Новости за 02.05.2021

The German tax authorities have roped in their Maltese counterparts to chase €10 million in value added tax owed to them by Lottoland Limited, a gaming company based in Malta. Berlin used a 2010 EU directive concerning mutual assistance for the recovery of claims relating to taxes and duties in different member states. On the basis of this directive, the Maltese tax commissioner filed proceedings in the First Hall of the Civil Court to recoup the monies. Lottoland was established in May 2013 in Gibraltar. Читать дальше...

US President Joe Biden used the 10th anniversary of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden - "a moment I will never forget" - to reaffirm his decision to remove all US troops from Afghanistan. "We followed bin Laden to the gates of hell - and we got him," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.  "We kept the promise to all those who lost loved ones on 9/11: that we would never forget those we had lost, and that the United States will never waver in our commitment to prevent another attack on our homeland." Biden... Читать дальше...

The wife and adopted daughter of a Maltese man who died from COVID-19 in India arrived safely in Malta on Sunday evening.  Ivan Barbara, 47, died on Friday after developing complications minutes before he was to board the air ambulance which was set to fly him back to Malta. His ashes have also been brought to Malta. Soon after his death, it was decided that Barbara would be cremated in India since the World Health Organisation stipulates that COVID-19 victims have to be buried or cremated at once. Читать дальше...

An environmental expert says a Planning Authority decision to remove most of the plants and features installed by a dedicated Għargħur resident was the right one, despite the overwhelming public outcry. The story about the PA’s decision to clamp down on Ronnie Gauci’s voluntary gardening and embellishment to the area sparked anger to the extent that the authority is being petitioned to ‘Save Ronnie’s Top of the World’ in Għargħur. Environmental resource manager Brian Restall, who volunteers in the area with an NGO and scout group... Читать дальше...

Inter clinched the Serie A title for the first time since 2010 on Sunday when nearest rivals Atalanta were held 1-1 at Sassuolo. Atalanta played most of the match a man down after goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini saw red after 22 minutes in the Mapei Stadium. Luis Muriel missed a late penalty that could have given Atalanta a win that would have put Inter’s celebrations on hold but the second-placed Bergamo side are now 13 points behind Inter with four games remaining. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk... Читать дальше...

A report by the auditor general which found that a €274m contract at St Vincent de Paul Home broke the law is being analysed but there were no doubts about the benefits of the project, the Ministry for the Elderly said on Sunday. The report found massive shortcomings in the contract to build and operate residential blocks and a kitchen at the home, with the audit office saying that procurement regulations had been breached and the deal could potentially be deemed invalid.   The ministry said in... Читать дальше...

A 31-year-old woman from Qrendi was injured on Sunday when she slipped and fell on the cliffs at Għajn Tuffieħa at around 3.30pm. The police said the Civil Protection Department was called on site and its officers assisted the woman up. She was given first aid and then taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance.Her condition is not yet known.

Motorcyclists drove among trees at Miżieb at excessive speed on Sunday disrespecting the natural environment, the hunters’ federation said as it expressed “shock and shame” at the arrogant attitude. In a statement, the FKNK again referred to the presence of Birdlife activists at a restricted area of the reserve on Friday probably “to spy on hunters” and said it had filed a police report about both incidents. After Birdlife on Friday claimed that a child was seen handling a shotgun and being guided to aim and shoot at a bird in Miżieb... Читать дальше...

Thirteen-year-old "Azi", a "sweet" boy who loved learning, was one of at least 16 children and teens among the 45 killed in a stampede at a Jewish pilgrimage in Israel. The tragedy on Friday on Mount Meron in northern Israel has been called one of the worst peacetime disasters since the Jewish state was founded in 1948. It impacted scores of young people drawn to what has been described as a spiritual festival for mainly observant Jews.  Azi, whose full name was Elazar Yitzchak Koltai, was buried Saturday night in Jerusalem... Читать дальше...

Manchester United fans invaded Old Trafford ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Liverpool as part of a protest against the club’s American owners. Large numbers of fans had gathered outside Old Trafford, on the day Manchester City could be crowned Premier League champions if United lose. Hundreds of fans managed to make their way into the ground and onto the pitch, chanting “we want Glazers out.” Flares were lit with one launched towards the television broadcast gantry. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk... Читать дальше...

From images of HIV-infected bananas and cringeworthy Love Actually inspired videos, to legislators speaking about a woman’s place in the kitchen, social media is increasingly becoming an awkward arena for Maltese politicians. Social media posts over the past months have regaled us with a self-complimenting former prime minister, and an opposition leader awkwardly dancing in a TikTok video with a group of young activists. The feedback to such posts is usually a mix of disbelief coupled with an... Читать дальше...

The Etna Extreme Mountain Bike race has long been a popular attraction amongst Maltese mountain bikers.  Hosted by Extreme Bike Nicolosi, the race is divided into two categories –  Marathon which is a 60km route with an elevation of 2,000 metres, and the Gran Fondo, which is 45kms and an elevation of 1,500m. The course is famed for its gruelling terrain and challenging weather conditions. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of The Times of Malta

The Maltese Olympic Committee has launched the Youth Development Scheme. Previously known as the Youth Elite Scheme, the revised programme continues to build on the previous programme and now includes six categories for athletes born between 2004 and 2009 as well as a category for athletes aged 18+. The selection criteria is based on the projected performance level of each nominated athlete and for which input of the athlete’s coach and affiliated federation was taken into account. All MOC affiliated... Читать дальше...

More than 600 migrants hoping to reach Europe from Libya have been stopped since Friday, the navy said, as the International Organisation for Migration warned Libya was "not a safe port". Three groups of illegal migrants were intercepted at sea on Friday and Saturday by Libya's coastguard and units in charge of securing ports, the navy said in a statement, released overnight Saturday to Sunday. It said the 638 people were mostly citizens from sub-Saharan African nations trying to reach Europe... Читать дальше...

A group of some 20 people gathered in St Julian’s on Sunday to protest against COVID-19 measures which they say are not based on scientific evidence.  They carried placards reading ‘No Mask. No Forced Vax. No Vax Passport’ and ‘Stand for Freedom’. While most were wearing a mask, some were not, in breach of COVID-19 regulations which also prohibit gatherings of more than four people from different households. During the protest, the police were on site to enforce social distancing. When they approached... Читать дальше...

PN leader Bernard Grech received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday. Grech, who turns 50 in June, was among the 40+ group who could apply for the vaccine as from April 23. Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Saturday that people over 30 can start signing up for the vaccine from Tuesday. As of Thursday, more than two out of every three people in their 50s had received at least one vaccine shot, with 94 per cent of over 60s also vaccinated with at least one dose.  The health authorities... Читать дальше...

Some 150 people were fined by the police and the Malta Tourism Authority during the weekend following reports of crowds in Pembroke and Mellieħa in breach of COVID-19 regulations. A police officer was attacked and slightly injured in the process. The police said on Sunday that around 3am on Saturday, police at the St Julian’s station received information that there were several people drinking on the rocks at the Natura 2000 site in Pembroke. The police went on site and on seeing the officers, those present tried to escape. Читать дальше...

On May 5, 1821, 200 years ago this week, Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, born in 1769 on the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean,  expired, at the age of 51, on the island of St Helena in the South Atlantic. Considered by many as an islander – born and died on islands – he was also exiled on the Italian island of Elba in 1814, from where he made his surprise heroic comeback for 100 days in 1815, until finally he faced allied enemies for the last time at Waterloo. In June 1798, then a promising 29-year-old French general... Читать дальше...

Bernard Grech said on Sunday that while Malta needed to ensure the safety of lives at sea, in line with international law, this should not be to the detriment of the island's security. Fielding questions from designer Luke Azzopardi on the PN's broadcasting stations, the PN leader said "we need to safeguard lives and people's dignity and humanity, however, everything comes at a price - not just a monetary one. "The financial price is the one that worries me the least. What worries me is security. Читать дальше...

Just 12 new COVID-19 cases were recorded on Sunday, the lowest since July 29. An 87-year-old man died at St Thomas Hospital, bringing the death toll up to 416.  This was the 13th consecutive day that the number of new daily cases remained below 50. A total of 2,036 swab tests were carried out on Saturday, according to data by the health authorities. The authorities revealed that 20 virus patients recovered overnight, resulting in the number of active COVID-19 cases falling to 261 – the lowest total since August 6. Читать дальше...

Local musician JOON speaks with Lara Zammit about her latest single and highly-anticipated upcoming album Can you speak a bit about your journey into music? What led you to it and what do you find most alluring about making music? I’ve loved listening to music for as long as I can remember and even used to fantasise about singing from a very young age. As I grew older I used to buy small, quirky instruments and dabble for fun but I never believed in myself enough to learn and go for it properly... Читать дальше...

A 72-year-old was grievously injured when he was attacked by two people in St Julian’s on Sunday after he stopped them from damaging a parked Civil Protection Department vehicle. The culprits have now been arrested, the police said. They said the incident happened in Triq il-Kbira at 6.45am. The 72-year-old, who is from St Julian’s was attacked by an Irish man and a Spanish woman, both 23, who also live in St Julian’s, when the elderly man approached and stopped them. They escaped but were arrested in Triq Karmnu... Читать дальше...

A species last recorded in Malta 50 years ago has been among a number of rare birds sighted by birdwatchers as the spring migration went into full swing. At this time of year, birds leave their wintering grounds in Africa to migrate north to breed in Europe. The rare sightings began when two separate immature White-crowned Wheatears (Kuda Rasha Bajda) were spotted, one at Ħal Far and the other in Dwejra, Gozo, BirdLife told Times of Malta. It was only the third and fourth time that the species... Читать дальше...

The Lotus Evija has been named as ‘The One to Watch’ in Top Gear’s second ever Electric Awards. The all-electric hypercar was recently tested by Top Gear magazine editor Jack Rix on the test track at Lotus HQ in Hethel, Norfolk, and his article is published over eight pages in the May issue. To read the full story visit timesmotors.com

This focus on literary translation and the market for books in translation comes about from the recent publication of a collection of short stories by Maltese writer Trevor Zahra which I translated into English with the support of a grant from the Malta Arts Council and which was published by Merlin Publishers a couple of months ago. Translating and publishing are a huge part of getting Maltese writing to a wider readership, but the final step is to make these books visible and available in local... Читать дальше...