Новости за 16.09.2021

Kayden Laganà has set a new national record in the junior team competitions at the European Youth Championships that are currently being played in Tilburg, Netherlands. The young Lagana bowled a 1,289 scratch series in the team competition to record the highest score from a Maltese bowler in the team competition at these prestigious championships. Lagana formed part of Maltese boys’ selection that also included Nicolas Muscat, Dwayne Zahra and Chris Fenech who ended their commitments in this category in 11th place. Читать дальше...

DoorDash on Wednesday sued New York City over a measure requiring it and meal delivery rivals to share customer data with restaurants. DoorDash contended that the bill yet to be signed into law by the mayor of the city opens the door for names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses to be misused or poorly guarded by eateries. “This bill threatens the safety and privacy of New York City consumers,” DoorDash said in a post. “We remain committed to fighting on their behalf to keep this harmful... Читать дальше...

Thousands of health workers across France have been suspended without pay for failing to get vaccinated against Covid-19 ahead of a deadline this week, Health Minister Olivier Veran said Thursday. France's national public health agency estimated last week that roughly 12 percent of hospital staff and around six percent of doctors in private practices have yet to be vaccinated. "Some 3,000 suspensions were notified yesterday to employees at health centres and clinics who have not yet been vaccinated," Veran told RTL radio. Читать дальше...

Since first detected in January 2020, the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing global response have dictated economic activity and credit markets way forward.  Initially, the economic landscape, following the imposition of movement restrictions, deteriorated. Credit markets, witnessed credit spreads reaching significant highs of over 1000bps. Then, a concerted effort by both Central banks and governments led to what we have been witnessing in 2021 – a robust economic recovery and upward trajectory in financial markets. Читать дальше...

The GWU's Police Officers' Union has ordered its members not to wear their uniform hat and not shave, in protest over a stalemate in talks on duties near schools. The union is insisting that the closure of roads while children are going to or leaving school can be handled by others. The current situation it said, is seeing police stations deprived of some 70 officers every day. It argues this is not part of police work as laid down by law.  Talks held over the past weeks with the Home Affairs Ministry had not led anywhere, the union said. Читать дальше...

The government has announced a bill aimed at regulating the use of electronic tagging for those who commit minor crimes as well as prisoners out on parole or leave.  Addressing a press conference, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said the law will not only help the perpetrators but also the community and victims.  He said that through electronic tagging, there will be more opportunities for rehabilitation especially since only those who commit “minor crimes” with a prison sentence of less than a year will be eligible. Читать дальше...

Two men, aged 67 and 74, have died after testing positive for COVID-19, the health authorities said on Thursday. They said that 25 new cases were detected overnight and 22 virus patients were in hospital, including four in intensive care. Forty-five patients recovered in the past 24 hours leaving 696 active cases. A total of 808,968 vaccine doses have been administered, including 4,001 booster jabs. Administration of third jab in homes for the elderly completed The Health Ministry said on Thursday... Читать дальше...

A motorcyclist is in hospital after a collision with a car in Xewkija on Wednesday afternoon. The crash happened at about 7.30pm in Triq San Ġwann Battista, the police said. It involved an SYM Symphony motorcycle driven by a 28-year-old man from Nepal, who is resident in Victoria, and a Kia Rio driven by a 31-year-old woman Xewkija.  The police said the motorcyclist was seriously injured. 

Recommendations made by the European Union to member states on the protection of journalists are welcome, but not enough, Maltese MEP David Casa has said. Casa is the co-chair of the European Parliament’s Media Working Group. "The recommendations addressed to Member States are not binding. Therefore, we will continue to insist that the European Commission publishes legislative acts which will bind all the EU government to change their laws to protect journalists,” he said in a statement in Strasbourg. Читать дальше...

Maltese-Canadian couple Deb and Mark Gove screamed with joy when they heard that their Canadian vaccine certificate will be recognised by Malta and they will be able to leave the Mellieħa apartment where they have been cooped up in quarantine since they arrived on the island. “We were following the press conference on our phone and, when we heard the news, the whole building could tell how we felt. I started screaming and yelling with joy in the hallway. Then I went out in the balcony yelling: The Canadian vaccine is accepted. Читать дальше...

Asian markets struggled on Thursday to recover from the previous day’s sell-off, with Hong Kong dragged down by further losses in casinos as well as tech firms following government crackdowns on the sectors. A strong performance on Wall Street was not enough to spur buying in the region, where concerns about the spreading Delta variant and its impact on the economic rebound are draining confidence. Traders are also keeping tabs on developments in China where one of its biggest developers, Evergrande... Читать дальше...

Rabat Ajax this week unveiled their squad for the new season during a presentation night at their club premises. The Magpies are bracing themselves to a return to Challenge League after securing promotion to the second-tier of Maltese football last season. They open their campaign on Saturday when they face Żejtun Corinthians. This summer Rabat Ajax have signed eight new players, which included four overseas players. Manuel Angel Bustos moved to Rabat from Sirens while Petar Kanzurov arrived from San Ġwann FC. Читать дальше...

