Ecuador confirmed Tuesday it would hand over to the United States documents and computer hardware belonging to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, insisting it was complying fully with the law. The prosecutor's office in Quito would determine «what goods should or should not be shared,» said Foreign Minister Jose Valencia, who confirmed the handover in an interview with Ecuador's ECTV. He said the delivery of Assange's documents would take place «in full compliance with the law.» Assange's lawyers said Monday they had received an e-mail from prosecutors informing them of the planned handover of items left behind by Assange when his seven-year stay at the London embassy ended in his arrest last month. Prosecutors have authorised police to carry out a search next Monday of the room which the Australian occupied and seize his personal belongings. Valencia defended the handover, saying: «This is derived from a very clear order from a competent judicial authority.» «It will be the Prosecutor's office that decides what goods should or should not be shared with the United States authorities and which are personal effects that must be returned to its owner,» he said. The belongings,...

Two candidates for the upcoming European Parliament elections are organising lotteries with prizes ranging from cars to week-long holidays in Dubai. Labour Party candidate Joe Sammut has a Fiat Panda car up for grabs - and has set up the mini hatchback vehicle on display right outside parliament in Valletta. A lawyer by profession, Dr Sammut is advertising the “raffle” on social media, with passers-by in Valletta able to catch a glimpse of the city car or buy as many €5 tickets for the lottery as they please.  Tickets can be bought until 9.30pm on Tuesday May 21. The prize draw will happen 30 minutes later at Montekristo Estates, a list of terms and conditions published on Dr Sammut’s personal website states. Dr Sammut has made it clear that all proceeds from the lottery will go towards the Malta Community Chest Fund and Malta Hospice Movement. Despite that assurance, the lottery – coming just days before voters go to the polls to elect six European Parliament members – has prompted a mix of dismay and contempt on social media. Democratic Party candidate Camilla Appelgren, who is campaigning on a green platform and has called for reduced car use, said she “nearly choked on her...

British Prime Minister Theresa May's government said Tuesday it was aiming to agree a Brexit deal by July, making it likely that Britain's MEPs elected in next week's European elections will take their seats. Ministers agreed at a cabinet meeting to continue talks with the main opposition Labour Party on how parliament might accept the divorce deal that May agreed with the EU last year, according to her spokesman. But he said they also agreed it was «imperative» that any exit plan be approved before parliament's summer holiday, which normally begins at the end of July. «What she (May) is working to do is to get a deal passed as soon as possible,» he said. Asked what this meant for Britain's 73 members of the European Parliament, the spokesman added: «The factual position is if MEPs are elected and (British) parliament has not approved a withdrawal agreement bill which has achieved royal assent by June 30, they will take their seats.» After twice delaying its exit from the European Union, Britain is reluctantly taking part in European Parliament elections on May 23, almost three years after the referendum vote for Brexit. The government had hoped to get the London parliament's...

A Turkish Airlines plane heading from Istanbul to Accra was forced to divert to Gudja and land at Malta International Airport after running into technical trouble on Tuesday. Sources said that the Boeing 737-9F2 plane developed a problem with one of its wheels as it was over northern Africa. Its captain opted to turn the aircraft around and land in Malta.  The aircraft landed in Malta safely some time after 3pm.  An MIA spokesperson confirmed that the airport had handled a “technical diversion” but said that operations were running normally.

An average of €1,000 per family was spent in renovating housing estates in Floriana, after it was found the buildings needed an infrastructural makeover. Speaking in Triq il-Kapuċċini, Parliamentary Secretary for Housing Roderick Galdes said the buildings in Floriana required replacement of apertures, works on the drainage systems and improvements in the common areas. The Floriana council benefitted from a grant of €32,000 from the Housing Authority and six blocks of housing estates in Triq il-Kappuccini, Triq Sant’Anna, Triq il-Miratur and Triq il-Fosos were embellished as part of the scheme. In total, 100 families living in the apartments had their houses improved, Mr Galdes said.  The government, he said, embarked on a series of projects to transform abandoned and derelict buildings into modern social housing accommodation. Thirty-three government-owned buildings had recently been handed over to the Housing Authority for renovations. Critics have pointed out it has taken a Labour government seven years to build any social housing projects. The Prime Minister has recently announced that the number of units planned will balloon to 1,000, thanks to funds coming from the sale of...

