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Malta Independent

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 06:33:00 +0100
Threats of expulsion as UEFA confronts Super League rebel 12
The deceptions, distrust and divisions in European soccer erupted in public on Monday between teams and even within the clubs breaking away to form a Super League that could leave them and their players outcasts in the global game.Condemnation of the...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 16:56:00 +0100
Brian Tonna to reappear before Public Accounts Committee after Speaker's ruling
Nexia BT's Brian Tonna is to be recalled to appear before the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after a ruling made by Speaker of the House Anglu Farrugia.PN MP Beppe Fenech Adami, who is the PAC's president, told the Times of Malta that T...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 11:28:00 +0100
Cabinet recommends to President to refuse pardon requests by Degiorgio brothers, Vince Muscat
The Cabinet has decided to advise the President of Malta not to accept the presidential pardon requests filed by brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio and Vince Muscat.The government said that the refusal recommendation was in line with the recommenda...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 21:48:00 +0100
PN says it suffered cyber-attack; information could have been leaked
The Nationalist Party said on Monday it suffered a cyber-attack and some if its information could have been illegally accessed.In a statement, PN Secretary General Francis Zammit Dimech said the party’s IT system could have been accessed withou...

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 08:21:00 +0100
TMID Editorial: Architecture and the environment - More power to ERA and better policies
Green space in Malta is shrinking. It has been for the past 20 or so years. Now, obviously, with an increasing population, built up areas are bound to change or spread, but what we have witnessed in recent times goes beyond what is needed, and defini...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 16:08:00 +0100
1,137 Covid-related fines handed out last week, including 16 quarantine breaches
1,137 Covid-19 related fines were handed out by authorities last week as a number of Covid measures remain in place.663 people were found in breach of mask-wearing regulations.  People must wear a mask outdoors unless they are smoking or eating....

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 19:42:00 +0100
PM ‘establishing the facts’ on direct orders given to Ian Borg advisor’s daughter
Prime Minister Robert Abela said he still needs to “establish the facts” surrounding a lucrative contract given to the daughter of one of infrastructure minister Ian Borg’s advisors.Times of Malta reported on Monday that Adreana Zam...

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 08:12:00 +0100
Conference on Future of Europe should aim to make EU more responsive to citizens - Sant
The Conference on the Future of Europe should aim to reflect politically how, given the Covid-19 experience, we could improve the way by which Europe functions to make it more clearly responsive to the needs of its citizens, Alfred Sant said in the E...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 20:25:00 +0100
‘Hyzler highlights the PL’s faults yet doesn’t address his own’ – PL Whip Bedingfield
Standards Commissioner George Hyzler is fast to highlight the PLs faults yet doesn’t look at his own, PL Whip Glen Bedingfield told Parliament on Monday.“Let’s start with the obvious, where standards are supposed to be held but they...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 16:23:00 +0100
Illegal hunting bird casualties rise, BirdLife Malta says over 50 protected birds shot this year
Since the opening of the spring hunting season, bird casualties of illegal hunting are being encountered on a daily basis, BirdLife Malta said."These include birds found injured by members of the public, hunters shooting at turtle-doves under the smo...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:37:00 +0100
60 new Covid-19 cases found, no new deaths
60 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Monday by health authorities.No new deaths were registered for another day, meaning that Malta’s death count remains 409.41 people meanwhile have recovered – meaning that the number of active case...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 14:41:00 +0100
Silvio Debono drops 19 libel suits against Daphne Caruana Galizia after agreement
DB Group owner Silvio Debono and the Caruana Galizia family have reached an agreement which has seen the businessman drop 19 libel suits which he had filed against Daphne Caruana Galizia four years ago.The lawsuits were filed in March 2017 in respons...

