Like thousands of others in Belarus, IT specialist Aliaksandr Charnavoki took to the streets of Minsk last year for unprecedented protests against strongman Alexander Lukashenko's 26-year rule. Arrested, struck by police and held in detention for four days, Charnavoki eventually fled to neighbouring Ukraine - joining an exodus of fellow tech workers that has left the future of a booming IT sector in doubt. It was not the "violence and lawlessness" that made him leave, Charnavoki, 39, told AFP in an interview on messenger Telegram.  It was the sense that nothing would ever change. "The fight against the regime has become meaningless," he said.  If ex-Soviet Belarus is known for producing anything, it is more likely to be tractors, fertiliser and oil products than software and tech services. But in recent years its capital Minsk has become a regional high-tech hub, especially after 2017 when Lukashenko signed a decree allowing tech companies not to pay most taxes, including income tax. The country's Hi-Tech Park (HTP) scheme has seen more than 1,000 tech companies register to operate in Belarus, with over 70,000 workers.  Gaming giant Wargaming - maker of "World of Tanks" and its...

A skydiving instructor and their customer died Sunday after falling from a plane before a tandem jump in Australia. Police said two people died in the accident at Goulburn, about two hours' drive southwest of Sydney, after the aircraft began experiencing "difficulty". "Two parachutists fell from the aircraft and landed near the runway of the airport. They were located unresponsive and unable to be revived," police said in a statement. Scott Marshall, from Adrenaline Skydive Goulburn, told The Daily Telegraph newspaper it was a "horrible day" for all those impacted by the tragedy. "Sadly, a tandem master and passenger lost their lives. My heart goes out to their families," he said. The incident will be investigated by police and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

Czech captain Vladimir Darida was in doubt Saturday whether he would start against the Netherlands in their Euro 2020 last-16 game after picking up an unspecified injury in training. The Czechs, who qualified as the third best team in Group D, are facing Group C winners the Netherlands at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Sunday evening. “I’m in the care of doctors and physiotherapists, we are trying to do our best so I could play tomorrow,” Darida told a press conference in Budapest. “I don’t want to speculate, we’ll see how I feel tomorrow,” added the Hertha Berlin midfielder. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of the Times of Malta

Our Wonderful World is photographer Mike Sullivan’s ode to the beauty, natural and otherwise, that is all around us. Joseph Agius discusses with the photographer what indeed makes his world go round. Your photographs are all about open spaces and uncontaminated nature. How come you have decided to settle in Malta, so overcrowded and polluted? What constitutes our country’s redeeming factors? My images are of beautiful and aspirational places or things on the planet that we all take for granted. The ‘wow factor’ can be the vivid colours, or the ‘wish-I-was-there’ feeling. This all adds to providing memories of previous tra­vels and inspiration to open our eyes to our wonderful world. Everywhere has its beauty and when people complain that Malta “has no trees”, for example, I respectively suggest they look further than the local main road. There are many areas with trees and it’s pleasing that new stock is being planted. Perhaps the authorities, be it a little late, are realising the future needs this, as we personally have planted, in our own little garden of only about a hundred square metres, palms, trees and shrubs to make our own green space. Others could do likewise. We...

Robert Abela has expressed confidence that Malta will emerge from the FATF’s grey list as a more effective and attractive jurisdiction.  Speaking on ONE TV, the prime minister said the government would implement the necessary changes to make Malta’s anti-money laundering regime more effective in the shortest possible time. He denied insinuations that the government downplayed the gravity of the needed reforms.  The FATF on Friday released a three-point action plan containing further reforms necessary to make the country’s anti-money laundering systems more effective.  At the heart of that plan is an improved commitment to effectively fight tax crimes by using intelligence to catch tax cheats, and better policing of ultimate beneficial ownership rules. Reforms will not harm legitimate businesses' Abela said the remaining reforms would not be implemented in a way which stifles “legitimate businesses”.  The prime minister said the country had already received a “certificate of excellence” from Moneyval, and looked forward to receiving another one from the FATF.  He said the government had already carried out a raft of reforms to strengthening anti-money laundering systems in...

