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

PN reform chief Louis Galea in long meeting with Adrian Delia

February 8, 2020, 10:36 am
$
0
0

File photo: Louis Galea (left) with embattled PN leader Adrian Delia.

Nationalist Party reform chief Louis Galea on Saturday said he had met with party leader Adrian Delia at length to discuss the situation within the party. In a statement, the former minister and MP also moved to clarify that his recommendation that the party needed a “new leadership team” referred to key posts within the party. Dr Galea issued the public statement following reports by Labour media arm One that he had held meetings with party official Alex Perici Calascione, MP Karol Aquilina and former executive committee president Mark Anthony Sammut. The report described the three as being among a group plotting to have Adrian Delia removed as PN leader. In his statement, Dr Galea said he had met with Dr Delia “at length” to discuss the situation in the party. Mr Perici Calascione, Dr Aquilina and Mr Sammut had also wanted to discuss the present situation within the party and Dr Galea’s recommendation that the party executive should meet as soon as possible to “choose a new leadership team”.“I explained to them that in my recommendations I am only referring to the executive committee’s competence to elect five officials, as provided by the current statute. The executive...
↧
Search

Third for Tesla

February 8, 2020, 10:45 am
$
0
0

The Tesla Model 3 beat numerous mainstream models to become the third best-selling car in Europe in December. Figures released by industry analysts Jato show that there were 22,118 registrations of the all-electric hatchback, which was only beaten by the Volkswagen Golf (30,652) and Renault Clio (27,516). However, it beat mainstream models such as the Dacia Duster (20,933), Nissan Qashqai (19,726) and Volkswagen Polo (18,263). The American firm’s most affordable model made headlines in the UK last year when it became the third best-selling car in August, also marking the first time an EV had entered the top 10. This was driven by customers finally taking delivery of right-hand-drive models, with some having waited since March 2016, when reservations opened. Felipe Munoz, Jato’s global analyst, said: “As expected, Tesla continues to have an enormous impact on registrations at the end of each quarter and the Model 3 has put sedans back in the spotlight. The question is whether this trend is sustainable, or will electric SUVs hinder the popularity of Tesla Model 3 in the coming months?” Across the industry, December saw registrations leap 21 per cent compared with December 2018,...
↧
↧

Genge's late try gets England back on track against Scotland

February 8, 2020, 10:56 am
$
0
0

Ellis Genge's late try helped England return to winning Six Nations ways as they regained the Calcutta Cup with a hard-fought 13-6 win over Scotland at a rainswept Murrayfield on Saturday. With 10 minutes to go, the match was all square at 3-3 thanks to a penalty apiece before England replacement prop Ellis Genge was driven over for a try converted by Owen Farrell. England captain Farrell added a penalty before Scotland fly-half Adam Hastings kept the hosts in the hunt with his second of the match. But England closed the game out to secure victory after their defeat by South Africa in the World Cup final was followed by a 24-17 loss away to France in their Six Nations opener last weekend. By contrast, Scotland have now lost both of their first two matches of the championship with this loss following a 19-12 defeat by Ireland in Dublin. Scotland were again without fly-half Finn Russell. The gifted playmaker, a key figure in Scotland's 25-13 win over England at Murrayfield in 2018 and the inspiration behind their comeback from 31-0 down in a remarkable 38-38 draw at Twickenham last year, was once more left out by coach Gregor Townsend following a late-night drinking session that...
↧

Everton charge into European contention with Palace win

February 8, 2020, 10:59 am
$
0
0

Everton moved up to seventh and within five points of the Premier League top four as their resurgence under Carlo Ancelotti continued with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday. Bernard, Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the goals for the Toffees, who have won five and drawn two of eight league games since the Italian took charge in December. "Since I arrived the team did a fantastic job," Ancelotti told BT Sport. "Now we have a possibility to think about Europa League." At the other end of the table, Palace are looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone. Roy Hodgson's men still have a six-point lead over the bottom three, but have not won in eight games and just once in the league since early December. "I can't fault the players' effort, but it's another defeat and another we go home without points," said Hodgson. "We know what we have to do. When we moved the ball quickly we asked questions and were close to getting more than one goal." Bernard gave the hosts a deserved first half lead with a thumping finish from Theo Walcott's cross to the back post. However, Palace were gifted a route back into the game six minutes into the second half thanks to...
↧

Ireland win to end Welsh hopes of Grand Slam repeat

February 8, 2020, 11:05 am
$
0
0

Ireland kept their hopes alive of a second Six Nations Grand Slam in three years while ending Wales' hopes of a repeat with a deserved 24-14 win at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. The Irish outscored the Welsh by four tries to two -- gaining a bonus point in the process -- with South Africa-born No 8 CJ Stander producing a sublime man-of-the-match performance. Wales will rue missed chances, notably when Hadleigh Parkes failed to ground the ball over the try-line in the second-half, as their run of eight successive Six Nations wins came to an end. Ireland winger Jacob Stockdale said his team's "physicality had gone up to the next level". "In all fairness to Wales, they came and pushed us hard, it's great to get the win," he told ITV. "We know how good we can be when we're all over our carrying and our breakdown, and it just had to come throughout the game. Once we started to do that, then the tries started coming." Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones was left ruing "errors at crucial times". "There were a series of penalties we thought we should have got more from, but we didn't," Jones said. "Test rugby's about winning. You can have all the enterprise and all the beauty in the game you...
↧
↧

Pope Francis to visit Malta

February 8, 2020, 11:28 am
$
0
0

Pope Francis will be visiting Malta in the coming weeks, according to media reports. Newsbook said the visit will likely take place before summer. It will be the fourth papal visit in 30 years. St John Paul II visited Malta twice, in 1990 and in 2001, when he beatified Dun Ġorġ Preca, Sr Adeodata Pisani and Blessed Nazju Falzon.  His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, visited Malta in 2010.
↧

An epidemic of concerns

February 9, 2020, 2:46 am
$
0
0

As the coronavirus spreads outside China, investors fear for the worse. Photo: Anthony Wallace/AFP

Financial markets started off the year on the right foot but stumbled over the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China. Investors were faced with a different type of risk, which does not make headlines as often as political risk does. Analysts from major financial companies believe that this epidemic is not a threat to the market but only a short-term risk. Equity markets declined as the news that the number of infections increased hit the wire. Moreover, as cases that the virus is spreading outside China increased, investors feared for the worst. As a result, good quality assets, such as high-quality sovereign debt and precious metals, such as gold gained. Despite the spike in market volatility, economic analysts are confident that this is a short-term negative patch and that market sentiment should bounce back. The European stock market closed on a negative note as both the UK and Italy reported their first cases of coronavirus. The World Health Organisation declared a global emergency as more than 200 deaths were reported and nearly 10,000 contracted the virus by the end of January. However, the indices dropped in the following days as fears continued to persist. The pan-European...
↧

Rereading Malta’s history

February 9, 2020, 2:56 am
$
0
0

Victor Mallia-Milanes:Valletta. Malta’s Hospitaller City and Other Essays Midsea Books, Malta 2019. History involves much more than the careful search for information and its checking and rechecking. The historian also needs to interpret events and give them a possible narrative which puts them in a context and explains them. The unearthing of new facts and the resulting new interpretations means there can never be a definitive version, which makes the historian’s task never a static one and always subject to debate. Victor Mallia-Milanes has established a solid reputation as a scholar of Malta’s early modern history. His publications, both locally and abroad have earned him great respect, as has his long-standing position as professor of early modern history at the university. His latest publication, Valletta. Malta’s Hospitaller City and Other Essays, incidentally the twenty-ninth in Midsea Books’ excellent Maltese Social Studies series, brings together seven of his scholarly papers which deal with Valletta and the Order in a broader sense. Six of the papers had already been published before, with one having had to be drastically rewritten owing to the fact that it had been...
↧
Search

Thai mall shooting survivors tracked killer via CCTV

February 9, 2020, 3:02 am
$
0
0

In a fourth floor toilet of the Terminal 21 mall shoppers jammed cubicle doors against the entrance to keep out a Thai soldier on a shooting spree, tracing his movements through fragments of CCTV passed on by friends on the outside. Barricaded in the women's toilet with a few dozen others, Chanathip Somsakul, a 33-year-old music teacher, and his wife poured through social media and made frantic calls to friends and family - police officers, mall workers, nurses. Their daughter Chopin sat watchfully on a ledge, a three-year-old bystander to a mass killing without precedent in Thailand. [attach id=833884 type="video"][/attach] Nakhon Ratchasima, a mid-size Thai city entwined like much of the northeastern Isaan region by tight family connections and social media networks, quickly began to rally to its own trapped inside. "A friend who works at the mall was talking to a guy in the CCTV control room... he gave us updates on the location of the gunman," Chanathip told AFP on Sunday. Those details shared over messaging apps may have saved the lives of Chanathip, his family and the 20-30 others inside. But in the swirl of competing information, dread gripped those hidden inside...
↧
↧