A free classical concert will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral in Mdina on Sunday May 19.   The ‘Archbishop’s Charity Concert’ is being organised by the archdiocese of Malta and will feature the Venus Harp Trio and pop guitarist and singer Fiona Cauchi. Entrance is free with donations at the door going towards the Archbishop’s Charity Fund which assists families and persons in need. This concert is supported by APS Bank plc. The concert will begin at 7pm.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday meets US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the highest-level talks between the rival powers in nearly a year as they see if they can make headway on a raft of disagreements from Venezuela to Iran to arms control. Pompeo will visit Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi less than two weeks after US President Donald Trump voiced optimism about improving relations with Moscow during a more than one-hour telephone conversation with the Russian leader. The new diplomatic push followed the long-awaited report in the United States by investigator Robert Mueller which found that Russia interfered in the 2016 election but that the Trump campaign did not collude with Moscow, partially lifting a cloud that had hung over the mogul-turned-president for two years. Putin is expected to receive Pompeo Tuesday evening after the US secretary of state holds talks with Moscow's top diplomat Sergei Lavrov. «My meetings in Russia will highlight a number of important topics,» Pompeo tweeted on Tuesday. «On some issues we may agree, on others we may disagree, but when it’s in our national interests, it is our responsibility to find a way forward.» Pompeo is...

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...

A security flaw in WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, allowed sophisticated attackers to install spyware on phones, the company said Tuesday, in the latest trouble for its parent Facebook. The vulnerability - first reported by the Financial Times, and fixed in the latest WhatsApp update - allowed hackers to insert malicious software on phones by calling the target using the app, which is used by 1.5 billion people around the world. The FT cited a spyware dealer as saying the tool was developed by a shadowy Israel-based firm called the NSO Group, which has been accused of helping governments from the Middle East to Mexico snoop on activists and journalists. Security researchers said the malicious code bore similarities to other tech developed by the firm, according to The New York Times. The latest exploit - which impacts Android devices and Apple's iPhones, among others - was discovered earlier this month and WhatsApp scrambled to fix it, rolling out an update in less than 10 days. "WhatsApp encourages people to upgrade to the latest version of our app, as well as keep their mobile operating system up to date, to protect against potential targeted...

Babies and young children should not be involved in campaigns by political parties, the Commissioner for Children has insisted.  In comments to the Times of Malta, Commissioner Pauline Miceli said that she was aware that children are “once again being used by political parties in their campaigns”.  “We, as an office, always stress that children are children first and should be considered so and have their particular needs catered for. It is their childhood that shapes their future – their parents’ voting decisions comes after,” Ms Miceli told this newspaper.  The commissioner’s views on the matter were sought after it emerged that both Labour and Nationalist parties have started featuring babies and young children in campaign material.  While, so far in the campaign, the use of children by the PN was found to be limited to billboards, the Labour Party has included children in a video being shared on social media, with both babies and young students featuring in the footage. On this, the commissioner said there was a dilemma between children’s right to participate and voice an option and their right to protection.  “Of course babies and very young children are far too young to...

Investors with global portfolios of equities and bonds are generally aware that their asset allocation decisions, the proportions of funds they invest in the different asset classes, their regional exposures as well as the degree of currency exposure, are amongst the most important decisions they make (from an investments point of view). When deciding on the appropriate allocation, they are usually comfortable making the simplified assumption that their investment objective is to maximise expected return for a given level of risk. Asset allocation is the process of dividing investments among different kinds of asset classes, namely, equities, bonds, cash or even real estate in such a manner so as to achieve an adequate combination of risk and reward (known as the risk-reward trade-off) that is commensurate with an investor's specific situation and goals. It is a known fact that the crux of the optimal asset allocation decision lies on what investors call diversification and investment managers refer to as correlation. Managers of balanced funds tend to adopt the od structuring a portfolio of unrelated securities that tend to move in opposite directions (having negative...

