Many years ago, when Gozo was not even part of the Maltese tourism experience, a German friend who looked after foreign visitors on the south island told me he had a plan to promote the (then) ignored rock on which we both lived. “Come, and see the living Gozitans!... See how this ancient community exists as it did in ancient times! See old ladies, sitting in doorways, making lace! See fishermen who use palm fronds to catch fish… Watch farmers, teaching their horses to swim… Travel along roads that are unchanged since the Stone Age...” The magic, he explained, was in the word “Gozitan”. It sounded (he said) like a prehistoric animal: somehow (to his mind) like “dinosaur”. Which, I suppose, was fair enough for someone who learnt his English in Bielefeld, who called the Maltese Maltesisch, the French Französisch and the Dutch Niederländisch (and Gozitans Gozitaner). I thought it amusing, partly because the Gozo he was describing was the Gozo that I had grown to love. The problem, I told him, was that this was how the Maltese – in those days – saw the inhabitants of the island. As prehistoric. Maybe even as dinosaurs. In the same week, a Maltese columnist on a Sunday newspaper...

The following are the top stories in Malta's newspapers on Tuesday. Times of Malta leads with the repatriation of a Maltese man who has contracted COVID-19 in India and needs to be brought to Malta in an air ambulance. It also reports that the Ombudsman found that infrastructural works in Comino broke the law.  The Malta Independent reports how the Degiorgio brothers, who stand accused of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, have made a second request for a pardon in return for information. In-Nazzjon says some restaurants are to stay closed until they can serve dinner as well as lunch. Restaurants are to be allowed to open for lunch on May 10. The newspaper also quotes Bernard Grech saying the PN wants to apply policies which protect workers and investors. He was speaking during a tour at Farsons, l-orizzont reports how the government has allocated €10m to compensate some 5,000 workers for historic injustices. It also says there is anger in St Paul's Bay, where the parish priest has been suddenly replaced.

It is unbelievable that voluntary organisations, which do sterling work in several areas, alleviating the burden of government in socially oriented activities and supporting the weak and vulnerable, have become the target of rules that strangle them and norms that could win a prize for unnecessary and futile bureaucracy. The Voluntary Organisations Regulations published last September need to be read to be believed. The opening regulation is a problem in itself. It states that the definitions of terms in the subsidiary legislation prevail over the definitions in the Act of Parliament regulating voluntary organisations. Any first-year law student would tell you that no subsidiary legislation can run counter to primary legislation, namely the parent act enabling government or any other entity to issue regulations. Then, the regulations indulge in a tirade of norms intended to shackle voluntary organisations in Malta. Collectors representing organisations have to seek a permit from the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, which would only be valid for three months. A tag is issued for every collector valid only for six months. What is more preposterous is that these voluntary...

The year 2021 has been heralded as one in which countries would make bold, legally binding commitments to protect and restore the natural world. The UN biological diversity crisis conference COP15 is to be held in Kunming, China in October and the UN climate crisis conference COP26 will be held in Glasgow, UK, in November. Last week, the United States hosted a virtual Leaders’ Summit on Climate, which heard from political leaders of 40 countries. The top five Greenhouse Gas (GHG) polluters - China, India, Japan, USA and Russia - all participated in the summit. Carbon dioxide constitutes 76 per cent of GHG in the atmosphere with methane and nitrous oxide making up 16 per cent and six per cent respectively. Political leaders not only widely acknowledged that humanity is facing an existential crisis that threatens human civilisation and survival but also that people are causing the mass extinction of plant and animal species and habitats. In the words of US President Joe Biden, “the signs are unmistakeable and the science undeniable”. The summit has revived the Paris Agreement goal to limit the increase in mean global temperature from pre-industrial times to 1.5°C in order to avoid...

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has launched a scathing attack on the new Champions League format, saying coaches and players had not been consulted on plans to add more games to an already packed schedule. UEFA last week approved changes to its flagship club competition, which will take effect from 2024, but the announcement was overshadowed by the launch and subsequent collapse of the European Super League (ESL). The number of teams participating in the group stage of the Champions League will increase from 32 to 36, with each side guaranteed at last 10 matches. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of The Times of Malta

A bus was destroyed by a fierce fire while it was being driven through Burmarrad on Tuesday morning, but no one was injured. The incident happened at about 6.30am Malta Public Transport said the Route 31 bus was heading towards Buġibba when it caught fire. "All passengers on board were disembarked safely and all safety procedures were followed. No one was injured in this incident." It said its response team was immediately on site and an internal investigation to determine the cause of the fire is currently underway. It thanked the authorities for their immediate response and assistance. Video sent to Times of Malta shows how the fire started at the back of the bus, where the engine is located, and spread quickly.  

On April 22, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank decided to reconfirm its very accommodative monetary policy stance and took the following decisions. The interest rate on the main refinancing operations (MRO) and the interest rates on the marginal lending facility and the deposit facility will remain unchanged at zero per cent, 0.25 per cent and -0.50 per cent, respectively. The Governing Council expects the key ECB interest rates to remain at their present or lower levels, until it has seen the inflation outlook robustly converge to a level sufficiently close to, but below, two per cent within its projection horizon, and such convergence has been consistently reflected in underlying inflation dynamics. The Governing Council will continue to conduct net asset purchases under the pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP), with a total envelope of €1,850 billion until at least the end of March 2022 and, in any case, until it judges that the coronavirus crisis phase is over. Since the incoming information confirmed the joint assessment of financing conditions and the inflation outlook carried out at the March monetary policy meeting, the Governing Council expects...

The rise of SUVs and crossovers is well documented, and their popularity has taken off to the point many manufacturers have introduced more ‘rugged’ versions of their regular cars. It’s been with mixed results, though – Audi’s high-riding A1 Citycarver proving to be a sales flop and Vauxhall quietly dropping its faux off-road ‘Rocks’ models. The same can’t be said for Dacia, though, which has seen its chunkier ‘Stepway’ models outsell its regular variants – accounting for 60 per cent of overall Sandero sales. And with this budget supermini now back for a new generation, should buyers continue to opt for the Stepway version? We’re finding out. Want to read the full article? Visit timesmotors.com 

Facebook is expanding its partnership with Spotify to create a mechanism for listening to full songs within the social network, which recently has been turning its attention to audio offerings. Starting Monday in 27 markets including the United States, paying Spotify subscribers will be able to listen to audio content – including full music tracks and podcasts – on Facebook, using a miniplayer to allow continued scrolling within the networking app. Facebook called the move a "natural next step" in its relationship with Spotify. In 2019, the companies made a deal to allow short music clips from Spotify to be posted on Facebook Stories. The announcement comes a week after Facebook said it was adding podcasts and "live audio rooms" as it faces competition from the fast-growing audio-based app Clubhouse. More than 170 million people are connected to Facebook pages centred on podcasts, and some 35 million users are members of podcast fan groups, but before now listening to one required leaving the social network. Facebook also planned to begin testing Live Audio Rooms and expects the feature to be available to all users by the middle of this year.

The front pages of Times of Malta from 25 and 10 years ago.  Become a Times of Malta premium member to gain full access to our archive dating back to January 1930.

A VAT exemption for packages entering the EU with a value not exceeding€22 will be abolished from July 1, the European Commission has announced. While most non-EU companies play fair, this exemption meant that some sellers were able to fraudulently declare high-cost goods, such as smartphones, at a lower price only to benefit from this exemption, the Directorate-General responsible for the EU Commission's policies on taxation and customs said. This means EU companies were being undercut and had no choice but to charge their EU customers the full VAT rate on the same products. By eliminating this exemption, European businesses will be able to compete on a more level playing field, the DG said. Uniform VAT system for online cross-border sales The commission said the new package of rules will also offer businesses across the EU a simple and uniform VAT system, reducing the administrative burden for businesses engaged in cross-border online sales. The aim is to ensure that VAT is paid where goods are consumed or the services paid for are provided. The new system will offer businesses a simple system to declare and pay their VAT in the EU, using the (Import) One-Stop Shop portal. The...

HSBC said on Tuesday that first-quarter profits more than doubled, helped by a reversal in credit losses as well as its ongoing restructuring and pivot to Asia. Adjusted profit before tax rose 109 per cent to $6.4 billion (€5.3bn) although reported revenue slipped five per cent on year to $13.0 billion in part because of low interest rates. The results, which beat estimates, are a shot in the arm for the Asia-reliant lender after a tumultuous year that saw its fortunes take a hammering from the coronavirus and simmering geopolitical tensions. “I am pleased with our revenue and cost performance, but particularly with our significantly lower expected credit losses,” chief executive officer Noel Quinn said in a statement. Quinn struck a cautiously optimistic note for the near future with hopes high that mass vaccinations may start to ease pressure on the global economy, even as infections continue to soar. “The economic outlook has improved, although uncertainties remain,” he said. Bright spots included a $400 million reversal in credit losses as well as its Europe and the US regions returning to profit. In the UK, pre-tax profits were more than $1.0 billion for the quarter. Like...

No other bird brings to mind the spring migration than the European turtle dove (gamiema in Maltese). It personifies the struggle of the species to return to Europe to breed from its wintering grounds in the Sahel region, south of the Sahara, travelling across huge swathes of the desert and the expanses of open seas to return to its breeding sites from southern England to eastern Russia. It also awakens the passionate side of hunters, who for years have seen it as a given right to hunt it in spring in Malta. Yet the number of turtle doves has been falling drastically in the last 50 or so years. The population has crashed by 95 per cent in England and a further 75 per cent across Europe. Much can be said on why this once iconic species has now become so scarce. The agricultural practices of today, which see farms turned into food factories − without leaving the richness of weeds perhaps, the use of pesticides, the destruction of huge areas of hedges, etc − has had a negative impact on the species. Perhaps the huge numbers of doves killed by hunters in southern Europe has a lot to do with it as well. Up to the mid-1970s, during the month of April, one would see huge passages...

The cloud of a collapsed Super League project hangs over this week’s Champions League semi-finals with three of the four clubs involved — Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea — among the breakaway 12 that shook European football. Paris Saint-Germain did not sign up to the proposals, which crumbled within 48 hours of being announced last week after a fierce backlash from fans, players, governments, national leagues, UEFA and FIFA.  However, the clash between PSG and City on Wednesday is illustrative of the forces which drove some of European football’s more established powers, led by Madrid president Florentino Perez, to seek the financial reassurances of a closed league format. Under the Super League proposals, 15 founding members would be guaranteed their place in a 20-team competition, split into two leagues of 10 with the top sides in each progressing to the quarter-finals.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

Activists are urging the Planning Authority to reconsider a recommendation for approval of a planning application to demolish a modernist house in Balzan, ahead of a hearing tomorrow. Walmarville, or the Diamond House, as it is known among Balzan residents, has an iconic pink facade and features signature green, diamond-shaped glass panels incorporated in the galvanised steel gates and railings that face Old Railway Street. The building is a favourite among photographers, having been featured on popular blogs such as Malta Doors and even immortalised in a minimalist print by local design house Te fit-Tazza. An application by DRZ Properties seeks to demolish the building and construct a maisonette and three apartments, including a pool at penthouse level, with a garage and four car spaces at basement level. The application was re-commended for approval by the PA case officer. The superintendence of cultural heritage objected to the complete demolition of the property, strongly urging that the facade of the building be retained for preservation. “The property in question is a fine terraced house built in the second part of the 20th century (c.1960), which forms part of a...

Judd Trump said he hoped he could still play in a World Championship final against Ronnie O’Sullivan after advancing into the last eight of this year’s edition on Monday. Six-time world champion O’Sullivan, 45, is already out following a shock second-round loss to Anthony McGill at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre on Friday. But 2019 winner Trump, into the quarter-finals with a 13-8 victory over Dave Gibert, believes there remains time for him to meet O’Sullivan in the showpiece match. “I’ve learnt a lot from Ronnie over the last 10 or 15 years and hopefully we can have many more match-ups, and hopefully one day we can get that dream final,” Trump said.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

A 23-year-old woman from Swieqi suffered injuries on Tuesday morning when the car she was driving overturned in the Regional Road tunnels. The incident happened at about 8.30am when the woman was driving a Toyota Aygo in the direction of Valletta. She lost control and overturned, police said. An ambulance arrived on the scene shortly after and the woman was taken to Mater Dei Hospital but her condition is still not known, police said. 

So far Europe has trailed behind other regions, both economically and in its vaccination program roll-out. Nonetheless, recent forward looking indicators and an acceleration on the number of vaccine doses administered, act as encouraging signals for growth within the region. Economically, the Eurozone services sector returned to expansionary mode, for the first time since last August. The Services Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) reading at 50.3, represents growth across the hardest hit sectors and is a positive signal for the recovery in Europe. Albeit lagging behind the Manufacturing PMI, at a record 24-year high of 63.4, the services sector surprised to the upside. The Eurozone services activity, which was expected to remain in contraction mode, recorded modest growth despite that COVID-19 containment measures were tightened. The flash estimate reflects optimism for months ahead, particularly in France, as companies prepare for higher activity over the summer. On the health front, despite that Europe is in the midst of a third wave of the pandemic, hopes for reaching herd immunity sooner than expected have been bolstered over the past weeks. Europe’s process to mass inoculation...

Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced €20 million in new financial assistance to businesses heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking at a  press conference, he said businesses had been required to make many sacrifice but the government was determined not to let anyone stand alone. He said the government is giving an additional €20 million in aid to businesses, and tax credits of €78 million, which could have been lost are having their term extended by three years to be used by businesses. Schemes will also be made available to businesses that re-model in a way which is sustainable, digital and environmentally friendly.    Abela pointed out that by the end of April, the government would have issued €455 million in wage supplements and other assistance including rent subsidies. Some 100,000 employees have benefited. Economic Services Minister Miriam Dalli said the new assistance will inject liquidity and stimulate activity. The assistance will include subsidies on rent and electricity bills. In both cases, subsidies will be up to 50% . Businesses which remain closed after May 10 will be given a one-time grant of €1,000. Schemes will also be offered for 'smart and...

Formula One has unanimously approved the adoption of ‘sprint’ qualifying at three Grands Prix this season, the organisers announced on Monday. The sprint qualifying over a distance of 100 kilometres will determine the GP grid and give the top three finishers championship points, F1 said in a statement. It said the sprint sessions, which are “designed to increase the on-track action”, would take place at two European races and at one race outside Europe. Website Autosport reported the two European sprints will be held at July’s British GP at Silverstone and the Italian GP at Monza in September.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta