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Amend the embryo law

January 26, 2016, 11:01 pm
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The role of the embryo in human fertilisation entitles it to respect and protection. But this is a long way from recognising it as the moral equivalent of a child. Photo: www.shutterstock.com

The government is absolutely right to review the efficacy and effectiveness of the Embryo Protection Act, passed four years ago. It has a duty to ensure that a law, once passed, achieves what it was legislated to do. And that the greater public good in the widest sense is being served by it. The Embryo Protection Act was passed by the last Nationalist government after several years of resistance and procrastination. It is clear now that the law owed more to Religio than to Patria. And not just to religion but one religion. Although the Church has never officially defined when “ensoulment”... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.
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‘No’ to violent extremism

January 26, 2016, 11:01 pm
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Violent extremism is a direct assault on the United Nations’ Charter and a grave threat to international peace and security. Terrorist groups such as Daesh, Boko Haram and others have brazenly kidnapped young girls, systematically denied women’s rights, destroyed cultural institutions, warped the peaceful values of religions and brutally murdered thousands of innocents around the world. These groups have become a magnet for foreign terrorist fighters, who are easy prey to simplistic appeals and siren songs. The threat of violent extremism is not limited to any one religion, nationality or... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.
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The quality of University leadership

January 26, 2016, 11:01 pm
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The time is fast approaching when the University has to choose the new rector who will lead this educational institution in the coming years. Like many universities in Europe, the University of Malta is funded by the State. But the University is also autonomous in its operations. This poses big challenges to the new rector who has to steer the University safely between the financial dependence on the government and the inalienable commitment to autonomy. The rector of any university is not very different from a CEO of a non-profit making organisation. Setting out clear objectives that can be achieved within the boundaries of limited financial and human resources will always be one of the rector’s primary tasks. The most important stakeholders in the University are the students themselves. The best universities in the western world have a tradition of involvement in politics among students. Professors, lecturers and students interact in an atmosphere that is characterised by debate, critique and academic freedom. This is one important aspect of autonomy. In an island that is riddled with political polarisation in many aspects of public life, it will not be easy for the new rector...
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Eco-priest urges politicians to oppose Munxar project

January 27, 2016, 12:12 am
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The white cliffs at Munxar in Marsascala, where a developer wants to build an agritourism project. Photo: Victor B. Caruana

Fr Anġ Seychell has appealed to politicians from the southeastern districts to oppose a planned agritourism project for the pristine Munxar cliffs in Marsascala. The Żejtun priest, better known as Dun Anġ, who fronted opposition to a hotel project proposed for the area 20 years ago, said the site should be left in its natural state to be enjoyed by everyone. Developer Rennie Scicluna, a registered farmer who owns a large tract of land at Munxar, wants to build accommodation, a beach club, a restaurant and a fully-equipped conference centre. “I hope that politicians from all the southeastern districts voice their opposition to this project and insist that Munxar should remain as it is in its natural state,” Fr Seychell said yesterday when contacted. The planning authority last February said that the permit would be tough to acquire because the development went against its rural policy and lay within a scenic rural location of ecological importance. But the door was left ajar, and the developer was asked to carry out an environmental impact assessment. News of the planned project rekindled memories of the mega project proposed for the area in 1995 by an Italian developer who...
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Updated - Franco Mercieca to head House environment committee instead of Marlene Farrugia

January 27, 2016, 12:47 am
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Updated, adds Marlene Farrugia's post - Labour MP Franco Mercieca is set to chair the parliamentary environment and development planning committee instead of Marlene Farrugia, who resigned from the post last November after disagreeing with the Government on sections of the new Environment Protection Act. In her resignation letter, Dr Farrugia had expressed her wish to remain a member of the committee that she had chaired since April 2013. The composition of the parliament’s environment permanent committee was hotly debated during the debate on the new environment law that includes provisions regulating its set up. Dr Farrugia and the Opposition had supported a change to the law enabling the latter to nominate the committee’s chairman, claiming that this was promised in the government’s electoral manifesto. Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Ramblers Association and Front Ħarsien ODZ supported her proposal. Labour was dismissive of the idea. Leader of the House Louis Grech tabled the motion proposing Dr Mercieca’s appointment yesterday.  He also proposed Anthony Agius Decelis (PL) to chair the social affairs committee, replacing Deborah Schembri who was...
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The Waiting Game