Updated at 10.35am with video Adrian Delia will not receive a full copy of the Egrant inquiry, after a court denied his application on Tuesday. Mr Justice Robert Mangion read out the final part of his judgement in a brief court session on Tuesday morning which did not delve into the legal reasoning behind his judgement. Dr Muscat says that despite the AG’s position, he will publish the full inquiry himself in “another few days” once a review process is completed. August 9, 2018: Adrian Delia files a constitutional application seeking a full copy of the Egrant inquiry. He says the report should be published in the interests of equity as the opposition has been placed in a political disadvantage by not knowing all the findings.  August 16, 2018: The courts accept a request by Dr Delia for the case to be heard with urgency. September 2018 – March 2019: The court hears several high-profile witnesses, including Dr Muscat, attorney general Peter Grech and Justice Minister Owen Bonnici. March 2019: Dr Muscat says he has not published the inquiry as promised because of the ongoing court case. “I think that out of courtesy and respect towards the institutions, I will await the court...

North Korea on Tuesday demanded the return of a cargo ship seized by Washington last week for violating international sanctions, calling it an «unlawful and outrageous act». On Friday, the US Justice Department said it had taken possession of the North Korea-registered bulk carrier M/V Wise Honest, one year after it was detained in Indonesia, citing illicit sanctions-busting activities. It was the first time a North Korean cargo vessel had been seized by the US for sanctions violations, after several years of high seas cat-and-mouse games in which Korean shippers disguised vessels, used false flags and turned off their tracking transponders to avoid discovery. A spokesman for the North's foreign ministry slammed the move on Tuesday, saying it was an «outright denial» of the spirit of a statement signed by leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump at their landmark summit in Singapore last June. «The United States committed an unlawful and outrageous act of dispossessing our cargo ship... linking the ship to the 'sanctions resolutions' of the United Nations Security Council,» the spokesman said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The...

Valletta and Balzan will write the final chapter of the 2018-19 season on Saturday after battling through the FA Trophy semi-finals last weekend. The Cup holders, despite being dogged by injuries and fatigue, gave another example of their fiery character when they scored a goal in each half to fend off the challenge of Gżira United to book their place in the FA Trophy final for a second successive season. On the other hand, Balzan put on a sprightly battling performance to see off Birkirkara in a five-goal thriller that puts them just a win away from a historic first FA Trophy and a place in the Europa League qualifiers this summer. After playing over four hours of football in the space of a week, few had given Valletta a chance to see off Gżira on Sunday but the Citizens players gave another proof of their strength-in-depth as despite having a number of key players missing they still proved too strong for the Maroons. Rowen Muscat, who fired Valletta ahead early in the second half, said that the team’s latest success is down to the players’ winning mentality and more importantly it showed that all the 20 players in the squad are capable of going into the side to do the job. “We...

A Formula One car has been sent to the home of the cancer-stricken boy who inspired Lewis Hamilton's Spanish Grand Prix triumph. Hamilton dedicated his win in Barcelona to Harry Shaw, a five-year-old from Surrey, who is set to lose his battle against a rare bone disease. Hamilton's Mercedes team then arranged for one of their Formula One cars to park outside Harry's home in Redhill on Monday. The youngster, cradled in his father James' arms, was then shown around Hamilton's car by a Mercedes employee. Given the acceleration of his illness, it marked the first time he had been outdoors in three weeks. Harry was presented with Hamilton's winning trophy from the race in Barcelona, and a pair of the world champion's racing gloves. Hamilton also recorded a video message of support for him to watch. «I cannot describe how much it means to us all that Lewis won the race for Harry, and then dedicated it to Harry, too,» his father James Shaw said. «At a tremendously difficult time in our lives, this has provided us with a big boost, and a big smile. »Harry couldn't believe that Lewis Hamilton was talking about him, and had dedicated the race to him. He now thinks that Lewis is his...

An exhibition of etchings of landscapes, human figures, portraits and abstract compositions has opened at the Malta School of Arts in Valletta. Incizjoni is being held at Palazzo De La Salle until May 23 and is open to the public from 8am to 7pm between Monday and Friday and from 9am to 1.30pm on Saturdays.  The exhibition features works under the direction of Lino Borg. The exhibiting artists are: Lisa Ambrogio, Lino Borg, Raymond Calleja, Silvio John Camilleri, John Michael Caruana, Silvana Caruana, Adrienne Cassar, Kevin Ellul, Joe Galea, Joe Mark Micallef, Nathalie Pace, and Nicole Pace. The catalogue which accompanies the exhibition includes reproductions of all works on display photographed by John Ambrogio.  Etching dates back to mediaeval times, when it was used to adorn metal objects such as armour. It refers to a process where an image is created through the use of acid. A copper or zinc plate is first covered in wax, on which the desired image is drawn with a needle to uncover the metal underneath. When the plate is immersed in acid, the uncovered metal is ‘bitten into’ and this leaves the image engraved in the plate. This is then covered in semi-liquid ink and...

