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‘I’m the child of a victim... and of a murderer’

February 10, 2020, 9:52 am
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Femicide victim Eleanor Mangion Walker’s 12-year-old daughter in front of the princess painting her mother painted for her.

Children of femicide victims, especially those whose mothers were murdered by their fathers, need more support after the brutal experience that robs them of both parents and catapults them into a world of grief and instability, experts and relatives of the victims have said. “The reality is that, in such circumstances, these children lose both parents as one is dead and the other jailed,” says 67-year-old Josephine Walker who is raising her granddaughter – the child of her daughter Eleanor Mangion Walker who was murdered on July 2, 2016. Apart from the grief and trauma, this often creates financial problems that result in further changes in their lives – such as no longer attending the same school or extracurricular activities, she said.  Ms Mangion Walker’s estranged husband, Andrew Mangion, is pleading not guilty to the femicide believed to have taken place in a Swieqi garage. The 33-year-old mother’s body was discovered wrapped in a plastic bag and hidden under wooden pallets in an Qormi warehouse. She sustained blows to the head. Mr Mangion had given himself up to authorities following a two-day manhunt.  Last week’s murder of mother-of-two Chantelle Chetcuti – who was...
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NHL-union talks could decide on going to Beijing Olympics

February 10, 2020, 10:00 am
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Russia's Alex Ovechkin celebrates after scoring with the Washington Capitals in the NHL.

The National Hockey League and its Players Association will resume negotiations Tuesday on a new collective bargaining agreement, with NHL talent competing at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics likely at stake. The talks in Toronto will be the first formal session since September, when the league and union each agreed to waive the right to reopen talks after this season, keeping their current deal in place through the 2021-22 campaign. NHL and union representatives met with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Ice Hockey Federation in New York on Wednesday to discuss participating at Beijing. The league did not shut down and allow its players to compete during the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games where the Olympic Athletes from Russia capture gold. NHL talent had taken part in five consecutive Winter Olympics starting at Nagano in 1998. Russian star Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals had vowed to play for Russia in Pyeongchang but eventually stayed home and led the Capitals to the Stanley Cup title in 2018. The IOC had paid for travel, insurance and lodging for NHL players but refused to do so in 2018 and an ice hockey federation move to pay $20...
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Alli sorry as FA probe Spurs star's coronavirus post

February 10, 2020, 10:19 am
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Dele Alli

Dele Alli has apologised for posting a social media video which has prompted a Football Association probe after the Tottenham star appeared to joke about the coronavirus. Alli's Snapchat video showed him wearing a face mask in an airport departure lounge with the message 'Corona whattt, please listen with volume'. The 23-year-old moved the camera towards an Asian man before showing a bottle of antiseptic hand wash captioned 'This virus gunna have to be quicker than that to catch me'. The video, apparently taken while Alli was on holiday during the Premier League's current winter break, was subsequently deleted after several complaints were made. With the coronavirus having claimed the lives of over 900 people in mainland China, the FA are reported to have written to Alli to ask him to explain his post. The England midfielder could face a ban or fine and he tried to limit the damage by apologising in a video on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. "Hi guys, it's Dele; I just wanted to apologise on my behalf for the video I posted on Snapchat yesterday," he said. "It wasn't funny and I realised that immediately and took it down. I let myself down and the club. "I don't want...
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Vauxhall Combo Cargo 4×4 revealed as a go-anywhere van

February 10, 2020, 11:00 am
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Vauxhall has introduced the Combo Cargo 4×4 to its commercial vehicle line-up in a bid to offer a van capable of taking on any terrain. Developed in conjunction with French off-road specialist firm Dangel, the light-commercial vehicle (LCV) is said to be the only one of its kind within the segment. Along with the introduction of the four-wheel-drive system, alterations have been made to both the steering and suspension systems to suit the drivetrain. Ground clearance has also been raised by 90mm, while underbody protection has been added to save mechanical components from the perils of rougher terrain. Two driving modes can be selected on the Combo Cargo 4×4, namely Eco 2WD and Auto 4WD. In its former setting, the van becomes a front-wheel-drive vehicle in a bid to reduce fuel consumption, emissions and tyre wear when the vehicle is used on smoother roads, while the latter sends power to both axles as and when necessary. It’s even possible to lock the rear differential with a driver-selectable ‘R’ mode for improved grip in particularly sticky situations. A limited-slip differential can be optioned too. Through an optional 4×4 Plus package, the Combo Cargo 4×4’s height is raised...
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From Singapore to the UK via the Alps: how one man spread coronavirus

February 10, 2020, 11:07 am
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The mountain lodge where five British nationals who tested positive for the new coronavirus were staying in the French Alps.

A British man managed to pass on the coronavirus to at least 11 other people without ever setting foot in the epicentre of the outbreak in China, in an infectious journey that shows how the deadly virus can spread rapidly around a globalised world. The adult British citizen, who has not been named publicly, caught the virus while attending a conference in Singapore and then passed it on to several compatriots while on holiday in the French Alps, before finally being diagnosed back in the UK. Of those infected by the man, five have been hospitalised in France, five in Britain and one other man on the Spanish island of Mallorca. How did he pass on the new coronavirus so rapidly in so many different places? - Singapore -  The man attended a business conference in Singapore from 20-22 January. More than 100 people took part in the conference, including at least one Chinese national from Hubei province, the epicentre of the epidemic that has now left more than 900 dead. - Haute-Savoie, French Alps - He then travelled on to France to spend some days from January 24-28 at the ski resort of Contamines-Montjoie in the Alps with a group of other British citizens staying in two apartments...
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Celebrating an icon

February 10, 2020, 11:14 am
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Harley-Davidson is celebrating an icon with the introduction of the Fat Boy 30th Anniversary motorcycle. Cloaked in dark finishes with bronze highlights and powered by a blacked-out Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine, production of the 30th Anniversary Fat Boy will be limited to 2,500 examples. The Fat Boy was a perfectly outrageous name for a motorcycle that at its 1990 introduction was brilliantly bodacious. “The Fat Boy took the look, proportions and silhouette of a 1949 Hydra-Glide motorcycle and completely modernized it for a new generation of riders,” explained Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson vice president of styling and design. “Those riders appreciated our post-war design DNA but also found themselves drawn to the clean simplicity of contemporary industrial design. For this 30th anniversary model we wanted to create something very special, so we leaned into the popularity of darker finishes and a limited run/serialized strategy to make the bike truly unique and exclusive.” The Fat Boy 30th Anniversary motorcycle celebrates the three-decade impact of the original model with a bold reinterpretation executed in dark finishes paired with a single colour option, Vivid Black. The...
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Ultra-rare snowfall carpets Baghdad

February 11, 2020, 1:00 am
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Residents of Baghdad rushed to have snowball fights or take photographs Tuesday as the Iraqi capital woke carpeted in white by only its second snowfall in a century. The last recorded snowfall in the city was in 2008, but it was a quick and mostly slushy affair - and prior to that, it had been a century since Baghdad saw any flakes.  Iraqis young and old said it was the first time they had ever seen snow falling in Baghdad. The city's iconic palm trees were daintily outlined in white, and the tarpaulins of the long-running anti-government protest camp in Tahrir Square in the city centre were sprinkled with snow.  People on their way to work stopped their cars to snap pictures or break out into impromptu snowball fights.  [attach id=834512 size="large" align="left" type="image"][/attach] "Snowfall may continue until Wednesday given the very cold weather," said Amer al-Jaberi, media head of the Iraqi Meteorological Centre.  "This cold wave came from Europe," he told AFP.  The people of Baghdad are more used to heat than cold. The highest temperature recorded in the capital was a searing 51 degrees Celsius, a record it has neared several times in recent years. South of the capital,...
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'I have nothing to complain about Arnaud,' Peter Caruana Galizia tells court

February 11, 2020, 1:04 am
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Inspector Keith Arnaud exits court late last year.

The husband of murder journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia on Tuesday said that he had a “very good relationship” with the lead investigator on the case. Peter Caruana Galizia testified under oath that “I have nothing to complain about [inspector Keith] Arnaud”. Dr Caruana Galizia acknowledged that it was somewhat ironic that inspector Arnaud – who had arrested Ms Caruana Galizia just before the 2013 general election (for having breached the pre-election 'day of reflection' law)– was the officer responsible for the murder case but said that the family had “put it behind us”. Tuesday’s brief court session concerns a case filed by Caruana Galizia murder accused Yorgen Fenech, who wants inspector Arnaud removed from the case. Mr Fenech, who claims former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri was behind the Caruana Galizia murder, has argued that inspector Arnaud was close to Schembri and used to pass him information about the murder investigation. That, his lawyers say, means inspector Arnaud cannot be impartial or properly investigate Mr Schembri. Lawrence Cutajar contradicted Tuesday’s hearing was expected to begin with a cross-examination of inspector Arnaud. But Mr Fenech’s lawyers...
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I needed more time at Arsenal, says ex-coach Emery - report

February 11, 2020, 1:04 am
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Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery says he didn’t get enough time to transform the London giants who were on a “downward slope” when he was appointed, France Football magazine reported on Monday. Emery had 18 months at the Emirates Stadium after a two-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain and a spell which included winning three straight Europa League titles with Sevilla. “Arsenal had been on a downward slope for two years when I joined them,” Emery told France Football. “We stopped the rot and took the club to the Europa League final (where they lost 4-1 to Chelsea) and took fifth place in the Premier League,” Emery said in defence of his tenure that ended in November 2019 after a run of seven games in all competitions without a win. “That season we had qualification for the Champions League in our own hands but it all went wrong. “We lost our four captains (Laurent) Koscielny, (Petr) Cech, (Aaron) Ramsey and (Nacho) Monreal and we really missed them.  “Some of our top players didn’t have the right attitude and were asking for more than they were giving.” “I needed more time to manage to transform this club, into the new Arsenal I had been hoping to build,” added Emery, currently...
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Under-fire Woodward eyes summer ‘opportunity’ for Man. Utd

February 11, 2020, 1:15 am
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Ed Woodward admits the summer transfer window will be an “important opportunity” for Manchester United to bolster their squad with significant investment after a troubled season at Old Trafford. United are languishing in eighth place in the Premier League as they struggle to secure a top four finish. Both United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and executive vice-chairman Woodward have been under fire from frustrated fans, with some throwing flares and vandalising the outside of the latter’s house recently. Woodward points to the signing of Portugal playmaker Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon during the January transfer window as proof United can still attract quality players despite failing to win the Premier League since 2013. But, while Solskjaer’s team are still in the Europa League and FA Cup, Woodward conceded United’s struggles so far have left them short of the pre-season targets. “The signing of Bruno Fernandes and return of key players from injury will be a boost to Ole and the squad as we head into the second half of the season,” Woodward said in introductory remarks made at a recent fans’ forum. “We remain in contention in the Europa League and the FA Cup, as well as...
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Maltese MEPS nominated for MEP of the Year award

February 11, 2020, 1:26 am
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Updated 11.35am, adds Alex Agius Saliba's nomination Euro-parliamentarian Roberta Metsola has been nominated for an MEP of the Year award for a record-breaking third time. Newly-elected MEP Alex Agius Saliba has also been nominated. Organisers cited Dr Metsola's work on protecting the rule of law and fighting corruption across Europe and her role in pushing forward justice and accountability after the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galiza in Malta as the main factors behind her nomination. The 'MEP Awards' are organised by The Parliament magazine, a Brussels-based publication that focuses on European affairs. MEPs are nominated in different categories and are voted for by other MEPs. Dr Metsola has already won the MEP of the Year award for her work on justice and civil liberties in Europe in 2015 and 2016. "It is an honour to be nominated for this prestigious award for a third time," she said.  “I am delighted to have been nominated, it has been a particularly hectic year both in terms of negotiating new legislation, standing for elections and in pushing forward reforms on a European level. "When I was first elected to the European Parliament, I was determined to...
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Company director fined €10,000 for causing worker's death

February 11, 2020, 1:58 am
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A company director has been fined €10,000 by the Occupational Health and Safety Authority for causing a worker's death.  The 33-year-old employer from Mqabba was found guilty of breaching occupational health and safety regulations, leading to the foreign worker’s death in March 2014 on a construction site in Mosta. The worker had fallen four storeys while cleaning concrete. He had not been wearing protective gear, such as a safety harness, through which the accident would have easily been avoided. The victim had also never been trained in occupational health and safety and had been left on his own. Magistrate Nadine Lia found the director guilty of a number of shortcomings including not safeguarding his employees’ and anyone else’s health and safety. He failed to take preventive measures to avoid physical damage, accidents or deaths at the place of work. The employer was also found guilty of not providing his workers with protective gear free of charge and training them in its use. He failed to take protective measures to avoid falls from heights and to ensure that work in high places should only be carried out with special equipment or with the use of collective protection...
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Floods fail to end Australia's years-long drought

February 11, 2020, 2:21 am
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This picture taken on February 10 shows residents on the banks of the swollen Georges river in Sydney waiting for the water to recede.

