Новости за 04.10.2021

Trust in the police is picking up as it starts reaping the benefits of a five-year project to overhaul the entire force, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà said on Monday. He said that when the project was launched a year ago, the police trust rating stood at 49 per cent but in one year it climbed to 60 per cent. Addressing a press conference a year since the launch of the transformation strategy, Gafà said this was not a checklist of things that had to be done but a continuous process of change and updating. Читать дальше...

The minister responsible for state broadcasting, Carmelo Abela, on Monday slammed Opposition leader Bernard Grech’s claims that the public broadcaster is under control by the Labour Party and government.  “This is unfair criticism, recent polls and surveys show that trust in the Opposition leader is the same, if not worse than before. This is not because the party’s message is not out there, but because Grech has no message or credibility,” Abela said in parliament.  He said that Grech complained... Читать дальше...

Those migrants who have had their asylum applications rejected need to leave Malta and go back to their country of origin, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri insisted on Monday. Asked to react to calls made by migrants and asylum seekers during a protest earlier in the day, Camilleri said Malta’s policy on irregular migration was clear: it was about caring for those who have a right to asylum and protection, but being firm with those who have their application rejected and who are abusing the system. Читать дальше...

A police inspector who failed to properly investigate a case in which a woman was brutally raped for almost an hour and who has still not told her story 15 months later, is facing disciplinary action, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà said on Monday. Asked whether he would order an internal investigation, Gafà said this probe had already been done and it found that action should be taken against the officer. The issue came to the fore on Sunday when Times of Malta published an interview with the... Читать дальше...

“Every artist was first an amateur,” claimed American thinker and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. For some artists, the spark that fuels inspiration seems to have always been there, innately so and deeply entrenched into the biography of their lives since childhood. For other artists like Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985), the major protagonist of Art Brut, this inclination came relatively rather late in life as it was only in 1942 that he made the conscious decision to devote himself to art, thus becoming one of the major artists of the 20th century.

Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà promised to investigate all allegations of crime that come to its attention, including through the Pandora Papers revelations, which so far linked former European commissioner John Dalli to a secret offshore company. “I can assure the public that every time an allegation of a crime reaches the police, an investigation is launched,” Gafà told Times of Malta on Monday when asked whether an investigation will be carried out into the revelations. He said the country... Читать дальше...

Malta’s first research experiment in space has landed back on earth and is expected back in the hands of scientists in the weeks to come. Led by associate professor of biomedical science at the University of Malta Joseph Borg, the Project Maleth team sent samples of micro-organisms that cause diabetic ulcers to the International Space Station (ISS), in a bid to analyse how the tissue will react under extreme conditions. They hope that the information they glean from the results will be able to... Читать дальше...

Two luxury cars stolen in Canada have been intercepted in Malta while in transit to Abu Dhabi. The police said they were tipped by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police that the cars could be in a container headed for Malta. Police and Customs officers on Monday inspected three containers and found the two stolen Lexus RX350 vehicles in one of them. They also found a Range Rover Velar, a Ford Mustang GT and a Ford F150 in the other containers. As in the case of the other container, the shipping documents... Читать дальше...

The head of Malta’s passport sales agency is being lined up for the top job in Enemalta as part of a major shake-up at the controversial energy provider, Times of Malta has learnt. Community Malta head Jonathan Cardona is expected to replace Jason Vella as Enemalta’s new CEO. Kevin Chircop, the chairman of the board of directors since 2018, is also expected to be removed from his position along with several other members, under plans being overseen by Energy Minister Miriam Dalli. Contacted by Times of Malta... Читать дальше...

Villarreal have signed former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain defender Serge Aurier on a free transfer, the Spanish club announced on Monday. Aurier has joined the side until the end of the season, with club and player having the option to extend the agreement for a further two years.   The 28-year-old was a free agent after his contract at Tottenham was terminated in August. Continue reading this article on Sports Desk. 

President Joe Biden went on the offensive Monday with a speech attacking Republicans over a looming threat of US debt default, while pressuring his Democratic Party to enact his stalled multi-trillion-dollar domestic spending agenda. Back from a rare weekend relaxing at home in Delaware, Biden plunged into the most consequential period of his presidency so far. On one side, he faces Republican determination to cripple his momentum and recapture control of Congress in next year's midterm legislative elections. Читать дальше...

Inter Milan left-back Federico Dimarco has been called up to Italy’s squad for the Nations League finals, the Italian federation announced on Monday. The 23-year-old replaces midfielder Matteo Pessina who withdrew after injuring a thigh in Atalanta’s 3-2 home defeat by AC Milan on Sunday. It is the third change since the original 23-man squad for the finals was announced on Thursday.  Continue reading this article on Sports Desk. 

Former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung has urged the Premier League club’s supporters to ditch an offensive chant about South Koreans. Park was a firm favourite of United fans, who created a song in the South Korean’s honour during his seven years at Old Trafford. The chant, still heard among United fans to this day, includes a disparaging line about Koreans eating dog meat. Continue reading this article on Sports Desk. 

