Warren, Biden top new 2020 Democratic presidential polls

October 24, 2019, 11:29 am

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Progressive Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren tops the field for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination in a new poll, though other voter surveys have former vice president Joe Biden in the lead. The fresh surveys landed as one of the race's low-polling candidates, congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio, announced Thursday he was dropping out of the race. While second- and third-tier candidates flounder, Warren and Biden have battled for primacy. The 70-year-old Warren was backed by 28 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning independent voters in a poll published Thursday by Quinnipiac University. The more centrist 76-year-old Biden, who has led most polling since joining the White House race, received 21 percent. Liberal Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who recently suffered a heart attack, was at 15 percent in the Quinnipiac survey while Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was at 10 percent, his strongest showing yet in major national polling. California Senator Kamala Harris received five percent while Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota was at three percent. While Warren topped the Quinnipiac poll, Biden came out well ahead in a CNN survey published...

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Watch: Malta's Elusive 2 wins the Rolex Middle Sea Race

October 24, 2019, 11:43 am

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A Maltese yacht has won the prestigious Middle Sea Race, the first in several years. Elusive 2 was declared the winner with a margin of 15 minutes in what was a personal triumph for the Podesta siblings - Aaron, Christoph and Maya who together have raced every Rolex Middle Sea Race since 2002, except 2014 the year of Aaron’s marriage. They took after their father Arthur, who had taken part in every race since 1968 until his untimely death in 2015. He won the race as a crewman on three occasions with Josian in 1968, Tikka in 1970 and Saudade in 1983 but never won as skipper of his own yacht. “Our father was with us on the boat and everything that we have managed is down to him and for him,” an emotional Maya said after the race. “The race has meant a lot to us for a long time and this result was 18 years in the making. We started racing because my dad wanted us to join him. We quickly picked up the bug, and we have always wanted to climb up the ladder, and now we have done it.” “A huge part of this race is preparation, as soon as we finished last year’s race we started preparing for this year,” Christoph said. “The boat was fantastic, it did not fail us in any way and that was a...

Foreign Ministry silent on ‘cultural diplomacy fund’

October 24, 2019, 11:55 am

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The government is refusing to give details on how the Foreign Ministry is administering an annual €175,000 ‘cultural diplomacy fund’ aimed at promoting Malta’s culture abroad. Foreign Ministry officials pointed out that since the appointment of Carmelo Abela as Foreign Minister, many organisations connected to his political constituency have been ‘sponsored’ through this fund. Only last month, a large contingent of musicians from Żejtun’s Beland Band were flown to Rome which included a performance at one of the public audiences given by Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square. “The Beland band tour was the largest sponsorship which the cultural diplomacy fund was ever used for,” senior officials said. “Although there was nothing wrong in taking a whole band abroad, even though it costs a lot when considering the fund’s limited budget, it would be interesting to discover why and by whom this particular band club was selected,” the sources said. Mr Abela, who together with his wife accompanied the band during their Rome visit, hails from and lives in Żejtun. He is elected from the Żejtun constituency, a traditional Labour stronghold, which elects other members of the current Cabinet who...

United eke out rare away win on emotional day in Belgrade

October 24, 2019, 12:52 pm

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Manchester United made an emotional return to Belgrade on Thursday and, after a ceremony to remember the 'Busby Babes', eked out a first away win since March, 1-0, over Partizan.  Anthony Martial scored the only goal of the Europa League Group L game with a penalty kick after 43 minutes, but the hosts had eight strikes on target to just three by United. The game marked the return to the ground where Matt Busby's famous team of talented youngsters played their last game, a European Cup quarter-final against Red Star in February 1958.  The plane crashed in Munich on the way home and seven United players were among the 23 who died.  United had only played in Belgrade once since then, when they lost a European Cup semi-final to Partizan in 1966.  On Thursday afternoon, United held a commemoration ceremony where former players Bryan Robson and Mickey Thomas laid a wreath on the centre circle at the Partizan Stadium and vice-chairman Ed Woodward gave a speech. "As soon as the draw happened, our attention turned to wanting to remember those who lost their lives in 1958," he said. "This was the last place, on this very ground, against Red Star Belgrade, when they played as a team...

Counteracting violence - Mgr Charles Scicluna

October 24, 2019, 10:10 pm

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Last Sunday’s disturbance at the open centre in Ħal Far, and the events that followed, should serve as an opportune moment to pause for reflection. I have the utmost respect for the work undertaken by personnel at Malta’s open centres. I know they do their best in extremely challenging circumstances. I also understand the frustration felt by African migrant residents forced to flee their homeland in search of a better life and are living in extremely difficult conditions. Their plight is not one to be envied, far from it, but violent conduct can never be justified and they need to bear in mind that their actions are capable of casting a shadow over the entire African migrant community who, by and large, are law-abiding and hardworking. They would be well advised to reflect on what has happened; however, those of us who consider ourselves to be Christian should also reflect on what we have seen in recent days. Only a few weeks ago, the Holy Father Pope Francis, during the celebration of Mass at St Peter’s Basilica on the 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, reminded us that as Christians we cannot be indifferent to the tragedy of poverty and the bleak isolation, contempt and...

Today's front pages - October 25, 2019

October 24, 2019, 10:11 pm

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The following are the main stories in Friday’s front pages. Times of Malta says official EU data has revealed that nearly one in every three people over 65 in Malta is obese, making the country’s older generation among the heaviest in Europe. In another story, the newspaper quotes Opposition MP Karol Aquilina saying that a Russian-Israeli businessman facing fraud charges to the tune of millions in the US was granted the right to vote after filing a false declaration on the same day he bought a Maltese passport. The Malta Independent says MEP David Casa has asked the European Commission to suspend Malta’s IIP scheme. L-Orizzont quotes the Prime Minister saying that more talent needs to be attracted to the public sector. In-Nazzjon quotes Opposition leader Adrian Delia says the government is responsible if Malta is placed on the black list because of its passport scheme.

Third of Maltese over 65 obese

October 24, 2019, 10:19 pm

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Nearly one in every three people over 65 is obese, official EU data has revealed, making Malta’s older generation among the heaviest in Europe. In the rest of the EU, the average rate is one in five, according to a report on ageing in Europe by the EU’s statistics arm, Eurostat. The report says that in Malta, more than 30% of those aged between 65 and 74 were obese in 2017, the year under review.  The statistics office considers persons ‘obese’ if their body mass index (their body mass in kilograms divided by the square of their height in metres) is of 30 or more. Malta’s rate, it emerged, is among the highest in Europe, with only Latvia, Estonia and Hungary registering higher numbers. While the rate was found to have decreased slightly among the over 75s, a quarter of these were still found to be obese. According to the data, a quarter of those older than 75 were found to have BMIs of over 30 in 2017. Acknowledging the phenomenon, the Eurostat researchers noted that “the likelihood that somebody is obese increases with age” with about one fifth of Europeans aged between 65 and 74 having a BMI of over 30, up from 14.9% of adults under 65.  Apart from shedding light on the older...

The greening that never comes

October 24, 2019, 10:31 pm

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Cars are the main contributors to carbon emissions in this country. Over 40 per cent of Malta’s carbon emissions are generated by transport. Last week, the Nationalist Party tabled a motion in Parliament seeking to declare climate change a national emergency. A similar declaration has already been made in other countries, such as the UK. According to a European Commission report on the Paris Climate Agreement published last year, Malta is the only EU country that still falls short of its reduction targets and which resorted to buying emission credits from other member states. The Opposition had also sought to set up a parliamentary committee that would enforce legally binding targets to reduce emissions by specific deadlines, 2030 and 2050, in line with what is expected from other EU states. This committee would have served as a watchdog to ensure that the country consistently works towards meeting its emission reduction goals. The government rejected these ideas and pointed out that climate change legislation had already been unanimously approved by Parliament in 2015. It stated that this legislation provides the necessary framework for Malta to reach its emission reduction...

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Birkirkara, Mġarr share the spoils

October 24, 2019, 10:32 pm

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Birkirkara and Mġarr United cancelled each other in a 1-1 draw in the top game from Matchday Three of the BOV Women’s League. Going into the first direct encounter of the season, both the Stripes and Greens were joint-leaders at six points after a perfect start to the season. Having had to settle for a point, Birkirkara and Mġarr are now joined by Swieqi United in first place with seven points after the Oranges eased past Kirkop United 5-0. As promised, Mġarr and Birkirkara brought a lot of agonism into the match with the Stripes dominating proceedings in the early stages. But as Birkirkara failed to make their pressure count, their missed chances came back to haunt them when the Greens opened the score against the run of play. In fact, young Haley Bugeja put the side led by former Malta international Raymond Vella ahead to net her first goal of the season. Nonetheless, Birkirkara still managed to level terms before half-time when Ann-Marie Said surprised Mġarr goalkeeper Rachel Borg directly from a free-kick. After the change of ends, Birkirkara brought on fresh legs in their bid to find a winner, including Esther Anu who was making her first Stripes appearance. However,...

Celebrating Merlot day

October 24, 2019, 10:37 pm

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Secretly I’m longing for someone to finally proclaim a national day in honour of Malta’s Ġellewża and Girgentina varieties. Until then, I gladly revel in International Merlot Day, which is celebrated by oenophiles around the world on November 7. If you follow this wine column, you know I keep Merlot close to my heart and my corkscrew even closer to examples that are rooted in Malta. If I had to choose only one locally-grown noble grape, it’s indeed Merlot I hold in high regard. That’s because I believe it could very well be the country’s most promising cultivar to render mind-blowing Maltese wines of grand cru calibre in the future. In Malta, like in most other winemaking countries, there’s already an assortment of excellent mono-varietals to try. Locally-grown wines are generally aged in oak barrels but there are also a few unwooded bottles around. When it’s made well, Merlot does justice to its nickname ‘little blackbird’ (a diminutive from merle in French). It’s a grape variety that gives round and delicious wines with aromas of black fruits such as black cherry, blackberry and cassis. You also get hints of truffle, violet, plum and chocolate. Our own Merlot generally...

Tens of thousands evacuated as wildfires rage in California

October 24, 2019, 10:50 pm

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Some 50,000 people were ordered to flee their homes north of Los Angeles on Thursday as a fast-moving wildfire driven by high winds erupted and raged out of control. The so-called Tick Fire near Santa Clarita, about 65 kilometres north of Los Angeles, broke out in the early afternoon and quickly consumed 2,023 hectares, fire officials said. The blaze burned several homes and structures and forced the closure of a major highway and a number of roads, as some 500 firefighters backed by air tankers and helicopters battled the flames. There were no immediate reports of injury. [attach id=782718 type="video"][/attach] "We are urging everybody to evacuate at this time," a spokesman for the fire department said. The fire erupted as much of the state was under a red flag warning because of gusty winds, high temperatures and low humidity which make for perfect conditions for wildfires. In northern California wine country, some 2,000 people were ordered to evacuate after a brush fire erupted late Wednesday, quickly growing from a blaze of a few hundred acres into a 16,000-acre inferno, California fire officials said. About 500 responders battled the fire fed by wind gusts topping 113...

Changes to trapping season represent 'unfactual' concerns by trappers - Birdlife

October 24, 2019, 10:50 pm

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This year’s trapping season which opened last Sunday introduced a number of changes, which, according to BirdLife were a result of non-factual concerns voiced by trappers. In a statement on Friday, BirdLife said the main changes included a 10-day extension to the season, particularly targeting golden plover, and a decrease in mesh size of nets used for song thrush. Trapping for both these species is still under infringement proceedings initiated by the European Commission in 2011. Changes to the trapping legislation were initially presented at OrnisCommittee meetings after it resulted that the Commission had, earlier this year, voiced a number of concerns with Maltese authorities over how the derogation was implemented in 2018. In May, BirdLife presented its results from fieldwork carried out during the 2018 trapping season to the EC’s Directorate-General for the Environment, which showed that 82.8% of surveyed trapping sites in 2018 were illegally targeting finches or other species not permitted by the derogation. A total 57.5% of surveyed active trapping sites were also operating illegally in areas unauthorised by the Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU). The last exercise was...

Show pays homage to an Argentinian tango composer

October 24, 2019, 10:57 pm

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Tango Nuevo Quintet is performing Astor Piazzolla’s Tango Nuevo in a concert that gives homage to the popular musical masterpieces of the Argentinian composer. The newly-formed quintet, led by flutist Fiorella Camilleri, includes accordionist Giancarlo Palena, guitarist Karl Galea, double bassist Marco Agnetti and pianist Joe Debono. Diablo y Angel will also feature the bandoneon, a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and rarely performed in Malta. A duo from Moveo Dance Company is featuring in a choreographic work by Dorian Mallia, bringing together sensual tango with contemporary dance.Piazzolla was the foremost composer and ambassador of tango music, who carried the signature sound of Argentina to clubs and concert halls around the world. His music is so well-known that he is sought out by every kind of accomplished musician, from across different musical genres such as jazz, classical music, opera and rock and roll. The concert is held in collaboration with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and produced by Culture Venture. Diablo y Angel is being held at Robert Samut Hall in Floriana, today at 8pm. For tickets, log on to www.showshappening.com.

Mindfulness session for Atlas employees

October 24, 2019, 11:08 pm

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Atlas Group recently held an introductory session on mindfulness for its employees, as part of a month-long initiative in October during which mental health awareness is being promoted as part of the Atlas Wellness Programme. The topic was presented by Aksohbin Tracy, a qualified mindfulness trainer, who has been practising mindfulness techniques for 20 years and teaching for the past 15 years. Tracy explained that we often go through life in a reactive mode and as we get busier, this is increasingly the case. “Mindfulness allows us to live in a more creatively responsive way to life and less out of our habitual reactions. This results in added perspective and an increased ability to choose how we live,” he said.  “When going through a difficult period, be it stress or illness, we tend to close in on ourselves, and not see beyond the problem we are facing. Mindfulness, while not solving your problem, will help give a person perspective, and see the wider situation.” Tracy explained that international research has proven that mindfulness is effective in clinical situations, such as depression, living with chronic pain, stress and anxiety. It is also effective in non-clinical...

What happened on... October 25

October 24, 2019, 11:21 pm

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The front pages of Times of Malta from 50, 25 and 10 years ago.  Become a Times of Malta premium member to gain full access to our archive dating back to January 1930.

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Life’s a terrible thing – thank God

October 24, 2019, 11:34 pm

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TheatreUnder Milk WoodValletta Campus Theatre Seeing Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood performed at the Valletta Campus Theatre by a Welsh cast was a privilege and a pleasure. The University of Malta’s School of Performing Arts supported this project by amateur company Moonlight Theatre, directed by John Rhys Thomas, in a production which was as professional as they come. Thomas’s self-described “play for voices” is a masterful exploration of the humour and pathos of the ordinary, the uneventful and the provincial. [attach id=782799 size="medium" align="right" type="image"]First Voice James Aust - 'Too rough for fishing today' [/attach] His focus on the fictional village of Llareggub, where life drags itself sluggishly from night to day to night, in an endless cycle of ordinary, gossipy, perpetually-fixed humdrum pettiness uses character tropes of village dwellers – and their predictable characters. James Aust and Robert Orchard made for very good narrators as first and second voice respectively.  The harmonies the cast provided, led by Richard Carwardine as the play introduced the initial dream sequence, were immediately immersive and evoked the aura of rural, parochial calm that...