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 06:37:00 +0100
Super League being created to 'save football', Real Madrid president says
Florentino Pérez, the founding chairman of the Super League, on Tuesday said the new competition is being created to save football for everyone, not to make the rich clubs richer.The president of Real Madrid, one of the 12 clubs behind the bre...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 18:41:00 +0100
UEFA chooses Malta to host 2023 U19 Euros
The UEFA Executive Committee has chosen Malta to host the UEFA U19 European Championship in 2023, the Malta FA said.“Today’s decision rewards the efforts of the Malta FA to get to this unique milestone,” the association said.In his ...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 18:38:00 +0100
PN demands answers on Cabinet decision to turn down Degiorgios, Kohhu pardon request
The Nationalist Party has demanded answers on why the Cabinet decided to reject pardon requests by the Degiorgio brothers and Vince Muscat.The government said earlier it was acting on advice given by the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Polic...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 17:33:00 +0100
Man grievously injured after falling off Marsa factory roof
A man was grievously injured on Monday after he fell off the roof of a factory in Marsa.The accident took place in the Marsa industrial estate at around 2:30pm, the police said.The man, 28, from Rabat, fell from a height of two storeys. He was carryi...

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 06:43:00 +0100
Walter Mondale, Carter's vice president, dies at 93
Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale, a liberal icon who lost one of the most lopsided presidential elections after bluntly telling voters to expect a tax increase if he won, died Monday. He was 93.The death of the former senator, ambassador and M...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 16:16:00 +0100
Lack of transparency at ERA needs to be addressed – PN
Malta needs more transparency and more space for consultation to take place when it comes to the environmental authorities and NGOs, the PN said.In a press conference, PN MPs Robert Cutajar and Kevin Cutajar voiced their concerns over the Labour Gove...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 13:08:00 +0100
Tributes pour in for ‘intelligent’, ‘kind’ 19-year-old law student killed in car accident
Tributes have poured in after the death of Julian Spiteri, a 19 year old law student from Attard who died in a car crash on Sunday, as family and friends mourn his loss.Spiteri died in a traffic accident in Triq tal-Infetti in Rabat, when he lost con...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 18:44:00 +0100
Recent legal notices ‘may leave voluntary organisations unable to operate’
Recent legal changes have left small voluntary organisations with no choice but to stop operating, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Wellbeing, Andrew Azzopardi, has said.In a press release published on Monday, Azzopardi said that the Faculty of Soci...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 19:01:00 +0100
‘We are the government of reforms’ – PM keen to press for Controlled Leases Reform
The Controlled Leases Reform bill should be introduced so that it would solve the problems for both the tenants and property owners, Prime Minister Robert Abela told Parliament on Monday. The objects and reasons of this Bill are to revise contro...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 07:55:00 +0100
PA gives the thumbs-up for Ta’ Qali go-kart track to be replaced with garden centre
The Planning Authority has given the thumbs up for the Ta’ Qali Badger Karting race track to become a garden centre.The Badger Karting raceway, which has been closed since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, was Malta’s only commercial go...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:40:00 +0100
Cassola requests Standards czar probe into Ian Borg over €62,400 direct order to adviser’s daughter
Arnold Cassola has requested an investigation by the Standards Commissioner into the award of a €62,400 direct order to the daughter of one of Ian Borg’s advisers.The request was submitted on Monday after the Times of Malta reported that A...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 15:15:00 +0100
White paper is not a tactic to alienate youths from PN and garner votes – PL
The White Paper on cannabis reforms was not devised as a tactic to garner votes for the upcoming election to alienate youths away from the Nationalist Party, the Labour party said in a press conference on Monday afternoon.Minister for Home Affairs, N...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:28:00 +0100
Covid-19: EU to purchase 100 million more vaccine doses
Pharmaceutical company BioNTech and its U.S. partner Pfizer say they will provide 100 million more doses of their coronavirus vaccine to the European Union this year.The two companies said Monday that the 27-nation group’s executive Commission ...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 06:38:00 +0100
European football split as 12 clubs launch breakaway league
A group of 12 elite English, Spanish and Italian clubs dramatically split European football on Sunday by announcing the formation of a largely-closed Super League. They are leaving the existing UEFA-run Champions League structure despite warnings the...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 06:44:00 +0100
Germany remembers nearly 80,000 dead in COVID pandemic
Germany paid tribute on Sunday to the nearly 80,000 people it has lost to the coronavirus, even as the country argues about how to get a grip on another rise in infections.President Frank-Walter Steinmeier led a memorial event at Berlin’s Konze...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 14:18:00 +0100
Metsola appointed to lead EU anti-SLAPP efforts
Nationalist MEP Robert Metsola has been appointed to lead EU Anti-SLAPP efforts, together with S&D MEP Tiemo Wölken. “We want this to be a cross-party effort to support journalism and the truth-seekers,” she said in a Facebook po...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 08:58:00 +0100
Moviment Graffitti and Qala Local Council file appeal against Qala development
Moviment Graffitti and the Qala Local Council, with the full support of Mayor Paul Buttigieg, have initiated legal proceedings with the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal to revoke the permit to construct a 63-apartment block in Ta' Kassja, Qal...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 09:14:00 +0100
TMID Editorial: Standards Commission - More powers to the Commissioner
The past week saw Parliament’s Standards Commissioner George Hyzler find that a government minister – Carmelo Abela – had breached parliamentary ethics by using public funds to pay for an advert which was deemed to be intended on bo...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0100
Updated: Tottenham fire manager Jose Mourinho
Tottenham fired Jose Mourinho on Monday after only 17 months in charge, and just as he was preparing to coach the club in the League Cup final.Mourinho was hired in November 2019 to replace Mauricio Pochettino, who unexpectedly led the London club to...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 12:15:00 +0100
Updated (2): 19-year-old dies in Rabat traffic accident, another seriously injured
A 19-year-old man has died in a traffic accident in Rabat, while a passenger of the same age has also been seriously injured.The accident happened at around 11am on Sunday in Triq tal-Infetti in Rabat.TVM have named the victim - he is Julian Spiteri....

