Новости за 07.05.2021

Newcastle United derailed Leicester City’s bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League with a 4-2 win on Friday that all but secured their place in the Premier League. Defeat left Leicester third, two points in front of Chelsea and five ahead of West Ham, with both London clubs having a game in hand over the Foxes. This reverse came five years to the day since Leicester received the Premier League trophy, having started the 2015/16 season as 5,000/1 rank outsiders to be crowned English champions. Читать дальше...

The World Health Organisation on Friday urged governments to refrain from vaccinating children against coronavirus until the elderly and at-risk worldwide have received the vaccine. The WHO plea comes after Canada authorised the use of Pfizer vaccine on children, with other rich nations set to follow suit. "The priority really needs to be getting vaccine to all countries in the world for the highest priority groups before we start advancing to groups that have much lower risk of disease," said Dr Kate O’Brien... Читать дальше...

UEFA on Friday announced sanctions, including financial punishments, against nine of the 12 clubs behind the aborted Super League project, after the clubs “apologised” and acknowledged “a mistake”. The governing body of European football said that “in a spirit of reconciliation” the nine clubs had agreed to a “Club Commitment Declaration” and accepted a five percent cut in their European revenue for one season.  However, three clubs, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus, did not sign the declaration. Читать дальше...

NASA's Perseverance rover has for the first time captured the low-pitched whirring of the Ingenuity helicopter's blades as it flies through the rarefied Martian atmosphere. The space agency on Friday released new footage shot by the six-wheeled robot of its rotorcraft companion making its fourth flight on April 30 - this time accompanied by an audio track. The nearly three-minute-long video begins with the low rumble of the wind blowing across the Jezero Crater, where Perseverance landed in February... Читать дальше...

Britain on Friday said it was willing to step in to host the Champions League football final, after the government placed Turkey on a coronavirus travel red list. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the UK was “very open to hosting the final round” of the competition, which is due to take place between English clubs Manchester City and Chelsea in Istanbul on May 29. The English Football Association were in talks with European football’s governing body UEFA already, he said, but added the choice... Читать дальше...

Germany is to remove Malta from its COVID-19 risk list on Sunday, meaning tourists will no longer have to quarantine on their return. The move comes on the same day as the UK's surprise announcement that Malta has been left off its green list of travel destinations, despite low numbers of infections.  On Friday, the Robert Koch Institute announced that Malta is "no longer a risk area". In Germany, countries are classified as risk destinations based on a joint analysis and decision by the Federal Ministry of Health... Читать дальше...

German carmaker Volkswagen reported a jump in first quarter profits on Thursday but warned that a global shortage of semiconductors that has hurt production would have a “more significant impact” in the coming months. The car giant reported net profits of €3.4 billion, up from €517 million over the January-March period in 2020 when the first wave of the pandemic closed showrooms and factories. Revenues for the 12-brand group, which includes the Audi, Porsche and Skoda marques, climbed 13 per cent to €62.4 billion... Читать дальше...

Malta has not made a list of countries that English tourists can freely travel to without having to quarantine on their return.  UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the 'green list' of countries safe for English citizens to travel to on Friday evening, with Malta not among 12 destinations approved for holiday-makers at this time. The full list of countries is: Portugal including the Azores and Madeira, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Israel. Читать дальше...

A motorcyclist was injured in an accident in Naxxar on Friday afternoon in a collision involving a car. A witness said the accident happened on 21st September Avenue at 5.45pm. The victim, who suffered leg injuries, was given first aid by a medical team on site and then taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance. He collided with a BMW car whose driver, a woman, was treated for shock.

Greece will reopen private beaches on Saturday and museums next week, health officials said Friday as the tourism-dependent country gears up for a May 15 travel restart. Museums are to reopen on May 14 - a day before Greece officially launches its travel season - followed by reduced-capacity outdoor cinemas on May 21 and theatres on May 28. The government began in early April to relax lockdown restrictions originally imposed in November by reopening most retail shops except malls. This was followed by high schools reopening a week later... Читать дальше...

The owner of a primary property in Valletta’s commercial hub, put to limited use by the lessors enjoying its possession since 1964, was awarded €560,000 in damages for being denied full enjoyment of his property.  This was the umpteenth judgment by a local court declaring that the current laws, allowing landlords “limited enjoyment” of their property, effectively breached their fundamental rights in terms of Article 37 of the Constitution and Article 1 Protocol 1 of the European Convention.  The massive building... Читать дальше...

A long-term residential care home for the elderly has been inaugurated in Tarxien. Dar L-Annuzjata will have 230 beds spread over seven storeys. Inaugurating the home on Friday, Minister for the Elderly Michael Farrugia said €13 million had been invested in the home by the private sector. There were currently 45 employees but a total of 100 new jobs are expected to be created. An undisclosed number of beds at the facility will be reserved for residents in state-funded care.  The home has been... Читать дальше...

Chinese exports grew at a forecast-busting rate last month, data showed on Friday, while imports surged at their strongest in a decade as the global economy bounces back from the pandemic crisis and domestic consumption recovers. With vaccines being rolled out around the world – particularly in the key US market – and economically painful lockdowns being eased, demand for China’s goods has picked up this year, having fallen off a cliff in 2020. Shipments abroad soared 32.3 per cent on-year in April ... Читать дальше...

A 31-year-old motorcyclist was grievously injured in a traffic accident in Żabbar on Friday. The police said the accident happened in Triq Santa Duminka at 9am. The victim, who is from Marsascala, was riding a Kawasaki motorbike when he lost control and fell off. The bike, however, dragged on and collided with a Peugeot that was being driven by a 49-year-old man from Fgura. The police are investigating.

Ivan Barbara, a Maltese man who contracted COVID-19 and died while in India to adopt a baby girl, had asked health authorities for a vaccine before the trip but was rejected, Health Minister Chris Fearne confirmed on Friday. Barbara had gone to authorities asking to be vaccinated ahead of his visit but was told that he could not as he was not in the right cohort and, therefore, ineligible at the time, Fearne said during an interview with Newsbook. The minister emphasised the importance of sticking... Читать дальше...

Spain is poised for a surge in internal travel after a national state of emergency ends on Sunday, a move regional governments fear weakens their hand in the fight against the pandemic. Declared in October as COVID-19 infections surged, the emergency decree has provided regional authorities - which are in charge of health care - a legal framework to enforce nighttime curfews and other restrictions including a ban on non-essential travel between regions. But once the emergency situation ends on Sunday... Читать дальше...

Students travelling to Malta to learn English this summer will be handed up to €300 in vouchers to spend anywhere on the island as part of efforts to boost the English Language Tuition (ELT) sector. Addressing a press conference, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said the government will be budgeting €1 million to help schools get back on their feet after pandemic-related closures in recent months.  Every student coming to Malta to learn English will be handed a a €10 voucher for every day spent on the island. Читать дальше...

Two Church bodies have expressed scepticism about plans to reform cannabis laws and said the idea should be parked until after a general election to avoid it becoming hijacked by “the partisan battle for votes”. In a position paper issued on Friday, the Secretariat for Catholic Education (SfCE) and the Church Schools’ Association (CSA) said they wanted to see more debate and “extensive research” about the plans. According to the government’s proposal, cannabis users will be allowed to grow their... Читать дальше...

The 2021 Turner Prize jury has selected a shortlist made entirely from artist collectives for the first time, Tate Britain, which organises the award, announced on Friday. The five groups all “work closely and continuously with communities across the breadth of the UK”, the organisers of the prestigious but often controversial visual arts prize said. “The collaborative practices selected for this year’s shortlist also reflect the solidarity and community demonstrated in response to the pandemic,” they added. Читать дальше...

German luxury carmaker BMW said on Friday that earnings rose sharply in the first three months of the current year, driven by a rebound in sales as the market recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. BMW said in a statement that its bottom-line net profit quadrupled to €2.8 billion in the period from January to March, from €574 million a year earlier. First-quarter revenues were up 15 per cent at €26.8 billion as unit sales grew by 33 per cent to 636,606, the carmaker said. “Compared to the previous... Читать дальше...

There are "indications" about Malta featuring on a list of countries marked as safe for travel from England but the government will wait for official confirmation before commenting, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has said.  British news sites have speculated that Malta will be among a handful of countries on the so-called green list, which is set to be unveiled at 6pm [Malta time] on Friday. Being on the list would mean tourists coming to the island would not have to quarantine upon their return to England. Читать дальше...

The scandal-hit organisation behind film and television's Golden Globe Awards on Thursday voted for sweeping reforms after being slammed by Hollywood for its record on diversity. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association – a group of 90-odd international journalists who wield outsized influence due to the prestigious Globes – has been reeling since a report in February revealed it has zero Black members. A group of more than 100 Tinseltown publicists wrote to the HFPA in March demanding an end to "discriminatory behavior... Читать дальше...

Santa Lucia FC have reconfirmed Oliver Spiteri as their first-team coach for another season, Times of Malta can confirm. Spiteri has played a leading role for the Saints this season as he masterminded the team to a very positive campaign in the BOV Premier League. In fact, under the charge of Spiteri, Sta Lucia were one of the revelations this season as despite a modest budget their philosophy of promoting young Maltese talent has paid rich dividends which saw them finish a commendable eighth in the Premier League standings. Читать дальше...

In Cuba, where American cars older than the average inhabitant are a common sight on city streets, Pablo Manso makes his living in a very particular niche: repairing Chevrolets from 1955, 1956 and 1957. The self-taught technician plies his trade in a workshop he built 15 years ago at his home in Placetas, a small city in the rural centre of the communist island.  He recreates Chevy parts with machines he built himself in a country where US sanctions have crippled imports of cars, parts and tools of the trade. Читать дальше...

The Formula One circus pitches up in Barcelona this weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix with Red Bull’s tantalising tilt at prising the spotlight away from showstoppers Mercedes topping the bill. Three races in and against pre-season predictions it is Lewis Hamilton who leads Max Verstappen by eight points arriving at the fourth leg of the championship. Wins last Sunday in Portugal and in the opener in Bahrain leave the seven-time champion in his customary habitat at the top of the F1 drivers’ tree. Читать дальше...