Новости за 09.05.2021

Manchester City’s Premier League title celebrations were put on hold again as Manchester United fought back to win 3-1 at Aston Villa on Sunday as West Bromwich Albion were relegated after losing to Arsenal by the same score. Meanwhile, West Ham’s top-four bid suffered a major setback with a 1-0 defeat by Everton. City missed a chance to seal the title when they lost 2-1 to Chelsea on Saturday. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of the Times of Malta

World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe said Sunday he believes the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Olympics can be “a beacon of hope and optimism”, despite infections surging in Japan and other countries. A virus state of emergency in Tokyo and other parts of Japan was extended on Friday, less than three months before the Games are due to begin. The emergency measures come as Olympic organisers struggle to win over a sceptical Japanese public, who fear the Games could spread infections despite a ban... Читать дальше...

Naomi Osaka conceded she found playing outside her comfort zone on clay frustrating as the world number two continues her warm-up for the French Open at the WTA tournament in Rome. Osaka has never won a tour-level event on the red dirt while at the French Open, which starts on May 30, she is yet to make it past the third round. The Japanese four-time Grand Slam champion was dumped out of the Madrid Open in the second round last week, having taken almost a month off following her quarter-final exit in Miami. Читать дальше...

Shops that reopened their doors nearly a fortnight ago after the COVID-19 shutdown are relieved to see business picking up, but some have expressed concern over the repercussions of a potentially delayed tourism season. “We have received positive feedback from retail outlets, especially with an event such as Mother’s Day, as businesses saw an increase in shoppers this week,” the CEO of the Malta Chamber of SMEs, Abigail Mamo, told Times of Malta. Non-essential shops, including hairdressers, lifted their shutters on April 26... Читать дальше...

Underwater footage captured by divers finally proves that the wreck of a World War II British submarine located off the coast of Malta two years ago is the HMS Urge – putting to rest decades of speculation that the vessel sank in Libyan waters. The footage shows the ghostly outline of the word ‘Urge’ etched into the side of the sunken submarine that is now covered in colonies of soft and hard corals, known as gorgonians. “We already knew this was the wreck of Urge, but to see the letters so clearly gives important further clarity. Читать дальше...

The owner of the Grade 1 scheduled Villa Barbaro in Tarxien has made a “desperate” appeal to counter yet another five-floor development application that has reared its ugly head opposite the 500-year-old property. The pre-Great Siege historic monument is once again being faced by looming flats, threatening its important context, which Marquis Tony Cremona-Barbaro has been fighting to protect for over a decade. Admitting to being “mentally exhausted”, Cremona-Barbaro described the situation as another “siege”... Читать дальше...

Martina Borg and her Sassari Torres side have taken control of their fate after beating promotion rivals Arezzo 3-1, to take top spot in Serie C – Girone C. Sassari and Arezzo headed into this game joint-second on 40 points, two behind leaders Bologna. Borg’s side cancelled a one-goal deficit to score three times in the second-half and open a three-point lead on Arezzo and Filecchio Women, who held Bologna to a 3-3 draw as the promotion race for Serie B is now wide open with three points separating four teams. Читать дальше...

A woman was injured when she fell some three metres on the cliff face overlooking Ġnejna Bay on Sunday afternoon. The 32-year-old from Valletta was rescued by rescuers from the Civil Protection Department using a dinghy for easier access. Her medical condition was not immediately known.  The accident was similar to another, last Sunday, when a 31-year-old woman from Qrendi was injured when she slipped and fell on the cliffs at Għajn Tuffieħa.

Tensions ran high Sunday in annexed east Jerusalem after hundreds of Palestinians were wounded in a weekend of clashes between protesters and Israeli security forces, sparking global concern that the unrest could spread further. The violence around Jerusalem's revered Al-Aqsa mosque compound and the Old City, mostly at night, is the worst since 2017, fuelled by a years-long bid by Jewish settlers to take over Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem. The unrest swept parts of the occupied West Bank... Читать дальше...

Aston Martin has revealed more details of its forthcoming V12 Speedster – the open cockpit celebration of the British luxury sports car brand’s proud past and exciting future. Just 88 examples of the Aston Martin V12 Speedster are available to buyers worldwide and today the brand is unveiling details of a custom specification that is certain to underscore the cars’ instant collector’s item status. The new car aligns gracefully with a heritage that features not only the exceptional DBR1, but also... Читать дальше...

Malta women’s international defender Nicole Sciberras played a part in Juventus U-19’s opening win in the U-19’s Serie A play-offs. The Bianconere travelled to Napoli as they faced the Partenopei in the first leg of the quarter-finals, winning 6-1 thanks to goals from Chiara Beccari twice, Elisa Pfattner twice, Michela Giordano and Nicole Arcangeli. Former Grifone Gialloverde player Sciberras came on in the second half for Juventus as they are chasing their first ever Serie A title at U-19’s level. Читать дальше...

People across the European Union are being urged to have their say in a Conference on the Future of Europe, which opens in Strasbourg on Sunday at 2pm. French President Emmanuel Macron and the presidents of the European Parliament and the European Commission will be among the speakers in the launch event, timed to coincide with Europe Day.   An address will also be delivered by António Costa, Prime Minister of Portugal, his country currently holding the rotating presidency of the European Union. Читать дальше...

