Two Saudi oil tankers were damaged in a «sabotage attack» off the United Arab Emirates coast, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday, quoting the Saudi energy minister. «Two Saudi oil tankers were subjected to a sabotage attack in the exclusive economic zone of the United Arab Emirates, off the coast of the Emirate of Fujairah, while on their way to cross into the Arabian Gulf,» SPA cited Khalid al-Falih as saying. The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels of various nationalities had been targeted by acts of sabotage off Fujairah. The incident comes amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States which has strengthened its military presence in the region, including deploying a number of strategic B-52 bombers in response to alleged threats from Tehran. It also comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is headed to Brussels to discuss Iran with French, British and German officials. Falih said the sabotage did not result in any casualties or an oil spill but «it caused significant damage to the structures of the two vessels.» One of the two tankers was on its way to be loaded with crude oil from Saudi Ras Tanura oil terminal in the Gulf for...

The following are the top stories in Malta's newspapers on Monday. Times of Malta reports that medical students fear their studies are “in jeopardy” as Barts students will be joining their clinical practice at Mater Dei Hospital in the coming scholastic year. The newspaper also reports fears by the Insurance Association that breathalyser tests are not serving as much as a deterrent for errant drivers as speed cameras.  The Malta Independent quotes Sandro Chetcuti, president of the Developers' Association, saying some developers are promising 'the impossible'. It also carries complaints by NGOs about lack of transparency at the Planning Authority.  In-Nazzjon reports how PN leader Adrian Delia warned Sunday that every vote for Labour's MEP candidates is a vote for the European socialist manifesto which includes abortion. l-orizzont says there is a major risk that Islamic State could see a resurgence in Libya. It also quotes Prime Minister Joseph Muscat saying his government in a few years created as many jobs as the previous government in 25 years.

Gearing up against drink and drug driving – proposals for safer roads, was the theme of the conference organised by the Malta Insurance Association in conjunction with the University’s Department of Insurance last month. It was opened by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Ian Borg (under whose ministry the Malta Road Safety Council falls) and the Minister for Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity, Michael Falzon, whose ministry had launched the National Alcohol Policy late last year. Delegates were also addressed by Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera and other local and foreign speakers who shared their experiences of how drink/drug-driving could be deterred. The judge explained what the laws state and the reasons behind the relatively high number of acquittals, most of them a direct consequence of ill-prepared prosecution or evidence compilation. She also expressed some very strong opinions on the need to better enforce existing laws and improve effectiveness. One of the two foreign speakers, Brett Harman, representing the Global Road Safety Partnership – GRSP, gave participants a highly-interesting insight into how drink/drug-driving...

A depleted Valletta who betrayed signs of tiredness and dug deep into their energy reserves to beat Gżira United 2-0 and book a place in next Saturday’s FA Trophy final against Balzan. Valletta’s superiority surfaced immediataly during the first half but they could only resolve the issue with two late goals. Eight minutes from the start, Mario Fontanella found himself in space on the left and duly tried to exploit the situation with a fierce shot but Justin Haber blocked his effort. Two minutes later, Kyrian Nwoko floated an intelligent pass towards Bojan Kaljevic but the striker could only get a faint touch to the ball as he tried to shoot. With Gżira lacking the early spark to pose problems to Valletta, the Citizens stayed in command. At times, Valletta’s high defensive line was caught out by the speed and movement of Haruna Garba. During a hot raid after 22 minutes, Valletta failed to clear his low with Edison Zarate scrambling his shot. On 38 minutes, Justin Haber kept Gżira afloat when he first warded off Pulis’s flick. In next to no time, the goalkeeper picked himself up to make another fine save as he dived to keep out Nwoko’s grounder. Valletta showed up again, this time...

Small countries have a crucial role in urging wealthier nations to take climate change seriously, as the issue is an existential one for them, according to the UK’s special Representative for Climate Change. Ensuring that politicians commit to climate change required action from all, including civil society, small States, businesses and financial investors, Nick Bridge said. “Small vulnerable Island States had a huge impact in achieving the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as they showed the rest of the world that the issue was an existential one for them. “Businesses also have to shift their models to sustainable ones as otherwise they won’t have a future, while financial centres have to invest money in green centres if they want a financial return in the future. Everyone has a stake and an opportunity to play a role.” Mr Bridge was speaking to The Sunday Times of Malta following a debate on ‘Climate Change and Small States’. It was held last week in Malta in the run-up to the UN Climate Summit in September and as part of a series of events marking the 70th Anniversary since the foundation of the Commonwealth. It follows the publication of a UN landmark report warning about...

Lasith Malinga kept his nerve with the final ball as Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by one run to clinch a record fourth Indian Premier League title Sunday. After Shane Watson hit a blistering 80, Chennai needed two runs off the last ball to overtake Mumbai's 149-8 but the Sri Lankan veteran bowled Shardul Thakur lbw to claim the landmark win. Malinga gave away 49 runs in his four overs but the last two overs by the Sri Lankan and fellow pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah who took 2-14, were decisive. West Indies batsman Kieron Pollard smashed an unbeaten 41 off 25 balls to set up the Mumbai total after they elected to bat first. «The team that panics less does better. It was a team performance,» said Pollard as the Mumbai players celebrated on the pitch. Watson batted through the Chennai innings until he was run out in the final over going for a reckless second run. He smashed four sixes and eight fours in his 59-ball knock. Ishan Kishan sent Chennai dangerman M.S. Dhoni back to the dugout with a direct throw at the bowlers' end to put the defending champions in trouble at 82-4. Dhoni made just two. Earlier Chennai leg-spinner Imran Tahir took 2-23 to surpass fellow South...

The magistrates and judges controversially appointed just over two weeks ago have been assigned work despite a challenge to their appointments set to be decided in the coming weeks by a constitutional court. The urgent constitutional lawsuit filed by NGO Repubblika, just hours before the new members of the judiciary were sworn in on April 25, requests the suspension of the appointees until final judgement, as well as referring the case to the European Court of Justice under the preliminary reference procedure. Submissions over these interim measures were heard in two urgent hearings – and lengthy written duels on jurisprudence and legal enunciation put forth – by the First Hall in its constitutional jurisdiction. In the last hearing last on Monday Mr Justice Mark Chetcuti said that since the request involved the judiciary an expeditious decision had to be taken. He deferred the case for judgment on the interim measures, including suspension of the latest appointees, for May 29. Yet cases have since been assigned to some or all of the new magistrates and judges. One of the appointees, Mr Justice Francesco Depasquale, has issued decrees on deferments, an administrative...

Alessandro Florenzi and Edin Dzeko scored late as Roma beat Juventus 2-0 to keep their hopes of Champions League football next season alive on Sunday. Dzeko set up Florenzi for the first after 79 minutes in the Stadio Olimpico with the Bosnian then slotting in the second two minutes into injury time as Juventus fell to just their third defeat this season. The defeat came on the day that Juventus displayed their new strip which no longer features the club's iconic black and white stripes in a breakaway from over a century of tradition. Playing in their new jersies, Juventus with nothing left to play for, and with growing speculation over Allegri's future, failed to take advantage of their first half domination. Mirante pulled off towering saves, denying Juan Cuadrado and Paulo Dybala. After the break Cristiano Ronaldo had the ball in the back of the net after 64 minutes but was ruled offside. But Roma captain Florenzi, perhaps annoyed by Ronaldo who had just made fun of his size, turned things around when he picked up a Dzeko cross to break the deadlock. Dzeko added the second in injury time as Roma join AC Milan on 62 points, with Torino, now two points behind, dropping out of...

