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Film captures emotions, effects of China’s one-child policy

December 13, 2019, 10:44 pm
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The pain imposed by China’s one-child policy is explored in Wang Xiaoshuai’s So Long, My Son.

Spazju Kreattiv is showing the latest film by Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuai, who returns to the big screen with an epic melodrama that explores the consequences across three decades of China’s one-time one-child policy, which lasted from 1979-2013. Xiaoshuai’s So Long, My Son (Di jiu tian chang) is an impressively structured time-hopping saga just over three hours long, which charts a complex if cumbersome emotional history of the country’s population-planning programme. The film traces the lives of two families over three decades of social, political and human upheaval in China. Following the loss of a child in a tragic accident, their paths separate. Destinies ebb and flow, and fortunes are transformed under the impact of a country’s changing face. Yet even as their lives diverge, a common search for truth and reconciliation around the tragedy remains. So Long, My Son is being screened at the Spazju Kreattiv cinema today at 4.30pm. The film will be screened again on other dates and times in the coming weeks. For more information and tickets, visit at www.kreattivita.org.
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Christmas cabaret 

December 13, 2019, 10:51 pm
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The San Pio X band club in Lija is today presenting the annual Christmas cabaret under the direction of Reno Busuttil at Villa Lija at 8pm. The public is invited to attend.
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Gale-force winds expected throughout Saturday

December 13, 2019, 10:56 pm
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Expect very strong winds with the odd rain shower on Saturday. Photo: Shutterstock

Gale-force winds will blow from Malta’s west and northwest throughout Saturday and into Sunday morning, meteorologists have warned. The weather station at Malta International Airport issued a strong wind warning as its experts predicted winds to rise to up to force 8 on the Beufort Scale. Force 8 winds blow at speeds ranging from 62 to 74 kilometres per hour.  Police warned motorists to proceed with caution as they had received reports of trees falling due to the bad weather.  Strong winds on Saturday morning forced Gozo Channel to reroute its Malta-Gozo ferries around Comino. The company warned commuters to expect delays.  Virtu Ferries is also not operating its Malta-Sicily catamaran on Saturday, with the company having cancelled the trip on Friday in anticipation of unfavourable weather conditions. Extra trips are scheduled for Sunday to compensate. The fresh and fast winds will be accompanied by the odd rain shower on Saturday, with temperatures remaining below the 20 degrees Celsius mark. Weather conditions are expected to moderate by Sunday morning, with winds gradually calming to force 3 or 4.  [attach id=808138 size="large" align="left" type="image"]Strong winds made...
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Research picks up pace as journal goes biannual

December 13, 2019, 11:09 pm
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The Mcast Journal of Applied Research and Practice has gone biannual, with Volume 3, Issue 2 of 2019 being released this week. An electronic copy of the new journal issue can be downloaded from https://moodle.mcast.edu.mt/course/view.php?id=3647 and a hard copy can be collected from the Mcast main library at the Kordin main campus. This significant increase in applied research at Mcast follows a number of correlated initiatives, primarily the launching of a research framework in 2019 that allows all Mcast academics the possibility to take on research, and the increasingly popular post-graduate certificate in research methods, that is important CPD material for these academics. [attach id=807997 size="medium" align="right" type="image"][/attach] The aim of the Mcast Journal of Applied Research and Practice is to serve as a platform for showcasing vocational and applied research that is carried out by the researchers and professionals working within Mcast and its collaborative partners. The nature of the research and innovative practice that is published is varied in nature to reflect the various aspects of vocational specialisation that Mcast focuses on. The journal is aimed at...
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What happened on... December 14

December 13, 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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Young driver of the year: Jonathan Hoggard

December 13, 2019, 11:29 pm
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Aston Martin Lagonda announced Johnathan Hoggard as the 2019 Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award winner. The 19-year-old Briton, from Spalding in Lincolnshire, was awarded the most prestigious honour in junior motorsport during the gala Autosport Awards ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, on London’s Park Lane. Hoggard, who finished runner-up in the 2019 BRDC British F3 Championship with seven victories, earns a full test in an Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit, as well as a run in the Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE FIA World Endurance Championship challenger. He also received a cheque for £200,000 presented to him by Aston Martin Lagonda President and Group CEO, Dr Andy Palmer, a full membership to the BRDC and an Arai crash helmet. Hoggard joins a star-studded list of former winners that includes 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button, three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti, and several Le Mans 24 Hours class winners including Aston Martin’s Darren Turner. The roll of honour also includes current Formula 1 drivers George Russell and Lando Norris. [attach id=806917 size="medium"...
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Foreign media is not on a mission to attack Malta - Sant

December 13, 2019, 11:50 pm
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Alfred Sant. Photo: Jason Borg

Former Labour leader and prime minister Alfred Sant has pushed back against suggestions that the international media is intentionally out to ruin Malta’s reputation. Many of the foreign journalists lured to Malta over the past weeks were closer to people who “had every interest to paint everything black”, Dr Sant wrote on Facebook. That did not however mean that these journalists were "part of a systematic attack on our country,” he said. Dr Sant noted that journalists were by nature attracted to more unusual events “and we cannot deny that we’ve had many unusual developments in our country”. The former Labour leader and current MEP also suggested that the government had to shoulder some blame for the way in which Malta's reputation had been hammered. “We left the agenda wide open,” he wrote, “when a journalist’s murder was also involved – something that is bound to be of great interest to journalists”. Malta has made global headlines over the past month following fallout from the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation. Reports have centred on the crime itself, political connections to it and growing international concerns about the robustness of Malta's governance...
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Clasico leaves Real Madrid and Barca vulnerable to distractions

December 14, 2019, 12:00 am
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Lionel Messi (centre) and Real Madrid's Raphael Varane shake hands after the last El Clasico fixture.

Barcelona and Real Madrid could be playing to be first in La Liga over the Christmas break on Wednesday but both are at risk of pre-Clasico defeats if their focus wavers this weekend.  There are few tougher fixtures in the league than Barca's away at free-flowing fourth-placed Real Sociedad on Saturday or Madrid's trip on Sunday to a revived Valencia, who have won three games on the bounce and beat Ajax in Amsterdam to win their group in the Champions League.  Already qualified in Europe, Barcelona and Real Madrid had the luxury of rotating key players in midweek but as the emphasis shifts towards their crunch meeting at Camp Nou, the danger is that they underestimate the tasks in front of them.  Both have hit their stride in recent weeks, pulling away from the chasing pack while leaving behind early-season bumps that had placed the futures of their coaches in doubt.  Barcelona have won 13 of their last 15 games and seven out of their last seven, a run that has coincided with the return to form and fitness of Lionel Messi, who has 14 goals and two hat-tricks in his last 11 matches.  Madrid, meanwhile, have won nine out of their last 12, If their own surge has been slightly less...
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Working for the present but with an eye on the future

December 14, 2019, 12:02 am
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The life cycle hypothesis has gained in importance in the past two decades in light of an ageing population and its potential implications on social security benefits and the impact from a macroeconomic perspective. There were times when providing for the future beyond retirement was not on top of the agenda. This occurred primarily due to a different culture and different microeconomic circumstances. As years went by, the working population when compared to the retired population started shrinking as life expectancy rose, cost of living increased and the period of financial dependency of the younger generation on their parents was extended. Undoubtedly, the increase in the cost of living was exacerbated by the sharp increase in property prices. This made it very difficult for anyone to be able to buy property without resorting to loan financing. In turn, the latter decreased the level of disposable income and made it more improbable for the younger population to think about and be able to save for retirement. As a matter of fact, in this day and age, a considerable portion of the current working population is solely dependent on the Pillar I pension (State pension) as the main...
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NFL clubs hope to clinch berths as playoff intrigue heats up

December 14, 2019, 12:30 am
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The Dallas Cowboys are currently tied in first place of the National League East table.