Kawhi Leonard bounced in the game-winning shot at the buzzer as the Toronto Raptors advanced to the Eastern Conference finals with a 92-90 win over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers in a heart-stopping game seven on Sunday. The winner-take-all contest was a microcosm of the wildly unpredictable series with each team taking turns making runs or being inept until the biggest twist of all as Leonard finished it off in showstopping style. «I got a fortuitous bounce,» said Leonard of the first game-seven buzzer beater in NBA history. «I just shot it as hard as I could. I got some loft on it and it made the ball bounce soft and it ended up going in.» The Raptors advance to the NBA final four where they will play the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in game one of their series on Wednesday. With the score tied 90-90 and the game appearing to be headed to overtime, Leonard took matters into his own hands by getting open for a fall-away jumper from the right corner. His arching moon ball at the buzzer bounced twice on each side of the rim before dropping into the bucket to clinch the series. Leonard's winning shot came after Sixers Jimmy Butler tied the contest with four seconds left. Leonard...

The University of Malta currently has 1,073 international students, the highest number ever. According to the annual report on internationalisation trends at the university, written by Pro-Rector Professor Godfrey Baldacchino, eight per cent of the student population of the 14 faculties are international students. The Faculties of Medicine & Surgery, Arts and Economics, Management and Accountancy registered the highest number of international students. Within the University’s institutes, centres and schools, the proportion of international students is even higher: 18 per cent. The data also shows an increase of international students following doctoral level programmes. The Doctorate in Pharmacy programme was the main contributor to this surge, with numbers doubling over the previous year.  The reports also revealed more interest by students to undertake exchange study periods overseas when compared to previous years. A total of 356 university students took up an Erasmus mobility experience, while 14 other students opted to go and study for a semester in a non-EU country. This was 13 per cent higher than the previous year. The university, in turn, hosted 359 Erasmus students and...

The MSE Equity Price Index opened the week in negative territory as it extended last Friday’s decline by a further 0.27% to 4,740.649 points. Four companies ended the day in negative territory, including MIDI which plunged by over 6% and RS2 which lost more than 3%. On the other hand, three equities trended higher whilst five other shares remained flat. Trading volumes improved notably to €0.53 million compared to €0.36 million last Friday. MIDI plc shed 6.3% back to its 2019 low of €0.59 albeit on just 13,500 shares. The company will hold its AGM on 11 June. Within the same segment, Malta Properties Company plc retracted back to the €0.60 (-1.6%) level on high volumes totalling 176,424 shares. MPC will also hold its AGM on 11 June. BMIT Technologies plc erased last week’s gains as it slipped by nearly 2% to the €0.53 level across 26,800 shares. The company will be holding its AGM on 27 May. The other negative performing equity today was RS2 Software plc which fell by 3.1% to the €1.55 level on activity totalling 15,186 shares. Shareholders as at close of trading on Wednesday 15 May will be entitled to receive one bonus share for every eight shares held. Also among the large...

Jugs Malta will be hosting an open-air cinema week  from Thursday to Sunday at the Sheer Bastion in Senglea. The films to be screened outdoors will include The Greatest Showman on Thursday, Dirty Dancing on Friday, Shawshank Redemption on Saturday and Pulp Fiction on Sunday. Films start at 8.30pm. Doors open at 7.30pm. Comfortable chairs and blankets, popcorn and food and drink are also part of the programme. All events are suitable for people aged 18 and over. Tickets are available from https://bit.ly/215c5By.