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 09:00:00 +0100
PN renewal: Idea of veteran MPs making way for new blood gathering support
More people within the Nationalist Party are warming up to the idea of having veteran MPs voluntarily step aside to make way for new faces, The Malta Independent on Sunday is informed. The idea, first floated by Nationalist MP Claudio Grech last year...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 08:30:00 +0100
Government will take no measures to ensure cannabis is not consumed in front of minors
No measures will be taken to ensure that cannabis is not consumed in front of minors should the White Paper on Cannabis Reform be approved, with the government saying it has faith in parents and guardians to observe the law. According to the rec...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 17:37:00 +0100
'Line of Duty' Season 6 plot inspired by Daphne Caruana Galizia murder
Season 6 of the British series Line of Duty is based on the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, British media report.While the series is largely fictional, the show’s central case, that of Gail Vella’s murder, actually ha...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 12:40:00 +0100
39 new Covid-19 cases found, 52 recover
39 new cases of Covid-19 have been found, while 52 people have recovered from the virus.No new deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, meaning that Malta’s death count remains at 409.Malta currently has 595 active cases of the virus.1,985 sw...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 08:00:00 +0100
Muscat remains silent on Keith Schembri arraignment
Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has chosen to remain silent and failed to answer questions sent by The Malta Independent on Sunday related to the latest developments involving Keith Schembri. Muscat’s former chief of staff was recently arra...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 15:18:00 +0100
First batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines arrives in Malta
The first batch of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson has arrived in Malta, The Malta Independent can confirm.The vaccine doses however will remain sealed until the European Medicines Agency lifts a suspension on its use, which it imposed in order...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 07:28:00 +0100
Verstappen beats Hamilton in dramatic Emilia-Romagna GP
Max Verstappen eased to victory in an incident-packed Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday as he comfortably beat Lewis Hamilton, who almost crashed out after a rare error from the world champion.Hamilton hit a wall in a race that was also temporarily...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 09:30:00 +0100
Is corruption enough to defeat Labour?
We are edging closer to the time when Prime Minister Robert Abela will be calling an election. Labour’s second consecutive five-year term is set to end, give or take, in one year and the people will be asked to decide whether to give the PL a t...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0100
Protected 19th century Fort Binġemma still being used as illegal private residence
The Buttigieg family has called Fort Binġemma home since 1981 even though their legal lease on the fort has been terminated since May 2009.Fort Binġemma has since become synonymous with the illegal occupation by members of the family, even ...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 13:06:00 +0100
‘People with the wrong attitude are not welcome in the PN’ – Bernard Grech
Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech has warned that people who harbour the “wrong attitude” be them party members, members of internal party structures, or even MPs are not welcome within the PN.Grech was interviewed by The Malta Indep...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 13:27:00 +0100
Mechanism to increase women in parliament is ‘historic moment’ for Maltese politics – Robert Abela
The corrective mechanism approved in parliament to increase female participation is an “historic moment” in establishing a fairer political system, Prime Minister Robert Abela said on Sunday morning.Abela addressed the approved bill in an...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 07:30:00 +0100
Covid-19: Malta’s current reproduction number is 0.55
This is one of the few times that no substantial increase in the number of Covid-19 cases was registered after a public holiday, in this case Easter, statistician Vincent Marmara said.In his weekly blog for The Malta Independent on Sunday, Marmara sa...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 06:37:00 +0100
Crowd returns to Wembley to see Leicester reach FA Cup final
The goal scored by Kelechi Iheanacho didn't just send Leicester into a first FA Cup final since 1969. It was the first to be cheered by spectators at Wembley in more than a year.Not since March 2020 had fans been allowed into English football's natio...

