Новости за 18.06.2021

England missed a chance to book their place in the last 16 at Euro 2020 as Scotland kept their own hopes alive with a well deserved 0-0 draw on Friday. Gareth Southgate’s side would have been guaranteed to advance from Group D with a win over their old rivals at Wembley. But lethargic England managed just one shot on target and Scotland’s combative display could easily have earned all three points. Continue reading this article on Sports Desk. 

FIFA president Gianni Infantino was impressed by the development of football in Malta and opened the door for the MFA to host a FIFA youth competition in the future. Infantino was in Malta for a one-day visit as part of the MFA’s 120th anniversary celebrations from its foundation. During his stay on the islands the Swiss had the opportunity to touch some important aspects of the game. He started the day with a meeting with young players at the Salinos Ground in Valletta, met with Prime Minister... Читать дальше...

Spain captain Sergio Busquets will travel with the squad on Friday for their second Euro 2020 Group E game against Poland after being given the all-clear from Covid-19 following a first positive test. Busquets has been allowed to rejoin the squad, the Spanish football federation confirmed, after a negative result in his latest PCR test — but he is not expected to play against Poland.  The midfielder had to self-isolate at home after his positive test on June 6 and has therefore not trained for 12 days. Читать дальше...

Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen has been discharged from hospital following a “successful operation” six days after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, the Danish Football Union (DBU) announced Friday. Doctors had said Thursday that Eriksen, 29, would have a heart defibrillator implanted to regulate his heart rhythm, casting doubt over whether he will be able to play again. “The operation went well, and I am doing well under the circumstances,” Eriksen said in a statement. “Thank you for the massive number of greetings ... Читать дальше...

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his priority is keeping the “country safe from Covid”, as a source confirmed to AFP that UEFA is keeping the option open of moving the Euro 2020 semi-finals and final from Wembley to Budapest. With the closing stages of the European Championship scheduled to take place in London, The Times reported that Johnson was considering exempting around 2,500 UEFA and FIFA officials, sponsors and broadcasters from quarantine measures in place in Britain due to coronavirus protocols. Читать дальше...

A suspect arms dealer, who landed behind bars over a ‘faulty’ firearm found in his possession, has been granted bail barely one month since he pleaded not guilty upon his arraignment. Aaron Cassar, a 41-year old Birzebbugia resident, had been targeted by police following an anonymous tip-off about a suspected arms deal and his vehicle intercepted at Birzebbugia one May afternoon. An unlicensed .25 pistol was discovered in the luggage boot of Cassar’s car, loaded with two bullets. The suspect was... Читать дальше...

Daredevil stunt rider Alex Harvill has died while warming up for an attempt at a world record jump, according to various media reports.  Harvill was planning to attempt a 107-metre jump in front of spectators during the Moses Lake Airshow in the US state of Washington.  He died while warming up after his motorcycle landed just off the intended target and crashing into a dirt mound, the BBC reported.  Local newspaper, the Columbia Basin Herald, said Harvill appeared to have been thrown over the handlebars and lost his helmet in the crash. Читать дальше...

Police on beach patrol can wear the official police-issued baseball cap, a decision that came about after the Malta Police Union had registered a trade dispute.  Earlier in June, police on beach patrol were refused permission to wear an official police baseball cap and appropriate footwear instead of the normal police gear, prompting the union to register the dispute. The union had instructed officers on beach patrol duties to wear the baseball cap and black shoes, regardless of whether or not they were union members. Читать дальше...

Malta International Airport has once again urged health authorities to allow health documents to be digitally checked after video footage of hundreds of people crowded in airport arrivals areas prompted concern.  Footage shared with Times of Malta showed long queues of people waiting to have their COVID-19 documents checked on Friday afternoon.  Another video showed large crowds gathering at the baggage reclaim area, where many travellers are seen waiting with their luggage in hand to be allowed to enter the arrivals hall. Читать дальше...

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi was back in the witness stand during libel proceedings filed against him by Minister Owen Bonnici whom he had called “a liar” and “a criminal” on Facebook. The comment was posted by Azzopardi on his Facebook page in December 2019, the day after the Opposition had obtained a full copy of the Egrant inquiry report drawn up by then-magistrate Aaron Bugeja. Bonnici promptly sought recourse before the courts, claiming that the post was defamatory and intended to tarnish his reputation. Читать дальше...

Works on various road projects around Malta resumed after a two-day halt this week, although the debris dumping issue that led to the standoff has yet to be resolved. Transport Minister Ian Borg said that works on infrastructure projects related to roads had resumed on Wednesday, two days after contractors who were carrying out the works had downed tools, saying they had nowhere to dump construction waste. Malta Developers Association director-general Deborah Schembri confirmed that contractors... Читать дальше...

The MATSEC Examination Board has apologised for asking teenagers to translate a father's suicide note as part of their SEC exam. Students were left shocked by the passage, which includes the words "I'll leave this life and die". In a statement, MATSEC admitted it had made an "error of judgment".  The passage featured in this year’s Arabic exam for students aged 15 and 16, which took place on June 15. The translation reads: “My dear wife and children, I’m so sad I can’t live anymore, when you... Читать дальше...

The wait is finally over. After a long – and delayed, due to the coronavirus pandemic – warming up period, the UEFA Euro 2020 has kicked off. And even at group stages, football fans all over Europe – and the world – are enjoying some pretty exciting and dramatic games, with Europe’s top national teams battling it out for glory.  And that is only a taster of what is to come at the end of the group stages and the sizzling knockout phase. This excitement has inspired Meridianbet Casino to launch... Читать дальше...

The MSE Equity Price Index ended the week considerably lower as it dropped by 1.8% to 3,955.335 points. The decline was led by the slump in the share price of FIMBank which together with the negative performances of HSBC, BOV and RS2 offset the uplift in Lombard. Meanwhile, five companies ended unchanged as trading activity contracted back to below €0.1 million. FIMBank plc lost 18.9% to the USD0.30 level on a total of 79,000 shares. Last week, Fitch downgraded its rating on FIMBank to ‘B’ whilst maintaining a ‘Negative’ outlook. Читать дальше...

Maltco is looking for the winner of the Super 5 jackpot worth €250,000 won on April 28, the lotteries company said on a Friday.  In a statement, Maltco said the ticket for the €250,000 jackpot was valid for draw 870 and was purchased from POS 381 in Triq il-Gilju, Bugibba. The lucky winner had purchased the ticket at 6.27pm, minutes before sales for the draw closed at 6.45pm.  The five drawn numbers - 15 – 22 – 17 – 7 – 27  - were chosen verbally by the player and not played through the quick pick feature. Читать дальше...

Mercedes’ driver Valtteri Bottas set the best time in the first free practice session of the French Grand Prix at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet on Friday.  The Finn was 0.335 seconds quicker than his teammate Lewis Hamilton with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen a further 0.007secs behind. The Dutchman holds a four-point lead over Hamilton in the championship after six races. Continue reading this article on Sports Desk. 

A Belgian court on Friday ordered drugs company AstraZeneca to deliver 50 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to EU members by September 27 - fewer than Brussels had demanded. Both sides claimed victory, with the European Commission stressing the firm would pay a financial penalty for each missed dose and the company promising it would easily meet the target. The UK-based pharmaceutical fell well short of fulfilling its contract to supply the EU in the first quarter, delivering only 30 million of the 120 million promised. Читать дальше...

A state-backed art gallery in Shanghai apologised on Friday for promoting an artwork that ranked thousands of real-life women by appearance after a social media uproar. The OCAT Shanghai gallery said it had removed the work – titled Uglier and Uglier – by male artist Song Ta, as it showed "disrespect and offence to female friends". It apologised for "trouble, discomfort and injury" caused by the work. The hours-long video featured about 5,000 photos and videos of anonymous women filmed on a university campus... Читать дальше...