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

Farewell boys and girls

April 8, 2018, 1:01 am
$
0
0

A group of Year 11 students celebrating the end of their secondary school years at St Clare College, Pembroke Secondary School. Both boys and girls in this group benefitted from integrated education in the same school for the first time as part of a reform of co-education in State schools. Co-education paved its way for the first intake at Pembroke in September 2013. Among the farewell activities were a cook-out at Ġnejna Bay, trekking and abseiling in Mtarfa, a thanksgiving Mass at Pembroke parish church and a prize-giving ceremony followed by a graduation party in the school hall.
↧
Search

Drug dealers trying to blend in with community to ply illicit trade

April 8, 2018, 1:18 am
$
0
0

‘No parking’ signs give the impression of an ordinary garage. Photo: shutterstock

Drug dealers are renting garages in towns and villages, and often keeping animals in them, in their latest attempt to stay one step ahead of the police. The animals are used for a specific purpose: to prevent police dogs from sniffing out the drugs, The Sunday Times of Malta has been told. A senior police source who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity said criminals involved in drug dealing were always looking to become more organised and to stay “one step ahead”. The source said a recent trend was for drug peddlers to rent empty garages in ordinary towns and villages rather than in well-known hot-spots such as Marsa. By blending in with the rest of the community, they hoped not to raise suspicion. They would put up ‘no parking’ or similar signs to give the impression of an ordinary garage – rather than a den of drug trafficking. According to the source, some of the dealers were now also housing animals in the garages they were renting in an attempt to distract police dogs and stop them from sniffing out the drugs concealed inside. While such trends are becoming more popular, the source pointed out that it was difficult to tell what amount of drugs were moving...
↧
↧

Record 650 dancers apply to join ŻfinMalta

April 8, 2018, 1:50 am
$
0
0

A record 650 professional dancers from 25 countries aspiring to join Malta’s first national dance company have applied to audition for ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble. Artistic director Paolo Mangiola said he had a tough time short-listing the applicants to a mere 50 females and 30 males and it would be a harder call to settle on the final choice during auditions held over the weekend. “We are looking for passionate dancers who are versatile and can switch seamlessly from one style to the next; who are resilient and who understand choreography. I’m seeking dancers who want to invest and grow with ŻfinMalta,” Mr Mangiola said. Just six of the 650 dancers who applied were Maltese, a situation which Mr Mangiola  said highlighted an urgent need for additional vocational training in Malta with artistic input from ŻfinMalta. This would build on the strong training already in place, creating a specific progression route for gifted young Maltese dancers. As the company awaits a fresh injection of talent, its dancers are sharpening their moves as they get ready to embark on ŻfinMalta’s first national tour of Carmen, taking its successful contemporary dance adaption to four towns across Malta...
↧

When rock meets electronica and beyond

April 8, 2018, 2:09 am
$
0
0

Kill The Action recently launched their new EP, For All You People. Ramona Depares sounds out the band on their genre-defying works. How do you describe the style of Kill The Action? This is probably the hardest question to answer. Our sound has always been influenced and moulded by an approach aimed at creating a unique sound which blends two different musical worlds – alternative rock, in its varying degrees and forms, and the world of electronica, which opens the doors to greater experimentation and possibilities. The fact that the band’s sound is predominantly synth-driven opens up new sonic spheres which, in turn, leave room for other influences to surface. Defining our genre as ‘electro-rock’ is, therefore, one-dimensional in nature and probably a misnomer in itself – an approach to classification which is opposed to the band’s attitude to music. Your debut EP comes as a wrist band – cool idea, how was it born? The fact that CDs have, nowadays, almost become obsolete, in fact, led us to dismiss the possibility of releasing it in this format. We had originally toyed with the idea of simply making For All You People available online. However, we also had our minds set on...
↧

Germany still seeking clues for motive in fatal van attack

April 8, 2018, 2:20 am
$
0
0

German prosecutors still have no indication why a 48-year-old man drove a van into a crowd of people in the western city of Munster, killing two and injuring 20 before shooting himself dead inside the van. "As of now, we don't have any leads regarding a possible background for the deed," prosecutor Martin Botzenhardt wrote in a joint statement with police. "The investigations are being led under high pressure in all possible directions." Authorities have identified the two fatalities of Saturday's crash as a 51-year-old woman from Lueneburg County and a 65-year-old man from Broken County. Local media have identified the perpetrator as a German industrial designer living in Munster who had been suffering from psychological problems, but police would not confirm the details. All three bodies were taken from the scene in front of the well-known Kiepenkerl pub early on Sunday night. The silver-grey van was hauled away hours later after explosives experts had thoroughly checked it. "The van is not at the crime scene any more, all kinds of objects have also been removed, waste of course, as well as evidence that we've found on the ground," police spokeswoman Susanne Dirkorte...
↧
↧

Mental health: the dangers of the social media diagnosis

April 8, 2018, 2:30 am
$
0
0

Shutterstock/AntonioGuillem   Even Facebook agrees that social media can be bad for your mental health. And research by the Department of Education has found that the mental well-being of teenage girls in the UK is worsening, with the impact of social media cited as the cause. Yet my research reveals that more people are turning to these platforms for help with their mental health issues. This has been exacerbated as the crisis in the NHS sees waiting times for appointments grow. While most of the people I spoke to believed social media helped them, there is a concern that it could be adding to ongoing mental health problems. Mental health has recently become the focus of attention within UK policy, with the proposed rehash of the Mental Health Act, and the new Power Threat Meaning framework, which aims to reduce the “medicalisation” of mental health. Despite raised awareness of some the issues, more and more people are turning away from their GPs as they fail to get the support they need. This is usually due to lengthy waiting lists for counselling, or a tendency to overly rely on prescribing medication as a cure all. Facebook sad face symbol. Shutterstock/Lina_R   Many of...
↧

Main Street Shopping Complex celebrates 10 million customers

April 8, 2018, 2:31 am
$
0
0

Michelle Grixti receives her 10 millionth customer gift at Main Street Complex.

Main Street Shopping Complex has just celebrated an important milestone after it welcomed its 10 millionth customer. The lucky recipient, Michelle Grixti from Tarxien, was selected as the 10 millionth customer to walk inside Main Street since its opening and was surprised with a gift voucher upon visiting the complex. Opened in 2004, Main Street has become a popular shopping destination in the south of Malta.  Bettina Azzopardi, managing director of Main Street Shopping Complex, said: “We’re delighted that 10 million customers have walked into Main Street since our opening. This is a great achievement for us and with the investment currently being done both in the complex and in Paola Square, our footfall shows no sign of slowing. We’re extremely excited to welcome more customers in the coming years.” The company has also approved plans to invest in green energy as part of its efforts to a cleaner environment. This project will see Main Street getting most of its energy from solar power, while all common parts lighting will be changed to energy-efficient ones. The company has also embarked on a project to separate all waste generated by shops and customers who visit Main...
↧

New album featuring works by Carmelo Pace

April 8, 2018, 2:48 am
$
0
0

Ramona Zammit Formosa recently launched a new CD album featuring piano works by Carmelo Pace. Containing 25 tracks, the album features some of Pace’s best repertoire for piano. Among the tracks included are the Suite for Piano – Three Maltese Pictures, Variations on a Maltese and Variations on the Maltese National Anthem, which portray the nationalistic side of Pace’s music. Pace’s inspiration from nature is depicted in his Suite for piano, Sunshine in the Fields, The Valley of Dreams and Moonlight in the Fields. The album was engineered and produced by Rene Mamo, with notes written by Albert Storace. It is available from music stores.
↧
Search

Man arrested after drug find

April 8, 2018, 2:53 am
$
0
0

An 18-year-old man who lives in Valletta was arrested on Saturday after cocaine, heroin and cannabis were found at his residence. He is being arraigned on Sunday. The police said the find was made by the Valletta Police and the Drug Squad. An inquiry is being held.
↧
↧

Target shooter Bezzina just misses out on medal

April 8, 2018, 2:55 am
$
0
0

Eleonor Bezzina just missed out on a place on the podium in the 10 metre air pistol competition at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast on Sunday. Bezzina produced a strong showing in the qualifying round after hitting scores of 94, 94, 95 and 95 for an overall score of 378 that put her third overall from 25 shooters. India’s Manu Bhaker topped the qualifying round with a Qualifying Games Record score of 388 while her fellow compatriot Heena Sidhu was second on 379. In the final, Bezzina produced a solid showing which saw her remaining in contention for a place on the podium with four rounds to go only to bow in contention for a mere 1.7 poiiunts. In the end she finished fourth with a combined score of 193.2. Bhaker took gold with a Games record score of 240.9 while Sidhu was second on 234 points. Elena Galiabovitch, of Australia, pipped Bezzina for bronze with 214.9. Meanwhile, Marlon Attard has put himself in a strong position to qualify to the skeet final after finishing third after the opening two rounds of the qualifying round. The young shooter, who is making his first appearance in the Games, fired a straight of 25 and then hit a 24 to finish the day with 49 points to...
↧