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 06:35:00 +0100
Loss at Atalanta leaves Juventus at risk of missing Champions League
Forget about extending its record run of nine straight Serie A titles.At this rate, Juventus may not even qualify for the Champions League.Atalanta, the Italian league's ongoing Cinderella story, beat the Bianconeri 1-0 with a late goal from Ruslan M...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 06:58:00 +0100
The queen says goodbye to Philip, continues her reign alone
Sitting by herself at the funeral of Prince Philip on Saturday, Queen Elizabeth cut a regal but solitary figure: still the monarch, but now alone.The queen sat apart from family members at the simple but somber ceremony at Windsor Castle, in accordan...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 11:15:00 +0100
TMIS Editorial - PN: The time to regenerate is now
The Nationalist Party has managed to narrow the gap between it and the Labour Party, surveys have showed, but the gap remains wide nonetheless and more, much more, needs to be done to restore some semblance of balance between the two parties. After d...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 11:30:00 +0100
Cartoon 18 April 2021

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 07:08:00 +0100
Italy's Salvini to stand trial for 2019 migrant standoff
A judge on Saturday ordered former Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini to stand trial on kidnapping charges for having refused to let a Spanish migrant rescue ship dock in an Italian port in 2019, keeping the people onboard at sea for days.Judge...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 11:00:00 +0100
50 Shades of Greats: ‘Reaching 1,000 games was a milestone’ - John Tabone
John Tabone was born in Sliema on 12 February 1951, son of Frank and Evelyn née Borg. He is married to Christine and has three children, Jon Jon (an Olympian swimmer Sydney 2000), Philippa and Andrew (ex footballer with Luxol St Andrews).Kicki...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 12:30:00 +0100
Covid-19: Cases go up again; 67 new patients, 38 recover; four people die
The number of Covid-19 cases has gone up again, statistics published by the health authorities show.After the 27 registered on Friday, the number recorded on Saturday was 67, with 38 patients who recovered.Four patients have died, taking the total of...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 15:08:00 +0100
Updated (2): Prince Philip is laid to rest as sombre queen sits alone
Prince Philip has been interred in the Royal Vault at St. George’s Chapel alongside the remains of 24 other royals, including three kings of England. But it will likely not be his permanent resting place.The biggest of seven interment sites ins...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 09:08:00 +0100
NGOs demand removal of ERA chairman Victor Axiaq
Nine NGOs have written to Environment and Planning Minister Dr Aaron Farrugia requesting the removal of Professor Victor Axiak from his role as chair of the Environmental Resources Authority following a spate of abysmal decisions.In their open letter...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 15:10:00 +0100
Flowers laid at Villa Guardamangia in tribute to Prince Philip
Flowers were placed on the doorstep at Villa Guardamangia in tribute to Prince Philip on the day of his funeral in London.Prince Philip and then princess Elizabeth had lived there while the prince served in the navy in the late 1940s. Members of...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 07:02:00 +0100
Pharmacies opening today between 9am and noon
Valletta: Collis Williams Pharmacy, 15, Republic Street; Ħamrun: Thomas' Pharmacy, 796, St Joseph High Road; Santa Venera: Lantern Pharmacy, Misraħ il-Kebbies; Birkirkara: Herba Pharmacy, 183, Main Street; Ġżira: Tony's Pharmacy, ...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 15:17:00 +0100
Virtual conference celebrates 100 years since Malta was granted Constitution
The Office of the President organised a virtual conference marking and discussing the granting of the 1921 Constitution, one hundred years ago. A number of keynote speakers—Prof. Ray Mangion, Prof. Joe Pirotta, Prof. Frances Camilleri-Cassar, P...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 11:39:00 +0100
Three new renewable energy schemes for households launched
Three new renewable energy schemes for households were launched yesterday by Energy Minister Miriam Dalli. The schemes have the aim of helping households heat up their water efficiently and in an environmentally sustainable manner. These include the ...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 11:02:00 +0100
Worldwide COVID-19 death toll tops a staggering 3 million
The global death toll from the coronavirus topped a staggering 3 million people Saturday amid repeated setbacks in the worldwide vaccination campaign and a deepening crisis in places such as Brazil, India and France.The number of lives lost, as compi...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 07:14:00 +0100
Covid-19: Italy moves toward slow reopening with outdoor dining
Italy plans to start emerging from rolling partial lockdowns that were imposed during a fall virus surge, announcing Friday the reopening of outdoor dining and schools at all grade levels in lower-risk regions starting April 26.The government’s...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 07:16:00 +0100
Portugal reaps benefits of a prolonged COVID-19 lockdown
While most of the Europe Union grapples with new surges of COVID-19 cases and brings back curbs on what people can do, Portugal is going in the other direction.Starting Monday, the Portuguese will be able to go to restaurants, shopping malls and cine...

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 07:03:00 +0100
Chelsea reach FA Cup final to end Man City's quadruple bid
Manchester City's quadruple dream has been extinguished by Chelsea. Even more concerning could be the injury to Kevin De Bruyne for the ongoing pursuit of a treble.Chelsea will be back at Wembley Stadium next month for the FA Cup final after a 1-0 vi...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 18:09:00 +0100
Abela to wait for committee’s conclusions before making declarations on breach of ethics
Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela will wait for the Parliamentary Standards' Committee's conclusions before making any declarations on a report which found him in breach of ethics, he said in a Facebook post.The Standards...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 19:13:00 +0100
F1: Hamilton takes pole for Emilia-Romagna GP ahead of Red Bulls
World champion Lewis Hamilton edged out the Red Bull duo to claim pole position for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on Saturday.It was Hamilton’s 99th career pole and although there is a Red Bull directly behind the Mercedes driver, it will be Se...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 09:02:00 +0100
TMID Editorial: Malta-Gozo Fast Ferry - Why couldn’t we have arrived here years ago?
The past week or so has seen the announcement of not one, but two new fast ferry services which will run between Malta and Gozo.Virtu Ferries announced last week that they will be running a fast-ferry service from Valletta to Mgarr, Gozo, while a sec...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 18:49:00 +0100
Man dies after 5-storey fall
A 59-year-old man from Zejtun died on Friday, after falling from a height of five storeys while doing some works.The man was in Zabbar, on Triq John Delia and the accident occurred at 4.30pm. A medical team went on site and the man was certified as h...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 07:34:00 +0100
Migrant boat sinks off Tunisia, 21 dead, 3 survivors found
Tunisian authorities said they recovered the bodies of 21 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, including nine women and a baby, whose boat sank Friday off the central port city of Sfax. The cause of the sinking was unclear.Commander Housemeddine Jebabli...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 10:50:00 +0100
Nearly 1,100 parents receive €580,000 in temporary Covid-19 benefit
Some 1,100 parents of minors with a disability between them have received €580,000 in Covid-19 temporary benefits the government handed out, the government said.There were 1,422 applications for such a benefit, meaning that 78% of the applicants...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 16:27:00 +0100
Accommodation and MICE sector to benefit from new Covid-19 tourism schemes – Clayton Bartolo
Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo further announced two new schemes aimed at supporting the accommodation sector as well as the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector.Addressing a press conference on Friday, Bartolo said the f...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 10:26:00 +0100
Alleged Daphne hitmen sought Chris Cardona’s help on murder, court hears
Former minister Chris Cardona would be called upon to help the hitmen planning Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, Vince Muscat has testified under cross-examination.Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, said that Alfred Degiorgio was a close friend of C...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 07:36:00 +0100
Prince Philip's 'fortitude and faith' to be remembered at funeral
Prince Philip will be remembered as a man of “courage, fortitude and faith” at a martial but also personal funeral that will mark the death of a royal patriarch who was a beloved husband and father, and one of a dwindling number of World ...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 12:37:00 +0100
WATCH: 27 Covid-19 cases found in lowest case count since September; vaccine uptake remains high
27 new cases of Covid-19 were reported on Friday in what is the lowest case count registered since 30 September.Public Health chief Charmaine Gauci will be addressing her weekly briefing to give a breakdown about the Covid-19 situation shortly.Two pe...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:24:00 +0100
Malta’s contact tracing app will now work in 16 European countries
Malta’s contact tracing app will now work abroad as well as locally after an agreement between 16 European Union countries, Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci said on Friday.Gauci announced the news in her weekly Covid-19 briefing.The contac...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 11:18:00 +0100
'Peaky Blinders' actor Helen McCrory dies of cancer at 52
British actor Helen McCrory, who starred in the television show “Peaky Blinders” and the “Harry Potter” movies, has died, her husband said Friday. She was 52 and had been suffering from cancer.Her husband, fellow actor Damian ...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 07:21:00 +0100
Raul Castro resigns as Communist chief, ending era in Cuba
Raul Castro said Friday he is stepping down as head of Cuba’s Communist Party, ending an era of formal leadership that began with his brother Fidel and country’s 1959 revolution.The 89-year-old Castro made the announcement in a speech at ...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 08:41:00 +0100
Corradino Correctional Facility ‘diabolical’, prison system needs to be revised – Andrew Azzopardi
The Corradino Correctional Facility is “diabolical” and the prison system should be completely revised, Dean of the Faculty of Social Wellbeing Andrew Azzopardi told The Malta Independent.Azzopardi said that it is “bursting at the s...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 17:51:00 +0100
Government announces Building and Construction Authority Board and CEO
The Building and Construction Authority's (BCA) board has been formed. This was announced by Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Aaron Farrugia and Parliamentary Secretary for Construction Chris Agius. Minister Farrugi...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 14:59:00 +0100
19% of catering establishments have closed down since March 2020 - ACE
In a study conducted by the Association of Catering Establishments (ACE) in collaboration with a number of suppliers, it transpires that between March 2020 and March 2021 approximately 19% of establishments closed down. “This staggering figure ...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 15:22:00 +0100
BirdLife highlights episodes of illegal hunting
With the first signs of turtle-dove migration over Malta this spring, reports by the public started coming in regarding illegal hunting of this protected bird all over the Maltese Islands, BirdLife Malta has said. “Less than a week from the sta...

Sat, 17 Apr 2021 08:29:00 +0100
Kane injured after scoring 2 in Spurs' 2-2 draw at Everton
Harry Kane scored twice, including a second-half equalizer, before limping off with an ankle injury in Tottenham's 2-2 draw at Everton in the Premier League on Friday as both teams stayed on the fringe of the race for Champions League qualification.T...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 14:49:00 +0100
Heavy traffic after accident in St. Julians
There has been a heavy build-up of traffic after two vehicles have crashed in Triq San Andrija in St Julians, close to Luxol Sports Club.One driver was a 54 year old man from Hal Qormi and the other driver was a 36 year old man from Santa Lucija, who...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 07:48:00 +0100
68% of vaccine doses administered in Malta are Pfizer jabs
68% of the vaccine doses administered up until last Sunday in Malta were doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, The Malta Independent has learnt.Figures provided to this newsroom by the Health Ministry show that up till last Sunday, 68% of the doses a...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 16:11:00 +0100
Air Malta issues operating schedule for May
As Air Malta prepares to shortly announce its increased Summer flying program, the airline has confirmed its May schedule.The Parisian airport of Orly is the latest addition to the airline's flight schedule which will now increase to 26 weekly flight...

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 20:59:00 +0100
€70 million Marsa Junction Project officially inaugurated
The Marsa Junction Project, Infrastructure Malta’s biggest project to date, was officially inaugurated on Thursday evening.The project, which cost 70 million euros to complete, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Robert Abela and Minister for Tra...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 07:33:00 +0100
Prolonged brain dysfunction in COVID-19 survivors: A pandemic in its own right?
One in three survivors of COVID-19, those more commonly referred to as COVID-19 long-haulers, suffered from neurologic or psychiatric disability six months after infection, a recent landmark study of more than 200,000 post-COVID-19 patients...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 07:36:00 +0100
France hits unwanted milestone: Over 100,000 virus deaths
France on Thursday became the third country in Europe after the U.K. and Italy to reach the unwanted milestone of 100,000 COVID-19-related deaths as new infections and deaths surged due to virus variants.The country of 67 million is the eighth nation...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 08:35:00 +0100
Archbishop Emeritus discharged from hospital
Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona OP has been discharged from hospital.The Curia said in a statement that Cremona is continuing his recovery at the Dar tal-Kleru in Birkirkara.The statement added that Cremona expressed his gratitude to all those who p...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 08:38:00 +0100
TMID Editorial: Covid and sports – Incomplete competitions
For the second year running, the football Premier League was not completed.Last year, it was Floriana FC who were declared champions, having been sitting at the top of the table at the time when all elite sport was stopped because of the Covid-19 pan...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 12:06:00 +0100
Joanne Bondin is the new president of the Malta Employers’ Association
Following its Annual General Meeting, Joanne Bondin has been appointed as the President of the Malta Employers’ Association. Bondin has served on the Council of the MEA for a number of years, and has 15 years of experience in providing consulta...

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 12:54:00 +0100
55 new Covid-19 cases found, no new deaths
