Новости за 05.10.2021

The time had come for Malta to move to a new mechanism where the government helps those with a low income affected by particular circumstances such as the pandemic, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said on Tuesday. Speaking at a pre-budget consultation meeting, he said the social partners had often called for a revision of the COLA Cost Of Living Adjustment mechanism. Reaching agreement between the government, employers and trade unions on such a revision was difficult, he said. Furthermore, while... Читать дальше...

On the eve of the Malta U-21 national team’s departure for an away double- header from the UEFA Championship qualifiers, coach Gilbert Agius has finalised his 22-man squad The Malta U-21 national team face Lithuania on Friday and then travel to Slovakia on Tuesday. Three goalkeepers have made the final cut for this trip, including the return of Nocerina keeper Rashed Al-Tumi. This final squad also includes five newcomers who were absent in last month’s qualifiers which saw the team beat the Northern... Читать дальше...

A human tooth has been found buried in the lower sediment of a Phoenician shipwreck, found off Gozo 14 years ago, in a discovery that could have huge archeological repercussions. The tooth – a lower, right, first molar – is the first human remains found on the Phoenician wreck discovered in 2007, explained marine archeologist Timmy Gambin, who is also the project director of the Phoenician Shipwreck Project. So far, local dental experts believe the tooth belonged to a young person since it had... Читать дальше...

The process to select a new head of the agency responsible for confiscating criminals’ assets has been started again after the justice ministry rejected the preferred candidate.  The Asset Recovery Bureau has not had a chief executive officer for nearly a year, despite it being one of the worst performers in a review of the country’s anti-money laundering regime. In June, Times of Malta reported how Police Superintendent George Cremona, who heads the force’s counter-terrorism unit, had been selected... Читать дальше...

CDAU clinics that specialise in treatment and therapy for young children with autism, Down syndrome and speech difficulties are in dire need of refurbishment, Nationalist MP David Thake said in parliament on Tuesday. "Parents have told me that the clinic in Għargħur, especially, is in an abysmal state, with open buckets of syringes on the floor, where children often play," Thake said in parliament. Parents had also complained that some children had been waiting to start occupational therapy sessions for over a year... Читать дальше...

Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina said on Tuesday that he intends to take action, in due time, against a senior police officer who handed footage to a Labour Party journalist who then manipulated it to come up with what were trumped up charges against him. The case involved an incident which had seen Aquilina end up in the middle of a number of cars which were being escorted by the police. Aquilina had at the time been driving to parliament. The cars being escorted by the police did not carry any passengers. Читать дальше...

Double NBA winner and Europe’s most succesful basketballer Pau Gasol said on Tuesday he had made the ‘difficult decision’ to finally retire, but at 41 was at ease with his choice. Centre Gasol, the older brother of Memphis Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol, won the competition in 2009 as well as a year later during his time at the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2019 he suffered a foot injury which threatened to end his career earlier than planned. “It is a difficult decision. As you can imagine, it is difficult, after so many years... Читать дальше...

Eduardo Camavinga has a “huge bruise” on his left foot and is undergoing treatment ahead of the game against Ukraine, France under-21 coach Sylvain Ripoll said on Tuesday. The 18-year-old Real Madrid midfielder went off at half-time on Sunday in the Liga loss to Espanyol. He “suffered a severe blow on the top of the left foot, with a huge bruise”, said Ripoll, adding that Camavinga was undergoing treatment at the French training centre at Clairefontaine and would not train Tuesday.    Continue reading this article on Sports Desk... Читать дальше...

James Brown is facing a race against time to prove his fitness and be included in Malta’s final squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Cyprus, the Times of Malta can confirm. The Scottish-based defender, who is on the books of Premier League side St Johnstone, earned his first call-up with the Malta national team last month after his application for a Maltese passport was successfully concluded. Brown was given the nod by national teams’ head coach Devis Mangia to be... Читать дальше...

Police officers searching the home of Darren Debono’s stepdaughter last year over suspicions of money laundering, seized personal possessions including branded menswear and accessories belonging to her partner. Information about that early morning search was supplied in court on Tuesday when proceedings resumed against Florinda Sultana and now-retired former bank official Albert Buttigieg who formerly fronted companies managing two fish restaurants allegedly involved in laundering funds linked to oil smuggling. Читать дальше...

The EU announced Tuesday its revised tax haven blacklist, which removed Anguilla, Dominica and Seychelles, but the NGO Oxfam immediately called it "a joke" given the Pandora Papers revelations. The list, approved by EU finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg, now counts nine jurisdictions deemed non-cooperative for tax purposes, particularly where it comes to sharing tax information under an OECD agreement. It features three US territories -- American Samoa, Guam and the US Virgin Islands -- as well as Fiji... Читать дальше...

Labour MP Ian Castaldi Paris was removed from the Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, with his place taken up by fellow Labour MP Jonathan Attard. The substitution was announced in a motion moved in parliament by Chris Fearne as Leader of the House. No reason was given.  Times of Malta reached out to the Labour MP, who did not reply to questions.  Castaldi Paris has been in the eye of a storm since revelations that he had discussed buying a £16 million (€18.7m) property in London with Yorgen Fenech. Читать дальше...

A second judge has abstained from hearing a request by the Ministry of Education for a court order to stop industrial action by the teachers' unions. The  Malta Union of Teachers and the Union of Professional Educators had declared an industrial dispute over the manner how peripatetic teachers were redeployed to plug a shortage of teachers in primary schools. The case was originally assigned to Mr Justice Robert Mangion who last week upheld a request for recusal in view of the fact that his wife is a member of one of the unions involved. Читать дальше...

People who received their first COVID-19 vaccination jab abroad and the second in Malta will, from Thursday, be issued with a vaccine certificate after the necessary checks, Health Minister Chris Fearne told parliament on Tuesday. Replying to parliamentary questions, he said that it had to date not been possible to issue vaccination certificates to such people. A system was now in place for the authorities to check and confirm that the first dose was administered in selected countries – notably EU member states and the UK. Читать дальше...

As online slots boom in popularity with gamers worldwide, more players are heading online to see what it is all about. The huge range of games in 2021 has made this a seriously intriguing year for lovers of slots online, from music slots to movie-themed games. One of the top elements that all the best slots have is that they are always visually attractive. No worries about the theme, the top online slots in 2021 are seriously exciting. If you are looking for hours of fun or even just a quick game... Читать дальше...

A top British envoy held talks with senior Taliban officials in Kabul on Tuesday -- the first since foreign forces evacuated from Afghanistan -- as the country's new masters seek a path out of international isolation. The hardline Islamist movement declared a new regime after overrunning the capital in August and ousting the US-backed government. But after 20 years of war the aid-reliant country faces economic collapse, with major donors pausing funding and no emergency support in place. The new... Читать дальше...

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned on Tuesday that a US debt default could trigger another recession, as an October 18 deadline approaches. “I totally expect it would cause a recession,” Yellen said on CNBC, referring to what would be an unprecedented US default as lawmakers fight over raising the debt ceiling. Yellen has warned previously that after October 18, the United States will not have the funds to meet its obligations to creditors if Congress does not relax the legal debt ceiling. Читать дальше...

A flock of flamingos were flying in Qawra last weekend when suddenly they started dropping from the sky as gun shots rang out, a court heard on Tuesday.  In the compilation of evidence against 23-year-old hunter Miguel Zammit, a court heard from Caldon Mercieca, a life-long bird watcher who witnessed the shooting of four protected greater flamingos on Saturday October 2.  Mercieca detailed how he had gone out early on that rainy Saturday morning to catch a glimpse of the four majestic adult birds and a fifth juvenile. Читать дальше...

The 62+ Malta Government Savings Bond drew an overwhelming response by the time of its closure on Monday, with the total value of applications reaching almost €134 million, the Treasury said on Tuesday. The sum on issue was of €65 million subject to an over-allotment option of an additional maximum amount of €35 million. The Treasury said that it will exercise its over-allotment option in full such that the aggregate amount to be allocated will be increased up to a maximum amount of €100 million. Читать дальше...

India is facing possible energy supply problems in the coming months due to coal shortages and a post-pandemic surge in demand, the power minister said in a report published on Tuesday. His comments come as China and European countries face energy crises that are disrupting global supply chains and sending prices soaring. “Normally the demand starts coming down in the second half of October... when (the weather) starts cooling,” R. K. Singh told the Indian Express in an interview. “But it’s going to be touch and go,” Singh said... Читать дальше...

All producers working on current affairs shows airing on the national broadcaster's channels are to "obtain approval from the PBS management" before moving forward with topics for programmes, according to a memo sent by chairman Mark Sammut. Seen by Times of Malta and dated October 4, the memo was sent by Sammut to all producers, informing them that "with immediate effect" they must inform PBS management of what is to be discussed on the programmes.  "In this regards, the Management needs to be... Читать дальше...

Malta’s recovery and resilience plan has been approved by the EU Council of Ministers for Economic and Financial Affairs, known as ECOFIN. This step will be followed by the signing of the agreement that will allow Malta to start receiving grants in relation to the implementation of the respective investments and reforms. Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, who participated in the ECOFIN council meeting, thanked the European Commission for "its invaluable assistance" in drawing up Malta’s plan. Читать дальше...

Ferguson says Man Utd must pick ‘best players’ after Ronaldo benched   Alex Ferguson has added to the growing pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by criticising the Manchester United manager’s decision to use Cristiano Ronaldo as a substitute against Everton. Solskjaer surprisingly left Ronaldo on the bench for the first 57 minutes of Saturday’s damaging 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. United were leading 1-0 when the Portugal star was introduced, but Andros Townsend equalised to leave Solskjaer’s misfiring... Читать дальше...

US-Japanese scientist Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann of Germany and Giorgio Parisi of Italy on Tuesday won the Nobel Physics Prize for climate models and the understanding of physical systems, the jury said. The announcement came a month ahead of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, where global warming will top the world agenda. Manabe, 90, and Hasselmann, 89, share one half of the 10-million-kronor (€1million) prize for their research on climate models, while Parisi, 73, won the other half... Читать дальше...

Malta Enterprise’s chief financial outlined how the state agency granted Progress Press €1.5 million in aid between 2013 and 2017 when he testified in the case against Adrian Hillman on Tuesday. Joseph Zammit told a court that Progress Press had initially applied for a €1.1 million grant as well as an interest subsidy, to help it invest €5.5 million in printing machinery. The letter requesting the aid was sent to Malta Enterprise CEO Mario Vella by then Allied Group managing director Hillman and Progress Press managing director Michel Rizzo.