What has been happening in your life and career since we last heard from you? Life is made up of different moments, choices, events and, sometimes, struggles that lead you to take a break from your career. I believe in giving my all to any musical project I get involved in, and when I’m not able to do that, I’d rather take a step back. So, musically, I’ve been relatively quiet these past few years due to personal reasons. I’m glad I made this choice, though. I became a mother for a second time, and I’ve become closer to my own mother after my father died because she came to live with me. I knew I could always go back to music whenever I chose to, but these life events might never have presented themselves again, so I made the best of the time given to me. But now you have an EP coming up – what can you tell us about it? During this hiatus from music, I was still finding time to write and compose on my piano, sometimes late at night when everyone was asleep, and I have put together a set of new songs in Maltese. These works mean a lot to me as they have all been borne from personal experiences. It has been so refreshing to be back in the studio too, planning the whole production...

Tension is brewing at the Presidential Palace over an unprecedented arrangement made between Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and former Presi­dent Marie Louise Coleiro-Preca that allows her to retain certain functions of her former office, The Sunday Times of Malta is informed. The new State-funded ‘Office of the President Emeritus’ permits Dr Coleiro-Preca to carry on with her charity work, which is completely unremunerated, according to her spokesman. The former president has also retained the administration of two entities – The Presi­dent’s Trust and The President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society – which she had set up during her time as President. The spokesman said the foundations’ statutes have now been changed to reflect the new set-up. However the changes have not yet been registered. ­ According to the statutes, it is the serving Presi­dent who must act as the head of these foundations and approve any changes made. The Sunday Times has been told that the new arrangement did not go down well with the new Presidency. “The former president is assuming functions which, apart from being unregulated, may also clash with the official Office of the President,” one...

Serie A champions Juventus on Sunday unveiled their new home kit for the 2019-20 season, which for the first time in over a century removes the iconic black-and-white stripes traditionally worn by players. The club was founded in 1897, but players have worn black and white stripes of various types since 1903. Next season Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates will wear a half-and-half jersey with white on the right and black on the left. The team will debut the new jersey against Roma in Serie A on Sunday in the Stadio Olimpico. «The daring new design evokes the past, whilst igniting the future of the club through the evolution of the iconic black and white stripes,» the team said.  «An unexpected flash of pink sits at the heart of the design and honours the first colour the club ever played in.» Juventus are the record Serie A winners with 35 titles, including the last eight in a row. ea/dmc © Agence France-Presse

There has been no bigger blemish in modern European history than World War II. The suffering that was endured by so many did not only lay the foundations for the structure of the European Union of today but it indelibly defined Europe and its culture. In every secondary school in almost every European country, children are urged to go through books depicting pages and pages of emaciated-looking, broken people. We are forced to look at how easy it is to dehumanise others and how fragile the bonds between us are. Above all, we are implored to never forget. Three years ago I visited Auschwitz, the air around me so thick with sadness and suffering that I almost reeled from the emotion I felt. I saw the piles of shoes which would never find their way back to their owners’ feet and the stacks of broken glasses which their owners would never rummage around for in the dark. I saw all this and I wept because there was simply no question of doing or feeling anything else and yet in 2019, Mr Norman Lowell has had the audacity (if you can even call it that) to call this same place the ‘Disneyland of Poland’. On reading some of the things he has openly said, you would be forgiven for...

It almost looks eerie but the low fog hovering over Gozo provided the perfect setting for a seasoned photographer like Daniel Cilia.  The clip was extracted from a photo time lapse shot over Gozo channel from Ta’ Ċenċ on Sunday morning.  The warm, sunny weather early on Mother's Day developed into showers by lunch time. 

Glitch Festival has announced a partnership with Boiler Room for the very first time in Malta. If this year’s edition wasn’t exciting enough already, there you have it. Boiler Room will be hosting their own stage at the Glitch Festival on August 14 and 15. The performing artists (who are yet to be announced) will be streamed live and direct from the festival on all Boiler Room platforms. Boiler Room is an independent music platform and cultural curator, connecting club culture to the wider world, on screen and in real life though parties, film and video. With a reach of over 260 million viewers per month, this makes them the biggest broadcasting platform in the industry. The Glitch Festival is Malta’s premier electronic music event. Held on a yearly basis between August 14 and 16 at Gianpula Village, music enthusiasts from across the world are called to gather at the gates of the mystical House-and-Techno fortress. The festival features six stages – from rooftop pool parties and secret cave raves to boat party mayhem. This year’s line-up features industry titans Carl Cox, Bicep, Charlotte de Witte, Ben Klock, Palms Trax, Job Jobse, Len Faki, Helena Hauff, Motor City Drum...

