The National Audit Office has reported progress at Mount Carmel Hospital and in the mental health service, after recommendations it made in a strategic review in 2018. In a follow-up report issued on Wednesday, the audit office said progress had been made in the implementation of half of its recommendations, including those considered as being the most critical. Among them was a call for improvements to the hospital's structure, safety, and ambience, with refurbishment and structural works being undertaken on more than half of the hospital’s wards. Still, the office said it remained concerned by the state of the remaining wards which, since the 2018 report, had largely remained in poor condition. "This Office considers that such an environment undoubtedly still impinges on the patients’ and staff’s overall wellbeing," the follow-up report says. The audit office said it was a concern that an attempt to secure a temporary acute hospital to relocate patients from Mount Carmel had failed, but it acknowledged efforts to make Mount Carmel Hospital safer and better suited for mental health patients. Health Minister Chris Fearne said earlier this week that while extensive works were...

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has refused to publish details about beach concessions given to deckchair operators at Comino, Fra Ben and Ramla Bay. Bartolo told parliament that licence information concerning the bays was “commercially sensitive and therefore cannot be provided”. The minister was replying to a parliamentary question asked by Opposition MP Rebekah Borg. Borg had a bit more luck when asking Bartolo’s colleague, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri, for copies of contracts concerning land rented out at Ramla Bay and Comino. Schembri said that while the documents were commercially sensitive and could not be published, he would be arranging for Borg to see them for herself privately, given that the PN MP also serves on the Lands Authority board.  Bartolo’s unwillingness to make information about the secretive concessions public follows a trend that his ministry has adopted in the past. The Malta Tourism Authority, for instance, last summer refused a Freedom of Information request to divulge information about sunbed operators at Comino’s Blue Lagoon for similar reasons, having initially asked for more time to compile the necessary information. Tourism Minister Clayton...

Russia on Wednesday rejoined a deal to allow Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea but Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Moscow could pull out of the agreement again. The revival of an agreement aimed at easing fears of global food insecurity came just as Washington warned it was "increasingly concerned" that Moscow could use nuclear weapons in its campaign in Ukraine. Russia's defence ministry said it had received "sufficient" guarantees from Kyiv that it would not use the maritime corridor to carry out attacks on Moscow's military. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "warmly" welcomed Russia's decision to resume participation in the agreement, which was brokered by the UN and Turkey in July and allows for joint inspections of ships. President Vladimir Putin said Russia could leave the deal again if Ukraine "violates" its guarantees but would "not interfere" with any grain deliveries even if it did so. The Ukrainian president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said Russia's change of mind just days after announcing it was pulling out of the deal "puts an end to many years of Russian blackmail diplomacy". A Turkish security source said the corridor was open again...

Veteran Israeli hawk Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on the cusp of returning to power Wednesday, with initial election results showing his alliance with the extreme right taking a narrow lead. With around 87 percent of the vote counted, according to the Central Elections Committee, initial results put Netanyahu's right-wing bloc ahead after the country's fifth election in four years. Addressing supporters who chanted "King of Israel", Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, said his Likud party had received "a huge vote of confidence". Caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid -- the architect of the coalition which ousted Netanyahu last year -- cautioned that "nothing is decided". "(We) will wait patiently... for the final results," he told crowds backing his centrist Yesh Atid party. While Israelis are split broadly between those who support or oppose Netanyahu, the former premier has been buoyed by votes for his extreme-right allies. The Religious Zionism bloc of Itamar Ben-Gvir has made major gains and was emerging as the third-largest party, behind Yesh Atid. The controversial Ben-Gvir heralded the party's showing as a "great achievement", which is expected to hand the...

The red briefcase that debuted at last month’s budget session may be in breach of the law because it reproduces the Maltese coat of arms, a top lawyer and Opposition MP have implied.  Finance Minister Clyde Caruana appeared outside of parliament with a pillar-box red briefcase ahead of delivering the budget speech, in a nod to Malta’s colonial past.  The design of the 2.5 kg briefcase, which was purchased by Caruana in his personal capacity, features the Maltese coat of arms and the phrase ‘Ministru tal-Finanzi’ on the front and a verse from the Maltese national anthem, ‘Saħħa l-ħaddiem’ on the back.  However, lawyer Franco Debono noted in a blog post that reproducing the Maltese coat of arms is illegal without the express written permission of the prime minister. And judging by the prime minister's own words, it seems no such permission was ever given.  In parliament on Monday, PN MP Karol Aquilina asked how many times since 2013 has permission been sought to make use of or reproduce the Maltese coat of arms, and to whom this was granted.  Prime Minister Robert Abela replied that in the past nine years, permission for the use or reproduction of the coat of arms had been granted...