The Scottish National Party on Sunday said its landslide victory in Edinburgh's devolved parliament was grounds for a fresh independence referendum, despite opposition from London. While the SNP campaigned on promises to hold a new vote, the UK government, which would need to give formal legal permission, is opposed, raising fears of a protracted political and legal battle. Now the nationalists say their slightly increased share of seats, one short of an overall majority of 65, gives them a mandate for "indyref2"... Читать дальше...

A new shelter for survivors of abuse and their children has been opened by the Church in Zejtun, replacing another one in Santa Venera. Il-Milja, housed at Dar Ġesù Nazzarenu Zejtun, was inaugurated by Archbishop Charles Scicluna and will be run by the Church through Fondazzjoni Sebħ. It will be offering protection to survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, forced abortions, and forced prostitution, among others. The shelter is equipped with modern facilities including therapy rooms... Читать дальше...

The Labour Party will on Monday present proposals for the legalisation of cannabis. Party deputy leader Daniel Micallef told Times of Malta that last week the PL’s executive council voted in favour of a suite of legislative reforms linked to cannabis including a push for legalisation of the drug.  Legalisation of cannabis is the process of removing all legal prohibitions against it. Since 2015, possession of small quantities of drugs has not been punishable by imprisonment but by a fine. The party’s... Читать дальше...

Wasteserv on Sunday warned contractors it will take drastic action if they did not collect glass because items are placed in cardboard boxes. In a statement, the state agency said it had received complaints that in a number of localities glass placed in cardboard boxes remained uncollected. The agency insisted it had never limited the collection to the containers it had provided and never banned the use of cardboard boxes where this was practicable. "If the current operators are not in a position... Читать дальше...

Nine new COVID-19 cases were reported on Sunday as the vaccination programme is on course to reach 60 per cent of Malta's adult population. Six cases were reported on Saturday. Health Minister Chris Fearne said in an early Sunday morning tweet that within the next 24 hours, 60% of Malta's adult population would have taken at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.  The health authorities in their daily report at 12.30pm said 375,986 jabs were administered so far. 257,781 people had a first dose and 119,427 were fully vaccinated. Читать дальше...

“You should know that in war, good and evil become indistinguishable”, says the character of Carmelo Borg Pisani in Anthony Portelli’s famous play Il-Borg Pisani. When it was first performed at the Manoel Theatre in 1986 under the direction of Josette Ciappara, the play generated vivid debate in the Maltese press because of its portrayal of the Maltese fascist Carmelo Borg Pisani, who is considered an Italian spy and traitor by some and an idealist and/or hero by others. But in his play, Portelli... Читать дальше...

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but when that is not possible, the next best thing is your extended family. For Mother's Day Sarah Carabott spoke to three generations of mothers who over the past decades gave their all for their family. One day, when Anthea was two, she drew the bolt of her grandmother's front door, just like she had seen the grown-ups do so many times. But in doing so, she locked herself indoors, leaving both her mother Tania and grandmother Antoinette on the other side of the door. Читать дальше...

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to drastically affect most aspects of our daily life, and these unsettling changes that initially were thought to last only a few months have prevailed for over a year and without a demarcated end.  Large important sectors of the Maltese economy were effectively brought to a standstill by the health and travel restrictions, bringing years of high levels of growth to an abrupt halt. In the face of such unprecedented circumstances, no level of preparedness can ever be deemed sufficient. Читать дальше...

Sport, or as some would describe it, organised physical activity, has been an integral and significant part of society for as far back as written history and most definitely before too. Just consider the original Olympic Games are more than 2,700 years old. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has put to the forefront the reality of where sports stands in the eyes of the Maltese authorities and the perceived role this industry plays in our society. Local practitioners in this field were not amused, in fact they were disheartened. Читать дальше...

Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday that he is determined not to allow "frivolities" take centre stage, in a reference to the Facebook spate between MPs Adrian Delia and Jason Azzopardi last week. He also acknowledged that more needs to be done to address the trust rating drop as reported in a survey published earlier in the day.  The survey by MaltaToday on Sunday showed Grech's trust rating dropped by 10 points to the lowest since he took over the party leadership in September. Читать дальше...

The end-of-the-millennium euphoria and the dawning of a new age soon gave way to disillusion and sorrow as the first years of the new millennium unfolded. Joseph Agius talks to Roderick Camilleri about these concerns and how they relate to his current exhibition, Shadows of Reason, which bears such an enigmatic title. Shadows of Reason, the title of the exhibition, suggests a penumbral perspective, an alternative take on reason. Is reason subjective to circumstances and can what is reasonable today be questionable tomorrow? Читать дальше...

The government has set June 7 as the date for the new round of consumer vouchers, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday morning.  The government will be spending €45 million on the vouchers, which will be distributed to all residents of Malta aged over 16. Each will have a number of vouchers for a total value of €100. The vouchers are aimed at helping businesses recover as Malta emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be the second round of vouchers and was originally meant to be rolled out some six months ago. Читать дальше...

The study of the history of photography in Malta has, in the past few years, made gigantic strides. We now know a lot about the pioneers, the glam camera artists, the dominant studios, their product. But we have bypassed those more lowly in the pecking order – the itinerant photographer who daily set up his bulky camera in well-frequented public spaces, waiting for passing trade. They didn’t advertise, they did not sign or stamp their handiwork. It was cash and carry business. I believe the first... Читать дальше...