The United States, Brazil, Canada, and Saudi Arabia became the latest countries Friday to restrict travel from southern Africa, where a new COVID strain labelled a "variant of concern" has been discovered in a potentially heavy blow to the world's efforts to end the coronavirus pandemic. The World Health Organization said the new variant is more infectious than the dominant, highly transmissible Delta strain, and renamed this B.1.1.529 strain of COVID-19 as Omicron. It has reached Europe with one confirmed case in Belgium after being found in South Africa, Botswana and then in Hong Kong. Anxious tourists in Johannesburg rushed to the airport to catch a last flight out as nations across the globe started shutting their doors, while many worried the new variant could be more resistant to vaccines. Markets around the world plunged as news of the latest setback in the fight against the pandemic sank in. US President Joe Biden said countries should donate more COVID-19 vaccines and give up intellectual property protections to manufacture more doses worldwide to stem the spread of the virus. "The news about this new variant should make clearer than ever why this pandemic will not end...

Obituaries RAMSAY SCICLUNA. On November 25, MARIE CHRISTIANE RAMSAY SCICLUNA PERGOLA, Baroness of Tabria, known to all as Muffy, passed away peacefully. She leaves to mourn her loss, her daughter Justine, partner Anthony Miceli Demajo, her immediate family Marcus, his wife, Marion, Romina, Marcus Junior, Matthew, Luke, her many friends and her devoted carers, Carol, Janice, Edgar, Aileen and Chona.Funeral Mass will be said today, Saturday, November 27, at Naxxar parish church, at 10am. No flowers by request, charity donations to The Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation, would be appreciated.Lord, grant her eternal rest. SACCASAN. On November 25, HENRY, at his residence in Cospicua, aged 86, passed away peacefully, comforted by the rites of Holy Church. He leaves to mourn his loss his wife Connie, his daughters Diana and her husband Martin and Rachel and her husband Marco, his grandchildren Gabriella and her husband Stephen, Deborah and David, Stefania, Matthew and Amanda. His sisters, in-laws and their families, other relatives and friends.The funeral leaves Mater Dei Hospital today, Saturday, November 27, at 1.30pm, for Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception parish church,...

Poor ‘invisible’ Pakistanis I would like to express my gratitude to the Mission Fund for their donation of €3,500 for our mission here in Pakistan. This money will go to our crises intervention fund. These last two years have been more difficult than usual for vulnerable people in Pakistan. This is partly due to the fallout from the pandemic. It is also due to recent, well-intentioned government policies that have, unfortunately, been enforced with a total disregard for the welfare of the most vulnerable in society. Our work is to identify those who fall in this category, help them through their immediate crisis and encourage them to resume independent lives. People like Younis, for example, a sickly man trying desperately to support his young family and unregistered at birth. This meant he could not apply for an identity card as an adult. Officially, he did not exist. Until recently, that would have been a minor inconvenience. Now, new rules required an identity card for every service. Younis could not even get his children into school because they were as invisible as he was officially. The process to get him pro­perly registered was long, expensive and fraught with red tape,...

Legendary Broadway songwriter Stephen Sondheim, widely recognized as having revolutionized American musical theatre, died Friday at age 91, his lawyer told The New York Times. F. Richard Pappas said Sondheim -- known for musicals including "West Side Story" -- died suddenly at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, the day after celebrating Thanksgiving with friends. Born on March 22, 1930 in New York City, Sondheim was involved in musical theatre from an early age. He started playing piano at age seven and was family friends with Oscar Hammerstein II, half of the famed musical theatre writing duo Rodgers and Hammerstein who wrote shows including "Oklahoma!" and "The Sound of Music." Sondheim receives the presidential medal of freedom from Barack Obama. Photo: AFP Over the course of his decades-long career, Sondheim won eight Grammy awards, eight Tony awards -- including the special Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre --  and one Academy Award. He was nominated for many more Grammys and Tonys, as well as two Golden Globes. In 2015, then-US president Barack Obama presented Sondheim with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work. 

There does not seem to be any undue opposition to a measure that will decriminalise the carrying and personal leisure use of cannabis in a moderate controlled manner. A Labour legislation proposal includes such a measure and moderate cannabis consumption will no longer automatically be a punishable crime, with an effect on one’s conduct certificate.  Many are in agreement with this decriminalisation. However, there is considerable justified disapproval of the overall law, as it is being proposed, since it probably will encourage a proliferation of the use of cannabis. A careful reading of the legislation facing parliament will leave one bewildered as to the unintended, or intended, consequences of this law. A law that is shabbily drafted and appears very much to promote and encourage the use of this drug. Through a prominent feature of this law, a citizen will not be held in transgression if found carrying seven grams of the drug and this when Holland, the most liberal EU country on drug consumption, establishes 3.5 grams as the ceiling. That is, Malta is doubling this allowance. Furthermore, in excess of seven and up to 28 grams found on a person in Malta will not necessarily...

