Quantcast
Channel: Times Of Malta
Viewing all 77260 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Recent permits have shown “terrible short-sightedness”

March 2, 2018, 1:29 am
$
0
0

The government and the Planning Authority must do something now to tighten policies and protect Malta's fast-dwindling built heritage and its countryside, an NGO has insisted. During the recent annual general meeting, members of Din l-Art Ħelwa approved four hard-hitting resolutions: they called for a master plan for tall buildings; they protested against the government’s failure to publish local plans; criticised the slow rate of scheduling of historic and traditional buildings and street-scapes and  the "unscrupulous abuse" of the 2014 rural guidelines. With regards to tall buildings, the members said the government needed to tighten the loopholes in the floor area ratio policy, making sure they were assessed by means of serious visual studies and planning aids, and not case by case as was happening when individual projects are under review. The government and the planning authority were also urged to step up the pace in the scheduling of buildings, to ensure protection is given to Malta's fast disappearing traditional and historic architecture, which is being swallowed up by development. DLĦ demanded that demolitions are halted immediately, especially in urban conservation...
↧
Search

db Group's plans for St George's Bay have Pembroke residents worried

March 2, 2018, 11:57 am
$
0
0

Large-scale development plans for St George's Bay will dilute Paceville's boundaries and negatively impact quality of life in Pembroke, residents have warned. This concern was expressed at a public meeting organised at Pembroke primary school on Friday evening by residents in collaboration with Moviment Graffitti and Kamp Emergenza Ambjent.  The proposed project would see public land currently occupied by the Institute of Tourism Studies turned into a 37-storey residential tower, a 17-storey Hard Rock Hotel with 455 rooms, a casino and shopping mall. While it has not yet been approved by the Planning Authority, earlier plans featuring a second tower have since been dropped. The development has been embroiled in major controversy concerning the €60 million developers db Group paid for the public land. Pembroke resident Adrian Grima delivered a presentation on the project, which he said was based on information divulged by the developer and studies carried out so far. READ: 2018 is looking like the year of the high-rise in Malta He said that according to Environment Resources Authority the project would not be subject to an official public hearing. Mr Grima claimed that...
↧
↧

Young woman dies after Marsalforn swimming incident

March 2, 2018, 9:53 am
$
0
0

Updated 3 March - Woman dies in hospital A 28-year-old woman died at Gozo General Hospital on Friday night after she found herself in trouble while swimming at Xwieni Bay in Marsalforn earlier that day.  Emergency services received a call for assistance at around 2.15pm, and paramedics who arrived at the scene quickly took the victim, a German national, to Gozo General Hospital for treatment.  Police released a statement on Friday evening saying that the woman was in a critical state. Unfortunately, she passed away later in the evening.  Magistrate Joanne Vella Cuschieri is leading an inquiry into the case. 
↧

Foreign workers quitting Malta because 'cost of living is too high'

March 2, 2018, 10:15 pm
$
0
0

MEA head Dolores Sammut Bonnici said: “The thrill of being awarded a new contract is very short-lived when you come face-to-face with the difficult task of recruiting additional staff.”

Employers have warned Malta’s economic competitiveness is being dented by the rising cost of living, driven upwards by an “inflated property market”. They have also expressed concern that the existing workforce shortage is getting worse, because the option of recruiting foreign employees was becoming less viable. Addressing the Malta Employers’ Association’s annual general meeting, president Dolores Sammut Bonnici hailed Malta’s record economic growth but cautioned that success was posing challenges in terms of recruitment. The problems were being experienced despite the presence of 40,000 foreign workers, who accounted for about a third of the entire private sector workforce. “The thrill of being awarded a new contract is very short-lived when you come face-to-face with the difficult task of recruiting additional staff,” Ms Sammut Bonnici remarked, adding that the shortage was being felt across the board and in all grades, not just for manual workers. She hit out at the government, saying it was partly to blame for the situation in the wake of what she described as “unwarranted” recruitment in the public sector last year. The recruitment had resulted in a drain in the private...
↧

Former rector's winery plans make it past appeal stage

March 3, 2018, 12:50 am
$
0
0

The Ta’ Betta Estates, in the limits of Siġġiewi.

An appeal by the Attorney General against a planning permit for a winery extension proposed by former University rector Juanito Camilleri has been rejected. The appeal, based on a procedural error by the Planning Authority, was turned down by the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal yesterday, confirming the original permit. Prof. Camilleri was granted permission in June 2016 to increase the size of his winery – part of the 40,000-square-metre Ta’ Betta Estates in the limits of Siġġiewi – from 250 to 860 square metres. The case officer recommended the application for refusal as the winery already exceeded the maximum size of 200 square metres permitted by the rural policy, even before the extension. The Agriculture Advisory Committee considered the development a “genuine agricultural need”. In its appeal, the Attorney General’s office highlighted a breach of procedure when the Planning Commission went against the recommendation. READ: How does each Planning Authority board member vote? The PA procedure stipulated that, in such cases, the hearing should be put off while the planning directorate drew up a new set of conditions. But in Prof. Camilleri’s case, the matter was put...
↧
↧

Photos of the week ending March 1, 2018

March 2, 2018, 9:35 pm
↧

Women's reproductive health is a matter for their own conscience, says Catholics for Choice director

March 3, 2018, 3:30 am
$
0
0

.

Being pro-choice is not pro-abortion, and a woman has a moral and legal right to follow her conscience in matters of reproductive health, according to Catholics for Choice’s Amanda Ussak. “We support one of the central tenants of Catholicism, which is a deep regard for the individual’s conscience. In terms of moral decision making, the individual’s conscience must be the final arbiter. “This does not mean you can just disregard what the Church says and do what you like. Catholics are expected to deeply consider and discern the Church hierarchy’s teachings within the context of their lived experience,” Ms Ussak, the advocacy group’s international programme director, told this newspaper. She first came to Malta last year on a fact-finding mission and was then invited to a workshop by the Women’s Rights Foundation. Catholics for Choice was founded in 1973 as a voice for those who believe that the Catholic tradition supports a woman’s moral and legal right to follow her conscience with regards to sexuality and reproductive health. In Europe, the group works in Ireland, which is holding a referendum on abortion in May, as well as in Poland and at the European Parliament. In Malta the...
↧

Petrol sector 'monopoly' should be investigated, PD tells EU Commissioner

March 3, 2018, 1:09 am
$
0
0

Malta's petrol market is a state-run monopoly which warrants a European Commission investigation, the Partit Demokratiku has said.  In a letter to European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, PD leader Anthony Buttigieg highlighted the power state-owned Enemed Ltd. had in the sector, with it being the sole company importing, storing and selling petrol in Malta.  "Unlike consumers in other Member States, Maltese consumers have no choice, and no idea what brand of petrol or diesel they are purchasing," Dr Buttigieg wrote. "The price of petrol and diesel is exactly the same in the whole island." Much of the problem, Dr Buttigieg argues in his letter to Commissioner Vestager, is that the state and state-owned companies own practically all of the country's fuel storage facilities.  "Enemed can change the storage fees at will. There is no security of tenure. Enemed could terminate the storage leases at will," Dr Buttigieg wrote, saying foreign oil companies were unwilling to invest, knowing that the competition could pull the rung from under them.  READ: Enemed refuses to divulge its profit margins The government has said that Enemed will be upgrading its storage facilities...
↧
Search

Malta’s EU cohesion funds will be lower, but…

March 3, 2018, 9:01 am
$
0
0

EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Malta may experience an €80 million cut in the amount of EU cohesion funds it receives after 2020. However, according to EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger, the island could still qualify for additional funds through other programmes. In an interview with the Times of Malta during a short visit to the island in preparation for the next round of EU budget talks focusing on the 2021-2027 framework, the EU Budget Commissioner did not mince his words. “Brexit is also a financial problem, as it will leave the EU budget with a €12 to €13 billion hole which will have to be filled up somehow,” Mr Oettinger said. “Money has to come from somewhere, and so Member States will have to contribute more.” “Also, we need to prepare Europe for the future and so we need to be more flexible. No one really knows what is going to happen in 10 years’ time, and so we need to anticipate the needs we may have,” he said. In this context, according to the commissioner, the EU will surely need to invest more in research, security, defence and migration. Initial discussions are currently ongoing in Brussels and other EU fora on what the next form and shape of the seven-year EU budget covering 2021 to...
↧
↧

Court's words of advice for young bicycle thief

March 2, 2018, 5:18 am
$
0
0

A teenage bicycle thief found himself receiving some words of advice from a concerned magistrate in court on Friday. The 14-year-old boy entered the courtroom accompanied by his distraught parents, two police officers, his lawyer as well as a social worker from Appoġġ facing charges over the theft which allegedly took place last Wednesday. He stands accused of having stolen an almost-new 'We The People' bicycle worth €573 and then reselling it for €100, splitting the earnings with a friend.  Before the hearing kicked off, all other members of the public, save for the media, were asked to leave the room owing to the particular circumstances and sensitivity of the case. Defence lawyer Yanika Bugeja informed the court that her client was admitting to the charge and asked the court to order a pre-sentencing report. This would look into the boy's personal problems and give the magistrate more details before delivering judgment. Prosecuting inspector Josric Mifsud agreed to this suggestion "100 per cent".  No request for bail was made, with the court ordering that the youngster was to be detained at YOURS ( the Young Offenders Unit) pending the continuation of proceedings. The court...
↧