The United States said Wednesday that North Korea is sending a significant amount of artillery ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine, under cover of shipments to the Middle East or Africa. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said US officials did not know whether Russia has received the ammunition, but were trying to monitor the shipments. US information indicates that North Korea "is covertly supplying Russia's war in Ukraine with a significant number of artillery shells, while obfuscating the real destination of the arms shipments by trying to make it appear as though they are being sent to countries in the Middle East or North Africa," Kirby told reporters. "We are going to monitor whether the shipments are received," he added. In September Pyongyang denied a White House claim that it was planning to provide ammunition to help the Russian military replenish its stockpiles, which have been severely depleted by the now eight-month-old war. "We have never exported weapons or ammunition to Russia before and we will not plan to export them," an official at the North Korean defence ministry's General Bureau of Equipment said in a statement carried by the...

A man facing charges of having injured, threatened and harassed his partner has been granted bail on the condition that he does not enter Żejtun. The man is alleged to have continually pestered the woman and acted in a controlling manner, demanding to know where she was, continuously calling her and even reporting her missing. Things reached a head when he allegedly tried to strange her and hit her, his partner told the police. The man was arraigned last month and is pleading not guilty to charges. During a court hearing on Wednesday, inspector Audrey Micallef told the court that the accused had repeatedly called the victim while she was filing her report. But she also revealed that the police intend to file separate charges against the alleged victim, who the accused claims had also been violent towards him.  The alleged victim also testified during Wednesday’s court session, telling the court that the couple used to live together in Żejtun and that their relationship was a possessive one, with her partner always wanting to know what she was doing, wearing and who she was speaking to.  Lawyers for the defendant asked the court to grant their client bail.  The court, noting that...

The body of the 24-year-old Venezuelan chef, who was killed in a Marsa traffic accident last week, is being sent to Sicily to be cremated, his fiancée told Times of Malta. The ashes of Jesús David Reina Quero will then be flown back to Malta from where they will be taken to his home country for final burial, said Maria Giraud. Jesus’s mother travelled to Malta for the ceremony and the family may be holding a vigil here but details are not yet finalised, Maria said, adding that they still do not know what happened exactly and are hoping to get a copy of the police report soon. Jesus, who lived in Msida, was killed in the accident as he crossed the Marsa road on October 24. He was hit by a Mercedes Benz C250, driven by a 66-year-old man from Fgura on December 13 Road. He died later in Mater Dei Hospital. A magisterial inquiry has been launched and the police are investigating the fatality. His fiancée described her heartache at realising he was the victim of the incident after recognising his shoes in a picture carried on a news report. She also described having to wait some 18 hours before a friend was allowed to identify the body.  Maria came to Malta 10 months ago to join her...

The father of Public Works and Planning Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi served as the "go-to guy" for architects wanting to influence the decision of the Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee, PN MP Julie Zahra said in parliament.  Speaking on Wednesday evening, she said that up until a few weeks ago, the minister's father, Joe Zrinzo, served on the committee and was the "go-to guy" for several architects wanting to influence the recommendations by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage. According to Zahra, Zrinzo had served on the committee "up until a few weeks ago". Zrinzo Azzopardi was appointed planning minister after the March election.  The committee, set up in 2016, advises the superintendence when it comes to issuing recommendations on planning applications.  The government, Zahra said, appointed people who were "insiders" and not on the basis of their qualifications. This, she insisted, was disrespectful to the institutions.

Mr. Riley’s been around since 1974, making the brand 47 years old. Nowadays, Mr. Riley offers a wide range of snacks for all the family to enjoy. Mr. Riley recently had the pleasure of meeting local artist Julian Cini, who recreated the brand image in his own style. This collaboration involved a vibrant, eye-catching mural, at the premises of Rimus Group in Bulebel, Zejtun.  The mural design involves intricate drawings of the flagship products that Mr. Riley is best known for: French Fries, Party Time and Pizza Rings. At the event, Julian Cini said: “I would like to thank Mr Riley and the Communiqué team for making this dream come true. From an idea that I had when I posted on social media - mixing my style with other local Maltese brands - to this big collaboration, creating a vibrant modern mural referencing Mr. Riley snacks. It’s quite inspiring for me to keep on creating and inspire others.” The unveiling of Julian Cini’s mural coincided with the opening of the competition. “Working with Julian and seeing such creativity made everyone at the brand want to see more local art,” said Bernice Micallef, managing director at Communiqué and one of the directors of the Rimus...