January 27, 2016, 12:57 am
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It seems markets are encountering one of the biggest waves of volatility since 2011. Investors trading the VIX volatility index are surely the current winners as uncertainty and weak fundamentals continue to spark sell-offs into 2016 in favour of safe-haven assets. The ECB’s recent press conference confirmed doubts that the Eurozone’s fundamentals remained weak and that further stimulus measures are to be expected in the coming year. There was no doubt investors expected such an announcement as the Euro failed to lose much ground vs the Dollar as per previous announcements undertaken in 2015. Mario Draghi has since been busy convincing investors of the viability of the stimulus program for a Eurozone recovery. So far, it seems to have fallen on deaf ears as confidence in global markets has continued to weaken. In fact, yesterday marked the first outflow of funds from European equity Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) since 2014, confirming that investors this time around are doubting the policy measures of the ECB in rejuvenating growth, which is enticing further volatility on global markets. The US showed contrasting signs yesterday as the Consumer Confidence Index data came in above...
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Brazil battles alarming Zika virus spread

January 27, 2016, 1:21 am
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Brazil is trying to fight the rapid spread of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, as the number of new-borns with brain defects soars.   Zika is a mosquito-borne virus linked to an alarming surge in infants borne with serious brain deformation.  Some four-thousand suspected cases of microencephaly have been reported in Brazil since October, compared to 150 cases in all of 2014. In addition to fumigating, health officials have launched a campaign to educate people on how to prevent mosquito breeding in their homes. Zika is transmitted by the same mosquito that transmits diseases like dengue and chikangunya. There is no vaccine or treatment for it. Brazil is trying to get the epidemic under control before the country hosts the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August.
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False alarm - Bomb disposal experts check package in St Paul's Bay, near Deborah Schembri's office

January 27, 2016, 1:25 am
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Updated - Soldiers from the army's bomb disposal unit were called to Isouard Street in St Paul's Bay after a suspicious packet was seen on the doorstep of the office of Parliamentary Secretary Deborah Schembri this morning. But it turned out to be a false alarm - the box and a nearby bag only contained rubbish. Dr Schembri practised as a lawyer before being appointed parliamentary secretary last week, succeeding Michael Falzon.
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Minister gets it wrong on ID cards

January 27, 2016, 1:30 am
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Sample ID card

ID cards are not required when voting, the Chief Electoral Commissioner said yesterday, contradicting Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela. “You do not need any ID cards to vote. You only need your official voting documents issued by the Electoral Commission,” the commissioner, Joseph Church, said. “And, as the law currently stands, you can vote without the newly introduced ID card in elections.” He was reacting to Mr Abela’s plea for those who have not signed up for their new ID card to do so as soon as possible as this was required when casting one’s ballot. Speaking with the Times of Malta on the sidelines of a press conference on the new ID card roll-out last week, Mr Abela had said: “When the population is called upon to vote in a number of elections which are held, you are required to take your valid ID card… So naturally every person who has not updated their ID card, the appeal is for them to do this as soon as possible, as it is used for several reasons, among them, to go and present, along with voting documents.” Mr Abela had added that, prior to the introduction of the new cards, the validity of previous ID documents used to be extended through a legal notice to allow...
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Former Baku university rector to head 'American Institute of Malta'

January 27, 2016, 2:00 am
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American-born Prof. John Ryder, a former rector of the Khazar University of Baku, Azerbaijan is to head the American Institute of Malta, formerly known as the American University of Malta. He is currently the provost of the American University of Ras Al Khaimah, a private university in the United Arab Emirates, which has nothing to do with the Jordanian Sadeen Group that is setting up the institute in Malta. The American Institute of Malta was yesterday granted an operating licence, allowing it to offer three courses at Bachelor’s level. The National Commission for Further and Higher Education announced the granting of a one-year temporary licence to Sadeen Education Investment Ltd – owned by two investors from the Jordanian construction business – to start operating as a higher education institute. Calling the development a first step, the commission said it had been informed by the applicant he still intended to pursue a fully-fledged university licence in the name of American University of Malta. It said the application filed last May by Sadeen Investments to open a university was still active. The application for a higher education institute was submitted last November.  So...
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Hospital security staff back in the spotlight for failing to tackle aggression

January 27, 2016, 2:10 am
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Security staff at Mater Dei Hospital are again being criticised once more for failing to tackle aggressive behavour. The MUMN nurses union said that a female nurse at Mt Carmel Hospital who was accompanying a patient to the Mater Dei Emergency Department last Thursday was physically assaulted by the patient, and the security staff looked on. The nurse needed to be hospitalised. "Not only did the security staff not offer any assistance, but they moved away and abandoned their post," the union said. The police took long to intervene because a policewoman was not present. The hospital Security Response Team was called but no one turned up and the nurse suffered several blows to her body and was also psychologically scarred. She does not want to work at Mt Carmel any longer, the MUMN said. In October, the company that provides security services at Mater Dei Hospital suspended two of its officers after an internal investigation found they had "failed to actively intervene" as a policemen was beaten up by a patient at the Emergency Department. Following the latest incident, the MUMN said today that its appeals in the past for action to tackle such abuses had fallen on deaf ears but it...
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Court orders community work for Italian who bought stolen UK Range Rover

January 27, 2016, 2:23 am
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A 45-year-old Italian man living in Malta was handed a suspended sentence and ordered to perform community work by a court after admitting to purchasing a Range Rover stolen from the UK. Andrea Benini, residing in St Julian’s, was accused of knowingly receiving or purchasing the stolen vehicle on August 19 in Gzira. In its decision the court presided by Magistrate Aaron Bugeja took into consideration that the man filed a guilty plea, had a clean criminal record and was willing to see the vehicle being returned to its rightful owner. Consequently it opted to give a minimum punishment and so sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years. He was also placed under supervision order and ordered to perform 100 hours of community work. Police inspector Sergio Pisani prosecuted.
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Record 10,786 white wagtails roost in Valletta

January 27, 2016, 2:25 am
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A record number of white wagtails are roosting in Valletta’s trees this winter after the local council changed its pruning strategies to allow a dense enough canopy for the birds to roost. According to Birdlife CEO Mark Sultana, a record 10,786 white wagtails (Zakak Abjad) were recorded at Great Siege Square and St John Square during an annual count last Saturday. “This year was a special year, with an influx of white wagtails visiting our islands, which coincided well with a decision not to prune the trees these birds seek every night,” Mr Sultana said. “Thousands of birds flying in to roost is an amazing spectacle. We hope it encourages people to visit the city in the evenings to spot these beautiful birds.” For reasons that are not yet fully understood, wagtails from all over Malta fly in to Valletta every night to find refuge in the city’s ficus trees. However, over-pruning in the last few years made the trees an unsuitable habitat for the birds. Valletta mayor Alexei Dingli said that following consultation with birdlife, the decision was made to delay the heavy pruning until the wagtails had migrated back to breed in northern Europe. “By design, Valletta is not rich in...
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Iran did not request Rome naked statues cover-up, says President

January 27, 2016, 2:52 am
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Iran did not make any specific requests for Rome museum officials to cover up naked statues, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has said. Mr Rouhani laughed when asked at the end of a three-day visit to Italy about the statue cover-up, which made headlines in Italy and around the world.Some Italian politicians decried the "cultural submission" implied in Italy's gesture. Mr Rouhani said Iran made no specific request for the cover-up, saying there were "no contacts about this" from the Iranian side. But he added: "I know that Italians are a very hospitable people, a people who try to do the most to put their guests at ease and I thank you for this." Ahead of a joint news conference with Italian premier Matteo Renzi on Monday, wooden panels were erected around some Roman-era statues in Rome's Capitoline Museums.
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Valletta 2018: Good progress but balance between local and international events needed

January 27, 2016, 3:29 am
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The head of a European Commission monitoring panel said today he was satisfied with the progress being made by the Valletta 2018 Foundation for the European Cultural Capital, but he urged Malta to strike a balance between local and international involvement in events. Ulrich Fuchs, currently in Malta, said that, since last September when the panel was last here, he noted “a big step forward” in the progress registered. In its report, the panel had warned that Valletta 2018 festivities were “lagging behind” and raised concerns ranging from the event’s financial planning to the lack of a coherent programme of events. Malta is set to share the EU’s cultural crown along with Leeuwarden in 2018. Mr Fuchs said that the challenges which faced every European Capital of Culture revolved around the two different tempos. Each cultural capital is selected five years in advance. However, five years was often too short a time for the preparation of large projects which required big investments. On the other hand, five years was too long a time in terms of programming. “It would be a terrible mistake from the organisers’ part not to keep the programme process open, even until the end of next...
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Court flags shortcomings in police probe over illegal manufacture of fireworks