A Maltese athlete has become the second person to cycle around the Sicilian coast in less than two days. Fabio Spiteri completed his epic challenge in one day, 11 hours and 40 minutes last night after a distance of 977km. Only one other person had so far managed the feat in under 48 hours – Maurizio Mezzasalma completed the tour in 43 hours and 44 minutes.  The purpose was to raise funds for animal shelters. "Help me reach my target to collect €50,000 for animal shelters," Spiteri wrote on Facebook upon his arrival. Читать дальше...

Several countries are now offering third COVID-19 shots amid reports of vaccines proving less effective over time. But do these countries really need to embark on widespread booster campaigns? Here’s what research tells us so far about how vaccines are performing. One study suggests that after four months of the second dose, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is less effective at preventing infection (classified as a positive PCR test), with protection falling from 96% to 84%. However, the research is a preprint... Читать дальше...

Ford has released an initial look at its upcoming Ranger pick-up truck. Showcased wearing heavy camouflage, the fourth-generation Ranger has been shown taking on dynamic trials over some difficult terrain.  Due to go on sale next year, the upcoming Ranger will share its underpinnings with the next Volkswagen Amarok. Whereas the previous-generation Ranger had a more rounded look, it’s believed that this new model will be closer in appearance to Ford’s American pick-ups, such as the F-150. Read... Читать дальше...

Customs have called in the police after intercepting a kilo of marijuana buds. The discovery was made by officials stationed at the Customs Express Freight Office. The drug was in a package inside which was a plastic bag containing two envelopes, each with another plastic bag wrapped in bubble wrap, with half a kilo of the substance. The package was addressed to a house in central Malta for delivery by courier.  Drugs found in luggage In a separate case, the Customs Department said that thanks to sniffer dog Sparky... Читать дальше...

San Ġwann FC have unveiled to the media their latest signings, Dutch forward Skender Loshi. The 22-year-old forward brings with him a wealth of experience at the Challenge League club having played for some top-flight sides in the Netherlands such as NAC Breda. Loshi has already made his debut for San Ġwann when he netted a brace in the team’s 4-0 win over St George’s in the Challenge League. “San Ġwann FC are excited to announce the signing of 22-year-old experienced Dutch attacker Skender Loshi,”... Читать дальше...

After a break last year due to COVID-19, the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta and Gozo is once again holding its online restaurant survey. The survey will determine the top-rated 150 restaurants, which will have a free listing in the guide. The top 40 and other special awards will be presented in December with the launch of the 21st edition of the guide.  One can rate restaurants they have dined at during the preceding 12 months. They can rate their food, service and ambience on a scale of from one to 10. Читать дальше...

VBL plc published a prospectus on July 27 in connection with the issuance of 35,714,286 new shares at €0.28 per share (amounting to €10 million), and in the event that these new shares are taken up, an offer will take place of up to an additional 35,714,286 shares also at a price of €0.28 per share, which will see some of the existing shareholders reduce their stake in the company. Few investors may be aware of the ownership structure and the business model of VBL. The company claims to be the largest owner of real estate in Valletta. 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.

A new journey beckons for the Malta women’s national team as they will launch their 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup qualification campaign with an away trip at Denmark, today (kick-off: 18.00). The Denmark test is expected to be tough for the Maltese side but coach Mark Gatt is upbeat on the improvement that the players can make throughout this campaign, starting from this game scheduled at the Viborg Stadium. “The upcoming season, including this qualification campaign, will be fundamental for our team in order to improve,” coach Gatt said. Читать дальше...

The Second Division League was introduced in 1921-22. It was held for three consecutive seasons, but a lack of interest forced the MFA to stop the event. Therefore, between 1924 and 1929, the competition was not held. Fortunately, during the last two or three seasons of the 1920’s in Malta, there was a great surge of interest in the game. As interest grew, the game started to spread all over the island. New clubs were sprouting everywhere, not only around the harbour area, which was the birthplace... Читать дальше...

The scene at the scrapyard on Thursday morning (Chris Sant Fournier) Last updated 9.41am A fierce fire swept through part of a scrapyard/waste recycling plant in Marsa early on Thursday and needed several units of the Civil Protection Department to control it. The fire, on a site in the industrial zone adjacent to Triq Garibaldi, broke out at about midnight. It was still producing a thick column of smoke at 8am. A Times of Malta reader said he could smell a stench from Valletta. Another reader... Читать дальше...

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many of the normal patterns and behaviours of life. There has been much talk of the impact on business, tourism, health services and cultural life. One of its key disruptions has been to education and to the overall well-being and development of young people. Now, some 20 months later, a new school year has begun but more than 100 million students globally will not be returning to education. The world is facing what has been described by the World Bank as “the... Читать дальше...

Malta’s geographical position means that most of our manufacturing industry must import its raw materials and has to export its merchandise via container ships. Our industry employers do not have the luxury of getting their goods overland like their competitors on the European continent do. The result is, and has always been, more and more added transportation costs onto their cost base. Let me give one simple example of this. In 2016, a detailed study by one of Malta’s leading industry stakeholders... Читать дальше...