Новости за 19.01.2021

Wiping away tears, US President-elect Joe Biden bid an emotional farewell to his home state of Delaware on Tuesday before heading to Washington on the eve of his inauguration. "It's deeply personal that our journey to Washington starts here," Biden said after rubbing one of his eyes while addressing dozens of guests at a National Guard base named in honour of his late son Beau. "I only have one regret, that he's not here," Biden said, referring to Beau, who died of cancer in 2015. "Because we should... Читать дальше...

Mosta FC and Raiders Għargħur sent a powerful message against racism before their BOV Women’s League match at the Mġarr Ground on Tuesday night following Sunday’s incidents during an U-19 match between the two clubs. Last Sunday, Raiders Għargħur player Maya Lucia alleged on social media that she suffered racial abuse during the U-19 league match against Mosta at the Marsaskala Ground. [attach id=1016478 type="video"]Video: Jonathan Borg[/attach] The Police and the Malta FA are currently gathering... Читать дальше...

A social worker with a love for nature and photography has combined his passions to raise funds for charity on his 45th birthday. Together with his partner, Eman Azzopardi walked 45 kilometres ‒ one kilometre for every year of his life ‒ from Żebbuġ towards the scenic northwest coast and on to the Hospice Malta premises in Balzan. Along the way, he kept his social media followers updated on the walk’s progress, while urging them to donate money to the NGO. Anyone who knows Azzopardi or has come across... Читать дальше...

Antony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's choice to be secretary of state, will vow Tuesday that the United States will "outcompete" a rising China while reviving frayed alliances, in a sea change from Donald Trump's go-it-alone "America First" approach. On the eve of Biden's inauguration, Blinken was set to say at his confirmation hearing that the United States will seek to remain the pre-eminent global power but renew cooperation on common challenges such as COVID-19 and climate change. "America... Читать дальше...

Parliamentary Secretary for Construction Chris Agius on Tuesday pledged that the setting up of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) would lead to the licensing of contractors.  Times of Malta reported on Sunday how the 2019 deadline for this had quietly slipped away, with an online directory of contractors that was meant to provide more transparency in the sector also vanishing.  Speaking in parliament, Agius highlighted how a person needed a license to drive a car, but not to use a crane to demolish a building. Читать дальше...

Britain on Tuesday registered another 1,610 fatalities from coronavirus, a record high over 24 hours since the pandemic arrived in 2020, but the number of new cases fell.  The UK's total COVID-19 death tally now stands at 91,470, with a further 33,355 new cases also reported over the last day, taking the total number of infections to nearly 3.5 million. But the number of new cases over the last week was down around 22%, as a stringent lockdown announced earlier this month starts to have an effect. Читать дальше...

Bayern Munich will face either African champions Al Ahly or Al Duhail of Qatar in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup next month, following the draw at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich on Tuesday. The semi-final will be played on Monday, February 8 at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, just outside the Qatari capital Doha. Before that Al Ahly and Al Duhail will meet on February 4 at the nearby Education City Stadium, another of the venues for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Cairo giants Al Ahly... Читать дальше...

A detailed look at two days of heavy bombings in 1941, which left many dead and wounded By the end of 1940, Malta had not yet surrendered to Italian forces and the latter were also to experience two major reverses in Greece and Egypt. On November 20 of that year, German Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler proposed to help ally Benito Mussolini but it was only in early December that the Italian Fascist leader accepted the German ‘offer’ of military aid. On December 10, Hitler issued the order code-named ‘Operation Mittelmeer’ and... Читать дальше...

It’s all in a day’s work for the police. But the awards that some of them received for their quick-thinking action last year highlights their vital work in aid of the community. Claudia Calleja recounts some of their stories. It was 4am when officers on duty at the Paola police station received a frantic call from a doctor. [attach id=1016142 size="medium" align="right" type="image"][/attach] He was standing outside an apartment block where, behind locked doors, a woman was trying to take her own life. Читать дальше...

Gozo minister Clint Camilleri on Tuesday urged all those planning to travel to Gozo for carnival to abide by health authority guidelines.  He said discussions were under way with various authorities to ensure the situation did not get out of hand, but did not provide further details when questioned in parliament.  Despite the cancellation of all festivities, a spike in accommodation bookings over the period has been noted. It comes despite a historic decision to call off all carnival festivities... Читать дальше...

Europe is too vulnerable to the global power of the dollar and must ensure the international standing of its euro currency to challenge US dominance, the EU executive urged Tuesday. The European Commission made its pitch in a plan that sets out ways to help build the power of the euro and chip away at Washington's supremacy, though the 19-page proposal rarely refers to the United States by name. After their traumatic experience with the Trump administration, Europeans would like to mitigate that... Читать дальше...

A total 41% of people in Malta want to get vaccinated against COVID-19 "as soon as possible", the highest rate in Europe.  A Eurobarometer survey published on Tuesday confirms that only 4% of the population over 16 would blatantly refuse to get the jab, the lowest figure across the EU.  The survey was carried out in all 27 EU states in December. Respondents in Malta were the only ones to answer questions via telephone, the rest of Europeans answered online.  Almost half of the respondents in Malta... Читать дальше...

