Quantcast
Channel: Times Of Malta
Viewing all 84484 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

This week at the cinema - March 28, 2018

March 27, 2018, 11:31 pm
$
0
0

Ready Player One (2018)Genre: AdventureDirector: Steven SpielbergStarring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller, Lena Waithe, Simon Pegg, Mark RylanceDuration: 140 minutesClass: 12AKRS Releasing Ltd Steven Spielberg returns to the big screen with a sci-fi adventure film based on the 2011 bestselling novel of the same name by Ernest Cline. The story is set in 2045, when the world is on the brink of chaos. But the people have found salvation in the Oasis, a virtual reality universe created by the ingenious and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the Oasis, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When a young man named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery and danger. While receiving generally good reviews, especially for its visual spectacle, some critics lamented about the lack of depth and emotion of its main characters. One of these, Joanna Robinson of Vanity Fair, wrote: “Because Spielberg seems as eager as Wade to get back to...
↧
Search

Britain mulls deposit scheme for bottles and cans

March 27, 2018, 11:48 pm
$
0
0

Consumers in Britain could face paying a deposit on drinks bottles and cans which is repaid when they hand them in for recycling, under Government plans to tackle plastic waste. Environment Secretary Michael Gove confirmed ministers would introduce a deposit return scheme for single use drinks containers such as plastic and glass bottles and aluminium cans in England, subject to consultation. The move aims to boost recycling rates and cut litter, and comes amid increasing concern over the issue of single use plastic waste, much of which ends up as rubbish polluting the countryside and oceans. UK consumers use an estimated 13 billion plastic drinks bottles a year, but more than three billion are incinerated, sent to landfill or end up as litter in towns, the countryside and the seas, officials said. A consultation will consider how the plan could work in England, but here is how other countries have implemented the scheme. Norway Norway introduced a system known as "pant" in 1992, which sees a small surcharge placed on every bottle that is bought. This deposit can then be paid back to shoppers when the bottles and cans are returned to "reverse vending machines" placed in most...
↧
↧

Prime Minister visits Melbourne and Brisbane

March 27, 2018, 11:54 pm
$
0
0

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat will meet with business leaders in Victoria and Queensland and attend the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony as part of a visit to Australia. Dr Muscat, who was en route to Australia on Wednesday morning, will first visit Melbourne before moving on to Brisbane. He is being accompanied by Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela and Sports Parliamentary Secretary Clifton Grima.  In Melbourne, he is expected to meet with leading industry bodies in an attempt to attract investment to Malta. From there, he will fly to Brisbane, where he will meet with Queensland government officials and take part in a Commonwealth innovation forum.  Dr Muscat, who is currently the Commonwealth's chair-in-office, will meet with Maltese athletes taking part in the Commonwealth Games and attend the games' opening ceremony.  The Prime Minister will also be meeting with various Maltese communities during his visit. 
↧

Cyberattacks ‘biggest risk for Swiss banks’

March 27, 2018, 11:59 pm
$
0
0

Cyberattacks pose the biggest threat to the Swiss financial system with risks from hacking incursions on the rise, watchdog Finma warned yesterday, calling on Switzerland to step up its national defences against the menace. “The risks connected with these attacks are growing in sync with the pace of global digitalisation. Cyberattacks are now the most serious operational hazard facing the financial system, and both the private sector and public authorities should take them extremely seriously,” chief executive Mark Branson told the Financial Market Supervisory Authority’s annual news conference. He said, on the whole, Swiss banks seemed aware of the risks and were well-equipped to deal with them, citing banks’ ability to repel around 100 attacks a day from ‘Retefe’ malware attacks on e-banking systems. But as a country Switzerland was lagging behind others with major financial hubs that have set up cybersecurity competence centres or imposed system-wide tests of hackers’ ability to penetrate banking systems, he said. Branson also expressed concern about the concentration of outsourced business processes by banks. “We expect to see here the same standards as the financial...
↧

Diocesan Way of the Cross

March 28, 2018, 12:05 am
$
0
0

The diocesan Way of the Cross, led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, will take place today. It will start from the statue of Christ the King (opposite the Phoenicia Hotel) and end in front of St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. On the occasion of the Bishops’ Youth Synod called by Pope Francis, to take place in October at the Vatican, Mgr Scicluna asked the Malta Catholic Youth Network to urge youngsters to prepare their reflections on the Way of the Holy Cross. The public is invited to attend this event, which commemorates Christ’s Passion, death and resurrection.
↧
↧

Who urged billionaire passport buyer to use Pilatus, asks PN MP

March 28, 2018, 12:21 am
$
0
0

Updated 10.20am - Busuttil wants investigation into Henley & Partners A billionaire's admission that he opened a Pilatus Bank account to buy a Maltese passport, as well as a UK report linking Henley & Partners to Cambridge Analytica have sent alarm bells ringing at the Nationalist Party.  Times of Malta on Tuesday quoted a spokesperson for billionaire businessman Christopher Chandler as saying the Brexit backer had opened accounts at Pilatus "to take out Maltese citizenship".  In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, PN MP and spokesman for citizenship Karol Aquilina said the revelation was further evidence of how the bank was harming Malta's reputation as a financial services centre. In his statement, Dr Aquilina asked who had urged Mr Chandler to open accounts with Pilatus Bank and "what role Identity Malta" played in the matter.  "An FIAU report exposed last year showed how accounts at Pilatus were used to launder money coming from the sale of Maltese citizenship," he added.  Investigate Henley & Partners influence - Busuttil Dr Aquilina was not the only PN MP concerned by events on Tuesday.  In a Facebook post, former PN leader and its current spokesman for good...
↧

In Finland, robots are teaching children languages

March 28, 2018, 12:55 am
$
0
0

Elias, the new language teacher at a Finnish primary school, has endless patience for repetition, never makes a pupil feel embarrassed for asking a question and can even do the "Gangnam Style" dance. Elias is also a robot. The language-teaching machine comprises a humanoid robot and mobile application, one of four robots in a pilot programme at primary schools in the southern city of Tampere. The robot is able to understand and speak 23 languages and is equipped with software that allows it to understand students' requirements and helps it to encourage learning. In this trial however, it communicates in English, Finnish and German only. The robot recognises the pupil's skill levels and adjusts its questions accordingly. It also gives feedback to teachers about a student's possible problems. Some of the human teachers who have worked with the technology see it as a new way to engage children in learning. "I think in the new curriculum the main idea is to get the kids involved and get them motivated and make them active. I see Elias as one of the tools to get different kinds of practice and different kinds of activities into the classroom," language teacher Riikka Kolunsarka told...
↧

Record number of applications for Blitz artist residencies this year

March 28, 2018, 1:00 am
$
0
0

Blitz has announced the four incoming artist residents for 2018. Now in its third year, the open call for the 2018 Blitz Residency Programme received a record 200 applications, from all over the globe. This year's first resident was UK artist Anna Ridler, who only just finished her residency last week. Anna is a London-based artist and researcher whose practice brings together technology, literature and drawing to create both art and critical writing.  In Malta, Anna created an ‘imagined archive’, using the National Archives of Malta as a starting point, and imagining the data or stories that have not been collected. Zahra Al-Mahdi and Hanan Al-Alawi, from Kuwait, take up residencies from May 27 to June 23. Zahra Al-Mahdi is a visual artist, writer, graphic novelist, and filmmaker. Her debut graphic novel is titled We, The Borrowed. Hanan Al-Alawi is an installation artist working mainly with glass, photography and found objects. In Malta, Zahra and Hanan will explore the role of memory in rethinking the national historical narrative of citizenry, gender roles and sexuality in Kuwait. Their focus will be on the counter-memories of mobile identities such as transsexual and...
↧
Search

New drone gives PA a bird's eye view of illegalities

March 28, 2018, 1:38 am
$
0
0

Planning Authority enforcement is taking to the skies, with officers now equipped with a specialised drone as part of an investment into new technological tools. The drone, which is specially equipped to gather baseline data for 3D imagine and volumetric calculations, can access remote areas and will also be used in enforcement actions.    As part of the technological investment,  the PA's Compliance and Enforcement Directorate officers have also been equipped with new communication equipment and live on-site information devices.  PA officials received drone training by an Irish aviation expert, the authority said in a statement.  Last year, the PA carried out 49 direct actions. 22 of those were on sites within development zones, with 27 on ODZ sites.  Those actions cost the PA €110,000, although the PA expects to recoup that money from the law-breakers themselves.  A further 67 cases were closed after contravenors agreed to remove illegal developments themselves before the PA moved in. 
↧
↧

Maundy Thursday spiritual walk

March 28, 2018, 1:38 am
$
0
0

Il-Mixgħela tas-Salib tal-Għolja, organised by the St Nicholas Band Club, together with Siġġiewi council, will once again be held tomorrow. The local council and other local organisations have made several appeals for investment in the area, mainly for the restoration of the Annunciation chapel and the area around the Laferla Cross, which has been closed to the public for safety purposes.  The public will be able to walk up to Is-Salib ta’ l-Għolja and access the area below the chapel.  The event, first organised in 1993, will retain its spiritual and cultural features through the lighting of the foothpath and fields over the hill, with over 1,000 fire torches (fjakkoli). The St Nicholas Band Club is also organising a religious artistic performance and a themed band concert.  Other local organisations in Siġġiewi, such as Grupp tal-Armar 6 ta’ Diċembru and Għaqda tan-Nar San Nikola, Siġġiewi, organise other events in the locality on Maundy Thursday.  The Grupp tal-Armar 6 ta’ Dicembru light up the Siġġiewi square with fire torches and organise two exhibitions in the main square: one featuring the Last Supper and the other including various miniature statues representing the...
↧

Police help deliver baby boy on motorway

March 28, 2018, 1:49 am
$
0
0

Image: Shutterstock

A police officer has helped deliver a baby on the side of a motorway. The traffic officer was desperately flagged down at junction 7 of the M62 in Merseyside, UK by the worried parents to assist with the impending arrival. The unusual emergency in the early hours of Wednesday had a happy ending as the mother delivered a healthy baby boy. They were then escorted to hospital where both are said to be doing well. Merseyside Police's roads policing unit tweeted: "One of our @NWmwaypolice officers has just been flagged down and helped deliver a baby at Rainhill Stoops! "Congratulations to Lisa and Peter and their new baby boy Clarke 7lb 11! All our doing well (Apart from MC18 who needs tea and biscuits now) #Baby #NotJustCrime." North West Motorway Police also tweeted: "A very busy night so far with pursuits, concerns for person in vehicle on the network and MC18 who has just delivered a baby at J7 on the M62. Mother and baby now getting a @MerPolTraffic escort to the nearby hospital but both mother and baby doing well. #NotJustTickets."
↧

Teenage pregnancy rate in UK lowest since 1969

March 28, 2018, 2:01 am
$
0
0

Image: Shutterstock

Teenage pregnancy rates in Britain have dipped to their lowest level since records began almost half a century ago, new figures show. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that 2016 saw the lowest under-18 conception rate in England and Wales since comparable statistics were first produced in 1969. Even year-on-year figures showed a big dip, with an 11% decrease in the number of teenage pregnancies in 2016 compared with 2015. In 2016, there were 18,076 conceptions to women aged under 18 years in England and Wales, the ONS found. The official statistics body said that the under-18 conception rate was 18.9 conceptions per thousand women aged 15 to 17 years in 2016. In 1969, there were 45,495 conceptions to women aged under 18 years, resulting in a rate of 47.1 conceptions per thousand women. Sex and relationships education, improved access to contraceptives, a "shift in aspirations" of young women towards education and stigma around teenage pregnancies may be behind the dip, the ONS said. The figures also showed that over all age groups conceptions in 2016 dropped to their lowest number and rate since 2005. In 2016, the estimated number of conceptions in England and Wales...
↧

Cyberattacks on minister's mind as 58 recruits join Armed Forces

March 28, 2018, 2:09 am
$
0
0

Coordinated cyberattacks are a pressing concern that the government is keen to protect against, Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia said on Wednesday. Addressing a group of 58 Armed Forces of Malta recruits during their passing out parade, Dr Farrugia said “cyber warfare is the warfare of today”. “As a government we are aware of this reality and are working to ensure the country is protected,” he said. The recruits, five of which are Gozitans and another six women, completed their training which began on October 30, this morning. Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi said he hoped the recruits, who as of today became full-fledged members of the AFM, would help in meeting the demands placed on the armed forces. The AFM, he said, was working on a plan to ensure valuable skills were not lost. In closing, Dr Farrugia thanked all the members of the AFM for collaborating with other disciplined forces, particularly in efforts against organised crime.
↧
↧

'Call a spade a spade' when reporting domestic violence, journalists told

March 28, 2018, 2:38 am
$
0
0

The Commission on Domestic Violence has issued a set of guidelines for journalists reporting on gender-based violence, in an attempt to raise standards and awareness on the matter. The 17 guidelines urge journalists to be unambiguous when describing such violence and to ensure their reporting does not put any blame on the victims.Addressing a press conference on Wednesday morning, Equality Minister Helena Dalli said that when investigating, journalists needed to shift the way they reported by looking at the “underbelly” of gender-based violence. “We need journalists to go in with this frame of mind when reporting to fill this gap,” the minister said, referring to the case of disgraced American director Harvey Weinstein who has in recent months been accused of assaulting several actresses.With the 17 guidelines in hand, the Commission hopes that journalists will be able to not only better report on domestic violence but also to address issues that society might be uncomfortable discussing. READ: Domestic violence to be investigated even if victim withdraws reportCommission member Joe Gerada, who also addressed the press conference, argued that it was time that “a spade is called...
↧

