1111111Fire-fighters are fighting a grass fire near Swieqi believed to have been started by a fault in overhead power cables. The fire started at about 10.35am and spread quickly. People on the scene spoke of sparks and the sound of explosions from the cables and discounted Facebook reports of an 'explosion' in an electricity sub-station. Some households reported a power outage. 

Sicilia Bella27 Triq Manoel De Vilhena, Mġarr, Gozo Tel: 7982 0898 Food: 8/10Service: 8/10Ambience: 6/10Value: 9/10Overall: 8/10 Whenever I travel, I tend to pick a destination based on the cuisine. There are obviously a plethora of other factors that make up the decision. What is the weather like? Is it within our budget? Is the country currently embroiled in a civil war in an attempt to overthrow their tyrannical dictatorship? That sort of thing. But food still takes precedence. Wherever I’ve been, food always helps inform the narrative and the history of my travel destination. Australia’s classic “meat and three veg” is a throwback to their original British settlers. The imposing presence of baguettes in Vietnam a clear remnant of their French occupation. Even here in Malta, our traditional dishes are a telltale sign of our heritage and long-standing history. Imqaret, our deep fried date pastries, are of north African descent as well as our pastizzi are most likely to be. Our orange trees were planted here by the Arabs 1,000 years ago. And most noticeable are the clear similarities we bear to the world-famous Italian cuisine. And this, dear readers, is where I feel we as a...

Colin Attard, artistic director of Gaulitana: A Festival of Music and musical director of the Gaulitanus Choir, was recently in Italy as a member of the adjudicating board at the ninth edition of the Concorso Nazionale per Giovani Musicisti ‘Val di Sole’, held in Dimaro, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy. This resulted from a collaboration between Gaulitana and the Concorso, whose artistic director, Mro Giuseppe Fricelli, has been a regular in Gaulitana for several years and with whom various collaborations were envisaged. The Concorso, held on May 25 and 26, was based at the Teatro Comunale in Dimaro, a multifunctional space nestled in this picturesque locality in the Val di Sole valley at the foothills of the Brenta Dolomites. A considerable number of young musicians, whose ages ranged from very tender ones to the late 20s, participated in the various categories, whether as solo instrumentalists, vocalists or ensembles. While partici­pation is open to different age brackets, the competition reserves a particular section to students attending schools that offer music in their curriculum. The two very long days ended with a concert featuring the winners who had obtained the highest...

Tourism is a major socio-economic activity in the European Union. It contributes to economic growth, creates and sustains millions of jobs and is a positive force of cultural interaction among peoples. However, as with any major activity, it also has an impact on the environment due to increased transport and a strong footprint in urban areas characterised by over-tourism. These are issues that Malta, in particular, is facing and which will become even more acute in the coming years. The tourism sector drives many business activities, including in hospitality, catering, agriculture, heritage, transport, technology and professional services, among others. While tourism policy is primarily the competence of Member States, the EU also has a role in shaping and paving the way for tourism to flourish. For instance it played an important part in the past with the Schengen project, which is the cornerstone enabling freedom of movement of people across many EU Member States that also benefits tourism; and thanks to the EU visa code that establishes common procedures for third country nationals to visit any EU country. EU legislation also governs various areas impacting the daily...

Tomorrow 7pm The President receives a courtesy call by Antonio Vitorino, director general of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Geneva. Tuesday 10am The President receives a courtesy call by Filippo Grandi, director general of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) in Geneva. 11am The President receives a courtesy call by Michael Møller, director general of the United Nations Office in Geneva. 4.15pm The President addresses the High Level Segment of the 108th session of International Labour Conference (ILO) in Geneva. Wednesday 8.30am The President receives a courtesy call by ILO director general Guy Ryder in Geneva. 7pm The President meets the Maltese community in the Netherlands. Thursday 9.30am The President delivers a keynote speech at the World Forum for the Culture of Peace at The Hague, the Netherlands. Friday 7pm The President and Mrs Vella preside over the ceremony of the Ħajr għad-Donaturi tad-Demm award, organised by the National Blood Transfusion Service at Verdala Castle, Buskett. Saturday 10.30am The President and Mrs Vella attend the 30th graduation ceremony of the International Maritime Law Institute at the Malta Mari­time Museum, Vittoriosa. 6.30pm The...

Very often we assume that food is safe and we take food items for granted, especially at a time when we expect high standards in all aspects of life. In fact, hazards in food can exist and harm consumers if the necessary safety precautions are not taken along the food chain. These food-borne hazards can be microbiological, chemical or physical in nature. While most food-borne illnesses resolve on their own and need little or no medical attention, some may need hospitalisation and may even be life-threatening. Everyone may be at risk at any time in their lives. Unsafe food is a threat to human health and ultimately the economy, and disproportionally affect vulnerable people. Every year, millions of people globally suffer from food-borne illness, hundreds of thousands are hospitalised and thousands die. In the EU, over 320,000 such cases are reported each year, but the real number is likely to be much higher. Food can become contaminated at many different stages – on the farm, in processing or distribution facilities, during transit, at retail and food service establishments and in the home. Over the years, we have made progress to prevent both intentional and unintentional...

Germany assistant coach Marcus Sorg hailed an «impressive» performance after his team eased to a routine 2-0 win over Belarus in Saturday's Euro 2020 qualifier in Borisov. With Joachim Loew still convalescent after his recent accident in the gym, Sorg directed proceedings from the dugout as a young Germany side outclassed Belarus. «It was a bit unusual today but everything went well. We are all looking forward to Jogi's return,» Sorg told broadcaster RTL. «It was an impressive performance today and one we can build on,» he said. Leroy Sane and Marco Reus scored either side of half-time in a dominant display which saw Germany notch up 23 shots to Belarus' six.  The win puts Germany second in Group C, having played one game fewer than leaders Northern Ireland, who beat Estonia earlier on Saturday. Germany pushed forward straight from the kick-off, and were rewarded with the opener on 12 minutes. Joshua Kimmich released Sane into the box, and the Manchester City winger swept the ball into the bottom corner.  Their inexperience briefly showed as they wobbled at the back after taking the lead. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer twice bailed them out in the first half, first with a reflex save...

Italy crushed Greece 3-0 to notch up their third win in as many games and pull three points clear at the top of their Euro 2020 qualifying group in Athens on Saturday. The four-time world champions have put the failure to qualify for last year's World Cup behind them, and have now been transformed under new coach Roberto Mancini. Nicolo Barella opened the scoring after 23 minutes with Lorenzo Insigne and Leonardo Bonucci adding two more in a 10-minute blitz which followed. Mancini's side have now scored a total of 11 goals and none conceded in their three Group J qualifiers against Greece, Finland and Liechtenstein. The Italians next play Bosnia-Herzegovina, who fell 2-0 to Finland, in Turin on Tuesday, while Greece play Armenia, who beat Liechtenstein 3-0. «No, it wasn't my best Italy,» said Mancini, who took over in May 2018.  «For example, in the second half we had to score more goals. This needs to be improved. »After a year of work, we are ahead of schedule, we improve match after match, but there is still a lot of work to do." Italy have nine points, with Finland second with six points, followed by Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina on four. Andrea Belotti marked his return to...

Former champions Norway kicked off their Women's World Cup campaign with a routine 3-0 victory over Nigeria, despite the absence of Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg. Guro Reiten's deflected shot gave the 1995 winners the lead on 17 minutes in Reims before a powerful strike from Lisa-Marie Utland doubled their advantage. Osinachi Ohale turned a cross into her own net before half-time as Norway cruised to an opening win in Group A, leaving them level on three points with hosts France. Lyon striker Hegerberg, who scored a hat-trick in Lyon's Champions League final win over Barcelona last month, refused to come to the tournament due to a dispute with her national federation, which she accuses of failing to respect women players.

