‘Viable foetus must be born’ says Health Minister Chris Fearne

Jan 4 2023

Addressing questions by journalists during a press conference, Health Minister Chris Fearne said that two amendments will be proposed to the controversial abortion bill to ‘highlight’ that a viable foetus must be born.

The amendment which was voted in favour for in parliament last month will allow for pregnancies to be terminated when a woman’s life or health is at serious risk.

Having passed the first reading, the proposed legislation is now at the committee stage and can thus be subject to new changes.

The government, Fearne said, wants to clarify questions which people are concerned about. The deputy prime minister said that if a child can be born and live independently, that could ‘should be protected, be birthed and live’.

The other issue raised concerned abuse of the amendment. In regards to this, Fearne said that they trust doctors and those abuse will be held accountable.

#MaltaDaily

Kordin Grain Terminal fire put out but delicate process ongoing

Jan 4 2023

A fire which broke out at the Kordin Grain Terminal has been reportedly put out following a lengthy process. Still, however, the grain silo impacted by the fire is currently being emptied.

Civil Protection Malta informed the public on Facebook that the grain silo contained hundreds of tonnes of Grain Feed.

‘Various Fire appliances and Civil Protection Malta officers are on the scene. Operation is very dedicated and is expected to take long. The general public is urged to avoid the area’ the authorities warned.

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All UK students will study mathematics until 18 years old

Jan 4 2023

Students in England will continue to study mathematics up until the age of 18 under the recommendation of new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

The prime minister said that there is a deep need to reimagine the approach to numeracy in his first speech of the year.

‘Letting our children out into the world without those skills is letting our children down’ said Sunak. The details of the ‘new mission’ by the country leader will be announced ‘in due course.

However, Labour said that this would be an empty pledge if no more maths teachers are recruited. It was found that around 8 million adults in England have the numeracy skills of primary school kids.

Sunak wants pupils to study some form of maths until the age of 18, with the government exploring the routes of Core Maths qualifications, T-levels and other ‘innovative options.’

#MaltaDaily

The Valletta Baroque Festival returns this January

Jan 4 2023

Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici, today announced the final preparations for the 11th edition of the Valletta Baroque Festival, which will take place between 11 and 29 January 2023.

Owen Bonnici stated that this prestigious festival presents a diverse programme of 36 concerts, spread across 3 weeks within over 20 different venues all over Malta. From the striking Auberge de Provence and its magnificent Gran Salon to the splendid St John’s Co-Cathedral, and the opulent Manoel Theatre to mention a few. “The Valletta Baroque Festival will host among the most prestigious artists and ensembles of baroque music in our country, this clearly shows how dynamic the culture is and knows how to create various opportunities that cover all the niches of the creative economy”, Minister Bonnici concluded.

Malta Daily spoke with Festivals Malta Chairperson, Aaron Zahra, who encouraged the Maltese Public to attend this national event, which is the first one in Festivals Malta’s calendar of events for 2023. On the other hand, Artistic Director, Kenneth Zammit Tabona described the Baroque Festival as “a dream of a project, very close to his heart.”

The opening concert ‘The Dettingen Te Deum and other Handelian hits’, which will be performed by the Valletta Baroque Ensemble and Kor Malta under the musical direction of Christian Curnyn at St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, will set the tone for the festival. The festival will wrap up with the world premiere of a mass by Italo-Maltese composer Girolamo Abos at the Jesuits’ Church in Valletta which will be performed by The Monteverdi Project and Cantar Lontano, under the musical direction of Marco Mencoboni. The festival has a stellar line-up, Some of the artists will be Mahan Esfahani, Charlie Siem, Gabetta Consort with Valer Barna-Sabadus, Vasillis Varvaresos, Avi Avital, and many more. Following last year’s success, this year’s edition will also see the return of The Rock Troupers & the Valletta Baroque Ensemble with their project BaRock at the Manoel Theatre.

The Valletta Baroque Festival is being organised in collaboration with The Manoel Theatre and VisitMalta.

#MaltaDaily