Новости за 07.08.2021

After going down to Neptunes last Wednesday and conceding the first spot to their Balluta rivals, San Giljan were back to winning ways when they defeated Sliema by a three-goal margin in a match that produced 25 goals. San Giljan cashed in on their opening man-up situations. Two goals, both on man-ups were scored by Ben Plumpton. Nicholas Bugelli made it 2-1 before the end of the first session.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

Jack Grealish’s Manchester City debut was spoiled by Kelechi Iheanacho as the Leicester striker’s late penalty clinched a 1-0 win in the Community Shield on Saturday. All eyes were on Grealish when he came on as a second half substitute following his British record £100 million ($139 million) move from Aston Villa on Thursday. After training with his new team-mates for the first time on Friday, Grealish replaced Sam Edozie in the 65th minute and looked lively in his cameo appearance.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk... Читать дальше...

Former premier Giuseppe Conte officially began work Saturday as the new leader of Italy's Five Star Movement (M5S), the biggest party in parliament now deeply divided and trailing in opinion polls. The former law professor, who stepped down as prime minister in January, was tapped for the job months ago but in-fighting led to delays in holding a formal membership vote.  An online poll, in which Conte was the only candidate, confirmed him overnight as leader with almost 93 per cent, with more than 62,000 votes. Читать дальше...

Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra delivered a first ever Olympic track and field gold medal for India on Saturday as the Tokyo Games athletics competition drew to a close. On a pulsating final night of action, Dutch distance runner Sifan Hassan complete an incredible double with victory in the 10,000m while USA star Allyson Felix brought the curtain down on her 17-year Olympic career with a record-extending relay gold. Norway celebrated gold in the men’s 1,500m with Jakob Ingebrigtsen downing Kenya’s... Читать дальше...

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across France on Saturday for the fourth weekend in a row against a coronavirus health pass needed to enter a cafe or travel on an inter-city train, two days before the new rules come into force. Championed by President Emmanuel Macron, the regulations make it obligatory to have either a full course of vaccination against COVID-19, a negative test or recently recovered from the virus to enjoy routine activities. Macron, who faces re-election next year... Читать дальше...

Maltapost has opted to waive processing fees for items that have had VAT paid at checkout, with the postal company saying the change will cut costs and speed up delivery of online goods bought from outside the EU. “We had prepared ahead for these changes so that the impact on the local consumer will be as minimal as possible and in many cases even beneficial.   “Local consumers can continue enjoying shopping online from their favourite merchants,” Maltapost chief operations officer, Adrian Vassallo said. Читать дальше...

Malta is heading for yet another heatwave at the start of next week, hot off the heels of another prolonged period of high temperatures.  A spokesperson for the Malta Meteorological Office told Times of Malta that the country is likely to once again experience a heatwave from Tuesday, with the heat stress index causing the temperature to feel as high as 39°C, 40°C and 41°C.  Temperatures are forecast to soar to 38°C on Tuesday and reach a peak of 40°C on Wednesday, coming down to 37°C on Thursday and 34°C on Friday. Читать дальше...

More than 250 migrants disembarked in Sicily on Saturday from an NGO rescue ship, while another vessel carrying around 550 people was given permission to land on the Italian island. Both ships had put out urgent appeals for a safe port following days at sea in the central Mediterranean, warning of the deteriorating health of those on board, who include children. "The #SeaWatch3 (ship) reached the port of Trapani this morning. We are happy to finally have a port of safety," the German organisation Sea Watch International tweeted... Читать дальше...

The St John Rescue Corps has added an inflatable boat and fire truck to its fleet of vehicles. The additional vehicles will be used by its rescue crews working at events on land and at sea, with a new 21-foot rigid-hull inflatable boat purchased thanks to fundraising efforts and a first-line fire attack truck donated by Merseryside Fire and Rescue Services. The boat, which is equipped with lifesaving and advanced life support equipment, becomes the second vessel in the Corps’ fleet. It was in... Читать дальше...

Plan A was to stay at Barcelona but after the Catalan club, home for his entire career, ruefully accepted it cannot afford him any more Lionel Messi was Saturday expected to be about to embark on plan P for Paris. French fans and media alike were salivating on the effect the superstar’s mooted arrival at Paris Saint-Germain would have on the club and the French league as a whole amid reports the Argentinian will end up in the capital. As France awaited developments with bated breath Barcelona... Читать дальше...

Britain’s Galal Yafai said that he will enjoy light-hearted bragging rights over his boxing brothers after defeating Carlo Paalam to win flyweight Olympic gold on Saturday. The 28-year-old Yafai, a former car-factory worker, won on split points in an enthralling contest against the Filipino to earn Britain’s first boxing gold in Tokyo. There was meanwhile a shock in the men’s middleweight final after Brazil’s Hebert Sousa produced a stunning third-round knockout to win gold. Yafai’s older brothers... Читать дальше...

India gave emergency approval to Johnson and Johnson's single-shot coronavirus vaccine on Saturday to ramp up its flailing immunisation campaign as fears grow of a new wave of infections.  Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the approval will boost the fight against the pandemic in India, where at least 200,000 people died in a brutal two-month wave up to mid-June.  "India expands its vaccine basket! Johnson and Johnson's single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is given approval for Emergency Use in India," the minister said on Twitter. Читать дальше...