Watch: Two Maltese singers at the Eurovision - Jessika to represent San Marino

March 4, 2018, 1:02 am
$
0
0

Maltese singer Jessika Muscat has won a contest to represent San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest in Portugal. She beat off submissions from across the world, with only one entry out of 11 from San Marino making it to the final on Saturday.      Jessika Musca's entry was entitled Who We Are. Also performing in the show was Franklin Calleja with Stay.  The winner was decided by a 50/50 jury public split, where the public was able to support their favourite song by purchasing a small percentage of the song’s royalties. San Marino has a population of around 33,000.  Malta's representative will be Christabelle who will perform the song Taboo.  
↧

Unstable boulders are a threat in Xwejni Bay

March 3, 2018, 7:01 am
$
0
0

The Żebbuġ local council is concerned that rocks may fall on vehicles or pedestrians from the clay slopes of Xwejni Bay.

Concern that unstable boulders on the clay slopes of Xwejni Bay, Gozo, could collapse have prompted the Żebbuġ local council to seek urgent help from the central government. The request to the Gozo Minister was made in the wake of complaints lodged by residents who regularly frequent the popular spot. Żebbuġ deputy mayor Daniel Cordina pointed out that works to remedy the situation were outside the council’s remit and therefore the options were limited. Signs were put up warning visitors about falling rocks, he said, adding the warnings were unfortunately inadequate to avoid an accident. For this reason, the council has recommended that the Gozo Ministry adopt the same procedure followed at Daħlet Qorrot, Nadur, and remove the unstable rocks manually. Another intervention being mooted is the installation of metal mesh to prevent any debris falling onto vehicles or pedestrians.
↧

Jimmy Magro seeks damages over corruption probe

March 3, 2018, 10:36 pm
$
0
0

Former Labour general secretary Jimmy Magro is demanding financial compensation after claiming his human rights were breached by the Permanent Commission Against Corruption. In a report published over a year ago, the Commission said it was “morally convinced” that an attempt had been made by Mr Magro to solicit a €25,000 kickback on a public waste management tender. Moreover, he allegedly asked bidders to pay for a €5,000 holiday that he took in Alsace, France, in 2014. Read in full: Commission 'morally convinced' Jimmy Magro, former Labour general secretary, requested money during tenders adjudication While Mr Magro has denied any wrongdoing in his role as executive chairman of the Major Projects Coordinating Agency, the police had launched a criminal investigation but to date no charges have been pressed. In a judicial protest filed in court last week, Mr Magro argued that the report should be disregarded, as the Commission had never informed him he was under investigation, despite calling him in as a witness. Apart from not being immediately informed he was under investigation, Mr Magro argued that he was not given the opportunity to attend all sittings, and not given the...
↧
↧

Lawyers ‘working’ on two documents to resolve doctors' dispute

March 3, 2018, 10:25 am
$
0
0

Martin Balzan says an agreement with the government could be struck soon, though he would not rule out the possibility of a strike. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The government and doctors’ lawyers were finalising two documents that would hopefully soon end a dispute over the concession granted to Vitals Global Healthcare, Times of Malta was told. One of the documents, said the Medical Association of Malta’s general secretary, Martin Balzan, was “strictly related to Vitals” whereas the other was more “general”. He would not elaborate, saying he would not like to compromise the talks, which, Dr Balzan said, could be successfully concluded this coming week. He said he was confident the agreement in the pipeline would be “satisfactory to doctors and will have significant benefits to patients”. Read: Political parties react as MAM declares doctors' strike a success The doctors’ union had originally hoped to end negotiations with the government last week after what Dr Balzan described as a “long meeting on Wednesday” when both sides’ concerns were discussed extensively. A confident Dr Balzan said there were only a few clauses to iron out in the two documents that had been drafted. Still, he did not rule out the possibility of industrial action, pointing out that the negotiations were not over yet. “You never know. We hope we don’t have any...
↧

Motorcyclist injured in Coast Road crash

March 3, 2018, 7:21 am
$
0
0

A motorcyclist sustained serious injuries following an accident on the Coast Road on Saturday morning.  Police said the 26-year-old from Gżira, appeared to have lost control of his motorbike before it overturned.  He was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital in an ambulance.  Police are investigating.   
↧
Search

Six face human trafficking charges, denied bail

March 4, 2018, 4:33 am
$
0
0

Three directors of a cleaning company were accused of human trafficking on Sunday and denied bail. JF Group directors Peter Formosa, Matthew Peter Formosa and Sarah Formosa pleaded not guilty of trafficking vulnerable people who were employed by them. Defence lawyer Edward Gatt argued that this was not a case of human trafficking and as one of the accused, Peter Formosa, is suffering from leukaemia, the three should be granted bail. “Four days ago we had a person taken out of prison because he is unwell but someone who is still presumed innocent and who is suffering from leukaemia and who has to go undergo chemotherapy tomorrow will be denied bail?” Dr Gatt asked. The three could be confined to their home, he said.  Inspector John Spiteri, who prosecuted, said that he disagreed on a number of points with Dr Gatt. “We are not simply talking about the accused not giving them food, that is not the case here.They come here for the American Dream and what do they find? They find a situation that is worse than their own country,” the inspector said, insisting that there were still witnesses who are employees of the accused who had to testify. Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace, who...
↧

