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Restoration on Oratory of the Immaculate Conception completed

Restoration on Oratory of the Immaculate Conception completed
Mar 2 2023 Share

The restoration project of the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception at the Jesuits’ Church in Valletta has been completed, whilst work on the sacristy is expected to finish in the coming weeks. This was announced by the Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts, and Local Government Owen Bonnici during a visit at the church in Valletta.

The restoration works, with a total investment of €1,250,000 from national funds, were led by the Restoration Directorate.  This investment also comprises of the eventual restoration of a second Oratory, that known as the Onorati.

Minister Owen Bonnici emphasized the importance of restoring these important heritage sites, located at the heart of Valletta. He stated that this national heritage also attracts visitors who come to Malta to experience our religious and artistic heritage. He also noted that the conservation of these works of art guarantees their survival and enjoyment for the present and future generations who visit the Jesuit Church.

“A total of €4.5 million have been invested in restoring this heritage site in Valletta. This investment covers various restoration works that started in 2015, including the roof, dome, couplets on the chapels, and bell tower of the Jesuit church and additionally, the restoration of the church’s facades on Triq il-Merkanti, Triq l-Arcissqof, Triq San Pawl, and the restoration that is being announced today,” stated Minister Bonnici.

The Oratory of the Immaculate Conception was built in the first half of the 17th century to provide a space for prayer for a confraternity established by the Knights of St John. Although the architect of the Oratory is unknown, some attribute it to Francesco Buonamici (1596–1677).

Rev. Dr Nicholas Doublet, the rector of the Jesuit Church, stated that “the restoration of this baroque gem allows visitors to experience it in its original splendour. Also, this restoration has led to the creation of a new cultural hub at the very centre of Valletta. The space has already become home to a varied cultural programme which we will continue to grow in the coming months.”

Architect Mark Azzopardi from the Restoration Directorate explained in detail the work being carried out.  “Studies on the existing walls and ceiling have identified the original colours which have now been reproduced. The existing services in the sacristy were removed and replaced and a fire detection system was introduced. Repairs to the masonry and to the windows have been carried out and sanitary facilities in the sacristy have also been refurbished. New lighting has been installed and the marble flooring of the sacristy was repaired and repolished,” explained Architect Azzopardi.

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TikTok to set new 60 minute time limit for under 18s

TikTok to set new 60 minute time limit for under 18s
Mar 2 2023 Share

Social media platform TikTok will be introducing a 60 minute screen time limit for users aged under 18. 

Should young people beneath that age reach the new limit, they will have to enter a passcode to continue to use the service on that day. The video app, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, said it is introducing the feature to help people be in control of their social media use. 

However, it is currently understood that users will still be able to opt out of the new measure which is set to be released in the coming weeks. 

Users of the platform have to be at least 13, with anyone under the age of 18 receiving a weekly notification with a recap of their screen time. 

Users will receive the new time limit passcode on a screen in their app as the changes take effect. 

Anyone who opts out of the new 60 minute restriction but uses it for 100 minutes a day will receive a prompt from the platform to set their own screen time controls. 

Parents of children using the family Pairing option on the app will also be able to set screen time limits, as well as access a dashboard which would give a breakdown of app usage. 

Despite welcoming the screen time limit, critics of the video app described it as the tip of the iceberg when it comes to TikTok’s response to young users’ exposure to the platform. 

In September of 2021, TikTok said that it had more than one billion active monthly users, making it one of the biggest social sites in the world.

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Repubblika call for police to investigate Joseph Muscat, former PM responds

Repubblika call for police to investigate Joseph Muscat
Mar 1 2023 Share

Protesting outside a government office used by former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Repubblika called for police to investigate the former Labour leader whilst holding a massive banner reading ‘corruption.’

The organisation’s president Robert Aquilina dubbed Muscat the ‘instigator of a current hospitals privatisation deal’, which was nullified last week by former Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia. 

Aquilina went on to accuse Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg and Police Commissioner Angelo Gaga of refusing to carry out their duties of conducting investigations into Muscat as well as former minister Konrad Mizzi. 

‘Muscat and his accomplices’ place is in jail’ said Aquilina, saying that it is crucial that those ‘tainted by corruption, abuse and fraud’ are prosecuted.

In response, Joseph Muscat took to Facebook to say that Aquilina, ‘the same person who felt like he had to stay outside during the supposed secret search by police on my home, has deemed himself judge, jury and executioner in the face of the rule of law.’ 

Muscat said that Aquilina seems to indicate that he knows what is happening during the Magisterial Inquiry. This minimises the trust that can be fostered that this is an independent process.’

He also accused the Repubblika president of ignoring the court’s sentence as well as the general auditor’s report. ‘As I always said, I welcome all scrutiny as it will only confirm that I acted in the interest of the country.’

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Animal activists protest lack of action in stopping horse circus

Animal activists protest lack of action in stopping horse circus
Mar 1 2023 Share

A group of animal activists from various organisations donned animal pyjamas and snoozed on the Veterinary and Phytosanitary Regulation Division’s office in protest against a lack of action. 

This was aimed at the VRD not stopping ‘another circus act called Cleopatra’s Horse Show that is scheduled to take place at Monte Kristo Estates.’ 

The activists came from Animal Liberation Malta, Real Animal Rights Foundation – RAR Malta Vol1976 and Association for Abandoned Animals and Vuċi għall-Annimali, holding up various placards calling for more action. 

‘VRD wake up! Enforce the Law’ read one placard. ‘VRD whilst you are snoozing you are snoozing animals are suffering’ read another. 

‘The Cleopatra Horse Show clearly falls under the definition of a circus and cannot be allowed under the current legislation. This circus act will have horses performing for 3 days in a row. We contacted VRD and informed them of this circus act just in case they were not aware’ Animal Liberation Malta wrote. 

The VRD did not respond to their attempt at contact and ‘it seems no action has been taken to stop this from happening as the show is still being promoted to date.’ 

‘The regulator has repeatedly closed its eyes to breaches in the Animal Welfare Act and the recent changes in the act have been done to regularise this. Furthermore, besides the issue that the regulator is failing to enforce the Act, the Animal Welfare Act itself is weak, as the administrative fine for breaking the law and holding a circus act is only €2,000.’ 

‘Are we going to allow big  business continue uncontrolled to the detriment of Animal Welfare as well?’

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