55 new cases of Covid-19 were reported by health authorities on Thursday.It was another day where no new deaths were reported – the fourth in five days this week.45 people meanwhile have recovered from the virus, meaning that the number of acti...

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 15:59:00 +0100
Arts education schools unable to operate until further notice, MEIA confirms
Arts education schools will remain closed until further notice, the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) confirmed in a statement on Thursday afternoon.The statement was released on MEIA’s Facebook page, following the MEIA&r...

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 12:42:00 +0100
OPM will leave it up to Standards Committee to decide if Carmelo Abela should pay back funds
The Office of the Prime Minister told this newsroom that it is the Parliamentary Standards Committee that will take a decision on the report drafter by the Standards Commissioner, which found a breach of ethics on the part of Minister Carmelo Abela.O...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:45:00 +0100
Research funding drives forward development of new product in construction sector
Funding provided by the Malta Council for Science and Technology was crucial for a Maltese company to develop machinery that manufactures ‘Glass Reinforced Polymer Composite Poles’, known in the industry as GRP poles that are longer than ...

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 16:35:00 +0100
PN calls for Carmelo Abela to resign, refund funds used for advertising
Candidates for the Nationalist Party have called for the resignation of Minister Carmelo Abela after the Standards Commissioner declared that he had breached parliamentary ethics.The report found that Abela had used just over €7,000 in public fu...

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 14:07:00 +0100
Europe has surpassed 1 million COVID-19 deaths
A top official from the World Health Organization says Europe has surpassed 1 million deaths from COVID-19 and the situation remains “serious,” with about 1.6 million new cases reported each week in the region.Overall, a tally by Johns Ho...

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 08:49:00 +0100
Enough evidence for Brian Tonna and associates to be indicted
There are sufficient grounds for Brian Tonna, Karl Cini, Manuel Castagna and Katrin Bondin Carter to face trial under a bill of indictment, a magistrate has ruled.The four face charges of money laundering and other financial crimes in relation to inq...

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 14:20:00 +0100
De La Salle sixth form opts for exams at home
De La Salle sixth form has opted to hold their examinations at home, rather than in-person as another sixth form has chosen to do.Email correspondence seen by The Malta Independent confirms that the sixth form has chosen to have students do their exa...

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 07:40:00 +0100
Arsenal, Man Utd, Roma, Villarreal into Europa League semis
With their season on the line, Arsenal’s players produced a devastating first-half performance Thursday to beat Slavia Prague and reach the Europa League semifinals.They’ll meet a familiar face there.Arsenal’s 4-0 win in the Czech c...

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 15:41:00 +0100
Customs pooches sniff out drugs packages arriving in Malta
Two customs officers – the dogs Ted and Zekkin – sniffed out a package of inbound drugs each, the customs department said in a statement.The two pooches were sniffing inbound packages at MaltaPost when they reacted positively to two packa...

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 09:09:00 +0100
Government plans for Covid-19 remembrance garden to be published shortly
The plans for the Covid-19 remembrance garden will be announced shortly, the Health Ministry told The Malta Independent.Last Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne announced via a tweet that the government is planning to erect a grove to commem...



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