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

‘Grave immoral act and sin not quite same thing’

January 12, 2014, 1:45 am
$
0
0

Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Auxiliary Bishop Charles Scicluna has come out strongly against gay adoptions. He tells Kurt Sansone a baby has a right to be brought up by a mother and father. In an interview with Italian publication Avvenire, you spoke of a grave immoral act if politicians voted for adoptions by same sex couples. How do you define a grave immoral act? These are not my words. I was quoting from the Vatican document Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons, which was published in 2003 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. I quoted the... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.
↧
Search

Muscat strongly defends citizenship scheme as EP debate approaches

January 12, 2014, 2:34 am
$
0
0

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat strongly defended the citizenship scheme this morning, three days before the debate in the European Parliament on a non-binding resolution critical of Malta’s actions. Dr Muscat told a political conference in Hamrun that the scheme would attract investors to Malta and yield a billion euro to the country, with no strings attached. “If the government with just €55m could do so much in the last Budget, imagine what we could do with €1000 million,” Dr Muscat told his cheering supporters. In 10 months and with €55m the governemnt had lifted the country back to its feet. Imagine the future when the funds from the scheme were invested in education, health, social services and innovation, he added. This citizenship scheme, he said, reflected the government’s global vision in that it was attracting talent from across the globe. He had no doubt, he said, that the people opposing the scheme were not being irked by issues of national identity, but their worry of what the government would do with the funds available to it. The opposition he said, was being contradictory in its criticism. It said this was citizenship for the rich, but then said €650,000 was too low.
↧
↧

Separation cases at a record level last year

January 12, 2014, 6:44 am
$
0
0

There were 1,211 separation cases filed last year, the highest in a decade, according to figures obtained by The Sunday Times of Malta. More than 10,700 couples have filed for separation since 2004, an average of 1,000 cases every year. The average number of marriages is 2,550 per year. Fewer couples signalled their intention to reach an amicable settlement from the outset. The divorce law lays down that a couple would have had to be separated at law or in fact for at least four years. Asked for his reaction, Justice Parliamentary Secretary Owen Bonnici said the figures underscored the need to explain more the benefits of consensual separation once separation would take place. “We have to assist couples reach amicable settlements because when children are involved they are more conducive to better co-parenting.” ksansone@timesofmalta.com
↧

Robber wearing old man mask takes cash in Paola hold-up

January 12, 2014, 10:46 am
$
0
0

A robber wearing a mask of an old man ran off with some €2,000 in cash during a hold-up at a gaming shop this evening. The incident happened at about 7 p.m. at Best Play in Tarxien Road, Paola. The robber, carrying a pistol, entered the shop and demanded the cash from a 22-year-old shop assistant. A number of people were in the shop. The robber ran off in a silver-coloured car, thought to have stolen number plates. No one was injured.
↧

Labour showing it lacks the skills to govern - Busuttil

January 12, 2014, 3:03 am
$
0
0

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said today that Labour had been able to win the general election, but it had not prepared itself to govern and lacked the skills to do so. How else could anyone explain how the government was planning to grow the economy simply by selling citizenship? Or that it was reducing unemployment by employing 1,000 people itself? This was also the government which was tackling hospital overcrowding by erecting a tent. All this showed a serious lack of ideas and mediocrity in administration, Dr Busuttil said when speaking at a PN political conference in Xaghra. He said the Labour Party had led the people to protest over fuel price increases, then soon after taking office, it raised the prices itself, and those who protested at the time were now silent. It was useless boasting that prices were stable once they had been raised.  On public transport, Dr Busuttil said it was clear that the government had intended to force Arriva out. Would the same happen for other companies?  What had been agreed with Arriva? The Opposition would continue to insist on publication of the contract. It would also continue to ask how much the government would now pay for the bus...
↧
↧

Bus evacuated in fire scare

January 11, 2014, 6:04 am
$
0
0

A bus was evacuated near Rabat today as a precautionary measure after an overheated exhaust pipe created some smoke in the back of the bus, Malta Transport Services said. "The evacuation was in line with practised safety norms. Nobody was hurt and the bus is intact," the government company which is running the bus service said. It praised the driver for his fast and appropriate reaction.
↧

Tent controversy not an issue of resignation - health minister

January 12, 2014, 1:11 am
$
0
0

Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia said today that he did not consider the issue over the tent erected outside Mater Dei Hospital as a a matter for resignation. Dr Farrugia told The Sunday Times of Malta that he never consulted the Prime Minister on this issue “so I understand his reaction”. He said he did not consider the issue a resignation matter. Workers started installing the tent on Friday morning on instructions of the Health Ministry, but were stopped in their tracks on orders of the prime minister. “I was reacting as swiftly and proactively as possible, to a fast evolving situation, brought about by an impending surge in influenza afflicted patients that may require hospitalization,” Dr Farrugia said. “In my haste to have a contingency plan to tide us over till the end of February I understand that I did not explain this temporary measure adequately to the general public or stakeholders.” More in The Sunday Times of Malta and the e-paper on timesofmalta.com
↧

PN reiterates call for publication of agreement with Arriva

January 11, 2014, 6:09 am
$
0
0

The Nationalist Party said today that the government should not continue to keep the agreement it had reached with Arriva under wraps. Spokesman Toni Bezzina said in a statement said a week had passed since the agreement was signed but the document had not been published in full. Publication was important in the interests of transparency and so that all stakeholders could be given a proper picture of the situation.  The current period of transition to a new operation was important as it enabled the country to consider public transport and the targets which needed to be achieved in order for quality to improve. That include a mature discussion on the positives and negatives of the reform which saw the engagement of Arriva. But an informed debate could only take place if the agreement was published and there was transparency in the selection of the new operator. The PN said that during the transition it also expected the government to be a model operator. It expected the government to ensure that the service was efficient, that jobs were safeguarded and fares and subsidies did not rise.  The PN also urged the government to publish the new routes discussed with local councils.
↧
Search

Government subsidy key to selection of new bus operator - short journey time focus of new routes

January 11, 2014, 11:07 pm
$
0
0

While the majority of local coach operators have been holding informal talks on jointly bidding for the bus service, the final decision will ultimately depend on how high the annual government subsidy is. A spokesman for Ċanċu Coaches said that the vast majority of private coach companies were keen to learn about the government’s offer but no decisions had been taken yet and all options were being discussed between them. When Arriva took over the service in July 2011, the subsidy was €6 million a year, down from the €10 million which the previous operator received in the final year. However, by the end of last year the subsidy had increased to about €8.5 million as Arriva was compensated for the additional buses and extra routes which were introduced since. The subsidy is set to rise by at least another €6 million, following the scrapping of the two-tier pricing structure. The Transport Ministry's call for expressions of interest by prospective bus service operators, as well as publication of the new routes, was meant to have been announced over the past week. However a ministry spokeswoman said that the government wanted “to consult more on the mechanics to get it absolutely...
↧
↧

Health Ministry acknowledges sensitivity was lacking in hospital tent decision

January 11, 2014, 5:34 am
$
0
0

The Health Ministry acknowledged this afternoon that there could have been more sensitivity in the talks which had been held on the setting up of a tent outside Mater Dei Hospital. In a statement a day after the prime minister ordered the tent to be dismantled, the ministry said this was supposed to have been a temporary structure meant to ensure that the hospital was able to handle a spike in demand without disrupting day care operations. Other measures were being taken to ensure that no operations were cancelled, including sub-contracting to private clinics if necessary.The ministry said the government had inherited an acute care hospital with a serious shortage of beds.Various short and long-term measures were being taken to tackle the problem. 48 beds were added to the hospital last year and a further 52 would be added this year. The Secretariat for the Elderly had also added 47 beds through public-private projects. A further 300 would be added in the future. There was also improved turnover of 'social' cases at the hospital. The setting up of the tent was one of the temporary measures in order to avoid the risk of cancellation of day care operations  because of...
↧

Floriana Council insists it has final say on MTV use of the granaries

January 11, 2014, 3:58 am
$
0
0

Floriana local council insists it, not the government, has the final say on whether to issue a permit for the Isle of MTV on the Granaries. In a three-hour meeting on Wednesday, the majority of council members agreed that the law was on their side and reserved the right not to grant permits for the popular June music event. Two members, however, said they were not clear on what the law said but would abide by it nonetheless. Deputy mayor Matthew Paris said last week that he was considering refusing to issue the necessary permits because the government had “abandoned” the locality’s New Year’s Eve festivities. The council is also irked by the mess and inconvenience to residents caused by the concert. Parliamentary Secretary José Herrera said when Mr Paris made his warning that councils could not halt national festivities. But the council says it was responsible for issuing permits for previous events and had been approached by the event organisers to reserve the Granaries for this year’s concert. More on the e-paper on timesofmalta.com Premium.
↧

Sick leave controversy - minister urges employers to look at the 'bigger picture'

January 11, 2014, 1:39 am
$
0
0

Social Policy Minister Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said today that treating sick leave as a concession rather than a right, would be “a step backwards”. She was commenting in the wake of the statement issued yesterday by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry which expressed its objection to the government’s proposal for parents to take their sick leave to attend to their children if they were unwell. The Chamber said that said that such concession would serve to erode further Malta’s competitiveness and potential for growth. Controversially the chamber said that sick leave is “a concession and not a right” adding that it came at a cost to the employer and should not be exploited or trivialised. The Chamber argued that in such situations employees had the option to use vacation leave. Asked for her reaction by timesofmalta.com, Ms Coleiro Preca described such an argument a step backwards. “God forbid if we go back to that situation” she said. Regarding the proposal itself she said that employers should look at the bigger picture, saying that everyone would ultimately benefit from family friendly measures, including employers as the economy would do better. Asked about the impact of...
↧

New training programme for fifth formers starts tomorrow - half of new jobs taken by foreigners

January 12, 2014, 1:57 am
$
0
0

A new programme for fifth formers who did not register to sit for ‘O’ level exams will be launched tomorrow, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said this morning. He also said that the government would increasingly focus on tackling a situation where half of new jobs were going to foreigners. Speaking at a Labour Party conference, the minister said 350 students would be taking part in the programme, which would include work training and academic training made interesting for them. Such young people, he said, should not be allowed to fall by the wayside, as had happened in the past. He said it was also unacceptable that half of all fifth formers either did not sit for their ‘O’ levels or else passed from only one or two exams. Also unacceptable, he said, was the fact that out of every 100 students who started the Mcast Foundation course, only 17 continued to study. He said a strong focus on vocational training would be instilled in the education system, filling a vacuum which remained largely empty after the closure of trade schools. This, he said, was part of efforts to link the education sector with the needs of industry. HALF OF NEW JOBS TAKEN BY FOREIGNERS It was a matter of...
↧
↧

Energy benefits system to be replaced

January 11, 2014, 12:35 am
$
0
0

The vouchers system for persons with low income who benefit from energy benefits is to be scrapped. Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi said that beneficiaries will instead receive credits in their bill. Speaking at a press conference alongside Social Policy Minister Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the minister said this would give dignity to families in need who would no longer have to show that they have a low income and are in receipt of the benefits by queuing to cash their vouchers. Mr Mizzi said the vouchers system had also been inefficient in that people first had to pay their energy bills and then claim the vouchers. People with very low income had still been unable to pay the bills and thus, every year, some €500,000 worth of vouchers went unclaimed. 26,000 families receive the energy benefit plus some 90 organisations, homes for children and people having extraordinary energy consumption because of medical reasons.
↧

‘I am not a doctor, so why call myself one?’

