he has produced countless works in oil, pastels and watercolours.  Mr Falzon admits he has never attended an art institution and describes his paintings as an extension of his photography, a medium he calls his “teacher”.  “I spent years shooting black and white film and developing prints in my darkroom,” he notes. He, in fact, draws much of his inspiration from his archive of about 20 years’ worth of photos. “The process is all about hunting down images. Once I have formulated ‘the image’, then executing in pastel is fairly rapid,” he notes.  “What haunts me...

Former Giro d'Italia winner Tom Dumoulin pulled out of this year's race early on in Wednesday's fifth stage because of a knee injury sustained in a mass fall during the previous stage. The Sunweb rider signed in and embarked on the fifth stage, which got underway under driving rain at Frascati, but once he starting pedalling the Dutch rider decided he could not continue. Dumoulin, who won in 2017 and was second last year behind Britain's Chris Froome, had earlier insisted he would tough out the race. «Knee still hurts but we hope it will get better through the day. Will give everything I have to make it. Fingers crossed,» the Dutch rider wrote on Twitter. The fifth stage, a short 140km run from Frascati, just south of Rome, to Terracina, will be mostly raced under the rain, with a 1.5km home straight which should set the scene for a spectacular sprint finish. «He (Dumoulin) has been cleared to race by the team's medical staff, but is still suffering with his knee,» his Sunweb team said. «He will give it his best shot and see what the day brings.» Dumoulin came second at both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in 2018, as well as winning the 2017 Giro and the 2017 world...

Sixty-five people, including one person with disability, two babies and five children were rescued off the coast of Libya, Sea-Watch said on Wednesday.  Eleven women were also on-board a rubber boat found 30 nautical miles off the Libyan coast.  Many of those rescued showed signs of dehydration, exhaustion and sea-sickness, Sea-Watch said. The rubber boat had been spotted earlier by the civilian reconnaissance aircraft Colibri. Authorities in Malta, Italy, Libya and the Netherlands, which is the flag state of the Sea-Watch 3, have all been informed, the organisation said.  The future for the 65 rescued is still unclear, with a spokesman for the NGO saying the vessel had no clear direction for a port of safety.  AFM declines to comment Contacted about the incident, a spokeswoman for the Armed Forces of Malta declined to comment, saying it had nothing to add to the Sea-Watch statement.  Read: Italy's Salvini wants fines of up to €5,500 for every rescued migrant The Sea-Watch 3 is currently the only dedicated rescue ship in the Mediterranean, which has long been described as the «deadliest strip of sea» worldwide. The rescue comes on the day a memorial plaque was laid down to...

Stephen Curry drained nine three-pointers on the way to 36 points Tuesday to propel the Golden State Warriors to a 116-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in game one of the NBA Western Conference finals. Curry added seven assists and six rebounds as the Warriors led all the way over a Trail Blazers team coming off a game-seven victory over Denver in the second round on Sunday. Klay Thompson added 26 points and provided an imposing defensive presence as the Warriors shrugged off the absence of injured superstar Kevin Durant. Draymond Green added 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocked shots for the two-time defending NBA champions, who are playing in their fifth straight Western Conference final. Curry said he just took advantage of what a free-flowing Warriors offense gave him. It was a nice flow,« Curry said. »It just puts so much pressure on the defense. «You can't key it on one guy and even if you try to somebody else is going to be open.» The Trail Blazers connected on only 36.1 percent of their shots from the field, making just seven of 28 three-point attempts as the Warriors drained 17 from beyond the arc. Portland star Damian Lillard...

The €8 million Valletta Design Cluster is set to open before the end of the year, as renovation works on the Old Civil Abattoir (Il-Biċċerija) in the capital continue apace.The 17th-century building at the end of Old Mint Street, which had lain in a dilapidated state for decades, will be given a new lease of life with co-working spaces, design studios for individuals and start-ups, exhibition space and conference rooms.It will also include a makerspace - a fully-equipped workshop with digital and traditional tools that can be used either independently or with the help of qualified personnel.The roof will host a garden designed by Japanese architect Tetsuo Kondo, which will be open to the public, while the complex will also include accommodation for artist residencies. The project was first announced four years ago as part of the Valletta 2018 infrastructural programme, and was originally scheduled for completion last year. It was delayed and has now passed under the management of the new Valletta Cultural Agency, with opening planned for late 2019. Visiting works on Wednesday, agency chairman Jason Micallef said the project had taken one of the most dilapidated buildings in...

Archbishop Charles Scicluna celebrated his 60th birthday on Wednesday, with a sizeable crowd gathering to wish him many happy returns.  The Archbishop was joined by family, friends, colleagues and well-wishers in the courtyard of the Curia in Floriana, where he cut a birthday cake, gave a brief address and celebrated the day.  As well as leading Malta's archdiocese, Archbishop Scicluna is a trusted confidante of Pope Francis and one of the Vatican's leading figures in the fight against abuse in the church and protection of minors.  He is understood to have played a key role in drafting revised guidelines, unveiled last week, making it obligatory for priests to report suspicions of sex abuse.  Earlier in the week, in an interview with the Washington Post he confided about the emotional toll that meeting with victims of abuse took on him.   

Simonds Farsons Cisk has registered an improved performance in its turnover as well as operational profitability across all its business segments. It maintained its growth trend with group turnover increasing by 5% over the previous year to reach an all-time high of €99.8 million for the financial year ending January 31. Farsons Group’s pre-tax profit, following the ‘spin off’ of Trident Estates in the previous financial year, reached €15.1 million - an increase of 10% from last year’s profit of €13.8 million.Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to €23.2 million, an increase of 5% over last year. The group’s net borrowings decreased by €6 million, resulting in a lower gearing ratio of 23.4% as compared to 28.8% in the previous year. Total equity of the group increased from €96.6 million to €108.3 million reflecting the profit generated, net of the dividends distributed during the year. In spite of growing aggressive competition within the local beverage market, the company has registered growth in its locally produced products whilst also increasing its imported beer, spirits and wine portfolio in response to changing consumer...

Malta is looking into the possibility of using blockchain technology to help keep track of refugee applications, according to a European Commission paper on the subject. Published earlier in May, the paper Blockchain for Digital Government looks at first movers in the EU when it comes to implementing digital ledger technology to national governance. According to the paper, the Maltese government is currently exploring the expansion of a 2017 project that saw blockchain used to digitise educational certificates. This, the paper says, could see credentials for refugees also move to this new system. The emerging technology, the paper says, could be used for verification of identity and recording social aid obtained by refugees in European countries. The legality of the blockchain-based issuance and verification of certificates is however considered a main barrier to deploy this solution on an international scale. Blockchain is a decentralised digital database that keeps records of transactions and other information. Rather than having a central administrator like a traditional database, such as the case with banks, the blockchain ledger has a network of replicated databases,...

Malta’s airport has among the worst on-time performance, a passenger rights group has found.  The island’s only airport placed at 128th place out of the 132 airports whose performance was analysed in the survey by the group AirHelp. The ranking took into account official flight data as well as surveys among some 40,000 travellers.  While Malta’s ranking stood at 6.05 out of 10, a score that is among the lowest, it was the airport’s on-time performance that impacted the result most. At just five out of 10, the ranking for on-time performance for the Malta International Airport (MIA) is the fourth lowest, with only the airports in Kuwait, Lisbon Portela and Eindhoven faring worse. On-time performance measures how likely it is for a flight to depart at its scheduled time.  The metric was given a 60 per cent weighting for AirHelp's ranking, with airports' services and food and shops weighted 20 per cent each.  In the latter two aspects, Malta’s airport scored a 7.7 out of 10 for service quality and a 7.5 out of 10 for food and shops.  While notably higher than the rank for the on-time performance score, the points awarded to the MIA in the two other categories were still among the...

The mother of a physically impaired child who stabbed her husband in a domestic row after numerous reports of abuse, allegedly suffered at the man’s hands, had not been acted upon, was granted bail. The 27-year-old Żabbar woman ended up in court on Wednesday after the police were informed that a man had been taken to the Paola health centre for treatment after he was allegedly stabbed by his wife. A search for the woman ultimately tracked her down at another health centre where she too was being treated for facial injuries allegedly inflicted upon her during the umpteenth domestic argument. The woman, who appeared before the Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday with freshly sutured facial wounds, had apparently filed a number of reports in the past against her husband. It was in the course of another domestic row that the woman had allegedly first hit the man with a small pair of scissors before stabbing him in the abdomen with a kitchen knife, inflicting grievous injuries which, however, were not life-threatening. Defence lawyer Stefano Filletti, entering a not guilty plea on behalf of the woman, pointed out the apparent inaction on the part of the police who had known of the...

The German Football League (DFL) and its member clubs have unanimously rejected proposals to reform the UEFA Champions League. In a statement given after its AGM on Wednesday, the DFL declared that all 36 +German professional clubs were against the proposed reforms, which would see the Champions League restructured into a three-tiered system from 2024 onwards. The reforms were initially proposed by the European Club Association (ECA), of which 13 DFL clubs including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are also members. They have since been considered by UEFA, despite being met with fierce criticism from Europe's domestic leagues. «The currently discussed concept of the European Club Association would have unacceptable consequences for the national leagues in Europe and should therefore not be implemented in this form,» said DFL CEO Christian Seifert. «We must not allow the traditional national leagues to become less attractive for millions of people across the continent,» he said. The initial proposals, put forward by the European Club Association president Andrea Agnelli in March, envisaged a single, three-tiered European competition with internal promotion and relegation,...

A male massage therapist was granted bail after pleading not guilty to having indecently touched a female client during a full-body massage, by slipping his hand regularly inside her underwear. The 43-year-old family man and long-practicing masseur, whose name was banned under court order, was targeted by criminal prosecution following a report filed by the young Chinese student whose pre-booked 75-minute full-body relaxing massage turned out to be an ordeal. Testifying in English via video conference on Wednesday, the young woman, currently on holiday in Malta, explained how she had booked the treatment from her hotel. Upon being informed that the therapist would be male, the woman had been somewhat hesitant but had confirmed the booking when told that cancellation would imply forfeiture of the pre-paid sum. Yet, when the session kicked off, the woman described how things “started to get weird”, recalling that the man would repeatedly touch her intimately. “I have been massaged many times before and always if they touch my private area by mistake they apologise, but this man, almost every time he would touch my private area.” “I was shocked because his hand regularly went...

Archbishop Charles Scicluna and Lifeline Captain Claus-Peter Reisch on Wednesday paid tribute to the 850 people who died in an attempt to reach Italy from Libya in 2015. A long-awaited memorial plaque was laid down at the Addolorata Cemetery, where 24 dead migrants had been buried in April of that year. Watch: Captain fined over Lifeline registration; magistrate decries 'frightening levels' of racism Despite an extensive rescue operation, only 28 people survived. Twenty-four corpses were brought to Malta and the remaining 800 were believed to have drowned when their crowded boat capsized some 30 miles off the Libyan coast. On that fateful morning, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had told party supporters in Marsa: “They are literally trying to find people alive among the dead floating in the water".

