GO, Melita and Epic have temporarily eliminated surcharges on consumers who do not pay via direct debit, pending an investigation by Malta’s consumer regulator for price fixing.  The three telecoms firms have come under scrutiny for their decision to charge a €1 fee for bills that are not settled via direct debit. They have argued that the change was forced upon them by an instruction issued by Malta’s Central Bank, acting to implement a European directive, and that affected customers have been given an equivalent discount on each bill.  But that explanation did not wash with the government, which referred the companies to the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority for investigation last June. Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba has also raised the issue at EU level and asked the European Commission to investigate whether the introduction of the surcharge goes against the Payment Services Directive, which ensures equal prices regardless of payment method.   Agius Saliba and Consumer Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli have argued that the surcharge will unfairly impact poorer members of society. On Thursday, Agius Saliba said that Epic and GO had both stopped charging the...

An emergency rescue hotline is claiming a group of 45 people who left north Africa on a boat five days ago need rescuing as they are in distress. Alarmphone was on Thursday informed about the group who fled from Egypt and found themselves in distress south of Crete. It immediately alerted the Armed Forces of Malta and the Hellenic Coast Guard. However, it said "Malta won’t confirm if a rescue operation is underway, while Greece is denying responsibility and tells us to call Malta. "Meanwhile, nearby vessels do not receive instructions for rescue. Stop playing with people’s lives," it urged on Twitter. By Friday morning, it warned that despite its continuous effort to keep track of the people in distress, "the so-called responsible EU authorities still fail to live up to their responsibility". The boat was still out at sea by Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, Alarmphone has lost track of another boat which on Thursday was in distress. This was one of three that were reportedly in Malta's search-and-rescue area. A total of 63 people from two fibreglass boats in distress were eventually rescued by Médecins Sans Frontières, increasing the number of migrant survivors aboard its Geo...

The Portuguese judiciary has opened investigations into suspected sexual assaults within the Catholic Church, following testimony by alleged victims gathered by an independent commission, the public prosecutor said. Seventeen testimonies submitted to the prosecutor's office have led to "the opening of 10 investigations" of which "three have been closed", because the cases are too old or for lack of evidence, a spokesman for the public prosecutor's office told AFP. The independent commission, which began its work in January investigating sexual assaults in the Portuguese Church, has already collected 352 testimonies from alleged victims, according to its latest report this month. In reality "the number of victims is likely to be higher, because the testimonies often refer to several victims," said child psychiatrist and commission head Pedro Stretch late Thursday. The investigating commission, composed of six experts, was created at the initiative of the Portuguese Church, in a country with a strong Catholic tradition, in order to shed light on the issue of sexual violence against "minors and vulnerable adults".  "I have given instructions that zero tolerance and total...

A man was spared jail over an episode of drug trafficking committed 18 years ago. The man, now 37, had subsequently rehabilitated, led a stable life, had a supportive family and even ran his own business, leading the court of appeal to converting his effective term of imprisonment into a suspended sentence.  The case dates to 2004 when the police received information about a group of youths and their suspected drug activity in the vicinity of the Gardjola gardens at Senglea.  Late on July 31, a police patrol checked out those public gardens and found nothing. But as the officers scoured the area beneath the Gardjola, they spotted some youths, amongst them the accused, who seemed to be trying to reach into a vehicle through an open window.  They grabbed him and pulled him away.  A personal search of the youth yielded some 25 ecstasy pills and a small piece of cannabis resin.  Two of his friends were each found in possession of three ecstasy pills.  All three faced separate criminal charges.  A court-appointed chemist testified that the normal ecstasy dose was three pills per night. In this case, the accused had 24.5 pills, he said. As for the brownish block found in his...

Hermes, the French maker of luxury fashionwear, said on Friday that profits rose sharply in the first six months, driven by strong sales in all geographic regions. Hermes said in a statement that net profit advanced by 40 per cent to €1.64 billion in the period from January to June. Revenues were up 29 per cent at €5.475 billion and the group's operating margin – a key profitability yardstick – reached a record high of 42.1 per cent. "The very dynamic results over the first six months of the year testify to the growth across our 16 business lines and the strong desirability of our objects," said chief executive Axel Dumas.  "In a still unstable context, we are moving forward with confidence." Hermes said that all the geographical areas posted strong growth in the first half, with its operations in Asia showing particularly resilience, despite the sanitary context in China.  Looking ahead, the group said that "the impacts of the health context are still difficult to assess". In the medium-term, "despite the economic, geopolitical and monetary uncertainties around the world, we confirm an ambitious goal for revenue growth at constant exchange rates," Hermes said. 

The Santa Venera tunnels will be closed for traffic on Sunday so that fireworks for the locality's feast can be let off from the main thoroughfare. The road will remain closed between 6.30pm and 11pm, Transport Malta said. Its officers will be on-site to guide traffic towards alternative routes. Meanwhile, a series of roads in St Julian's - a summer tourist hotspot - are also being closed over the weekend because of the locality's festa. The following streets will closed, as announced by the St Julian's local council: Friday: Triq Sant’ Elena, Triq San Enriku, Triq il-Kullegg l-Antik, Triq it-torri, Triq Censu Tabone, Pjazza Balluta and Triq Manwel Dimech from 8.30pm till 00.30am to make way for the band marches. Saturday: Triq Censu Tabone and Triq it-Torri between 6pm and 6.30pm to make way for the procession, while Triq it-Torri, Triq il-Kullegg l-Antik, Triq Censu Tabone and Pjazza Balluta will be closed between 8.15pm and 11.15pm. Saturday 6am till Monday 1.30am: Telghet San Giljan and l-Pjazza tal-Balluta to allow for the letting off of fireworks. Sunday: Triq Sant’ Elena, Triq San Enriku, Triq Camenzuli, Triq Patri Marjanu Vella, Triq il-Kullegg l-Antik, Triq Mrabat, Triq...

The Malta golf team have reached the European Men’s Team Shield Championship final for the second successive year. The national team composed of Andy Borg, Ruud Critien, JJ Micallef and Laurens Schulze Doering are currently at the Pannonia Golf & Country Club in Budapest Hungary participating in the eighth edition of the European Team Shield Championships organised by the European Golf Association. They are joined by MGA president, William Beck, and national coach, Justin Walsh.  The ETSC was first held in 2015 when Malta achieved fifth place. Since then, Malta always featured on the podium having won four bronze and two silver the latest of which was last year in Latvia when the team lost to Lithuania by the slightest of margins. Albania, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Romania, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine were the other countries participating in this year’s tournament. Click here for full story

On the occasion of the feast of St Dominic being celebrated in Valletta on August 7, an exhibition of St Dominic statuettes and a miniature church with the titular painting of St Dominic will be on show at 135, Triq San Duminku, Valletta. The exhibition, by Deemer Micallef and Duminku Briffa, will be open on Sunday, July 31, between 9am and noon and from August 1 until August 6 between 5pm and 8pm. On Sunday, August 7, the exhibition will be open from 9am to noon and between 5 and 11pm.

The €2.3 million restoration of Saint Augustine convent in Valletta is nearing completion, with the 16th-century convent set to open by the beginning of 2023. Works, which are in the third and last phase, include the restoration of the convent’s façade which was damaged during World War Two, archaeological excavations and the installation of lifts to make the historic building accessible to all. The restoration project carries a price tag of €2.3 million - €1.5million of which are European funds. Once the work is completed, the convent is set to open for the public, Augustinian Prior-provincial Fr Leslie Gatt told Times of Malta. Archaeological remains, a war shelter, musical archives, and works of art are all set to be on display for the public by the beginning of next year. Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Chris Bonett, who visited the works on Friday with parish priest Fr Alexander Cauchi, encouraged other organisations to tap into European funds to “enrich Malta’s culture and historical heritage.”

The lift linking the Mcast Paola Campus to the Kordin gardens footbridge, in Paola, is once again out of order. Commuters shared their disappointment about the lift on social media, where it was also pointed out that the newly inaugurated lifts on the Ħamrun side of the new Marsa-Qormi pedestrian bridge bypass were also out of order. Social media users complained on Tuesday that people with mobility issues had been left stranded on either side of the arterial road.  The lifts of the Marsa-Qormi bypass have since been repaired. Inaugurated last week, the €3.5 million Marsa-Qormi pedestrian overpass, was described by Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia as an “important connection for pedestrians, cyclists and users of public transport".

Ħamrun Spartans coach Branko Nisevic heaped praise on the character shown by his players as the 2021 Malta champions beat Velez Mostar, of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1-0 to reach the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. Brazilian striker Jonny grabbed the all-important goal early in the first half that handed the Spartans a 2-0 aggregate win and a place in the third qualifying round of a UEFA club competition for the first time in their club history. It was far from a comfortable night for the Spartans who had to battle valiantly to see off the stern challenge offered by Velez who produced a much more aggressive challenge than the first leg. But the Ħamrun players held firm to contain their opponents’ efforts and secure another prestigious result in European football. “My biggest satisfaction is the fact that we manage to win both legs against Velez Mostar without conceding a goal,” coach Nisevic told the Times of Malta. “It’s a remarkable feat when you realise that we achieved that with a new squad of players. It’s not easy to amalgamate a new group of players in just a short span of time. But the players seem to have settled nicely together and more...

French authorities on Friday held a firefighter from the south of France accused of being behind a series of wildfires in the region which he says he started in a quest for adrenaline. The man, a volunteer fireman from the Herault region, was arrested on Wednesday, regional prosecutors said. The case of the man dubbed in media as the "pyromaniac fireman" has sparked a keen interest in France, which was shocked by a swathe of wildfires in last week's heatwave that forced the evacuation of thousands of people.  Montpellier prosecutor Fabrice Belargent said in a statement that the man had admitted starting fires with a lighter on May 26, July 21 and most recently over the night of July 26 and 27. "Asked about his motive, he declared that he had done this in order to provoke an intervention by the fire brigade to save him from an oppressive family environment and because of the excitement these interventions caused him," said Belargent. "Adrenaline he called it - these are his own words," said the prosecutor. "He also said he had a need for social recognition."  Adding to the irony, the full-time job of the man, who has not been identified by name but is in his 30s, was a forester...

Gżira United coach Darren Abdilla described his team’s performance against Radnicki as one of the best he has ever seen in a UEFA club competition as the Maroons stunned Serbian giants Radnicki in Nis to reach the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. After a 2-2 draw in the first leg last week at the Centenary Stadium, few had given the Maroons a chance against Serbian SuperLiga side Radnicki Nis. But the Gżira United players defied the odds with a heroic display which saw them fight back from a goal down three times before prevailing in a tense penalty shoot-out. “This was by far one of the best matches I have seen from a Maltese team in a UEFA club competition,” Abdilla said. “The players were absolutely incredible. The courage and the mental strength they showed throughout the match was outstanding. Every time we found ourselves a goal down, the players refused to lie down, and fought back to get back on level terms. Click here for full story

Charles Leclerc completed a “double top” for Ferrari on Friday when he outpaced McLaren’s Lando Norris in second practice for this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix. The 24-year-old Monegasque, showing he has recovered from the trauma of his crashing exit while leading last Sunday’s French Grand Prix, clocked a best lap in one minute and 18.445 seconds, two-tenths clear of Norris. Carlos Sainz, who was fastest in the opening session in his Ferrari, was third, 0.231 adrift, ahead of series leader and world champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull and Daniel Ricciardo, who was fifth in the second McLaren. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was sixth for Alpine on his 41st birthday ahead of retirement-bound four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Aston Martin, his friend and long-time rival.  George Russell was a frustrated eighth for Mercedes, after struggling for balance, ahead of Sergio Perez whose frustrations with his Red Bull continued and Valtteri Bottas, 10th for Alfa Romeo. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton also had a difficult day and wound up 11th in the second Mercedes, grumbling about his car’s continuing instability. Last year’s surprise winner Esteban Ocon was 13th in the...

Sliema may have had a couple of hiccups so far this year. But as was the case in the Winter League and Enemed Cup, they have a knack of running into form at the right time and their opponents are well aware of the Blues’ potential this season. On Friday, they annihilated Sirens, a team which have ruffled the heavyweights’ feathers this season in no uncertain manner. However, Beto Fernandez made the right tactical provisions to demolish the opponents whose steam ran out early in the second session. Sliema’s superiority from the second session was beyond question.  Jerome Gabaretta (three goals) and colleagues had no noose around them as they were able to play with gusto and good effect. Jamie Gambin profited from some lax marking to put the Blues ahead. A speedy exchange of passes early in the next quarter helped Jayden Cutajar put his team two-up, before Gabaretta started his personal show. Sirens were in total disarray as Ben Cachia, Kieran Borg, Dino Zammit, Gambin again and Mark Meli inflicted further damage to make it a limpid 11-1 advantage in the last session. Matthew Sciberras made it a less gaping scoreline with a five-metre throw. But Borg left the Blues 10 goals ahead...

