Новости за 10.01.2021

Britain on Sunday raced against the clock to vaccinate as many people as possible while Germany warned of the "hardest" days yet to come with Europe battling to contain soaring coronavirus infections. January 11 marks one year since China confirmed its first death from COVID-19, a 61-year-old man who was a regular at Wuhan city's market, where the pandemic emerged before spreading around the world. Nearly two million deaths later, the pandemic is still thriving, with new variants again prompting... Читать дальше...

A heatwave bringing temperatures as high as 28 Celsius prompted Greeks to cut loose during their coronavirus lockdown Sunday and flock to beaches and parks. According to the National Observatory of Athens, the temperature in Chania, on the southern island of Crete, was 28.3C around noon, one of the highest January temperatures of the last 50 years. Normal Greek temperatures this time of the year are around 15C. In Athens, where thermometers reached 22C, people flocked to nearby beaches, squares and parks. Читать дальше...

ĦAMRUN SPARTANS        3 Soares 45 Sasere 5, 73   MOSTA                                 1 Kaljevic 24 ĦAMRUN SPARTANS E. Bartolo-6; D. Gojkovic-6.5; M.Guillaumier-6.5; J. Mbong-7 (75 S. Lagzir); J. Ailton Soares-7.5 (88 D. Borg); F. Sasere-7.5 (86 I. Adeshina); E. Serrano; J. Corbalan-6; P. Djordjevic-6.5; K. Micallef-6.5; E. Marcelina-7. MOSTA C. Mafoumbi-6.5; D. Debono-5 (68 L. Portelli); C. Ememe-5.5; J. Bezzina-5; C. Failla-6,5; T. Farrugia-6 (83 N. Agius); M. Muchardi; Rafael-6; Z. Brincat-6 (68 D. Читать дальше...

More than 100 witnesses testified before the public inquiry that was set up to look into whether the state could have prevented Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder. Yorgen Fenech, the man charged with complicity in the 2017 murder was also in a nearby court room as prosecutors continued to present the massive body of evidence against him and other suspects.   Times of Malta continued to uncover fresh insights into the murder plot, followed up on Caruana Galizia’s investigations and continued to cover the fall-out from the assassination. Читать дальше...

Donald Trump faced fresh calls Sunday from some members of his own party to resign over the violent incursion into the US Capitol, as the threat builds for a historic second impeachment effort in his final 10 days in the White House. With the January 20 inauguration of Democrat Joe Biden fast approaching - and with the country hit by a surging pandemic, a flagging economy, and searing division - resignation "is the best path forward," Republican Senator Pat Toomey told CNN, adding, "That would be... Читать дальше...

Two men were seriously injured in an argument at Sliema on Sunday. The police said the incident happened in Triq il-Kulleġġ l-Antik at 11.30am. The argument, between a 46-year-old who lives in Ħamrun and a 23-year-old who lives in Iklin, started in the road and continued in a residence in the same street. A glass bottle was allegedly used. The younger man went to the Floriana health centre while the older one was taken to Mater Dei Hospital. The police are investigating.

The police issued 40 contraventions during patrols along the Coast Road in Baħar Iċ-Ċagħaq on Sunday.  They said in a statement the inspections were carried out by the traffic police assisted by the Rapid Police Intervention Unit (RIU), MT Garage and Transport Malta.  Ten of the violations were for exceeding legal noise limits. Other contraventions included failure to use seatbelts, unlicensed vehicles and vehicles without registration plates.  Sunday's patrols were carried out as part of control checks over the weekend. Читать дальше...

FLORIANA     0 ŻEJTUN          0 FLORIANA I. Akpan-7, M. Beye-6.5, E. Ruiz-6, D. Venancio-6.5, K. Keqi-5.5, B. Paiber-5.5, M. Garcia-6, A. Cini-5.5, M. Dias-5.5 (89 S. Arab), J. Busuttil-6 (76 R. Camenzuli), T. Fonseca-5. ŻEJTUN C. Cassar-6, L. Moreira-6.5, K. Reid-6, T. Bonfim-6, C. Grech-6, S. Barboza-6 (86 J. Suda), V. Vieira-6.5, D. Washington-6 (90 A. Carabott), E. Herrera-6, N. Tabone-6.5, Andersson-6. Referee: Darryl Agius. Yellow cards: Tabone, Venancio, Anderson. BOV Player of the Match: Ini Akpan (Floriana). Читать дальше...

After the worst snowstorm in decades, Spanish officials were racing Sunday to clear the roads of snow before a cold snap transforms them into icy death traps. Storm Filomena killed three people during its passage through Spain and kept emergency services workers and army snow ploughs busy through Saturday freeing 2,500 drivers trapped in their vehicles. The storm also brought heavy rains before moving through eastern Spain into southern France. Spain's weather forecasters AEMET predicted heavy frost... Читать дальше...

Leeds suffered a humiliating FA Cup exit against Crawley as the League Two side swept to a shock 3-0 win, while Timo Werner ended his Chelsea goal drought and Bernardo Silva sparkled for Manchester City as the Premier League giants eased into the fourth round on Sunday. After the spiking coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc with matches across the third round on Friday and Saturday, the FA Cup was back on more familiar ground as Leeds became the competition’s latest big name to be knocked out by a feisty underdog. Читать дальше...

With almost 70 general election candidates already approved and more in the pipeline, the Nationalist Party’s renewal process is moving at a very fast pace, according to general secretary Francis Zammit Dimech. “We are gearing the party for the forthcoming general election where we will be presenting a refreshed image of the party, giving the electorate a wider choice and a healthy mix of people to choose from,” he said. The party’s executive committee has been steadily approving general election candidates for months. Читать дальше...

SANTA LUCIA 0 BIRKIRKARA 0 Sta Lucia C. Farrugia-6, T. Desira Tabone-6.5, A. Prates-7, K. Correia-7, A. Magri Overand-5.5, L. Motta-6 (63 G. De Araujo), K. Ante Rosero-6.5, V. Filho-6, J. Zerafa-6, R. Tachikawa-7, K. Xuereb-6. Birkirkara S. Guarnone-6, E. Pepe-6, Y. Yankam-6, L. Montebello-5 (73 Caio), P. Mbong-6, R. Briffa-5.5, F. Falcone-5 (82 K. Zammit), C. Attard-6.5, C. Bonanni-5.5, O. Carniello-5, A. Alves-5. Referee: Malcolm Spiteri. Yellow card: Filho. BOV player of match: Alex Alves (Birkirkara). Читать дальше...

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have quit social media after growing disillusioned by the "hate" they have found on sites like Facebook and Twitter, a UK newspaper reported on Sunday. The couple were rejecting social media in both a personal and professional capacity as part of their new "progressive role" in the United States, the Sunday Times said. A source close to the couple told the newspaper they had "no plans" to use social media for their new Archewell Foundation and were "very unlikely" to restart utilising platforms personally. Читать дальше...

Carnival activities have been called off this year because of the pandemic and social media posts claiming otherwise are fake, carnival artistic director Jason Busuttil has confirmed. Carnival this year will be celebrated virtually and instead of the traditional floats streaming down Valletta’s Republic Street, carnival activities will be broadcast on television and social media, while static floats will be set up as installations on central roundabouts and other spots. Busuttil warned that a fake Facebook post was making the rounds... Читать дальше...

The emergence in Britain and South Africa of two new variants of Sars-CoV-2, which are potentially far more infectious versions of the virus, has prompted widespread concern. Here is what we know - and what we don't - about the mutations. What are they? All viruses mutate when they replicate in order to adapt to their environment. Scientists have tracked multiple mutations of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, since it appeared in China in late 2019.  The vast majority of mutations did not... Читать дальше...

Forty-one police officers were on Sunday given a certificate of merit as recognition of their work in 2020. They included officers who saved a person from choking on food, kept a person from committing suicide, found shelter for a homeless person, and traced a stolen vehicle while off-duty. Financial crimes inspector Keith Vella was given the Policeman of the Year Award for his commitment, integrity and initiative shown in the investigations he was responsible for as well as for his “impeccable” work in the Anti-money Laundering Squad. Читать дальше...

Toyota’s Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi took the Dakar Rally marathon seventh stage honours on Sunday, the home hope denying Stephane Peterhansel, the overall leader in pursuit of his 14th title. Mini driver Peterhansel was on target to cross the line first at the end of the arduous 453km timed special featuring sand mountains between Ha’il and Sakaka. But Al-Rajhi had other ideas, and with the benefit of his experienced co-driver Dirk Von Zitzewitz, an 18-Dakar veteran, he took command around 100km out. Читать дальше...

A motorcylcist is in a critical condition while his female pillion passenger was grievously injured in a traffic accident in Paola. The police said the accident happened in Vjal Santa Luċija at 11.50am. The man, who is 65, was riding a Honda. His pillion is 59. Both live in Birżebbuġa.  An inquiry is being held. The police are investigating.

Charles Paris was born in Valletta in 1921. At 18, in January 1940, without his parents’ knowledge and before waiting for his conscription papers, he joined the Royal Navy as an assistant steward at the Naval Depot. After two months training, he was drafted with other Maltese cooks and stewards to the County Class cruiser HMS Sussex, which had made a brief stop at Malta on its way from South Africa to the UK. [attach id=1012506 size="medium" align="right" type="image"]Leading steward Charles Paris... Читать дальше...

Health students are in contact with COVID-19 patients and should be given the COVID-19 vaccine with frontliners and other health care professionals, the Malta Health Students’ Association said. It said in a statement that the students had stepped up their responsibility working in swabbing hubs and as trainees in state hospitals. Some have had to leave home and quarantine for the sake of family members and others contracted the virus due to their exposure to positive patients. It would be a shame... Читать дальше...

The public has acknowledged the advancement and changes made by the Nationalist Party and new survey figures are a reaction to all that has been done, Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.  Grech was reacting to MaltaToday's survey published on Sunday which showed his trust rating increasing. According to the survey, Grech’s rating now stands at 34.7%, up by almost five percentage points since December. Prime Minister Robert Abela’s rating dropped five percentage points, to 42.1%. Читать дальше...

Switzerland's decision in the spring to shutter schools was one of the most effective measures in reducing mobility and thus also transmission of COVID-19, a study showed Sunday. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, ETH, determined that the closure of Swiss schools last March was responsible for cutting mobility by more than a fifth.  "School closures reduced mobility by 21.6%," Stefan Feuerriegel, an ETH professor of management information systems who headed the study, told AFP in an email. Читать дальше...

Ray Charles was right about Sweet Georgia on my mind. Thank heaven that Georgia voted in two democrats to the Senate. On a day where Donald Trump incited a mob to storm the US Capitol, resulting in turmoil, four deaths and disruption of the parliamentary process to confirm the election results, all is not black. The combined houses of Congress did resume its work and did confirm the new president and vice-president in an all-night session. Democracy has prevailed but only by the skin of its teeth. Читать дальше...

Divers pulled body parts, wreckage and clothing from waters off Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Sunday, as the military located a signal it hoped would lead to the wreckage of a jet that crashed with 62 people on board. The Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 plunged into a steep dive about four minutes after it left Soekarno-Hatta international airport in Jakarta on Saturday afternoon. A military vessel "has found the signal from (Sriwijaya Air) SJ182" and divers had recovered parts of the plane from around 23 metres below the water's surface... Читать дальше...

Il-Pultruna li Titbandal u Stejjer Oħra  by Maria Camilleri Horizons Publications, 2020 [attach id=1012383 size="medium" align="right" type="image"][/attach] Writing a short story is admittedly easier than writing a full-length novel; but when an author opts for a collection of short stories, then the compari­son dwindles dramatically. A novel is built on a plot with several stable characters who evolve together, with variations, on one stage according to a fixed theme. A short story is relatively similar in structure... Читать дальше...