Another 23 people living in Malta irregularly were apprehended by the police on Thursday. They are from Ghana, Gambia, Nigeria and Mali. They were taken to a detention centre for the process relating to their dismissal from Malta to be embarked upon. The police said on Friday the migrants were found during raids relating to irregular migration in several localities including Marsa, Pietà, Buġibba, Santa Venera, Paola and Marsascala. They said the inspections will continue in the coming days and weeks.

The AI programme ChatGPT has passed exams, penned news articles and produced code. So perhaps no surprise that One Piece author Eiichiro Oda has turned to it for inspiration. The man behind the record-breaking manga often referred to as one of the best-known in the world seemed to have found himself struggling with writer's block last month. “Hello. This is the author. I cannot come up with a story for One Piece next week. Would you think of a story? A super good one, please,” he prompted the programme, according to a video his staff posted on their Twitter account. In seconds, ChatGPT spun a story in which heroes meet new friends and battle it out with new enemies, including “Shadow King”. 'One Piece' author Eiichiro Oda. Photo: Facebook.com The programme attempted to sell the story to Oda, telling the creator that the proposed plot offers a mysterial tribe, new comrades and a renewed focus on one existing character to showcase her intellect and behaviours that his readers would enjoy. But Oda's immediate review was unreticent: “Sorry. It's boring,” he typed, demanding a better idea. The second time around, the programme was rewarded for producing a storyline in which an alien...

Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi has been charged with rape, French prosecutors told AFP on Friday. Hakimi, 24, was questioned by prosecutors Thursday in connection with accusations from a 24-year-old woman, and subsequently charged. The Madrid-born player, who was a key part of Morocco’s surprise run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar last year, was seen at PSG training on Friday morning. Contacted by AFP, the club made no comment. Read full story on www.sportsdesk.com.mt

A restaurant in Sliema - the Fernandõ Gastrotheque - has gained One Michelin Star status joining another five restaurants in Malta that also boast the star -  Under Grain, Valletta; Noni, Valletta; ION – The Harbour, Valletta; De Mondion, Mdina; and Bahia, Balzan. Five new restaurants also joined the Michelin Guide Malta 2023 selection. They are: Giuseppi’s, Naxxar; Loa, St. Paul’s Bay; Grotto Tavern, Rabat; Legligin, Valletta; and Rosamì, St. Julian’s. This brings the 2023 Malta selection up to 35 Michelin-recommended restaurants. The Bib Gourmand status maintained the same restaurants - Terrone, Vittoriosa; Commando, Mellieħa; Grain Street, Valletta; and Rubino, Valletta. These restaurants represent good quality and good value cooking. Michelin Guides international director Gwendal Poullennec said Michelin was proud to welcome a new restaurant to the large family of Michelin Stars. “The development of the Maltese culinary scene is extremely exciting, with the selection of an additional five new restaurants that take their inspiration from the Mediterranean region, yet without holding back on the occasional touch of fusion to surprise and delight gourmets. Whether for its...

The train tragedy that unfolded in Greece this week, claiming dozens of lives in the country's worst rail disaster, has exposed chronic failures by successive administrations, insiders say. This was a crash that was waiting to happen, they argue. A passenger train with over 350 people on board ran for several kilometres on the same track as an incoming freight train, reportedly after the station master in the central city of Larissa failed to reroute one of the trains. The 59-year-old, who has been charged with negligent homicide, has admitted partial responsibility for the accident. But there were other factors in play, his lawyer said Thursday. "My client has assumed his share of responsibility," said Stefanos Pantzartzidis. "But we must not focus on a tree when there is a forest behind it." State TV ERT has reported that the station master was only appointed to the post 40 days ago after a training course that lasted just three months. Decades of mismanagement For decades, Greece's 2,552-kilometre (1,585-mile) rail network has been plagued by mismanagement, poor maintenance and obsolete equipment. Though the country's mountainous terrain is not conducive to extensive rail...

Bank of Valletta should clarify its position regarding its €35.9 million loan to Steward Healthcare in the interest of its customers and Malta’s financial system, PN spokesmen Adrian Delia and Jerome Caruana Cilia said. In a statement on Friday, they referred to a court judgement a week ago that annulled the controversial hospitals' privatisation deal originally signed with Vitals, declaring it to be “fraudulent”, and ordered that St Luke’s, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals be returned to the government within three months. That judgement also condemned Steward Health Care, which took over the hospitals' concession from Vitals, as having intended to “unjustly enrich itself at the expense of citizens” and engaging in “possibly criminal behaviour”. Delia and Caruana Cilia said on Friday that the judgement referred to the loan from Bank of Valletta to Steward but the bank had not yet said anything. They appealed to the bank to clarify its position and to the institutions that had the duty to regulate BOV to ensure that laws are observed.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has refused to become embroiled in a fresh row over the club’s Saudi ownership, saying he is not qualified to talk on the matter. The club have been thrust into the spotlight again after court papers filed in the United States described chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan as a minister in the Saudi Arabian government. That raises questions over the Premier League’s confirmation that it had received “legally-binding assurances” of the separation between the state and its Public Investment Fund (PIF), of which he is governor. More details on SportsDesk. 

Britain's King Charles III will travel to France and Germany on his first state visits abroad, the German presidency said on Friday. "The fact that King Charles chose Germany and France as his first destinations before his coronation is also an important European gesture," German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a video message, announcing that the British royal would be in Germany on March 29-31. The French presidency announced separately that Charles will be in France from 26-29 March. Steinmeier said he and German first lady Elke Buedenbender would welcome Charles and Queen Consort Camilla in Berlin with military honours before inviting them to a state banquet at his Bellevue Palace in the city centre. On March 30 the couples will make visits together in Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg before continuing to the northern port city of Hamburg the following day. "This visit early on underlines the close and heartfelt friendship between our countries and our citizens," Steinmeier said. The German head of state said he had extended the invitation to Charles at the funeral of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, last September.  "The fact that he is now visiting...

The director of a freight forwarding company, allegedly involved in a drug-trafficking racket whereby kilos of cannabis grass were being smuggled into Malta inside electrical appliances imported from Spain, was remanded in custody on Friday.  Patrick Mercieca, a 43-year-old Żabbar resident, was targeted in the investigations which had been ongoing for months, triggered by information about the drugs suspected of being tucked away inside the appliances.  Another man was previously arrested after taking delivery of an appliance which turned out to contain some three kilos of cannabis grass, after being transported on board a trailer belonging to the accused’s company. Further investigations led to the arrest of a forwarding agent who was stopped at Ħal Far and found in possession of another five-kilo haul of cannabis grass.  The agent and the company director were both arrested last month. Mercieca was interrogated and subsequently released on police bail while investigations continued.  Fridges were being imported in the name of “fictitious” persons, always from the same supplier in Spain who was yet unidentified.  Some seven deliveries had been affected so far, explained...

World stock markets rose on Friday after a top Federal Reserve official said he would back a small interest rate hike at its next meeting and hinted at a possible summer pause to evaluate how tighter policy has cooled high inflation. Talk has been swirling that the Fed could hike interest rates by percentage point at its next meeting this month.  However, Atlanta Fed chief Raphael Bostic said he favoured a quarter-point move instead, denting the dollar. "This seemed to placate markets somewhat after being on a relentless 'higher for longer' train for the last few days," said analyst Neil Wilson at trading group Finalto. Bostic questioned whether rates should go much higher than 5.25 per cent from the current 4.5 to 4.75 per cent. "I let the data guide me," Bostic said. "If the data continue to come in suggesting the economy is stronger than I had projected, I'll adjust my policy trajectory." A strong run of data had sent chills through trading floors in February – wiping out almost all January's rally – as investors realised the US central bank had more work to do to control prices. The unease largely overshadowed optimism about China's recovery after officials ended three...

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has praised Manchester United’s revival under Erik ten Hag and believes the Red Devils are still in the Premier League title race ahead of their trip to Anfield on Sunday. United sit third in the table, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal but with a game in hand. Ten Hag’s side have already ended a six-year wait for silverware by lifting the League Cup last weekend and remain in the hunt for more trophies in the FA Cup and Europa League. More details on SportsDesk. 

The government-appointed inquiry into the femicide of Bernice Cassar revealed shortcomings the public and state were already aware of, the PN has said. “Through this report, it was made clear what everyone already knew, that the state, the government, failed to protect the life of Bernice Cassar, and continues to fail to protect domestic violence victims,” said PN MP and Justice Spokesperson Karol Aquilina said. He highlighted that while the inquiry report was completed back in January it was only announced a night before the decision of the Vitals-Stewards deal.  Last month, the report confirmed that the state system failed the mother-of two, particularly because of a "lack of resources" and a "heavy caseload".  The day before Cassar was murdered at an industrial estate in Paola, her lawyer begged police to intervene to avoid a 'tragedy'. The victim's estranged husband has since been charged with murder.   On his end, PN MP Joe Giglio said there was no need for an inquiry to highlight the shortcomings since the public and state knew there is a police shortage.  "There are big problems in the police corp, which for years, the party has been addressing," Giglio said. The Home...

MEP Cyrus Engerer said on Friday he was “very happy” to see Malta’s condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine, despite its constitutional neutrality and small size relative to other EU states. “I’m very happy to see that our country, being the smallest member state of the European Union and… a neutral member state… we still have been very strong in our condemnation of this war of aggression against Ukraine”, Engerer said.   “Yes, we are a neutral state… and don’t envisage any change in that… however, being neutral does not mean not condemning what is happening against the international legal order” he said, in a speech delivered at an event hosted by the University of Malta titled 'War against Ukraine: The impact on human rights and migration.' Although Malta does not supply arms to Ukraine, “that does not mean we do not fight diplomatically to find a peaceful solution towards this unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,” he said, speaking to Times of Malta after the event. Malta has been more openly critical of Russia's conduct in recent months, with its emboldened tone drawing praise from Ukraine and strident criticism from the Kremlin.  While Engerer has said he is enthusiastic about...

German exports rebounded in January after sharp declines in recent months, data showed on Friday, with shipments to all major trading partners rising in a boost for Europe's top economy.  Germany exported goods worth €130.6 billion, a 2.1 per cent increase on the previous month, according to seasonally adjusted figures from federal statistics agency Destatis. Compared to January 2022, exports were up 8.6 per cent. But ING economist Carsten Brzeski cautioned that the increase was "not quite enough to offset" a sharp drop in shipments from the export-driven economy in December. "In the very near term, the ongoing weakening of export order books, the expected slowdown of the US economy, high inflation and high uncertainty will leave a clear mark on German exports," he said. In January, exports to the United States rose 3.1 per cent and those to China, Germany's biggest trading partner, were up 1.4 per cent to China, according to Destatis.  Shipments to European Union countries increased by 0.7 per cent.  Exports to Russia, which has been hit with a barrage of Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, climbed 12.3 per cent in January on the previous month, though their value...

Apple will manufacture iPhones at a new plant in India, officials said Friday, as the US tech giant seeks to ramp up its India production and diversify away from China. The flagship mobile's global supply chain is based mainly in China, where strict COVID policies last year and ongoing diplomatic tensions with the United States have hurt production. "Apple phones to be built in the state soon," Karnataka state chief minister Basavaraj S Bommai tweeted on Friday. "Apart from creating about 100,000 jobs, it will create a whole lot of opportunities for Karnataka," he added. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India's minister of state for information technology, said the proposed factory will be spread over 300 acres in the state, home to India's tech hub Bengaluru.  The announcement came as Foxconn chairman Young Liu visited that city on Friday, according to local media, following a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week. "Our discussions covered various topics aimed at enhancing India's tech and innovation eco-system," Modi tweeted on Wednesday.  Liu signed an agreement on Thursday to set up electronics manufacturing facilities that would employ 100,000 in the neighbouring...

The president of Repubblika has filed a police report after he said a man threatened to “throw a can of acid” at him following the civil society NGO's protest outside Joseph Muscat's office. Robert Aquilina said the comment from Johan Vella was posted on Facebook but it appears to have been deleted since.  It said: “With all due respect, if a clown like this guy came and stuck rubbish on my property, I would throw a can of acid at him. What right does he have to go and vandalise someone’s door and who does that trash think he is?" Aquilina shared a screenshot of the comment and a picture of Vella with Prime Minister Robert Abela.  Aquilina’s post comes two days after the NGO protested outside the offices of the former prime minister. Activists unfurled a giant red banner reading ‘Korruzzjoni’ and Aquilina himself stuck a sign to the door that read 'Joseph Muscat Prim Korrott’. The protest followed a court judgment that annulled a privatisation deal carried out under Muscat's administration for the running of three hospitals. A judge said the multi-million euro deal was fraudulent.  "'A can of acid’ is exactly what mafia assassins have used in the past to kill and annihilate...