Man dies in fall while fishing in Imtaħleb

February 9, 2020, 3:39 am
$
0
0

A 29-year-old man from San Ġwann died on Sunday when he fell from the cliffs while fishing in Għar id-Dwieb, Imtaħleb, in the limits of Rabat. An Armed Forces of Malta patrol boat was sent to search for the man and he was hoisted to Dingli by helicopter when found. He was given first aid but was certified dead on site by the emergency doctor. The police, the AFM, the Civil Protection Department and a medical team from Mater Dei Hospital were involved in the operation. An inquiry is being held. The police are investigating.
↧

St Paul and the Viper – a sketch, an altar painting, and an engraving

February 9, 2020, 3:44 am
$
0
0

A painting depicting the tempest as narrated in Acts of the Apostles 27: 13-44. Photo: Wallpaper.com

On the occasion of the feast of the shipwreck of the Apostle St Paul on the shores   of Malta in AD60, which the Catholic Church in Malta is celebrating tomorrow. [attach id=833197 size="medium" align="right" type="image"]St Paul and the Viper by Benjamin West – the altarpiece in the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul, in the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich, UK. Courtesy of Deborah Robson, chapel manager.[/attach] Among the art treasures in the Tate, in London, there is a painting in oil, on canvas, measuring 1,295mm by 724mm, depicting St Paul shaking off a viper from his right hand, surrounded by several people around a fire, soon after they were shipwrecked on the shores of the island of Malta [Acts of the Apostles, 28: 5]. Originally, this was a sketch for a much larger painting, to be placed on the main altar of the chapel in the original hospital for retired Royal Navy sailors, in Greenwich, England. Both paintings were executed by the American painter Benjamin West. An etching reproducing this painting was made by Italian Francesco Bartolozzi. West was born on October 10, 1738, in Pennsylvania, the US. He studied painting in Philadelphia in 1756, and in 1760 sailed for...
↧

Don’t go breaking your hearts, ladies

February 9, 2020, 3:56 am
$
0
0

Coronary disease claims men and women in equal numbers. Photo: Shutterstock.com

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women worldwide. Clogging of the arteries occurs as a result of smoking, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and diabetes. Genetics also play an important role. Obesity, leading a sedentary lifestyle and stress are important risk factors for the development of the disease. Narrowing of the coronary arteries may eventually cause heart attacks, when there is complete occlusion of the artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. It can also eventually lead to heart failure, when the muscle of the heart is so damaged that the heart cannot keep up with its pumping function. We have come a long way since the days when a woman’s worry over heart disease centred exclusively on its threat to the men in her life. We now know it is not just a man’s problem. Every year, coronary heart disease, the single biggest cause of death in the United States, claims women and men in nearly equal numbers. Many may be surprised to learn that women die more of heart disease than of breast cancer. It is actually more deadly than all forms of cancer combined. While breast cancer causes one in 31 American women to die each year,...
↧

Time for decisions. Toe the party line or leave - Adrian Delia

February 9, 2020, 4:15 am
$
0
0

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

In a highly-charged speech on Sunday, Opposition leader Adrian Delia delivered a sound warning to his critics saying that whoever was not willing to work with him had no place in the party. Addressing a political activity in a jam-packed hall at the Mellieħa club, the embattled Nationalist leader said the time for talks was over. “We must declare our loyalty to the Nationalist Party, yes or no. I want to be one of the 17 [the number of parliamentary group members who called on him to consider his position], yes or no. I want to be loyal to our emblem, yes or no. I want to be loyal to the country, yes or no.” “Who says yes, let's start working from tomorrow. Who says no, we will still remain here,” Dr Delia said. The activity was held despite objections raised by the Mellieħa committee. In a letter to the leadership, the committee said it was not the right time to hold  such an event. Nonetheless, Dr Delia forged ahead turning the Sunday morning sermon into a show of force. Dr Delia dedicated most of his speech to the recent developments which resulted in a majority of the parliamentary group asking him to consider his position in the wake of a recent survey which showed that...
↧
↧

Daimler shares: best or nothing?

February 9, 2020, 4:16 am
$
0
0

Old reliable? Not quite, but Daimler will have to learn some new tricks to keep up with the car industry’s new directions. Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images/AFP

To admit it immediately: I am a Daimler Benz victim twice over. I have driven an M-class SUV for quite a few, desperate years and suffered with the car a series of unbelievable faults and ailments, as my wife had with an A-series Mercedes Benz. Her complaints – mysteriously opening doors and windows even when the car was parked – and multiple faults with the ‘semi-automatic’ clutch were trifle though. My car had come with a ‘louvered’ sunroof which started to leak early on to still flood my car with every rainfall a dozen repairs later, for which I was even charged once the warranty had expired. I had to fix the leaks with duct tape eventually, incapacitating the roof forever. The lift of the rear seats broke so many times that I thought it wise to access the auxiliary seats in the back through the boot of the car. The electrical engine of the passenger seat was faulty as soon as it came from repair, making it impossible to move any of the seat components most of the time. The engine block was originally delivered with a crack, spraying a mist of oil over the hot parts of the engine until the car and its passengers disappeared under a cloud of dense smoke. And the windscreen...
↧

Sunrise

February 9, 2020, 4:32 am
$
0
0

Rebecca Camilleri in Sunrise

Sunrise is a tender-hearted and uproariously funny play about crying in the woods, sexual accidents, Harry Potter conventions and Instagram espionage – as well as motherhood and trying to get stuff done. This hilarious and heart-warming one-woman comedy promises an evening of entertainment with a number of different characters who will undoubtedly strike a chord with the audience. It is written by Harry Potter actress Jessie Cave and is being staged by FM Theatre Productions. Directed by Chiara Hyzler, the show will star Rebecca Camilleri and will be performed inside the intimate setting of The Splendid in Valletta. Bookings by e-mail on fmtbooking@gmail.com or by calling the ticket hotline on 9904 8169.
↧
Search

Delia opponents mull vote of confidence amid defiance

February 9, 2020, 6:40 am
$
0
0

Adrian Delia was yesterday urged by the PN’s Mellieħa regional committee not to hold a political gathering at its club this morning. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Nationalist MPs backed out of calling on the President to strip Adrian Delia of the leadership of the Opposition, and are now banking on a possible vote of confidence expected to be discussed by the party executive on Tuesday. Dr Delia continued to strike a defiant tone on Sunday as pressure mounted from several within his own party to step down. At a political activity in Mellieħa, he said there was no place in the PN for those who did not want to work with him.  A letter sent to Dr Delia by the PN’s Mellieħa regional committee had called on him not to hold a political gathering at its club. But shortly after Times of Malta reported the development, an SMS started circulating urging supporters to attend the activity.    On Thursday, 17 members of the party’s 30-strong parliamentary group endorsed an unsigned statement calling for a leadership change.  According to the Constitution, the Opposition leader’s post must be revoked by the President when he “has ceased to command the support of the largest single group of members in opposition to the government”.  Sources within the PN told Times of Malta that while 17 members of the parliamentary group had signed the anonymous...
↧

X Factor judge pays homage to murdered women

February 9, 2020, 6:59 am
$
0
0

Christine, Irena, Karen, Yvette, Margaret, Meryem, Silvana, Caroline, Eleanor, Maria, Antonia, Shannon, Lourdes, Marija Lourdes, Angele and Chantelle. [attach id=833920 size="medium" align="left" type="image"]Photo: Xara Palace[/attach] These are the names of women who were murdered in the past 10 years and whom X Factor judge Alexandra Alden remembered on the final show watched by tens of thousands on Saturday night. Each victim’s name was individually strung on Ms Alden’s gown with a red bow, paying homage “to all the potential that was robbed with every victim that we lost to domestic violence”.  Ms Alden was one of four judges of the TV talent show that came to an end this weekend, seeing off Destiny Chukunyere as Malta’s participant in this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Together with couturier Luke Azzopardi, Ms Alden chose to make her last gown about all the women “lost to this horrible reality”. It has been a week since the murder of Chantelle Chetcuti, who was stabbed at least five times in the head and neck. The 34-year-old mother-of-two had refused to stay in an unhealthy relationship, according to her family.  Her murder has seen increased calls for an end to...
↧
↧

Britain, Ireland hit as Storm Ciara whips over northwest Europe

February 9, 2020, 7:09 am
$
0
0

Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse on the south coast of England as Storm Ciara swept over the country. Photo: Glyn Kirk/AFP.