A man is set to be charged with human trafficking and money laundering on Saturday afternoon. The 36-year-old man was arrested at the airport after officials stopped 11 Bangladeshi men on their way to Italy. The men were stopped on suspicion of using forged documents.  The 36-year-old was also carrying "a considerable amount of money", the police said in a statement, increasing suspicion that he was responsible for the other men's illegal transitioning through Malta. He is expected to appear in court at 1.30pm... Читать дальше...

A total of 71 people have tested positive for COVID-19 while 147 recovered, bringing Malta's number of active cases down to 1,058. According to data published by the health authorities on Saturday, there were no COVID-linked deaths over the past 24 hours.  The health authorities also said that 33 people with COVID are being treated at Mater Dei Hospital, five of whom are receiving intensive care. The average age of the people who tested positive for COVID on Friday was 45. Vaccination Meanwhile... Читать дальше...

Sliema Wanderers are in talks to sign Joao Miguel Fernandes De Lima. The 27-year-old Portuguese right winger is currently a free agent and is currently discussing personal terms with the Wanderers with a view of putting pen to paper on a one-year contract. Lima has spent his career in Portugal where he played for Pedras Salgaa and Maria da Fonte before moving to Oliveirense. In total, Lima has played 32 matches in the Liga Portugal 2, scoring two goals. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk... Читать дальше...

Maserati’s MC20 super sports car made its UK dynamic debut at Goodwood’s 27th Festival of Speed, taking on the famous hill climb in the Supercar Run. Over the four-day motoring event, Maserati MC20 was put to the test on the 1.16 mile course. The MC20 is the Trident brand’s first mid-engine two-seater super sports car boasting a top speed of over 202mph, and is the first Maserati with a carbon fibre monocoque, meaning the whole car weighs in at a feather-light 1500kg. Paired with its powerful F1-derived engine... Читать дальше...

Thousands of tourists and residents were evacuated and a thick cloud of smoke and ash hung over Athens on Saturday as forests fires that have already killed two people raged for the 11th day in parts of Greece. At least 1,450 Greek firefighters were battling the infernos along with 15 aircraft, with reinforcements arriving from other countries, the fire service said. The blazes are set to continue with strong winds and temperatures of up to 38 degrees C  forecast in some regions. Greece and Turkey... Читать дальше...

A man and a woman who allegedly mugged a man in Gżira on Wednesday, have been remanded in custody Tony Armando Zahra, 46 and Josephine Grixti, 55, were arrested within hours of the violent robbery targeting a 43-year old pedestrian who was stopped, robbed and threatened at knifepoint while walking through Ġnien il-Kunsill tal-Ewropa at around 11am.  The victim was allegedly first approached by the woman who asked him for money. She was soon joined by her partner who allegedly threatened the victim at knifepoint, demanding more money. Читать дальше...

NBA All-Star Kevin Durant hailed his team for overcoming adversity Saturday after pouring in a game-high 29 points to lead the United States past France 87-82 for a "beautiful" fourth straight Olympic men's basketball gold medal. The Americans started slowly but earned a 22-18 lead after the first quarter and were 44-39 ahead at halfway, then survived some nervous late moments to prove the doubters wrong. Gregg Popovich's men had headed to Tokyo after defeats to Nigeria and Australia in lead-up exhibition matches... Читать дальше...

TThe MSE Equity Total Return Index (MSE) closed the week in the green, with a 1.3% increase to finish at 8,025.668 points. Strong gains by HSBC Bank Malta plc (HSBC), GO plc and Malta International Airport plc (MIA) pushed the equity index higher. Total weekly turnover dropped to €0.3m. Nineteen equities were active, 11 of which gained, five declined, while three remained unchanged. Following positive results published by HSBC on Monday, the bank’s equity trended higher to end the week at the €0.83 price level... Читать дальше...

Ratings agency Moody's has confirmed an A2 stable rating for Malta, however, it also reviewed downwards its outlook for the island from stable to negative. In its most recent update, it blamed the downgrade on the government’s debt burden, the Financial Action Task Force’s greylisting and risks linked to the recovery of the tourism sector. Earlier this year, Moody’s had said it expected the Maltese economy to recover from the pandemic without significant lasting scars and public finances brought under control. Читать дальше...

Floriana FC are in talks to sign French defender Oualid El Hasni. The Greens have been working hard in the last few weeks to try and build a competitive squad for the new season after last season’s disappointing campaign. Floriana have already brought in a defensive reinforcement in Dutch defender Christian Rutjens and are now targeting El Hasni as another potential reinforcement. The 27-year-old, who also holds Tunisian citizenship, started his career in the youth ranks of Cannes before heading... 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.

Peres Jepchirchir secured back-to-back women’s Olympic marathon titles for Kenya on Saturday timing 2hr 27min 20sec. The 27-year-old two-time half marathon world champion beat compatriot and world record holder Brigid Kosgei (2hr 27:36) whilst USA’s Molly Seidel was third (2hr 27:46). “It feels good. I’m so, so happy because we win as Kenya,” said Jepchichir. “I’m happy for my family. I’m happy for my country.” Jepchirchir succeeds disgraced fellow Kenyan Jemima Sumgong, who won in 2016 in Rio... Читать дальше...

Six authors have been invited to the 16th edition of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival, which will return to Fort St Elmo after last year’s online edition. It will be held on August 27 and 28. The authors are Ghayath Almadhoun, Miriam Calleja, Inua Ellams, Leanne Ellul, Katerina Iliopoulou, and John Portelli. Singer-songwriters Kym Pepe and Michael Azzopardi have also been invited to perform, while Effie Azzopardi and Kenneth Sacco are the resident musicians. Readings will be mostly in Maltese and English... Читать дальше...