Nature Trust has appealed to the public to dispose of plastic waste in the appropriate way and not dump it around, as it will tend to end up in the sea.  In a statement, it also urged the public to immediately reduce the use of single-use plastic, even that still in the market. The government has halted the import of single-use plastics as of January 1.  “Although this is a step in the right direction and to be commended, this alone will not solve the issue of the marine plastic debris which is... Читать дальше...

Opposition leader Bernard Grech is implementing a major reshuffle of his shadow cabinet which is expected to be finalised by the end of the week.   Nationalist Party sources told Times of Malta that Grech was holding one-on-one meetings with his MPs, and had already informed a number of them that they will soon be shadowing new portfolios.   Grech was elected PN leader in October but has since left the responsibilities assigned by his predecessor Adrian Delia unchanged. It is standard practice for... Читать дальше...

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed how underfunded and powerless the World Health Organisation is to carry out the tasks the world expects of it, an independent expert panel said Tuesday.  The heads of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response presented a report to the WHO's executive board which said that the UN health body could have acted faster and more decisively at the start of the pandemic to avert catastrophe. But they stressed that the delays and failures could largely... Читать дальше...

Estate agents seeking a licence next year must register their interest online, Parliamentary Secretary for Lands and Construction Chris Agius said on Tuesday.  Addressing a press conference, Agius noted that a new law reforming the sector, which came into force in July, impacts thousands of people.  “Real estate is an important sector. Even in 2020, there were close to 14,000 promises of sale registered, amounting to €3 billion,” he said.  The online registration is open to all those who have completed... Читать дальше...

A gender-corrective mechanism is only one element of the reforms necessary to achieve gender balance in parliament, according to the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE).  Referring to the ongoing debate about representation of women in parliament, the NCPE said such reforms acknowledge the need to address the structural obstacles to political participation experienced by women and delineates several actions required to achieve this aim. MPs are currently discussing a gender-balancing... Читать дальше...

The Netflix-produced series Lupin will have been watched in 70 million households within its first month, setting a record for a French TV show, the streaming platform forecast on Tuesday. On the basis of current trends the series − starring Omar Sy of Untouchable fame − will have breezed past Netflix’s biggest recent blockbuster The Queen’s Gambit which has 62 million views and other English-language hits including Bridgerton. The Netflix projection covers the 28 days to February 5, the company said. Читать дальше...

One of the alleged hitmen in the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination has been awarded over €7,000 in damages and interest, over delays in an 18-year court case stemming from a €2 million holdup on a cash van in 2000. Alfred Degiorgio, under police custody since December 2017 and currently awaiting trial over his alleged involvement in the journalist’s murder alongside his brother George and co-accused Vincent Muscat, had filed constitutional proceedings claiming that his right to a fair hearing had been breached. Читать дальше...

Over 1,000 healthcare students are still waiting to learn if they will be given priority for the novel coronavirus vaccine despite working in close contact with patients during clinical placements. The University of Malta informed medical pharmacy students on Wednesday they would be given preference for COVID-19 vaccination and will be placed on a “priority list” in the coming days. According to an e-mail seen by Times of Malta, those on the list who are vulnerable will be given the jab first. However... Читать дальше...

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire hailed the huge progress the Red Devils have made in his 18 months at the club but said much more improvement was needed to deliver major trophies. United extended their unbeaten league run to 12 matches and their away record to 16 without defeat with a 0-0 draw at Liverpool on Sunday to remain top of the Premier League. A mammoth 33 points divided the sides last season as Liverpool romped to their first league title in 30 years. However, a much tighter fight for the title is in store this season... Читать дальше...

A 14-0 streak, including four treys, midway in the second quarter was the determining moment in this match as this run moved Gżira Athleta to a commanding 21-point lead and it was thereafter an uphill struggle for Depiro. This was the only match in the programme of this league match day as the two other scheduled games, namely Hibs vs Mellieħa Libertas Spalding and BUPA Luxol vs Starlites Naxxar GiG were postponed due to COVID-19. Gżira Athleta somewhat recovered from a difficult start to the season... Читать дальше...

President Donald Trump began his final full day in the White House Tuesday with a long list of possible pardons to dish out before snubbing his successor Joe Biden's inauguration and leaving for Florida. On Wednesday at noon, Biden will be sworn in and the Trump presidency will end, turning the page on some of the most disruptive, divisive years the United States has seen since the 1960s. Biden, a veteran Democratic senator who also served as vice president to Barack Obama, was set to travel to Washington... Читать дальше...

Chinese rescuers drilled several fresh holes Tuesday to reach at least 12 gold miners trapped underground for nine days, as dwindling food supplies and rising waters threatened their survival. Twenty-two workers have been stuck 540 metres (1,750 feet) underground at the Hushan mine near Yantai in east China's Shandong province after an explosion damaged the entrance. After days without any signs of life, some of the trapped miners managed to send up a note attached to a metal wire which rescuers had dropped into the mine on Sunday. 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.