Britain and Ireland were lashed by howling winds and inundated with driving rain Sunday as Storm Ciara left homes without power, wiped out sports events and disrupted travel around northwestern Europe. The bad weather also hit France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany throughout Sunday, causing scores of flights to be cancelled. In Britain, more than 30,000 homes were left without power, largely in eastern England. The highest wind speed recorded was 93 miles (150 kilometres) per hour at Aberdaron, on the tip of northwest Wales's Llyn peninsula. At Wet Sleddale Reservoir in northwest England's Lake District national park, 151.8 millimetres of rain fell in a 24-hour period. Rail companies urged passengers not to travel and operated reduced timetables and speed restrictions. In the central Scottish city of Perth, three people were injured after part of a pub roof collapsed on Saturday. Sports events were also hit. The English Premier League fixture between champions Manchester City and strugglers West Ham was called off due to "extreme and escalating weather conditions", City said in a statement. The entire Women's Super League football programme was called off,...
↧

The story of Malta University Drawing School (1800-1925)

February 9, 2020, 7:12 am
$
0
0

The neoclassical rear entrance of the Old University Building in St Paul’s Street, Valletta, which was opened in 1824. It consists of an archway with two Doric columns supporting a lintel bearing a Greek inscription meaning “learning is the gateway to distinction”, above which is a sculpture of the UK royal coat of arms.

When Malta became a British Protectorate, the Consiglio Popolare Maltese elected Rear-Admiral Alexander Ball (1757-1809) as Civil Commissioner (1799-1801) to oversee the administration and to restore all the institutions that were in abeyance during the French blockade. Education was one of the first items on the British agenda. Ball set in motion the process to establish an academic body called the ‘Malta University of Literature’ to address the educational needs of the Maltese population. Canon Francesco Saverio Caruana, one of the major Maltese players in the new political landscape and possibly the shrewdest, hoped to milk his connection with Ball to attain the prestigious and influential position he coveted, that of Bishop of Malta. However, Ball had other plans for Caruana and instead he was appointed Rector of the Malta University of Literature on October 26, 1800, which entitled him to an annual remuneration of 400 Maltese scudi. The Collegio (Old University Building, Valletta), originally run by the Jesuits and later by the Knights, was chosen to house the Malta University of Literature. [attach id=833206 size="medium" align="right" type="image"]Letterhead template of...
↧

Here’s a tuna worth netting

February 9, 2020, 7:31 am
$
0
0

Warm thine extremities with a rich mushroom and leak broth

La Nave Bistro at Malta National AquariumTriq it-TrunċieraQawra SPB1010, MaltaTel: 2258 8100 Food: 7/10Service: 7/10Ambience: 8/10Value: 6/10Overall: 7/10 Ever since I was a youngster, the promenade between Qawra and Buġibba has held a special significance. The site where La Nave Bistro and the Malta National Aquarium stands today was – for many a summer season – the premiere night-time destination for my cousins and I. Why? For the bumping cars, of course! For back in those heady days, this bare stretch of coast was home to little more than a few fairground rides. And it’s central attraction? Yes, it was that timeless mainstay of a misspent youth: the Dodgem Pavilion. Countless kids would plunge their hard-earned coinage into a dubious-looking electric buggy ringed with rubber bumpers. They would then try to smash any nearby competitors into oblivion with said vehicular weapon. Talk about a lawsuit in waiting. We’d stand and watch the ‘race track’ for hours, clutching our requisite red plastic token in sweaty hand. This doubloon was received in exchange for a shiny Maltese Lira coin (Lm1) (yes: this was a while back). And the reason for our hesitation? Well, we had to pluck up...
↧
Viewing all 84484 articles
Browse latest View live
Search
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>