Новости за 22.06.2021

VALLETTA          7 SAN ĠILJAN      11 (3-4, 1-0; 1-2, 2-5) San Ġiljan pulled away in the last session when Dorian Pisani started drafting in a couple of established players in the water to keep them in the hunt for the ENEMED Cup. They will now meet Sliema on Thursday for a place in Sunday’s final. Three-goal Ben Plumpton managed to lift his side in crucial moments, while Nikolai Zammit, who also scored a hat-trick, was not enough to save Valletta. San Ġiljan surged into a 4-2 lead before Nikolai... Читать дальше...

Malta’s entertainment industry is currently engaged in ongoing discussions with authorities in an attempt to find the best possible solutions to make events safe and sustainable.  The talks have dragged on for days, with one meeting on Tuesday lasting over four hours. A planned protest set to take place on Thursday was later called off, with the association saying a new date would be announced if the talks fail. But what are the artists calling for exactly?  MEIA vice-president Toni Attard spoke to Times of Malta on Monday... Читать дальше...

The Malta Under 19, led by coach Andrea Tedesco and his assistant Stefano Grima, will be in action twice in the coming days as they test their qualities and skills in a friendly against San Marino. Both matches will be played at the Centenary Stadium, with first encounter scheduled for Wednesday at 6.30pm, and the second warm-up is held on Friday morning at 9.30. On Tuesday, following final training session, coach Tedesco has named his final squad of 25 players for these two matches. These friendlies... Читать дальше...

Chiara Frendo-Balzan, a gynaecologist, explains why some women might experience a delay in their menstrual cycle after taking a vaccine dose. Preparing for your COVID-19 vaccine appointment, you are informed about a number of common possible side effects –  a sore arm, tiredness, headaches or loss of appetite. But what about any effects to a woman’s menstrual cycle? Whilst the health authorities have shut down claims that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility, it has not provided any information... Читать дальше...

A protest by Malta's entertainment industry planned for this Thursday has been temporarily suspended pending further negotiations with the government.  The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association had planned the protest in reaction to what it said was discrimination in terms of COVID-19 regulations concerning large-scale events.     Announcing the decision on Facebook, MEIA said that while it was suspending its protest plans, they would be announcing a new demonstration date if discussions... Читать дальше...

Expats living and working in Malta have yet to get vaccinated against COVID-19 because of delays with issuing their identity documents. Expats who spoke to Times of Malta last month said that, although eligible for the vaccine, they were unable to register because Identity Malta has yet to finalise their identity or residency documentation. Over a month later, the issue remains unresolved for João Mourato and his wife, both eager to get inoculated. They have been living and working here for months... Читать дальше...

When Danish footballer Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch earlier this month, Nicola Vassallo's mind immediately went to the trauma her young husband had faced last September.  The only difference was that 40-year-old Steffan was not surrounded by paramedics and doctors who could reach him in seconds. “All he had was me!” It took seconds for Vassallo to go unconscious and for his wife to notice something was very wrong. “We live in an apartment, so the first thing I did was open wide the... Читать дальше...

Mosta FC have reached an agreement with veteran striker Michael Mifsud over a new contract extension, the Premier League club announced. “Mosta FC would like to announce contract extension of Michael Mifsud on a one-year contract,” the club said in a statement. “On behalf of Mosta FC we would like to give a warm welcome at our club and we wish him the best of luck for his career with the BLUES.” Mifsud joined Mosta FC from Sirens FC during January’s transfer window and helped the club to finish in sixth place in the Premier League... Читать дальше...

Facemasks will no longer be compulsory outdoors in  Italy, one of the countries in Europe worst hit by the coronavirus, from June 28, the health ministry said. The lifting of the mask requirement would come into effect in regions labelled "white" under Italy's classification system for how rapidly the virus is spreading, Health Minister Roberto Speranza wrote on Facebook. This includes all Italian regions except the tiny Aosta Valley in the far northwest. Speranza's announcement came on advice... Читать дальше...

AŻAD, together with the Italian Cultural Institute and Klabb Kotba Maltin, is tomorrow commemorating the 700th death anniversary of Dante Alighieri with the launch of a new edition of the Divina Commedia (Divine Comedy) in Maltese. The three organisations, under the auspices of the Italian Embassy, are first holding a wreath-laying ceremony at the monument of the Italian poet and writer in St Anne Street, Floriana, tomorrow at 9.30am. The book launch will take place later on, at 7pm, at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. Читать дальше...

Steven Spielberg will produce multiple new films for Netflix every year, the company said Monday, in a major deal that highlights how fully Hollywood has embraced streaming platforms. The partnership with arguably Tinseltown's top director is a coup for Netflix at a time when competition with streaming rivals including Disney+ and HBO Max is heating up. It also follows reports that Spielberg had been skeptical about streaming in recent years and had even moved to bar Netflix films from Oscars eligibility ... Читать дальше...

A huge traffic jam that affected practically all of the south of Malta on Tuesday morning was caused by lax work by a contractor at the Santa Venera tunnels, a spokesman for Infrastructure Malta has said. He explained that the contractor had cleared a water culvert in preparation for resurfacing works, and then simply covered it up with a steel plate. The plate shifted with morning traffic and the tunnel was reduced to a single lane. A traffic jam quickly stretched to Marsa and then on to Tal-Barranni road... Читать дальше...

