One of the co-founders of Facebook called on Thursday for the social media behemoth to be broken up, warning that the company's head, Mark Zuckerberg, had become far too powerful. «It's time to break up Facebook,» said Chris Hughes, who along with Zuckerberg founded the online network in their dorm room while both were students at Harvard University in 2004. In an editorial published in The New York Times, Hughes said that Zuckerberg's «focus on growth led him to sacrifice security and civility for clicks,» and warned that his global influence had become «staggering.» Zuckerberg not only controls Facebook but also the widely used Instagram and WhatsApp platforms, and Hughes said that Facebook's board works more like an advisory committee than a check on the chief executive's power. «Facebook accepts that with success comes accountability,» said vice president of global affairs and communications Nick Clegg. «But you don’t enforce accountability by calling for the breakup of a successful American company.» Clegg, a British former deputy prime minister, reasoned that carefully crafted regulation of the internet is the way to hold technology companies accountable, and noted that...

In a report published by the European Commission for 2019 about country specific recommendations, it has been declared that Malta, among other things,  had  only made limited progress in ensuring the sustainability  of  healthcare and the pension systems, including increasing the statutory retirement age and by restricting early retirement. It was further stated that assessment of initiatives taken by the government so far pointed to very little or no impact on the sustainability of the pension systems but possible increases in non-pension income. From the onset it has to be pointed out by pensioners’ organisations, representing about 100,000 pensioners or about one- fourth of the Maltese population, that, it is not in pensioners’ interest to put healthcare and pensions in the same basket.  Although health and pensions are two very important pillars in the social area when it comes to sustainability, it is very important to treat them separately. It should be emphasised that Malta’s health care is free of charge. Members of Parliament boast a lot about this bonanza. However, they fail to point out that the expenditure involved is paid from the Consolidated Revenue Fund through...

A 20-year-old woman from Rabat was grievously injured in a traffic accident in the limits of Siġġiewi on Wednesday. The police said the accident happened in Triq is-Salib tal-Għolja at 5.10pm. The victim was a passenger in a Toyota Vitz that was being driven by a 19-year-old woman from Dingli. The Vitz was involved in a collision with an Isuzu NR-B that was being driven by a 67-year-old man, also from Dingli. She was assisted by a medical team on site and then taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance. The police are investigating.

Bank of Valletta has renewed its gold sponsorship agreement with the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry in its bid to boost the local economy, strengthen the business community and engage with the market.   The collaborative agreement was signed by Malta Chamber president Perit David Xuereb and deputy president Marisa Xuereb with Kenneth Farrugia, chief business development officer (investments) representing Bank of Valletta. “In 2017, the bank and the Chamber had launched ‘The SME Toolkit’ – a specific tool for entrepreneurs with start-up ambitions to guide them through the crucial decision-making phases of setting up a company, such as the business plan, acquiring finance, legal, green credentials and marketing,’ said Perit Xuereb.  The Chamber and the bank are looking forward to continue building on the strong relationship they enjoy, by organising seminars on priority matters that add value to the business community such as occupational pension schemes, family businesses, access to finance and assistance to business start-ups.  “Our objectives focus on the vision for the Chamber in leading and directing for the prioritised needs of its members. We will work...

During World War II, the Allies had a secret weapon that they used effectively during the bombing operations against Germany. It was code-named ‘Window’ and was intended to confuse enemy radar by creating false blips.  This secret weapon was nothing more than clouds of metal foil strips, dropped by an aircraft to create radar responses that would give the impression they were enemy aircraft.  In this way the ‘Window’, which can also be called chaff, deviated attention from the real danger posed by the much larger masses of real metal approaching – the bombers and their destructive cargo intended to wreak havoc on the people below. Just last week, I received my own version of this chaff, also intended to confuse on the basis of falsehood. Being now in full election campaign mode, Joseph Muscat’s Labour Party has mobilised its own ‘Window’ and dropped clouds of strips of paper in the form of the €50 cheques on what they believe to be a gullible Maltese public.  The intention is simple. They want to deviate our attention away from the waves of corruption allegations attacking our consciousness every day, with a small number of people raking in hundreds of thousands, and even...