A couple’s argument over child maintenance payments sparked off a full-scale punch-up between rival Cospicua families on Easter Sunday afternoon, a court heard on Monday.  The dynamics of the violent episode emerged as a young mother-of-two, in an on-again-off-again relationship with one of the men injured in the fight, provided a witness's account of the events of that afternoon. Eight family members, ranging in age from 18 to 59, allegedly assaulted various members of a rival family living in the same town. Carmelo Dalli, 59, Fredrick Dalli, 36, Charlston Cassar, 26, Lee Julian Cassar, 25, Josloann Cassar, 25, Redent Cassar, 24, Tristan Cassar, 22 and Kurt David Azzopardi, 18, all stand accused of having breached public peace, threatened and assaulted members of the Brincat family between 2.45pm and 4pm on Easter Sunday. Two of their alleged victims were grievously hurt in the assault, with two others ending up slightly injured. Christine Sammut testified how she and a female friend had gone for a drink at a Cospicua kiosk close to 2pm on the afternoon of the incident. Her partner, father of her two children, had been there too, together with his brother, sister-in-law and...

Relaunch the 24/7 Crisis Intervention Team and set up a national suicide support line, the Opposition is urging the government. Launching a set of 18 proposals to fight mental health issues, PN spokesman Mario Galea said that one out of every four people in Malta suffered mental health issues. However, only three out of every 10 people with depression actually looked for help. The number of those who did not seek support was too high, and something needed to be done about it, he said at a press conference on Monday.  Untreated depression remained the main cause of suicide, which worldwide cost a life every 40 seconds, Mr Galea said, adding that for every successful suicide there were another 20 attempts. “In two years, mental health issues will be more common among the Maltese than cardiovascular diseases,” he said. In light of the depletion of resources in the sector, the PN’s proposals include employing more professionals such as psychologists, psychotherapists and social workers. It is also calling for more resources at the Mental Health Commissioner’s office and more 'psychiatric beds' within Mater Dei Hospital’s footprint. PN MEP candidates Frank Psaila and David Stellini...

Air Malta will start operating a twice weekly service every Monday and Friday to Egypt’s capital, Cairo, this September. This service will continue operating throughout winter. «This route, which is being introduced after an absence of 12 years,will continue to strengthen our presence in North Africa following the successful re-introduction of similar services to Tunis and Morocco. »We are working hard to ensure a similar success and chose the flight timings to offer good connectivity between Cairo and Europe’s main cities through Malta. The introduction of this route follows our current growth strategy to connect better the Maltese Islands”, said Air Malta’s chairman, Charles Mangion. Located on the banks of River Nile, Cairo is one of the most sought-after destinations in the world.

In an ancient ceremony that occurs only once every imperial era, Japanese palace courtiers in traditional robes and hats decided on Monday where best to grow royal rice -- using shells from endangered turtles. Two thin plates made from turtle shells were heated over a flame to produce cracks then used to determine where rice should be grown for a key autumn ceremony presided over by new emperor Naruhito. The cracks «told» officials to grow the rice in the ancient capital of Kyoto and north of Tokyo in Tochigi prefecture. For the ceremony -- which Naruhito did not attend -- officials clad in long black robes and ornate black hats were seen walking slowly into a striped tent. The rare ritual is conducted only after a new emperor takes the throne. It was last seen in 1990 about a year after Naruhito's father, Akihito, ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne. While the shells are harvested from rare green sea turtles, they are procured as part of a conservation scheme, officials said. The turtles come from the Ogasawara, a Pacific island chain that lies 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) south of central Tokyo but is administratively part of the capital. People in the region have been eating...

Long Live the Queen: The Ultimate Queen Show, featuring Break Free, one of the best Queen tribute bands in Europe, will be held on Friday at Għaxaq grounds. The band’s singer has embodied Freddie Mercury’s body language on stage, together with the famous singer’s vocal timbre, extension, accent and diction. The same applies to the rest of the band’s members, who recreate the band’s sound, movements and energy. Hosted by Għaxaq Music Events, the concert will include great hits such as We Will Rock You, Bohemian Rhapsody, We are the Champions, The Show Must Go On and Love of my Life. Local bands Vinyl Paradise and Airport Impressions will kick-start the concert, to be hosted by Pierre Cordina, at 8pm. Parking areas near the venue will be available. Entrance is free but donations to Dar Bjorn will be collected at the door. For more information visit Għaxaq Music Events on Facebook.