Integration begins at community level, Muscat tells Marsa residents

April 8, 2018, 3:09 am
$
0
0

The integration of foreigners begins at community level, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told Marsa residents on Sunday. Addressing a political event at Labour's Marsa club, Dr Muscat said he understood the locality was facing pressures due to the influx of foreigners. The government, he said, was not trying to escape the reality of these tensions, which created situations where some people were afraid to leave their homes. Resident, however, must not allow far-right groups to ride on these sentiments. The Prime Minister said he received daily updates about what was going on in Marsa. Those who complained were not racists, as they would be equally angered by anti-social behaviour by Maltese. Enforcement in Marsa and other areas had been stepped up, he said, and this was serving as a deterrent. The government would not tolerate abuse from anyone, no matter their nationality, Dr Muscat continued. He said part of the government’s success was that it did not sweep problems under the carpet. Dr Muscat said the country needed more foreigners to come to Malta’s shores, because demand for jobs was outstripping supply. A leading Indian company, he said, would be investing millions...
↧

Watch: The art of bells (ARTE)

April 8, 2018, 3:09 am
$
0
0

In the small town of Monopoli in Puglia, the priest needs a new bell for his parish church. He has ordered it from the Marinelli foundry who make their bells in the traditional way.
↧

PN leader says he paid all tax due

April 8, 2018, 3:30 am
$
0
0

Opposition leader Adrian Delia on Sunday confirmed he settled his pending tax bill as he lashed out against the Labour media which suggested he used party funds to pay the €55,000 due. The PL media said that Dr Delia made the payment last month, days after the party held a telethon. Dr Delia made reference to the claims when questioned during an interview on Radio 101. He pointed out that he had been the one to flag the issue in the first place and the final amount paid was in line with established mechanisms in the law. “I have resolved this issue. The amount is settled. Game over,” Dr Delia said this morning. “My tax has been paid from my own pocket and not form the telethon funds or by a businessman,” he added. The PN leader also challenged the Labour media to come forward with evidence to back its claims that he had used party funds to settle his tax bill. Read: Adrian Delia silent on unpaid taxes Any claims would be investigated in the most transparent manner, he said, adding this was the lowest level which [Labour’s] newspaper has stooped. “Labour can no longer say I did not pay the tax, so they are now claiming I used funds raised from the party telethon. We hold about...
↧
↧

Media's role in society is essential - President

April 8, 2018, 3:53 am
$
0
0

The media played an essential role in society and it should not be hindered in its work, President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said on Sunday. Speaking on the fourth anniversary of her becoming President, President Coleiro Preca said that while she believed that the media was the fourth pillar of democracy, she also believed this had to always be educational and informative. In a situation where social media was being used to spread false news, the media should be allowed to do its work to spread the truth impartially and without prejudice, she said. The President celebrated her fourth term by paying tribute to her late predecessors, placing flowers at the foot of their monuments. She appealed to political parties to work on a Constitutional reform following upon their electoral promises and what they had long been speaking about. “We have to move from words to facts, and from promises to implementation,” she said. The people, she added, should be encouraged to get involved in the process which should be public, transparent and educational. The President said that in her final year she would look ahead to consolidate several projects that were currently underway including the...
↧

Going metal

April 8, 2018, 3:59 am
$
0
0

A scent of rain

Ġorġ Mallia:The Metal Art of Marie Louise Kold LIM Publishing, 2017 One book that has lived on my cluttered desk for many years is Georges Bataille’s Lascaux or The Birth of Art. Since I refer to it so frequently, this book remains always close to the top of one of the many stacks of books which keep me company. Lately, another handsome art book landed on my desk, very close to Bataille’s The Birth of Art. This is The Metal Art of Marie Louise Kold; with an analytical and biographical essay written by Ġorġ Mallia and published by LIM Publishing, Malta-Sweden (2017). I must admit that, as soon as I started leafing through this book, I felt I had to reach for Bataille’s book and open the two books side by side, to be able to glance from one to the other. But why does this new publication remind me so much of my favourite art book? On the face of it, the two books cannot be more different. On the one hand, Bataille was writing about prehistoric cave painters who, due to their immense distance in time and culture, were completely unknown to him. In addition, due to the same distance, the original motivation, purpose and meaning of these paintings remain equally mysterious. In direct...
↧
Search

Air Malta's flight from Paris diverted due to medical emergency

April 8, 2018, 4:11 am
$
0
0

Air Malta’s flight from Paris, due to land at Malta International Airport at 1.05pm has been diverted to Rome’s Fiumicino following a medical emergency on board. The flight left Charles de Gaulle Airport at 10.47am. No other information was available at this time.
↧

Deutsche Post – an attractive dividend paying stock

April 9, 2018, 1:03 am
$
0
0

We updated our model and maintain our overweight position on Deutsche Post with a price target of €42. This price target is calculated on a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 18x compared to its current P/E of 15.5x. We believe the stock merits to trade on a higher P/E as we expect it to continue to benefit from increased sales and reduced costs which should improve margins going forward. We expect growth going forward to come from e-commerce and expansion in emerging markets. We like Deutsche Post for the following reasons: • We have a 1 year price target of €42 on the stock which represents a potential 22% upside from the current price• The shares are trading on an attractive indicative gross dividend yield of 3.5%• Strong cash position - Excess liquidity will be used for share buybacks and/or extraordinary dividends. In fact, in 2017 Deutsche Post increased its dividend payout ratio to 52% from 48%• The group saw an improvement in revenues from all its divisions in Q417 and expect to see continued growth in the foreseeable future• Management have provided guidance for 2018. They expect group EBIT of €4.15bn in 2018 and in excess of €5bn in 2020. We believe these targets are...
↧
↧

Prestigious violin to take centre stage at gala concert

April 9, 2018, 1:08 am
$
0
0

The sixth edition of the Malta International Music Festival will kick off on Sunday, starring world-famous musicians, including Maltese violinist Carmine Lauri. Lauri will perform in a gala concert on April 16, featuring the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, which will be augmented by soloists from the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, and will be conducted by Sergey Smbatyan. For this concert, Lauri has chosen the lesser popular Henryk Wieniawski’s 1st Violin Concerto in F# minor op.14. As a performer, Wieniawski was famed for his left-hand technique, his unconventional bow-arm and his intense vibrato, which according to Fritz Kreisler, “he brought to heights never before achieved”. Lauri will perform this concerto on the ‘Baron Deurbroucq’ Stradivari violin, made in 1727. This fine example of Stradivari’s late-period instruments is on loan from J & A Beare Ltd of London. This particular violin was previously on loan to famous Dutch violinist Janine Jansen and had a long consistent history of being played by artists such as Efrem Zimbalist. The ‘Baron Deurbroucq’ has a very rich and deep sound, especially in the lower register. The concert will take place at the Mediterranean...
↧

German public sector union extends strikes to airports

April 9, 2018, 1:36 am
$
0
0

German public sector union Verdi has called for further strikes in a pay dispute, this time affecting staff at Germany's major airports and set to lead to flight disruption on Tuesday. Verdi, which is asking for a 6 per cent pay rise for around 2.3 million employees in various public sector roles across Germany, said ground staff and some fire services staff would be on strike on Tuesday at Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne and Bremen airports. Frankfurt airport operator Fraport has already warned passengers on Twitter to expect significant disruption on Tuesday. A third round of pay talks is scheduled for April 15 and 16.
↧

Strong winds knock down walls, damage protected tree in Sannat

April 9, 2018, 1:38 am
$
0
0

Gozo's windswept Sannat bore the brunt of weather damage on Sunday night, as howling winds lashed Malta and Gozo. Strong winds caused significant damage to an old Norfolk pine tree [Awrikarja kbira] in the town's St Margarita square, local council secretary Jason Curmi told Times of Malta. The tree, which is among Gozo's biggest and was already weak, lost several large branches to the strong winds and its long-term survival now hangs in the balance.  Two boundary walls also failed to hold up in the violent weather and collapsed, with limestone bricks from one of the walls on Ras in-Newwiela causing significant damage to a car parked right by the wall and blocking the street entirely. Another wall on Triq it-Tempju tal-Imramma also collapsed in the high winds.  Malta and Gozo experienced strong south-easterly winds with gusts reaching 18 metres per second on Sunday night and early Monday morning, according to data provided by Windy.com.  Sannat was not the only town badly hit by inclement weather: a bus stop in Mġarr ended up knocked over, while in St Julian's, a Times of Malta reader had a narrow escape when a sheet of corrugated iron and a water tank lid landed just metres...
↧
Viewing all 84484 articles
Browse latest View live
Search
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>