Новости за 19.06.2021

To the vast majority of the Maltese population, the epic power struggles between the expansionist Russia of the Czars and the waning Ottoman empire held little interest and less relevance. In the 1820s, after its artificial heyday in the Napoleonic wars, Malta was going through a tragic period of social and economic depression, with rampant poverty. Malta hit visitors as the most destitute country in the whole of Europe. The world-traveller Charles Rockwell, appalled at what he saw in Malta, observed... Читать дальше...

Germany got their Euro 2020 campaign back on track—and blew Group F wide open — with a 4-2 romp against Portugal in Munich on Saturday. France’s 1-1 draw with Hungary earlier in Budapest and Germany’s win mean there is all to play for in Wednesday’s final group games when the Germans host Hungary and the French meet holders Portugal. After Cristiano Ronaldo claimed his 107th international goal, leaving him two short of Ali Daei’s all-time record, to give Portugal an early lead, the Germans roared back with four unanswered goals. Читать дальше...

Joe Biden's family dog Champ has died, the president said Saturday, remembering the German shepherd as a "constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years." The Bidens revived the long-standing tradition of presidential pets that was broken under Donald Trump, when they arrived at the White House with dogs Champ and Major. "Our hearts are heavy today as we let you all know that our beloved German shepherd, Champ, passed away peacefully at home," the president and First Lady Jill Biden said in a statement. Читать дальше...

Malta’s environmental watchdog needs to act beyond the “emotional trigger” of lost trees and be guided by “data-driven hard facts”, its chairman, Victor Axiak has declared. Writing in the Environment Resource Authority’s (ERA) annual report, he describes the country as a miniscule place which has been “rendered almost bare of anything which is green” ever since the island was first colonised. “In a place which has been shedding its natural beauty to replace it with concrete and tarmac, it is evident... Читать дальше...

Ħamrun Spartans have taken their case against their exclusion from the UEFA Champions League to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Times of Malta can confirm. The Spartans have been banned from this season’s UEFA Champions League qualifiers after the European governing body’s appeal board have rejected their complaint against their exclusion from this season’s competition following their involvement in a match-fixing case in 2013. UEFA, as a norm, hands a one-year exclusion from its competitions... Читать дальше...

Five police officers were injured overnight in western France as they broke up a 1,500-strong illegal rave, authorities said Saturday, with one party-goer losing a hand in the clashes. Police fired teargas to disperse the crowd, who defied  an 11:00 pm coronavirus curfew on Friday and just stayed on into Saturday afternoon at a race course near Redon in Brittany. There were "very violent clashes" when 400 police intervened, local prefect Emmanuel Berthier said, adding the violence lasted more than seven hours through the night. Читать дальше...

Ten years ago a new website popped up on the local radar. The first story was an announcement that Queen Elizabeth was giving Malta to Prince William and his spouse Kate Middleton as a wedding gift. The person behind the satirical website remained unknown until he was outed during a very heated public altercation with a Cabinet minister.  We speak to MATTHEW BONANNO, the man behind Bis-Serjetà. When we contact humour writer Matthew Bonanno and ask if he would be interested in an interview, he has to think about it. Читать дальше...

Italy midfielder Manuel Locatelli started Euro 2020 as a replacement for injured Marco Verratti but the once-promising youngster who fell out of favour with former club AC Milan has finally come of age. The 23-year-old’s impressive brace in a 3-0 win over Switzerland midweek helped the Azzurri book their last-16 berth with a game to spare. It gives coach Roberto Mancini a welcome selection headache with Verratti targeting a return from a knee injury for the final Group A game against Wales on Sunday. Читать дальше...

Buses into Mġarr have been suspended altogether "until further notice" due to Infrastructure Malta roadworks being carried out on the main road into the town, according to the local council. The government roads agency begin works on Triq Sir Temi Zammit last month with the aim of improving safety by transforming the the main artery between Mosta and Mġarr into a dual carriageway route, with one lane in each direction separated by crash barriers or bollards. But the temporary carriageways in use... Читать дальше...