Bamboozled: 'Panda dog' cafe sparks China animal rights debate

October 24, 2019, 11:48 pm

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A pet cafe in China where dogs are dyed black and white to look like panda cubs has triggered a heated online debate over the treatment of animals. The Cute Pet Games cafe opened last month in Chengdu, capital of southwest Sichuan province which is home to China's famous giant pandas, and features six panda-like Chow Chow dogs, according to a video posted by Hongxing News on Tuesday. Customers were shown petting the fluffy "panda dogs." The cafe owner, only identified by his last name Huang, told Hongxing News that he had started offering pet dyeing services after the panda dogs became an instant hit with clients. "Every time we dye it costs 1,500 yuan ($211)," Huang said. "The dye itself is very expensive." He said it takes trained staff about a day to transform a fluffy Chow Chow dog into a "panda." The hashtag "Dye a dog into a panda for 1500 yuan" has gone viral with more than 170 million views on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform, and led to a torrent of angry comments from pet owners stressing the possible side effects of dyeing the animals' fur. "I suggest dyeing the cafe owner black and white," said one commentator. "Dogs and cats love their human companions,...

40 years ago today: a killer storm claims four lives

October 24, 2019, 11:49 pm

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An intense storm which ravaged Malta and Gozo 40 years ago on Friday left four people dead and caused mayhem. Monsoon-like rain on the afternoon of Thursday, October 25, 1979, turned streets into raging rivers, trapping people in floating cars and flooding scores of properties. Dramatic rescues were carried out by the police and the army, but the storm was a horror story for a number of families.In Misraħ Kola, Attard, a 55-year-old woman, Vivienne Huntingford, was trapped in the basement of her house by a sudden rush of water which quickly flooded it. Her husband desperately tried to rescue her, but there was nothing he could do. In Qormi, Anthony Galea, 64, was driving home with his wife and niece after visiting a relative at St Vincent de Paul Home. [attach id=782754 size="medium" align="left" type="image"]One of the victims is found.[/attach] A torrent of water flooded their car. They abandoned it, but were immediately carried away. The women were rescued but Mr Galea was missing for hours. His lifeless body was eventually found in a field in Mdina Road, Qormi. Another victim, Briton John Herbert Moore, 51, was found dead the next day at the Marsa sports ground having gone...

Japan police hunt stolen diamond worth $1.8 million

October 24, 2019, 11:51 pm

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Japanese police were on the hunt Friday for a stolen diamond worth more than $1.8 million after the pricey piece was discovered missing from a jewellery trade show outside Tokyo. "The diamond stolen on Thursday was valued at 200 million yen. We believe it was stolen from a display case," a police spokesman told AFP. The 50-carat loose diamond was on display at a three-day show in Yokohama city where companies from Japan, Russia, China and elsewhere are showcasing their sparkly wares. According to public broadcaster NHK, the theft was noticed by an employee who noticed the item was missing and realised that the display case was unlocked. The item, belonging to a Japanese firm, appeared to be the only piece taken from the show, which was not halted over the theft and wraps up Friday.

A new order of things?

October 25, 2019, 12:02 am

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In Western Europe, which after all is the cradle of the European Union, we had grown accustomed to looking at the US and the UK with a certain amount of awe. In certain respects they were seen as role models. There are historical reasons for that, such as the fact that the UK has an empire stretching from north to south and from east to west of the globe. The US is not any lower down in the scale of things. There is the awareness and the knowledge that without the support of the US, first Adolf Hitler and then Josip Stalin would have overrun Europe. After the war, Western European countries would not have been able to grow the economy without the support of the US. Today, both the UK and the US are viewed from a different perspective. This explains why I question whether we have a new order of things in the world. The UK is still uncertain as to how it is going to exit the EU, three years after it activated the Brexit process. Following the UK parliament’s assent to go to the second reading of the Bill related to the withdrawal agreement from the EU, Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost the vote on the timetable of the Parliamentary debate on the Bill, which will probably lead to...