Scientists discover evidence of Zika link to neurological disorder

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a rare response to infection, resulting in the immune system attacking peripheral nerves

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Brooklyn judge denies motion to access locked iPhone in drugs case

The ruling in Brooklyn centres on the same point as the San Bernardino case, where the FBI have requested access to the locked smartphone of the man who killed 14 people in December

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In the Press: Mizzi to close contentious Panama company after tax audit

Stories from today's national press

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Critics punch holes in Bonnici’s justice reform bill

The new system, proposed in the aftermath of the sharp criticism of the government for dragging its feet on recommendations by the Bonello commission, would appoint judges and magistrates on recommendations of a judicial appointments commission.

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Panama allows secret shares that are impossible to track – experts

It is impossible to audit a complex financial vehicle such as the one formed by Energy and Health Minister Konrad Mizzi, experts in the field of trusts have told the Times of Malta. Panama is one of the few jurisdictions that still allows the registration of companies holding bearer shares. This is the highest level of secrecy still permitted in the financial world and, according to experts, puts transparency into serious doubt. "Bearer shares have been outlawed in the EU and only a few jurisdictions in the world still allow it. With the proviso of bearer shares one can never really know what and who is behind a company, whether it has such shares and what assets are being traded," one expert said. "This is why whoever wants to be transparent cannot have at the same time such companies in Panama." Bearer shares are physical certificates which are owned by whoever has possession of them (or bears them). These are unlike registered shares, which are registered to a person in a registry. Bearer shares can be traded very quickly and easily, by simply handing over the shares to the new shareholder. This means companies with bearer shares can change owners many times without anyone...

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Poverty in Malta ‘an invisible but ugly reality’, Child Commissioner warns

Pauline Miceli reiterates that use of children in fundraising campaigns is 'pathetic', draws parallels with child orphans begging on the streets in the past    

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Testimony continues: Australian cardinal denies deflecting child sex abuse blame

Interrupted by jeers from observers, one of Pope Francis' top advisers on Tuesday denied an accusation that his testimony to an inquiry into child sex abuse was an attempt to deflect blame for the Catholic Church transferring Australia's worst pedophile priest from parish to parish.

Australian Cardina George Pell was a priest in the 1970s in the town of Ballarat where he advised Bishop Ronald Mulkearns about the placement of priests within the diocese.

Pell, now the pope's top financial adviser, told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that he had no idea that priest Gerald Ridsdale was repeatedly transferred by the bishop for more than a decade because of pedophile accusations.

Pell rejected an accusation made by the lead counsel assisting the commission, Gail Furness, that his answers were designed to remove his own responsibility for Ridsdale's crimes.

"My answers were designed to answer your questions accurately and completely," Pell told the Sydney inquiry via videolink from a Rome hotel.

Asked if he accepted any responsibility of Ridsdale's repeated transfers within the Ballarat diocese, Pell replied: "No, I don't."

The royal commission — which is Australia's highest form of investigation — is investigating how Pell dealt with abuse allegations as a priest, educator and adviser to Mulkearns, as well as how the Melbourne archdiocese responded to allegations of abuse, including when Pell served as a Melbourne auxiliary bishop.

Tuesday was the second day of evidence for the 74-year-old cleric, who because of ill health could not travel to Australia to give evidence in person at the inquiry into decades of child abuse.

On Monday, Pell dubbed Mulkearns' handling of Ridsdale a "catastrophe for the church." He said Mulkearns was a prime candidate for the Vatican's proposed tribunal for negligent bishops, although there is no indication the elderly Mulkearns would stand trial by the time the tribunal is operational.

Commission chairman Peter McClellan asked Pell on Tuesday whether it was surprising that he hadn't heard rumors about the scandal Ridsdale had created in the diocese.

"Not necessarily, given the work I was doing," Pell said. "I wasn't working full-time in the diocese."

Furness said that as an adviser to the bishop — one of a group of Ballarat priests known as the College of Consultors — Pell should have questioned why Ridsdale was frequently transferred.

"I was happy to take the bishop's word that it was appropriate for him to be shifted," Pell said.

"Gentle and euphemistic language ... was regularly used by Bishop Mulkearns on these occasions, so that some of us were kept in the dark," he said.

Pell accompanied Ridsdale to court in 1993 when the pedophile faced his first child molesting charges. He was convicted in 1993, 2006 and 2013 with sexually abusing more than 50 children.

Pell told the royal commission said Mulkearns' refusal to act on the allegations against Ridsdale was extraordinary.

"Unfortunately, I would have to say that I can't nominate another bishop whose actions are so grave and inexplicable," Pell said.

Pell agreed with McClellan that even if a priest did not have a legal responsibility to stop Ridsdale's crimes, a priest would have a moral responsibility to do whatever he could to prevent such abuses.

"I think that is a reasonable proposition," Pell said.

The Royal Commission in December accepted medical advice that 85-year-old Mulkearns was dying and was unfit to testify. He was Ballarat's bishop from 1971 until he retired in 1997.

The bishop's former adviser, priest John McKinnon, told the Royal Commission in December that Mulkearns was "profoundly sorry" for relocating suspected pedophile priests, but could no longer remember details.

Ballarat, Pell's hometown, has been devastated by disclosures about the huge number of abuse victims, scores of whom killed themselves in a cluster of abuse-related suicides.

Two dozen Australian abuse survivors and their companions traveled across the globe to witness Pell's testimony in a hotel conference room, a significant show of accountability in the church's long-running abuse saga.

Pell said priests didn't discuss with him the allegations against Ridsdale.

Pell's testimony was interrupted by jeers from the public gallery as he explained the moral framework in which priests live.

"We work within a framework of Christian moral teaching, or certainly we should, and discussion of the secret faults of others is not encouraged," Pell said.

Furness told Pell that Ridsdale's crimes were not "secret," since they were common knowledge in the towns of Apollo Bay and Inglewood where Ridsdale had been the parish priest and police had reported their suspicions to the church.

Pell said he had not known the sexual abuse was common knowledge in Inglewood.

"I didn't know whether it was common knowledge or whether it wasn't. It's a sad story and it wasn't of much interest to me," Pell said, bringing audible gasps and jeers from the public gallery.

Andrew Collins, a clergy abuse victim from Ballarat, said outside the Rome hotel that he found Pell's denials of any knowledge of pedophilia allegations against Ridsdale " absolutely unbelievable."

"He's always been seen as an ambitious man and ambitious people have knowledge. They crave knowledge," Collins told reporters.

"They know everything that's going on and he wouldn't be in the position he was today if he was the sort of person who sat back and didn't pay attention to what was going on," he added.

Before Pell's testimony on Tuesday, he told reporters: "I've got the full backing of the pope."

The Vatican said a private audience Pell had with the pope on Monday was a long-scheduled appointment related to Pell's duties as Holy See finance minister, and had nothing to do with the abuse hearings.

Pell will testify for a third four-hour session late on Tuesday Rome time.

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Maltese newspapers review

The following are the top stories in the national press today. Minister's Konrad Mizzi's Panama company continues to dominate most of the newspapers today. Times of Malta says Energy and Health Minister Konrad Mizzi said he will close down his contentious Panamanian company as the Opposition called a national protest against corruption. The newspaper also speaks to Justice Minister Owen Bonnici who defended his judicial reform Bill saying it was constitutionally sound. Opposition spokesman Jason Azzopardi, however, warned that there will be no consensus unless it was changed from scratch. The Malta Independent also leads with Dr Mizzi's statement that he will be closing his Panama company "to avoid baseless speculation and also to respond to genuine feedback". In-Nazzjon dedicates most of its front page to a news conference given by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil yesterday evening during which he announced the national protest against corruption. L-Orizzont says that PN president Ann Fenech's company Fenech & Fenech Advocates was given 150 contracts by direct order from Air Malta to a total value of €510,000.

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Priest hits out at Church’s ‘nonsensical’ doctrine on homosexuality

Malta Gay Rights movement coordinator says Church still favours heterosexualty over homosexuality, backs full marriage equality

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Napoli held to 1-1 draw at Fiorentina in Serie A, Juventus now with 3-point lead

Second-place Napoli was held to a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina in Serie A on Monday, allowing Juventus to open up a three-point lead with 11 rounds remaining in the Italian league.

"We took a point away from a difficult stadium," Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina said. "We're going to continue to fight for the title."

Marcos Alonso put Fiorentina ahead after six minutes by meeting a corner with a header.

It only took 67 seconds for Napoli to equalize, with a poor clearance from Alonso turning into an assist for Gonzalo Higuain's league-best 25th goal of the season.

Fiorentina had several chances to reclaim the lead before the break, with Nikola Kalinic and Cristian Tello each hitting the crossbar and Milan Badelj missing a long-distance effort.

"The performance of the squad was very positive," Fiorentina coach Paulo Sousa said.

Juventus beat Inter Milan 2-0 on Sunday.

Earlier, seventh-place Sassuolo beat eighth-place Lazio 2-0 in Rome with a penalty from Domenico Berardi before the break and a second-half goal from Gregoire Defrel.

It was Napoli's third straight match without a win in the league and fifth overall including its elimination by Villarreal from the Europa League - a streak that began with a loss to Juventus.

"We've been facing big teams like Juventus, Milan and Fiorentina and we know it's never easy to win in Italy," Reina said.

Fiorentina dropped to fourth, level on points with third-place Roma.

Apart from Higuain's goal, the first half belonged to a Fiorentina squad that is admired for its Spanish-style passing game.

Kalinic had only the goalkeeper to beat when he launched a shot off the bar and then Tello danced around a couple of defenders before hitting the corner of the goal frame.