January 27, 2016, 4:03 am
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A court has chided the police for shortcomings in an investigation related to alleged illegal manufacture of fireworks and acquitted a man due to insufficient evidence. The case dates back to March 22, 2008, when the police found a small amount of explosive material used in the pyrotechnic industry in an abandoned van in the basement of a block of apartments in Xaghra, Gozo. The site was accessible to the public,with the shutter partially opened. 48-year-old, Joseph Spiteri, from Xaghra, was charged in connection with the discovery and accused of illegal manufacture of fireworks. The court heard how the police learnt about the discovery following a phone call and immediately went on ite to investigate. It later transpired that the van was no longer in circulation as it had been 'garaged' in 2005. Throughout the investigation the accused denied ever seeing the explosive material and told the police he had lent the vehicle to be used as a store next to the site where the Xaghra feast fireworks were let off in September. In its decision the court, presided by Magistrate Joe Mifsud, pointed out that the police had failed to seal the area where the material had been found to prevent...
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Suspended jail sentence for driver who caused death of two elderly persons

January 27, 2016, 4:22 am
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A man who caused the death of two elderly people in a horrific traffic accident in December 2009 was let off with a suspended jail term and a €4,000 fine by a court today. The accident happened on December 12 at around 9.15 p.m. at the Erba Imwiezeb roundabout in St Paul's Bay when a Peugeot 407 being driven along the bypass road crashed into a Matiz car in which the elderly couple were travelling. The Matiz was pushed about 15 metres with the force of impact and the Peugeot then crashed into a palm tree. Patricia Mitchell died on the spot while her husband Barry died a few hours later in hospital. Edward Bonnici, now 21, of Naxxar, was accused of the involuntary death of the couple though negligent driving. The court heard how the road was in a good state and dry at the time of the accident and Mr Bonnici had not been drinking before the accident. It was established from brake marks that the car was being driven at 137Km/h when it hit a centre strip just before the crash. Mr Bonnici pleaded that the brakes had failed, but a court expert said they worked well.  In its considerations, the court presided by Magistrate Josette Demicoli said this was a very serious case, but it was...
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Two killed in shooting near Seattle homeless camp

January 27, 2016, 4:37 am
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Two people were killed in a shooting near a homeless encampment in Seattle known as the "Jungle".   Katie Sargent reports.
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Zika virus discovered in Denmark hospital patient

January 27, 2016, 4:40 am
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A Danish tourist has been infected by the Zika virus after visiting southern and central America, Danish hospital officials said. But authorities said on Wednesday that it was not the first case in Europe. Aarhus University Hospital said the patient ran a fever, had a headache and muscle aches and was found to have the virus on Tuesday. The hospital released no further details about the patient but said there is little risk of it spreading in Denmark because the mosquito carrying the virus is not found in the country. Romit Jain, from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm, Sweden, said there have been confirmed cases of imported Zika virus infections in Germany and Britain. A Zika virus case was also confirmed in Sweden last summer, said Sara Rorbecker of the Swedish Public Health Agency. She said the patient contracted the virus while travelling, adding that there was nothing "dramatic" about the case. Zika virus is not a notifiable disease in the European Union, meaning that EU countries are not required to report cases to the ECDC. Therefore, there is wide variation on reporting by member states.
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HIV uses viral reservoir to ‘bounce back’

January 28, 2016, 12:25 am
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The Aids virus HIV can keep on growing even when it is undetectable in the blood of treated patients, new research has shown. As a result, the virus rapidly bounces back if a patient stops taking the anti-retroviral drugs that keep the infection in check. Scientists discovered that a viral reservoir in the lymphatic system was continually being replenished in patients, despite their blood tests showing up negative. The study underlines the importance of delivering high concentrations of anti-retroviral drugs to all the parts of the body where HIV can grow. Steven Wolinsky, one of the researchers from Northwestern University in the US, said: “We now have a path to a cure. “The challenge is to deliver drugs at clinically effective concentrations to where the virus continues to replicate within the patient.” Co-author Angela McLean, professor from Oxford University, said: “The study is exciting because it really changes how we think about what is happening in treated patients. “It helps explain why some strategies that tried to clear the reservoir have failed.” 
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