Worst weather in Britain since 1991

March 1, 2018, 10:23 pm

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Snow storms from Siberia blasted Britain and Ireland on Thursday with the worst weather since 1991, trapping several hundred motorists on roads in Scotland, closing thousands of schools, grounding planes and halting trains. With up to 90cm of snow and temperatures as low as minus 10.3 Celsius in Scotland, Britain and Ireland issued their most severe red warnings which advise people to stay at home as travel is too dangerous. Dozens of people were trapped in their cars on the M80 motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, with several hundred having been standed on the road overnight. Flights and trains were cancelled across both Britain and Ireland - with similar transport problems in continental Europe. More freezing snowy weather was forecast as Storm Emma approaches from Portugal and France, with warnings of treacherous weather across southern England and Ireland. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said people should remain indoors until the storm, with winds forecast to reach 100kph, has passed. "The risk to life and limb presented by the severe weather conditions should not be underestimated by anyone," he said following a meeting of the National Emergency Coordination Group.

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Worrying trends in EU survey

March 1, 2018, 10:23 pm

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Perhaps two of the most worrying trends that emerge from the latest Eurobarometer survey are the low level of trust expressed in the legal and justice system and the concerns with crime. The government, flushed by the surge in economic growth, may be tempted to publicly downplay the implications of the survey findings but in doing this it runs the risk that both trust in the legal and justice system and the rate of crime will worsen unless it takes concrete action to rectify the situation. Since the survey was carried out in November, the findings must have surely been influenced by the brutal murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Even so, few would dare suggest there was nothing wrong with the legal and justice system before November. With the government making an absolute mockery of the judiciary through the appointment to the Bench of people who had been active in partisan politics, the dignity of the courts have been dealt a severe blow. Even though politically-appointed members may become excellent judges over time, it is hard to expect that certain perceptions will not persist. Justice must not only be done but also be seen to be done. Having nominations for membership to the...

Electrogas shareholder is behind medical cannabis plan

March 1, 2018, 10:35 pm

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The main promoter of the LNG-fired power station and a shareholder in Electrogas is also involved in the multi-million-euro medical marijuana production project, the Times of Malta is informed. Paul Apap Bologna, who ran an 80-year-old healthcare family business, Associated Drugs Ltd, sat on the board of directors of Nuuvera Malta Ltd, registered on February 16 as Parliament was discussing new legislation to lift a ban on the manufacture of medical cannabis on the island, pharmaceutical industry sources said. The company is owned by Canadian medical cannabis giants Nuuvera Inc. and Cannholdings Limited, a Maltese firm owned by Mr Apap Bologna, Trevor Camilleri and Mark Magri. Nuuvera Inc. announced on Tuesday it had purchased Maltese firm ASG Pharma Ltd for €5 million with the aim of commencing medical cannabis products manu-facturing in Malta. ASG Pharma Ltd was previously owned by Mr Apap Bologna, Consolidated Packaging Ltd, Evolve Ltd and BCGL Services Ltd. It operated from the same offices as Mr Apap Bologna’s drugs company. Nexia BT were its auditors. Mr Apap Bologna denied reports that he was behind intense lobbying with Maltese government ministers, including the Prime...

Facebook abandons split newsfeed idea

March 1, 2018, 11:17 pm

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Facebook Inc on Thursday put an end to a test of splitting its signature News Feed into two, an idea that roiled how people consumed news in the six countries where it occurred and added to concern about Facebook's power. The test created two streaming series of posts. One was focused on photos and other updates from friends and family, and a second was called an "explore feed." It was dedicated to material from Facebook pages that the user had liked, such as media outlets or sports teams. The social media network decided to end the test and maintain one feed because people told the company in surveys they did not like the change, Adam Mosseri, head of the News Feed at Facebook, said in a statement. "People told us they were less satisfied with the posts they were seeing, and having two separate feeds didn't actually help them connect more with friends and family," Mosseri said. The test began in October and took place in Bolivia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Serbia, Slovakia and Sri Lanka. It quickly affected website traffic for smaller media outlets. Mosseri said the company had also "received feedback that we made it harder for people in the test countries to access important...

Stripes two clear ahead of direct clash 

March 1, 2018, 11:32 pm

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Birkirkara maintained their two-point lead over title rivals Hibernians after defeating Mġarr United 3-0, while the Paolites thrashed Tarxien Rainbows 9-0. Both sides will cross swords in the next programme of fixtures, on March 21 at the Charles Abela Stadium.  The defending champions Birkirkara opened the score 20 minutes from time, through Tracy Teuma. However, they had to wait until six minutes from time to seal the win when Gabriella Zahra scored her sixth goal of the season. Deep in stoppage time, Raina Giusti notched her 19th goal of the season to wrap up the 3-0 win. The day before, Hibernians claimed top position in the championship for 24 hours after scoring nine past Tarxien.  Dorianne Theuma drew first blood on 17 minutes, while Jade Flask and Francesca Chircop grabbed a goal each before half-time to open a three-goal lead. After the change of ends, a rampant Hibs added six more through Chantelle Grech (51), Emma Xuereb (55), Ruth Steer-Chetham (59), Dorianne Theuma with her 14th of the season (60), Charlene Zammit (75) and Shona Zammit (81). Late in the game, coach Neil Zarb Cousin roped in forward Ylenia Carabott who was making her return after being sidelined due...

Nice hot bath? No problem for pregnant women, after all

March 1, 2018, 11:35 pm

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Pregnant women can exercise in warm weather and use saunas or hot baths without risking the health of their unborn child, according to a study which contradicts current advice that women should avoid getting too hot. The University of Exeter was involved in carrying out the research, which analysed the results of 12 studies published up to July 2017. These reported the core temperature response of 347 pregnant women to heat stress, either through exercise or through passive heating, such as using a sauna or sitting in a hot bath. Current advice says that pregnant women should avoid heat stress based on concerns about possible risks of exceeding a core body temperature of 39°C during pregnancy. Their research, which is published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found no woman exceeded the recommended core temperature limit of 39°C across all studies. The highest overall individual core temperature reported was 38.9°C, while the highest average core temperature was 38.3°C for exercise on land, 37.5°C for exercise in water, 36.9°C for hot water bathing and 37.6°C for sauna exposure. Based on these results, the researchers say that pregnant women can safely engage...

Fire kills at least 26 in drug treatment centre in Azerbaijan

March 1, 2018, 11:39 pm

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A fire killed 26 people in a drug abuse treatment centre in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, its General Prosecutor's office said on Friday. Eldar Sultanov, spokesman for the office, said 31 people had been rescued during the incident. Azeri officials said the fire had probably been caused by a problem in the power network of the building containing the centre.

Watch: ‘No construction bubble’, PM says

March 2, 2018, 12:05 am

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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Thursday there was no imminent construction industry bubble and that the market was responding well to demand. Addressing the annual general meeting of the Malta Developers Association (MDA), he also indicated that the government would be insisting on more regulation in the property rental sector. Dr Muscat said ‘others’ keep harping that there would be a construction bubble burst and that this was going to happen soon. However, a KPMG study commissioned by the MDA shows this will not be the case. He said the study, authored by Mark Bamber – now one of the partners at Nexia BT – clearly indicated that the building industry would keep developing in the coming years. “Yes, there may be a time when the industry’s growth will not continue at the same pace but there is surely no bubble which is about to burst as some keep predicting,” Dr Muscat told those present. He also spoke about the need to take action on the rental market. The government had intended to leave the market to regulate itself but this is not happening, he noted. Dr Muscat said that a White Paper, promised last October in the Budget, would soon be published, which would include...

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Zammit Stevens, Scicluna perform in the Italian Championships

March 2, 2018, 12:14 am

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Malta’s leading female weightlifters, Yazmin Zammit Stevens and Elisia Scicluna , took part in the Italian National Championships held in Rome, last weekend. Both Zammit Stevens and Scicluna are currently preparing for their upcoming major appointments, in particular the Commonwealth Games and the Mediterranean Games among other tournaments and championships in between. The athletes were accompanied by national team coach and president of the Malta Weightlifting Associaiton, Jesmond Caruana, who also presented medals as an honorary guest at the meet. Zammit Stevens (69kg) was the first to take on the platform in what was one of the toughest competitions. She finished with an 80kg snatch on her second attempt, missing out on 83kg on her third. Afterwards, she went to lift a 98kg clean and jerk on her last attempt, after closely missing her first two attempts. This result is only 2kg under her best ever performance back in November, were she has since been recovering from an injury. Her display showed that she is on the right track in her preparations ahead of the Commonwealth Games, which is due in six weeks time. Scicluna (+75kg) also had a respectable performance on the day.

Divergence in risk assessments from leading Central Banks

March 2, 2018, 1:02 am

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Both the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the European Central Bank (ECB) agreed on the fact that benign global economic growth is in place, in addition to the relative upward moves in inflation from the previous stagnant phase. Indeed, this was the common factor communicated in the latest minutes published by the two prominent Central Banks. However, the risk assessments do diverge, and thus, it is fascinating to assess these major possible risk factors. The Fed seems to transmit more optimism with an upward revision in growth, given the latest accommodative financial conditions, the enacted tax legislation, as well as the improved global economic growth. Technically, such sources of support should trigger both household and business spending and will be a strong source for a supporting economic momentum. Just as a reminder: slightly over two thirds of GDP in the US is attributed to consumer spending. This form of feel good factor amongst US consumers is a gauge of how companies will adjust their utilisation capacity to increase productivity, given the increased demand. Therefore, in reality, it is a spiral effect, which will ultimately support the view of economic growth...

Italy's centre-right leaders in show of unity ahead of election

March 2, 2018, 1:18 am

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Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and fellow leaders of his centre-right alliance made their first, and only, joint appearance on Thursday in an effort to project an image of unity ahead of Sunday's election. Before a blackout was imposed on new opinion polls two weeks ago, the centre-right alliance was seen winning around 36 percent of the vote, a score that would give it more seats than any other bloc, but falling short of an absolute majority. Italy has a long history of finding a way out of apparently intractable political stalemate and newspaper commentators have speculated that in the event of a hung parliament, Berlusconi would seek a broad coalition with the centre-left. However, the billionaire businessman, who cannot be prime minister in a future government because of a 2013 tax fraud conviction, emphatically ruled this out on Thursday. "We have all, each one of us, made an absolute pledge to reject coalitions ... with other parties, even if we don't achieve a majority on our own," said the 81-year-old Berlusconi, sitting between Matteo Salvini, head of the far-right League, and Giorgia Meloni, head of the nationalist Brothers of Italy. Salvini has pushed an...

Recent permits have shown “terrible short-sightedness”

March 2, 2018, 1:29 am

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The government and the Planning Authority must do something now to tighten policies and protect Malta's fast-dwindling built heritage and its countryside, an NGO has insisted. During the recent annual general meeting, members of Din l-Art Ħelwa approved four hard-hitting resolutions: they called for a master plan for tall buildings; they protested against the government’s failure to publish local plans; criticised the slow rate of scheduling of historic and traditional buildings and street-scapes and  the "unscrupulous abuse" of the 2014 rural guidelines. With regards to tall buildings, the members said the government needed to tighten the loopholes in the floor area ratio policy, making sure they were assessed by means of serious visual studies and planning aids, and not case by case as was happening when individual projects are under review. The government and the planning authority were also urged to step up the pace in the scheduling of buildings, to ensure protection is given to Malta's fast disappearing traditional and historic architecture, which is being swallowed up by development. DLĦ demanded that demolitions are halted immediately, especially in urban conservation...