Napoli's two shots in the first half were the fewest the southern club has produced this season.

Midway through the second half, Fiorentina goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu made difficult saves on efforts from Jose Callejon and then a rebound from Higuain.

Tatarusanu also stopped a potential winner from Lorenzo Insigne in added time, diving to push the shot wide.

Fiorentina doesn't have much time to recuperate before visiting Roma on Friday in a showdown for third place and the final Champions League berth.

Napoli hosts Chievo Verona on Saturday.

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US student confesses to 'severe crimes' - North Korea

North Korea says American student Otto Warmbier has confessed to trying to steal a propaganda slogan, considered a "severe crime" against the state. Natasha Howitt reports.

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Birkirkara and Floriana in a must-win situation

Premier League clubs will have little time for a breather following the weekend matches as action resumes with a full programme between today and tomorrow. Leaders Valletta will fancy their chances of protecting their two-point lead at the top when they take on lowly Naxxar Lions. Paul Zammit's men come into the match on the back of six successive victories and start favourites to bag another three points against a Naxxar side with just one win to show from their last four outings. Hibernians, Valletta's closest challengers at the moment, have a far more challenging match as they face a... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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Owen Bonnici defends his ‘autocratic’ judicial reform Bill

Justice Minister Owen Bonnici has defended his judicial reform Bill, which has come under fire, saying it was constitutionally sound but Opposition spokesman Jason Azzopardi warned that there will be no consensus unless it is changed from scratch. Dr Bonnici reacted quickly to counter the scathing attack on his Bill by a constitutional expert and a former European Court of Human Rights judge, who described the proposal as "fake", "autocratic" and "unconstitutional". "The government's proposal is constitutionally sound and strengthens the independence of the judiciary. "This being said, however, the government is always open to ideas and suggestions on how to improve the legislative proposal," he said in a Talking Point article carried on today's back page. He was reacting to a similar opinion piece penned by the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the university, Kevin Aquilina, and comments sought by this newspaper from the very person who headed the Justice Reform Commission, Giovanni Bonello. Following the Bonello Commission's recommendations made in 2013, Dr Bonnici presented a Bill last week reforming mechanisms used to appoint and discipline judges and magistrates. The Bonello...

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Leicester stay strong ahead of “squeaky-bum time”

Alex Ferguson famously described the Premier League title run-in as "squeaky-bum time" and leaders Leicester City and second-placed Tottenham Hotspur look best-placed to handle the pressure. Leicester host West Brom tonight with the chance to extend their lead at the top to five points after an inspired substitution by manager Claudio Ranieri secured a vital late win over Norwich City. Spurs visit West Ham tomorrow and Arsenal entertain Swansea desperate to show they are still genuine contenders following a depressing 3-2 defeat by a patched-up Man. United side. Ranieri sent on striker Leonardo Ulloa in place of a defender against Norwich and his last-gasp goal sealed a 1-0 victory that kept Leicester in pole position to win the title for the first time. "When you change and the change finds the solution it is fantastic," Ranieri told reporters. "We took the risk. The manager is hired for this reason." Tottenham held their nerve to see off Swansea 2-1 on Sunday and the Welsh side are in north London again to face an Arsenal team under huge pressure. They failed to take advantage of a callow United side fielding a makeshift central defence. This raised more doubts about their...

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BOV Premier League statistics

BalzanEffiong 12; Micallef 11; Vujacic 6; Mensha 3, Da Silva Souza 3 (1 pen), Pedrinho 3; Zarate, Grioli, Darmanin, Focsa, Valero, R. Fenech, P. Fenech, Kaljevic. Own goal: Tanti (vs Pembroke). Red cards: Valero (vs Floriana); P. Fenech (vs Mosta); Pedrinho (vs Pembroke Athleta). BirkirkaraPlut 8; Camenzuli 7; Miccoli 6 (3 pens); Liliu 4; Smrekar 3, Z. Muscat 3, Seydi 3; Fenech 2, Scicluna 2, Temile 2, Agius 2; Sciberras, Vukanac, Mazzetti, Barraso, Mujanovic. Own goal: Sidibe (vs Qormi). Red cards: Mazzetti (vs Mosta); Zerafa (vs Floriana); Temile (vs Pembroke); Kopric (vs Pembroke). FlorianaFontanella 12 (6 pens); Villa 8 (2 pens), Piciollo 8; Juninho 3 (1 pen); Bonnici 2, Scozzese 2, Chiesa 2, S. Pisani 2; Marcelina, Monticelli. Own goal: Uzeh (vs St Andrew's). Red cards: Pepe (vs Hibs); Calleja Cremona (vs Tarxien). HiberniansJorge 12, Gilmar 12; Jorginho 8; Cohen 6; Failla 5 (4 pens), Kristensen 5, Agius 5; Degabriele 3; Edison 2; Denni, Pearson, Lima. Own goals: Scozzese (vs Floriana); Caruana (vs Valletta). Red cards: Lima (vs Floriana); Denni (vs Naxxar); Agius (vs Pembroke, Mosta); Borg (vs Tarxien); Diosdado (vs Qormi); Lima (vs Qormi). QormiNilsson 5, Leeflang 5 (1...

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Keeping my word is more important than titles says Pellegrini

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini saw his side win the League Cup final on Sunday with a penalty shootout success over Liverpool but insisted afterwards his word was more important to him than the result. Pellegrini had faced criticism when he confirmed understudy goalkeeper Willy Caballero would play at the Wembley showpiece in place of first-choice Joe Hart, despite an unsure display in the FA Cup hammering at Chelsea the weekend before. But, after Fernandinho's opener for City was cancelled out by Philippe Coutinho, an entertaining cup final ended 1-1 after extra- time and in the ensuing penalty shootout, Caballero was to become the hero – saving three Liverpool kicks as Pellegrini's side took the trophy. "I prefer to lose the title than to lose my word, there wasn't any chance for Willy Caballero not to play," he said. "Maybe your word is not important, maybe the most important thing is to win things, but I think my word is more important than football. "If you are sure you are going to win it, I would want to win it in this way with Willy being the hero. "Willy is a very good goalkeeper. Fortunately for us he waited until the end and never tried to guess which side...

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India unveils fire-fighting budget to placate voters, sustain growth

India unveiled a fire-fighting budget yesterday that seeks to win back support among rural voters for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and sustain growth against a grim global backdrop – all without borrowing more. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's third budget marked a strategic shift by addressing rural distress in a country of 1.3 billion, where two-fifths of families rely on farming and are reeling from two years of drought. At the same time it hiked public investment in India's woeful infrastructure by 22.5 per cent, while taking further steps to revive corporate investment that Modi needs to create new jobs for India's burgeoning workforce. "We have a shared responsibility to spend prudently and wisely for the people, especially for the poor and downtrodden," the 63-year-old finance minister told lawmakers in his 100-minute address. India holds several state elections this year, including in the farming state of West Bengal, with the country's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, going to the polls in 2017. A strong showing will be vital to Modi's chances of a second term. Despite commanding a large majority in Parliament's lower house, Modi's government has failed...

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Investment will take Everton to the next level – Martinez

The investment Everton have secured from British-Iranian billionaire and former Arsenal shareholder Farhad Moshiri will enable the club to challenge for a Champions League berth on a regular basis, manager Roberto Martinez said yesterday. Moshiri has bought a 49.9 per cent stake in Everton subject to Premier League approval, ending the club's decade-long search for investment, and Martinez hopes the feel-good factor will improve results on the pitch over the final third of the season. "We have to look to the UEFA Champions League and we have to become a winning team," the Spaniard told reporters before today's visit to Aston Villa. "That's a broad statement and difficult to achieve but this investment will take us into a different level in terms of being able to get there. "This is the start of a new era. He (Moshiri) will take us to the next level. He is the perfect person to come in." Everton are 12th in the league table and through to the FA Cup quarter-finals where they face Chelsea on March 12. "We have 36 points to fight for and we know we can achieve our aim," he said. "We are still involved with the FA Cup and a home draw will give us an opportunity to progress. So it is...

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Barcelona target new unbeaten record

Barcelona have the chance to write another chapter in Spanish folklore when they take on Rayo Vallecano this week but it is titles and not records that are motivating the Catalan giants. Barca's 2-1 victory over Sevilla on Sunday night saw them extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 34 matches, equalling the Spanish record set by Leo Beenhakker's Real Madrid in 1989. If Luis Enrique's reigning champions avoid defeat at struggling Rayo on Thursday night then the outright record would be theirs, but those sorts of milestones are just a satisfying sub-plot to what is really driving all-conquering Barca. Defender Gerard Pique said: "We're on a good path but records don't mean anything. It's one other thing. It all boils down to titles." Striker Luis Suarez is also looking at the bigger picture, rather than becoming embroiled in a goalscoring contest with Barca team-mates Lionel Messi and Neymar. Suarez, who leads the Primera Division scoring charts with 25 goals – seven ahead of Neymar and nine above Messi, told reporters: "What we prioritise is the group objective. None of us are competing against each other. "I feel content, happy and I'm helping the team, which is the...