Floriana have appointed Vincenzo Potenza as their new coach ahead of the 2019/2020 Premier League season, the club announced on Wednesday. Potenza, who will be in charge of his second Maltese club after managing Senglea Athletic in the previous season, will take over from fellow Italian coach Guido Ugolotti at the helm of the Greens.  He will be Floriana's fifth coach in five seasons following Luis Oliveira, who had two spells at the club during these five seasons, Giovanni Tedesco, Nicolas Chiesa and Ugolotti who took over last November.  In a statement on their official website, Floriana said that president Riccardo Gaucci and Potenza have already spoken about in which direction they want to steer the club. «I am honoured to be appointed as coach of Floriana, and I am determined the club towards our objectives», Potenza told the club website.  Naples-born Potenza made a name for himself as coach of Senglea, after pulling the Cottonera outfit out of the bottom place and steering the club towards salvation on the final day of the season.  Moreover, Potenza also had a hand in maximising the potential of local players including Leighton Grech, who also earned a national team...

New research backs the argument that «sin taxes» lead to a reduction in consumption, justifying the use of the duties in combating obesity and other health issues, its authors say. The 2017 decision by city officials in Philadelphia to impose a beverage tax on sugary and artificially-sweetened drinks caused sales to drop by 38 percent, according to a study published Tuesday. Philadelphia is one of seven US cities to have enacted the measure in recent years, along with France, Mexico and other jurisdictions. Starting January 1, 2017, the East Coast city of 1.6 million people began adding a tax of 1.5c per ounce on all sweetened drinks, including «diet» sodas. Researchers used Baltimore, where the tax was not imposed, as a control because of its similar socio-demographic and health profile. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that Philadelphia shops passed on the additional costs to consumers, either in whole or in part, leading to a 51 percent reduction of sales within the city. Areas bordering the city that were not affected by the tax saw a bump in sales, but after accounting for this effect, the net fall in sales was estimated...

Researchers in Germany have unearthed a new species of flying dinosaur that flapped its wings like a raven and could hold vital clues as to how modern-day birds evolved from their reptilian ancestors. For more than a century and a half since its discovery in 1861, Archaeopteryx - a small feathered dinosaur around the size of a crow that lived in marshland around 150 million years ago - was widely considered to be the oldest flying bird. Palaeontologists from Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU) in Munich and the University of Fribourg examined rock formations in the German region of Bavaria, home to nearly all known Archaeopteryx specimens. They came across a petrified wing, which the team initially assumed to be the same species. They soon found several differences, however. «There are similarities, but after detailed comparisons with Archaeopteryx and other, geologically younger birds, its fossil remains suggested that we were dealing with a somewhat more derived bird,» said lead study author Oliver Rauhut from LMU's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. They called the new bird-like dinosaur Alcmonavis poeschli - from the old Celtic word for a nearby river and the...

Pope Francis took eight children rescued from crisis-hit Libya for a ride in his popemobile Wednesday, the youngsters grinning and snapping photos as they whizzed round Saint Peter's Square. The children, wearing T-shirts reading «Welcome, Protect, Promote, Integrate», hailed from Syria, Nigeria and the Congo, and were airlifted out of Libya along with their families on April 29. A smiling Pope Francis took them on board for a ride around the packed square during his weekly general audience, stopping several times along the way to kiss and bless babies held up to him from the crowd. The Argentine pontiff has repeatedly called on the international community to do more for those seeking shelter in Europe from war, famine, poverty or persecution - a hot-button issue at the upcoming EU parliament elections. At the end of the audience, Pope Francis also met and thanked a delegation from Save the Children, an organisation present in numerous war zones and which is celebrating its centenary year.

Italy’s far-right home affairs minister Matteo Salvini is planning to introduce a law which would fine sea rescue NGOs up to €5,500 for every rescued migrant they bring to Italy. The decree, which Italian media said Mr Salvini had announced during a visit to Naples, must be presented to ministers before it is tabled in parliament. It proposes fines ranging from €3,500 to €5,500 for “each transported foreigner” and would also allow authorities to revoke or suspend the licenses of Italian vessels transporting rescued refugees. Aid groups have blasted the plans and described them as a “declaration of war against NGOs saving lives at sea”. Mr Salvini’s proposal would appear to run contrary to Italy’s obligations under international law. Salvini's open disdain The hardline minister has, however, made no secret of his disdain for sea rescue operations, accusing NGOs of running a “taxi service for migrants” and shutting Italy’s ports to people rescued at sea. Medecins Sans Frontieres were quick to blast the proposal, likening it to “fining ambulances for bringing patients to hospital”. Other NGOs however said that Mr Salvini’s proposal was unlikely to become law. “Captains doing...

The great Russian Orthodox theologian, professor at St Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute and émigré, Pavel Nikolaevich Evdokimov, wrote: “It is not enough to say prayers: we must become, be prayer, prayer incarnate. All of life, each act, every gesture, even the smile of the human face, must become a hymn of adoration, an offering, a prayer. One should offer not what one has but what one is.” Is my life a warming prayer or a cold show of formalities?

The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated - Mahatma Gandhi. The Times of Malta editorial (May 2) really hurts those who love animals.  Feeding horse meat to wild cats is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Both are deprived of living in their natural environment, no matter how big or luxurious their cages are. Besides they are serving as a bad example to the ordinary citizen.  How can one expect that humans observe the country’s rules when knowing that others, owners of wild cats et al, are free to break the rules incessantly. Apart from the above cruelty I remember when the same blood-thirsty people used to fight Cocks at Tal-Ħandaq, about 30 years ago, razor blades used to be stuck to their claws with tape so as to cut deeper and more painfully.

Stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic staged a fightback yesterday, paring heavy losses sparked by a raging US-China trade war over the past week. World oil prices bobbed higher on concerns about tensions in the crude-rich Middle East, dealers said. “Equities are attempting to claw back some lost ground,” noted analyst Chris Beauchamp at trading firm IG, “but the overall atmosphere of caution still prevails”. On Wall Street the Dow gained around 100 points, or 0.4 per cent, at the opening bell, having lost a whopping 2.4 per cent on Monday when the tech-heavy Nasdaq plunged 3.4 per cent. “US stocks are recovering from yesterday’s drop in early action, which was the largest one-day fall since January, with the escalated trade tensions between the US and China continuing to be eyed,” Charles Schwab analysts said. They added, however, that President Donald Trump’s statement that a meeting next month with Chinese President Xi Jinping would be “successful” gave investors some hope for a peaceful resolution of the trade standoff. Earlier, Asian markets sank further, in reaction to Monday’s United States stock plunge, seen after China hiked tariffs on $60 billion of US...

On May 8, the judgment Anthony Debono et vs The Attorney General, in which a tenant was divested of the protection afforded to him by the law and inexorably condemned to eviction, has perhaps been unduly acclaimed as a “landmark judgment”.  Besides the fact that it is a First Hall decision potentially subject to appeal, the incompatibility of pre-1995 leases with the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) has been clear for, at least, the last 13 years. The history of rent control in Malta is an extremely complex one and it is a mirror reflection of the main historical vicissitudes of the island, particularly the immediate post-World War II periods and the economic rebuilding of the Maltese sovereign State in the 1970s. Controls were invariably introduced to respond to shortages of housing and to limit market abuse, in a context where the proportion of tenants in Malta exceeded that of homeowners. It was only in 1985 that the recorded number of owner-occupied dwellings was found to be higher than that of rented units. Albeit accompanied by controversy, the validity of these rent control instruments was unquestioned both by the local as well as the European Court of Human...

An app to support young people coping with mental health challenges, an initiative to support victims of domestic abuse get back into employment, a smart parking system designed in Catania but also applicable to Malta, and a restaurant staffed by persons with disability, have won a total of €24,000 in support services to take their ideas to the next level. The awards of €6,000 each were presented at the end of Profit with Purpose, a two-day social innovation ideation event, held at the Malta Innovation Hub, which is part of the Malta Life Sciences Park. Three of the awards were sponsored by ENISIE, a project which was created to enable innovation through services and institutional engagement between Sicily and Malta.  The fourth award was presented by the Valletta Design Cluster and the Malta Innovation Hub. Joseph Sammut, chairman of the Malta Life Sciences Park, said: “Profit with Purpose showed just how many great social innovation ideas are out there. It was so encouraging to see dozens of entrepreneurs coming forward with viable commercial projects that also tackle a societal issue.  The final pitch for the awards was very impressive and the independent judging panel found...

Birkirkara completed a third straight league-cup double after defeating Mġarr United 2-0 in the final of the MFA Women's Knock-Out at the Mosta Ground, on Tuesday. First-half goals from defensive duo Stephania Farrugia and Ann-Marie Said were enough for the Stripes to make it 15 triumphs in this competition.  Both teams started on the front foot, making up for an intense encounter. In the early stages of the game, Mġarr's forward Haley Bugeja saw a close-range effort blocked by Birkirkara's goalkeeper Janice Xuereb. As time went by, Birkirkara started to pile more pressure and they made it count on minute 18 through a Stephania Farrugia header, who has now scored a century of goals in 300 appearances for the Stripes.  Mġarr's reply came swiftly after through Roxanne Micallef whose shot was parried by Birkirkara's custodian. The Stripes almost doubled the score on the half-hour mark when they had an effort cleared away on the goal-line by Mġarr. Nonetheless, they were not to be denied five minutes after when Ann-Marie Said headed home the second goal from a Farrugia free-kick. Mġarr opened the second 45 minutes looking for a goal with Micallef having an effort on goal just to be...

Poland's right-wing government on Tuesday unveiled plans to crack down on paedophiles by raising prison sentences to a maximum 30 years as a ground-breaking documentary on paedophilia among Polish priests went viral in the Catholic country. The proposed changes by the Law and Justice (PiS) government, which is closely allied with Poland's powerful Roman Catholic church, come just two weeks ahead of a tight race in elections to the European Parliament. «Paedophilia has been treated too lightly by our judicial system,» Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said after presenting the new proposals. Commanding a majority in parliament, the PiS wants to raise maximum jail sentences for child sex abuse from 12 to 30 years and increase the age of consent from 15 to 16. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, regarded as Poland's de facto powerbroker, first suggested longer prison terms for paedophiles on Sunday as the documentary attracted attention. «Tell No One», by independent Polish journalist Tomasz Sekielski has sent shock waves through the devout country and been viewed 12.5 million times since it was posted Saturday on YouTube. The two-hour film includes compelling hidden camera footage of...

Nothing was keeping Prime Minister Joseph Muscat from publishing the Egrant inquiry in full now, Opposition leader Adrian Delia said on Tuesday. Speaking in Msida, Dr Delia claimed the Prime Minister had called for an inquiry into allegations that offshore company Egrant was owned by his wife Michelle Muscat «only to make a political statement». The inquiry had found no evidence that Egrant belonged to Ms Muscat, noting declarations of trust given to the magistrate included false signatures.  The Prime Minister had said he will be deciding whether or not to publish the entire Egrant inquiry report once a court handed down a decision on whether the Opposition should have a copy.  A court on Tuesday denied that request and the Opposition said it would be appealing the decision.  Addressing supporters, Dr Delia said the Prime Minister should publish the report in full so that people can find out «what he and the Labour party are afraid of».  «The head of the Opposition has the duty to be a public watchdog,» Dr Delia said. «That right was sanctioned today,» he added. PN should go to European Court of Human Rights for full Egrant inquiry MEP Francis Zammit Dimech, who also spoke...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Tuesday insisted he was determined to see the Egrant inquiry report published in full. Speaking in Luqa, he said that this, however, had to be done with respect to the Attorney General’s advice that one should not be hasty and publish anything which could hinder investigations. A court on Tuesday denied that request and the Opposition said it would be appealing the decision.  He said there were those who falsified documents and his interests were not vindictive but that these persons were caught. Referring to the former Opposition leader’s declaration that he (the Prime Minister) should stop playing the victim, Dr Muscat said he hoped Simon Busuttil would not have to go through what he had. “My strength to tell him so comes from the serenity within me. From the honour I have to lead this nation.” Dr Muscat said that those who appealed for votes through division were in a state of panic. Labour, on the other hand, appealed for unity. “Malta in our hearts means that one has to love all Maltese wholly and truly at all times,” he said. The Prime Minister said that the most divisive matter was the way parties looked at issues. Labour looked at the...

