Education and Sport Minister Clifton Grima has backed calls for better public access to potentially life-saving defibrillators, following the sudden death of a 22-year-old while playing football. The minister also said he wants first aid training to be given in schools. Justin Tabone collapsed on a football pitch during a match with friends at St Aloysius College Sports Complex on Monday night. First aiders administered CPR for 15 minutes but could not locate a defibrillator (AED). He died in hospital. The Malta Resuscitation Council said the device – which gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone in cardiac arrest – needs to be accessible to the public and easily located. “For every minute the shock is delayed, the chance of survival decreases by seven per cent,” the council said. “That is why AEDs were developed to guide a non-trained by-stander to deploy them effectively using voice prompts.” It recommended that all entities considering installing an AED should do so in a place that is easily accessible and has appropriate signage so it is easy to locate. All those entities that already have AEDs within their premises should consider moving them to a public...

Even though the gender gap within the digital era has been persistent throughout the years, women and technology have no contradiction to one another. History has shown us several women making their way through their contributions to mathematics and computing.  Despite the fact that women in tech are gaining ground, with 10.3 per cent of females choosing to pursue a STEM career according to the 2021 Global Gender Gap Report, the underrepresentation in the tech field is still perceived as they are facing headwinds from education to employment to business.  Studies by Microsoft pinpoint that we only have a few years to cherish a girl's affection for STEM before they give up on it as they turn 15. Most female undergraduates will embark on STEM courses after early exposure to STEM subjects. We have witnessed girls younger than 21 with a keen interest in tech and coding before age 16. With Gen Z, girls are considered digital natives, with 25 per cent before age 15 due to educational opportunities. Over the years, several research bodies have suggested that diverse teams are more innovative and result in better performance within a workplace. Industry leaders now recognise this and...

An international group of media freedom watchdogs is seeking a meeting with Robert Abela over the need for "urgent reforms" after the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.  In a statement, the NGOs noted that judicial proceedings had made very limited progress despite a broad outcry for full justice and accountability for Caruana Galizia’s assassination.  Caruana Galizia was assassinated outside her home by a car bomb in October 2017.  The NGOs called out the government for being slow to implement press freedom reforms recommended by the public inquiry into Caruana Galizia's murder.  It has also failed to organise proper public consultation on legislative proposals in this regard, the NGOs said.  On Monday, the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM) warned the government that it will pull out of the media reform process unless legislation on media protection is opened for consultation. The NGOs said its representatives will focus on the "other systemic failings" that continue to negatively affect Malta’s press freedom climate.  The NGOs include ARTICLE 19 Europe, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF),...

Three police officers accused of kidnapping and beating foreign nationals are in court on Thursday as the compilation of evidence begins against them. The trio - Luca Brincat (20) from Qormi, Rica Mifsud Grech (22) from Floriana, and Jurgen Falzon (24) from Sta Venera - deny the charges.  During their arraignment the court heard claims that the kidnappings happened at least three times and that one of their victims was so badly beaten that he lost consciousness. The allegations arose from a complaint lodged with the police internal affairs unit by those who worked on the same shift as the accused. LIVE BLOG Bodycams reveal another incident 11.50am Police examined the bodycams of the officers. Brincat's bodycam showed that on September 13 there was another alleged beating.  The victim had told a sergeant at Ħamrun police station about this. It was recorded on Brincat’s bodycam. The footage showed Jurgen, Luca and Ryan come out of the police car with a foreign national. He had been arrested over harassing a woman. Lydon said that upon arrest Brincat had suggested to Falzon taking the man to Qormi. Falzon retorted “as if. It’s still light.” Falzon pushed and elbowed the man. He...

Eurowings Europe, a subsidiary of Germany’s Lufthansa airline, has transferred its registration to Malta and has been granted an air operator certificate by Transport Malta. It was previously registered in Austria. “We aspire to become Europe’s number one value airline,” airline officials said on Thursday. The company has 20 aircraft which are being registered under the Maltese aviation register. “Malta has a unique and undisputed reputation as a jurisdiction of choice in the aviation industry," the airline added. Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia welcomed the airline and promised agility and accessibility from the Maltese register, which, he observed, is close to having 800 aircraft. 

Football fans will this weekend get a rare opportunity to see their reflection in the iconic UEFA Champions League trophy, which is being brought to Malta by Melita. As the Champions League matches – which can be seen live on the TSN sports channel – enter a critical phase, Melita will be showcasing the legendary trophy at its Sliema outlet in Bizazza Street on Friday and at The Point Shopping Mall in Tignè on Saturday and Sunday. Fans will get to take their photo with the trophy held aloft by Marcelo last May and other football legends down the years. Current holders Real Madrid are most successful club in European history, having taken home the prestigious Champions League trophy 14 times. The next round of the Champions League group stage will take place on October 25 and 26.

The Planning Authority board on Thursday unanimously approved an application to increase the height of the Għallis landfill by 15 metres to avoid a waste disposal crisis. The measure will provide space for dumping to continue for a few years until the waste-to-energy plant  (the incinerator) is completed. The new height will extend the landfill's lifetime by up to three years. It cannot grow any further due to engineering limitations, WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca told the PA board. Despite the heavy visual impact from practically all viewpoints, the landfill will grow to 70 metres but will remain 22 metres below the highest point of the infamous Maghtab rubbish dump. “Despite our efforts, the [waste] problem is still big and the daily challenges are massive. The nation needs a culture shift and we will be in a better position to achieve this with new policies in place,” Bilocca said, while admitting that the visual impact cannot be defended. He said this will be mitigated with greenery. He told the board that the extension is a stopgap measure until the waste-to-energy plant is completed. That project will include a new landfill. Agricultural land in the vicinity will continue...

Fourteen European allies signed up Thursday to a German plan to buy new air defence systems together, as NATO looks to bolster its ability to deal with the threat from Russia. The European Sky Shield initiative -- unveiled by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the summer -- will see the countries look to purchase advanced Patriot and Iris-T systems, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said.  The group -- which includes the United Kingdom, Baltic states and NATO invitee Finland -- is also eyeing the potential purchase of the Israeli-American Arrow 3 system, Lambrecht said.  "These are threatening and challenging times," Lambrecht said after the signing of a "letter of intent" on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels.  "We need to fill these gaps quickly." The push for a European air defence system comes as Russia continues to pound Ukraine with ferocious missile barrages almost eight months into its war on its pro-Western neighbour.   NATO allies are scrambling to get more air defence systems to Ukraine but have admitted that they have precious few advanced systems to spare.  The new units to be purchased under the German plan are intended to help protect the skies...

Fifty years on from Pablo Picasso’s death – and five years after the #MeToo movement started highlighting celebrities’ abuse of women – a new exhibition in Paris focuses on one of the early partners of the controversial artist. If Picasso’s reputation has taken a battering in the post-MeToo world, it is in part due to his treatment of Fernande Olivier, his first serious partner. But for Cecile Debray, director of the Picasso Museum in Paris, we cannot just view the artist through the prism of modern-day sensibilities. Possessive and jealous, Picasso would lock Olivier in their ramshackle Paris apartment when he went out and made sure she doted on him while he worked long into the night.  This should not however overshadow the story of their time together, say the organisers of a new exhibition at the Montmartre Museum, in the north of Paris. The new show puts pages from her memoirs alongside dozens of paintings and sculptures by Picasso and others from that famous artists’ circle. “Picasso, due to a sort of morbid jealousy, kept me as a recluse,” Olivier wrote in her diary. “But with tea, books, a divan and little cleaning to do, I was happy, very happy.” But her writings show...

Auctioneers unveiled the most expensive art collection ever to go under the hammer Wednesday, which. It belonged to Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and is valued at $1 billion. Five centuries of touchstone works featuring some of the most significant creators in history are being sold next month. The collection of more than 150 pieces includes work by Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Paul Gauguin and Jasper Johns. “I think this is a sale that sort of exhausts superlatives,” said Johanna Flaum, vice-chairman of 20th and 21st Century Art at auctioneers Christie's. “This is... the most valuable collection ever sold at auction. It's really a once-in-a-generation type of event.” Highlights include La montagne Sainte-Victoire by Paul Cezanne, which is expected to fetch at least $120 million, and Verger avec cypres by Van Gogh, whose hammer price is estimated at over $100 million.  Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, becoming fabulously rich as the company grew into the computing behemoth it is today. Alex Marshall gestures next to Jasper Johns’ ‘Small False Start’ part of the Paul Allen collection. By the time he died in 2018 at the age of 65, he had bought some of the...

Union Berlin on Wednesday said a stadium visit from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was a “private meeting”, pushing back against fan and media criticism that they had hosted the hardline leader. Orban visited Union’s Stadion An der Alte Foersterei on Tuesday, meeting with Hungarian midfielder Andras Schafer. Orban shared pictures of the meeting, some of which showed him being presented with a Union shirt, widely on social media on Tuesday evening. Click here for full story. 

This year´s Ramla l-Ħamra turtle nest yielded no hatchlings because it was swamped by rough seas, the environment authority (ERA) said on Thursday. It said that although the eggs were transferred to an incubator, veterinarians confirmed that the embryos had stopped developing when the strong waves  submerged the nest, before they were transferred.   71 loggerhead turtles are known to have hatched from a nest found at Ramla l-Ħamra last year. Another 57 hatched in 2020 at the same bay.  ERA and Nature Trust said it was important that they were alerted as soon as possible about any turtle nesting. ERA thanked volunteers who had tried to protect the nest (using sand bags), veterinarians and the NTM and ERA officials involved in monitoring the nest. The nest protection was overcome by rough seas.  

The Kalkara local council is “comfortable” with plans filed by Transport Malta seeking to extend moorings in the marina, Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia claimed on Thursday.  The council had previously filed a lengthy formal objection to the application, citing an additional take-up of public space and endangerment of the existing ecology as some of the reasons why the planning application should be refused. On Thursday, the objection, dated September 30, was still listed as valid on the Planning Authority’s website.  Answering questions from the press, Farrugia said he was informed that councillors had met with Transport Malta to clarify some issues.  Video: Chris Sant Fournier “I know that the local council had expressed some concerns about the project, but I am informed that there was a meeting last week between Transport Malta and the local council and they are comfortable with the work that will be carried out,” he said.  “The moorings are currently scattered, so with a reorganisation, there will be an opportunity to have more moorings.”  “In the coming weeks, Transport Malta will have the opportunity to better explain what it wants to achieve in the area because...

The Malta women’s national team has climbed three places in the latest FIFA rankings published on Thursday, Formerly coached by Mark Gatt, the Maltese side is now into 88th place after their latest victory against Montenegro helped them move from 91st. Malta and Montenegro rubbed shoulders in September’s final 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifier, with the Eastern European nation sitting 87th at the time. Click here for full story. 

ION Harbour restaurant at Iniala Harbour House, Valletta, is hosting a culinary experience on October 28 amd 29 in which resident Michelin star chef Alex Dilling will collaborate with three-Michelin star chef Simon Rogan to create an eight-course menu. Delicacies such as local Maltese pink shrimp with chestnut, white alba truffle and mascarpone, garnished with herbs specially cultivated by Rogan on his farm in the Lake District will be presented. Both chefs have honed their talent to come up with a fascinating menu, a highlight of Malta’s culinary calendar in October.

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has backed Daizen Maeda to end his goal drought after the Japan forward’s misses played a major role in his side’s Champions League exit. Maeda wasted two good chances as Scottish champions Celtic were beaten 2-0 by RB Leipzig in Glasgow on Tuesday. The Group F defeat guaranteed Postecoglou’s team will not reach the knockout stages of Europe’s elite club competition. Click here for full story. 

Coiffed to perfection and sporting the latest pedicure, some 70 cats will be parading with their tails held high before three international judges at this weekend’s cat show. Several felines — among them Bengals, British shorthairs, Exotics, Kurilian Bobtails, Maine Coons, Munchkins (also known as sausage cats), Ragdolls, Persians, Russian Blue, Scottish fold, Siberians, and more — will be putting their best paw forward in the hope of clinching one of the top prizes. Organised by the Malta Feline Guardians Club, the Malta World Cat Federation Jubilee International Cat Show is being held on Saturday and Sunday at Montekristo Estates in Ħal Farruġ Road, Siġġiewi. Apart from getting the chance to admire the very diverse cats, visitors will get to watch a couple of classes where the judges will share their knowledge on what characteristics they look for in each breed. Cats with crooked teeth, poor coat texture, untrimmed nails, a kinked tail, weeping eyes and a too-flat or too-high skull will get points docked. It is not uncommon for cat owners to spend hours grooming their cats to perfection before a show, and having a long-haired cat requires time and commitment. Depending on the...

Non-Europeans who want to bring their startups to Malta can now benefit from a three-year residency permit for themselves and their immediate family, Enterprise Minister Miriam Dalli said on Thursday. Founders of startups will then be able to renew residency for another five years, while core employees - earning more than €30,000 a year - can renew it for a further three years. After five years of legally living in Malta, they can apply for long-term residency.  Dalli launched the Malta Startup Residence Programme at a startup festival organised by Malta Enterprise for secondary school students and youths to meet established entrepreneurs.  Dalli said the government wanted to turn the country into a hub for startups, however, it would also ensure proper due diligence, and only the best and most innovative businesses, with sound business plans, would be considered.  The initiative, she added, would provide entrepreneur-hopefuls with the opportunity to bring their ideas and technology to a European market with access to the rest of the world. Dalli noted that 56 per cent of jobs created by startups in Malta are filled by Maltese talent, while the average wage stood at €40,000.

The owners of a Valletta property were awarded almost €600,000 in damages after successfully challenging a requisition order that, for many years, caused them “serious hardship” breaching their fundamental rights.  The case concerned a building in Merchants Street, originally acquired by the present-day owners’ predecessor in title in 1943.  Up to 1975, the premises were used to house the offices of the director of social security. However, in May 1975, the housing secretary notified the owners that the property was to be rented for residential use and that the tenant was to pay the Lm80 fixed as rent directly to the landlord.  But the then-owner refused to accept that and filed court proceedings seeking authorisation not to acknowledge the tenant.  The owner won the case and the decision was confirmed on appeal in 1990, but subsequently, the premises were allocated by Housing to another lessee. Eventually, third parties were allowed to occupy the place and substantial parts of the premises were even converted for commercial use, without the necessary licences or permits in place.  The sizeable building was partitioned into separate units consisting of flats as well as an...

On Friday, October 28, at 7.30 pm, artist Izabela Klara Biskupska will participate in a multidisciplinary art performance, Woman that survived, that will be using the human body, voice, photography, video and lyrics to express the deepest feelings and emotions of a woman. Biskupska is an international artist and performer of Polish origin. Currently, she works in Gozo as a hypnotherapist and coach. The performer will create a live painting that would be exposed to a silent auction afterward. Arthall of 8, Triq Agius de Soldanis, Victoria, Gozo will host the event. The guests are invited to be silent during the performance and to avoid conversation and interaction with the artist. Other artworks by the artist will be on show and available for sale. The event will not be visible from the street outside. There is an entrance fee of €8 and tickets can be purchased from the gallery by sending an e-mail to arthallgozo@gmail.com.