The 2022 World Cup is just weeks away and fans around the world are preparing for four weeks of action-packed football featuring some of the most talented players ever to grace the pitch.  This will be the final World Cup tournament for several football greats such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski but new stars have emerged over recent years with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Kevin De Bruyne and several others tipped to set the pitches alight in Qatar this winter.  Following a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup and losing the European Championships on penalties to Italy last summer, there have been high hopes for Gareth Southgate’s England leading up to Qatar 2022. Moods have been dampened somewhat by a lacklustre performance in this summer’s Nations League campaign but that is unlikely to stop English fans getting fully behind their team throughout the tournament.  This year, England fans don’t have a new World Cup song such as World in Motion, Three Lions or even Vindaloo by Fat Les to lift spirits but football fever will no doubt sweep across the nation as England attempt to lift their first World Cup trophy since 1966. The good news for...

Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie has suffered a hamstring injury, the Spanish club confirmed Wednesday, and is set to miss the club’s final matches before the World Cup. The Ivory Coast midfielder, whose national team did not reach the tournament in Qatar, pulled up injured while sprinting forward in the team’s 4-2 Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday. Barcelona did not specify a potential recovery period but Spanish reports suggest he will be out for around six weeks. Click here for full story. 

Football’s “stubbornness” towards dealing with head injuries is endangering the health of players, a British brain injury charity said on Wednesday. Headway highlighted the inconsistencies in the treatment of such injuries, citing the cases of Tottenham’s Son Heung-min and Liverpool’s James Milner in Champions League matches on Tuesday. While the South Korean forward was substituted after a clash in Spurs’ match against Marseille, Milner played on after suffering a head injury against Napoli before coming off early in the second half.  

European champions Real Madrid made light work of Celtic with a 5-1 win to progress to the Champions League last 16 as Group F winners on Wednesday. Madrid quickly assumed a dominant lead with Luka Modric and Rodrygo netting first-half penalties, both given for handballs, while Josip Juranovic missed one for the bottom-of-the-group Scots. Marco Asensio netted the third early in the second half on what proved a stroll for the record 14-time winners, Vinicius Junior turned home the fourth from Fede Valverde’s cross and the Uruguayan smashed in a fifth himself. The comprehensive victory over Ange Postecoglou’s side, who pulled one back with an impressive Jota free-kick, left them a point above second-place Leipzig, with the German side beating Shakhtar Donetsk 4-0. Celtic offered Madrid not one, but two, helping hands, and they were grateful to get back to winning ways after suffering their first defeat of the season in all competitions against Leipzig last week, and then drawing with Girona in La Liga. “A game like this with a lot of goals, getting back to winning ways, that was the most important thing, to finish top of the group. It was a great day,” Rodrygo told Movistar. More...

Julian Alvarez stepped into the void left by Erling Haaland with a goal and two assists as Manchester City came from behind to beat Sevilla 3-1 on Wednesday. The English champions were without Haaland due to a foot injury and with top spot in Champions League Group G already assured, Guardiola took the opportunity to leave Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri, Bernardo Silva and Joao Cancelo on the bench. A much-changed City side trailed at the break to Rafa Mir’s towering header. But 17-year-old Rico Lewis levelled on his full debut early in the second half before De Bruyne’s sublime pass set up Alvarez for his fourth City goal. The Argentine then teed up Riyad Mahrez to complete the comeback seven minutes from time. Victory sees City end the group five points clear of Borussia Dortmund with Sevilla dropping into the Europa League after finishing third. Haaland was unstoppable when the sides met in September with City running out 4-0 winners. Without the Norwegian, Guardiola’s men have lacked the same firepower with just four goals in their previous five games. More details here...

Nuno Mendes scored the winning goal within moments of coming on as a second-half substitute as Paris Saint-Germain beat Juventus 2-1 in Turin on Wednesday but the French side missed out on top spot in Champions League Group H in dramatic fashion to a rampant Benfica. PSG and Benfica were both through to the last 16 before their final group games and sat level on points having drawn both of their meetings 1-1. However, the Parisians’ goal difference was superior by four, meaning victory in Italy against an already-eliminated Juventus looked set to be enough to secure a theoretically easier tie in next Monday’s last-16 draw. Mendes duly netted the decisive goal midway through the second half after Kylian Mbappe’s stunning opener had been cancelled out by Leonardo Bonucci. Yet the biggest drama was unfolding in Israel, where Benfica scored five second-half goals to beat Maccabi Haifa 6-1. A Goncalo Ramos opener for the Portuguese side was cancelled out by a Tjaronn Chery penalty in the 26th minute, but Petar Musa put Benfica back ahead just before the hour. Alex Grimaldo and Rafa Silva added further goals and Henrique Araujo made it five in the 88th minute, before Joao Mario sealed...

Olivier Giroud shot Milan back into European football’s elite on Wednesday with his brace in a 4-0 win over Salzburg which granted his team passage to the Champions League knockout stages. Milan needed a point in front of over 70,000 fans at the San Siro to reach the last 16 for the first time since the 2013/14 season but they cruised through thanks to Giroud. The France striker netted in each half, set up Rade Krunic’s header just after half-time which doubled the hosts’ lead and was also involved in Junior Messias’ stoppage-time strike which rounded off the scoring. Seven-time European champions Milan finished Group E in second place, three points behind winners Chelsea and will be a team to watch out for in Monday’s draw. In Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, who both struck the woodwork, Milan have two of the most exciting left-sided players in the world who could damage almost any opponent, as well as a veteran striker with four goals in this season’s Champions League. Salzburg had to win to leapfrog Milan and Matthias Jaissle’s team drop down to the Europa League after finishing in third place, four points behind the Italians. Milan coach Stefano Pioli said pre-match that...

Denis Zakaria scored the winner on his Chelsea debut as the Blues came from behind to beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 on Tuesday. But the night ended on a sour note for Chelsea and England when left-back Ben Chilwell pulled up with what looked like a hamstring injury that could end his hopes of going to the World Cup. The Croatians had more to play for at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea already assured of top spot in Champions League Group E. Victory would have secured Dinamo a place in the Europa League knockouts and they made a flying start when Bruno Petkovic headed in after seven minutes. Defeat in Zagreb when the sides last met in September was the final straw for the Chelsea board before they sacked Thomas Tuchel. New boss Graham Potter was beaten for the first time in 10 games in a 4-1 thrashing on his return to Brighton at the weekend. Potter named a stronger than expected line-up in response and two of his star names combined for the equaliser as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s backheel teed up Raheem Sterling for his first goal in nine games. Zakaria has had to be patient for an opportunity since joining from Juventus on loan on transfer deadline day. More details here...

Malta has dramatically increased the amount of money handed out to foreign film companies in a bid to attract more blockbusters to the island but industry insiders say it may be a gamble doomed to backfire. The new payment system, introduced quietly in the lead-up to the last election, will see large-scale film and TV productions go from receiving up to a €200,000 cash injection to cover the cost of on-screen talent to a new maximum of €5 million. The payment caps for behind-the-lens employees have also been rejigged. These are over and above tax rebates which productions can apply for. Film Commissioner Johann Grech and government sources have defended the move saying it will generate millions of euros in economic activity. Meanwhile, local industry players have questioned whether the government is simply throwing money at large production companies to bring big-name films to the island for little more than “personal vanity”. The matter was raised by the executive producer of a new Napoleon bio-pic which was partially shot in Malta earlier this year.  In a recent interview with industry publication Deadline, Aidan Elliot, who works with director Ridley Scott, described Malta’s...

Obituaries BORG. On November 1, EMANUEL, Id-Diju, of Birkirkara, passed away peacefully, aged 95. He leaves to mourn his loss his wife Mary, née Micallef, his children Josette and Joseph, Charles, Paul and Simone and Anna Maria, his grandchildren, other relatives and many friends. The funeral cortège leaves Zammit Clapp Home, St Julian’s, tomorrow, Friday, November 4, for St Mary’s parish church, Birkirkara, where Mass to celebrate his life and give thanks to God for the beautiful soul that he was will be said at 9am, followed by interment in the family grave at Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery. No flowers by request but donations to Id-Dar tal-Providenza, Siġġiewi, will be appreciated. Lord, grant him eternal rest. BRIFFA. On October 26, JOSEPH VICTOR, passed away peacefully comforted by the rites of Holy Church, aged 91. He will be forever loved and remembered by his wife Dorothy, his children Dorothy, Margaret, Joseph, Bernard and John, their spouses, his grandchildren, great-grandchild and sisters, their families and his friends. Funeral Mass to be held at Our Lady of Lourdes, Wanstead, London E11, on November 22, 2022, followed by burial in the family grave. NAVARRO. On...