Новости за 15.08.2021

Malta had to settle for a bronze medal in this year’s FIBA Small Countries of Europe Games after losing their final game to new champions Ireland 97-66 on Sunday. It was a do-or-die finale to the tournament which decided all three top places. A win for Ireland gave the host nation its second title after having won it back in 1994.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

Planes flying in and out of Malta were half empty ahead of the Santa Marija week, traditionally the island’s peak holiday period. Airport CEO Alan Borg said the seat load factor – the proportion of seats taken up on flights – stood at just 51.7 per cent in the first week of August, as the tourism industry continues to struggle under the impact of COVID-19. “This translated into a drop of 36.3 per cent over the same week in 2019. Additionally, seat capacity, which is driven by demand, was down 28.5 per cent in the first week of August 2021... Читать дальше...

Tottenham shrugged off the absence of Harry Kane to give Nuno Espirito Santo a dream start as manager as Son Heung-min’s strike beat Premier League champions Manchester City 1-0 on Sunday. Nuno left Kane out his squad with the England captain closely linked with a move to City, who showed why they are in need of a natural goalscorer in a toothless display. City have already spent £100 million on Jack Grealish and are prepared to smash the Premier League transfer record once more to get Kane by the end of the month. Читать дальше...

European powers present in Afghanistan moved Sunday to evacuate their nationals and local staff as the Taliban were on the outskirts of the Afghan capital poised to take power. Germany moved dozens of diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Kabul to the airport ahead of an evacuation planned from Monday, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter. "We are not going to risk our people falling into the hands of the Taliban," Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told the Bild daily. France also set up a temporary diplomatic mission near the airport... Читать дальше...

Malta needs to be doing more to get cars off the roads, the ADPD has said. “Fifty per cent of trips with private cars are for journeys of under 15 minutes. If we address this alone, with a more efficient public transport system, we can remove half the cars from the road,” Carmel Cacopardo, the chairman of the Green Party, said. He argued that a Bus Rapid Transit system that would turn lanes currently used by cars into bus-only ones would contribute greatly to solving this problem. Simply shifting to less polluting vehicles... Читать дальше...

Electric scooters parked across pavements have driven pedestrians and residents round the bend, though the authorities say they are “considering” the introduction of specific docking stations. E-scooters have spiked in popularity, yet many are seen abandoned in front of doorways or dumped in the middle of pavements, sparking complaints from frustrated pedestrians on social media platforms. The Local Enforcement System Agency (LESA) has issued 793 fines to e-scooter users this year so far, due to “obstructions... Читать дальше...

The death toll in Haiti's powerful earthquake jumped to over 700 on Sunday as crews desperately dug through collapsed buildings for survivors in the Caribbean nation still reeling from its president's assassination. At least 724 people were killed in the 7.2-magnitude tremor that struck Saturday about 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the west of the densely populated capital Port-au-Prince, which was devastated in a massive 2010 quake.  Churches, businesses, schools and homes crumbled in Saturday's... Читать дальше...

A drunken youth who allegedly kicked up a commotion at Msida on Saturday, and reacted violently when paramedics turned up to assist, was also aggressive when taken to court on Sunday. Asim Unis, a 22-year old Sudanese was charged with assaulting and threatening three paramedics and other officers who were carrying out their duties, and also slightly injuring a fourth person. The evidently agitated youth kept up his aggressive stance in court where he initially pleaded guilty. Magistrate Caroline... Читать дальше...

A man was granted bail on Sunday after being accused in court of hitting another man with a bottle. The incident took place in  Misraħ is-Sliem , Zabbar, on Friday night. Redeemer Camilleri, a 26-year old Marsa resident, pleaded not guilty to grievously injuring his alleged victim, a 27-year old local resident during an argument.   Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo upheld a request for bail against a deposit of €1,500, a personal guarantee of €5,000 and an order to sign the bail book twice a week. Читать дальше...

Santa Lucia FC and Floriana FC have joined forces on Sunday to condemn the racist abuse suffered by Saints goalkeeper Julani Archibald during Saturday’s Premier League match at the Tony Bezzina Stadium. Reports said that the St Kitts @ Nevis goalkeeper was abused by a section of Floriana fans after the Saints scored their second goal during Saturday’s 2-2 draw in Corradino. “The racist abuse suffered by our goalkeeper, Julani Arcibald, during yesterday’s match against Floriana FC will not be tolerated... Читать дальше...

Two men were hurt in a restaurant kitchen blaze in Victoria, Gozo, on Sunday morning. The police said the incident took place at about 11am in an establishment at  Triq Giorgio Borg Olivier. The injured were a 32-year-old Chinese and a 33-year-old Nepalese. Both suffered burns, with the former found to have been seriously injured. They were assisted by ambulance staff and firefighters and later hospitalised. Magistrate Bridgitte Sultana is holding an inquiry. 

Sta Lucia FC agree terms to sign Italian midfielder Conti Sta Lucia FC have reached an agreement to sign Italian midfielder Gianmarco Conti, the Times of Malta can confirm. The Italian midfielder is not a new face to Maltese football as he arrived to our islands in 2016 when he joined Gżira United. With the Maroons, Conti had two spells. In his first season in 2016-17 he made 30 appearances with the Premier League club and scored three goals and provided four assists. Then he returned to Italy... Читать дальше...

Bayern Munich has confirmed that legendary German striker Gerd Mueller died in the early hours of Sunday at the age of 75. During a glittering career, Mueller scored a record 365 goals for Bayern in the Bundesliga during the 1960s and 70s, as well as scoring 68 times for West Germany in 62 internationals. “Today is a sad, black day for FC Bayern and its fans,” said Bayern president Herbert Hainer. He also held the record for the most goals in a calendar year after scoring 85 in 1972 until Lionel Messi surpassed his total in 2012. Читать дальше...

There seems to be an explosion of nutrition ‘influencers’ on social media and there is no dearth of bombastic statements and promises, such as “lose 10 kilograms in 10 days” or “this one fruit cures X”. Such influencers, almost always, do not hold any qualifications in health or nutrition, but simply have a physique that others may deem as desirable. Needless to say, achieving a slim body does not mean a person has the knowledge to give others advice on health. Even more worrying, such influencers... Читать дальше...

Updated 2.20pm with reaction by PN leader Bernard Grech below. Transport Malta appeared to be pushing the brakes and shifting the blame on Sunday after it published controversial plans for a yacht marina taking up all of Marsascala Bay. In a statement, it said that the impression being given by 'some' that the plans had been finalised was totally mistaken. The Pre-Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ) it had published was nothing other than a call for expressions of interest by anyone wishing to develop a marina. Читать дальше...

The number of new COVID-19 cases was back at 51 on Sunday, the same as Thursday, after having hitting 101 on Friday and 94 on Saturday. Thirty-eight virus patients were in hospital on Sunday, the same as on Saturday, but the number in intensive care rose by one to five. 100 patients recovered, leaving 647 active cases. The number of vaccination jabs has risen to 784,626 with 404, 679 people now fully vaccinated.

According to the World Economic Forum’s ‘The Future of Jobs Report’, 50 per cent of all employees will need reskilling by 2025 as the pace of adoption of technology increases. Critical thinking and problem-solving top the list of skills employers believe will grow in prominence in the next five years. Newly emerging skills this year are skills in self-management such as active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility. Half of today’s workforce will need reskilling in the next five... Читать дальше...