Features
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Paolo del Rosso tortured to reveal plot to murder Cosimo de’ Medici
After Paolo del Rosso’s forced return to Florence, where he was paraded in chains through the streets, he was interrogated by Duke Cosimo de’ Medici’s officers over two long sessions (July 3 and 7, 1553) “freely, without intimidation and torture”.
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Lights on the Manoel
With an exciting programme including the International Baroque Festival and plans for a makeover, the Manoel Theatre’s future looks bright but only if Valletta becomes more accessible. Chairman Michael Grech and deputy chairman Kenneth Zammit Tabona...
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After the revolution
When Munir Atigia, 38, remembers his childhood, it is always as a little boy kicking a ball and dreaming of one day becoming a footballer. “We had nothing else to do,” he says. “All we had was a one-channel TV. But it was still a happy childhood –...
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It’s all about determination
“I knew about Malta before I came here,” says Rasha El-Nahhal, a 25-year-old girl from Rafah, a city in the South of Gaza. “My aunt Sanaa, who lives in Malta, used to tell me about Malta and how much the Maltese support the Palestinian cause. I grew...
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Necklace on sale for $20 million
A rare Indian necklace featuring some of the world's oldest and largest diamonds is going on sale with an asking price of 20 million US dollars. The 17th century Mughal Golconda mirror diamond necklace features five pendants each made up of a...
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After the revolution
When Munir Atigia, 38, remembers his childhood, it is always as a little boy kicking a ball and dreaming of one day becoming a footballer. “We had nothing else to do,” he says. “All we had was a one-channel TV. But it was still a happy childhood –...
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Watery grave of ship that saved lives
Today marks the anniversary of the ill-fated landings on the shores of Gallipoli, in Turkey, by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during World War I. Thousands of sick and wounded men were evacuated to Malta for treatment during...
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The ultimate babysitter?
From musical instruments to colouring books, the range of apps aimed at young children has boomed in the past two years. But psychologists and parents are divided on putting smartphones and tablets into such young hands, considering how pivotal...
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Fabulous unseen snaps of the Fab Four
Unseen photos of The Beatles are to go up for sale after lying in a family album for nearly 50 years. The 20 black-and-white snaps have never been published and give a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Fab Four on the cusp of becoming a world...
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A caring mission
The first thing that Lovelee Manalo, 30, noticed when she arrived in Malta was the weather. “In the Philippines, it’s summer all year round. We do have rain – but when it rains, the temperatures are hotter. In Malta, however, it gets cold in winter...
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Living in the love of the common people
Many years ago, at the Upper Barrakka, in Valletta, an elderly man known as Majsi would sprinkle chewed pieces of bread on the ground to feed the ants. “Although to us it seemed absurd, in his simplicity he probably thought that someone should...
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Bridging cultures
"On my flight to Malta from Germany, I prayed a lot – because Malta was a completely new country for me, I prayed that God gives me courage and wisdom to get to know the Maltese people," says Laiq Ahmed Atif, 30, from Pakistan. "As soon as I was out...
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Paolo del Rosso, knight, assassin, poet
Paolo del Rosso, knight of Malta, might just have scraped through the test set by Grand Master Lascaris for admission into the Order of St John: “My Order needs soldiers and seamen, not men with doctorates and other idle persons of whom this island...
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A recipe for integration
Asmaa Saleh, 28, has lived in Malta for the past 16 months together with her husband, Mohammed. They have a daughter and a baby boy who was born in Malta. Asmaa was born in Egypt yet grew up in Saudi Arabia. After 17 years in Saudi Arabia, she moved...
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A song of praise
“More than anything else, I’m a gypsy,” says Deborah Harrison-Rössner. And she is, because Deborah, a jazz performer, has been around the world many times over. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio. She began her performing career in Europe, singing...
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The right ingredients
Junifa Sundajana I Dewa Made is in love with cooking – for him, it’s not a job but a passion which he follows all around the world. He has worked as a chef in various countries, including Dubai and South Africa, as well as on cruise liners. Junifa,...
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Love notes from a small island
For Anastasia Lesnikova, 36, Malta is home. “When I go abroad, I miss it and I am eager to return,” she says. It was Anastasia’s husband Maxim, a computer programmer, who first came to Malta to learn English. “Originally, he planned to stay for two...
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Integrating in Malta - Keeping the faith
Adekemi H. Boyo-Obayuwana is not one to give up. When she first came to Malta, she found it difficult to integrate – yet she persisted and, two and a half years later, things have improved a lot. Adekemi, or Addey for short, is from Lagos, Nigeria,...
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Wild and wacky inventions go on show
A hands-free umbrella, parachutes for airplanes and other quirky inventions went on display yesterday at the opening of the world’s biggest fair for new gadgets. Even the ribbon-cutting was done by a humanoid robot. The 40th International Exhibition...
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George Cross awarded to Malta 70 years ago today
Seventy years ago, the Maltese Islands were experiencing one of the hardest and most cruel times in their history. April 1942 was perhaps the worst month Malta endured in World War II. No fewer than 1,728 tons of bombs were dropped on Malta, almost...
