Новости за 13.06.2016

The UN refugee agency said today it expects 248,000 refugees and migrants to arrive in Europe via the Eastern Mediterranean this year, far lower than the "up to 1 million" it foresaw at the start of the year. The figure is made up the 156,000 who have already arrived and another 92,000 who may arrive on the Turkey to Greece route by the end of the year, UNHCR said, in an update of a regional refugee plan first issued in January. The flow of migrants via Greece effectively dried up after a string... Читать дальше...

In the city where they are accustomed to savouring his magic, Zlatan Ibrahimovic once again failed to live up to his own exalted billing for Sweden as he went missing in their fortuitous 1-1 draw with Ireland. It might have been Ibra's cross that Ciaran Clark headed into his own net to salvage a point for Sweden in their Euro 2016 group E clash but, otherwise, the 34-year-old Paris St. German hero was an anonymous figure as his side failed to manage a single shot on target. "We lack quality," captain... Читать дальше...

Nadur’s former mayor and local council executive secretary “breached their statutory obligations” by issuing almost €38,000 in direct orders over three years, the Local Governance Board has found. It also found that Nadur local council was illegally asking for money for the use of public sites such as Dahlet Qorrot and San Blas. In a decision published this evening, the Board recommended that former mayor Charles Said and executive secretary Rita Mifsud Attard be subjected to "whatever measures deemed... Читать дальше...

Update 9.03pm - Motorcyclist in danger of dying A motorcyclist was injured this evening after he was involved in a road accident in Salini Road, Naxxar.  The Mellieha man, 49, was driving a Kawasaki motorbike. A 33-year-old Naxxar resident driving a Peugeot Partner and 29-year-old Ghajnsielem man driving a Fiat Punto were also involved in the accident, police said.  The accident happened at around 7pm. The motorcyclist was rushed to hospital for medical care. Police subsequently said that he is seriously injured and is in danger of dying. Читать дальше...

There was a time when Italy would consider a match against Belgium to be a relatively straightforward affair. Not anymore. The Azzurri are currently ranked 12th on the FIFA world rankings and enter Euro 2016 in the unusual situation of being considered underdogs. Belgium, on the other hand, are ranked second and have the most valuable squad of players at these championships. Antonio Conte's men will rely on determination, tactical discipline and national pride to carry them through these 90 minutes. Читать дальше...

Update 8.53pm - Adds Mexican casualties More than half of the fatal victims from the shooting in Orlando were of Puerto Rican descent, Rolando Padua, deputy secretary of state for the Puerto Rican government, told Reuters today. "What they have informed us so far is that 90 percent of the victims are Latinos and that more than half of the dead victims are of Puerto Rican origin," Padua said in a brief telephone interview. "We are awaiting an official list of the victims this afternoon." Later today, the Mexican government released a statement. Читать дальше...

A Ciaran Clark own goal earned Sweden a fortunate 1-1 draw against a spirited Ireland side in their Euro 2016 Group E opener at the Stade de France this evening. Returning to the scene of Thierry Henry's infamous handball for France that crushed their 2010 World Cup qualifying dreams in an unforgettable playoff, Ireland were the better side for most of the game. They were rewarded for their domination three minutes into the second period when Wes Hoolahan scored with a splendid half-volley. However... Читать дальше...

Almost 16,000 properties were sold in 2015 with three out of every four changing hands for less than €150,000, Finance Minster Edward Scicluna said this evening.  Of the 15,852 properties successfully sold last year, 173 were seven-figure investments, with values rising over €1 million. 240 properties sold for anything between €600,000 and €1 million, with 1,258 properties fetching sums between €250,000 and €600,000. A further 2,398 properties sold for anything between €150,000 and €250,000.  That left 11,783 properties... Читать дальше...

33 people have been found guilty of child abuse over the past five and a half years, with guilty individuals handed sentences varying from a low of six months to a high of ten years' prison.Information tabled in parliament this evening shows that 2014 saw the most convictions - 10 - followed by 2012 with nine convictions. Three people were convicted of child abuse in 2011, with another three convicted in 2013, seven in 2015 and one this year so far.The information was provided by Home Affairs Minister... Читать дальше...

Approximately two out of every three prisoners applying for parole in the past year and a half have been denied it, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said today. Of the 155 parole applications received in the past 18 months, 42 were accepted and 76 refused, Dr Abela said this evening in reply to a parliamentary question by PN MP Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici. A further 21 cases remain pending.  Parole was introduced in Malta in 2012 as part of the Restorative Justice Act. Dr Mifsud Bonnici was Home Affairs Minister at the time. Читать дальше...

Maltese medical students were told they’ll be earning money through Barts Medical School by acting as interpreters between the foreign students and patients, according to MEP Therese Comodini Cachia. Addressing an activity marking her second year as an MEP, Dr Comodini Cachia said that, as the Opposition’s shadow minister for education, she was closely following the issue revolving around Barts Medical School. But in a reply issued this afternoon, the government said that Dr Comodini Cachia had failed... Читать дальше...

If bookmakers introduced a bet on who would be named official man-of-the-match at tournaments, Andres Iniesta would be a short-priced favourite in every Spain match at Euro 2016. Given that honour in the World Cup final of 2010, he is still going strong six years later, with more than 30 major trophies for club and country. The 32-year-old midfielder was again named for the individual honours after Spain's 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday, earned by his precise cross for Gerard Pique to head in a late winner. Читать дальше...

An England supporter draped the façade of his Valletta residence with a massive flag depicting the three lions. England had a bitter start to their Euro 2016 campaign after drawing against Russia last Saturday, but their fate may be determined by other factors than football. The European football body yesterday warned the two sides they could be suspended if their supporters caused more trouble.

A Swedish film that tells the story of a middle-aged poet who ends up working in a car factory alongside exploited immigrants was victorious at the Valletta Film Festival. The Yard, a debut film by Mans Mansson, won Best Feature Film at the second edition of the nine-day festival held last week. The feature film jury said it had awarded “a moving film with a very minimalist and beautiful cinematic language and a remarkable performance about a new liberal society that leaves us asking ourselves what we do and who we become”. Читать дальше...

Two Italian drivers and an international judge took part in the most recent events organised by the Malta Drifting Association. The event saw 11 drivers competing, with eight in Pro Category and three in Street Legal.  Shaw Pisani, a new driver for 2016, took first place in the Street Legal category, with Philip Grima and his Nissan Silvia S14 taking second and Claudio Palermo finishing third with his Nissan S13.  Christian Borg and his Nissan Silvia S14a came first in the Pro category after holding... Читать дальше...

British singer Adele broke down in tears yesterday as she dedicated her Antwerp concert to the victims of the Orlando gay nightclub shooting in which 49 people were killed. "I'd like to start tonight by dedicating this entire show to everybody in Orlando, at Pulse nightclub last night," the singer is seen saying in a video captured by an audience member. "The LGBTQ community ... They're like my soul mates since I was really young, so I'm really moved by it." The singer, known for her chart topping hits on heartbreak... Читать дальше...

It took a month for the lucky winner to come out of the woodwork, but they made it at last.  The winner of a €290,000 Quaterno jackpot today claimed their prize, Maltco Lotteries said, one month after their lucky draw and 30 days before their winning claim expired.  Had they not claimed the money by 13 July, the entire jackpot would have been redirected to the Governments' Good Causes Fund.  Maltco Lotteries advised all players to always check that their tickets right after they bought them, to keep... Читать дальше...

The Republic of Ireland know they'll have to limit the effectiveness of Sweden's captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic if they're to have a chance of winning this Group E clash. But don't expect the Swedes to be in a forgiving mood: with both Italy and Belgium in this group, these two sides know that they'll have to get a result here if they're to have a serious chance of making it out of the group stages.

Police are investigating after a group of Maltese divers posted a photo of themselves posing with a shark they claimed to have caught.  The photo and Facebook comment caused an uproar on social media and was quickly taken down by the uploader, with one of the divers subsequently telling Times of Malta that the photo was "more than a year old" and that in reality the group had found the shark "dead as it was washed ashore."  The text in the original Facebook post had read: "We caught it before it caught us. Читать дальше...

The use of heavy machinery to remove seaweed from beaches causes irreversible damage to sand dunes, according to environmentalist Alan Deidun, who called for clean-ups to be done manually. “Every year it’s the same issue. Environmentalists and experts call for the manual removal of seaweed and yet, year after year massive trucks are used,” Prof. Deidun told this newspaper. He was reacting to reports last week that Għajn Tuffieħa Bay was looking more like a construction site than a Blue Flag beach... Читать дальше...

A French judge jailed two British soccer fans today for their involvement in the street violence in Marseille at the opening of the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. Alexander Booth, a 20-year-old cook, was sentenced to two months in prison, while psychiatric nurse Ian Hepworth received a three-month term. "I'm truly sorry. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I'm no hooligan," Booth told the judge before his sentence was read. Both men will be barred from entering France for two years.

A senior Russian football official and politician has apparently praised his country's hooligans for defending Russia's honour and said it was "normal" for fans to fight at matches. "I don't see anything wrong with the fans fighting," read a post on Twitter on an account in the name of Igor Lebedev. "Quite the opposite, well done lads, keep it up!" In two further tweets, Lebedev seemingly blamed the French authorities for the trouble that marred the Euro 2016 game between England and Russia, and... Читать дальше...

England manager Roy Hodgson and captain Wayne Rooney have appealed directly to fans to "stay out of trouble" following UEFA's threat to expel the team from Euro 2016.In an unprecedented move the pair recorded a video, shared by the Football Association on Twitter, in which Hodgson and Rooney urge supporters to do everything in their power to avoid repeats of the violent scenes which marred their time in Marseille.

Reigning champions Spain left it late but Gerard Pique's 87th-minute header earned them a deserved 1-0 victory over a dogged Czech Republic in their Euro 2016 Group D opener today. Pique headed in Andres Iniesta's "incredible" cross to give Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech no chance after he had made several fine saves to put his side within sight of an unlikely draw. Cech reacted well to deny Alvaro Morata and David Silva in the first half while Czech defender Roman Hubnik deflected Morata's shot against his own post. Читать дальше...

Older teens who try electronic cigarettes have six times the odds of trying regular cigarettes within two years than those who never puffed on the devices, a study published on Monday found. "We're concerned that kids who experiment with e-cigarettes may be moving on to other types of tobacco products, like combustible cigarettes, which are arguably a lot more dangerous," said University of Southern California researcher Jessica Barrington-Trimis, lead author of the study published in the journal Pediatrics. Читать дальше...