PN to sue the Electoral Commission for information it is 'legally entitled for'

March 4, 2018, 3:19 am
$
0
0

The Nationalist Party will be going to court to get information from Identity Malta, after its requests for information related to the holding of elections were rebuffed for the past 18 months, PN leader Adrian Delia said on Sunday. He said PN representatives met the Electoral Commission last week and declared they would go to court if the information, held by Identity Malta, was not forthcoming. The commission wrote to Identity Malta multiple times, but Identity Malta only sent documentation with missing information, Dr Delia said. The information relates to people listed on the Electoral Register, particularly in view of the granting of citizenship, as well as about people struck off the register. The Nationalist Party has a legal right to receive this information from the commission, Dr Delia said. "How could the government be serious about constitutional reform if it could not even get its own agency, Identity Malta, to give the required information to the Electoral Commission?" If the government thought that it will continue breaking the law without consequence, then it was wrong, he said. How could there be certainty about the electoral process when information was not...
↧
↧

MP Glenn Bedingfield paid €42,000 to coordinate PQs

March 4, 2018, 5:34 am
$
0
0

Labour MP Glenn Bedingfield.

Glenn Bedingfield, the Labour MP and political blogger, was given a paid job by the Office of the Prime Minster to coordinate parliamentary questions on the day of last June’s general election, The Sunday Times of Malta is informed. Mr Bedingfield was subsequently elected to Parliament through a casual election to fill Joseph Muscat’s vacated seat. As a member of the Prime Minister’s secretariat, he was given the brief of assisting “in coordination with other ministries in the drafting of replies to various parliamentary questions” and to “draft replies to parliamentary questions received by the OPM”. The job raises the question of conflict of interest. One of the primary roles of an elected representative is to scrutinise the executive, partly through the instrument of the parliamentary question. Also, Mr Bedingfield could find himself drafting replies to his own parliamentary questions. According to his work contract, obtained by this newspaper following a Freedom of Information request, Mr Bedingfield was employed at least until the end of last year as Dr Muscat’s person of trust, enjoying a financial package of more than €42,000 a year over and above his €20,000 honorarium...
↧

'I had a stroke and three heart attacks... but I walked the marathon'

March 4, 2018, 12:40 am
$
0
0

.

Elton Barry bid farewell to his wife and children at the age of 42, as he was being wheeled in for an emergency operation following a brain haemorrhage. He thought he was going to die. Four months later he walked 21 kilometres in three hours. He spoke to Sarah Carabott. Three heart attacks and a stroke did not stop Elton Barry from completing the Malta half-marathon last Sunday.  And now he has set his heart on another of his gruelling cycle challenges in aid of cancer research. If he is given the green light by doctors, this would be the sixth time he has taken part in the Alive Cycling Challenge, which he co-founded in 2012. That year, Mr Barry, then only 36, suffered three heart attacks in as many days. Doesn’t a man who survives an episode like that live in fear? “The heart attacks ‘woke’ me up,” he said. “I had spent most of the previous 14 years at work, travelling abroad from Monday to Friday, and spending only the weekends with my family. After the heart attacks I wanted to live. I still worked in IT and I kept up my hobbies. But once I had survived, I wanted to help others survive. I wanted to raise funds through cycling.” Mr Barry recalls that he had taken up cycling...
↧

Muscat challenges Delia: What's your alternative to an incinerator?

March 4, 2018, 2:40 am
$
0
0

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has defended plans for the building of an incinerator to treat packaging waste, challenging Adrian Delia to say what his preferred alternative is if the PN is opposing the government's choice. Dr Muscat raised the subject after the PN's Sunday newspaper Il-Mument said residents in the area around Naxxar were concerned about the plans for the siting of the new incinerator at Għallis. They labelled it a Cancer Factory. Dr Muscat, who was speaking at a political conference in Gudja, said that Malta had three alternatives to tackling plastic and other packaging waste. It could be sent abroad at a huge cost of millions of euro, it could take up precious land for a new landfill that would only last 10 years, or it could invest in a modern incinerator. A committee which made up of independent experts, such as Prof Edward Mallia, and former AD leader Harry Vassallo, had unanimously decided that the incinerator was the way forward. If the PN was against the incinerator proposal, what was Dr Delia's alternative? Would he impose a new tax to pay for sending the waste abroad? Would he take up land for a landfill after all that had been said about land granted to...
↧
Viewing all 77260 articles
Browse latest View live
Search
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>