Updates on Plaza Centres plc

March 28, 2018, 2:52 am
$
0
0
On March 20, Plaza Centres plc released its audited financial statements for the financial year ending in 2017. This was the first time whereby the company consolidated the results of Tigné Place, the property it acquired recently, in its financial statements for a full year. This showed a positive contribution in terms of revenue from this subsidiary despite the refurbishment works and the expiry of a significant number of rent agreements during the year 2017, which the company declared, led to lower occupancy rates.When compared to the year 2016, where according to the company’s prospectus for the bond issued in 2016, this subsidiary was fully occupied and generated an annual rental income of €479,781, Tigné place generated rental income for over €500k during 2017, despite the lower occupancy. We attribute this positive performance to the renewal of the relevant rental agreements at new terms, closer to market rates for the area. In this regard, at the time of the acquisition, Tigné Place was fully rented out at an average rate of €148 per square metre, which is well below the average rate in the Sliema area. We estimated that similar properties in Sliema area could be rented...
↧
Search

30 minutes of homework a day is plenty, new guidelines for under-10s say

March 28, 2018, 2:57 am
$
0
0

Children under 10 years (up to Grade 6 in Maltese schools) should not be given more than 30 minutes of homework daily according to a new policy issued yesterday by the Education Ministry. Based on research with educators, parents and children, the policy aims to act as a guideline on the amount and quality of homework to be assigned to students. While opting not to follow the education system found in many EU Member States, where students are not given any homework at all, the new policy establishes the amount that should accompany students during their mandatory school years. While limiting the amount of homework, the guidelines also encourage students and their parents or guardians to utilise their free time fruitfully, particularly through more participation in social activities, including sport. According to the policy, launched yesterday by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo during a discussion with a group of students at the Naxxar primary, research has shown that if homework is assigned in a meaningful manner, in different degrees and quantities in relation to the school year and in relation to the learning needs of students, it will create positive results for the...
↧

Corinthia to open luxury hotel in Romania

March 28, 2018, 3:04 am
$
0
0

Corinithia Hotels are expanding further into eastern Europe, with the company striking a deal to open a new five-star hotel in Romanian capital Bucharest late next year.  The luxury hotel, which will replace the former Grand Hotel du Boulevard, is expected to open its doors on December 1, 2019.  Built in 1867, the listed building was last used as a hotel more than a decade ago. Once completed, it will offer more than 50 rooms and suites, a grand ballroom, boutique meeting spaces, luxury amenities and a variety of dining options.  Corinthia Hotels will run the high-end accommodation under the terms of a management agreement signed with the owners of the property.  Corinthia is a subsidiary of International Hotel Investments p.l.c. The Maltese-owned company runs hotels in London, St Petersburg, Budapest and Lisbon, among others. It intends to open a hotel in Brussels in 2020.
↧
↧

Watch: A bridge between China and Europe (ARTE)

March 28, 2018, 3:04 am
$
0
0

Kazakhstan was long under Russian influence through the Tsarist and Soviet periods. Today, under a dictatorship, the country is building strategic lnks with China, Russia and Europe.
↧

Last Supper table on display in Lija

March 28, 2018, 3:07 am
$
0
0

Lija parish is once again organising a replica of the Last Supper table, according to Jewish custom, at the old parish church of Our Saviour. This is the 48th time that this replica is being presented; it is the first one of its kind and has not lost its original characteristics. The opening and blessing ceremony, which will be held today at 7.30pm, will take the form of a prayer vigil, with hymn singing, reading of excerpts from the Bible and sharing of spiritual thoughts. At the end, wine and bread will be served to those present in memory of the real event which took place thousands of years ago. The commentary will alternate between English and Maltese. Entrance, which is free, will be about every 15 minutes. Visitors are asked to remain inside until the end of the commentary so as not to disturb other visitors. The Last Supper table can also be visited tomorrow, Maundy Thursday between 8.30pm and 10.30pm and on Good Friday from 9am to 12.30pm.
↧

Sober and sorry young man admits to drunken fracas

March 28, 2018, 3:16 am
$
0
0

A young man who caused some commotion in his home town while under the influence of drink on Tuesday night has been handed a suspended sentence after admitting to his wrongdoing in court.The 25-year old, whose name is not being revealed for legal reasons, was arraigned this morning under arrest, sober and repentant over the trouble caused last night.The man pleaded guilty to having insulted and slightly injured a police sergeant who had answered a call to handle the disturbance kicked up by the accused.Other charges related to having been drunk in public and breaching the peace by fighting and shouting while resisting arrest.Turning down his right to legal assistance, the man chose instead to admit to his wrongdoing.In view of this early admission, duty magistrate Doreen Clarke declared him guilty and handed down an €800 fine and two-month jail term suspended for 12 months.Inspector Josric Mifsud prosecuted.
↧
Viewing all 84484 articles
Browse latest View live
Search
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>