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Infantino still says has not been told salary

New FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on his first full working day he still did not know what he would be paid as head of soccer's global governing body. The Swiss said he expected the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup, delayed last year by a scandal which has engulfed FIFA, should begin in the next couple of months. The 2018 and 2022 tournaments, to be staged in Russia and Qatar, had to be the "best in history", he added. Speaking after an informal match with FIFA employees and guests, Infantino said he had still not discussed his salary following his election on Friday. "I have no idea yet," he told reporters. "I know you can't believe it but it's not (for the) money that I was candidate to become FIFA president. I have not discussed with anyone about my pay or what my pay will be. We will see." The salary of Infantino's predecessor Sepp Blatter, suspended from soccer for six years, has never been made public. But reforms agreed by FIFA last week to overcome the corruption scandal included provision for salaries to be open to scrutiny. He said bidding for the 2026 World Cup hosting, which was supposed to have started in 2015 with a decision due in Kuala Lumpur next...

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Valencia fail in their UEFA Youth League appeal

Valencia's appeal against their controversial UEFA Youth League defeat to Chelsea has been rejected by European football's governing body. The Spanish club complained to UEFA after Alberto Gil's spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out was wrongly disallowed during the last-16 match at Chelsea's Cobham training ground last month. Videos showed the ball crossing the line before striking a stanchion and bouncing clear, but both the referee and the official on the goal-line ruled it had hit the post. Chelsea ended up winning the shoot-out 5-3 and Gary Neville, coach of Valencia's senior team, later called the officiating "scandalous". Valencia appealed to UEFA but their complaints had been rebuffed. A Valencia statement said: "Valencia regrets the decision taken by UEFA. We want to en-courage young players to continue to be motivated and continue believing in fair play."

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Football news

Celtic boss Ronny Deila will appeal Dedryck Boyata's red card against Hamilton at New Douglas Park on Friday night. The Hoops defender was sent off for a challenge on Accies striker Carlton Morris just outside the box during the 1-1 draw. Afterwards, Deila said the decision was correct but yesterday he changed his mind. He said: "I have seen it many times on video and I think it is a wrong decision because he was on the ball. We will therefore appeal it." Hiddink seeks doctors' backing Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink has urged doctors at the English FA and Premier League clubs to stand up against a gruelling fixture list. Chelsea have to play four games in 12 days across three competitions after the club's sixth round FA Cup tie with Everton was scheduled for March 12. "Hopefully, the Paris SG game doesn't go into extra time because players need time when the intensity of the league is like it is," Hiddink said. "The medical people at the FA and the Premier League should make this known. Doctors should stand up and say: 'FA, television, whoever.... hey'." Pique not joining Guardiola at City Barcelona defender Gerard Pique has ruled out any chance of him following Pep Guardiola to...

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Virtus stay unbeaten as Luxol eye the play-offs

Gżira Athleta 75Falken Cynergi Virtus 81 (9-22, 17-24, 20-16, 29-19) Virtus maintained their unbeaten league run as they paved the way for victory over Athleta with a superb showing in the opening quarter. Athleta had forward Adrian Micallef back. However, his presence alone was not enough as Joe Galea's men failed to recover from a very shaky start. Michael Naudi was the only one who potted points for Athleta at that juncture. A 15-2 break helped Virtus open a 22-9 lead by the end of the first quarter. Athleta were struggling for pace and a string of three-pointers put Virtus 33-14... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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Airbnb renters find corpse in garden of suburban Paris home

French authorities are investigating the death of a woman whose decomposing body was found in the garden of a rented luxury home in suburban Paris. A group of young people who were renting the house for the weekend through the Airbnb service discovered the badly decomposed body in forest undergrowth on the unfenced property. Bertrand Daillie, deputy prosecutor for Evry, said the corpse was covered by tree branches that had been deliberately placed there. The unidentified white woman in her early 40s was wearing clothes but no coat or other winter clothing, Mr Daillie said. The renters, mostly in their 20s, discovered the body on Saturday afternoon, and officers are questioning them. Mr Daillie said the house belongs to a family of seven who had gone on holiday for a few days. They are expected to return on Wednesday when they will be questioned by police. The owner told detectives he was distraught at the idea that his young children could have made the gruesome discovery, according to the deputy prosecutor. A post-mortem examination on Monday did not establish the cause of death but put the timing at one month or more, Mr Daillie said. Other forensic examinations will be...

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Athleta make sure of top-four berth

Hibs Electrofix and Caffe Moak Luxol continue to lead the women's basketball league standings after comfortable victories over Floriana and PAVI Depiro during the weekend. Athleta made sure of a berth in the play-offs thanks to their victory over Starlites on Saturday. Hibs had an easy outing on Sunday after beating bottom-placed Floriana 83-13. The Paola girls took control right from the jumpball and after potting all first 24 points of the match, they went on to change ends enjoying a huge 52-7 lead. Floriana were a spent force and Hibs continued to dominate on court to wrap up their... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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Comfortable win for leaders Qormi

Qormi Poiatti 5Rabat 1 League leaders Qormi completed their second-round commitments with a 5-1 win over bottom-placed Rabat to consolidate their position at the top of the standings. Qormi started strongly and took the lead on 12 minutes when Juan Sarcia netted from a penalty corner. They went further ahead ten minutes later as John Williams pushed home a rebound, collecting the ball off the keeper's pads. Qormi dominated proceedings from then on and captain Steve Tanti netted a third before grabbing his second goal to send his team into a commanding 4-0 lead at half-time. Rabat plugged away gainfully and Kurt Grixti netted to pull one back for his team. However, Qormi had the last laugh as Isaac Mansueto rounded up the score to 5-1 with a goal a few minutes from time. Umpires: James Mizzi, Shawn Mifsud. Young Stars 2Laferla W. Hart 2 After missed chances at both ends of the pitch, the game developed into an interesting tussle and on 19 minutes Jamie Brincat Brockdorff should have put White Hart ahead, seeing his shot go agonisingly wide. Young Stars' Jamie Mifsud picked his spot only to see his shot scrambled off the line, the goalkeeper well beaten. When it seemed that White...

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ParaVolley appointment for referee Nello Calleja

Nello Calleja has just been ap-pointed by World ParaVolley as one of the referees at the Sitting Volleyball Intercontinental Cup tournaments for men and women in Hangzhou, China, between March 17 and 23. Calleja will be part of a team of international referees coming from different continents. The Intercontinental Cup will be the last opportunity for some of the national teams in competition to obtain a ticket for the Rio Paralympic Games in September. Thirteen sides have already booked their places in the competitions in Brazil. In China, Calleja, who is also general secretary of ParaVolley Malta, will represent his organisation at a general assembly. All matches will be played at the Zhejiang Sport Training Centre where a record number of 32 teams will be taking part.

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Tough-guy actor George Kennedy dies aged 91

George Kennedy, the tough-guy character actor who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a savage chain-gang convict in the 1960s classic Cool Hand Luke, has died. His grandson Cory Schenkel said Kennedy died on Sunday morning of old age in Boise, Idaho. He was 91. He had undergone emergency triple bypass surgery in 2002. That same year, he and his late wife moved to Idaho to be closer to their daughter and her family, though he was still involved in occasional film projects. His biggest acting achievement came in Cool Hand Luke, a 1967 film about a rebellious war hero played by Paul Newman who is bent on bucking the system as a prisoner on a Southern chain gang. Its theme of rebelling against authority and the establishment helped make it one of the most important films of the tumultuous 1960s. Kennedy played Dragline, the chain-gang boss who goes from Luke's nemesis to his biggest disciple as Newman's character takes on folk hero status among fellow inmates. The film garnered four Academy Award nominations, and Kennedy was named best supporting actor. After the critical and commercial success of Cool Hand Luke, Kennedy carved out a niche as one of Hollywood's most...

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Sporting briefs

Kampl: Kevin Kampl is unlikely to play for Bayer Leverkusen again this season after tests revealed he has suffered a leg fracture. The Slovenia international picked up the injury more than a week ago in the 1-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund and missed his side's 3-1 loss to Mainz on Sunday with what was initially diagnosed as a muscular injury. However, further tests carried out yesterday revealed greater damage than first feared with Kampl's lower leg placed in plaster as a result. Kante: Leicester City midfielder N'Golo Kante has been ruled out for at least two games with a hamstring injury. Kante has been a revelation in defensive midfield for Leicester this season, making 30 appearances in all competitions for the leaders, who are aiming to win their first top-flight league title. Loftus-Cheek: Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has signed a new contract which ties him to Stamford Bridge until 2021. The 20-year-old England U-21 international has only made 13 appearances for the reigning champions despite making his debut in December 2014. But now he has penned a fresh contract to stay with his boyhood club. Denizli: Last year's Turkish champions Galatasaray coach Mustafa...

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US ‘tired’ of early exits in Davis Cup, says Courier

United States captain Jim Courier is "tired" of losing in the first round of the Davis Cup but says he feels no extra pressure ahead of a tough away encounter against a resurgent Australia. The United States have been bundled out of the opening round by Britain at the last two tournaments and a third successive loss in Melbourne would be another bitter pill to swallow for the once-dominant tennis nation. The visitors have pinned their hopes on Jack Sock and John Isner at least breaking even in the singles against young guns Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios, with the Bryan brothers a better bet to win the doubles against John Peers and Sam Groth. "I'm tired of losing in the first round. The whole team is tired of that," Courier told reporters at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club yesterday. "But we know in coming here if we're playing anything less than our best we'll be out of this thing in the first round again. "I don't feel any more or less pressure. I certainly have expectations on how I want our team to perform but I'm also someone who's been through these battles enough to know that you can do the best you can and leave it on the court." With a temporary grass court installed on the...

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Workers claim De La Rue to dismiss 430 people

In total, the company will retain 120 workers from the current 550 in Malta as the security printer plans to reduce production to cope with intense competition and shrinking demand. 