About 500 employees are expected to be relocated to Malta from Gibraltar in the coming months after gambling giant Bet365 decided to move its hub here because of Brexit, Times of Malta is informed. Bet365, one of the world’s leading online gambling groups, announced last month it would be moving to Malta, citing “the mitigation of the impact of Brexit” as the main reason. The Sunday Times of Malta had reported on the planned move a year ago. The company also announced a “rationalisation” of its staff at its Gibraltar office “as the sports betting giant continues to move its operations to Malta”. Sources said staff members were informed about a consultation process, with various jobs thought to be at risk in several areas of the company, including trading, VIP and customer support. A Bet365 spokesman said the company had been building its presence in Malta following Brexit and it had become “increasingly challenging to efficiently run such multisite operations”. “Therefore, to assist with business planning and in order to maintain operational effectiveness, we intend to enhance our Maltese operational hub and relocate certain functionality there,” the company said. It has not yet...

Jenni Hermoso converted a pair of second-half penalties as Spain recovered from a goal down to beat Women's World Cup newcomers South Africa 3-1 in their opening game Saturday. Thembi Kgatlana put South Africa ahead on 25 minutes with a curling strike from the edge of the box, but Atletico Madrid forward Hermoso twice scored from the spot as Spain fought back. Nothando Vilakazi was sent off for a raised boot as she conceded the second penalty, awarded after a VAR review, with Lucia Garcia sealing victory a minute from time. Spain are level on points at the top of Group B with two-time former champions Germany, who launched their campaign with a 1-0 victory over 1999 finalists China.

William Chetcuti won a second silver medal in trap competition in the space of a week after placing second in the Malta International Open which was held on Saturday at the National Ranges in Ta' Kandja. The Manikata-shooter, fresh from his silver medal at the Montenegro GSSE, was again in sparkling form after finishing second after the first five rounds of qualification when hitting scores of 25, 24, 23, 25 and 24 for an overall total of of 121 from 125. Chetcuti was just one point behind Italy's Iacopo Cipriani who topped the first round on 122. James Galea was the other Maltese shooter to make the final when compiling scores of 24, 23, 25, 24 and 24 for a 120 total. In the final, Chetcuti was involved in a tight duel with Italy's Emanuele Buccolieri with the latter taking the title when hitting 41 from 50. Chetcuti had to settle for the silver medal when finishing on 37 while Simone Apostolico, of Italy, was third on 28.

Sebastian Vettel ended Mercedes’ run of early-season qualifying supremacy on Saturday when he claimed a dramatic late pole position for Ferrari in a crash-hit showdown at the Canadian Grand Prix. The four-time champion repeated his 2018 success, when he won from pole, by outpacing championship leader Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes by two-tenths of a second at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It was Vettel’s first pole position triumph of the season, his first pole in 17 races since last year’s German Grand Prix and a signal that Ferrari’s superior straight-line speed was well-suited to the track. Vettel clocked a best lap of one minute and 10.240 seconds to beat Hamilton’s lap in 1:10.446. “He’s bloody good in qualifying,” said Vettel, pointing to Hamilton. “Hard to crack ... I really enjoyed it.” Mercedes had been fastest in qualifying in all six races since the start of the year and will now face a battle to extend their record run of six season-opening wins in Sunday’s race. It was the 56th pole position of Vettel’s career and came after Kevin Magnussen had crashed into the “wall of champions” in his Haas car at the end of Q2. He was unhurt. “I don’t know why, but for whatever...