Borussia Dortmund kicked off their season Friday with a 3-0 victory over third-division 1860 Munich in the first round of the German Cup. Karim Adeyemi scored a debut goal following his move from Red Bull Salzburg to add to first-half strikes from Donyell Malen and Jude Bellingham. Germany international Adeyemi finished as the top scorer in the Austrian top-flight last season, and was signed by Dortmund in May to help replace Erling Haaland. Dortmund were joined in the second round by fellow Bundesliga club Stuttgart, who edged past Dynamo Dresden 1-0. Dresden were relegated to the third division last season. Second-tier sides Karlsruher and Nuremberg also won their matches against lower-league opponents in the opening round. Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, who won their first major trophy by lifting the German Cup in May, play their first-round ties at the end of August.  The two clubs meet Saturday in the German Super Cup. 

Obituaries COPPINI. On July 26, HENRY, aged 94, beloved husband of Vanna née Vella, passed away peacefully. He leaves to mourn his irreparable loss his two beloved daughters Corinne and her husband Joe Gerada, and Carol and her husband Taner Celik; his dearest grandchildren Hannah Smith, Cristina Gerada and her husband Jonathan Hagos, Sera Necipoglu and her husband Osman Necipoglu; his great-grandchildren Ela and Omer Necipoglu and Sami and Gabi Gerada Hagos; his treasured sister Marian Capitoli Coppini, his brother Victor Coppini and his wife Pia, his nephews and nieces. A Mass præsente cadavere will be said today, Saturday, July 30, at Stella Maris parish church, at 9.30am. No flowers by request, but donations to Puttinu Cares would be appreciated. Lord, grant him eternal rest. The family would like to thank all the staff, nurses and doctors at Casa Antonia, Balzan and Mater Dei Hospital who took such great care of him. MICALLEF. On July 29, at her residence, EVANĠELISTA, widow of Carmelo Micallef of Żebbuġ, aged 88, passed away peacefully, comforted by the rites of Holy Church. She leaves to mourn her loss her children John and his wife Monica, Miriam and her husband Benedict...

Many food couriers living and working in Malta say they are only paid €2.10 per delivery and only manage to make around 10 deliveries per day, working 11-hour long days. Several Bolt food couriers opened up with Times of Malta about the shocking working conditions they liken to “slavery”. This was after at least 300 Bolt couriers staged an informal strike on Friday over declining pay, bonuses and work over the last few months. Several customers experienced delays when ordering from the Bolt food app and many restaurants appeared not to be receiving orders due to “high demand”.  The stoppage by couriers may continue into the weekend. Most of them don’t get a day off and sometimes clock up to 16 hours a day to manage a decent living, they said. On weekdays they get around 10 or 12 orders a day, an average of one order per hour. On Saturdays, orders might go up to 20 if they are lucky.  “For every delivery I made, Bolt paid €5.50 to the agency that employed us,” said one food courier who has now quit because he could not take it any more.  “Of those, I would get €2.10 per delivery. Any delivery, on any day, at any time.”  Hundreds employed to speed up delivery times Another...

The rector has, on a number of occasions, stated that the university is an Università ta’ Malta (a university ‘of’ and ‘for’ Malta). It is there to serve our communities and react not only through scholarship and the endless list of courses we offer but also through academic activism informed by research data and stories of people we engage with. This is an ethos the Faculty for Social Well-being has adopted and taken on board during these 10 years since the senate, on June 21, 2012, proposed to recommend “the setting up a Faculty for Social Well-being”. The University Council meeting on July 19, 2012 “agreed to the recommendation of senate and approved that the 14th faculty of the University of Malta be set up as the Faculty for Social Well-being”. Along the years, the faculty has developed a tenet circumventing the principle of social justice, which is shared among the faculty community. The criticism that is often addressed at us is that the academic community is comfortable in its ivory tower. I feel this denunciation is rather unjust and a cliché that holds water no more, at least not with our faculty. Our academics have been in the forefront of so many causes, whether it...

Evidence of work I refer to the editorial ‘Vitals and the politics of sleaze’ (July 16). I take no exception to Times of Malta’s consistently dim political judgement of me and anything remotely Labour or non-Conservative. I would rather hold on to the electorate’s diametrically opposite, and equally consistent, judgement of my track record throughout. Nevertheless, this paper’s editorial policy feeds on the narrative that international work I did for a company which has a related company that was a service provider to the hospitals concessionaire was actually a cover-up for kickbacks. It does so despite the fact that I have declared numerous times that I supplied the authorities with ample evidence of the work done. I had asked to present this evidence to the inquiring magistrate, but someone decided, and others consented, that it would be more choreographic to have my home searched in the early hours of the morning. Through my lawyers, I made more than one application, both before and after the search, but I was never called to give evidence. This has been in the public domain, but Times of Malta goes to great lengths to ignore these facts, discounting this evidence or even...