There is less than a month to go until the NFL playoffs and nobody is safe, including the Dallas Cowboys who are desperately trying to hold onto first place in the NFC East. There aren't a lot of exciting matchups in week 15 but there's still plenty of intrigue and lots to play for especially if your looking to clinch a division title or a playoff berth. The Cowboys badly need a win over the Los Angeles Rams if they are going to maintain top spot and keep up to the Philadelphia Eagles, who they visit next week in a possible winner-take-all contest. Dallas is 2-4 since week nine but they still lead the division with a 6-7 record. The Eagles have the same record but Dallas holds the tiebreaker after beating Philadelphia earlier in the season. "This has been a streaky team and yes, you got to get that first one to get the second one," said Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott. "That's just the mindset. Let's focus on today. Let's focus on the now." The Rams can't afford another loss either as they are knocking on the door of a wild card spot after winning two straight including a 28-12 victory over Seattle in their last game. Los Angeles quarterback Jared Goff knowns his team has...
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Crime, not business, brought Malta to this state - Malta Chamber

December 14, 2019, 12:38 am
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People walk down Republic Street in Valletta. The Malta Chamber fears business owners will be suffering effects of the current situation 'for years to come'. Photo: Shutterstock

People in positions of power had committed crimes while under the guise of “being pro-business” and in so doing caused immeasurable damage to Malta’s commercial community, the Malta Chamber has said. “It was crime not business that led the country to its present predicament,” the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry said in a statement on Saturday. “The business community and its employees will however bear the huge cost of abusive behaviour of some in the years to come”.   "It is truly appalling that those in positions of power abuse of their authority to promote, facilitate and conspire in criminal activity, and do so under the guise of being pro-business," the Chamber said.  It said it was heartened by President George Vella’s Republic Day address, in which he slammed the “gang of people” who had shamed Malta’s reputation and called for all those who had done wrong to be brought to justice. The Chamber offered its full support to reforms to restore good governance, accountability and the rule of law to the country and said it would be meeting with president Vella to express concern about the situation and “attempts to delay or obstruct justice, mitigate...
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Christmas looms, but Bayern vow "no more gifts" in title race

December 14, 2019, 1:00 am
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Bayern Munich's David Alaba sprints with ball against Borussia M'Gladbach.

The festive season is looming, but Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich insists the defending champions must not give away any more points in the Bundesliga title race. Back-to-back defeats at home to Leverkusen and last Saturday at leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach leave Bayern seventh in the German league table. "We have nothing more to give away," insisted Kimmich after Bayern won their first match in their last three with a 3-1 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday. That made them the first German club to win all six group games in a Champions League season. Bayern trail Gladbach by seven points ahead of Saturday's home match against Werder Bremen. However, at exactly the same stage of last season they were nine points behind Dortmund, but gradually eroded the gap to win a seventh straight league title by two points in May.  After squandering numerous chances in their recent league defeats, interim coach Hansi Flick said the win over Jose Mourinho's Spurs was a "sign that we could turn our chances into a win". There was good news on Thursday when examination showed the knee injury Kingsley Coman picked up against Spurs was not as bad as expected. Even so, Bayern have not...
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Stormbringer G.R. and Barrio Josselyn win class Premier races

December 14, 2019, 1:02 am
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Barrio Josselyn (no. 13) won the second race in class Premier. Photo: Mike Orland

