Новости за 28.10.2021

Luxol St Andrews clinched their first win in the UEFA Futsal Champions League Main Round when they edged Swedish side Hammarby 3-2 at the University Sports Hall on Thursday. This was the Maltese side’s first victory in Main Round of UEFA’s elite competition and surely will be a huge confidence booster ahead of their final match in this round against Polish side Record Bielsko-Biala on Friday. The Malta champions came into the match on the back of a disappointing 6-2 defeat to Haladas, of Hungary, on Wednesday. Читать дальше...

The Justice Department announced an $88 million settlement on Thursday with victims of a self-proclaimed white supremacist who shot dead nine Black parishioners in a historic church in South Carolina in 2015. The settlement stems from allegations that the FBI was negligent when it failed to prohibit the sale of a gun by a licensed firearms dealer to the shooter, Dylann Roof, the Justice Department said. Roof, 27, who prosecutors said carried out the shooting to spark a "race war," is facing the... Читать дальше...

Malta bowling champion Sue Abela has reached the singles finals at the European Championship of Champions that is currently being played in Chania, Crete. The veteran bowler played a very strong set of eight games to build on a good performance in the first eight to end her commitments in fifth place with a total score of 1,583 pins and for a 202.8 average. Mika Guldbaek, of Denmark, is leading the way with 1,7758, just ahead of Nicole Sanders, of the Netherlands, who scored 1,703, and Sweden’s Victoria Johansson who compiled 1,683. Читать дальше...

Two suspect fraudsters, arrested four years ago and convicted of planning to carry out ATM fraud during a stay in Malta, had their jail terms slashed on appeal. Kitanchev Blagoy Zhorov, a self-employed businessman and Polihronov Spas Georgiev, both Bulgarian nationals, had been arrested in December 2017 after they had their apartment searched by police acting upon information from Europol. The duo was allegedly linked to skimming attacks in their homeland and had also been arrested in Vietnam in 2013. Читать дальше...

Beauty can present itself in unexpected ways, and photographer Alex Attard is very keen on capturing it whatever its form.  “One constant in my work is the value of beauty unveiled in the unexpected. I am a believer that beauty has the power to influence greatly, if not change, our world. It draws us in, it energises our senses and we can’t get enough of it,” he says.  Attard has been enthusiastic about the medium since his 20s but did not practise much until about 15 years ago, when he decided to take it up more seriously. Читать дальше...

Royal Dutch Shell on Thursday reported a net loss for the third quarter as a huge sum written off by the energy giant offset a surge in oil prices. Shell also announced plans to cut carbon emissions but its target was far from meeting a recent Dutch court order for a 45 per cent reduction in its greenhouse gases by 2030. Shell said its loss after tax came in at $447 million (€385m) in the three months to the end of September after writing off $5.2 billion linked to commodity derivatives. Stripping out the charge... Читать дальше...

Use of ladders for swimmers throughout winter I agree completely with Pauline Aquilina’s letter (October 23) about the sea ladders being removed this month. I would like to add the following. I know of many disabled persons, myself included, for whom swimming is a necessary exercise and a form of therapy.  But when the ladders are removed, we cannot access the sea anymore. Some of us continue swimming all year round, using wet suits when appropriate.  Therefore it is essential that these ladders... Читать дальше...

A school district in New York state said on Thursday it had banned children from wearing Halloween costumes from Netflix sensation Squid Game over concerns they might glorify violence. The dystopian South Korean thriller sees hundreds of cash-strapped individuals pitted against each other in traditional children's games. The victor can earn millions, but losing players are killed. Games include marbles, tug of war, and red light, green light. Fayetteville-Manlius school district, some 400 kilometers north of New York City... Читать дальше...

Twenty young musicians will be embarking on furthering their musical education, as they become the first students of the MPO Academy. In an official launch on October 27, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) CEO Sigmund Mifsud explained the significance of this step for the orchestra, as well as young musicians. “The MPO Academy will focus on specialised training of musicians, going beyond teaching an instrument, to the training of individuals to be skilled in orchestral playing. Our vision is to... Читать дальше...

A decision on bail in money laundering proceedings against Yorgen Fenech was postponed to another date after the prosecution objected that there were civilian witnesses still to testify.  The ex-gaming magnate was back in court on Thursday in the ongoing compilation of evidence where he is pleading not guilty to misappropriation and fraud to the detriment of Glimmer Limited, a company he owned with his uncle Ray.  He stands accused of fraud and attempting to launder a total of €45,000 in a case involving four other alleged associates... Читать дальше...

Maltese researchers have developed a new kind of bone graft that degrades over time and allows a patient’s own bones to regrow in its place. The Biodegradable Iron for Orthopaedic Scaffold Applications project, or BioSA, is a joint effort by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Malta and Mater Dei hospital. Led by biomaterials engineer Joseph Buhagiar, the research team has come up with a new implant that is tailor-made through medical imaging, 3D printing and powder metallurgy. In a statement on Thursday... Читать дальше...

The world’s leading brewer, AB InBev, said on Thursday its third-quarter net profit slid by over third as costs of beer ingredients rose and sales growth slowed. In the period from July through September, the group that includes the Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona brands, posted net profit of just over $1 billion, compared to $1.58 billion during the same period last year. Third-quarter sales rose by 7.9 per cent to $14.3 billion, but that was much slower than the 27 per cent growth rate in the second quarter. Читать дальше...