Exhibition on Gozitan realities at the European Parliament

March 2, 2018, 1:32 am

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Four contemporary Gozitan artists will unveil 24 artistic exhibits at the main hall of the European Parliament between March 6 and 9, featuring Gozitan realities and aspirations during an exhibition entitled Embracing Change in Gozo. Rachel Galea, Kris Saliba, Manuel Farrugia and Anthony Caruana have been invited by Maltese MEP and former prime minister Alfred Sant to display six paintings each and provide an opportunity for MEPs and visitors to the European Parliament from EU countries to appreciate the works of artists living on an island at the periphery of Europe. The Gozitan artists said the fact that they come from a small island on the periphery of the European continent strengthens their resolve to be creative in this opportunity. “These paintings have been conceived as a tribute to the natural beauty of our island in conjunction with the careful man-made interventions devised throughout the years which gave a distinctive character to the island. It is a cultural heritage we Gozitans cherish in an age in which we are embracing changes at social and infrastructural levels. The paintings are a testimony of what we were and still are; they express the need of salvaging our...

Ancestors were plagued by toothache - millions of years before fizzy drinks

March 2, 2018, 1:44 am

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Dental erosion is one of the most common tooth problems in the world today. Fizzy drinks, fruit juice, wine, and other acidic food and drink are usually to blame, although perhaps surprisingly the way we clean our teeth also plays a role. This all makes it sound like a rather modern issue. But research suggests actually humans have been suffering dental erosion for millions of years. My colleagues and I have discovered dental lesions remarkably similar to those caused by modern erosion on two 2.5 million year-old front teeth from one of our extinct ancestors. This adds to the evidence that prehistoric humans and their predecessors suffered surprisingly similar dental problems to ourselves, despite our very different diets. Dental erosion can affect all dental tissue and typically leaves shallow, shiny, lesions in the enamel and root surface. If you brush your teeth too vigorously you can weaken dental tissue, which over time allows acidic foods and drinks to create deep holes known as non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs). We found such lesions on the fossilised teeth from a human ancestor species Australopithecus africanus. Given the lesions’ size and position, this individual...

Seven people detained over Slovak journalist's murder

March 2, 2018, 1:54 am

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Slovak police detained seven people in a probe into the murder of an investigative journalist and his girlfriend, chief of police Tibor Gaspar said. The murder of Jan Kuciak, whose reporting focused primarily links between businessmen and top Slovak politicians, was the first of a journalist in the country. Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, both 27, were found shot dead in their house north-east of Bratislava last weekend. The murder prompted demands from Prime Minister Robert Fico's coalition partners for the resignation of senior officials, throwing the stability of his cabinet into doubt. Police raided seven locations in eastern Slovakia, Gaspar said on TA3 television. He identified the detainees by their first names and initials and some of these appeared to match names of Italian businesspeople who were the focus of Kuciak's final report for news website aktuality.sk. "They have been detained with the prosecutor's agreement as suspects," Gaspar said. Gaspar said in an earlier televised appearance the raids were connected with Italian businessmen who Kuciak alleged in his last article had mafia links. The article was published posthumously. Gaspar said further proceedings with...

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Slovak police detain seven people over journalist's murder

March 2, 2018, 1:56 am

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Slovak police detained seven people in a probe into the murder of an investigative journalist and his girlfriend, chief of police Tibor Gaspar said. The murder of Jan Kuciak, whose reporting focused primarily links between businessmen and top Slovak politicians, was the first of a journalist in the country. Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, both 27, were found shot dead in their house north-east of Bratislava last weekend. The murder prompted demands from Prime Minister Robert Fico's coalition partners for the resignation of senior officials, throwing the stability of his cabinet into doubt. Police raided seven locations in eastern Slovakia, Gaspar said on TA3 television. He identified the detainees by their first names and initials and some of these appeared to match names of Italian businesspeople who were the focus of Kuciak's final report for news website aktuality.sk. "They have been detained with the prosecutor's agreement as suspects," Gaspar said. Gaspar said in an earlier televised appearance the raids were connected with Italian businessmen who Kuciak alleged in his last article had mafia links. The article was published posthumously. Gaspar said further proceedings with...

Remote isles now officially rat-free

March 2, 2018, 2:08 am

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A remote island colony has been declared officially rat free in a move which could boost seabird populations. A four-year long project has been ongoing to remove rats from the Shiant Isles, a cluster of islands five miles east of the Isle of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. The islands form one of the most important seabird breeding colonies in Europe, providing a home for around 100,000 pairs of nesting seabirds each year. But it was feared that rats on the islands were feeding on eggs and chicks of the birds that breed there, including puffins, razorbills, and guillemots. With seabird populations facing severe decline in Scotland work began to remove the invasive, non-native black rats that were found on the Shiant Isles. The work is part of the EU Life+ funded Shiants seabird recovery project, which commenced in 2014 and is a partnership between the Nicolson family, who have been the custodians of the islands for three generations, Scottish Natural Heritage and RSPB Scotland. A month-long monitoring programme in February found no evidence of rats - meaning none of the creatures have been recorded on the Isles for two years, meeting the internationally agreed criterion...

Court's words of advice for young bicycle thief

March 2, 2018, 5:18 am

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A teenage bicycle thief found himself receiving some words of advice from a concerned magistrate in court on Friday. The 14-year-old boy entered the courtroom accompanied by his distraught parents, two police officers, his lawyer as well as a social worker from Appoġġ facing charges over the theft which allegedly took place last Wednesday. He stands accused of having stolen an almost-new 'We The People' bicycle worth €573 and then reselling it for €100, splitting the earnings with a friend.  Before the hearing kicked off, all other members of the public, save for the media, were asked to leave the room owing to the particular circumstances and sensitivity of the case. Defence lawyer Yanika Bugeja informed the court that her client was admitting to the charge and asked the court to order a pre-sentencing report. This would look into the boy's personal problems and give the magistrate more details before delivering judgment. Prosecuting inspector Josric Mifsud agreed to this suggestion "100 per cent".  No request for bail was made, with the court ordering that the youngster was to be detained at YOURS ( the Young Offenders Unit) pending the continuation of proceedings. The court...

Women MPs up by just five percentage points in 60 years - Miriam Dalli

March 2, 2018, 5:36 am

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Malta's percentage of women parliamentarians has only risen by five percentage points in over 60 years, MEP Miriam Dalli said on Friday. She noted that in 1950, ten per cent of members of parliament were female, whereas women only make up 14.9 per cent of the current legislature's MPs.Dr Dalli was speaking at a conference on women in politics and media organised by the European Parliament office in Malta. Saying she was not happy with the outcome of women’s participation in politics, Dr Dalli insisted both politics and the media remain a male-dominated sector. Dr Dalli is leading a 10-year Labour Party project aimed at ensuring half the party's candidates at the 2027 elections will be women. Speaking at the event, MEP Francis Zammit Dimech said parties have not managed to attract enough women to the sector. He said talk of a quota system was being politicised and turned into a partisan debate.Dr Zammit Dimech also said that being an MP should be a full-time job, so that people can have greater freedom in other areas. READ: Equality commissioner insists gender quotas are a necessary stepTurning to the quota debate, MEP Roberta Metsola insisted she did not want women to end up in...

Of space, time and everyday life

March 2, 2018, 5:47 am

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Spazju Kreattiv is hosting ‘Rhythms of the City: A Public Debate’ tomorrow. The debate draws from Marxist philospher Henry Lefebvre’s provocations in  the essay ‘Attempts at the Rhythmanalysis of Mediterranean Cities’.  In the analysis of rhythms – both biological and social – Lefebvre shows the interrelation of space and time in the understanding of everyday life. The debate will start with three main provocations and proceed with reactions from a number of professionals/experts in the fields of interculturalism, multilinguism, cultural festivals and cities – all within the context of the Mediterranean Dimension project. Mario Frendo will be moderator, while Paul Clough, Immanuel Mifsud and George Vital Zammit will be provocateurs. The Mediterranean Dimension is an ARC Research & Consultancy project supported by the Arts Council Malta and the Valletta 2018 – European Capital of Culture Multi-Annual Support Grant (Malta Arts Fund), in collaboration with Medinea, Festival d’Aix-en Provence, Spazju Kreattiv, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, A Soul for Europe, Centre for Research in Culture and Performance at the School of Performing Arts – University of Malta and Malta Society of...