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Apple cannot be forced to provide iPhone data, judge rules

The US justice department cannot use a 227-year-old law to force Apple to provide the FBI with access to locked iPhone data, a judge ruled. It dealt a blow to the government in its battle with the company over privacy and public safety. The ruling by US Magistrate Judge James Orenstein applied narrowly to one drug case in Brooklyn, New York City. But it gives support to the company in its fight against a California judge's order that it create specialised software to help the FBI hack into an iPhone linked to the San Bernardino terrorism investigation. Mr Orenstein belittled some government arguments, saying lawyers were stretching an old law "to produce impermissibly absurd results". He rejected their claims that Apple was only concerned with public relations, and said he found no limit on how far the government would go to require a person or company to violate the most deeply-rooted values. Both cases hinge partly on whether a law written long before the computer age, the 1789 All Writs Act, could be used to compel Apple to co-operate with efforts to retrieve data from encrypted phones. Mr Orenstein said the question was not whether the government should be able to force...

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Zabbar macabre discovery: hungry dog eats owner's dead body

The corpse of a 71-year-old man from Zabbar appears to have been mauled by his hungry dog, the police said.

Police were alerted by neighbours that they had not seen Ronnie Stafrace for several weeks, and when they turned up at his home they discovered the man's body inside.

Stafrace appears to have died of natural causes and parts of his body were eaten by his hungry dog.

Mr Stafrace and his dog lived together in the home. 

Animal Welfare Department officials were called to the scene to take the dog. 

An autopsy is expected to be held today.

Magistrate Anthony Vella has ordered an inquiry. 

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World news in one minute: Find out what happened around the world on 28 February

PRESIDENTIAL RACE

LEESBURG, Virginia — The final sprint to Super Tuesday has erupted into a feud over a white supremacist as Donald Trump's Republican rivals scramble to stop the billionaire businessman from becoming an "unstoppable" force in the 2016 presidential contest. 

OSCARS

LOS ANGELES — A white tuxedoed Chris Rock launched into the 88th Academy Awards — "the White People's Choice Awards," he called them — at an Oscars where remarks on diversity dominated proceedings, the craft of "Mad Max: Fury Road" sped away from the competition and Sylvester Stallone was knocked out by Mark Rylance. B

PERU-DRUG COP'S TRAVAILS

ANDAHUAYLAS, Peru — Eighteen months after a hired assassin put a bullet in his belly, narcotics cop Johnny Vega remains disabled and may be forced to retire. Institutional support has been weak, but what gnaws at Vega most is a sense of futility. With him out of commission, the traffickers have won; the drug trade is thriving.

BRAZIL-POLITICS

RIO DE JANEIRO — Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he would be willing to seek another term in 2018, despite a decline in his poll ratings. 

FORT WAYNE-DEATHS

FORT WAYNE, Indiana — Authorities in Indiana were seeking information after two men and a teenager who were part of an African community were found shot to death last week inside a Fort Wayne home.

OFFICERS SHOT-VIRGINIA

WOODBRIDGE, Virginia — On her first day on the job, Officer Ashley Guindon responded to a call that could have become routine: a domestic disturbance in a well-kept suburban neighborhood.

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Cardinal admits 'scandalous' response to abuse allegations

One of Pope Francis' top advisers acknowledged he had heard that an Australian Catholic school teacher who serially abused students might be involved in "pedophilia activity" in the 1970s, but said he had no idea how rampant clergy abuse was at the time, during an extraordinary public hearing of an Australian investigative commission just a few blocks from the Vatican.

Australian Cardinal George Pell, who testified via videolink from Rome to the Royal Commission in Sydney from Sunday night to early Monday morning, also conceded that the Catholic Church "has made enormous mistakes" in allowing thousands of children to be raped and molested by priests.

Two dozen Australian abuse survivors and their companions traveled across the globe to witness Pell's testimony in a Rome hotel's conference room, a significant show of accountability in the church's long-running abuse saga. The commission agreed to let Pell testify from Rome because he was too ill to travel to Australia.

"I'm not here to defend the indefensible," Pell said as the hearing began. "The church has made enormous mistakes and is working to remedy those." He said the church had "mucked things up and let people down" and for too long had dismissed credible abuse allegations "in absolutely scandalous circumstances."

The lead counsel assisting the commission, Gail Furness, questioned Pell about current Vatican efforts to address the crisis, as well as Pell's past in Australia, where he is accused of ignoring warnings when he was an assistant priest about Christian Brother Edward Dowlan, a teacher at St. Patrick's College in the Australian city of Ballarat. The deeply Catholic city has been devastated by disclosures about the huge number of abuse victims there, scores of whom killed themselves.

Pell, now Pope Francis' top financial adviser, has repeatedly denied allegations that he ignored warnings decades ago that Dowlan was abusing students. Under questioning from Furness, Pell said he had heard "one or two fleeting references" to "misbehavior" by Dowlan in the 1970s "which I concluded might have been pedophilia activity."

But Pell said he had not known victims' names, that there were large numbers of victims or that Dowlan's offending was general knowledge at the school.

Dowlan was sentenced to six years in prison last year for abusing 20 boys.

Pell also testified that he had been aware of a Christian Brother named Leo Fitzgerald who swam naked with students and said he had been told by parishioners that Fitzgerald also had a habit of kissing boys. But Pell said he had not believed the kissing to be sexual.

"It was certainly unusual, but ... nobody said we've got to do something about this," Pell said.

Pell's acknowledgement that he knew about such behavior is the closest he has publicly come to stating that he had even tangential awareness of the scandal playing out in Ballarat. His concession came as Furness presented evidence that many people around Pell knew about the abuse.

"The sexual offending by Christian Brothers at St. Alipius school and St. Pat's school was known by a significant number in the community - would you agree with that?" Furness asked Pell.

"I would agree that it was known to all the people whom you've mentioned, and they do constitute a significant number," Pell replied.

The commission is investigating how Pell dealt with abuse allegations as a priest, educator and adviser to former Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns, as well as how the Melbourne archdiocese responded to allegations of abuse, including when Pell served as a Melbourne auxiliary bishop.

Pell was a consultant to Mulkearns, who moved Australia's most notorious pedophile priest, Gerald Ridsdale, between parishes for years. Pell denies he was involved in transferring Ridsdale.

Pell dubbed Mulkearns' handling of Ridsdale a "catastrophe for the church." But Pell also acknowledged that he too had made mistakes in often believing the priests over victims who alleged abuse.

"I must say in those days, if a priest denied such activity, I was very strongly inclined to accept the denial," Pell said.

This is the third time that Pell has testified before the commission, but the current round has generated intense international attention because it is taking place near the Vatican. Pell's testimony also came just hours before "Spotlight," the film focusing on the Boston Globe's investigation of the Catholic Church abuse crisis, won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

David Ridsdale, who was abused by his uncle, Gerald Ridsdale, said he was grateful that the horrors of Ballarat were finally getting global attention. Gerald Ridsdale is in prison after being convicted of multiple counts of abuse.

"We're here to seek the truth. We're here to heal our city," David Ridsdale said. "We have the highest suicide rate among men in Australia. We have some of the worst drinking and violence problems. And it all stems from that abuse."

In a statement Sunday, Pell repeated his support for the commission's work, vowed to meet individually with victims who had traveled to Rome and said he hoped the coming days "will eventually lead to healing for everyone."

Anthony Foster, whose eldest daughter was repeatedly raped by priest Kevin O'Donnell and committed suicide, said it was "astounding and empowering for victims" that the commission was now sitting in judgment of Pell on a global stage.

"I feel as though we haven't just brought it to Rome. We've brought it to the world," Foster said.

The commission has no power to file criminal charges. But commissioners can note in their report whether they believe someone has broken the law and refer the matter to police and prosecutors.

Pell's testimony will resume late Monday night.

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Traffic police officer punched by driver in Naxxar

A traffic police officer was punched in the face by a driver who insisted he needed to use a road which was closed to traffic, the president of the Police Officers Union Sandro Camilleri said.

Inspector Camilleri said that he had been in contact with the officer who was attacked on Sunday when he stopped a driver from using a road which was closed to traffic because an electricity pole was in danger of toppling over.

This is the latest incident in which a police officer was attacked, with Inspector Camilleri saying that police officers should be protected.

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Leap Year has a rich history - in marriage proposals

Leap Year is more than just a quirky thing that happens to newborns on the occasional 29th of February.

The extra day that rolls around every four years, including 2016, includes a world of lore related to women — gasp! — popping the marriage question to men.

Here's a look at that magical mark on the calendar as it relates to love and marriage, courtesy of Monmouth University historian Katherine Parkin, who has researched the topic.

___

GLITTERING MOCKERY

The year was 1904 when syndicated columnist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer, aka Dorothy Dix, summed up the Leap Day proposal tradition this way: "Of course people will say ... that a woman's leap year prerogative, like most of her liberties, is merely a glittering mockery."

Parkin said this pre-Sadie Hawkins tradition, however serious or tongue-in-cheek, could have empowered women but merely perpetuated stereotypes. The proposals were to happen via postcard, but many such cards turned the tables and poked mean fun at women instead.

The end result? Leap year, according to Parkin, served to reinforce traditional gender roles.

___

THE MARKETING

Advertising perpetuated the marriage games in Leap Years. Parkin, in a 2012 paper in the Journal of Family History, offered one solid example.

A 1916 ad by the American Industrial Bank and Trust Co. read thusly: "This being Leap Year day, we suggest to every girl that she propose to her father to open a savings account in her name in our own bank."

That, Parkin said, further undercuts the idea that Leap Year somehow offered a breath of independence.

Baseball Digest took to running articles showing off bachelor players during some Leap Years in the 1950s and '60s, listing them by hair and eye color, religion and whether they batted left or right.

"They were trying to persuade women they were a good catch," Parkin said. "They encouraged single women to window shop."

____

ORIGINS OF LEAP PROPOSALS

There's a distant European past.

One story places it in fifth century Ireland, with St. Bridget appealing to St. Patrick to offer women the chance to ask men to marry them, Parkin wrote.

Another tale is focused on Queen Margaret of Scotland and a law she supposedly passed in 1228 ordering a man reluctant to accept a woman's proposal to pay a fine or present her with a silk gown to make up for his bad attitude.

"I think that's all pretend," Parker said.

Nobody really knows where it all began.

"We know that (cartoonist) Al Capp started Sadie Hawkins. We can see that history unfold. This is more anomalous than that," she said.

As for the existence of Leap Year itself, history has it that in 46 BCE, Julius Caesar came up with the adjustment to ensure the seasons remain aligned with the calendar. Further adjustments were needed when the Gregorian calendar came along.

___

LEAP YEAR PARTIES

By the 1780s, there were leap year parties that allowed girls to ask boys for a dance — but on just the one night. Ellen Tucker Emerson described the experience in an 1860 letter to her dad, Ralph Waldo Emerson.

She said a promenade was held after the dancing with the boys leaning on the girls' arms and being fanned.

"It was very funny and they all had a rousing time," she concluded.

One elite Leap Year party was held in New York City every four years, starting in 1924 and continuing through 1968. It was one of the most prominent, held at times at the Ritz-Carlton, and was skipped just one time in that period, during World War II. The women outnumbered the men. There was a stag line and women were allowed to cut in on dances.

"Women were in control and had charge of the night," Parkin said.

___

THE POSTCARDS

Based on a longstanding Valentine's Day tradition of "using the mail to court and shame," penny postcard makers produced Leap Year cards in the early 20th century, Parkin said. Most used humor to "dissuade women from actually exercising their prerogative to propose."

Guns were common in the imagery as early as 1904, depicting women using them and other weapons such as bows and arrows, lassos and nets to snare men. The other tool depicted on the cards was money, with women holding bags of it to set their marriage traps.

Dix returned often to Leap Year issues throughout her nearly 50-year career, urging women to give up the idea of proposing by letter or postcard. She counseled them to come right out with it in person.

Though Leap Year was filled with biting humor, marriage was no joke to Dix. She had been pressured into marriage by her family and found herself supporting them both due to her mate's mental illness and inability to hold a job. In 1928, she wrote:

"The right to pop the question is the only right that men have now that women do not possess. They have the same right that men have to vote, to own property, to attend institutions of higher learning, to follow any business or professional career for which they have the brains and a hankering."

Dix continued: "The only masculine right that is denied them is the right to choose their mates. And this is the greatest right of all, for the privilege of helping pick out the town dog-catcher or deciding on who is going to be President for the next four years is a poor thing compared with the privilege of picking out the father of your children and the man with whom you are going to have to live for the next forty years."

 

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MaltaToday survey | Owen Bonnici takes flak for magistrates’ appointments

Rate-The-Minister Survey Judging by the performance of its ministers in the latest Rate the Minister Survey, justice, home affairs and transport are the Labour government's Achilles' heel

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In the Press: OPM chief of staff, PN trade barbs over Panama company

Stories from today's national press

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Winter League: San Giljan beat Sliema on opening day; Neptunes overcome Sirens

Exiles Ferretti-Valletta McDonalds 3-10

(0-5), (1-3), (2-0), (0-2)

 

Valletta McDonalds got off to a good start in their Winter League commitments with an easy 10-3 victory over Exiles Ferretti.

Valletta imposed themselves in the first two sessions winning them 5-1 and 3-1 respectively although also benefiting from a strong head wind. Michael Spiteri Staines helped himself to five goals with Paolella, Mock and James Spiteri Staines benefiting from the others. The lone Exiles gola in the second session was scored by Nicky Paris.

Exiles recovered slightly in the second session winning it 2-0 with goals from Sean Gravina and Andrea Bianchi but it was still a five goal game for the final session. Valletta simply restored their seven goal advantage winning the session Michael Agius.

Exiles: I Bugeja, J Rizzo Naudi, L Felice, D Pace Lupi, D Borg Millo, A Cutajar, S Gravina (1), K Griscti, N Paris (1), A Bianchi (1), G Ciappara, L Peric, K Lanzon

Valletta: R Sciortino, J Spiteri Staines (1), A Agius (1), R Mock (1), D Paolella (1), N Bonello Ghio, M Cordina, C Zammit, D Spiteri, M Spiteri Staines (5)

 

Neptunes Grimaldi- Sirens Ritter Sport 6-4

(2-2), (1-1), (2-1), (1-0)

Neptunes Grimaldi overcame the stiff resistance of Sirens Ritter Sport to record an important first victory in their Winter League commitments.

The first session ended 2-2 with Neptunes goals coming from a double by Jordan Camilleri and Sirens replying through Zak Mizzi and David Cutajar. The second session was a similarly balanced affair ending 1-1 with Jeremy Abela putting Neptunes 3-2 up but in the final minute of the session, Zach Mizzi scored his second with a fine angled shot from a man up situation.

Neptunes raced to a 5-3 lead at the start of the third session through Marc and Niki Lanzon but David Cutajar made it a one goal game for the final session converting a penalty. Neptunes made it 6-4 in the final session through Sean Xerri de Caro to record an imporatnt victory.

Neptunes: A Borg Cole, N Lanzon (1), L Calleja, M Lanzon (1), T Agius, S Xerri de Caro (1), K Navarro, J Camilleri (2), J Abela (1), M Zammit, B Lanzon, M Azzopardi, J Tanti

Sirens: N Grixti, Z Mizzi (2), A Camenzuli, G Pace, M Grech, E Meli, M Baluci, D Cutajar (2), J Napier, J Sciberras, L Caruana, A Sammut, R Gauci

 

Sliema Frank Salt 5 San Giljan ASC 8 (2-2), (0-2), (2-1), (1-3)

San Giljan achieved an important first victory when they got the better of Sliema Frank Salt with an 8-5 scoreline.

Sliema took a two goal lead in the first session through Aquilina and Gabaretta but San Giljan stormed back to equalize through Mercieca and Plumpton. The Saints won the second session 2-0 with goals coming from Matthew Zammit and Cousin for a two goal lead at the halfway point.

Sliema won the third session 2-1 with Gabaretta and Aquilina scoring for the Blues and Zammit replying for San Giljan. However San Giljan reinforced their advantage winning 3-1 in the final session for an 8-5 final scoreline.

Sliema: R Coleiro, J Gabaretta (2), E Aquilina (3), C Cluett, M Meli, K Dowling, M Fenech, T Sullivan, J Brownrigg, A Attard, D Fenech, N Bugelli, Z Sciberras

San Giljan: J Sammut, P Borg (1), A Galea, J Galea, D Zammit (1), M Zammit (2), K Galea, C Mercieca (1), B Plumpton (1), A Cousin (1), P Fava, D Zammit, D Camilleri

 

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Crunchy power food

Eating carrots can cut the risk of hard-to-treat types of breast cancer by up to 60 per cent, research has shown. The Bugs Bunny therapy relies on the orange pigment carotene which is abundant in carrots and also found in other colourful and dark green vegetables, including red peppers and spinach. An international team of scientists discovered the link after comparing the diets of 3,000 European women with and without breast cancer. Women with the largest consumption of foods rich in carotene, such as carrots and peppers, were between 40 per cent and 60 per cent less likely to develop non-hormone sensitive breast cancers than those who ate the least. So-called "oestrogen receptor negative" breast cancer accounts for around one in three cases of the disease. It is often harder to treat than more common forms of breast cancer that are stimulated by the female hormone oestrogen. Two subtypes of carotene – beta carotene and alpha carotene – both had a beneficial effect, the study found. The biggest reduction in breast cancer risk was from alpha carotene. Separate analysis showed that vitamin C appeared to protect women against oestrogen and progesterone-sensitive breast...

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Worst winter drought in half a century… unless it rains today

The dry spell which has hit the Maltese islands since mid-autumn is set to become the worst winter drought in half a century, save in the unlikely event of the heavens opening up today. The 76.3mm of rain measured in Luqa during the three months since the start of December is the lowest since 1966, Met Office records show. The second driest three-month spell in this 50-year period occurred between December 1979 and February 1980 when the amount of precipitation measured was of 92.4mm. And this February is also set to become the driest in at least five decades with virtually no rain (just 2.3mm), in sharp contrast with the monthly norm of 59.6mm. Though the situation might seem less alarming when taking into consideration the 296.7mm of rain measured in Luqa since the start of last September, an overall average based on the other weather stations scattered across the island will give a different picture. As a matter of fact this would yield an annual rainfall of just 217.1mm mainly due to the fact that rural areas were the worst hit by the dry spell. Meanwhile, the farming community is bracing itself for disaster, saying the low precipitation will put more strain on the water...

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Ex-utility bosses charged over Fukushima nuclear disaster

Three former utility firm bosses have been charged with negligence over the Fukushima nuclear disaster - the first ones from the company to face a criminal trial. A group of court-appointed lawyers have indicted Tsunehisa Katsumata, the then chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), along with two other ex-executives. The three men are charged with professional negligence, according to broadcaster NHK. The indictment follows a decision by an 11-member judicial committee in July to send the three men to criminal court after prosecutors dropped the case. Three reactors at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant damaged in the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami suffered meltdowns, triggering massive radiation leaks that forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. Experts say it may be difficult to prove criminal responsibility for failing to prevent the Fukushima meltdowns, but many people, including residents affected by the disaster, say they hope that any trial would reveal more facts about the disaster and Tepco's role that the utility has not disclosed. The committee said in July that the three men neglected to take sufficient measures even though they were aware of the risk...

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Maltese newspapers review

The following are the top stories in national newspapers today. Times of Malta says the Prime Minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri repeatedly refused to answer questions yesterday following reports that he had establisheda company in the blacklisted tax haven of Panama. In another story, the newspaper says two men who formed part of the Justice Reform Commission have launched a scathing attack on the Bill presented by the government, describing it as "fake", "autocratic" and "unconstitutional". The Malta Independent also leads with a report about Mr Schembri, reporting he said yesterday would be filing libel proceedings against the leader of the opposition for alleging he registered a 'secret company' in Panama. L-Orizzont says Rosette Thake, the Nationalist Party's current general secretary, was being paid from among her predecessors receiving of package totalling nearly €60,000. In-Nazzjon reports Opposition leader Simon Busuttil speaking about Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri's Panama companies saying all limits had now been breached.

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No kidding: Oregon city fires its grounds-keeping goats with 'barnyard aroma'

A crew of goats brought in to devour invasive plants at a popular park in Oregon's state capital, Salem, have been fired because they ate indiscriminately, cost nearly five times as much as human landscapers and smelled far worse, a city official said. The 75 billy and nanny goats were supposed to eat Armenian blackberry and English ivy and other invasive plants choking native vegetation across the 9.1-acre Minto-Brown Island Park, the city's largest, in a pilot programme last fall.

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Voluntary rescue service assists thousands

The Emergency Response and Rescue Corps last summer it intervened in 2,523 cases, helping 463 swimmers who were in difficulty and assisting in other cases ranging from minor to major injuries on land and at sea. The voluntary water rescue service said this morning it had now been joined by 28 new volunteers, most of whom were currently receiving specialised training. The ERRC provides water rescue service at Ramla Bay, Ħondoq ir-Rummien and Marsalforn in Gozo and Blue Lagoon Bay and Santa Marija Bay in Comino. It has two hydro ambulances stationed at the Blue Lagoon and Marsalforn Bay.

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Senglea back in third place

Senglea Athletic 4San Ġwann 0 Senglea scored four goals in the second half to beat San Ġwann and go back to third place in the standings, one point ahead of Pieta Hotspurs. This was no easy match for Senglea as they were made to sweat in the opening half. However, San Ġwann were unable to maintain the pace after the break to concede their 10th defeat and stay embroiled in the relegation dogfight. The Saints created the first opening through Jan Tanti. He tried his luck from an angle but keeper Jeffrey Farrugia was on the right spot to save. Senglea came more into the picture as the minutes... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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PSG’s unbeaten run halted

Paris St Germain saw their record-breaking unbeaten run in Ligue 1 ended as Lyon beat them 2-1 at Parc OL last night. The French champions had gone 36 league games without defeat – a sequence stretching back to a 3-2 reverse at Bordeaux last March – but their hopes of an invincible season were ruined by first-half goals from Maxwel Cornet and Sergi Darder. Lucas Moura gave PSG hope with a 51st-minute strike but the runaway Ligue 1 leaders were well below their best without injured pair Marco Verratti and Angel Di Maria, and Lyon should have won by a more handsome margin. Lyon had already lost four times to PSG this season, including a 5-1 league thrashing at the Parc des Princes in December, but they are yet to lose at their new Parc OL home which they moved to in January.

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Lawyer found guilty of theft and fraud still serving as court expert

A lawyer who was found guilty by a London court of theft and fraud is still serving as a court expert in Malta, even on sensitive cases connected to fraud and falsification of documents. This newspaper learnt that even though the authorities and the administration of court, including the Chief Justice, have been warned about this situation, Martin Bajada is still acting as a court expert on the specific orders of various members of the judiciary. Documents seen by this newspaper issued by Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court show that in 1993, Dr Bajada pleaded guilty to 10 counts of theft and was handed a two-year suspended sentence. The court documents also show that Dr Bajada, at the time still an employee of Air Malta, stole £46,710 (€59,329). According to the court documents, Dr Bajada "dishonestly with a view to gain for yourself or another or with intent to cause loss to another did falsify an account made or required for an accounting purpose namely a quantity of payment authorisation vouchers." The Sunday Times of Malta asked Dr Bajada whether it was true that he is still acting as a court expert despite his criminal record and to state how many magistrates he is currently...

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Slicker Saints sink Sliema

The highlight of this year's Winter League opening day was the match between Sliema Frank Salt Real Estate and San Ġiljan ASC, a clash which ended with the Saints sinking the Blues 8-5. In yesterday's other two matches Valletta McDonald's and Neptunes Grimaldi had the better of Exiles Ferretti and Sirens Ritter Sport, 10-3 and 6-4, respectively. Despite some rustiness evident after various weeks of inactivity all the teams were bent on pulling their weight in search of a positive take-off. In the plum match, San Ġiljan's superior shot efficiency, tighter blocking and slicker inter-play... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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New F1 qualifying faces delayed introduction

The introduction of Formula One's new qualifying system will be delayed until the fifth race of the season due to technical issues, the sport's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone told reporters last weekend. The season starts in Australia on March 20 but the new qualifying format, announced by the governing FIA last week, will require changes to the software controlling the timing system. "My guys who do the timing said: 'Mr E, we don't want to be put in the position because we don't think we can get it done properly in time," Ecclestone told the BBC radio. He said that the new format would probably be introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix in May instead. The season is due to feature a record 21 races. Ecclestone's Formula One Management handles the timing software, along with screen graphics and data, and he explained that the changes involved in the new elimination format were not straightforward. "If you're going to try and explain it to the public properly, it's not just a case of 'Okay, the guy was the last one, bye-bye'," he said. "We'll have to deal with it. I've told the FIA this and asked them what they'd like to do with it but the bottom line is there's not a lot they...

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Film takes closer look at abortion

When Dawn Porter started filming abortion clinic workers in the US three years ago, she was drawn by their dedicated struggles to stay standing amid an onslaught of laws aimed at restricting abortion access. Little could she have imagined her documentary film Trapped would open in major cities this week, the same week the US Supreme Court hears arguments on those laws – the first time the nation's highest court has tackled the controversial issue of abortion in nearly a decade. "It's like I scheduled it, right?" the director joked from her home in San Francisco. Trapped tells the story of abortion providers in the states of Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, as they wrestle with state regulations, particularly the Texas law known as HB2. Among other things, HB2 requires abortion clinics to meet the same standards as ambulatory surgical centres. More than half the clinics in Texas have been forced to close under HB2, leaving less than 20, advocates say, to serve the state of 27 million people. The hardest hit arerural, low-income women for whom the distance, lost wages and expenses for travel, lodging and childcare can make abortion virtually unattainable, they say. Deciding if, in...

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Sweden to stand by Aregawi despite tax controversy

Sweden's Ethiopian-born 1,500m runner Abeba Aregawi can run for Sweden at the upcoming World Indoor Championships in Portland despite a storm over her Swedish citizenship and tax affairs, officials said. Expressen reported that Aregawi, who is due to defend her title in Oregon next month, had told Sweden's migration board that she was resident in the country to gain citizenship but during a recent tax investigation into her affairs she said she had never lived there. Sweden's Athletics Association general secretary Stefan Olsson told Reuters the controversy would not affect Aregawi's participation in Portland but she would be asked to explain the situation. "She has done the right thing, the migration board have made their judgement and the tax authority have made theirs," Olsson said. "As long as the authorities have said okay, we have no reason to do anything else." Expressen reported that Aregawi, who also won the world outdoor 1,500 title in 2013, had told tax authorities that she was not liable for tax as she had never lived in the country. This was at odds with a citizenship application made by the 25-year-old which entitled her to start competing for Sweden in 2012,...

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Quetzal De Brix wins Premier Class race at the racetrack

The only Premier Class race on the card and the two semi-finals from the Assikura Championship for Gold Class trotters were the main attractions at the Marsa Racetrack, yesterday. Sixteen horses took part in the Premier race. Quetzal De Brix (Clint Vassallo) was the fastest at first, opening a small lead from Quad Censerie (Charles Farrugia) and P.A. Surprise (Lorraine Cunningham). Quad Censerie (Charles Farrugia) then took the lead but with some 500m to go this horse ran out of steam and was overtaken once again by Quetzal De Brix which went ahead to register its first win of the... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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Local sports results...

BOV Division Two: Żurrieq vs Siġġiewi 0-1; Żabbar vs Swieqi United 4-3; Żejtun vs Kirkop 2-0; Sirens vs Marsa 1-0; Mġarr vs Qrendi 2-1; Għargħur vs Msida SJ 3-1. GFA Division One: St Lawrence Spurs vs Għajnsielem 0-3; Oratory Youths vs Victoria Hotspurs 0-1. Youth FA U-15: Marsa vs Għaxaq 4-3; Fgura United vs Lija/Iklin 2-4; Melita vs Valletta 0-1; Sirens vs Pembroke Athleta 0-4; Ħamrun Spartans vs Birżebbuġa 5-0; Pieta vs Qormi 5-1; Birkirkara vs St Andrew's 3-2; Naxxar vs Żabbar 1-1; Mellieħa vs Attard 0-2; Floriana vs Gozo FC 3-1; Xgħajra vs Rabat 2-2. Youth FA U-17: Għaxaq vs Birżebbuġa 1-2 (Birżebbuġa Section D winners); Marsa vs Msida 0-3; Gżira vs Sirens 1-3; Kalkara vs Mġarr 0-6; Sta Venera vs Mtarfa 1-3; Naxxar vs Żejtun 0-2; Attard vs Fgura 0-1; Xgħajra vs Siġġiewi 0-1. GIDA League: FC Scandinavia vs Birnapa 3-1; Memories vs AD2000 1-2; Club33 vs La Valette 2-3. IASC League: Msida Red Stars vs Żurrieq Wolves 2-0; Senglea Youngsters vs Gżira United AFC 3-0; Mġarr Falcons vs Safi AFC 0-0. Basketball Men's League: Athleta vs Virtus 75-81; Depiro vs Floriana 56-80. Women's League: Hibs vs Floriana 83-13; Depiro vs Luxol 37-70. Handball Boys League: SAC vs Aloysians 1-34;...

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Football news

Everton's decade-long search for new investment has borne fruit with British-Iranian billionaire Farhad Moshiri set to take a 49.9 per cent stake subject to Premier League approval. Everton were in talks over a £200 million sale of the club to an American consortium led by ex-San Diego Padres owner John Jay Moores and fellow entrepreneur Charles Noell but Moshiri has stolen a march on them. His close relationship with Everton's chairman Bill Kenwright and willingness to allow the 70-year-old to remain in a position of power at the club was a factor in clinching the deal, according to British media. Blackpool apology Blackpool have issued an apology to Bradford for playing the song 'We didn't start the fire' on the Bloomfield Road sound system at Saturday's League One match between the two clubs. Bradford hold an annual memorial in tribute to the 56 supporters who died in the Bradford fire disaster in 1985 and in May last year the city staged a special Remembrance Service to mark its 30th anniversary. Blackpool have said the choice of song at Saturday's game was unintentional after some of Bradford's supporters took offence at the lyrics. Insigne robbed at gunpoint Napoli forward...

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The sand crocuses of Malta – a puzzle solved

Botanist studies the local population of the brightly-coloured sand crocuses that are starting to flower at this time of year, especially in rocky garigue areas During the months of February and March, the Maltese countryside is adorned with white, lilac or, more commonly, violet, star-shaped flowers growing low, almost at ground level. They are commonly called sand crocuses and their scientific genus name is romulea, derived from Romolus, which according to myth, was one of the twin brothers involved in Rome's foundation. They belong to the family of irises and their centre of diversity... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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Ireland to face new challenges

The Irish went to the polls last Friday. While it is too early to know what coalition will be leading the country, one thing is certain: Ireland has new challenges that need to be addressed. The economy is recovering after the 2018 bailout but new social issues emerge. Investment is once again flowing in and unemployment, although still high, is falling. Inflation is under control and trade surpluses are once again being achieved. Rating agencies are again looking favourably at the country with S&P upgrading Ireland's rating to A+. A sense of optimism has returned. The public health service... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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Sports round-up

Alpine Skiing: Lindsey Vonn (picture, right), skiing with a knee brace to protect a hairline fracture, extended her World Cup lead yesterday with 13th place in the Soldeu combined event in Andorra. "No-one can ever call me a wimp," the American declared on Twitter after setting the fastest time in the super-G leg of the event. On Saturday, Vonn, who is seeking her fifth overall World Cup title, was carried off the slope on a sled after crashing out of the Soldeu super-G race. An X-ray examination showed a hairline fracture in her left knee. Motorcycling: Reigning champion Jonathan Rea made a successful start to the new World Superbike Championship season in Australia, yesterday. The 29-year-old Kawasaki rider followed up his victory in race one at Phillip Island with another in the second, becoming the first racer to do the double at the venue since Carlos Checa in 2011. Holland's Michael van der Mark was second on a Honda, less than a second behind, with Italy's Davide Giugliano third on a Ducati bike. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) was sixth and fellow Briton Chaz Davies (Ducati) also claimed a top-10 placing at Phillip Island. Golf: Overnight leader Louis Oosthuizen eased to a one-shot...

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In an upset, 'Spotlight' wins best picture at Oscars; DiCaprio takes best actor award

In an underdog win for a movie about an underdog profession, the newspaper drama "Spotlight" took best picture at a 88th Academy Awards.

Tom McCarthy's film about the Boston Globe's investigative reporting on sexual abuse by Roman Catholic priests won over the favored frontier epic "The Revenant." McCarthy's well-crafted procedural, led by a strong ensemble cast, had lagged in the lead-up to the Oscars, losing ground to the flashier filmmaking of Alejandro Inarritu's film.

But "Spotlight" — an ode to the hard-nose, methodical work of a journalism increasingly seldom practiced — took the night's top honor despite winning only one other Oscar for McCarthy and Josh Singer's screenplay. Such a sparsely-awarded best picture winner hasn't happened since 1952's "The Greatest Show On Earth."

The night, however, belong to host Chris Rock, who launched immediately into the uproar over the lack of diversity in this year's nominees, and didn't let up. "The White People's Choice Awards," he called the Oscars, which were surrounded by protests (including one outside the Dolby Theatre by the Rev. Al Sharpton) and boycotts.

Streaks, broken and extended, dominated much of the evening. After going home empty-handed four times previously, Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar, for a best actor in "The Revenant" — a gruff, grunting performance that traded little on the actor's youthful charisma. DiCaprio, greeted with a standing ovation, took the moment to talk about climate change.

"Let us not take our planet for granted," he said. "I do not take tonight for granted."

His director, Inarritu won back-to-back directing awards after the triumph last year of "Birdman." It's a feat matched by only two other filmmakers: John Ford and Joseph L. Mankiewicz. "The Revenant" also won best cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki, who became the first cinematographer to win three times in a row (following wins for "Gravity" and "Birdman"), and only the seventh to three-peat in Oscar history.

Inarritu, whose win meant three straight years of Mexican filmmakers winning best director, was one of the few winners to remark passionately on diversity in his acceptance speech.

"What a great opportunity for our generation to really liberate ourselves from all prejudice and this tribal thinking and to make sure for once and forever that the color of our skin becomes as irrelevant as the length of our hair," said Inarritu.

The night's most-awarded film, however, went to neither "Spotlight" nor "The Revenant." George Miller's post-apocalyptic chase film, "Mad Max: Fury Road" sped away with six awards in technical categories for editing, makeup, production design, sound editing, sound mixing and costume design. Roundly acclaimed for its old-school craft, Miller's "Mad Max" was assured of becoming the evening's most awarded film.

"Us Mad Maxes are doing OK tonight," said editor Margaret Sixel, who's also Miller's wife. The flurry of wins brought a parade of Australian craftsmen onstage, including sound editor Mark Mangini, who celebrated with a loud expletive.

Best actress went to Brie Larson, the 26-year-old breakout of the mother-son captive drama "Room."

But the wins at times felt secondary to the sharp, unflinching hosting of Rock, in his second go around. His much anticipated opening monologue left few disappointed.

"Is Hollywood racist? You're damn right it's racist," said Rock, who also sought to put the issue in perspective. "Hollywood is sorority racist. It's like: We like you Rhonda, but you're not a Kappa."

Rock had stayed quiet before the ceremony as the controversy raged over the second straight year of all-white acting nominees, leaving Hollywood and viewers eagerly awaiting his one-liners. He confessed that he deliberated over joining the Oscars boycott and bowing out as host, but concluded: "The last thing I need is to lose another job to Kevin Hart."

There was another major surprise Sunday. The supporting actor win for Mark Rylance over Sylvester Stallone drew gasps. Stallone, nominated a second time 39 years later for the role of Rocky Balboa, had been expected to win his first acting Oscar for the "Rocky" sequel "Creed." He instead lost to the famed stage actor who co-starred in Steven Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies."

Adam McKay and Charles Randolph took best adapted screenplay for their self-described "trauma-dy" about the mortgage meltdown of 2008. McKay thanked Paramount Pictures for taking a risk on a movie about "financial esoterica." Best known for broader comedies like "Anchorman" and "Step Brothers," McKay gave an election-year warning to power of "big money" and "weirdo billionaires" in the presidential campaign.

Talk of election was otherwise largely absent the ceremony, though Vice President Joe Biden (whose presence added even greater security to the Dolby Theatre) was met by a standing ovation before talking about sexual assault on college campuses before introducing best-song nominee Lady Gaga.

Best supporting actress went Alicia Vikander for the transgender pioneer tale "The Danish Girl." Vikander, the 27-year-old Sweden-born actress was ubiquitous in 2015, also winning awards for her performance in the sci-fi "Ex Machina."

Best animated feature film went to "Inside Out," Pixar's eighth win in the category since it was created in 2001. Asif Kapadia's Amy Winehouse portrait, "Amy," took best documentary. Hungary scored its second best foreign language Oscar for Laszlo Nemes' "Son of Saul," a harrowing drama set within a concentration camp.

"Even in the darkest hours of mankind, there might be a voice within us that allows us to remain human," said Nemes. "That's the hope of this film."

The Academy Awards, normally decorous and predictable, were charged with enough politics and uncertainty to rival an election debate. Down the street from the Dolby Theatre, Sharpton led several dozen demonstrators in protest against a second straight year of all-white acting nominees.

"This will be the last night of an all-white Oscars," Sharpton vowed at the rally.

The nominees restored the hashtag "OscarsSoWhite" to prominence and led Spike Lee (an honorary Oscar winner this year) and Jada Pinkett Smith to announce that they would not attend the show. Several top African American filmmakers, Ryan Coogler ("Creed") and Ava DuVernay ("Selma") spent the evening not at the Oscars but in Flint, Mich., raising money for the water-contaminated city.

Aside from pleading for more opportunity for black actors, Rock also sought to add perspective to the turmoil. Rock said this year didn't differ much from Oscar history, but black people in earlier decades were "too busy being raped and lynched to worry about who won best cinematographer."

In a quick response to the growing crisis, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, pushed ahead reforms to the academy intended to diversify its overwhelming white and male membership. But those changes (which included stripping older, out-of-work members of their voting privileges) precipitated a backlash, too. A chorus of academy members challenged the reforms.

In remarks during the show by the president — usually one of the sleepiest moments in the broadcast — Boone Isaacs strongly defended the changes, quoting Martin Luther King Jr. and urging each Oscar attendee to bring greater opportunity to the industry. She was received politely, if not enthusiastically, by the audience.

"It's not enough to listen and agree," said Boone Isaacs. "We must take action."

How the controversy will affect ratings for ABC is one of the night's big questions. Last year's telecast, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, slid 16 percent to 36.6 million viewers, a six-year low.

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Juventus beat Inter 2-0 to extend lead to four points

A defensive error helped Juventus to a 2-0 win over Inter Milan in Serie A on Sunday, provisionally stretching the four-time defending champion's lead over Napoli to four points.

Juventus went ahead shortly after halftime following a free kick from Paulo Dybala on the right flank. Inter defender Danilo D'Ambrosio did a poor job of heading away Dybala's kick and Leonardo Bonucci redirected it in by the near post.

Alvaro Morata added a penalty in the final minutes.

Napoli visits fourth-place Fiorentina on Monday.

Inter remained fifth, one point ahead of city rival AC Milan.

In a matchup known as "Italy's derby," Juventus controlled from the start and Hernanes rattled the crossbar with a long-distance effort five minutes in.

A few minutes later, Juventus forward Mario Mandzukic had a great chance but fired wide.

Inter produced only two shots in the first half, neither of them dangerous, asJuventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon collected an eighth consecutive clean sheet.

The match was put out of Inter's reach when defender Miranda made contact with Morata, drawing the penalty.

Buffon's toughest work came in added time, when he did well to react to a quick shot from Eder inside the area.

The teams meet again Wednesday when Juventus takes a 3-0 lead into its return-leg visit to Inter in the Italian Cup semifinals.

Earlier, Sampdoria beat visiting Frosinone 2-0 for a key victory in the battle to avoid relegation.

Brazilian midfielder Fernando put Sampdoria ahead just before the break and veteran Fabio Quagliarella scored midway through the second half.

While Frosinone remained in the drop zone, Sampdoria moved five points clear with 11 rounds remaining.

Also, it was: Palermo 0, Bologna 0; Carpi 1, Atalanta 1; Chievo Verona 1, Genoa 0; and Udinese 2, Chievo Verona 0.

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Sporting briefs

Ajax: Arek Milik and Davy Kla-assen scored two goals each as 10-man Ajax beat AZ Alkmaar 4-1 to narrow the gap with Dutch league leaders PSV to a single point. Ajax shrugged off AZ with two goals in the opening half hour and two more in the second half despite going down to 10 men when Anwar El Ghazi was dismissed on the hour mark. Ajax advanced to 61 points, one behind the champions, with nine rounds left in the season. Greek champs: Olympiakos clinched a record-extending 43rd Greek Super League title with a 3-0 victory over Veria yesterday. David Fuster, the club captain, scored in each half before his blocked shot rebounded for Alan Pulido to add a late third goal and seal a straightforward win. Olympiakos retained the title with six matches to spare as they have a better head-to-head record over second-placed AEK Athens. FA probe: The English FA has launched a fresh investigation into coin-throwing after alleged incidents at both Stoke and QPR on Saturday. An FA spokesman yesterday said that the governing body was "aware and investigating" after reports from the Britannia Stadium and Loftus Road. The English FA was already looking into an incident in which West Bromwich...

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Flawed judicial discipline

The May 30, 2013, Bonello Commission report proposed the establishment of an independent Judicial Services Disciplinary Authority composed of a judge elected by and from judges, a magistrate elected by and from magistrates, and a lay person appointed by the President on her own deliberate judgment following wide consultation, including with the Commission for the Administration of Justice ("the Commission"). The judiciary were to be in a majority to guarantee judicial independence depriving the Legislature and the Executive from subjugating the judiciary to their will. The government is... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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Pope's adviser admits 'scandalous' response to sex abuse claims

One of Pope Francis' top advisers has said the Catholic Church made "enormous mistakes" in allowing thousands of children to be raped and molested by priests over centuries. Australian Cardinal George Pell's comments came as he gave evidence at an extraordinary public hearing of an Australian investigative commission just a few streets from the Vatican. Cardinal Pell spoke via video link from a Rome hotel to the royal commission sitting in Sydney. In the front row of the conference room were two dozen Australian abuse survivors and their companions who had travelled across the globe to be on hand for Cardinal Pell's evidence, a significant show of accountability in the church's long-running abuse saga. The lead counsel assisting the commission, Gail Furness, questioned Cardinal Pell about current Vatican efforts to address the scandal as well as his own past in Australia, including how he dealt with abuse allegations as a priest, educator and adviser to former Ballarat bishop Ronald Mulkearns. Cardinal Pell said: "I'm not here to defend the indefensible. The church has made enormous mistakes and is working to remedy those." He said the church had "mucked things up and let people...

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Mizzi interviewed on his offshore company: ‘It’s a free world. Everyone can choose whatever they wish and should seek advice on what is best for them’

Konrad Mizzi interviewed: minister says he will retain offshore company Panama run by trustees for his family's trust in New Zealand, and insists he is doing nothing wrong by putting his assets offshore to be invested

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Six predictions for run-off industry in coming year

The previous year turned out to be a busy period for the European insurance sector. Gearing up for Solvency II, which finally came into effect on January 1, 2016, increasing competitive pressure and a growing tide of M&A activities are three of the many challenges that have kept the industry on its toes. Solvency II, in particular, has put the topic of legacy books on the front burner of strategic decision-making for insurers across Europe, now that discontinued business has to be backed by equity capital, too. The run-off industry has seen tremendous growth since 2009, when Darag started as the first continental European insurance and reinsurance run-off specialist. Best practices for dealing with legacy books are now emerging while most mid-sized and smaller companies are still only at the beginning of developing their run-off strategy. What do we predict for this year? We see six trends. 1. The run on run-off continues In 2016, the market is bound to reach a new peak. This year, we expect the total volume of run-off deals to reach an all-time high of €4 billion. Driven by Solvency II, the volume of run-off transactions has already grown by a factor of eight, to a total of...

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Why are our roads so bad?

Why are our roads so bad? This is a question so many people ask in Malta. This does not only include drivers, cyclists and pedestrians who have to bear the brunt of potholes, shoddy works, bumps and poor infrastructure, but also first-time visitors who are usually surprised to see a Third World infrastructure in an EU member state. This is a question I myself have been asking for years and which I have been trying to verify ever since I have been a local councillor since 2003. Like many residents, I have witnessed the disproportionate influence of various contractors who overload their... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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Staying mentally active unlikely to protect most against Alzheimer’s

Crossword puzzles, serious reading material and stimulating conversation are unlikely to protect most people from Alzheimer's, a study has found. But keeping the brain active in older age can reduce the risk of dementia in the 20 per cent of individuals who carry a gene linked to the disease, the research suggests. The findings help explain why past studies looking at the mental benefits of staying mentally and physically active have produced conflicting results. Researchers in the US looked at 393 dementia-free people over 70 who were divided into different groups according to their education history, the extent to which they kept mentally active, and whether or not they had the APoE4 gene. Brain scans were carried out to identify biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease, including accumulations of sticky beta-amyloid protein fragments. Participants with the gene and at least 14 years of education, and who ensured they kept mentally active in middle age, had lower levels of beta-amyloid in their brains than did APoE4 carriers who had not exercised their brains. But for the study group as a whole, education, occupation and mental and physical activity appeared to have little or no...

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Solid colored gowns and sequin rule Oscars red carpet

The world's most-watched stretch of red carpet seized the spotlight in Hollywood as stars in luxurious gowns, glittering sequins and daring necklines strutted and twirled on their way into the Academy Awards. Although dresses in jewel tones and a profusion of skin were this year's signature trends, stars took red carpet risks, whether Charlize Theron in a vibrant red plunging Dior or Cate Blanchett in an explosion of flowers. Nominated for best actress in "Carol," Blanchett drew both raves and raised eyebrows with a sea-foam Armani Prive gown adorned with a profusion of hand-sewn flowers and feathers. A pale yellow Louis Vuitton gown adorned with silver paillettes was one of the first looks to shimmer down the 500 foot-long stretch of carpet. It was worn by Alicia Vikander, nominated for best supporting actress in "The Danish Girl." "Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara brought va-va-voom to the red carpet in a plunging Marchesa dress in midnight blue, while "Star Wars'" Daisy Ridley sparkled in silver sequins in a V-neck Chanel. In a similarly skin-baring dress, best actress nominee for "Brooklyn" Saoirse Ronan channeled her inner mermaid with a sparkling emerald Calvin Klein...

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Children free from violence

It is reassuring to know that abundant work is being done to ensure the protection of children from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. The Council of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, also known as the 'Lanzarote Convention', requires criminalisation of all kinds of sexual offences against children. It sets out that states in Europe and beyond shall adopt specific legislation and take measures to both prevent sexual violence and protect child victims and also to prosecute perpetrators. This article explores the contributions of the... This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

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