Many people are struggling with addiction in the United States. Withdrawal from drugs or alcohol can be very difficult for some people to overcome, and often involves intense cravings. Friends and family members of someone who has an addiction must understand what they are going through so they can offer support. Get educated about their addiction The first step to support people struggling with addiction is getting educated about their condition and the issues surrounding it. Learn as much as possible by reading books... Читать дальше...

Bayern Munich veteran Thomas Mueller has apologised to their fans and admitted the 5-0 thrashing at Moenchengladbach in the German Cup was the worst defeat he has experienced during 13 years playing in the famous red shirt. “We were picked apart from A to Z in the first half,” the 32-year-old Mueller, who made his Bayern debut in 2008 and is approaching 600 appearances for the Bavarian giants, told ARD. “I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced anything like that before in an FC Bayern shirt. We... Читать дальше...

It's a trend – some would say a threat – that touches a pungent symbol of French culinary pride: Sales of camembert, the Normandy speciality that has long graced cheese platters, are set to be eclipsed by an import, Italian mozzarella. The two are not exactly rivals, the first savoured on its own, while the latter is used mainly in salads, pizzas and pasta dishes. But camembert's fading popularity is forcing France to recognise that its cheese tastes and traditions are changing. "Camembert is... Читать дальше...

Robert Abela has condemned a Labour TV presenter for his "unacceptable" comments identifying a journalist as part of an “establishment working against the government”. ONE TV host Karl Stagno Navarra’s commentary claimed civil society group Repubblika, the Nationalist Party, the church and the media were all working to bring down the Labour government. In a segment, he singled out Lovin Malta journalist Tim Diacono, who was reporting on a protest being held by Repubblika against what it claims... Читать дальше...

A total of 12,000 people have already been jabbed against the flu, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Thursday. The vaccine, which started being offered to those aged 55 and over on Monday, will become available to children from Saturday. In a post on Twitter, Fearne said the jab will be administered at health centres.  Healthcare workers are already reporting cases of influenza and the common cold following a lull in flu infections last winter.  Anyone eligible who has recently received a... Читать дальше...

Leading online lotto betting operator Lottoland, has recently made the transition to become a fully carbon neutral company and has also signed the Climate Pledge. Working with Tunley Engineering, a global climate reduction consultancy Lottoland has taken the necessary steps in measuring, reporting, and offsetting their carbon footprint. Lottoland is the first gambling operator to achieve a carbon neutral status and to sign the Climate Pledge. Tunley Engineering provided a carbon assessment that... Читать дальше...

France's prime minister said Thursday that he was ready for talks with Britain to resolve the months-long standoff over fishing access rights, while insisting that London honour its post-Brexit commitments. "We are always open to talks, morning, noon and night," Jean Castex said during a visit to the Atlantic coast of Brittany, not far from the contested waters. His call came after France warned that retaliatory measures would take effect starting November 2, including time-consuming customs and... Читать дальше...

Ninety per cent of recommendations by the Auditor General have been implemented by the public service, Mario Cutajar said on Thursday. The head of public service said this marked an improvement in implementation rates over 2020 (81%) and 2019 (78%). Cutajar added that out of 319 of the 331 NAO recommendations had been accepted. Among others, recommendations dealt with procurement procedures, inventory management, and internal controls in general administration and public funds.  “In the past,... Читать дальше...

Karamellu tar-Raħal t’Isfel – l-Ewwel Ktieb is a collection of 10 stories in Maltese, accompanied by specifically designed colourful visuals, about childhood in a Maltese village at a time before the advent of television, computer, internet, and mobile. Karamellu represents a boy born and brought up in a worker’s family that used to live in the part of the village of Żejtun, known as Ir-Raħal t’Isfel. The author of the stories is the writer Carmel Charles Buttigieg, who in the book signs as In-Nannu Karm. Читать дальше...

A video shared on social media has shed light on the deteriorating traffic situation early on weekday mornings.  Posted on TikTok by Stefan Jovanovic and shot from Marsa's A3 towers, the video shows long tailbacks lining busy junctions from the south to the north, including the new Marsa flyover. Drivers making their way through the traffic told Times of Malta there did not seem to be any weather-related problems on the road that might have caused the congestion.  They said the problem with heavy... Читать дальше...

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison by telephone on Thursday for the first time since the diplomatic crisis over a scrapped submarine deal last month, the Elysee Palace said. Macron reiterated that Canberra's decision to cancel a deal for conventional-powered French subs in favour of US nuclear vessels "had broken the relation of trust between our two countries," his office said in a statement. "It is now up to the Australian government to propose... Читать дальше...

Sicily braced for the arrival of a cyclone Thursday, the second this week after a deadly storm hammered the southern Italian island, killing three people.  The Mediterranean cyclone known as a "medicane" was set to reach Sicily's eastern coast and the tip of mainland Calabria between Thursday evening and Friday morning, Italian public research institute ISPRA said. In Malta, the Met office removed a warning in place since Wednesday morning urging the public to "be prepared" for heavy rain, thunder and strong winds. Читать дальше...

A crypto wallet of $700,000 allegedly swindled in the presence of its owner in June is currently valued at around $2.6 million, a court was told on Thursday. Four months since that lunchtime meeting when the alleged crypto fraud took place, Luke Milton, a 25-year old company director, was back in court as the prosecution neared the end of its evidence stage. Milton is pleading not guilty to misappropriation and fraud, cryptocurrency theft, money laundering and various breaches of the Virtual Financial Assets Act. Читать дальше...