Новости за 03.09.2021

The Malta U-21 national team will make their first appearance in the 2023 UEFA European Championship qualifiers when they host Northern Ireland in a Group C match at the Centenary Stadium on Friday (kick-off: 4.30pm). The match will be a competitive debut for Malta U-21 coach Gilbert Agius who was handed the job last March when he replaced Silvio Vella. Agius has already been in charge of the team in June when he led his players to a training camp in Slovenia when they faced Qatar and Bosnia Herzegovina in friendly matches. Читать дальше...

Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech has demanded an apology from the Labour Party after the husband of a former PN minister was again cleared of graft allegations. On Friday an appeals court confirmed that Anthony Debono, husband of former Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono, was not guilty of fraud and misappropriation – charges he faced in 2015 in what was dubbed a “works-for-votes” scandal. A court initially cleared him of those charges in March, but the attorney general had appealed that decision. Читать дальше...

A company that specialises in the recycling of electronic waste is struggling to get insurance cover for its facility. Brian Cardona, the director of Electrowaste Malta Ltd, said he had spent two years visiting every insurance company on the island only to be told facilities such as his were classified as high risk and could not be insured. Cardona buys electronic waste, dismantles the items at his Għaxaq facility and then sells them for recycling. Most of this waste is in the form of copper and circuit boards. Читать дальше...

Updated 11.25am Anthony Debono, husband of former Gozo minister Giovanna Debono, has again been cleared of all charges linking him with what had been described as a “works-for-votes scandal” by a court of appeal that confirmed the whistleblower who made the allegations was not credible.  The judgement was delivered on Friday in Gozo after the prosecution sought to overturn a judgment delivered by then-magistrate Neville Camilleri in March, ruling that the information given by contractor-turned-whistleblower Joseph Cauchi... Читать дальше...

New Zealand saw its warmest winter on record this year as climate change fuelled rising temperatures, a government scientific agency said Friday. Temperatures in the June-August period were 1.32 degrees Celsius above average, exceeding the previous record set last year, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) said. The agency said the data meant seven of the top 10 hottest winters in New Zealand had occurred since 2000. It said the last time the country recorded back-to-back record winters was in 1970 and 1971... Читать дальше...

Gżira United and Hibernians will organise a testimonial for their former attacking midfielder Andrew Cohen on December 13, the Premier League clubs announced. The match will be a fitting farewell to the 40-year-old who retired from professional football at the end of last season following a trophy-laden career which saw him make over 400 appearances in the Premier League. The match is going to be held at the Tony Bezzina Stadium on December 13 with kick-off time set at 3pm. The Kalkara-born Cohen... Читать дальше...

The Planning Authority board has put off a hearing of an application for the development of Manoel Island after objectors requested the recusal of board members who had decided on a previous application in March 2019. Michael Sciortino, on behalf of eNGO Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, made the request at the start of a meeting on Thursday. He also requested that the Gżira local council recuses itself due to a possible conflict of interest: it had taken part in the 2019 decision and sits on the Manoel Island Foundation... Читать дальше...

The past two years have been extremely challenging for many, not least for those who make a living from the arts. For those whose livelihoods depend on performing, it’s been particularly tough. But, as the old saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention and for MTEAM, the power of technology proved crucial. Lead singer Matthew James Borg, said: “Despite the lockdowns using Zoom and Skype we were able to come together, set up our new band and then write and produce our first single 1991. This was all done completely remotely. Читать дальше...

Opposite the main entrance of prehistoric Mnajdra, a doorway flanked by two large blocks covered in small drilled holes marks the place where a curious occurrence happens at the start of every new season. As the sun rises on the first day of spring and autumn, known as the Equinox, and the first day of summer and winter  - Solstice - its rays align perfectly and light up specific parts of this passageway. In prehistoric agricultural societies, observation of the motion of the stars, the moon... Читать дальше...