Valletta United WPSC have appointed Joe Cremona as their new head coach and team manager. The Maltese coach will replace Zoran Maslovar who joined Sliema ASC’s coaching staff. “Valletta United W.P.C are pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Cremona as Head Coach and Team Manager,” the club said in a statement. “Born and bred in our Capital City, Joe is a product of the Valletta United youths nursery. He was promoted to the senior squad in his early teens. “Cremona will be back to his hometown... Читать дальше...

Updated 7.05pm Facebook and its Instagram and WhatsApp platforms were hit by a massive outage Monday, impacting potentially tens of millions of users as the social media giant faces fallout over its effect on teens and misinformation. Tracker Downdetector was showing outages in heavily populated areas like Washington and Paris, with problems being reported from around 1545 GMT. "We're aware that some people are having trouble accessing our apps and products," Facebook spokesman Andy Stone said on Twitter. Читать дальше...

The European Commission on Monday faced a grilling from journalists over revelations linking former commissioner John Dalli to a secret offshore company. A spokesperson for the EU’s executive confirmed Dalli still receives a pension from the commission, despite being forced to resign over a €60 million bribery scandal over which he now faces charges. The European Commission facing questions from journalists about the Pandora Papers on Monday. Responding to a raft of questions about the Pandora Papers revelations during a 30-minute grilling... Читать дальше...

The FA Trophy will have new title sponsors from this season after the Malta Football Association has signed a commercial agreement with betting company Izibet for the next three years. The agreement was announced Bjorn Vassallo, the MFA president, during a press conference at the MFA Centenary Hall in Ta’ Qali and said that it was a clear statement that football is starting to attract more private entities to invest in the Beautiful Game, here. “During the past few months there were a lot of companies... Читать дальше...

Russia said Monday it had completed two launches of hypersonic cruise missiles, including one from a submerged submarine, the latest tests of emerging weapons President Vladimir Putin has dubbed "invincible". Moscow has in recent years touted the development of weapons that it hopes will give it the edge in any arms race with the United States at a time of growing tensions with the West. Hypersonics can travel more than five times the speed of sound and manoeuvre in mid-flight, making them much... Читать дальше...

UK tax authorities have been asked to turn over any information they hold on Labour MP Ian Castaldi Paris after leaked chats show he had bragged about a multimillion-euro property in London.  Castaldi Paris said chats about pursuing a £16 million (€18.7m) Kensington property he had with alleged murder conspirator Yorgen Fenech was down to “bluff”. The chats were first revealed by MaltaToday.  Sources told Times of Malta the Inland Revenue Department had reached out to their UK counterparts to... Читать дальше...

A former employee of a car hire company has admitted in court to stealing three cars which ‘vanished’ but were later tracked down by his boss near his Cospicua home. The three Hyundai vehicles had been rented out by the company but had not been returned. On October 2, the suspicious employer after checking rental logs and CCTV footage, finally went to the residence of the employee, Lorvin Micallef, 34, and spotted two of the missing cars. The police were called in and Micallef cooperated with investigators... Читать дальше...

War crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Libya since 2016, a United Nations investigation revealed on Monday. The Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya, commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council, said migrants and detainees were particularly exposed to violations. "There are reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes have been committed in Libya, while violence perpetrated in prisons and against migrants there may amount to crimes against humanity," the mission said in a statement. Читать дальше...

A man who feeds pigeons in the street was on Monday charged in court after he allegedly assaulted a nieghbour he suspected of reporting him to the police.  The 53-year-old Sliema resident, who is unemployed and currently facing proceedings before a medical board, was escorted to court following the incident that took place last week.  His habit of scattering bird seeds for local pigeons had allegedly long been causing a nuisance to neighbours, the court was told.  When a report was filed at the police station... Читать дальше...

Conservationists on Monday called on the government to start checking collections of stuffed protected birds for fear they are being used to cover up for poachers.  In a statement, Birdlife said that the authorities needed to start checking the official list of stuffed birds held by collectors in Malta, raising concerns that these were being abused to cover up for illegal hunting.   Times of Malta has previously reported on unlicensed taxidermists and the misuse of official paperwork to have protected birds that have been illegally shot... Читать дальше...

The Italian football federation (FIGC) said on Monday it was opening an investigation after Fiorentina fans aimed racist chants at Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly. The Senegal centre-back, as well as club teammates Victor Osimhen and Frank Zambo Anguissa, were targeted by racist insults during their team’s 2-1 win in Florence on Sunday, according to DAZN. The FIGC prosecution said it would contact the Florence police to ask for information. “Regarding the racist expressions uttered by Fiorentina... Читать дальше...

A monumental sculpture by the late French artist Claude Lalanne that sat on the grounds of a school for decades unknown to art lovers has fetched €1.24 million at auction, blowing past estimates. The sale of The Rape of Europa on Sunday was the latest to underscore growing demand for the whimsical yet meticulous works by the French artist who died in 2019, after decades of creations with her artistic partner and husband Francois-Xavier. A two-metre tall work cast in bronze, it depicts the Greek... Читать дальше...