Новости за 31.05.2021

Naomi Osaka announced she was withdrawing from the French Open on Monday after she was threatened with disqualification for boycotting media duties, while on court, Roger Federer, Iga Swiatek and Daniil Medvedev all reached the second round. Japanese star Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, said before the tournament that she would not attend press conferences to protect her mental health, saying the traditional post-match inquests are like “kicking people when they’re down”.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk... Читать дальше...

There are 1,343 pending applications for residential developments, with over 20 per cent of these hitting all of Gozo, according to Planning Authority data. The largest concentration of pending permits in Malta is in St Paul’s Bay, with 68 applications, followed by Mosta, 53, while other residential development hotspots include Sliema, with 45, Birkirkara, 40, and Mellieħa and Qormi at 39. Areas like Ta’ Xbiex seem to have been spared the brunt of development with only one pending application. Читать дальше...

Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka and Liverpool’s Xherdan Shaqiri headed up the final 26-man Euro 2020 squad announced by Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic on Monday. But there was no place in the squad for Brighton striker Andi Zeqiri, the goalkeeper Gregor Kobel who joined Dortmund on Monday and Nice midfielder Dan Ndoye, the trio that had been included in an extended first squad. Switzerland kick off their tournament against Wales in Baku on June 12 before taking on Italy four days later and rounding off pool play against Turkey on June 20. Читать дальше...

One usually associates the art of filigree with jewellery but the fine gold or silver wire lends itself to so much more than personal ornaments. This is evidenced in an exhibition at Christine X Gallery, in Sliema. L-Oppost features eight designs by filigree artist Kevin Attard and jewellery maker Mark Borg. The exhibition’s title derives from the fact that the two artists here give their own interpretation of each other’s designs. “What they came up with is so interesting,” Christine Xuereb, who runs the gallery, says. Читать дальше...

Asif Sultani has been fighting his way to the Olympics since he was seven years old, enduring persecution in Afghanistan and a grim journey to refuge in Australia. But the karate black belt is now within punching distance of a spot at the Tokyo Games. At 25, Sultani says he has seen “some of the darkest parts of humankind”.  As he vies for a spot on the Refugee Olympic Team, he is spurred on by memories of his harrowing journey to Australia, on a rickety boat where he nearly lost his life.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk... Читать дальше...

The iconic Toyota Supra from the Fast and Furious movie franchise will go under the hammer next month. One of the star cars from 2001’s The Fast and the Furious and 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious, the Supra was originally driven by the character Brian O’Conner, played by late actor Paul Walker. The Supra’s orange paint job with eye-catching side graphics has become one of the most famous cars from the series, which will see its ninth instalment released this summer. Going up for auction with Barrett-Jackson in Las Vegas... Читать дальше...

A total of 920 fines were handed out over the last seven days to people who breached COVID-19 rules, similar to the number recorded the previous week, 939. According to figures issued by the government on Monday, most of the fines, 685, were given to people who failed to wear their mask properly.  Masks covering the mouth and nose must be worn while in public spaces, but as of Tuesday, mask-wearing restrictions on beaches and pools will be lifted.  The mandatory mask rule for outdoors will be... Читать дальше...

Updated with Merkel, Macron statements at 8.10pm - French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday that they expected the US and Danish governments to present explanations over allegations Washington spied on European allies with Copenhagen's aid. "This is not acceptable between allies, and even less between allies and European partners," said Macron after a French-German summit meeting held via video conference between Paris and Berlin. "I am attached to the... Читать дальше...

A total of 84% of the Labour Party’s electoral manifesto has been completed, minister Carmelo Abela said on Monday.  Addressing a press conference, Abela said work on completing Labour's 2017 election promises had continued, despite the pandemic.  He said the government had successfully rolled in tangible measures that made a difference in people’s lives.  Of the 722 promises found in Labour’s manifesto, Abela said 100 measures had been completed in the past 12 months.   Giving a rundown, Abela mentioned the Marsa flyover... Читать дальше...

Prime Minister Robert Abela said he is not against the donation of extra COVID-19 vaccines to other countries although he is reluctant to commit to figures just yet.  In reply to questions by Times of Malta on Monday, during a press conference launching vaccine certificates, Abela said Malta is not against donations "in principle" but "cannot commit to an amount" at the moment.  Abela said he made his position known during the latest EU summit held in Brussels last week, during which member states... Читать дальше...

A man has been denied bail after allegedly sending threatening messages to his estranged partner. The 55-year-old Birżebbuġa man was taken to court under arrest and pleaded not guilty to harassing and threatening the mother of his two-month-old son, causing her to fear violence by texting her and doing all he could to track her after she moved out of their home. Prosecuting inspector Eman Hayman, from the Domestic Violence Unit, along with district officer Inspector Joanna Piscopo, also charged... Читать дальше...

Naomi Osaka has been threatened with disqualification from the ongoing French Open by Grand Slam organisers if she continues her media boycott at Roland Garros. She was fined $15,000 for skipping her post-match press conference on Sunday and could face heftier punishments if she does not back down.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

They’re often misunderstood or derided, but simply getting out of bed in the morning is a monumental effort. Fiona Galea Debono speaks to sufferers of fibromyalgia A fibromyalgia sufferer has claimed she cannot “risk” disclosing her condition to her employers and colleagues for fear of not being understood and losing her job. The 46-year-old single mother of three asked to remain anonymous because she has to live a lie at work, ‘riding’ on back problems to justify her constant ill health. Her silent disease... Читать дальше...

The Malta national team’s friendly against Kazakhstan has been called off, the Malta Football Association announced. Malta were due to face Kazakhstan in their final warm-up  on June 7 but the Kazakh FA informed the Malta FA that due to problems related to the issue of visas for the members of their contingent to enter Austria they were forced to pull out from the match. “The Malta National Team’s friendly international scheduled for today week, Monday 7th June against Kazakhstan has been officially... Читать дальше...

Boston police have arrested a basketball fan for allegedly tossing a water bottle at Brooklyn Nets players as they left the court following their win over the Celtics on Sunday. The bottle landed between Nets players Kyrie Irving and Tyler Johnson, who both stopped and looked up into the stands at the Boston Garden to see where it came from.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta