EU will finance weapons to Ukraine as Malta sends medicines

Feb 28 2022

The EU has announced on Sunday that it will be taking the unprecedented step of financing weapons to Ukraine. The provisions are set to amount to around €500 million in arms to the Ukrainians. This comes with new sanctions against Russia and Belarus for helping in the invasion of Ukraine. The European Union has also closed its airspace to Russian aircrafts and banned Russian state media outlets broadcasting in the bloc. On its part, Malta will not be providing lethal equipment.

However, foreign affairs minister Evarist Bartolo said that as a neutral country, Malta will be supporting the efforts with humanitarian aid which consists of providing medicines to the invaded country.

We are stepping up our support for Ukraine.

For the first time, the EU will finance the purchase and delivery of weapons and equipment to a country under attack.

We are also strengthening our sanctions against the Kremlin.
https://t.co/qEBICNxYa1

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 27, 2022

Bartolo revealed that Malta agreed with the EU measures announced earlier which include cutting some Russian banks out of the SWIFT interbank messaging network, the banning of transactions with Russia’s central bank as well as adding restrictions on Russian oligarchs. With Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also sanctioned, the measures added up to the toughest position the EU has taken against any country.

In a broadcast address, EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen said that as as the war in Ukraine rages on and Ukrainians fight for their country, ’the European Union steps up once more its support for Ukraine and the sanctions against the aggressor – Putin’s Russia.’ The sanctions also target Russian state media outlets Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik, with von der Leyen saying that they will no longer be able to spread their lies to justify Putin’s war and to sow division within the union.

Sanctions will be targeting Belarus and its leader Alexander Lukashenko as well for aiding the Russians. Restrictive measures will affect the country’s mineral, fuels, tobacco and steel sectors.

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Floriana PL green project to extend to Castille

Feb 28 2022

The proposal for a green project in Castille are set to include the pedestrianisation of part of Glormu Cassar Avenue which runs up to Castille in Valletta. As a ground-penetrating radar investigation is being carried out along the whole stretch of St Anne Street, the Floriana garden city project are set to be announced in the coming weeks.

Greenserv, the new governmental agency responsible for urban greening projects, has confirmed that the preparations for the project have been going on for months. The project was first conceived by DHI Periti in 2014 and was promised by the Labour Party.

However, scepticism has arisen about how doable the project actually is. The project forms part of Labour’s pledge to convert five large urban spaces into parks and gardens. Underground tunnels will be diverting traffic, with some existing buildings even being knocked down to make way for cars.

Times of Malta was informed by Greenserv CEO Richard Bilocca that works to date on the Floriana project include on-site geotechnical investigations, a detailed survey, a feasibility study and preliminary designs and renderings. The works will be complemented by a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) investigation along the whole stretch which will allow the team or architects and engineers to proceed into the next steps he revealed.

The government engaged Ian Camilleri Cassar, from DHI Periti, as the lead architect behind the project. He stated that it would take another two years just to conclude the studies on how to carry it out and is confident it will happen.

Camilleri Cassar said that he ‘never felt so strongly this level of energy that it has to be done, even saying that it is coming along even better than originally proposed. The proposal is for Glormu Cassar Avenue, leading to Castille, to become one lane, with cars only driving up and the parking spaces on the side removed to create a wide promenade all the way to Valletta.

The underpass will be starting at the Lion Fountain in Floriana for cars to emerge at the War memorial, chasing the traffic flow just minimally.

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Photo Source: Times of Malta

No one injured in late night San Pawl il-Baħar holdup

Feb 28 2022

This morning, at around 0045hrs, Police were informed of a hold up in a shop in Triq Efesu, San Pawl il-Baħar.

Police convened on the scene, with preliminary investigations revealing that two men wearing masks and armed with a knife between them infiltrated the shop and demanded money.

The cashier was a 55-year-old Englishman, and the robbers escaped the scene off the crime with an amount of money in cash. No one was injured during the hold-up, with the police still searching for the perpetrators. Investigations are still ongoing.

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Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties to win Carabao Cup

Feb 27 2022

Liverpool have beaten rivals Chelsea in a dramatic penalty shootout to win the 2022 Carabao Cup. This is a record breaking 9th Carabao Cup for the Reds, after title rivals Manchester City equalized the number of Carabao Cups won. The final was once again hosted in the historic Wembley Stadium.

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The first half was dominated by the two teams, with both Liverpool and Chelsea dominating stretches of the half. Chelsea started the match on the right foot creating multiple chances but not being clinical enough. Chelsea had more clear cut chances to score than Liverpool, but the Reds didn’t disappoint with their flexible front line of Mohammed Salah, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz hurting the Chelsea defence on multiple occasion.

The second half like the first didn’t lack chances but unfortunately lacked clinical finishing from the two sets of players. The highlight of the half came in the 69th minute when the referee controversially ruled out a Liverpool goal for an offside interference from towering defender Virgil Van Dijk. The half also saw Chelsea player Kai Havertz score an offside header.

Another offside goal was present in extra time, this time with a nice Romelu Lukaku run and finish. The removal of the goal was again highly contested with only Lukaku’s arm being in an offside position. Both teams looked very tired come extra time and that led to another 30 minutes without any goals resulting in a penalty shootout. Before the final whistle blew Chelsea managed to substitute keeper Edouard Mendy for penalty specialist keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

What the match lacked in goals scored, the penalty shootout certainly didn’t. Both set of keepers couldn’t save one penalty from all the outfield players with result being decided on the keepers’ penalties. Liverpool second keeper Caoimhin Kelleher handled the pressure of his first final incredibly scoring his penalty. Kepa on the other hand couldn’t handle the pressure missing the penalty in incredible fashion placing the ball way over the bar.

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