A White Paper on the rental market has reached the stage where decisions are being taken on the way forward, Social Solidarity Minister Michael Falzon told parliament during a debate on the Housing Authority Estimates on Wednesday. However, the government would not seek to regulate the rental market or to intervene in it directly, but would restrict its involvement to guiding its direction. Dr Falzon spoke on various schemes introduced by the government to assist persons to become homeowners for the first time, including the first-time buyer scheme and a subsidy to assist with loan repayments. He touted various social housing projects which would increase the country’s stock of housing units by 30%. Housing Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes accused the Nationalist Party of sabotaging one of these projects in Siġġiewi, where, he said, the Nationalist mayor was “obstructing” a block of social housing units from reaching completion by appealing against the project and by putting unreasonable conditions on contractors. Opposition MP Ivan Bartolo said that it was unfair to allege that the Nationalist Party had done nothing on housing, calling the party a “pioneer” in the field...

A 63-year-old Italian man was seriously injured while working in a quarry in Gozo on Wednesday afternoon. The police said the accident happened at 4.15pm at Għar Ilma near Kerċem. The man has been hospitalised. 

The Water Services Corporation is insisting no slurry is being discharged into the open sea from its wastewater plant in Gozo but is nonetheless investigating whether there could have been a “one-off”. This statement was made by a corporation spokesman when asked by the Times of Malta for an explanation about footage posted a few days ago on Facebook. Shot by divers, the short video clip showed thick murky discharge flowing freely from an underwater pipe. The footage was reportedly taken at Ras il-Ħobż dive spot in Gozo, which is also the site of the island’s only wastewater treatment plant. In recent years, there have been various instances where the popular rocky beach had been contaminated with sewage when the illegal dumping of animal waste in sewers damaged the plant. New equipment installed last January was meant to address the problem permanently. According to the WSC, the equipment is capable of converting a bowser-full of slurry to a skipload of solid waste in just 15 minutes, with the liquid by-product being treated separately at the plant along with domestic sewage. Asked about the footage, a WSC spokesman insisted no slurry was being discharged into the open sea...

HIBERNIANS 2 Sahanek 11, Mbong 20 VALLETTA 3 Kaljevic 72, 102, Pulis 84 (after extra-time) After the penalty shoot-out determined the BOV Premier League title in Saturday’s Championship Decider, this time, extra-time was necessary to determine which team would make it to the final four of the FA Trophy as Valletta defeated ten-man Hibernians by the odd goal in five. Valletta take on Gżira United in Sunday’s semi-final as they hope to stay on track for a second successive double. Hibs forged ahead on 11 minutes. Marco Sahanek exchanged the ball with Timothy Tabone Desira on the left, inside the area, before slotting the ball past Bonello. Nine minutes later, the Paolites doubled the score. Bjorn Kristensen sent Taylon through on the right and off the latter’s assist, Joseph Mbong placed the ball at the back of the net. Four minutes from the end of the first half, Henry Bonello was superb in neutralising a fine Marco Sahanek freekick from the right with Steve Borg deflecting the ball into a corner. Just before half-time, a goal by Kaljevic for Valletta was disallowed for an offside. Five minutes in the second half, Hibs were reduced to ten men as Marcelo Dias was sent off by...

Lucas Moura's last-gasp strike took Tottenham Hotspur to the Champions League final for the first time in their history on Wednesday, completing his hat-trick and sealing an incredible 3-2 win over Ajax to leave the Dutch side heartbroken. Ajax's improbable European run seemed set to go on all the way to the final as they led 3-2 on aggregate deep in stoppage time in the second leg of the semi-final at the Johan Cruyff Arena. That was when the ball broke to Lucas in the box and the Brazilian sent a low shot beyond the despairing dive of Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana to seal their comeback, making it 3-2 to them on the night, 3-3 on aggregate, and taking Mauricio Pochettino's men through on away goals. The Ajax players slumped to the turf, their fans stunned, as they go out and Spurs advance to face fellow comeback kings Liverpool in an all-English final in Madrid on June 1. Leading 1-0 after the first leg, the thrilling young Dutch side appeared to have killed the tie after captain Matthijs de Ligt and Hakim Ziyech both scored in the first half here. That left Tottenham needing a comeback to match that of Liverpool against Barcelona the previous night, but in an even shorter...