Mark Anthony, while eulogising the assassinated Julius Caesar, said that “the evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones. So let it be with Caesar”. Quite naturally, he wanted exactly the opposite to be the case and so it was. But truth be said, it happens many a time that the good that men do is forgotten. Some do remember the good deeds and want to celebrate them. This November, for example, the good deeds of two Maltese priests – Bishop Annetto Depasquale and Fr Arthur Vella SJ – are being commemorated by two different books. I remember driving by the university when I heard of the sudden dead of Bishop Depasquale. Tearful skies saluted his passing away to the house of our Father in heaven. Dun Annett was my lecturer of canon law. I was studying in the immediate years after Vatican II when the creativity of the Spirit was breathing new life in Church structures. Dun Annett’s take on canon law was a witness of the signs of those times. His lectures were intellectually stimulating and pastorally very valid. He was a good teacher of theology because he was a good priest and he was a good priest because he was a good man. Whoever needed his...

Snippets of opera from the most renowned arias and duets ever written by Puccini, Verdi, Mascagni and Bizet will feature at A Little Bit of Opera concert to be held at Kempinski Hotel, San Lawrenz, on Saturday at 8pm. Sopranos Stefania Vella and Frances Catherine Farrugia, tenor Alan Sciberras and baritone Louis Andrew Cassar will be accompanied by an orchestra under the direction of Mro Antoine Mercieca, a renowned composer, mostly known for his melodious and simple music. Mro Mercieca founded the Sta Cecilja choir. In 2014, he was appointed maestro di cappella of Għarb parish church Hebron choir. Entrance for this evening’s concert is free, but bookings must be made on 9967 0638. Vaccine certificates to be presented for scanning at the door.

      These are the leading stories in local newspapers this Saturday. Times of Malta leads with news of Malta banning travel from six southern African nations to prevent the spread of the new WHO variant of concern ‘Omicron’. The newspaper also reports that Civil Protection Department members rescued at least 15 people during Thursday’s floods. The Malta Independent leads with a report that found that 1,600 migrants were lost at sea in the Mediterranean this year. L-Orizzont also gives prominence to news about the southern Africa travel ban. The newspaper’s main story focuses on a Paceville bouncer warning about cocaine and alcohol abuse in the entertainment hotspot. In-Nazzjon leads with the Nationalist Party announcing proposals to improve working conditions for public sector workers if elected into government. 

Balzan FC face their first real test since the appointment of Paul Zammit as first-team coach on Sunday when they take on Premier League leaders Hibernians at the National Stadium (kick-off: 6pm). It has been almost a month since Paul Zammit has replaced Mark Miller as Balzan coach and since, then the Reds have gone on a run of three wins in row against Gżira United (2-1), Gudja United (1-0) and Sirens (6-1) that catapulted the team to third place in the Premier League standings on 15 points. However, things will be far tougher tomorrow for Balzan when they take on a Hibernians side who are without a doubt the most consistent side in the Premier League this season and last Sunday’s 1-0 win over champions Ħamrun Spartans has further strengthened the notion that they are the firm favourites to win the title crown come next May. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of the Times of Malta

The Munxar local council, in collaboration with the JP2 Foundation and the Munxar parish, are tomorrow, November 28, organising a vocal and harp recital by soprano Rosabelle Bianchi and harpist Lydia Buttigieg to commemo­rate those who passed away due to the pandemic. The programme includes works by Chaconne, Verdi, Satie, Tost, Frisina, Bach, Gounod, Tiersen and others. The public is invited to attend, especially the relatives of victims of COVID-19. The recital, titled Souls and Saints, will take place tomorrow, November 28, at St Paul’s Shipwreck parish church, Munxar, at 5pm. Health protocols will be observed during this commemoration. For more information, e-mail jp2events@gmail.com.

The 12-point gap between Premier League leaders Chelsea and Manchester United after just 12 games finally cost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his job as the Red Devils manager, but the Blues provide the inspiration for what United could still achieve this season. Less than a year ago, Chelsea also sacked a former legendary player turned manager when Frank Lampard was dismissed from Stamford Bridge. Four months later, the same squad were crowned champions of Europe thanks to a rapid transformation by Thomas Tuchel.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

War. There’s a word associated with bombs and soldiers. But what about those women who played a key role during those difficult times? Actress and writer Kim Dalli has been collecting the stories of these unsung wartime heroines to share them in a new, upcoming docudrama. Ella Zammit Cutajar joined an underground resistance network sending information from Tunisia to Malta on enemy troop movements by radio– something she was jailed for. Mary Ellul was an air-raid warden who rescued people from beneath the rubble following bombings. Irene Condachi was a doctor who single-handedly inoculated and examined at least 20,000 schoolchildren under war conditions. These are amongst the many women who played key roles during World War II, but whose contribution remained unknown - until now. They will be amongst the women featuring in a new docudrama called The Women of George Cross Island that attempts to chronicle the personal experiences of how individual women laughed, suffered, grieved, dared and loved. “Most importantly, it strives to act as a tribute to a generation of brave, determined and uncomplaining women who stood shoulder to shoulder with the men of Malta in the defence of...

The Malta Netball Association announced in a statement this week that it had reconfirmed its National team’s technical staff for the upcoming term. This comes following the first international commitments for the squad in a number of years over the summer. Mariella Baldacchino was re-appointed as the team’s head coach, with Helga Turban once again at her side. Judi Buhagiar is set to continue as the coaches’ mentor, while Antoinette Corby will continue to occupy the role of team manager for the National Team. Joanne Cardona will once again assist the Maltese Delegation as the National Team’s Physiotherapist.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

The performance of innovative and entrepreneurial companies plays a vital role in the growth of their respective industries as well as of the Maltese economy as a whole. In pursuit of consistent excellence, while raising the industry standard, awards celebrate those who have achieved remarkable results in spite of the numerous challenges experienced by the impact of COVID-19. Winning business awards from credible third parties can go a long way in solidifying your reputation as a trustworthy brand that delivers.  This year, Rocksteady Digital has delivered a series of successes and multiple prestigious awards for Broadwing Ltd. and the recruitment industry, including Best Social Media Campaign at the eBusiness Awards hosted by Tech.mt earlier this month, as well as Malta’s Best Employer Branding Campaign and Best Recruiting Campaign of the Year at the Malta Digital Communications Awards by the Malta Business Review – growing to become one of the most prestigious and sought-after awards in the industry. Following an impressive pool of shortlisted nominees and months of careful research and evaluation by some of the most respected individuals in various business industries;...

Napoli will pay tribute to Diego Maradona on Sunday when they host Lazio hoping to put two painful and costly consecutive defeats behind them. The football world honoured Maradona on the anniversary of his death on Thursday but Napoli are using this weekend’s fixture to enable Neapolitans to finally say goodbye at the place where their icon was most at home. On Thursday Napoli told supporters to arrive at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona over three hours early so they could be in the stands for an “intense” commemoration ceremony dedicated to the man who led a previously mediocre team to their only two Serie A titles and the 1989 UEFA Cup.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

Dutch health authorities said Saturday that 61 passengers from two flights from South Africa tested positive for COVID-19 and the results were being examined for the new Omicron variant. The people who tested positive were now being quarantined in a hotel near Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, where the 600 people on board the two planes from Johannesburg spent hours waiting on Friday. "We now know that 61 of the results were positive and 531 negative," the Dutch Health Authority (GGD) said in a statement.  "The positive test results will be examined as soon as possible to determine whether this concerns the new worrisome variant, which has since been given the name Omicron variant." EU health authorities have said the new strain poses a "high to very high risk" to the continent. All passengers who tested positive must stay in quarantine at the hotel for seven days if they show symptoms and for five days if they do not, the GGD said. Passengers who tested negative, but who are remaining in the Netherlands, are expected to isolate at home.  "We understand that people are frustrated by this," the statement added, "people have just made a long trip with the idea that they will shortly...

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich must reshuffle their starting side – with five players in quarantine – before hosting struggling Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday in a final tune-up ahead of their top-of-the-table clash at Dortmund. Bielefeld earned a 3-3 draw when the clubs met in Munich last February and have picked up four points from their last two league games. Yet even with a host of stars sidelined, Bayern head coach Julian Nageslmann still has plenty of talent available against second-from-bottom Bielefeld.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

A man believed to be behind two hold-ups in less than 24 hours has been caught and arrested by the police’s major crimes unit. The suspect, who is 38 years old, was caught in Qormi after police received a report that he was seen forcing open a parked car and stealing items from inside it. Police believe the suspect is responsible for the hold-up of a store on Triq Santu Wistin in St Julian’s on Wednesday and a similar robbery of a Qormi store on Thursday evening. In the latter robbery, the suspect entered a shop on Triq it-Tin and, armed with a knife, demanded money from the cashier before escaping. In a statement on Saturday, the police said that the suspect was being held at the police lockup in Floriana and is expected to be arraigned in court later in the day before magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras.  

In late 2020, a network of scientists in South Africa detected a COVID-19 variant that became known as the beta variant.  Now, sequencing by that same network - the Network for Genomics Surveillance in South Africa - has detected a new virus lineage, initially called B.1.1.529. Seventy-seven samples collected in mid-November 2021 in Gauteng province had this virus. It has also been reported in small numbers from neighbouring Botswana and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong case is reportedly a traveller from South Africa. The variant has now spread to Europe, with at least one confirmed case in Belgium. Several countries have introduced temporary travel bans to try and limit the variant's spread.  On Friday, the World Health Organization said that it was dubbing the variant 'Omicron' and labelling it a "variant of concern".   Why is this variant worrying? The short answer is, we don’t know. The long answer is, Omicron carries certain mutations that are concerning. They have not been observed in this combination before, and the spike protein alone has over 30 mutations. This is important, because the spike protein is what makes up most of the vaccines. We can also say that Omicron has a...

Paris Saint-Germain visit Saint-Etienne this weekend looking to end a week which saw a tame defeat by Manchester City on a high note, while ongoing trouble in the stands has put French football fans under added scrutiny. PSG have endured a turbulent few days, with coach Mauricio Pochettino linked with a possible move to Manchester United at the end of the season. The capital giants’ 2-1 loss to Man City at the Etihad on Wednesday has also left them at the mercy of the Champions League last-16 draw, with top spot in their group wrapped up by the Premier League champions.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta