Balzan won an historic first FA Trophy title when they edged past newly-crowned champions Valletta 5-4 on penalties after the thrilling final had ended in a 4-4 after extra-time. Balzan striker Alfred Effiong was the absolute protagonist as the Malta international scored all his team's goals before converted the decisive penalty in a tense shoot-out which saw Reds goalkeeper Sean Mintoff save Nicholas Pulis' effort from the spot. The win ensured that Balzan played European football for a second successive season as they will now play inthe Europa League qualifiers in the summer. Balzan made a fast start and inside the first minute Ivan Bozovic hit a low drive that was somehow kept out by goalkeeper Henry Bonello and from the rebound Steve Borg anticipated Effiong from close in From the resultant corner, taken by Correa, Effiong’s angled header forced a fine one-handed save from the Valletta custodian. But the Malta striker was not to be denied as on eight minutes he gave Balzan the lead. Uros Ljubomirac intercepted Rowen Muscat’s poor pass and the Serbian charged forward before teeing up Effiong. The Balzan striker fended off the challenge of Steve Borg before hitting a low...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that European politicians «must stand up to» far-right politicians «for sale», after a hidden-camera sting brought down nationalist Austrian Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache over allegations he was open to corruption. «We are confronted with currents... who want to destroy the Europe of our values, and we must stand up to that decisively,» Merkel told a press conference in the Croatian capital Zagreb before heading to a gathering of the country's ruling conservative HDZ party ahead of European Parliament elections. While far-right parties rejected values like protecting minorities and basic human rights, Merkel said, «politicians being for sale plays a role, and we must act decisively against all of that». Germany's Der Spiegel and Sueddeutsche Zeitung late Friday published video recordings, allegedly showing Freedom Party (FPOe) leader Strache promising public contracts in return for campaign help from a fake Russian backer. Merkel's intervention followed a string of appeals from leading German politicians for voters not to follow the neighbouring country's example by putting the far right in positions of power. "People like...

A lucky punter won the €820,000 Quaterno+ jackpot on Saturday, Maltco said in a brief statement. The winning ticket was purchased in St Paul’s Bay.  The numbers drawn were 71 • 23 • 75 • 6 • 27 / 56 • 81 • 8. With the jackpot secured this week, the next Quaterno jackpot will now reset to €250,000. 

Master film-maker Paolo Sorrentino (Youth, The Great Beauty) teams up once again with long-time collaborator Toni Servillo (Il Divo, The Great Beauty) to reveal the scandalous and, until now, unseen private life of Italy’s most infamous politician in Loro. Packed with a sensational satirical sting, biopics don’t come more unauthorised than this. Sergio is a guileful businessman who manages a group of young escorts which he uses to bribe local politicians and authority figures. With a desire for increased political leverage, he sets his eyes on bigger game and makes it his duty to work his way into the ranks of a man with a notorious taste for both hedonism and corruption — Italy’s Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi. Loro will be screened at the Spazju Kreattiv cinema today at 5.30pm and tomorrow at 8pm. There will also be screenings on May 29, June 1, June 7 and June 9.

Exit polls in Australia's climate-dominated election campaign pointed on Saturday to a win for Labour after six years of conservative rule. Between 16 and 17 million people were expected to vote across the vast island-continent in a bitterly fought election that may be the first anywhere decided by climate policy. As the first polls closed, a Nine-Galaxy exit poll showed Bill Shorten's Labor beating the governing Liberal coalition 52-48, which would signal a clear parliamentary majority for the opposition. A second poll for Ten network showed a similar margin of victory. The polls are still open in the west of the country. Casting his ballot in Melbourne, would-be prime minister Shorten was bullish about forming a majority government after a final poll before the vote showed his lead increasing. «Today is the people's day,» he said. «Be it buying a 'democracy sausage', the kids having a bit of a sugar cake or what have you, and voting,» he added, referring to the tradition of serving grilled sausages on election day.  «In the event that the people of Australia voted to stop the chaos and voted for action on climate change, we will be ready to hit the ground from tomorrow.» Weeks...

Updated 11.45am with NGOs' reaction Two soldiers are believed to be behind the drive-by murder of a migrant in a brutal shooting which left two other men injured in Ħal-Far last month. One of the men is under arrest and the other has an arrest warrant but is still on the run, sources said on Saturday. It is believed to be the first racially-motivated murder in Malta, with sources close to the investigation saying that one of the accused had admitted to targeting the migrants “just because they were black". Ivorian national Lassana Cisse was killed on April 6 in the drive-by shooting in Triq il-Ġebel in an incident that sparked shock among the migrant community. Two other migrants - a 22-year-old from Guinea and a 28-year-old from Gambia - were injured in the attack, after sustaining gunshot wounds. Read: Scene of migrant murder is hotspot for racial attacks Sources said the two suspects behind the attack had also been linked to a hit-and-run incident along the same road a few month ago that had left a teenaged migrant with heavy scarring. Times of Malta had first reported on the hit-and-run after members of the migrant community said they were feeling unsafe. Read: A hit-and-run...

The National Youth Band will march through the streets of Mdina tomorrow, from 10.30am, to celebrate the #MusicInMalta Project. The band is made up of young musicians from different band clubs around the island. Their first concert took place on November 4, 2017 at St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral to mark the feast of Saint Cecilia, patron saint of musicians.

Simonds Farsons Cisk plc has registered an improved performance in its turnover as well as operational profitability across all its business segments. Farsons maintained its growth trend with Group turnover increasing by five per cent over the previous year to reach an all-time high of €99.8 million for the financial year ending 31st January 2019. Farsons Group’s pre-tax profit, following the ‘spin off’ of Trident Estates plc in the previous financial year, reached €15.1 million – an increase of 10 per cent from last year’s profit of €13.8 million. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) amounted to €23.2 million, an increase of five per cent over last year. The Group’s net borrowings decreased by €6 million, resulting in a lower gearing ratio of 23.4 per cent as compared to 28.8 per cent in the previous year. Total equity of the Group increased from €96.6 million to €108.3 million reflecting the profit generated, net of the dividends distributed during the year. In spite of growing aggressive competition within the local beverage market, the Company has registered growth in its locally produced products whilst also increasing its imported beer,...

25 years ago - The Times Wednesday, May 18, 1994 Malta’s Neolithic temples in ‘perilous state’ ‒ study The façade of one of Ġgantija’s neolithic temples in Gozo is in a state of near collapse, the government has been warned. The left wall of the nearly 6,000-year-old south temple is crumbling and an Italo-Maltese technical team has called for urgent action following an eight-year study of Malta’s neolithic temple complexes. Last month, part of a wall at Mnajdra neolithic temples collapsed. Considerable damage was caused. And if the investigating team’s worst fears come true the next to fall will be the six-metre-high Ġgantija megalithic wall which marks the Xagħra skyline in Gozo. In an extensive report presented to Culture Minister Michael Refalo yesterday, the team recommended that the dangerous wall should be propped up. It is estimated that the repair work would cost some Lm200,000. All Malta’s neolithic temples are in a perilous state, the minister was told. The news has prompted him to “sound the alarm” and appeal for foreign technical and financial aid to save the temples. Stone conservation scientist Joanne Cassar said salt was a major contributor to the erosion of the...

Austria's opposition called Friday for the resignation of far-right leader and Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache after media reports alleging he had promised public contracts in return for campaign help. On Friday Germany's Der Spiegel and Sueddeutsche Zeitung published hidden-camera recordings of a sting operation they say took place a few months before 2017's parliamentary elections in Austria. In the recordings Strache and party colleague, MP Johann Gudenus, are seen discussing with a woman purporting to be the niece of a Russian oligarch how she can invest in Austria, specifically to gain control of the country's largest-circulation tabloid, the Krone Zeitung. Strache is seen suggesting that new owners could make staff changes at the Krone and use the paper to help his Freedom Party (FPOe) in its election campaign. He goes on to suggest the woman would then be able to gain access to public contracts. According the newspapers, Strache says that there would be no resistance among the Krone's editorial staff as «journalists are the biggest whores on the planet». Both the newspapers that published the footage say they don't have any firm information over who set up the...

League champions Valletta and Balzan will be looking to end the 2018-19 football season in triumphant fashion when they go head-to-head into today’s FA Trophy final at the National Stadium (kick-off: 5pm). The two finalists are driven by a common ambition of rewriting their respective clubs’ history books should they emerge victorious this evening. That alone should be enough to pave the way for another ‘decider’ full of attacking play and emotions. For Valletta, winning the FA Trophy would not only secure them another league and cup double but also become only the second team in the country to chalk up a double-double after Ħamrun Spartans who had achieved the feat in 1988. Balzan have never won a major trophy since the club’s foundation in 1937. So, for them the FA Trophy would be a historic feat. Valletta coach Gilbert Agius said that for his players today’s final will be the perfect opportunity to further establish their names in the glorious history of the club by winning the FA Trophy for the 15th time. “For us this year’s FA Trophy final is the perfect opportunity for this fantastic group of players to continue inscribe their names in the history of the club with golden...