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has appealed a decision by the Planning Authority to approve an application for the demolition of Walmarville, an iconic pink modernist villa in Balzan. In its appeal to the Environment Planning Review Tribunal, the superintendence is requesting the tribunal to overturn the decision and have the proposal sent back to the Planning Directorate with a request for revised plans that take into consideration the “intrinsic cultural heritage value of the building”. Читать дальше...

Local singer and songwriter Nick Morales has released a brand new single dedicated to World Refugee Day on June 20.  His latest track “Sea People” is the third song released this year, and is inspired by those people searching for a better life, usually by risking everything to arrive to that destination.  He said that ‘Sea People’ first began to be mentioned locally in 2005 and 2006 when the media started reporting the arrival of boats filled with immigrants from neighbouring Libya.  “In public opinion... Читать дальше...

Ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi was declared the winner Saturday of Iran's presidential election, a widely anticipated result after many political heavyweights were barred from running. Raisi won just shy of 62 percent of the vote in Friday's election, according to official figures, on a turnout of 48.8 percent, a record low for a presidential poll in the Islamic republic. "I congratulate the people on their choice," said outgoing moderate President Hassan Rouhani, who has served the maximum... Читать дальше...

Children from the Sannat Primary School took part in a release of turtle doves bred at the same school.  The release was part of a broader breeding and release programme by the hunters' group FKNK, which said the project had led to the release of hundreds of turtle doves since it began in 2017.  The FKNK said the programme was one of several aimed at the reintroduction of spring hunting of turtle doves in Malta, which has been banned since 2017 due to declining population numbers.  More than 350... Читать дальше...

A 38-year-old man was seriously injured in San Ġwann when he was caught beneath a lift while carrying out repairs. Police said the incident took place around 9.30am on Saturday. The man was working on a lift in a building in  Vjal ir-Riħan when it descended suddenly, trapping his leg beneath it.  The man, an Indian national living in Qormi, received first aid on site before being hospitalised for further treatment.  Police investigations are ongoing.

Hundreds of young people packed St George’s Bay on Friday night, despite public health restrictions forbidding gatherings in public of more than six people.  Times of Malta visited the popular St Julian’s beach between 12.50am and 1.30am between Friday night and Saturday morning and found revellers socialising in tightly packed groups along the beach.  Despite it being just a stone’s throw away from entertainment mecca Paceville, there was no police officer in sight. People talked, drank, danced and kissed with few concerns. Читать дальше...

The dilapidated Villa Bianca in Birkirkara will be regenerated into a music centre for children with disabilities and autism, the first centre of its kind in Malta.  The government announced that it would be supporting the project with a grant of €58,543 which will be issued by the Housing Authority to the Malta Trust Foundation, led by President Emeritus Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, to carry out the necessary restoration.  The project will cost a total of €100,487 and an investment of €250,000 each year, funded by the Malta Trust Foundation.

Luke Shaw insists England captain Harry Kane is still the “best striker in the world” despite his dismal start at Euro 2020. Kane has been substituted twice after producing lethargic displays and failing to score in England’s Group D matches. He finished Friday’s 0-0 draw against old rivals Scotland at Wembley looking a forlorn figure on the bench after exiting 15 minutes from full time. The Tottenham striker’s sudden dip in form comes after he finished as the Premier League’s top scorer this season. Читать дальше...

The Malta Museum of Football was inaugurated on Friday by FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Malta FA counterpart Bjorn Vassallo. The FIFA President spoke about the importance of this occasion, the culmination of the Malta FA ‘s 120-year anniversary celebrations, adding that it’s been a pleasure visiting our country for the fourth time to mark this important mileston with the inauguration of this beautiful museum. Infanto said: “Malta has an extremely rich culture and history, also of course when it comes to football. Читать дальше...