Exploitation How unjust it is that the powerful pamper the mega contractors and other business tycoons who, in pursuit of compulsive, massive self-enrichment, go against the common good. The environment in these little islands we call home is being ruined on a daily basis. Humble foreigners working in many economic sectors, especially construction and catering, are exploited mercilessly. They accept the crumbs they get, which though, sometimes, probably better than what they could earn in their poor native countries, are crumbs, nonetheless. They are often not employed legally, live in unhygienic squalor in groups – to be able to pay the rent – and are even charged exorbitant fees by agents who bring them to Malta. Why aren’t these agents investigated? An economy built on this widespread injustice is a very dark blot on our collective conscience. Economic prosperity needs to be earned justly and aimed at the common good, not stolen from the poor. Carmel Zammit – Naxxar   Don’t destroy Għarb I am an Għarb resident and I am just one of the many who are not amused and are vociferously objecting to the proposed development of a seven-storey care home in the locality. Għarb is still...

Din l-Art Ħelwa categorically rejects the approval of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for a Comino hotel and bungalows by the ERA board on July 17. The current plans for a luxury hotel and a new village of 19 bungalows is another nail in the coffin for the last relatively unspoiled nature area in our archipelago. Where will the destruction and the commercialisation of Malta’s natural environment stop? Din l-Art Ħelwa and several other NGOs strongly objected to the proposed EIA but, as expected, our objections were simply brushed aside. Let us be clear: the proposed project is not about the conservation and protection of Comino, a unique and important Natura 2000 site that we have an obligation to preserve for future generations but more about the destruction and commercialisation of an island that is one of the last remaining pristine natural habitats of the Maltese islands. We oppose a new village in Comino. Din l-Art Ħelwa is very concerned about the environmental and visual impact of the proposal. The introduction of a new residential town (with restaurant and convenience store) at the bay of Santa Marija has effectively been given the green light, on the...

Young people are heading towards a crisis. Our fundamental right to enjoy property is in danger. Does it even remain a right if you have to pay for it? What happens if you can’t afford it? Will you have one less constitutional right than another Maltese person? So, the crisis isn’t just about property. It becomes a question of basic equality and justice in society. This is the situation. Grant Thornton and Dhalia published a study on the property situation in Malta and the results were bleak. Since 2013, the prices of property have doubled with the lowest asking price for property being about €200,000. With that amount, one may own a property of 115m². For reference, this is the same as seven parking spaces or a quarter of a basketball court, in which you are expected to live a happy, healthy life. To break it down even more, the average person must pay €1,739 per square metre. The sum of €200,000 is apparently the price of four kidneys on the black market. And even though in the article the amount was estimated in dollars, it doesn’t matter. A few days ago the dollar had the same price as a euro. How is this relevant? Crazy inflation. The European Central Bank is trying to...

Last week, a number of civil society groups announced they will be contesting the Planning Authority’s much-maligned DC15 policy in the law courts. The groups argue that this policy permits more floors than the local plans allow, and the result has been the irreversible damage wrought to village cores and towns around the Maltese islands. In some instances, buildings of up to five floors are being allowed in areas where the local plan specifies that the maximum number of floors is two or three. The groups argue that the PA has bypassed the local plans to allow the construction of more floors. Not only has this caused a contradiction in the PA’s own policies but the DC15’s Annex 2 – unlike the 2006 local plans – has not been approved by a parliamentary vote. There are a few key takeaways from civil society’s umpteenth recourse to the law courts. First, the matter has been met with complete, yet unsurprising, silence from the PA, the minister for planning and, obviously, the prime minister. This shows there’s no will to reform the contentious policies, far less to understand the grievances brought forward by civil society. By extension, it means that the government shall continue...

Young sprinter Matthew Galea Soler rewrote history books for Maltese sport at the European Youth Olympic Festival when he secured a bronze medal in the 400 metres final in Banska Bystrica in Slovakia on Thursday. Starting on lane one in the final, Galea Soler stormed around the track to cross the finish line in an excellent time of 48.84 seconds to place third overall. It was a marvellous display by Galea Soler who became Malta’s first ever medallist at these Games. His time was a new national record in the U-18, U-20 and U-23 age groups as well as a new personal best. His previous best time was 49.09 seconds he had set in June this year. Israel’s Noam Mamu won the gold medal after topping the race in a new personal best time of 47.60 seconds. Click here for full story