January 11, 2014, 3:01 am
$
0
0

Malta’s law courts are one of the few places in the world where lawyers refer to themselves as ‘doctor’. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Only in Malta and a few other countries, such as Portugal do lawyers enjoy the title of doctor, according to the dean of the Faculty of Laws, Kevin Aquilina. Prof. Aquilina was commenting in the wake of students’ concerns over the restructuring of the law course that will remove the LLD title from the basic academic certification required to practise law. Many students feared the change would also mean removing the title of doctor, which law students benefited from despite not pursuing PhD-level studies. The government stepped in to reassure students that they could still call themselves... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.
↧
Search

Two hurt in motorcycle crash

January 12, 2014, 4:52 am
$
0
0

A motorcyclist and his pillion rider were hospitalised this afternoon when their motorcycle crashed at St Paul's Bay bypass. The accident happened shortly before 1 p.m. The police said the reason for the crash was not known.
↧

Pedestrian injured in unusual incident

January 12, 2014, 1:28 am
$
0
0

A 56-year-old man from Zabbar was injured in an unusual incident in Triq il-Gublew tal-Fidda, Vittoriosa, this morning. The man was trapped between two cars, one of which was reversing while the other was turning a corner. The cars were being driven by a 64-year-old man from Birkirkara and a 68-year-old from Tarxien. The pedestrian was assisted by the police and hospitalised. 
↧
↧

Updated - Malta loses film-shooting of 'Mary, Mother of Christ, to Matera

January 11, 2014, 11:12 am
$
0
0

Malta has lost out to the Italian town of Matera as the location for the shooting of the film Mary, Mother of Christ, according to production officials. Matera was also the location for 'Passion of the Christ'. Producer Francesco Di Silvio announced the decision, with filming due to start in June. The film, seen as a prequel to the Passion of the Christ, is being produced by Lionsgate and Stealth Media Group. It is a Christian biblical epic with Odeya Rush as the young Mary. There is still a possibility that some scenes will still be shot in Malta. The film will trace the life of the Virgin Mary under the reign of terror of Herod the Great and  her struggles as a young mother caring for her young child, Jesus. A spokesman for the Malta Film Commission said a lot of time and energy had been invested to attract the producers of "Mary Mother of Christ" to shoot in Malta. "The negotiations were very positive to the extent that the local representative of the film had provisionally booked the use of Fort Ricasoli for filming. However the producers are now considering an offer from a group of Italian financiers, who promised them millions of euros on condition that they shoot in...
↧

Missing teenager found

January 11, 2014, 7:14 am
$
0
0

Mariah Catania, 15, who had been missing since Friday afternoon, has been found. She was found by the Police in a residence in Marsaxlokk.
↧

New €10 banknote announced

January 13, 2014, 3:44 am
$
0
0

A new €10 banknote was unveiled by the European Central Bank today and will go into circulation on September 23. The new €10 will be easily recognisable as its design is similar to the €10 of the first series. The design incorporates advances in banknote technology, making the note more resistant to counterfeiting. It will also be more durable. The banknotes of the Europa series are being introduced gradually over several years. The ECB’s Executive Board member Yves Mersch , who unveiled the new €10 banknote said it had several new and enhanced security features. For example, like the new €5, it includes a portrait of Europa – a figure from Greek mythology and the origin of the continent’s name – in the hologram and the watermark. “Today is also a chance to highlight the importance of maintaining people’s trust in the euro. One of the main reasons for introducing a new series of notes is to ensure that everyone who uses them can continue to do so with complete confidence”. Like the first series of euro banknotes, the new €10 banknote will be very easy to check manually and visually, using the “feel, look and tilt” method. In addition to the portrait of Europa in the hologram...
↧
Viewing all 77260 articles
Browse latest View live
Search
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>