Do you like painting and drawing? The Msida Bastion Historic Garden in Floriana provides the right atmosphere, landscape and colours for inspiration. A painting event for artists will take place in the garden on Monday between 9.30am and 12.30pm, away from the hustle and bustle of life. Entrance is against a donation of €5 and will include access, a chair to sit with the painting accessories and a hot/cold drink. Attendance needs to be confirmed via e-mail on wardengor@gmail.com.

Record goalscorer and Chelsea forward Ji So-yun was included in South Korea's squad for this year's Women's World Cup, the Korean Football Association announced on Friday. South Korea open the tournament against hosts France on June 7 at the Parc des Princes in Paris. Ji, 28, who has 54 goals in 115 international appearances since making her debut in 2006, will feature at the tournament for a second time after reaching the last 16 in Canada four years ago -- the country's best performance at a World Cup. The losing semi-finalist in this season's Champions League is one of three foreign-based players in the 23-woman group alongside West Ham's Cho So-hyun and Kobe's Lee Mi-na who plays in Japan. South Korea play Nigeria and former winners Norway in their other Group A matches. South Korea squad for Women's World Cup: Goalkeepers: Jang Ka-ae (Gumi Sportstoto), Jung Bo-ram (Hwacheon KSPO), Kim Min-jeong (Incheon Hyundai Steel). Defenders: Kim Hye-ri (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Shin Dam-yeong (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Lim Seon-joo (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Lee Eun-mi (Suwon UDC), Kim Do-yeon (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Jang Seul-gi (Incheon Hyundai Steel), Jeong Yeong-ha (Gyeongju KHNP),...

Updated at 5.35pm  Last February's storm which rampaged across Malta cost the country €25 million, a government study found. The storm, described as the worst to hit Malta since October 1982, saw record gusts of wind hit the country, damaged electricity networks and forced over a dozen people to be evacuated from their homes. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had then announced that the government would seek funding from the European Union to support those affected. Does the storm damage qualify for EU funding? Dr Muscat's hopes of EU funding have however been dashed by EU rules.  Although the storm was one of the most devastating in recent history, the EU Solidarity Fund - created to help communities recover from such events - can only be mobilised if damage amounts to 0.6% of gross national income. In Malta's case, that would amount to €62.4m - more than twice the cost of damage caused by February's storm.  That information was revealed by the European Commission on Friday in response to a question asked by MEP Francis Zammit Dimech.  «The Commission has discussed with the Maltese authorities all possible options to use the EUSF for the damage caused by the storm of February 2019,»...

Works on a €3 million Caritas therapeutic centre for adolescents battling drug and alcohol addiction problems are under way. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat together with Archbishop Charles Scicluna visited the works on the new Caritas centre in Ta’ Kandja on Friday. Caritas director Anthony Gatt said the centre should be up and running next year. He said there had long been an absence of adequate places to host such youths, who would often find themselves being sent to prison or Mount Carmel. The Caritas facility will provide accommodation and therapy. It will be equipped with an outside gym, a pet therapy centre and an outpatients unit. Archbishop Scicluna heralded the new centre as being a concrete example of social solidarity in action. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the project was one that had united different facets of society. It was an example of how the State and Church, which had different functions, could work together for the common good.

Several citizens and seven NGOs have filed a judicial protest against the Lands Authority, calling on it to enforce contract conditions the db Group had agreed to to develop the former ITS site. db Group has plans to build luxury apartments, a hotel and shopping complex at the St George's Bay site.  The contract, NGOs have said, required the developer to «restore» St George's Barracks, a Grade 2 scheduled building. Despite this contractual obligation, the building was being demolished with only a wall and a coat of arms being retained. This was in clear breach of the contract and constituted a loss of national architectural heritage, the NGOs said. Moreover, the contract stipulated that any discoveries of antiquarian or archaeological importance had to be notified to the competent authorities, and that the government should have certain rights over such discoveries. Although archival research carried out by experts showed that plans of an underground Cold War bunker existed on site, there was no record of this being notified to the authorities as stipulated by the contract.  Heritage groups last week called on the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage to issue an Emergency...

A Valletta man charged with burning down a 120-year-old festive arch in Floriana has had his bail confirmed - but only on condition he not attend any celebrations related to Valletta FC’s league victory.  City fans will on Friday evening be holding their customary mock ‘funeral’ to mark clinching the Premier League. The season wraps up tomorrow with the FA Trophy final between Valletta and Balzan.  In their red and white strip, fans take to the streets of the capital where they parade carnival float style funeral caskets, for their Premier League rivals. Bjorn Grima, a 33-year-old taxi driver from Valletta, has pleaded not guilty to starting the blaze, in the early morning of April 27, which destroyed the arch as well as four parked cars. The fierce fire raged for 90 minutes, reducing the structure to cinders. Times of Malta had reported that according to investigators, petrol was used to burn down the structure. Bail confirmed despite AG's appeal Although Magistrate Audrey Demicoli had granted bail against a deposit of €7,000 and a personal guarantee of another €7,000, this decision was appealed by the Attorney General. In a judgement handed down by Madam Justice Consuelo...

A state-of-the-art laboratory dedicated to medical cannabis research is being set up in Malta as a result of a memorandum of understanding between Malta Enterprise and the La Sapienza University of Rome. “This agreement is a step in the right direction for the creation of a local medical cannabis ecosystem and the necessary enabling infrastructure for the companies that have been granted a letter of intent from Malta Enterprise – for them to set up their activity, start operations, and affirm Malta’s position as a European leader in the medical cannabis sector”, Economy Minister Chris Cardona said. La Sapienza University is one of the world's oldest universities and one of the largest in Europe, with more than 100,000 enrolled students. Through the newly-signed MOU, its department of chemistry and pharmacological technologies will be given space for a lab that will carry out tests, validations and verifications to enable the further development of the medical cannabis industry in accordance with Maltese legislation. Read: Malta Enterprise approves five medical cannabis investments Parliamentary secretary for consumer rights Deo Debattista said he was confident that Malta’s...

Victoria Hotspurs has reconfirmed their status as the dominant force of Gozitan football this season as the capital club completed a memorable domestic treble after winning the Super Cup, the Division One and the GFA Cup titles. President Dr Anton Tabone told Valhmor Camilleri that the Hotspurs are hungry for more and are determined to extend their winning cycle for many years to come... In football winning titles is difficult but maintaining those high standards in successive seasons is even harder. Started the campaign as Gozitan champions, Gotthard Conti’s men have not only managed to retain their title crown but they did so by matching their record tally of points attained the previous campaign as well as ending a 23-year-wait to win a second GFA Cup. “Naturally, this season has been a huge satisfaction for our club,” Dr Tabone said. “To win titles is already tough but maintaining those standars is even tougher. This year we knew it was going to be difficult since as champions we were hunted by all of our rivals. But we not only managed to retain the title but we managed to add more. “We won the GFA Cup for the second time in our history and we had been waited to bring that...

The 21st-century revolutionaries who have dominated cryptocurrencies are having to move over. Mainstream financial institutions are adopting these assets and the blockchain technology that enables them, in what is perhaps the most profound development since the birth of cryptocurrencies through the launch of bitcoin a decade ago. JP Morgan Chase has been leading the way, having announced JPM Coin earlier this year, the first cryptocurrency issued by a big international bank. When trials begin in the coming months, each JPM Coin will be redeemable for one US dollar, protecting this cryptocurrency from the volatility characteristic of the likes of bitcoin. One of the main reasons for JP Morgan launching these coins is to offer large corporate clients a way of making international payments in real time. This could gradually replace the current global interbank funds transfer network known as SWIFT, whose wire transfer payments can sometimes take a whole business day to settle.  A few weeks later, the IMF and World Bank jointly announced the launch of Learning Coin, a private blockchain and quasi-cryptocurrency designed to help them better understand the technology. Facebook, too,...

Over 2,000 students thronged the gymnasium of De La Salle College in Vittoriosa on Wednesday, the feast day of St John Baptist de la Salle. The Lasallian community worldwide is this year celebrating the 300th death anniversary of de La Salle, patron saint of teachers. The French priest and educational reformer passed away on April 7, 1719. Students from Stella Maris College in Gżira also attended the commemoration which kicked off with Mass in honour of the saint. It was concelebrated by over 15 priests, all former De La Salle students, and led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna. Mgr Scicluna was later presented with a metal plaque featuring the saint by De La Salle college director Brother Martin Borg, while Stella Maris College director Brother David Mizzi presented him with an etching of the saint. Mgr Scicluna was also presented with a commemorative stamp issue and a first day cover by Brother Martin. Mass was followed by a feast of song and dance in which students from both schools participated. Guest singers Ira Losco and Owen Leuellen were given an enthusiastic welcome by the students, who clapped, screamed and danced as the duo performed. The show was compered by singer and...

The number of Maltese taking holidays went up by 6.6 per cent in the first three months of the year, compared with the same period a year earlier. The total reached 146,841, with EU destinations seeing an increase of 4.5 per cent, and non-EU seeing a rise of 25 per cent. An interesting trend was the decline in those opting for low-cost airlines, with the percentage dropping from 56 per cent two years ago to 52 per cent this year. The National Statistics Office said that Italy and the United Kingdom remained the most popular destinations, with a joint share of 49.9 per cent of total tourist trips. However, the number of people venturing out of the EU has grown significantly, from 9,873 trips (9.4 per cent) in the first quarter of 2017, to 17,905 (13.9 per cent) this year. Although more people travelled, they tended to stay for shorter periods – with a 20 per cent increase in short trips of 1-3 days – as a result of which the total nights spent overseas decreased by 0.6 per cent. The average length of stay went down from 6.1 nights to 5.7. Over half the nights were spent in rented accommodation. In spite of the shorter stays, the travellers spend more, with the €112.9 million...

The Two Of Us is an exhibition by Mario Lautier Vella running in the art galleries at Palazzo De La Salle, Valletta until Thursday. The artist’s debut exhibition in Malta explores portraiture, painting processes, identity, intimacy and the intricate dynamics between artist, sitter and viewer. There will be two guided walkthroughs on Wednesday and Thursday between 5.30pm and 6.30pm. Lautier Vella was born in Malta but now lives and works in London and Hertfordshire. The Two of Us is open on weekdays from 8am to 7pm and on Saturday from 9 am to 1.30pm.

An unexpected positive turnout in the first edition of TriGozo Garmin Sprint Triathlon, a multi-sport race which took place on the beautiful island of Gozo. The event saw athletes of all ages, from youths to adults in which the majority participated individually. The event was sanctioned by the Malta Triathlon Federation and is valid towards Triathlete Of The Year points for the 2019 season. The Sprint Triathlon race saw Shaun Galea, of Pembroke Athleta and Triathlon, taking the honours with a time of 1:03:49. Galea was third out of the water behind Bernard Sant and Nikol Micallef, of Mosta Tri Team, respectively. Shaun Galea pushed through the challenging, hilly route and managed to fight for the win, registering the fastest run split in the process. Mosta Tri Team duo Sant and Markham completed the podium when placing second and third respectively. In the female category, national champion Hannah Cutajar led the way throughout the whole route to cross the finish line in one hour, eight minutes and 39 seconds. Cutajar managed a steady pace throughout, earning the fastest splits in all three disciplines. Mosta Tri Team’s Margaret Seguna was second with Gozitan Felicienne...

Michela Pace’s rendition of Chameleon booked Malta a place in the Eurovision Song Contest final for the first time in three years. Malta's name was the last to be announced among the finalists on Thursday night as tension swept through the arena in Tel Aviv, Israel.  The X Factor Malta winner was among the 10 song selected by televoting and judges for Saturday's final. Michela was in tears as the presenters named her among the finalists, as eight other countries were sent packing home. Michela was accompanied on stage by four dancers as well as backing vocalist Destiny Chukunyere, herself a Junior Eurovision winner, amid a rapidly-changing series of projected scenes and colours. The other countries which qualified in Thursday night's second semi-final were: North Macedonia, the Netherlands, Albania, Sweden, Russia, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland.  Dutch singer Duncan Laurence is the favourite to win according to a survey of bookmakers by independent fan website Eurovision World with a 39 per cent chance of victory, with Malta in 10th place, while bookmaker Yobetit placed Chameleon in the top six. A total of 41 nations competed in the 64th edition, with 10 countries...

A French doctor already charged in the poisoning of seven patients was brought before a judge Thursday on suspicions he may have poisoned 17 others at a clinic in eastern France, prosecutors said. Frederic Pechier worked as an anaesthesiologist at two private clinics in Besancon, when seven patients, aged 37 to 53, went into cardiac arrest from 2008 to 2017. This week he was brought in for questioning over 66 more suspicious cases of cardiac arrest during operations on patients otherwise considered at low risk of such incidents. «Seventeen cases have been retained» involving patients aged 4 to 80, of whom seven died after doctors were unable to revive them, local prosecutor Etienne Manteaux told a press conference. Pechier has been brought before a judge who will determine if he is charged, and Manteaux has asked that he be jailed pending further investigations. Pechier was «the common denominator» in the new cases, which occurred at a time when he was in open conflict with fellow anaesthesiologists at the Saint-Vincent clinic in Besancon, Manteaux said. «He was most often found close to the operating bloc» when the cases occurred, and made quick diagnoses of the problem and the...

Triq taċ-Ċawsli, also known as Triq l-Aħħar Ħbit mit-Torok, has been re-opened following a €4 million project co-financed by the European fund SMITHS.  The road, which connects the localities of Żejtun and Żabbar, was opened by the Prime Minister. The project took into consideration every aspect of infrastructure, with a segregated pedestrian and cycling track.Apart from the road itself being rebuilt, 3.3 km of new pipes for water, electricity, internet and telecommunication services as well as new drainage pipes were laid. A new 2.5-kilometre water catchment system was also introduced to reduce the chance of flooding and over 100 LED lights were used to light up the road.

The government's move to shut down Parliament ahead of the elections showed Malta was a dictatorship, Nationalist party leader Adrian Delia said. Parliament was unexpectedly adjourned for two weeks on Monday, with the PN protesting that it had not been informed about the decision. «The Prime Minister woke up one day and decided to shut down Parliament,” Dr Delia said, adding this showed Malta was not a normal country. On Thursday, the Opposition leader reiterated his criticism towards a proposal in the European Socialists’ manifesto that supports EU-wide tax harmonisation. This would be fatal for the country, Dr Delia said. Brandishing a copy of GWU-owned daily L-Orizzont, Dr Delia quoted a headline saying 35,000 jobs would be threatened by tax harmonisation. The artcile, called »35,000 jobs threatened by the PN’s vote on taxes" said PN MEPs had voted in favour of amendments that support EU-wide tax harmonisation. However, Dr Delia said, the story proved the Nationalist Party's stance was right since it showed how tax harmonisation would be fatal. The GWU daily also focused on abortion, an issue which Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said was being pushed by Dr Delia because he had...

US President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled immigration reform proposals that would dramatically increase the quota for skilled workers. «The biggest change we make is to increase the proportion of highly skilled immigration from 12 per cent to 57 per cent, and we'd like to even see if we can go higher,» Trump said. «This will bring us in line with other countries and make us globally competitive.» «We cherish the open door that we want to create for our country. But a big proportion of those immigrants must come in through merit and skill,» he said at the White House. Under the proposed reforms, immigrants will be «required to learn English and to pass a civics exam prior to admission,» Trump said. The US president also took aim at what he said were abuses of the country's asylum system. «Our nation has a proud history of affording protection to those fleeing government persecutions. Unfortunately, legitimate asylum seekers are being displaced by those lodging frivolous claims,» Trump said. The plan - which the US president said would make the country's immigration system «the envy of the modern world» - is unlikely to get far in the sharply divided US Congress. Trump has...

Updated at 9.50pm Three British people and a South African were killed Thursday in a plane crash close to Dubai airport, the United Arab Emirates' state news agency reported. The UK-registered Diamond Aircraft went down five kilometres (three miles) south of the international hub, WAM said, citing civil aviation authorities. «The four-seat plane crashed while on a mission to calibrate terrestrial navigation systems at the airport, with all crew members, three British, and one South African, killed,» the news agency said. An earlier report by the emirate's government media office said the pilot and co-pilot of a small plane had been killed. The aircraft, owned by US tech giant Honeywell, crashed due to a technical malfunction, it said. It added that all operations at the airport were running smoothly after «a slight delay and diversion of some flights as a precautionary measure». Dubai's international airport is one of the world's busiest aviation hubs.  