The European Union on Friday delayed a vote to ban sales of new petrol or diesel-engine cars from 2035, after Germany made a last-minute push on the use of synthetic fuels. Ministers from the EU's 27 member states were expected to nod through the legislation at a routine meeting on Tuesday, after the European Parliament gave its approval last month. But a spokesman for Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said EU ambassadors had decided to push back the vote to a later meeting and would "revert to the issue in due time". Economic powerhouse Germany, which boasts one of the world's biggest car manufacturing industries, said it wants further assurances from Brussels that synthetic fuels could still be used in engines after 2035. Coming so late in the day, Berlin's objections were viewed as highly unusual since EU member states had already signed off on the ban last year. Germany's transport minister, Volker Wissing, said that if the vote had been held then Berlin would "not have given its agreement today". "We have always made it clear that the European Commission should present a proposal on how synthetic fuels could be used in combustion engines after 2035," he...

The daughter of a man murdered 35 years ago has criticised the "shameful" delay in bringing the case to trial and said she is "appalled" to read reports dedicated to his alleged killer's claims of mistreatment. Chiara Sant Cassia said she and her brother were traumatised by the murder of their father, Baron Francis Sant Cassia, who was shot dead on the grounds of his home in Mġarr in October 1988. Earlier this week, his alleged killer Carmel Camilleri filed a judicial protest claiming that his right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time has been violated through unreasonable delays.  In a statement on Friday, Sant Cassia asked if anyone had spared a thought for the family of the murder victim. “I am appalled by the recent reporting of my father’s murder," she said. "My father was shot dead at point-blank range in cold blood 35 years ago. Reading pages of newsprint dedicated to proving how badly the man accused of murdering my father has been treated seems wrong.” 'Loss never leaves you' She said she and her brother have “suffered greatly” from the loss of their father and their own children were left unable to meet the “kind and true gentleman” that he was. “The way in...

Bank of Valletta is supporting the Malta Journalism Awards, one of the highlights of the Istitut tal-Ġurnalisti Maltin’s activities. The Malta Journalism Awards seek to recognise and honour professional journalists who produced outstanding work for the public, either as employees of official news entities or also independently. Karl Spiteri, head, corporate communications at Bank of Valletta, met with IGM president Matthew Xuereb and general secretary Kurt Sansone at the Gran Salon of the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta, where the awards night is being held on March 4. “As one of Malta’s largest organisations that is frequently in the news, we at Bank of Valletta recognise the crucial work done by journalists in providing reliable information to the citizens of the community in which we operate,” Spiteri said. “We are proud to be associated with this event that recognises excellence in all categories of journalism that educate and inform their audiences in an engaging manner, very frequently to very tight deadlines.” IGM president Xuereb said the aim of the Malta Journalism Awards is to recognise and award the efforts of journalists, while at the same time raising the...

For a limited period, customers who opt to invest in a new Mapfre MSV Life Investment Bond or top-up an existent one will see their investment being topped up with an additional one per cent thanks to Mapfre MSV Life.  The Mapfre MSV Life Investment Bond is a unique hybrid product which combines ‘Unit-Linked’ and ‘With Profits’ methods of investing to cater for the investors’ different needs and preferences. The value of the Unit-Linked part is based on the performance of several underlying investments. Investors can choose from over fifty funds, ranging from bond funds to equity funds, and with a choice to invest by geographic location or by industry. The choice gives flexibility which revolves around preference and risk tolerance. Funds are managed by renowned fund houses like Fidelity, BOV Asset Management, Vilhena, Invesco and Blackrock. Investors may choose up to 10 funds within the Mapfre MSV Life Investment Bond. This gives a remarkable amount of diversification, which is very important for any portfolio. Such diversification helps to spread the risk on various investments, thus reducing the impact of the performance of any single security. The ‘With Profits’ option, is...