Lotus is poised to introduce four new electric models in the next five years – with the first battery-powered vehicle launching next year. The EV offensive has been announced alongside the creation of a manufacturing plant for Lotus Technology in Wuhan, China – set to be completed in 2024. The technology arm of the company will be used to ‘accelerate innovation in the fields of batteries and energy management’, according to the firm. This facility is where where these new electric models will be built, too. Читать дальше...

A criminal case against Yorgen Fenech concerning his alleged purchase of guns and grenades on the dark web will be heard in private, a court decided on Friday.  Prosecutors leading the case against Fenech, who also stands accused of complicity in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, asked for the case to be heard behind closed doors.  Inspector Omar Zammit told the court that this was necessary due to ongoing investigations as well a the sensitivity of the case and testimonies that would form part of it. Читать дальше...

Last week, the Malta Chamber launched its national workforce strategy, which included the proposal to extend compulsory education till the age of 18 from the current 16 years. It immediately brought reactions from various stakeholders and it is certainly a proposal that needs to be evaluated thoroughly. The National Workforce Strategy itself needs a separate assessment and I will come back to it in a future contribution. However, the idea of extending compulsory education to the age of 18 has... Читать дальше...

Turning 50 last year, Italian director Paolo Sorrentino found he was finally ready to put his heartbreaking story about growing up in 1980s Naples on film, in all its exuberance and anguish. The Hand of God is an autobiographical film that explores family, maturity, and a moment in time when the chaotic underdog city gained dignity and hope with the arrival of football legend Diego Maradona.  "At a certain point, you take stock of the beautiful things that you've loved in your life," the director... Читать дальше...

A record 37 exhibitors are participating in this year’s edition of the Malta Book Festival (November 3 to 7), the National Book Council has announced. Many of them will also be organising an array of book-related activities, including book launches, presentations of special interest books, conferences, readings and activities targeted to all ages. The list of exhibitors is comprised of local and international publishers, booksellers, student organisations, NGOs and public agencies with ties to the book industry. 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.

Thomas Borg completed Team Malta’s commitments in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in style when setting a new national record in the 400 T47 class sprint heats at the National Stadium. Competing in the second heat of the event, the Maltese Paralympian sped around track in a new personal best time of 55.34 seconds. Borg’s time was impressive as he shaved over two seconds off his previous best time of 57.73 seconds to set a new national record in his class. Borg finished the race in sixth place. Читать дальше...

An ISIS-inspired terrorist stabbed six people at an Auckland supermarket on Friday before police who had him under surveillance shot him dead, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said. "What happened today was despicable, it was hateful, it was wrong," she said, describing the attacker as a Sri Lankan national who arrived in New Zealand in 2011. New Zealand police shot dead the man as terrified crowds fled for the exits. Police said the attack occurred when the man entered the Countdown... Читать дальше...

Jeanette Zacarias Zapata, an 18-year-old boxer from Mexico, died Thursday, five days after she was knocked out in a fight, promoter Yvon Michel said. “It is with great sadness and torment that we learned, from a representative of her family, that Jeanette Zacarias Zapata passed away this afternoon at 3:45 p.m.,” a statement from Groupe Yvon Michel said. Zapata took part in the GYM Gala International Boxing event Saturday in Montreal, losing to Marie Pier Houle in the fourth round of a welterweight match. Читать дальше...

Home ownership is one of the basic requirements for social stability and inclusion in a fair society. Vulnerable individuals and their families face enormous obstacles to achieving the minimum quality-of-life standards that many others take for granted. One of these obstacles is the list of demanding conditions that banks impose on those applying for a mortgage. Banks almost invariably require borrowers to provide a life insurance policy to ensure that the family will not necessarily have to sell... Читать дальше...

Germany laboured to a 2-0 win over Liechtenstein in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday as Hansi Flick made a low-key debut at the helm. Chelsea striker Timo Werner broke the deadlock just before half-time in St Gallen before Leroy Sane doubled the lead late in a frustrating second-half for Flick’s side. It was an important win for Germany, who now sit just a point behind Group J leaders Armenia after they were held to a goalless draw by North Macedonia. Continue reading this article on Sports Desk. Читать дальше...