On the occasion of the 18th anniversary of the death of the Servant of God, Dun Mikiel Attard, Bishop Anton Teuma will lead a concelebrated Mass at Ta’ Pinu sanctuary on Friday, July 29, at 8pm. All priests and the faithful are invited to attend. On Saturday, July 30, the anniversary of the death of Dun Mikiel, sanctuary rector Fr Gerald Buhagiar will celebrated Mass with homily at 8.30am, followed by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until noon. Dun Mikiel Attard (1933-2004), of Nadur, was a holy priest who, notwithstanding his death 18 years ago, is still remembered by hundreds who regularly visit his grave at the Nadur cemetery seeking his intercession. In August 2012, former Bishop Mario Grech published the edict formally launching the diocesan process for his beatification. In late 2020, through the initiative of Fr Buhagiar, a painting of Dun Mikiel, by Manuel Farrugia, has been placed on permanent display inside the Immaculate Conception chapel at Ta’ Pinu sanctuary. Also on display is the chasuble of Dun Mikiel, the one worn by the late Bishop Nikol Cauchi who presided over his funeral Mass. Every third Wednesday of the month, a prayer meeting on the spirituality of Dun...

The Maltese are particularly confident in their ability to spot fake news, an EU-wide survey has found. But slightly more are attracted to catchy headlines than to trustworthy media houses.  A Eurobarometer survey published earlier this month found that 79 per cent of the Maltese are confident in their ability to spot disinformation when it is disseminated on social media platforms.  This level of confidence was surpassed only by the Finns, at 81 per cent.  Across all member states, at least a slim majority of respondents feel confident they can recognise disinformation and fake news. There are noticeable differences, however, between socio-demographic groups. Confidence in distinguishing between real news and fake news decreases with age and increases with level of education. Among respondents still in education, 16 per cent reply feeling ‘very confident’ and 55 per cent ‘somewhat confident’ in recognising disinformation and fake news. Meanwhile, the Maltese are noticeably more attracted to catchy headlines than the average Europeans.  35% of Maltese say snappy headline makes them click Some 35 per cent of Maltese respondents said a snappy heading is the most likely thing to...

A 25-year-old man is fighting for his life after a traffic accident in Qormi on Thursday. The police said the accident happened in Triq il-Wied at around 8.15pm The man, who is from Qormi, was hit by a Toyota Vitz that was being driven by a 41-year-old woman from Birkirkara. An inquiry is being held. The police are investigating. Man injured in Msida hit and run In another accident early on Friday, a man was grievously injured following a collision between an e-kick scooter and a car. This accident happened in Triq Dun Karm, Msida at 12.15am on Friday. The police said the victim, a 32-year-old Colombian who lives in St Paul's Bay, was riding an e-kick scooter when he was hit by a vehicle which kept on going. The victim was given first aid by a medical team on site and was then taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance. The police are investigating.

FILM Kinemastik International Short Film Festival The 18th edition of the short film festival is taking place between today and Sunday, July 31, at the Msida Bastion Cemetery and Historic Garden.  This evening's programme will open with a sunset deejay and cocktail session at 6.30pm. Two short film programmes will be screened between 8.30 and 11pm, to be followed by a live gig by Double Standard and later, a set by the Kinemastik resident deejays. Tomorrow, there will be a sunset DJ session with Joon at 6.30pm to be followed by another two short film programmes and Les Nuits Comiques, featuring Dean Weangrow, Nigel Baldacchino and Campbell Reid on the decks. The children’s festival, Little Rock People, will be held on Sunday. For more information, visit www.kinemastik.org and Kinemastik’s Facebook page. One may also read this Times of Malta interview. MUSIC The 80s & 90s Music Festival, featuring Typically Tina The fifth edition of the 80s & 90s Music Festival in aid of Inspire Malta is featuring a tribute act to Tina Turner, Typically Tina. The event, taking place today in St Benedict Street, Kirkop, will also feature local band Lighthouse and deejays Alex ‘Reflex’ Grech, Sue...

Justinian the Great would have been proud. The Basilica Cistern he built for the capital of his Eastern Roman Empire in modern-day Istanbul has reopened after a five-year makeover that has transformed the water storage site into a refreshingly cool haven of underground sound and light. Built in AD 542 near the Hagia Sophia mosque - then a cathedral - the basilica was once part of a network of more than 100 cisterns begun by the Romans and completed by the Byzantines and Ottomans to supply the city and its palaces with running water. Known in Turkey as Yerebatan Sarnici ("the cistern buried underground"), its rows of water-steeped columns gained fame on the silver screen when they featured in a scene from the 1963 James Bond film "From Russia With Love". But the city had to partially close the site for restoration in 2017 over fears the basilica could crumble if the slightest tremor of an earthquake were to jolt Istanbul. It has been completely shut since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, allowing workers to strengthen and clean up the 138-metre by 65-metre (453-foot by 213-foot) water palace, said Aysen Kaya, deputy head of the municipality's heritage department. Steel rods were...

All three Maltese football teams competing in the UEFA Europa Conference League progressed to the third round on Thursday evening, marking a historic first for Maltese football. Gżira United defeated Serbia’s Radnicki on penalties, having clawed their way back into the game no fewer than three times in a dramatic 3-3 draw. The two teams had also drawn the first leg of the match-up, 2-2. Ħamrun Spartans beat Velez Mostar 1-0 at the Centenary Stadium to qualify 2-0 on aggregate, while Hibernians drew 1-1 in Estonian capital Tallinn to defeat Levadia Tallinn 4-3 on aggregate and make it to the third round for the second successive year.  It is the first time in local football history that multiple teams have qualified for the third round of a UEFA competition in the same season.  Even Prime Minister Robert Abela took time out to mark the event, writing on social media that the three teams' success would inspire local sports to achieve greater things.  The three teams will continue their European football runs next week, when the third round of the Europa Conference League begins. Gżira will face Wolfsberger from Austria, Ħamrun Spartans will play against Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia...

A woman who sued Bob Dylan for allegedly sexually abusing her when she was 12 has dropped her case, just after the folk-rock artist’s legal team accused her of destroying evidence. In August of last year, the plaintiff, who remains unnamed and was identified only as J.C., had filed a suit alleging that Dylan abused her over a six-week period between April and May of 1965. It alleged Dylan “exploited his status as a musician” to provide “alcohol and drugs and sexually abuse her multiple times” at the famed Chelsea hotel in Manhattan. The suit also accused Dylan, who turned 81 in May, of physically threatening the girl. At the time a spokesperson for Dylan, who was born Robert Zimmerman, had dubbed the accusation “untrue”.  In a letter Dylan’s legal team filed with the federal court on Wednesday, they accused the plaintiff of deleting important text messages, and suggested that “monetary sanctions” were necessary. On Thursday, Dylan’s lawyers said the plaintiff had dropped the case. Lawyers for the plaintiff did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment. “This case is over,” said Dylan’s lead counsel, Orin Snyder, in a statement given to AFP. “It is outrageous that it...

Towed away gleefully as if it were parked illegally, the Soviet-era armoured personnel carrier doesn't look so intimidating as it is paraded before the delighted Ukrainians gathered to celebrate its seizure. Theoretically, the 1970s MT-LB belongs to the Russian forces but they abandoned it in Ukraine's northeast, around 30 kilometres from the warring neighbours' shared border. It was found by tractor driver Vitaliy Denysenko, who grins, a mischievous twinkle in his eye, as he pulls his prize around a field in the village of Mala Rogan, where it was left during a hasty withdrawal at the end of March. "We needed two tractors to pull it out, which we were able to do after the military demined the field," the 44-year-old tells a group of reporters gathered to cover the spectacle. Footage of Russian tanks and other military vehicles being towed away by plucky Ukrainian tractors has appeared regularly on social media since Moscow's February 24 invasion of Ukraine and quickly became a defining image of the country's resistance.  Denysenko followed the example of farmers across the country by donating his quarry to the military. "We could not use it for ourselves. What could we do with...

Artist Sabrina Debono decides to submerge herself in concrete as part of an exhibition about safeguarding the natural environment Photo: Sabrina Debono An artist has created a new installation about the uprooting of the natural environment and overdevelopment, which features the use of felled tree stumps that were cut down to make way for the controversial Central Link project. Sabrina Debono, who had a front seat view of the destruction of the trees that came before the road-widening exercise, was moved to collect the stumps two years ago when the landscape she had grown accustomed to changed dramatically to make room for the new project. A teacher for 15 years, Debono decided to change track and started reading for an MA in fine arts to pursue her passion for painting. “I typically paint in oils and acrylics and I love the Maltese landscape. The environment has always played an important role in my artistic development,” she said. “I live in Misraħ Kola, Attard and when they started uprooting the trees along the Central Link project I thought it would make sense to collect them and that it could contribute to art that feels effective. “I had grown up with these trees and, ...

A man riding an e-kick scooter was left grievously injured early on Friday morning in what police say was a hit-and-run incident.  The incident happened on the Msida end of the Birkirkara bypass at 12.15am.  The victim, a 32-year-old Colombian who lives in St Paul's Bay, was riding an e-kick scooter when he was hit by a vehicle which kept on going. He was given first aid by a medical team on site and was then taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance. The police are investigating.

Plácido Domingo and Joseph Calleja thrilled a sell-out audience with a captivating repertoire of popular classics in the picture-perfect setting of Fort Manoel on Tuesday night. Featuring as the special guest at Calleja’s 25th-anniversary concert, Domingo rolled back the years with stellar renditions of Spanish classics Granada and No Puede Ser. Calleja brought a touch of West Side Story to the evening before the two opera stars got together to bring the crowd to their feet with performances of Torna a Surriento and Brindisi. The Maltese tenor thanked the Spanish legend for providing him with a “goosebumps moment” after fulfilling a long-term objective to sing alongside Domingo in Malta. The two have performed together on several occasions in the past but until now never got together in Calleja’s homeland. The spectacle at Manoel Island during the concert. The night was also illuminated by the silky voices of Italian-American soprano Jeanette Vecchione-Donatti and mezzo-soprano Marvic Monreal, Laetitia Grimaldi Spitzer and Gillian Zammit, who also directed the BOV Children’s Choir that took part in the concert. Domingo also jokingly turned his hand to conducting the Malta...

Mġarr United women’s team have announced their third summer signing in Yulya Carella. Carella is tipped as one of the most promising players in the local women’s game and is also part of the Malta U-19’s squad, playing 5 times in this category. Click here for full story. 

APS posted record interim results which were in part reversed by negative trends, albeit unrealised, of the investment in APS SICAV sub-funds at the group level, the bank's financial statement for the period ended June 30 show. An extract from the Condensed Interim Financial Statements:   The Group The Bank   Jun-22 Jun-21 Jun-22 Jun-21 Profit before tax (€ mio) 1.9 12.2 13.6 11.5 Net interest income (€ mio) 29.8 26.3 29.0 25.6 Operating income before net impairments (€ mio) 27.0 30.4 36.4 29.1 Operating costs (€ mio) (23.0) (19.8) (22.8) (19.3) Net impairment (losses/ gains (€ mio) (0.1) 1.7 (0.1) 1.7 ROAE (%) (2.2) 7.7 9.1 7.8 Capital Adequacy Ratio (%) 19.5 17.5 20.3 17.3 Cost/Income (%) 85.1 65.2 62.5 66.4             Jun-22 Dec-21 Jun-22 Dec-21 Loan book (€ mio) 2,198 2,066 2,198 2,066 Total assets (€ mio) 3,054 2,795 3,050 2,773 Customer deposits (€ mio) 2,619 2,432 2,620 2,433 Total equity (€ mio) 259 221 253 198 Financial Performance For the six months ended June 30, APS Bank...

Several artefacts from the national collection have been loaned by Heritage Malta to be displayed in three temporary exhibitions being held abroad, in line with the agency’s mission to raise its international profile. The Ċippus, which dates back to the 2nd century BC, and which played a crucial role in deciphering the Phoenician alphabet in the 18th century, has been loaned by the National Museum of Archaeology to the Musée Champollion in Figeac, France, for the exhibition Eurêka! Champollion 2022 – Déchiffrements. Marking 200 years since the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs by Jean-François Champollion, this exhibition explores deciphering through history and the tools used by philologists to crack ancient scripts and modern codes. The exhibition runs till October 9. The Ċippus from the collection of the National Museum of Archaeology. The Malta Maritime Museum has loaned 20 artefacts from its collection to the Musée di Bastia in Corsica, for the exhibition Mare furioso: Pirates et corsaires en Méditerranée (XVIe-XIXe siècles), running till December 17. This exhibition boasts more than 200 objects coming from several prestigious museums, dedicated to the less known history...

The remnants of a massive Chinese rocket are expected to fall to Earth on Saturday and may affect Maltese airspace, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency has warned. EU space surveillance and tracking experts estimate that debris generated by the 20-tonne rocket will enter the Earth’s atmosphere between Saturday and Sunday. The debris will fall to Earth in an uncontrolled entry, making it impossible for experts to precisely calculate where exactly the rocket remnants will land.  But the EASA believes that Malta is among the countries that should be on alert. Debris may also land in airspace belonging to Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal or Spain, it said.  These countries have been advised to implement and notify airspace restrictions for a 200km-wide path around the forecasted reentry paths.   A more detailed prediction could be available only a few hours before impact,” the agency said.  The 53m-long Long March CZ-5B rocket took off from Hainan Island, China on July 24 and delivered a new module to China's space station on Monday.   Once its job was completed, the rocket went into an uncontrolled descent toward Earth’s atmosphere, without a clear indication of...