Juventus fans are set for a welcoming visit after it was announced on Wednesday that club legend Alessandro Del Piero will be visiting Malta for a Gala Dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel, in St Julian's, on June 3.  This event, called 'A night with a legend... Alessandro Del Piero', is being organised by Music Hall Events with the collaboration of three supporters club that are located in the Maltese Islands - Juventus Club Cuore Bianconero Malta (Marsa), Juventus Club Vero Amore Malta (Birkirkara) and the Juventus Fan Club, in Gozo, who will have a number of tickets each for the interested members.  Tickets for this event will be on sale starting from Thursday while more information in relation to the Gala Dinner can be acquired directly from the company by contacting them on 79970017 or 79962061, or else through email at musicahallevents@gmail.com. Considered as one of Italy's greats, Del Piero played 705 games for Juventus scoring 289 goals in the process. He won numerous Serie A titles but his greatest achievements remain the 1996 Champions League success and the World Cup 

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Wednesday sacked a graft-tainted junior minister close to far-right leader Matteo Salvini, averting a government crisis weeks ahead of European elections. «There was a very frank and uncommon cabinet discussion... but without citizens' trust, it would be hard to keep being the government of change,» Conte told journalists. Infrastructure and transport undersecretary Armando Siri, a member of coalition partner the League, is alleged to have accepted a 30,000-euro ($33,000) bribe -- or the promise of it -- from a businessman for promoting the interests of renewable energy companies. Prosecutors also suspect the businessman of being in league with a Sicilian who has links to a Mafia boss. «Not because he's guilty but simply because for us, if a corruption and Mafia investigation is mentioned, (then) the political world must react before the judges do,» said co-deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio, who heads the Five Star Movement (M5S). The M5S, which made «honesty» a keyword of its political campaign before being elected last year, had demanded Siri resign. Salvini, who is head of the anti-immigrant League party and deputy prime minister,...

The MSE Equity Price Index erased the gains recorded over the previous four days as it slid by 0.93% to 4,747.427 points. Six companies trended lower, including FIMBank, RS2 and BOV. On the other hand, only three equities ended the day higher whilst a further four shares closed unchanged. Trading volumes improved slightly to just above €0.3 million, the majority of which took place in BOV. Bank of Valletta plc moved back to the €1.32 level (-1.5%) on activity totalling 119,617 shares. Tomorrow, the bank is due to hold its AGM. Also in the banking sector, FIMBank plc plummeted by nearly 8% to the USD0.65 level albeit on much lower volumes amounting to 30,950 shares. Yesterday, the trade finance specialist held its AGM during which shareholders approved all items on the agenda including the issuance of a 1-for-30 bonus share. Lombard Bank Malta plc also performed negatively today with a drop of 0.8% to the €2.36 level on light trading activity totalling 3,756 shares. Mapfre Middlesea plc traded for the first time since the equity turned ex-div on 2 May, with the share price adjusting 5% lower to the €2.26 level on a single deal of just 2,000 shares. The company is due to pay total...

