Features
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Silent Night: the story of the carol that paused a war
Few Christmas carols evoke the season of peace and goodwill as readily as Silent Night. Two popular stories contribute to its appeal: one concerning the circumstances of its composition in Oberndorf, near Salzburg in Austria, and the other its...
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Celebrating Christmas among misery: advice from the 1800s still relevant
How can we enjoy ourselves this holiday season when sadness, cruelty and strife so often dominate the headlines? This is a question that Leigh Hunt, the great 19th-century English writer, asked himself nearly two centuries ago, and it is as...
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How to avoid overspending: uncover the psychology behind why people buy
Between 40% and 80% of purchases are impulse buys. Marketers often get blamed for this, but while marketing tactics may be cynical, manipulative, and even deceptive, shoppers are generally wise to their ways. Of greater concern, is the fact that...
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Twelve reasons to let your children play video games this Christmas
In the build up to Christmas, I’m sure there’ll be many parents who have guiltily allowed their children extra screen time so cards get written and presents wrapped. But the good news is that video games can be a vibrant and rich source of learning.
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The Christmas experience
As the ferry slides into Gozo’s small port of Mġarr, you are welcomed by the square stone buildings that line the harbourside, seemingly leaning against the rising hill. You could almost imagine you were arriving in the Holy Land. Above, the...
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Dress for the year you want
The December calendar is quickly filling up with holiday balls, office celebrations and other seasonal affairs, so there’s a good chance you have a holiday event – or three – to attend. So it’s time to think about your party looks before it’s too...
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Memories change more than we realise
Your memory probably isn’t as good as you think it is. We rely on our memories not only for sharing stories with friends or learning from our past experiences, but we also use it for crucial things like creating a sense of personal identity. Yet...
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The sisters of the crib
The elderly nuns at Jesus of Nazareth Institute in Żejtun rely on the help of friends and volunteers. Yet Christmas is still a cherished time, says Fiona Vella. “This place was much livelier when children were around, especially in Christmas,”...
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French pair invent plastic-to-fuel recycler
A French actor and a self-taught inventor have designed a low-tech machine that converts plastic waste into diesel and petrol, which they say could help fight pollution and provide fuel for remote communities in developing countries. Proponents of...
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UK tabloids fall out of love with 'Duchess Difficult' Meghan
The honeymoon period for former actress and newly-minted British royal Meghan Markle, it seems, is over. Six months on from her fairytale wedding to Prince Harry at Windsor Castle, Meghan is faced with a daily barrage of tabloid headlines...
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'Malta needs a superhero... I'm allowed to dream, right?'
Malta is in dire need of an education system that encourages students to think and question everything, rather than one that “seems to be focused purely on hurdles and jumping them”, according to activist and political cartoonist Steve Bonello. Mr...
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Five ways to make your Christmas greener
Moderation is the last thing on people’s minds at Christmas. Shopping, travelling and eating reach peak levels – putting pressure on our planet. Even Santa poses a problem. If you don’t believe in flying reindeers, that sleigh must be...
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Climate talks pass baton in race to stop global warming
Fractious climate change talks in Poland showed the limits of international action to limit global warming in a polarised world, putting the onus on individual governments, cities and communities to stop temperatures rising. Nearly 200 countries...
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The origins of Malta’s Medical School – December 19, 1676
Although the Jesuit College of higher education had existed in Valletta since the last decade of the 16th century, for a number of years there was as yet no Maltese university or medical school wherein Maltese students could be prepared locally...
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Francesco Gesualdo – Malta’s protestant martyr or fake news?
Malta can boast of only one shining Protestant martyr, a man who paid with his life, a rare steadfastness in upholding his religious principles, an almost solitary voice who knew the risks of defying the Roman Catholic majority in Malta in the...
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My favourite Chrıstmas photo
The festive season is one of the most-snapped times of the year and we love looking back on memories of Christmas past. Jo Caruana asks three well-known faces to pick their favourite shot of the season. ‘Painful, happy memory’ Nicholas de Piro...
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Multitasking between devices is associated with poorer attention and memory
How many times have you sat down to watch TV or a movie, only to immediately shift your attention to your smartphone or tablet? Known as “media multitasking”, this phenomenon is so common that an estimated 178m US adults regularly use another...
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Salvo Grima Foundation hosts Service Dog graduation ceremony
A unique celebration took place in Marsa recently as a young Golden Retriever – Quincy – formally graduated as a fully-fledged Service Dog in the presence of her trainers and sponsors. The graduation ceremony marked the end of an intensive...
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Understanding how medicines work in pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease, which is mainly caused by the inhalation of noxious particles, the major one being cigarette smoke. Enhanced chronic airway inflammation leads to restricted airflow to the...
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Christmas feel for Sliema
Over 60 businesses in Sliema got together with the local council to give the town’s shopping precinct a festive feel with a new set of Christmas lights. Seen here, from left, are David Soler, Plaza Centres plc; Julie Roberts, Townsquare Sliema...
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