While exploring the Aħrax peninsula using satellite imagery available on the internet, one can notice the remains of three pentagonal structures located in the middle of Ramla tal-Bir, Ramla tal-Qortin and Armier Bay. The pentagonal plan of these structures stands out from the surrounding Aħrax coastal landscape. As shown in the accompanying image, their pentagonal plan is distinctive amid the adjacent rectangular terraced fields. These pentagonal structures are Hospitaller coastal redoubts constructed between 1714 and 1716. They represent a form of military fortification widely used by the French in the settecento. The plan of these fortifications was based on the ideas and designs of French military engineers sent to Malta by the King of France.  Redoubts, together with the coastal gun batteries and entrenchments, formed a network of fortified defensive positions, designed to serve as physical obstacles to invasion. While coastal batteries engaged invading enemy ships with gunfire, coastal redoubts served as infantry strongholds. Thus, if enemy ships managed to evade the batteries’ gunfire and land their troops ashore, the militia soldiers inside the redoubts had to hold out...

The FATF's decision to greylist Malta is the direct fault of the Labour government, Opposition leader Bernard Grech said on Sunday.  Speaking during a telephone interview, he said that although Prime Minister Robert Abela and finance minister Clyde Caruana said the government had worked hard for the past year-and-a-half to ensure that the country is not greylisted, the Financial Action Task Force still voted to greylist Malta.  On Wednesday, the FAFT voted to greylist Malta and the country was officially put on the grey list on Friday Reacting to the news earlier in the week, Grech had said this was a "punishment for the entire nation".  “This means that the government made so many mistakes, that the year-and-a-half of hard work was not enough. It is clear that what happened is the Labour government's fault,” he said.  Grech said the government had continued to destroy the island’s credibility.  “Despite the number of regulations and laws that have been put in place for the financial sector, Abela had continued to defend a number of decisions which destroyed our reputation,” Grech said.  These included his defence of the electrogas contract, and the appointment of Former...

Keith Sciberras, co-curator of the Malta Pavilion for the Venice Biennale of 2022, speaks to Lara Zammit about Diplomazija Astuta. Diplomazija Astuta, the Malta Pavilion for the Venice Biennale of 2022, is set to create “a conceptual, immersive, site-specific installation that bridges biblical narratives with contemporary culture”, with a particular focus on Caravaggio’s immanent themes. Keith Sciberras, co-curator of the pavilion, described the curatorial team behind the project as “a rather unexpected group, featuring a Caravaggio scholar, a contemporary art curator, a kinetic art sculptor, a theorist/artist, a musician/conductor and art managers”. “The project was actually born in 2018,” began Sciberras, “when Jeffrey Uslip, Arcangelo Sassolino and I first discussed the possibility of contemporary, immersive engagement with Caravaggio’s The Beheading of St John the Baptist. “The exciting dynamics and creative challenges pushed us through a research phase that explored multiple and often complex layers of engagement. Thus, artist and theorist Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci and renowned musician and conductor Brian Schembri joined the team, together with project managers Nikki...

Britain's government said Sunday it was investigating how secret defence documents, outlining the movements of a warship that led to Russia firing warning shots off the Crimean coast, were found at a bus stop in England. The Ministry of Defence said that an employee told it last week that the documents had been lost, and that an investigation had been launched. "It shouldn't be able to happen," Brandon Lewis, minister for Northern Ireland, told Sky News on Sunday. "It was properly reported at the time... there's an internal investigation into that situation." An anonymous member of the public told the BBC they found 50 pages of classified information behind a bus stop in Kent, southern England, on Tuesday. The papers discussed the possible Russian reaction to Britain's HMS Defender travelling through Ukrainian waters off the coast of Crimea on Wednesday, the BBC reported. Russia on Wednesday said it fired warning shots at the navy destroyer in the Black Sea after what it said was a violation of its territorial waters. Britain however said it was making "an innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law." According to Moscow, the...