Indian officials Sunday said that at least 300 yaks starved to death in a remote Himalayan valley after a bout of unusually harsh winter weather. Officials in the northeastern state of Sikkim said they received the first distress call from around 50 people cut off in the remote Mukuthang Valley in December. Following very heavy snowfall the residents asked for help providing feed for their herd of around 1,500 yaks, a source of local milk, milk products, transportation and wool.  «We made several attempts to reach them but couldn't. No roads or air transport could reach there because of the weather conditions. We reached there now and have already confirmed at least 300 yak deaths,» local official Raj Kumar Yadav told AFP. «The local families say that 500 yaks have died because of starvation. We are trying to confirm that. Around 50 yaks are also receiving urgent medical attention,» Yadav added.  Yaks are one of the mainstays of the region's tourism-dependent economy. A few yaks die because of extreme conditions in the region each year, but the authorities say that this year's toll is unprecedented. "The weather was too harsh. One heavy spell of snowfall in December was followed...

A blaze which broke out in a third-floor apartment in Ħamrun was quickly put out by firefighters on Sunday. The mid-morning blaze near the Mile End ground started in a kitchen and was controlled before spreading. No one was injured. 

Gone are the days when opening an account at a bank or buying an investment were straightforward tasks that took no more than a small effort to fill a single form with your name, address, ID and you’re done.  Today the task requires that you hand over reams of data about yourself, your assets, liabilities, income, expenditure, reasons why you want to invest, your objectives, expectations, source of wealth, source of funds... the list goes on and on.  The objective for collecting this data is twofold. Firstly it is to allow the service provider to conduct an assessment that both the reasons for your actions and the funds you will be utilising to help achieve your objectives are indeed genuine. Failure to establish this basic yet fundamental fact could land the service provider in very hot water. The second is then to interpret the data in order to provide you with advice and a course of action that helps you achieve your objectives in a manner that is in line with your willingness and ability to take on risk. The latter part of this is captured in what is called the Suitability Assessment.  It all may sound a little overcomplicated and perhaps convoluted. In some ways it is but...

The financial services sector in Malta has grown exponentially over the past 15 years. Malta’s economy is one of the most dynamic in the EU having maintained steady growth over recent years and has continued to outperform that of many of its peers. Rapid economic growth and increase in international investment could leave Malta more vulnerable to financial crime and money laundering. The National Risk Assessment (NRA) which was published early last year has identified the illegal activities that generate most proceeds and threaten the local economy. The NRA also names the sectors that are most vulnerable to being abused or misused for financial crime. As one would expect, banks topped the list as being the most vulnerable to money laundering and funding of terrorism. The large volume of transactions processed daily by banks, coupled with a vast array of products to choose from, make banks attractive to criminals to launder their ill-gotten gains. The Maltese economy is a cash-intensive economy where cash remains the preferred mode of payment in various sectors including the real estate and luxury goods sectors. Such a situation makes banks in Malta even more susceptible to money...

Maria Portelli woke up more than three hours after she was scheduled to give birth to her first daughter, but there was only an operating theatre nurse with her, and no baby. Her maternal instinct kicking in, the 30-year-old immediately thought something was wrong with her daughter, but the hospital staff reassured her she had given birth to a healthy girl. It emerged that she was the one who had required urgent medical intervention – she had lost so much blood after birth that blood had to be transferred urgently to Gozo by helicopter. Ms Portelli said she never ima­gined she would need blood, especially considering that her pregnancy was a regular one. She had been asked to turn up on a Monday for a C-section, when the Gozo General Hospital’s blood reserves are well-equipped. But not even this was enough for her postpartum hemorrhage, and more blood had to be flown in from Malta. “I continued to need blood the following day, and as I started to come back to my senses I thanked God that I had been born at a time when blood transfusion was a regular procedure. “My family knows someone who a couple of generations ago had gone through a similar experience and lost so much blood...

The internet has become a boundless repository of information, enabling a global exchange of data. Constructed upon an infrastructure of online platforms, fibre-optic cables and data centres, it ushered in the age of planetary scale computation. The design of wireless communication networks became crucial for the way information is controlled. Whereas the idea behind the founding of the internet was to imagine a space of unrestricted access to information, of civic debate and social inclusion, the actual implementation turned out quite differently. The control over data and networks seems to have become a determining factor of governmentality, considering the ongoing arms race of data accumulation and analytics. News of privacy breaches, censorship and surveillance have exposed the power struggles that are exercised by governments and corporations alike. Hence, the design of information technology extends not just to how political space is constructed but also to how the content of the political as a domain of human action and ethics is created. Non Aligned Networks, an exhibition curated by Yeasemin Keskintepe, explores the complexities of the internet as a political space and...

It can’t be easy being José Herrera. His job is to steward the conservation of landscapes, rural heritage, wild plants and animals, and so on, even as the government he is a member of goes about stewarding their destruction. I suppose some sympathy is in order. Or maybe not, because Herrera’s function seems to be to greenwash the ungreenable – an interesting take on the job title of ‘Environment Minister’. Which is why last Monday found him busy rooting for land reclamation at a meeting of Parliament’s environment committee. Now anyone with half a brain knows exactly why the government is so keen on land reclamation. First, because the country is running out of space where to dump the obscene glut of construction waste generated by an industry that knows no restraint. Second, because a new piece of land by (or on) the sea would make a lovely out-of-season gift to that industry. It does tend to reciprocate with gifts of its own. Herrera had other ideas. He assured us that land reclamation would be the most ecological thing since the six days chronicled in the Book of Genesis. As reported, he was in no mood for rest. When a Xgħajra resident suggested that dumping waste into the...

Alfred Massa: Rebbiegħa kollha lwien: a novel; Horizons publication, 243 pp.; 2019. Maltese novels have always been very popular with the average Maltese reader and, thankfully, their popularity is apparently very much on the increase. In a way, this is a huge advantage for the language, for the authors and for reading itself, since it is a fact that books have lost much of  their old charm and attraction thanks to the numerous alienations and distractions being offered very temptingly by an ever-increasing sophisticated technology. Alfred Massa has been writing novels for many years now, and all of them have been very-well- received by local readers. All of them were the product of experiences that Massa,  an author, as well as a poet, went through, invariably extremely sensitive to what went on around him, and then put pen to paper. Massa’s novels have always been unique in  style and presentation. He has always been very keen to present novels that are realistic, factual, down to earth, with a moral that further adds to the value of the story, and never lacking drama and colour in the various situations he creates so effectively for the reader to enjoy. Rebbiegħa Kollha...

Tomorrow 9.30am The President receives a courtesy call by Chevallier Hadrian Majoie at the Palace, Valletta. 10am The President receives a courtesy call by the Malta representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Kahin Ismail at the Palace. 11.30am The President receives a courtesy call by the Federation of Organisations Persons with Disability at the Palace. 1pm The President receives a courtesy call by Imam Mohammed el Said at the Palace. 2.30pm The President receives a courtesy call by representatives from Action for Breast Cancer Foundation at the Palace. 4pm The President receives a courtesy call by the Solidarjetà fl-Isports Core Group at the Palace. 5pm The President and Mrs Vella visit the Karl Vella Foundation at the President’s Kitchen Garden, Attard. Tuesday 10am The President and Mrs Vella visit Id-Dar tal-Providenza, Siġġiewi. 2.30pm The President receives a courtesy call by former MEDAC director and board member Jürg Gabriel, board member Andri Bisaz and current director Stephen Calleya at the Palace. 3.30pm The President receives a courtesy call by the CEO and management of the Social Care Standards Authority at the Palace. Wednesday 9.30am...

Obituary TAYLOR – On April 18, at Jersey Hospice Care, Jersey, Channel Islands, ODETTE née Demajo, aged 67, of Jersey, formerly of Mdina, passed peacefully away comforted by the rites of Holy Church. She leaves to mourn her loss her mother Maria Theresa, her husband Philip, her two children Ruth and Harriet, her sons-in-law Andrew and Mirko, her grandchild Elias, her sister, brother-in-law and niece, Apollonia, Leonard and Diana, and other relatives and friends. Mass præsentibus cineribus will be celebrated at the Resurrection Chapel, Hilltop Gardens, Naxxar, on Tuesday, May 14 at 1pm, followed by interment in the family grave at Maria Addolorata Cemetery. No flowers by request but donations to Jersey Hospice Care are welcome (https://donations.jerseyhospicecare.com/product/donate-in-memory/). Lord, grant her eternal rest. In Memoriam ATTARD. In ever loving memories of our beloved parents, MRO AMANTE ATTARD and his wife DORIS née Baldacchino, especially during the month of May which marks our father’s 36th and our mother’s 3rd anniversary of their meeting with the Risen Lord on May 2 and May 18 respectively. Greatly missed by their sons Romuald and his wife Agnes, Hilary,...

British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives are facing a battering at this month's European Parliament elections amid the Brexit impasse, presenting their candidates with quite a challenge in the campaign for votes. With May's authority hanging by a thread, Brexit postponed, voters fed up and eurosceptics deserting the party in droves, according to opinion polls, Ashley Fox, who leads the Conservatives in the outgoing European Parliament, concedes that this election campaign is «difficult». «I understand why people are angry,» the 49-year-old MEP said, drinking a cup of tea in the Conservative Party offices in Bristol, southwest England. In June 2016, 52 percent of voters were in favour of Britain leaving the European Union. Brexit was originally set to happen on March 29 this year. But MPs could not agree on the divorce deal May struck with Brussels and now the departure date has been set back to October 31. As a result, Britain must take part in the European Parliament elections, being held in the UK on May 23, to elect MEPs who may take their seats for a few months only. - Protest vote fears -The election "will be difficult for my party because electors are frustrated,...

Giorgio Veroni, the co-owner of Formula E, was in Malta last week on a flying visit where he met up with various ministers regarding the possibility of holding a Formula E race in Malta annually. The idea of holding such an event locally was suggested to Mr Veroni by his friend Peter Darmanin, an entrepreneur who owns three top restaurants in Spinola Bay, St Julian’s. Mr Darmanin told The Sunday Times of Malta that the ministers who met Mr Veroni, namely Roads Minister Ian Borg, Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and Parliamentary Secretary for Sports Clifton Grima, were all quite “enthusiastic” about hosting a Formula E race in Malta. Formula E is a class of motorsport that uses only electric-powered cars. The series was conceived in 2011 and the inaugural championship commenced in Beijing in September 2014. The series is currently in its fifth season. It is sanctioned by the FIA, the global organisation that promotes motor sport. Racing takes place on temporary city-centre street circuits which are 1.9 to 3.4 km long. Formula E has grown into a global entertainment brand and with 11 teams and 22 drivers on the grid, the Championship has become a destination for the world’s best...

Updated 9.50pm, adds David Casa's reaction Nationalist MEPs voted for tax harmonisation against Malta’s interests, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Saturday. Addressing an activity in Gozo, Dr Muscat reiterated the claims made earlier by Labour MEP Miriam Dalli, which claims were later denied by the Nationalist MEPs. In a post on Facebook following Dr Dalli’s press conference, Nationalist MEP David Casa said Nationalist MPs voted against this matter, which only the Labour Party agreed with. The PL, he pointed out, supported socialist candidate Frans Timmermans who had come up with this idea. Labour, however, replied that while the PN MEPS had voted against certain amendments, they voted in favour of others, including moving from unanimous approval to approval by a qualified majority, where the vote of bigger countries was worth more than that of smaller ones. Dr Muscat said that while frightening people that foreigners could tell Malta what to do about taxes, the Nationalist MEPs voted against Malta retaining its veto on such matters He said that the taxation system the Nationalist MEPs  voted agains had been inherited from a Nationalist government and was in conformity...

A man and a woman were injured in separate traffic accidents on Saturday. In the first accident, a 71-year-old Japanese woman was grievously injured when she was hit by a Smart that was being driven by a 27-year-old woman from Fgura in Triq Manuel Dimech, Sliema at 2pm. The victim was taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance. In the other accident, a man, who is likely a foreigner but has not yet been identified, was seriously injured when he was hit by a Chevrolet Kalos in December 13 Road, Marsa at 5.30pm The car was being driven by a 38-year-old man from Valletta. The victim was assisted by a medical team on site and then transferred to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance The police are investigating both accidents.

Musa Barrow and Timothy Castagne's second-half goals fired Atalanta third in Serie A on Saturday as a 2-1 win kept the unheralded Bergamo side's push for a first-ever Champions League campaign firmly on track. Castagne and Duvan Zapata both had goals ruled out for offside in the first 20 minutes of the game, which was played at Sassuolo's Mapei Stadium because of work on Atalanta's home ground. But 20-year-old Gambian Barrow broke through immediately after being substituted on at the break for his first goal this season, with Belgian Castagne adding a second on 53 minutes, finishing off Berat Djimsiti's low cross. Goran Pandev pulled a goal back for Genoa one minute from time, but the fightback came too late as Atalanta extended their unbeaten run to 11 matches. Atalanta overtake Inter Milan to move third with two games left this season -- against champions Juventus in Turin and back at the Mapei Stadium against Sassuolo on May 26. «Today's win was really important, as the closer we get to the finish line, the more decisive each point becomes,» said coach Gian Piero Gasperini.  "Mathematically, we have only a few points left to go, but it also puts us in a better state of mind...

Kemar Roofe gave Leeds a 1-0 win at Derby in the first leg of a feisty Championship play-off semi-final that saw the hosts angered after a controversial penalty reversal. Roofe slotted home early in the second half for his fourth goal against Derby this season to reward a dominant display from Marcelo Bielsa's side. But Leeds were left breathing a huge sigh of relief when referee Craig Pawson overturned his decision to give Frank Lampard's men a penalty with 12 minutes to go after Jayden Bogle and Jack Harrison collided in the box. Derby's furious protests were in vain and they now need a second leg comeback at Elland Road on Wednesday, with no side ever reaching the Championship play-off final having lost at home in the first leg. «If we all looked at it in this room some would say yes and some would say no. I get that. I'm just surprised a referee in a game of this magnitude has decided to play second fiddle to his assistant,» Lampard said. Bielsa said he didn't see the penalty call, adding: «I think it was a deserved win. We dominated the ball, we defended well and we created danger.» It was the latest controversy involving Leeds and Derby this season. Leeds' win over Derby...

Neptunes took some time to shake off Sliema’s challenge and could only pull away in the final part of the match with skipper Niki Lanzon bagging three crucial goals to help his team land a record 10th Winter League title. Nevertheless, it was a close contest with the Balluta team the better starters when taking a three-goal lead at the end of the first session but Sliema hit back to go 9-8 in front at the end of the third quarter. Neptunes went out of the blocks in a decisive fashion boosted by Jeremy Abela’s hat-trick to take a 5-2 lead by the end of the opening session. The Reds’ edge was clear but the Blues fought back to level at five-all when Jerome Gabarretta converted twice from the right.  Sliema’s Miguel Vassallo effected an excellent block on Jake Muscat but conceded a soft goal on Niki Lanzon soon after, as Neptunes went ahead 6-5 before ends were changed. It remained a very close affair as Sliema responded every time their opponents took a one-goal lead in the third session.  Nikolai Zammit gave Neptunes a two-goal advantage on 8-6 before the impressive Benji Cachia scored to cut the leeway midway through the third session. Mark Meli equalised before Michael Spiteri...

Some of the world’s most notorious infections – including Lyme disease, rabies, and Ebola come from zoonotic diseases. These illnesses are caused by pathogens (bacteria, viruses, or other parasitic organisms) which can be passed from animals to humans. But, even though they can lead to serious health problems, there is a gap in our knowledge when it comes to these diseases. We don’t yet fully understand how pathogens “shift” between different host species and cause epidemics – and research is starting to show that the changing environment could be a factor. The number of animal species that a pathogen infects is an indicator of its capability to shift to other host species and infect them, too. Pathogens that infect more animal species should be more likely to jump to a new host. Rabies viruses, for example, are seemingly capable of infecting virtually any mammalian species they encounter, putting humans worldwide at risk of spillover. Research has also found that how infected animals are related to one another is important. If a pathogen infects monkey and ape species, for example, it will probably have a better chance of infecting humans than one that primarily infects birds...

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri on Saturday dismissed talk he is about to quit the Serie A champions, hitting back at the criticism he received following his side's Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Ajax. «Sometimes I wonder if I hadn't managed to bring home some trophies in these years, what would have happened?» asked the 51-year-old, who recently won his fifth league title is as many years. «Maybe they would have impaled me and burnt me at the stake.» Allegri, speaking ahead of his side's Serie A trip to Roma on Sunday, said he was due to meet with club chairman Andrea Agnelli to discuss his plans for next season. «I have already told the chairman that I would like to stay, but now we need to talk,» he said. «I have had the new Juventus in mind for six months, but first I need to meet Agnelli to see if we agree.» Juventus, who were also booted out of the Coppa Italia by Atalanta, have been linked with the return of Allegri's predecessor Antonio Conte, who won the first three of their current run of eight titles in a row. Other names reported in Italian media include Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi, Champions League finalist Mauricio Pochettino and France...

The Commissioner for Environment and Planning within the Office of the Ombudsman ruled that a Planning Authority’s circular relating to irregular developments is “unfair, irregular and against the principles of natural justice”. The issue had been raised by the Kamra tal-Periti, which felt that this had serious implications for those property-owners who had minor irregularities. In a statement, the Kamra tal-Periti said that while it did not condone illegal development, certain rights had been granted to property owners in the past and these could not be taken away at a later date. Category B concessions (CTB) came into force in August 2012, enabling residential property owners to submit an application to the Planning Authority to cover illegal development that fell within specific strict parameters. If approved, the applicant would then be allowed to request permission for alterations and additions to the property, and a compliance certificate for the provision of new water and electrical services to the dwelling could be issued.  The CTB regulations restored the affected properties’ market value to levels comparable to legal properties of a similar description. As a result,...

US President Donald Trump cranked up the heat in a trade battle with China on Friday, ordering a tariff hike on almost all remaining imports from the world's second-biggest economy, but Beijing said talks would continue to resolve the row. After tweeting that two days of trade talks in Washington had been «candid and constructive,» the businessman-turned-politician changed tack and followed through on a threat he had been making for months. «The President... ordered us to begin the process of raising tariffs on essentially all remaining imports from China, which are valued at approximately $300 billion,» US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement. The move came less than 24 hours after Washington increased punitive duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, raising them to 25% from 10%, days after the Trump administration accused Beijing of reneging on its commitments. Details on the process for public notice and comment will be posted Monday, ahead of a final decision on the new tariffs, Lighthizer said. They were not expected to go into effect for several months. China's top trade negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, had warned earlier that Beijing "must...