The subject of abortion should not be ridiculed but should rather be a subject of major discussion, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Monday. Turning the European Parliament electoral campaign into a referendum on abortion, as the leader of the opposition was doing, was a sign of panic,  Dr Muscat said. «We are ridiculing a very serious subject about which the Maltese deserve a sober discussion,» he insisted. “The government does not have a mandate to introduce abortion. The PN leader is being irresponsible, when, as a survival strategy, he makes declarations that will come back to haunt him.” On Sunday, the PN leader claimed that the upcoming European Parliament elections will be a referendum on abortion since every seat going to the Labour Party would be a seat in favour of abortion. Dr Muscat said Dr Delia had seen a panic button and pressed it. "That is a short-term and short-sighted strategy by the Opposition leader,” he added.  It was those who had no valid argument who ended up scaremongering. “From my end I will continue campaigning on real issues – if anything, his comments confirm that the upcoming May 25 elections are a choice between myself on one side, and Dr...

Members of a local law firm had feared for their personal safety and that of their loved ones after a former colleague whose consultancy contract was not renewed by the firm, bombarded them with threatening messages vouching revenge, a court was told on Monday. Bartosz Marcin Adruszaniec,  42-year old Polish lawyer who ended up a squatter in abandoned premises lacking water and electricity, was back in court as a number of former colleagues and a relative of one of the partners, recipients of the allegedly threatening mail, took the witness stand. The accused, who was remanded in custody upon his arraignment in April, is pleading not guilty to charges of harassment, blackmail and threats, instilling fear in the partners and other employees at the firm. Read - Lawyer sent 87 pages of threatening email, court hears He is also facing charges relating to simple theft from a shop and an attempted robbery from a private residence at St Paul’s Bay. “It was scary. It put me under mental stress. I felt I was targeted,” recalled the personal assistant to one of the partners at the law firm, the name of whom was banned by the court after parte civile lawyer Stefano Filletti pointed out...

Brighton sacked manager Chris Hughton on Monday in what chairman Tony Bloom described as «one of the most difficult decisions» he had ever had to make. Hughton leaves despite guiding Brighton to the FA Cup semi-finals and retaining their Premier League status for a second successive season. The decision may well have come as a shock to 60-year-old Hughton, who had spoken of his desire for players to bounce back from the final day 4-1 defeat by Manchester City on Sunday and other disappointing spells during the campaign.   However, the slump in their league form in the latter part of the season -- which saw Watford sucked into a relegation battle -- forced Bloom's hand. «Undoubtedly, this has been one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make as chairman of Brighton & Hove Albion, but ultimately one I have made due to how we struggled in the second half of the season,» said Bloom in a club statement. «Our run of three wins from 23 Premier League matches put our status at significant risk. »It is with that in mind, and the performances during that period, that I now feel it’s the right time for a change." Hughton -- who had previously managed among others Newcastle,...

Italian architect and designer Claudio Silvestrin will be the next guest speaker at Architecture Alive with a presentation entitled ‘Timeless simplicity’. Architecture Alive is a series of design talks hosted by Studjurban and the Planning Authority, supported by the Chamber of Architects, Places and Marsovin. This event is being organised in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute. The event will take place at the Italian Cultural Institute in Valletta on Saturday. Doors open at 6.30pm. The talk will be followed by drinks and canapés. For more information visit https://www.architecture-alive.com.

Abuse is a pervasive global issue that goes beyond the Church and which «will not go away», Archbishop Charles Scicluna believes. In an interview that sheds some light on his work as the Vatican's leading sex crimes investigator, Mgr Scicluna told The Washington Post that he «hoped and prayed» that the institution can «become an example of best practices» for its way of responding to and preventing abuse.  «But we will not solve the problem,» the Archbishop told the US newspaper, calling abuse a pervasive global issues that goes beyond the church. He also told the daily that abuse «will not go away».  Mgr. Scicluna has been travelling to Rome for a week each month since Pope Francis gave him a major role to promote and safeguard the doctrine on faith and morals in the Church. But he was involved in tackling abuse for years before that, having served in the Congregation of the Faith under Cardinal Ratzinger under the Pope John Paul II papacy. The Pope sent him to Chile at the end of January last year to look into allegations against a bishop accused of covering up clergy crimes against minors there. While he has interviewed hundreds of victims over the years, most of the time, Mgr.

Four leading Maltese architects will show how they are remodelling and renewing Malta’s heritage in a sustainable manner, in a series of public lectures throughout May and June. Amber Wismayer, Chris Briffa, Konrad Buhagiar and Richard England will each discuss their projects, elaborating how they have interpreted a contemporary approach, introducing today’s standards of quality, style of living and spirituality in developments that involve precious heritage architecture across Malta. The lectures will be held at the Hotel Phoenicia and are being organised by NGO Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar. Each one will begin at 6.30pm. Book your tickets online at https://ticketengine.faa.org.mt/

Gozo is known for a number of things – among others – the lush green fields, the crystal clear beaches and mouthwatering ravioli with ġbejniet. For litigation lawyers, however, Gozo is synonymous with the giving of the master of all pleas, that of the privilegium fori. Simply put, when a defendant pleads privilegium fori, he or she is essentially arguing that another court, not being the one where the lawsuit was instituted by the plaintiff, has the privilege of hearing and deciding that case. Under our law, this privilege is granted to a Gozitan or Maltese defendant who requests that a case being heard against him or her is heard in the court of the island of his or her habitual residence. Naturally, various exceptions to this plea exist. Historically, this plea was not just reserved for those who fell within the remits of articles 741(c), 767 and 770 of the Code of Organisation and Civil Procedure but, rather, was resorted to many times by ecclesiastics and clergymen alike who preferred to have their case tried in front of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal or equivalent. Today, at least in civil matters, this is no longer possible. Indeed, Maltese procedural law provides two...

More than seven decades after World War II ended, over 300 tiny pieces of human tissue from political prisoners executed by the Nazis will be buried Monday at a Berlin cemetery. The samples -- each a hundredth of a millimetre thin and about a square centimetre in size -- were uncovered on microscopic glass plates by the descendants of the Third Reich anatomy professor Hermann Stieve. Stieve dissected and researched the bodies of inmates killed at the Berlin Ploetzensee jail, including those of executed resistance fighters -- in part to examine the physical impact of fear experienced by women. A ceremony will be held, with descendants of the victims expected to attend, before the remains are finally laid to rest at 1300 GMT at the Dorotheenstadt cemetery in central Berlin with a Catholic and a Protestant priest and a rabbi present. A ceremony will be held, with descendants of the victims expected to attend, before the remains are finally laid to rest at 1300 GMT at the Dorotheenstadt cemetery in central Berlin. «With the burial of the microscopic specimens... we want to take a step toward giving the victims back their dignity,» said Karl Max Einhaeupl, the head of Berlin's...

In his article ‘Stains on our conscience’ (April 11) Ranier Fsadni wrote: “At the heart of our Constitution – what pulls it all together, whatever its weaknesses – is a value explicitly preached by Judaism, Christianity and Islam alike: when one person dies, the whole of humanity dies too. And every assassination and murder is a potentially fatal wound the entire body politic receives. It’s a civic disaster.” Fsadni was writing about the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Calizia some months ago. He also referred to the murders of Karen Grech and Raymond Caruana. Fsadni added: “The youthful Caruana and the adolescent Grech became public figures as a result of their murders. Their death was a symptom of a deeply disturbed society. It is because they were killed – so brutally – that these private citizens became public personas.” In my article ‘So callous and barbaric’ (March 19) I questioned how the pro-choice lobby in Malta could clamour for abortion, the killing of very little human beings, which the Times of Malta editorial called “murder”, and the unborn child “the weakest citizen of all”? I was writing about the approximately 300 “murders” abroad of very little...

On April 28, I took part in the Gozo Half Marathon, organised annually by the Xagħra Youth Centre in Gozo. The event attracted around 1,500 participants. Claimed to be the oldest road race to be held in Malta, this was the 43rd edition of the Gozo Marathon, the brainchild of Dun (now Mgr) Anton Refalo who ran the village youth centre at the time. Being relatively a beginner where running is concerned, this occasion proved to be an endurance test. Now, I am truly glad I decided to take part and proved capable of finishing the race in good time. Besides, it was also an opportunity to enjoy a first-hand experience of the impeccable way such an event is organised. I am told that the organising committee of this event is all formed of youths themselves, mainly students hailing from the village of Xagħra who commute daily to the sister island of Malta for study or for work. It was certainly a superhuman effort on the part of these youths who endeavoured in staging such an event, which no doubt entails lots of hard work, logistic planning and innumerable sacrifices. One could soon tell, from the very start of the event, that the organising group was very well organised and determined.