No new cases if COVID-19 were announced on Sunday as two patients recovered overnight. The virus death toll remained unchanged at 420.  The number of active virus cases in the country stands at 28.  A total of 2,227 swab tests were administered during the previous 24 hours, Health Ministry data showed.  Vaccination A total of 653,005 have so far been given and 309,871 people are now fully vaccinated. Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Saturday that more than 70 per cent of adults are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  Malta's vaccination drive is now broadening to include children aged 12 to 15, with vaccine invitation letters being sent out in the post.  Revised rules as of Monday Authorities have also ironed out technical difficulties to allow Malta's vaccine certification system to be connected to an EU-wide one come July 1. Malta will also be recognising UK-issued vaccine passes for travellers arriving in the country.  Meanwhile, authorities have said that restaurants and bars with eligible licences will be permitted to open until 2am as of Monday, in an attempt to curb the overcrowding issues witnessed at certain beaches last weekend.  New rules as of...

The going has suddenly become tough, very tough if this country is truly determined to return to the Financial Action Task Force’s white list as soon as possible.  The government - everybody, for that matter - must first acknowledge that a problem, a very grave one, exists.  So, rather than playing down the greylisting decision, Prime Minister Robert Abela should take the cue of the Icelandic Justice Minister who, welcoming the news that her country had been taken off the list late last year, said: “Landing on a list like this has a major impact on the Icelandic economy, not just financial companies but almost all companies doing international business. If Iceland is to participate in the international business community, the government must ensure that it fulfils all the necessary conditions so that we can conduct business without unnecessary obstacles.” When Iceland was greylisted, its government, institutions, companies and individuals worked systematically together to make the necessary improvements. A public call to register the real owners of companies had a terrific response, with 93% of actual owners being recorded within a year. That is the sort of approach the...

Scotland’s ‘A’ international clash with England on Sunday has been called off, Scottish Rugby announced, due to three positive Covid-19 tests in their camp. The trio, who have not been named, are self-isolating after the results came back from Saturday’s testing. The squad had already been radically revamped prior to leaving for England when one player tested positive earlier in the week and eight others were forced to self-isolate.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

Human lives may be saved if they are given timely and effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), early defibrillation and post-resuscitation care after their heart stops beating or they stop breathing. This may be due to various circumstances such as heart attacks, choking or suffocation, sustained trauma from traffic accidents, near-drowning epi­sodes, toxin poisoning, drug overdose, smoke inhalation, shock, hypothermia, electrolyte imbalances or electrocution. Step 1: Get bystander help and call 112 for medical assistance First, always ensure to check the surrounding environment for hazards that could also put you in danger, such as moving traffic, fire or falling rocks. Next, check the victim to determine if they are in need of immediate help. Tap on their shoulders and shout: “Are you OK?”. If they are not responding, ask a bystander to call for an ambulance via 112, and if possible, to search for an automated external defibrillator (AED). Download the app ‘AED Malta’ to help you locate any nearby devices in Malta and Gozo. Step 2: Place the victim on their back and open their airway Gently place the victim on their back on a firm, flat surface, and if no obvious...

Devin Booker scored 25 points and Chris Paul made several clutch free throws in the waning moments as the Phoenix Suns held for an 84-80 win over Los Angeles, putting the Clippers on the brink of elimination from the NBA playoffs. The Suns led wire-to-wire but it was far from easy as they led by as many as 16 points in the third but saw that dwindle to just one in the fourth when both teams struggled to score, combining for just 29 points in the quarter. Paul had vowed to be better in game four and he was, scoring 18 points, dishing out seven assists and making five free throws in the final 10 seconds as the Suns seized a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