A doctor friend – let’s call her Anne – was teaching three smart medical students who were told to diagnose a woman complaining of nonspecific pain and anxiety. After 20 minutes of questions, the students wrote seven pages of notes and recommended two drugs: a painkiller and an antidepressant. Anne considered the students’ analysis and agreed that it was based on sound medical evidence. But something told her there was more to the story. She sat beside the patient, asked general questions and listened carefully. After a few minutes, the woman broke down in tears and told her about a personal tragedy involving a family member. After some comforting, the woman’s tears, shoulder pain and anxiety went away. Anne’s dose of empathy cured the woman, without the need of resorting to drugs. This is an important consideration, given that even relatively mild painkillers may contribute to the opioid crisis as some patients subsequently seek stronger and stronger drugs. The high value now placed on good empathic communication in medicine is relatively new. Until the 1970s, the doctor-patient relationship was often paternalistic. An anxious patient was less likely to be given a shoulder to...

Some 300 people who live in three remote areas around Rabat will finally be linked to the main sewer system after decades making use of private cesspits. Throughout the years, residents of tal-Landrijiet, is-Salvatur and Ġnien is-Sultan have had to put up with an inconvenient sewer system that saw the cesspit fill up after 10 days. This system generated traffic because of the number of bowsers required to empty the cesspit, fuel consumption, unpleasant odours, emissions and sewage percolation to the water table. Water Management Minister Joe Mizzi said a new sewer system will be laid in Rabat, just as had been done in a similar project in Baħrija. The Rabat project will see the installation of eight kilometres of piping and three pumping stations, designed specifically to take the sewage to ta’ Barkat. There, it will be treated so that it can be used for irrigation purposes, among others. A fibre optic communication system installed by the Water Services Corporation in between pumping stations will ensure efficient maintenance and operation. Mr Mizzi said the project, which he described as an environmental one, will cost some €4 million, mostly funded by the EU. It will take 90...

The USA women football team's gender discrimination lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) will have ramifications for all women employed in the United States, their lawyer Jeffrey Kessler told AFP. Kessler, speaking at the Sport Resolutions Annual Conference in London, said he was pessimistic of reaching an agreement before the US team start the defence of their title at the World Cup in France which gets underway on June 8. Kessler, who is co-chair of international law firm Winston and Strawn's antitrust/competition and sports law practices, said he had no hesitation in acting for the team, all of whose 28 members filed a discrimination lawsuit against the USSF in March seeking equal pay and working conditions to their less successful male counterparts. Wider implications «I embraced it,» he said. «Actually to me it is just the type of case I want to win because of the impact beyond my immediate clients - and it is the same reason the women want to do this case. »They are not doing it just for themselves but for future generations as some of them will be retired when the matter is resolved. «There is no question there is a larger context. »There are a lot...

The Toronto Raptors dismantled the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets dominated Portland Tuesday to take commanding leads in their NBA playoff series. The Raptors overpowered the 76ers 125-89 to take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference second-round series. With 76ers star center Joel Embiid ailing, Toronto took full advantage on their home floor and can book a place in the Eastern Conference finals with a victory in game six in Philadelphia on Thursday. The Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic's 25 points and 19 rebounds, defeated the Trail Blazers 124-98 for a 3-2 series lead and will also try to wrap up their Western Conference clash on the road on Thursday. Six Nuggets players scored in double figures and four scored at least 16 points. Paul Millsap scored 12 of his 24 in the first quarter as Denver bolted to a 31-25 lead. Jamal Murray scored 11 of his 18 in the second quarter, helping Denver break open the game with a burst of three straight baskets that pushed the Nuggets' lead to 61-43 and Denver, who never trailed, were away. «In this series he's been phenomenal,» Denver coach Mike Malone said of Murray. "He's impacted the game in so many ways: scoring,...

Financial markets in 2018 were notoriously characterised by threats of trade wars which had a significant impact on the performance of the equity markets. After making significant progress on that front, markets reacted very positively, helped by a dovish fed and positive earnings reports from companies, propelling equity indices to new highs in 2019. Unfortunately though, President Trump is back at it again, with his tweets vowing to ramp up tariffs on Chinese goods sending equity markets into a downward spiral once again. These moves are expected to be further exacerbated by investors taking profits on their handsome gains, further increasing downward pressure in the short term. In terms of portfolio positioning, the question beckons whether to take chips of the table at this point in the year. A factor to consider is that over the summer period trading activity tends to be lighter, potentially deepening any price drawdowns. Markets seem uncertain whether or not to call Trump’s bluff on further escalations with China, with the US benchmark initially tumbling as much as 2.4 per cent before clawing back some of the losses to close the day 1.7 per cent down on Tuesday. Asian...

A man who admitted to almost-fatally stabbing a fellow Libyan national at the Ħal Far Open Centre three years ago has been condemned to 13.5 years in jail. Ahmed Omar Aljuweeni, 34, stood accused of attempted murder after the violent episode which broke out over money which the victim allegedly owed the aggressor. The accused, also charged with possessing a weapon and inflicting grievous injuries upon his victim, claimed that the other man had pulled out a knife and attempted to attack him after being approached over the issue of the pending debt. The defence counsel had argued that the accused had wrestled the knife out of the other man’s grasp before the stabbing occurred. After a plea bargaining exercise between the prosecution and the defence, the accused entered a guilty plea and was condemned to a jail term of 13.5 years before the Criminal Court, presided over by Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera. He was further ordered to pay €4,927.05 by way of court expenses. The accused was remanded in custody. Lawyer Marc Sant was defence counsel.

An entrepreneur and his firm on Wednesday were fined more than €250,000 in Belgium for promoting prostitution through a «Sugar Daddy» dating website for rich men and young women. The Brussels court also gave Sigurd Vedal, a 57-year-old Norwegian investor and self-described «relationship expert», a six-month suspended jail term for his site RichMeetBeautiful.com. The court in the Belgian capital fined Vedal €24,000 and his company €240,000. In 2017, as students returned to the Free University of Brussels after their summer break, they were greeted by a truck carrying a mobile advertising hoarding. The poster showed a woman's bosom barely covered by a bra and the slogan: «Hey female students, improve your lifestyle, go out with a Sugar Daddy.» The truck was seized after the university complained to the police. Vedal was later arrested and charged with «incitement to debauchery and prostitution».   Laurent Kennes, lawyer for the Free University of Brussels, welcomed the sentence. «The site's temporary closure becomes definitive in Belgium,» Kennes told AFP. «The decision on whether to appeal belongs to my client,» Vedal's lawyer Eric Cusas said without elaborating. During his trial...

The amount spent on fire protection per inhabitant in Malta is the lowest in Europe, it has emerged. Official figures published by the EU’s statistics office, Eurostat, show that the government spends a mere €17 per person on fire protection, or just over €8 million in 2017. Government expenditure on fire protection services across the EU’s 28 member states stood at €31.2 billion. Almost 300,000 people were employed as firefighters. Overall, the public expenditure on fire protection services remained stable as a percentage of governments’ total bill since figures started being recorded in 2004. Fire protection government expenditure per inhabitant was above €100 in four EU member states in the period under review: Luxembourg (€113), Finland (€106), the Netherlands (€104) and Sweden (€100), closely followed by Germany (€96) and France (€93). Bulgaria, Croatia and Portugal, Poland, Romania and Slovakia were among the member states that spent the lowest amount, none exceeding the €30 per inhabitant mark. The ratio of government fire protection spend to total expenditure in Malta was also among the lowest, with only Denmark doing worse. According to Eurostat, the rate stood at 0.2...

During the 16th century the Spanish Crown granted Malta to the Order of St John, which immediately set off a process of transformation of the islands from a backwater to a cosmopolitan hub in the Mediterranean. In a Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar presentation Ryan Grech will be exploring Maltese society on the eve of the Great Siege, as expressed in notarial acts of the period. This is a great opportunity to come as close as possible to the individuals of the time and get to know them better. Thanks to these documents, Grech was able to reconstruct the social, political and economic situations of the time, as Notary Matteo De Brincat travelled to different villages in Malta, preparing deeds which included people from different levels of the social scale – from nobles to clergymen and commoners, and which throw light on women’s role in society, business transactions, property and inheritances, reflecting dynamic 16th century Maltese society. Grech is a University of Malta history graduate, as well as an alumnus of the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies (University of Malta). He has recently carried out an analysis on 16th-century Maltese society and also examined European...

A Europe Day quiz night, hosted by the Europe Direct Information Centre and the Institute for European Studies, University of Malta, will be held at Is-Suq tal-Belt, Merchants Street, Valletta, tomorrow from 6.30 to 9pm. Being hosted as part of Europe Day celebrations, the event is free of charge, with each group consisting of four students. To register, a form available at https://docs.google should be completed.

A suicide blast at one of Pakistan's oldest and most popular Sufi shrines killed at least 10 people and wounded 24 in the eastern city of Lahore Wednesday, police said, in an attack claimed by the Pakistani Taliban. The blast - which a faction of the militant group claimed by e-mail - occurred near the entrance gate for female visitors to the 11th-century Data Darbar shrine, one of the largest Sufi shrines in South Asia, as the country marks the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Husks of vehicles littered the pavement near the shrine as first responders rushed to the scene while armed security forces fanned out in the area. The shrine has long been home to colourful Sufi festivals and a prime destination for the country's myriad Muslim sects, making it a soft target for militant attacks. It has been targeted previously, in a 2010 suicide attack which killed more than 40 people. Since then the area has been increasingly hemmed in by heavy security, with visitors forced to pass through several layers of screening before they can enter the complex. Sufi worshippers, who follow a mystical strain of Islam, have frequently been the target of bloody attacks in Pakistan by Islamist...

Only two of the 16 unused quarries that could take inert waste are being used as landfills, Partit Demokratika leader Godfrey Farrugia complained. He said that although most of the sites were leased public land, their operators were resisting their use as landfills. “Government has the legal power to stop quarry operating licences and to withdraw agreements on the leases. Our national interest should dictate the way forward, more so if sites are public property,” he said. Read: Permits issued for 10 quarries to ease pressure on construction waste The statement was part of a wider one which called on the government to curb its “runaway development policy”, saying that this was pushing Malta into dire straits. “Sustainable construction calls for the re-use of existing parts of buildings and materials; the separation of construction waste and its recycling even into another form; and the re-development or rehabilitation of unused buildings. Malta’s carrying capacity has been reached. These concepts decrease the burden on landfills,” MEP candidate Anthony Buttigieg added.

To put the forthcoming Euro-parliamentary elections in their constitutional and democratic context, it’s worth noting that the European Parliament has existed as a parliament for only 40 years. Although its powers have grown since the Lisbon Treaty, especially in providing greater EU-level accountability through scrutiny of EU legislation, there has been no departure from the supremacy of democratic control of national parliaments and governments. As Angela Merkel’s chosen successor as chancellor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, put it: “A European superstate would be the wrong way. National sovereignty must take priority over centralisation in Brussels… The reform of Europe will not work without the nation-states… This is where the international weight of the Europeans comes from.” These elections are important to Malta for one key reason. The European Union is at a critical juncture. Even though our six MEPs carry little political influence in the greater scheme of things, what happens in the EU affects Malta deeply. These elections are a contest between “nationalist” populists, who offer no solutions to Europe’s pressing institutional and socio-economic problems, and...

Established by Legal Notice 427 of 2018, the Valletta Cultural Agency was set up in March to sustain and strengthen the capital city’s vibrant cultural life through the creation of an annual programme of creative events developed in collaboration with artists and other public cultural organisations (PCOs). A legacy of the Valletta 2018 Foundation, the agency is also tasked with upholding standards of excellence in the coordination and organisation of cultural events in the city, while encouraging access and participation by a diverse audience.  The agency’s legal remit falls within the framework of the Arts Council Malta Act (2015) as a PCO and its operational objectives are all centred around Valletta’s continued regeneration based on culture, heritage and the arts.  Valletta is a Unesco world heritage site and contains within its walls over 300 monuments, making it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world. Bearing this in mind, the agency is required to protect and promote the city’s varied heritage.  One way of carrying out this task will be through the creation of a comprehensive cultural plan for Valletta that is sustainable, inclusive and...