Fausto Masnada won the sixth stage of the Giro d'Italia and dedicatd the win to his late uncle while Valerio Conti grabbed the overall lead to give home fans an unexpected day of double joy on Thursday. «For an Italian rider, it's fantastic,» Conti said. The two men had been part of a 13-man breakaway which was never chased by the peloton. Primoz Roglic, who started the day in the lead, cruised in with the pack 7mins 18sec behind Masnada. Masnada finished the rolling 238km stage from Cassino to San Giovanni Rotondo in 5hr 45min 1sec. Conti crossed the line, tiredly punching the air, five seconds later. Masnada, a 25-year-old with the second division Italian Androni-Sidermec team, is only in his second Giro was an unlikely candidate to provide a first home victory in this year's race. «I'm delighted,» Masnada said at the finish. «I've done it. I knew I was in good shape but it's hard to win at the Giro d'Italia and I've done it. I dedicate the win to my uncle, who died just before the Giro d'Italia started.» «It was our team's goal to win a stage.» Conti, who rides for UAE-Emirates, was part of the original seven-man escape after 49 kilometres. Masnada, was part of a six-man...

Iran accused the United States Thursday of an «unacceptable» escalation of tensions and said Tehran was showing «maximum restraint» despite Washington's withdrawal from a nuclear deal with world powers. Tensions were already high after President Donald Trump walked away a year ago from the accord, which eased international sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program. But tensions have ratcheted up, with the US deploying an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf over alleged threats from Iran. «The escalation by the United States is unacceptable,» Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in Tokyo, where he is holding talks with Japanese officials. «We exercise maximum restraint... in spite of the fact that the United States withdrew from JCPOA last May,» Zarif said earlier, referring to the agreement on Tehran's nuclear program, which is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. He added that Tehran remains «committed» to the deal, and said continuing assessments showed Iran was in compliance with the multilateral agreement. Later, Zarif told reporters there was «no possibility» of negotiations with the United States to reduce spiralling...

Driven by widespread antibiotic use, bacterial infections are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment, and the pipeline for new antibiotics is running dry. Recent reports estimate that, without action, by 2050 resistance to antimicrobial drugs will cause up to 10m deaths a year globally and reduce gross domestic product (GDP) by 2-3.5%. These dire warnings are similar to those for climate change. A 2°C rise in global average surface temperature above pre-industrial levels will reduce GDP by about 3%. However, the difference with climate change is that economic analyses have helped to inform recommendations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and decisions made by the international community, such as the Paris Agreement. We believe the antibiotic resistance debate must also include these sorts of analyses. Read more: Antibiotic resistance: public awareness campaigns might not work Parallels Using antibiotics and fossil fuels, the ultimate source of most carbon emissions, imposes future costs, for example, from life-threatening infections and extreme weather, respectively. People can feel little incentive to reduce their use of antibiotics or fossil fuels...

The former King Albert II of the Belgians has been ordered by a court to submit to a DNA test or face daily fines of €5,000 lawyers said Thursday. The order was the latest twist in a Belgian's sculptor pursuit to prove that she is the former monarch's daughter. «I believe that the king will submit to this test, since he has the guarantee that it will remain confidential,» Albert's lawyer, Guy Hiernaux, told AFP. Another lawyer, Alain Berenboom, cautioned that the final decision remains with the monarch. The court-ordered fine was a major development in a long battle between Albert II and Delphine Boel, who launched proceedings before a top Brussels court in 2013 to have Albert's paternity recognised. Boel claims she was born in 1968 after a long affair between her mother, Sibylle de Selys Longchamps and the then crown prince Albert, married since 1959 to Paola Ruffo di Calabria. The 81-year-old former monarch, who reigned from 1993 until 2013, has always refused to acknowledge that he could be her father. Last October, the Brussels Court of Appeal ruled in favour of Boel and ordered Albert II to submit to a genetic sample in order to finally decide the matter. Albert refused any...

Double Olympic champion Caster Semenya, who lost her appeal over a controversial gender ruling, will not race at this month's Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, the organisers told AFP on Thursday. The South African, 28, who won gold in Rio in 2016 and London four years earlier will not lineup for the 800m after winning her most recent appearance over the distance in Doha on May 3. Burundi's Francine Niyonsaba and Kenya's Margaret Nyairera Wambui, who are among the star female athletes affected by the International Association of Athletics Federation's (IAAF) ruling this month and who completed the Olympic podium in Brazil will also not feature in Sweden. Wambui told AFP on Thursday her future was uncertain due to the IAAF's decision. Semenya's case has provoked a furious debate across sport around the globe about gender and «hyperandrogenic» athletes, those with «differences of sexual development» (DSD). The decision on May 1 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, means female athletes with elevated testosterone will have to take suppressive treatment if they wish to compete as women in certain events. South Africa's government on Monday said it would...