Joseph Gatt "The undated photograph is remarkable in that all the buildings shown in it have since been demolished and in most cases replaced, except Il-Fortizza, at the far end, which remains unchanged. " Malta, and Sliema particularly, has lost its quaint architectural character. It has been transformed into a jungle of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, reshaping the streetscape from one of traditional values, to one of shallow commercial interests.

Joseph Gatt Interesting echoes from the old University building in Valletta. 🤓

Joseph Gatt Very interesting historical research. Thank you for sharing, Mary Jo.

Joseph Gatt The present view of La Borsa in Valletta, Malta, also known as the Exchange Building, presently hosting The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, and which in the 19th century had been home for both the Anglo-Maltese Bank and the Banco di Malta simultaneously. The impressive statue that in the 19th century had adorned the open balcony above the colonnades, is sadly gone.

Joseph Gatt "Luigi Maria Ugolini, the visionary pre-war Italian archaeologist who revolutionised everything we thought we knew about our megalithic culture." That's rather curious – I've never heard of this man. 🙄

Joseph Gatt Chun Wang propjament huwa Ċiniż li sar ċittadin Malti f'Awwissu tal-2023, permezz tal-iskema tal-passaporti tad-deheb. Huwa investitur tal-kripto-munita, u ntraprenditur. Fl-2013, Wang waqqaf, flimkien ma' oħrajn, l-kumpanija F2Pool, waħda mill-ewwel kumpaniji li bdit timmina il-Bitcoin fiċ-Ċina, u waħda mill-akbar fid-dinja.

Din is-sena Wang iffinanzjat privatament il-missjoni spazjali Fram2, li taret permezz tal-vettura spazjali Crew Dragon, ta' Space X. Din kienet l-ewwel titjira tal-bniedem li seħħet f'orbita polari f'rotazzjoni kontrarja għal tad-dinja. Din il-missjoni bdiet fil-31 ta' Marzu (1 ta' April UTC), damet 3.5 ijiem, u spiċċat fl-4 ta’ April 2025 fis-16:19:28 UTC (9:19:28 a.m. PDT, ħin lokali fis-sit tal-inżul), meta l-vettura spazjali Crew Dragon għall-ewwel darba fl-istorja tagħha splaxxjat ġo l-oċejan Paċifiku.

Wang ippjana li l-vjaġġ spazjali jkun l-1,000 titjira personali tiegħu. L-ekwipaġġ (Chun Wang, il-kaptan, flimkien ma' Jannicke Mikkelsen, Rabea Rogge u Eric Philips) wetqu 22 esperiment li jirrigwardaw is-saħħa tal-bniedem u t-teknoloġija tal-esplorazzjoni tal-ispazju, inkluż l-ewwel X-ray fl-ispazju. Kienet ukoll l-ewwel darba li persuni mhux Amerikani pparteċipaw fi titjira spazjali ċivili.

B'hekk Wang kien sar l-ewwel ċittadin Malti li vvjaġġa lejn l-ispazju. Madankollu, l-iskema Maltija tal-passaporti tad-deheb issa ġiet iddikjarata mill-Qorti tal-Ġustizzja tal-Unjoni Ewropeja bħala illegali (ara https://zafoid.com/post/view/11898). B'hekk irridu naraw jekk Wang ma jibqax Malti, u jekk iċ-cittadinanza Maltija tiegħu qattx kienitx legalment valida.