Auctions of impounded cars organised by Transport Malta have been an abysmal failure as only 10 out of more than 300 vehicles were sold over the last two years, the Times of Malta was told. Industry sources explained that, more often than not, the vehicles on offer were “overpriced” as the buyer also had to foot the bill for any pending fines and registration tax. “In 2017, I attended two auctions, which were utter flops. Out of roughly 30 cars on offer each time, only two to four were sold,” a car enthusiast said. “One of the vehicles on offer was a left-hand drive Porsche but its starting price of €6,000 was prohibitive because apart from paying all seizure, towing and storage costs, as well as the registration tax, the car needed extensive repairs,” he added. The ‘unwanted’ cars end up being destroyed as Transport Malta does not have enough storage facilities. According to official figures, the regulator impounded 637 cars since 2017, which translates to almost one every day. “These cars are seized following reports or during patrols,” a Transport Malta spokesman said. Such action was taken in cases when the owners failed to regularise their position by accumulating road...

If ever there were proof that humans are animals too, it’s in the diseases that we share with other species. From rabies and Zika to Ebola and bird flu, many deadly diseases around the world can pass between animals and people. Currently, we have three options when trying to protect people from such zoonotic diseases. We can vaccinate the animals that can pass them on, the humans that can contract them, or take steps to help the two avoid contact. But what if there were a simple, inexpensive way to protect both people and other species at the same time, using the same vaccine? This was my starting point when I decided to investigate the possibility of a single cross-species vaccine for Rift Valley Fever, one of the World Health Organisation’s priority diseases. Since emerging in Kenya in 1930, the mosquito-borne disease has spread to many African countries and the Arabian Peninsula, causing disease outbreaks that have affected millions of livestock and hundreds of thousands of humans. During such outbreaks, the disease kills more than 90% of young animals and causes nearly 100% of pregnant animals to abort their foetuses. This can destroy livelihoods in largely agricultural...

Social harmony can only be achieved in an environment where all workers are valued and treated with respect and dignity and where there is no unethical behaviour, especially by political and business leaders. It is everyone’s responsibility to show respect to the working environment, workers’ privacy, viewpoints, religion, gender, lifestyle, ethnic origin, physical ability, beliefs and personality. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s crude comment in a televised political debate justifiably shocked those who believe that every worker, irrespective of his/her nationality and the work s/he does, should be treated with respect and dignity. He said: “I do not want the Maltese to be collecting rubbish in the streets. Every job should be dignified but I do not want a situation where the foreigner is comfortable and the Maltese breaking their backs”. Some must have concluded he was pandering to certain people’s growing racist sentiments that seem to be fuelling the populist movements throughout Europe. The left-wing Moviment Graffiti labelled the comment “classist and racist”. Though the adverse reaction was immediate, it took the Prime Minister more than three days to acknowledge that what...

I found Frank Salt’s article ‘Religious or not…’ (May 1) very inspiring. I would like to make it clear these are my opinions. Since Christians existed for about 2,000 years and humans several millions, explicit Christian faith is a drop in the ocean in comparison to what others had then and now. God wants everybody to be saved and you cannot be saved without faith. Not that faith is a means to salvation, it is the beginning of salvation. Faith is an element of salvation in this world, it becomes vision in the next. Hence, God gives faith to everybody but very few know their faith explicitly and no one knows it completely. This is not surprising since most of our essential knowledge is subconscious and unconscious. An atheist sincerely pursuing the truth and has genuine love will go to heaven as his implicit faith becomes vision of the truth he was unknowingly seeking. It is equally ridiculous for me to try to disprove the existence of my God as to try to prove it. One definition of God is: the “reason behind the order and law, the design and the beauty of the cosmos (the beautiful)”. All this wonder needs an explanation. That one is trying to explain it tells me one has implicit...