The government is carrying out various infrastructural works on private roads in Qormi and Żebbuġ using taxpayer funds despite that such works should have been carried out and paid for by private owners, Times of Malta is informed. Through its new roads agency, Infrastructure Malta, works have already been done in Żebbuġ, asphalting stretches of private streets which lead to complexes of garages built years ago. Following reports reaching the newspaper, Times of Malta on Monday witnessed ongoing works on a similar private garage complex in Qormi where a company contracted by Infrastructure Malta was rebuilding the streets and installing new underground services in preparation for a final level of fresh tarmac. Works are being done on the eve of another electoral campaign, with local and MEP elections slated for May 25. Qormi and Żebbuġ form part of the sixth and seventh electoral districts which incidentally are represented in Parliament by Minister Ian Borg, responsible for the roads agency. “Just a few weeks ago a Labour candidate for the local council came to tell me at my garage that Ian (Minister Borg) will be doing up our road,” a garage owner in Qormi’s Bellic Street,...

Captain Daniele De Rossi will bring the curtain down on his 18-year career with Roma at the end of the season, the Serie A side announced on Tuesday. The 35-year-old former World Cup winning midfielder will play his final game at home against Parma on May 26, but will not be retiring from professional football. “(De Rossi) plans to pursue a new adventure away from Rome,” the club said in a statement.  “It will be the end of an era.” The game could be a crucial one for Roma’s Champions League ambitions next season as last year’s European semi-finalists are sixth in Serie A just one point off fourth place with two games to play. De Rossi has spent his entire senior career with his hometown team coming through the club’s academy system. “For 18 years, Daniele has been the beating heart of AS Roma’s team,” said club president Jim Pallotta said.  “We will all shed tears when he pulls on the Giallorossi shirt for the last time against Parma but we respect his desire to prolong his playing career - even if, at almost 36, it will be away from Rome.  “On behalf of everyone at Roma, I’d like to thank Daniele for his incredible dedication to this club and ensure him that our doors will...

Two men were injured in a traffic accident in Luqa, one of them grievously on Tuesday afternoon. A 43-year-old man who lives in Valletta was grievously injured while a 31-year-old man who lives in Birżebbuġa was slightly injured. The police said the accident happened in the limits of the industrial zone at 5.15pm. They said the Valletta man was driving a BMW318D that was involved in a collision with a Citroen Jumper that was being driven by the 31-year-old, an Italian. Both drivers were assisted by a medical team on site. The police are investigating.

The Lasallian community worldwide is this year celebrating the 300th anniversary of their founder’s death, St John Baptist de La Salle, who died on April 7, 1719. It is a year to celebrate the many Lasallian vocations (Brothers, Lasallian partners in ministry, students, alumni, parents) in the worldwide community and to reflect upon our call as Lasallians to be people of faith, service and community. The logo for the Tercentenary Year features a large 300 surrounded by the words: One Heart One Commitment One Life.  In 1903 the Brothers of the Christian Schools opened their first school in Malta in Strada Buongiorno, Cospicua, followed by another school in Sliema. Throughout the 20th century, the original schools grew and changed, adapting to the needs of the times and facing the challenges of the historic upheavals that marked the 1900s. Throughout it all, De La Salle College in Vittoriosa and Stella Maris College  in Gzira never lost sight of the main objective that inspired the founder nearly 300 years earlier – to help students develop as persons in all aspects of their life.  Both colleges are first and foremost Catholic schools. Many among the serving clergy and in...