The front pages of Times of Malta from 25 and 10 years ago.  Become a Times of Malta premium member to gain full access to our archive dating back to January 1930.

Hibernians FC announced the signing of Belgian attacking midfielder Francis Sarfo Mensah. “Hibernians FC are pleased to announce that 20-year-old Belgian attacking midfielder Francis Sarfo Mensah has signed for the club,” the Premier League club said in a statement. “The young midfielder started his career with Royal Ixelles Sporting Club in his country, before joining the youth team of Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht. In the past two seasons, Sarfo Mensah played for Olympic Club Charleroi and TK Meldert. Читать дальше...

Former Labour Prime Minister Alfred Sant has voted in favour of a resolution on the scrutiny of the European Parliament on the ongoing assessment of the national recovery and resilience plans but said this should not translate into direct interference in the national plans designed by individual states. While expressing his reservations about the resolution, the Labour MEP insisted the European Parliament’s role is to scrutinise the European Commission’s performance in defending the pre-agreed targets... Читать дальше...

The statement by the environment minister on World Oceans Day explained that the government’s ‘Saving Our Blue’ campaign will this year be focusing on the importance of protecting marine protection areas. The minister, Aaron Farrugia, seems to imply that previously this was not the case. In May, the same minister highlighted the deployment and maintenance of a number of sea bins, to trap pieces of floating litter and plastic, as a key ‘Saving Our Blue’ initiative. The Environment and Resources... Читать дальше...

ECB monetary operations On June 14, the European Central Bank announced the seven-day main refinancing operation (MRO). The operation was conducted on June 15 and attracted bids from euro area eligible counterparties of €124 million, €61 million less than the previous week. The amount was allotted in full at a fixed rate equivalent to the prevailing MRO rate of zero per cent, in accordance with current ECB policy. On June 16, the ECB conducted the seven-day and 84-day US dollar funding operations... Читать дальше...

England’s bid to win their Euro 2020 group has been thrown into chaos ahead of Tuesday’s clash with the Czech Republic after Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell were forced to isolate following Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour’s positive coronavirus test. Mount and Chilwell embraced their Chelsea team-mate Gilmour on the Wembley pitch after England’s 0-0 draw with Scotland on Friday. Although they have since tested negative, the England duo’s close contact with Gilmour forced them into self-isolation... Читать дальше...

SportMalta has opened talks with Marsa Sports Club over the latter’s plans to remove one of its clay courts and replace it with a Padel facility. The Marsa SC Tennis Section (MSC) announced during last month’s Annual General Meeting that it had plans in place to introduce the sport of Padel at its club. However, the proposal from the MSC administration received a lot of objections from its members who have since written letters of protest and are also considering boycotting the club’s competitions and activities. Читать дальше...

In 2019, Moneyval’s assessment of our financial regulatory framework painted a picture of a country which had a passable foundation to combat financial crime but which came up short in many important pillars in the systems in place. These areas were lacking for many years, under both Labour and Nationalist administrations, and Moneyval’s technical experts raised the alarm that Malta needed to pull itself together and strengthen these important compliance needs in an assertive manner. In my year... Читать дальше...

Argentina and Chile on Monday booked their places in the Copa America quarter-finals, ending top of Group A after low-scoring matches that left the other two spots up for grabs. Argentina logged its second win in three group matches played, beating Paraguay 1-0, with Alejandro “Papu” Gomez scoring the sole goal of a lacklustre match in Brasilia in the ninth minute. The win placed Lionel Messi’s La Albiceleste top of Group A with seven points—enough to secure its spot in the next phase of the tournament... Читать дальше...

The following are the top stories in Malta's newspapers on Tuesday. Times of Malta reports that the police believe that a detonator found hidden at sea is the same type as that used in the car bomb murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The newsaper also quotes Finance Minister Clyde Caruana saying greylisting of Malta by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) would be unjust and detrimental. Also reporting on the risk of greylisting, The Malta Independent quotes the finance minister saying... Читать дальше...

‘Gold Pool’ was a Ponzi scheme linked to John Dalli, according to a 2017 New York Times report. The scheme defrauded eight US retirees of €1.5 million. The eight had sent their life savings to Clare Gauci Borda, Dalli’s daughter. The deeply devout Christians thought their investment would help impoverished people. Instead, Dalli’s two daughters allegedly funnelled the money into Tyre Ltd and Corporate Group, which they owned and which were registered at the disgraced former European commissioner’s Portomaso address. Читать дальше...

German police have arrested a Russian scientist working at a German university, accusing him of spying for Moscow, prosecutors said, in a case that risks further inflaming bilateral tensions. Federal prosecutors said in a statement that the suspect, identified only as Ilnur N., had been taken into custody on Friday on suspicion of "working for a Russian secret service since early October 2020 at the latest". Ilnur N. was employed as a research assistant at a natural sciences and technology department at the unnamed German university... Читать дальше...

The police are reviewing a court judgment which found a “clear case of distinct treatment” in the way construction magnate Charles Polidano was given a permit in 2007 to build a Lidl supermarket on protected land. A police spokesperson said a review was under way, in response to questions by Times of Malta about whether a corruption probe would take place. The court judgment, handed down last week, ordered the Planning Authority to pay €331,000 in damages after repeatedly refusing a permit for... Читать дальше...