May 9 is celebrated as Europe Day, a day when we should reflect on what binds us together as Europeans. What binds the Maltese to Europe and Europeans today? Values? Are we so tightly bound on values, like democracy and the scrutiny of public opinion? Would Europeans accept their prime minister blurring the lines between the government and the party using Castille for a mass meeting? Values like freedom of expression? Would Europeans accept the death of a journalist without a public inquiry, and government’s indiscretions on ‘developments’ leading to headlines but not to the masterminds? What binds us together is European citizenship. That which gives us the same rights and freedoms as Germans in Germany and Poles in Poland. That European citizenship which gives us freedom of movement all across the Schengen zone, which the Commission says is now in peril due to Malta’s passport sales, creating a dangerous black spot in the European due diligence system before granting access to third countries. Common European values and common citizenship rights were maybe what bound us together till 2013. Now things are different. Now we are bound together only in money. Money, glorious money.

Hundreds of South Asian migrants are taking advantage of a new employment registration system to find a job through a temporary work permit issued by Identity Malta, the Times of Malta is informed. Sources, particularly in the catering and restaurants sector, said they have been approached by dozens of Nepalese and Pakistani citizens in the past months asking them for work. “Many are turning up outside our establishments on a daily basis asking us for work, particularly low-level, unskilled jobs. To our surprise, when we ask them whether they have a working permit they produce a piece of paper issued by Identity Malta showing they were granted a temporary work permit,” a Gżira restaurant owner said. An entrepreneur who manages a small hotel in St Paul’s Bay said he had been inundated by Nepalese citizens asking if they could serve in the kitchen or do some form of cleaning work. The Times of Malta has seen copies of certificates issued by Identity Malta clearing the way for those holding a visa, particularly of Nepalese and Pakistani origin, to seek work in Malta on a temporary basis. Most of the third country nationals in possession of such documents obtained visas from the...

The inspiration to this article came from a person who was attempting to justify the tunnel project on social media. He claimed that the tunnel will give Gozo a level playing field. My response to him went on the lines that a level playing field begins with having the stadium with enough light and enough green grass to play on. Only then will players want to play and win. They don’t care about the tunnel leading to the football ground. I read Franco Mercieca’s article and could not help but cringe at every suggestion he made in relation to how Gozitans feel they are second-class citizens and who now are desperate to make a connection to Malta and access those same services which have been lacking in Gozo for so many years. This is exactly the problem we are shouting about. Without a decent public transportation system, the tunnel is just an immeasurable ecological disaster with minor benefits, which certainly cannot justify its enormous environmental footprint.  We have known for a while that this administration has absolutely no intention to sort out the traffic problems. The only strategy it is adopting is to open the veins for more blood to flow through, while the blood...

Wedding Anniversary Lawrence Pace and Winnie Vincenti were united in Holy matrimony on May 8, 1955, at St Ignatius Church, Sliema. The ceremony was officiated by Rev. Pitrè S.J. and witnessed by Prof. J. Manche and Carlo Galea. The duties of bestman were carried out by Lorenzo Galea. Con-gratulations on your 64th wedding anniversary from your children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Obituaries DEMICOLI. On May 6, ALFRED aged 77, passed away peacefully comforted by the rites of Holy Church. He leaves to mourn his loss his wife Carmen, his daughter Marica and her husband Charles Xuereb, his only niece Kelsey, his sister Mary, in-laws Antoinette, Imperia, Doreen, Vince, Alfred and their families, relatives and friends. Mass will be held tomorrow, Thursday, May 9, at 8.30am at St Joseph the Worker church, Birkirkara. No flowers by request but donations to Life Cycle at Renal Unit, Mater Dei Hospital, would be appreciated. The family would like to thank the staff at St Vincent De Paul, Mater Dei Hospital and Renal Unit. Lord, grant him eternal rest. EBEJER. On Sunday, May 5, EDWIN, of Żurrieq, residing in St Julian’s, aged 64, comforted by the rites of Holy Church. He leaves...