Stormbringer G.R. and Barrio Josselyn won yesterday’s major events at the Marsa Racetrack. These were two class Premier races on a mile distance and formed part of the 60th meeting of the season made up of ten races all for trotters. Twelve trotters lined up in the first class Premier race. Norwegian Stormbringer G.R. (Rodney Gatt) led all the way during the mile distance of the first class Premier race and sealed its ninth win of the year after sustaining the challenge of Tack Wee (Julian Farrugia) in the final straight. Avrik De Guez (Jean Pierre Farrugia) and Jaguar Broline (Patrick Spiteri) ended respectively in third and fourth place. Once agin Stormbringer G.R. confirmed that it is one of the most consistent trotters of the 2019 season. In the second class Premier race there was a keen tussle between the early leader, Until Oaks (Owen Borg) and Barrio Josselyn (Anton Cassar) which sprinted well in the final straight. It was the latter which gained its first win in Malta with Zonguldak (Charles Camilleri) and Vitinou (David Attard) also obtaining a good place. Another meeting at the Marsa Racetrack will be held tomorrow and will include five finals for French trotters. The...
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Herrera, Attard Pulis win House of Sport 10k Road Race

December 14, 2019, 1:04 am
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Mark Herrera won the last House of Sport 10K race for 2019.

The Valletta House of Sport 10k Race is known to be one of the toughest races on the Maltese road running calendar. The race being the last one for the House of Sport 10k Series for the year, always draws a large crowd. A group of runners who look forward to the challenging hills that dot the route.   Mark Herrera (Pembroke Athleta) and Josann Attard Pulis (Starmax) were the stars of the show, dominating their respective categories in the crisp early hours of Sunday morning.  Herrera took the lead from the very start but had to contend with competition from Norbert Philippe Verbrigghe (EC Malta) and Matthew Scicluna  (Pembroke Athleta). Herrera crossed the finish line 26 seconds ahead of Verbrigghe, whilst only three seconds separated the latter from third-placed Scicluna. Meanwhile Attard Pulis took the lead over the females and kept a consistent and comfortable advantage over second placed Vykinte Budryte (Neko Runners). In third place was Jolene Debattista (Gozo Athletix). Trophies and Prizes were presented to the winners at the end of the race by race director Charlie Demanuele who expressed his satisfaction on the outcome of the race and thanked all the involved...
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Gymstars gymnasts shine in Serbia tournament

December 14, 2019, 1:09 am
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The Gymstars contingent poses with their medals and trophies in Serbia.

Gymstars Gymnastics Club gained an impressive result at the 10th jubilee edition of the MAG and WAG International Memorial Competition “Laza Krstić and Marica Dželatović” in Novi Sad, Serbia. The tournament, which was held last weekend, attracted the participation of national teams and clubs from Bulgaria, Serbia, South Africa, Dubai, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany and Poland. The Gymstars selection was formed by Philippa Busuttil, Lyana Curmi Inguanez and Faith Cassar who competed in the Category I where a total of 46 gymnasts took part. Pre-Juniors Rihanna Sullivan, Tara Vella Clark and Elena Bondin were in action in Category II with a total of 31 gymnasts, while junior Ella Borg competed in Category III with a total of 22 gymnasts. Senior gymnast Leah Barber was in action in Category IV where a total of 21 gymnasts were registered. Philippa Busuttil finished 1st overall and qualified for the finals for Vault, Bars, Beam and Floor. Here, she managed to place third in the Floor and took the gold medal in Bars. Lyana Curmi Inguanez finished 19th overall and got into the floor final while Faith Cassar placed 28th overall. Tara Vella Clark placed second overall and reached the final...
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Christmas market at Munxar

December 14, 2019, 1:15 am
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La Magia di Natale, being held in Munxar  tomorrow at 6pm, will host a wide range of stalls selling seasonal gifts, decorations, local products, homemade goodies, mulled wine, hot drinks as well as activities  live choirs and much more. Santa will also be there to take photos with the children and deliver gifts.
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Mercedes-Benz bids farewell to SLC

December 14, 2019, 1:20 am
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Mercedes-Benz has announced pricing for its SLC Final Edition – announcing the last model to arrive before the two-seater’s production finishes next year. On sale now with first deliveries expected in spring 2020, the Final Edition SLC boasts a comprehensive specification.  [attach id=806956 size="medium" align="left" type="image"][/attach] Three petrol engines are available – 200 and 300 – with both using the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, albeit with different power outputs. The former pushes out 181bhp, with the latter producing 242bhp. A range-topping ‘43’ AMG is the most powerful engine available, with the 3.0-litre biturbo V6 producing 385bhp. It’s enough to push the SLC from 0-60mph (0-97km/h)in just 4.5 seconds and onwards to a top speed of 155mph (250km/h).  All but the base-specification SLC 200 get a nine-speed automatic transmission, with the entry-level car using a six-speed manual gearbox instead. [attach id=806953 size="medium" align="right" type="image"][/attach] Two grades are available – Final Edition or Final Edition Premium – and even the entry specification gets 18-inch alloy wheels, heated seats and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone...
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Esports festival suspended following wind damage to MFCC

December 14, 2019, 1:43 am
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Photo: Shutterstock

An international esports gaming festival due to be held this weekend was suspended on Saturday due to weather damage at its Ta' Qali venue. Organisers of the Malta Esports Festival took the decision after strong winds broke down some doors at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre in Ta’ Qali. North-westerly winds reaching gale force speeds are expected to blow across the island throughout Saturday and into the early hours of Sunday.  Around 300 foreign gamers were expecting to participate in the second day of the three-day Malta Esports Festival, currently in its seventh edition. Players attending the event are normally aged between 18 and 20 years old. Esports - competitive video gaming - is one of the world's fastest growing industries.  Andre Mizzi, who serves as a director at organisers GMR Entertainment, said they had called off the event after getting word of the damage.  Although doors were broken, the tent structure was undamaged and the equipment inside is still in place. Mr Mizzi said that MFCC had already expressed concerns about the worsening weather on Friday and had urged the organisers and players to wrap up the first day of the festival earlier than...
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Police, protesters trade accusations over Republic Day permit claims

December 14, 2019, 2:00 am
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Protesters behind barricades in Valletta on Friday as police keep a watchful eye. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Updated 11.19am Civil society organisers who spearheaded a Republic Day protest in Valletta did not apply for a permit to do so, the police said on Saturday, in claims organisers dismissed as "lies".  The police said that while civil society groups had always applied for permits before planned protests, they had not done so on this occasion, despite both sides having met on Wednesday to discuss the Republic Day plans. Friday’s protest was organised by civil society groups Occupy Justice and Repubblika as well as blogger Manuel Delia.  'Disinformation' In separate Facebook posts, Repubblika and Occupy Justice said the police and police minister Michael Farrugia - who also said organisers did not have a permit - were out to intentionally mislead.  Organisers said that nothing in the law prohibited people from booing or holding placards as they attended Republic Day events, which were presumably covered by a permit.    They had raised this point when they met with the police on Wednesday and no objections were raised then.  "We do not think we have broken any laws," the organisers said, adding that the police commissioner was free to charge organisers with a crime or else stop...
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'I want to overcome crisis in first 100 days,' Chris Fearne unveils priorities

December 14, 2019, 2:01 am
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Chris Fearne speaking on Saturday.

Chris Fearne said on Saturday he would seek to overcome the current political crisis facing the country within his first 100 days as prime minister.  Addressing a press conference on Saturday morning, Mr Fearne unveiled his 10 priorities for the country if he were to take over at the helm of the current Labour administration.  Mr Fearne, who currently serves as deputy prime minister, is one of two men contesting the party leadership. The other is Labour MP Robert Abela.  Priority to the rule of law His first priority, Mr Fearne said, would be the current rule of law and governance crisis, which he described as having caused “anger and disappointment” among the Maltese people.  Mr Fearne said he would be calling a national rule of law conference that would include the government, opposition, political parties, State institutions, and civil society.  The conference, which would take as long as needed, would discuss reforms to the way the police commissioner, attorney general, and members of the judiciary are appointed.  'Not led by business' The next priority was to “continue on the successes” achieved by the Labour government. Mr Fearne said his prospective government would be...
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