Heavy rain has given hope to Australia's drought-stricken regions, but scientists warned Tuesday sustained falls were needed to end a years-long dry spell. Stormy weather has brought days of chaos and destruction in the country's east, with one man missing after his car was swept off a road in Sydney's north and hundreds more rescued from floodwaters. In the small town of Stanthorpe, Queensland, Tracy Dobie said the rain had been "a boost for everyone".  "But the drought has not ended," the regional mayor told AFP.  "Our land is so dehydrated - we've gone three years without rain in some places and five years in others - it's going to take a long time to get moisture back in the soil." Hydrologists believe this week's deluge - which has caused flooding and doused many fires - is a taste of things to come, with cities getting inundated while rural areas struggle to offset worsening droughts. Professor Ashish Sharma from the University of New South Wales said heavy rain can give people in cities a "twisted view" of the impact, as water builds up on hard surfaces. Even as people in cities see flooding and property damage, in rural regions sustained rainfall is needed to soak...
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Klinsmann quits as Hertha Berlin coach after 10 weeks

February 11, 2020, 2:49 am
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Jurgen Klinsmann shocked the German Bundesliga on Tuesday by announcing he was stepping down as Hertha Berlin coach just 10 weeks after taking the reins at the ambitious capital club. The 1990 World Cup winner announced his surprise decision in a post on his Facebook page, three days after Hertha slumped to a 3-1 home defeat to fellow strugglers Mainz which left them just six points above the drop zone. “After long consideration, I have decided to give up my position as head coach and return to my original, long-term role on the club board,” wrote the 55-year-old. “I am convinced that Hertha will stay up,” he added in a message addressed to the club’s fans, before suggesting that he felt a lack of trust from the club hierarchy. “In a relegation fight, unity, solidarity and concentration on the essentials are the most important things. If they are not guaranteed, I can’t reach my potential and live up to my responsibility as coach.” Klinsmann’s decision is a hammer blow to Hertha, who had looked to him to guide them away from relegation and towards the Champions League places.  The former Bayern Munich and Tottenham star was brought in as a short-term solution in November after a...
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Farsons chairman presents biography to Malta Chamber

February 11, 2020, 2:54 am
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Former Malta chamber president and business pioneer Louis A. Farrugia presented a copy of his biographical book 40 Years at the Helm to chamber president David Xuereb and members of the management board.  Receiving the book, Mr Xuereb saluted Mr Farrugia’s long career at the helm of one of Malta’s most iconic and successful business empires, which he said had carved a place for itself in people's collective consciousness.  Mr Xuereb also referred to Mr Farrugia’s involvement with the chamber, as well as the historical ties between the two organisations.  Mr Farrugia, who is the chairman of the Farsons Group, launched his publication in December in a private event with close family, friends and colleagues. The book is published by Kite Group and supported by the Farsons Foundation.  Mr Farrugia is also chairman of Multigas, Liquigas and Farrugia Investment Groups.  40 years at the Helm is a first-hand account and a celebration of the Maltese people’s will to overcome challenges, including of competitiveness at a European and global level. Mr Farrugia shares his experiences as an entrepreneur and a social leader within the context of the radical changes in the international and...
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Majority of 112 calls ‘wrong number, hoaxes, no voice heard’

February 11, 2020, 2:56 am
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The emergency services received over 380,000 calls on the 112 number last year, but more than 300,000 of them were not "genuine". Marking the European 112 Day on Tuesday during an event held at the Fgura primary school, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said that the emergency lines received a total of 382,747 calls in 2019.  The vast majority (79% – 302,986 calls), however, were deemed by those manning the line as either a hoax, a call by someone dialling the wrong number or else no voice was heard. A number of these calls also involved reports that had already been made by another caller.  [attach id=834680 type="video"][/attach] The 112 emergency number is manned by the police but the task of addressing calls is shared with the army, the civil protection department as well as the ambulance service.  Representatives from the different units that are called in through the 112 line were at the school during the event to meet with the students and explain their roles to them.  The Home Affairs Minister said the high number of such calls served as proof that more needed to be done to raise awareness on how to use the line as well as when to call elsewhere. “Abuse of this line...
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Manchester United Academy in Malta

February 11, 2020, 3:01 am
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The Manchester United Supporters’ Club Malta, the oldest supporters club of the Premier League giants in the world, celebrated its 61st anniversary earlier this month. As is now customary for the local supporter’s club, another milestone event is on the horizon, with the confirmation that a contingent from Manchester United Academy will visit Malta for one week starting from May 26, 2020. The Academy, now under the guidance of former Manchester United player Nicky Butt as Head of First Team Development, and Nick Cox as Head of the Academy, will be sending a contingent of 18 players from Under 15, and six coaches from the Academy. The team will be participating in an international tournament, which will be held in Malta between May 29 and 31, which will see the participation, amongst others, of Manchester United, four local clubs, and a number of other foreign teams which will be announced shortly. This football tournament is being organised in conjunction with local soccer school Know How Soccer, under the guidance of coach Marko Glumac. The Manchester United team will also be spending a couple of days in Gozo and playing a friendly match against the Gozo Under 15 team, which...
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Coronavirus: the PBOC and possible Yuan devaluation

February 11, 2020, 3:03 am
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As China continues to whirl from the spreading coronavirus, the world is looking for a familiar entity to pounce in and save the day: the People’s Bank of China. Photo: AFP

It is logical to think that as the total confirmed cases continues to increase, the likely economic impacts of the virus grow. Within a matter of weeks, the virus became officially worse than SARS in number of cases and possibly soon in total deaths.  Currently, two-thirds of China's entire economy is closed for an extended holiday to keep people from going to work or outside where they may become infected. The extended holiday is supposed to last until the second week of February, but there is little reason to believe that the virus will be less of a problem by then.As China continues to whirl from the spreading coronavirus, the world is looking for a familiar entity to pounce in and save the day: the People’s Bank of China (PBOC). In fact, last Monday the PBOC announced a massive reverse repo program along with short-term rate cuts. That said, even though injecting liquidity can give an economy a shock that often brings growth with little inflation, this does not seem the case for China at the moment.  Given that the economy is falling due to an inherently supply-side problem like a virus, injecting liquidity is a recipe for hyperinflation. People are not going to work and are...
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Pilot project to screen newborns for rare diseases

February 11, 2020, 3:06 am
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Newborn babies will be screened for rare diseases and conditions under a new pilot project to be launched later this month, the president of the National Alliance for Rare Diseases Support Michelle Muscat announced. Further details of the pilot immunology neonatal screening project will be revealed during the official launch to be held later this month, Ms Muscat said during a press conference held at Mater Dei Hospital, to launch the alliance's new awareness campaign. Ms Muscat, the wife of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, said that February was the month dedicated to rare diseases. The pilot screening project would ensure that babies with rare conditions would get an early diagnosis to ensure better treatment.  When it came to rare diseases, she said, diagnosis was always one of the main issues as doctors struggled to reach a conclusion. She said that this year the campaign of the alliance, in collaboration with the Marigold Foundation which she chairs, was titled "Where every patient counts". The aim was to increase awareness amongst the public and healthcare professionals, including doctors, about rare diseases. Posters and leaflets would be distributed in clinics and...
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‘To oust you, they destroyed a party’ – Robert Arrigo to Adrian Delia

February 11, 2020, 3:15 am
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Outgoing Nationalist deputy leader Robert Arrigo has told Opposition leader Adrian Delia he believes the parliamentary group “destroyed a party” to oust him as leader.  While mostly blaming the parliamentary group for the PN’s predicament, the 65-year-old MP also lambasted Dr Delia’s “non-action” in his letter of resignation.  “You also have your big responsibility. I am irritated of [sic] you non action on situations. All the good you did, does not seem to sell. The people want proposals, direction, answers and clarity. My bluntness may be irritating, but clear,” Mr Arrigo wrote.  But his harshest words were aimed at the parliamentary group, who he said had always considered him as “the chosen one to leave”.  “Collective responsibility should be shouldered in proportion, by everybody. To oust you, they destroyed a party. My concern is that nobody, ever, from these gurus, came out with a concrete plan for the PN,” he said.  He also blamed the parliamentary group for “destroying” a 10-year plan to bring the “hopeless financial inheritance” under control. “The party could have made it. I am sure that, now, the parliamentary group will have its new beginning.  “I will remain a PN...
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