Malta was the biggest loser in terms of overall tourism because of the pandemic and related restrictions imposed on travelling, Eurostat figures show.  Data by the European Union’s statistical office shows that Malta’s tourism industry suffered the hardest blow during the pandemic when compared to the previous year with an 80% decrease.  On the other hand, Malta was one of two EU countries that saw domestic tourism increasing during the year under review, probably the direct result of the government-issued voucher scheme.  Overall, European tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic crashed by a staggering 61%. The figures confirm how tourism was among the sectors most impacted by the pandemic due to travel restrictions as well as other precautionary measures taken by individual countries in response to the outbreak. Eurostat said this drop was reflected in the number of nights spent in EU tourist accommodation establishments between April 2020 and March 2021. This translates into a drop of 1.7 billion nights from the 2.8 billion nights spent between April 2019 to March 2020, before the start of the pandemic. Data for Ireland, France, and Cyprus was not available.   Apart from Malta,...

Kalex’s Spaniard Raul Fernandez moved within 31 points of overall Moto2 leader Remy Gardner after winning Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix. Fernandez edged team-mate and Australian Gardner in second as fellow country-man Augusto Fernandez completed a podium for the German outfit. Another Spaniard, Hector Garzo, who is 21st in the riders’ standings, was unable to compete after testing positive for COVID-19.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

A 26-year-old man is fighting for his life after crashing into an ambulance in Żejtun. The police said the accident happened in Triq tal-Barrani at noon. The victim lost control of the  Daihatsu Cuore he was driving, overturned and crashed into a private ambulance that was headed in the opposite direction. The ambulance was being driven by a 28-year-old man from Żabbar. Members of the Civil Protection Department had to help get the victim out of the wreckage. He was then given first aid by a medical team on site and was taken to Mater Dei Hospital. An inquiry is being held. The police are investigating.

Could a tournament that started so awfully end in unlikely glory for Denmark? That romantic notion is beginning to look like a genuine possibility after Kasper Hjulmand’s team tore apart Wales 4-0 on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2020. Football could not have seemed less important when Christian Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest during their opening game against Finland in Copenhagen, which they went on to lose 1-0.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

As Malta faced an early summer heatwave this week, a huge number of classrooms were left sweltering hot, with no air conditioning facilities.  Statistics obtained by Times of Malta show almost three-quarters of state-run schools lack cooling systems, two years after concerned parents petitioned the government.  The school year has now ended for most pupils but many will start summer school in mid-July.  According to the Education Ministry, just 31 out of 112 government schools have air conditioning units. There are plans for installation in 17 other schools.   Education Minister Justyne Caruana acknowledged the problem and admitted she has been “inundated” with messages from parents and teachers struggling in the hottest June weather in a century.  “Whenever there is a heatwave, the issue of lack of air-conditioned classrooms crops up,” she said. “I can say that as of last week, I gave clear instructions for schools to have ventilators in all classrooms. This is only an interim solution.” A spokesperson for the ministry explained that the installation of air conditioning requires extra loading on the electrical system of the buildings, some of which are old. This requires...

A team of Israeli engineers and rescue specialists on Sunday reached the site of a Florida apartment building that partially collapsed three days ago, killing at least five people with 156 still missing. Many members of the local Jewish community were among those affected by the tragedy in Surfside, near Miami Beach, and Israel had vowed to help with the agonizing search through the smoking mountain of debris. The 12-story oceanfront Champlain Towers South pancaked in the middle of the night Thursday as residents slept. Surveillance video of the collapse showed it coming down in just a few seconds. The rescue operation has been agonisingly slow and painstaking, and fears of a much higher death toll are climbing with each passing hour - though rescuers have stressed that there may yet be survivors trapped inside the rubble. "This is one of the best, if not the best, and the most experienced rescue teams, Israeli rescue teams," Israeli diaspora affairs minister Nachman Shai said as the team arrived in Surfside early Sunday. "They've been all over the world in many similar situations." The Israeli specialists will join rescuers armed with heavy machinery and sniffer dogs who have...