Malta’s ‘not us, but them’ mentality slammed by EU prosecutor

Apr 21 2022

EU chief prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi said that she was not able to identify the institution in Malta which was responsible for detecting financial crimes, slamming the fact that no one could provide answers.

The chief said that Malta was only supporting her European Public Prosecutor’s Office with words but not with facts.

She said that when she visited Malta and had meetings with the national authorities, it became very difficult for her after two days to identify the institution responsible to detect crimes because everyone directed her to someone else.

‘It’s not me, it’s them’ was the response she was given time and time again, saying that this needs immediate addressing. During her October visit, Kovesi had meetings with the National Audit Office, the Commissioner of Police, the Attorney General and the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit.

She warned that if members states do not do their job, the EPPO cannot do it for them. This isn’t the first critique delivered at Malta by Kovesi. In October, she said that not a single actionable report of fraud related to EU funds came from Malta.

This raised concerns of lack of reporting from the country, meaning that possible abuse is going unchecked. Malta joined the EPPO in 2018 following the spotlight shed on the country after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination.

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Erik Ten Hag announced as new Manchester United manager

Apr 21 2022

Manchester United have announced the appointment of highly rated manager Erik Ten Hag. He will become their permanent manager next season with current interim manager Ralf Rangnick moving to a role in the boardroom, most likely as a consultant for football operations given his vast experiences with many European clubs.

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In a statement released on the official Manchester United website, John Murtogh United’s football director had this to say:

“During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth.”

“In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that. “

“We wish Erik the best of luck as he focuses on achieving a successful end to the season at Ajax and look forward to welcoming him to Manchester United this summer.”

The new manager Erik Ten Hag also had an opportunity to say a few words, stating:

“It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead. I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve.”

“It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these incredible years, and I can assure our fans of my complete commitment and focus on bringing this season to a successful conclusion before I move to Manchester United.”

The 52-year old manager has signed a 3 year deal with an option to extend the deal for another year. Manchester United will reportedly be paying Ajax close to £2 million to buy the esteemed manager out of his current contract with the Dutch champions. He will be hoping to end his Ajax chapter on a good note by winning another Eredivisie.

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Baby born with two penises has larger one surgically removed

Apr 21 2022

A Brazilian boy who was born with two penises ended up having his bigger appendage removed.

Doctors operated on the boy after they discovered his two penises were conjoined at the base in a one-in-5 million birth occurrence. Medics were originally going to remove the smaller one, but new information changed their minds.

The boy’s mother revealed her son could only urinate from the smaller penis. Examinations showed that the left and bigger penis couldn’t function correctly.

This was because the boy’s urethra was too narrow for urine to pass through. The surgery was completed without any complications, utterly detaching the bigger genitalia.

The study concerning the boy and his rare birth defect, called diphallia, was published in the Journal of Paediatric Urology. The boy was two years old at the time of surgery, but the report did not say why it it took so long for anything to be done.

Marcela Leal da Cruz, who helped write the study, said the defect was spotted only 100 times in history. The first condition was reported back in 1609. Last year, a case of triphalllia (yes, three) was recorded, making medical history.

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31 local restaurants earn Michelin Guide recognition as tourism restarts

Apr 21 2022

31 local restaurants have just been awarded Michelin Guide recognition, with the French company recognising the qualities and culinary skills of some of the world’s top restaurants.

Paying anonymous visits to some of Malta’s eateries, inspectors of the world-famous guide had a taste of what the country’s gastronomic sector had to offer.

For this year, five restaurants acquired One-Michelin Star Status, with these being Under Grain, Noni, ION-The Harbour, De Mondion and Bahia.

They were ranked alongside restaurants in the ‘Bib Gourmand’ category, which are Grain Street, Terrone, Rubino and Commando. The details were unveiled during an official presentation lead by Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo.

The minister stressed that the Michelin Guide Awards are a clear indication of how Malta is a destination at the heart of sustainable tourism. He said that the restaurants recognised the importance of being at the forefront of satisfying the most demanding clients.

Bartolo went on to highlight the government’s plan for tourism as making it a destination offering quality experiences, one of which being the gastronomic experience. He also said that a return to normalcy from the pandemic is everyone’s responsibility as we need to work to highlight Malta’s pristine qualities.

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