World Cup runners-up Croatia moved to the top of their Euro 2020 qualifying group as Ivan Perisic starred in a clinical 2-1 victory over Wales in Osijek on Saturday. Inter winger Perisic was involved in both goals, setting up the first as James Lawrence deflected a cross into his own net and scored the second early into the final 45 minutes. The three points served as a handy reaction for Zlatko Dalic’s men who lost unexpectedly to Hungary in their last game in the campaign.  The Croats host Tunisia in a friendly on Tuesday as Wales head to Hungary to play Budapest. The other game of the five-team group which also includes Slovakia on Saturday sees the Hungarians travelling to Azerbaijan. The home side were gifted the game’s opening goal after a quarter of an hour. They broke on a counter-attack and Real Madrid’s Luka Modric fed the influential Perisic in open space on the left hand-side. The unmarked Perisic looked up and drilled his cross in the direction of forward Andreij Kramaric on the penalty spot but the back tracking Wales centre-back Lawrence’s deflected pass beat Hennessey. The Euro 2016 semi-finalists had a chance to equalise with four minutes of the first half to...

Ashleigh Barty ended Australia's 46-year wait for a French Open singles title on Saturday by thrashing nervous Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova in a one-sided women's final. Eighth seed Barty got off to a strong start and never looked back, winning 6-1, 6-3 after only 70 minutes to claim her maiden Grand Slam title. The 23-year-old will rise to second in the world behind only Naomi Osaka when the latest rankings are released next week, after becoming the first Australian winner at Roland Garros since Margaret Court won the last of her five trophies in 1973. She will be best-ranked Australian woman since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976. «It's unbelievable, I'm a little bit speechless. I played the perfect match today. I'm so proud of myself and my team, it's been a incredible two weeks,» said Barty. «It's a special place for Australians here. Sam (Stosur) has done well here before and come so close. It's been a magical two weeks.» Barty, who famously took a break from tennis to play professional cricket in 2015, struck 27 winners past an opponent riddled with nerves. The 19-year-old Vondrousova saw her bid to become the first teenage Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova...

The maths and Maltese state school final exams would not be “past papers”, the government said. Instead, sets of “standard exam papers” would be put together by “education professionals and practitioners”, a spokesman for the Education Ministry told Times of Malta on Friday. A clarification was sought from the ministry after it announced on Thursday that, despite directives by the Malta Union of Teachers instructing educators not to prepare or correct any papers, students in state secondary schools would still be sitting for their exams in the coming weeks. “The MUT directive is clear in what can and cannot be done. The ultimate responsibility for these papers is solely of the Education Ministry and directorates. They will be standard exam papers and not past papers. The exam papers for the subjects in question will be prepared and corrected by education professionals and practitioners,” the spokesman said. The union and the ministry have been at odds for months over claims that teachers were given more lessons than agreed, leading the MUT to insist earlier this week it would not be withdrawing its directives and accusing the government of trying to “bribe and divide” educators...

Sebastian Vettel topped the times ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc as Ferrari set the pace ahead of Mercedes in Saturday morning's third and final free practice for Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix. The four-time champion, showing a measured determination, made the most of his car's superior straight-line speed to clock a best lap in one minute and 10.843, one-tenth ahead of the young Monegasque. Defending five-time champion and current series leader Lewis Hamilton was third for Mercedes ahead of his team-mate Valtteri Bottas, the Briton showing no undue reaction in his rebuilt car following his crash in second free practice on Friday. For Ferrari, it was a significant signal of resurgence on a high-speed circuit where their pure speed may assist them in ending Mercedes' record run of six consecutive season-opening victories. Max Verstappen was fifth ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Pierre Gasly, Daniel Ricciardo of Renault, Lando Norris of McLaren and Sergio Perez of Racing Point. Daniil Kvyat was 10th in his Toro Rosso. On another warm, dry and sunny morning on the Ile Notre-Dame, the session started slowly with Robert Kubica the first man to clock a time for Williams after 11...

The collapse of yet another building was symptomatic of a situation that was totally unacceptable in a civilised country and which had to be addressed forthwith, the Malta Chamber said. Expressing shock at the collapse of the Mellieħa building on Saturday, it noted that in May, it applauded the authorities for launching the Considerate Construction Scheme aimed at raising professional standards in the building industry. The scheme had been promoted with the authorities by the chamber, as it fell squarely in line with the its economic vision. The chamber said on Saturday its view on the matter remained unchanged, as it advocated a high-quality economy where mediocrity and sub-standards were replaced with a culture of excellence, and where the current “good enough” attitude was replaced by “nothing but the best”. “The situation is now dire, and no more time can be wasted. The ethical standards and quality of our construction industry need to be raised immediately and brought in line with those in other developed countries. Our islands and our citizens certainly deserve no less,” it said. The chamber said it was considered neither ethical, nor professional to proceed on the basis...

France was clearing up Saturday after a massive storm ripped across the country, leaving three dead and thousands of homes without electricity. Three rescuers from the French ocean rescue service died Friday when their vessel capsized in rough seas as Storm Miguel pummelled the Atlantic coast. «In late morning, a boat from the SNSM capsized 800 metres from the coast around Les Sables d'Olonne with seven people on board,» the local prosecutor's office said in a statement. Three of them died while four managed to swim to shore, the statement added. «These tragic deaths have sparked deep emotions within the ocean rescue services,» said SNSM chief, Xavier de la Gorce. The team from the National Society of Sea Rescue (SNSM) had been attempting to help a fishing boat which was struggling in the giant swell caused by storm Miguel, which packed winds of up to 120 kilometres an hour. Maritime officials said the crew was using one of the SNSM's «all weather» vessels, specially designed to be unsinkable and to automatically right itself if capsized. National electricity company Enedis said meanwhile that 28,000 homes were without power Saturday, with Normandy and northern parts of...

You may have seen a variant of this meme before. A map of North Africa is shown, with a surprisingly small box somewhere in Libya or Algeria shaded in. An area of the Sahara this size, the caption will say, could power the entire world through solar energy: Over the years various different schemes have been proposed for making this idea a reality. Though a company called Desertec caused a splash with some bold ideas a decade ago, it collapsed in 2014 and none of the other proposals to export serious amounts of electricity from the Sahara to Europe and beyond are anywhere close to being realised. It’s still hard to store and transport that much electricity from such a remote place, for one thing, while those people who do live in the Sahara may object to their homeland being transformed into a solar superpower. In any case, turning one particular region into a global energy hub risks all sorts of geopolitical problems. The Imagine newsletter aims to tackle these big “what if” questions, so we asked a number of academics to weigh in on the challenges of exploiting the cheapest form of electricity from perhaps the cheapest and best spot on Earth. Sahara has huge energy...

Steward Health Care has again asked for more time to come up with upgrade plans at the physiotherapy department despite union directives barring new patients from being treated. The directives were issued by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses last month after Steward failed to provide time frames, as had been agreed, on upgrade works at the department. Union president Paul Pace said the MUMN was asked by Steward to provide certain documents to assist it with understanding the situation at the run-down clinic.  Although the requested material was submitted, the operators insisted they would get back to the union in three weeks’ time, he said. “It’s surreal how weeks after the coming into force of directives that are among the harshest we have ever had to resort to, Steward are still saying they need more time,” Mr Pace said.  “This when they have been promising the so-called master plan since they came to Malta a year and a half ago.” He admitted that, notwithstanding the pressure through the directives, nothing had changed yet.  The union, he added, had considered stepping up action but had decided to hold back not to further impact patients. Mr Pace remarked that...

The Maltese cannot adopt the defenceless attitudes that had been used against them when frequent attacks from outside meant slavery and destruction, Archbishop Charles Scicluna and auxiliary bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi said in a pastoral letter. In the letter, which is being read during Sunday Masses, the bishops say that as a faith community, the Maltese were living in a society that, while appreciating its ancient roots, embraced a diversity of cultures, languages, races and religions. “This is a golden opportunity for us all to witness love, which is the universal language that everybody can understand. If prejudices and hatred lead to exclusion, destruction and murder, love leads to the building anew of the family of man. Man was created to enter into a relationship of love with God and men, whoever they are, of whatever race or colour.” This love, they said, was the foundation of an inclusive society where the fundamental rights of every human being were respected and protected. “Instead of pointing fingers at others, we Catholics should take the initiative and continue building bridges which go forth from our hearts and extend beyond and above the abyss of racism, of all...

Entities and organisations involved in the construction industry will be summoned by the Prime Minister during the week to identify measures which had to continue to be taken to make the sector safer, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Saturday. Speaking after the collapse of a building in Mellieħa next to a construction site earlier in the day, the Prime Minister said clear responsibilities had to be carried in such cases. The Mellieħa incident, he said, had to be taken in the context of another seemingly similar incident, a boom in the construction industry, and the fact that people were asking how were human lives and safety to be protected in such cases. Without going into the merits of the case, Dr Muscat said that responsibilities in similar cases were clear. There were professionals who had a warrant to sign the papers and contractors had to follow instructions given by architects. The responsibilities were clear and could not be avoid it through any argument, he said adding the government was not waiting for tragedies to happen to take action. It had already announced it was uniting the regulatory authorities into one that would supervise closer similar works being...

A modern challenge faced by working parents in Malta is locating suitable childcare facilities in proximity to their workplace. The Quad Business Towers, set to launch in 2021 and envisaged to be the landmark office address in Malta’s Central Business District, Mrieħel, has reached an agreement with Quaddies – a newly-launched childcare centre, by experienced operators, that will provide a fully-functional, modern, state-of-the-art facility housed directly within the landmark business complex.  The centre will provide professional childcare in a safe, homely and nurturing environment conducive to learning for babies and children aged four months to three years, making it the preferred choice for parents working at The Quad. “As a society, we have come to understand the necessity for all children to grow up with access to quality resources and services. Quaddies, based on the concept of educare, shall provide parents with peace of mind that their child is in a safe, supportive and educational environment” said Christine Camilleri, director from Quaddies.  The Quad recognises the pressure of working parents today, and that is what led to the conceptualisation of on-site childcare...

Former radio host David Thake has suggested that businessman Yorgen Fenech offered the Nationalist Party €50,000 to ensure David Casa was not reelected to the European Parliament. Mr Thake made the claim during an episode of TV talk show Xarabank, saying the PN had worked to hinder Mr Casa’s reelection campaign. He provided no evidence to back up his allegation. “Are you prepared to ensure that the PN is not controlled by Yorgen Fenech, to ensure it does not continue to fight against corruption like 17 Black?” Mr Thake asked PN leader Adrian Delia. He said his source had confirmed that Mr Fenech had made the €50,000 offer. «Offering money to someone who controls an electoral campaign is extremely serious,» Mr Thake said.  He pointed the finger at Mr Delia’s “close advisors” Pierre Portelli and Kristy Debono, saying they were close to Mr Fenech. Last year, a joint investigation by Times of Malta and Reuters revealed that Mr Fenech – who sits on the board of power station company Electrogas - is the ultimate beneficial owner of Dubai company 17 Black. Leaked emails suggest 17 Black was set up as a target company for offshore companies owned by minister Konrad Mizzi and OPM chief...

European Clubs Association Chairman Andrea Agnelli has urged the media to be patient and let the association continue its consultation process on reforms for UEFA club competitions that will come to effect as from 2024. Agnelli was speaking at the end of a two-day Special Assembly that gathered representatives of 156 ECA member clubs representing 48 countries in Malta, including officials from Birkirkara FC and Valletta. Reforms initially proposed by the ECA last month triggered fierce criticism from the continents domestic leagues. The proposals envisaged a single, three-tiered European competition with internal promotion and relegation, effectively making it harder for smaller clubs to break into European competition. UEFA were working on similar reforms, with plans to reshape the Champions League into four pools of eight teams, with only four of the 32 participants qualifying through their national leagues. Football leagues across Europe including Germany’s Bundesliga and the French league have rejected the proposals, with some offering alternatives. “ECA’s fundamental belief is that clubs in all European countries who are good enough to develop and play regularly in European...

On Saturday, June 15, the Malta Polo Club will hold the most prestigious and final match of the Club’s playing season: the Cawnpore Cup. The event was launched on June 6 at San Anton Palace by President of Malta George Vella, who presented the team shirts to the eight players who will be playing in the Cawnpore Cup Match. The Malta Polo Club also supports the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation/Solidarjetà bl-iSports 2019, with fundraising throughout the match on June 15. As in previous years the generosity of attending patrons, guests and club members is expected to raise an impressive sum for the charity. Malta Polo Club will continue to support the MCCF Foundation during the 2019/2020 Polo Season. The Malta Polo Club was established in 1868, a fact which qualifies the club as the oldest polo club in the western hemisphere and the second oldest polo club worldwide. The Cawnpore Cup was first contested in 1901 at Cawnpore India, it was gifted to the Malta Polo Club in 1947. The Cup has been played for annually with the exception of the war years. The highest handicapped polo players in the Club are eligible to play in the Cawnpore Cup, and this year’s teams present a fine...

Volotea has launched direct flights to Verona and Genoa from Malta International Airport. The inaugural flights from the two Italian cities landed within a day of each other. Cakes made in celebration captured the essence of the two cities, with one cake being dominated by shades of blue and colourful houses reminiscent of the Boccadasse fishing village and the other recreating Romeo and Juliet’s famous balcony scene. While Verona is renowned for its artistic heritage and stunning architecture, which has earned it recognition as a World Heritage Site by Unesco, Genoa is a port city boasting rich maritime heritage that is more likely to attract sea-loving people. Volotea will be operating a weekly service to each one of the two cities during the summer months, with the flight to Verona being offered on Tuesdays and the flight to Genoa mid-week.

Poland's agriculture minister championed hunting beavers, which are accused of causing substantial damage, claiming the meat of their tails is an aphrodisiac. «If people recall that the tail of the beaver has, apparently, aphrodisiacal qualities, perhaps this problem could be solved,» Krzysztof Ardanowski said in parliament. The minister said hunting quotas for beavers, which are protected under the 1979 Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, were far from being depleted. Ardanowski added that «at the moment no one knows what to do» with a beaver carcass, according to video aired by the TVN24 network on Friday. The beaver is a very active rodent, known for building in aquatic environments or wetlands, attacking trees, dams and other natural features. Ardanowski told reporters that he has taken steps to add beavers to the list of animals that can be hunted and considered an edible species.

Stock markets rallied yesterday on easing trade war tensions and as markets looked ahead to key US jobs data. Awaiting US monthly employment figures, markets reacted to a report that the United States could delay its plan to hit Mexico with tariffs news that also helped lift Wall Street overnight. Stock markets also continued to win support from prospects of US interest rate cuts and ECB support for the eurozone. “The monthly United States non-farm payrolls release is always one of the highlights on the economic calendar but... (Friday’s) data will be viewed even more keenly than usual with speculation mounting that the Federal Reserve are set to begin cutting interest rates,” said David Cheetham, chief market analyst at XTB trading group. US stocks enjoyed a bounce on Thursday after Bloomberg News reported that Washington could push back its plan to impose tariffs on Mexico on June 10 to allow more time for talks on illegal immigration. Upbeat comments from Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who said the talks with United States officials had yielded progress, added to the positive mood. Export-dependent Mexico has been scrambling to stem the flow of Central American...

A four-storey building collapsed in Main Street, Mellieħa on Saturday near the former Shoppers Supermarket. Construction is taking place next door. The police said a person is trapped inside and Civil Protection Officers are attempting a rescue. The police are also on site. The building fell at around 6am. More information soon  

As president of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry it is my pleasure to welcome the law providing for the regulation and administration of free zones in Malta, which was pioneered by the Chamber and passed through Parliament recently. It is with satisfaction and pride that I note how the Chamber, through its ambitious members, has worked tirelessly towards this goal, with a view to fostering economic development in logistics and the relevant generation of employment in Malta, which we have witnessed growing by leaps and bounds over the last years. Our Chamber has believed in the logistics sector for a number of years.  In fact, back in August 2016, it set up a specific committee tasked with dedicating its attention to this growing sector and which is still attracting steady interest. The logistics business section quickly became a proactive force that represented the sector as it provided a unified voice to propose ideas and solutions for structured growth. The free zones law is one such idea, which has found fertile ground with the authorities and swiftly gained traction. The law provides for the regulation and administration of free zones with a view to...

A wide-ranging interview with the Commissioner for Animal Welfare, retired magistrate Denis Montebello, in The Sunday Times of Malta, has exposed a sorry account of woefully inadequate resources undermining the cause of animal welfare in this country. When Dr Montebello took on the role of Animal Welfare Commissioner seven months ago, he immediately instituted an examination into whether the two directorates responsible for day-to-day animal welfare – the animal welfare and veterinary regulation directorates– were sufficiently well equipped to undertake the work expected of them by law. Although there was goodwill a-plenty in both directorates, the resources available to them were totally inadequate. In Dr Montebello’s view, there are serious shortcomings that need to be tackled if the directorates are to function properly. “There cannot be surveillance without enough human resources and there cannot be proper enforcement without well-equipped animal ambulances that ensure animals don’t suffer more when they are taken away from their owners,” he said. These issues are fundamental to success in the animal welfare field. When an animal is rescued it has to be taken to a place...

Russia has detained an investigative journalist for drugs offences, triggering protests on Friday, with supporters claiming the charges were trumped-up and a punishment for his reporting. Meduza, an independent Russian-language media outlet, said that one of its reporters, Ivan Golunov, was detained in central Moscow on Thursday and police have opened a probe into allegations that he manufactured and dealt drugs. A police spokesman did not name the suspect, but said a 36-year-old man had been detained with five packages of mephedrone, a designer drug. Golunov's supporters claimed the drugs had been planted on him. The journalist faces a possible jail sentence of between 10 and 20 years, if convicted, according to Meduza editor-in-chief Ivan Kolpakov. «We have reasons to believe that Golunov is being persecuted for his journalistic work,» Kolpakov and Meduza's general director, Galina Timchenko, said in a statement. In his work, Golunov investigated everything from Russia's shady funeral industry to corruption in Moscow city hall. Reporters Without Borders warned Golunov's arrest could mark «a significant escalation in the persecution» of independent journalists in Russia. A...

A second-minute opener propelled Sweden to a 3-0 win over Malta as Ray Farrugia’s clan fell to their second straight defeat in their Group F, Euro 2020 qualifiers at the Friends Arena, in Solna.  In what has been the first meeting since September 2009, the early goal marred Malta’s positive start to the match as they shaped themselves in an offensive way while trying to play slick passing football - a philosophy on which they have been working since Farrugia took over a year ago.  Throughout the first part of the game, Malta, who unveiled a new kit for this match, was making inroads into Sweden’s backline, in particular through Joseph Mbong whose incursions down the left flank clearly caught the eye of the crowd at the stadium.  However, Sweden's superior quality came to the fore and had it not been for a string of spectacular saves from Henry Bonello, the half-time deficit could have been easily bigger.  After the change of ends, Sweden, quarter-finalists in the 2018 World Cup took complete control of the game, adding two more goals and risking almost nothing in the process.  For this game, Farrugia made six changes to the team that lost to Spain last March - only Henry...