Новости за 24.06.2021

Ħamrun Spartans will discover their fate of whether they will represent Malta in this season’s Champions League on Monday when the Court of Arbitration for Sport will issue its verdict on their appeal against UEFA’s decision to exclude the Malta champions from this season’s UEFA elite club competition. The Spartans were declared as Malta champions in May but their hopes of returning to the Champions League qualifiers were rocked when UEFA’s Appeal Board had turned down their complaint over the... Читать дальше...

The decision of the Financial Action Task Force (FTAF) to greylist Malta is terrible news for the country. We have basically been told that our best efforts have not been good enough to convince international anti-financial crime watchdogs that we genuinely want to wipe out our past shortcomings and failures in implementing anti-financial crime regulation. It is now time for stakeholders – primarily the government and its financial watchdogs – to search their souls to determine why Malta has found itself in this dire situation. Читать дальше...

Manuel Neuer says Germany are relishing a return to Wembley to face England in the last 16 of Euro 2020, 25 years after breaking English hearts at the tournament. Germany were facing elimination from Group F on Wednesday until second-half replacement Leon Goretzka fired in the crucial late equaliser to seal a 2-2 draw with Hungary which put Joachim Loew’s side into the last 16. Germany now face Gareth Southgate’s England in London next Tuesday for a place in the quarter-finals. “It was a thriller... Читать дальше...

The following are the top stories in Malta's newspapers on Thursday. Times of Malta, The Malta Independent and l-orizzont dedicate their front page to Prime Minister Robert Abela's comments that the decision to add Malta to an international financial crime watchdog’s grey list on Wednesday was “unjust”. Times of Malta reports that according to Abela,  most concerns flagged by global assessors had been addressed. The Malta Independent also reports that 7,000 people will receive their second Astra... Читать дальше...

I am writing this article on Tuesday, the day before a group of experts will decide whether Malta will be placed on the FATF grey list. I requested this article to be published after Wednesday lest anyone attempts to interpret this article as seeking greylisting. It is not. But avoiding greylisting should not mean whitewashing facts and the truth.  For the sake of our financial services industry, which has painstakingly grown over the last 30 years to become one of the pillars of the Maltese economy... Читать дальше...

Karim Benzema said he was delighted to score his first goals for France since 2015 against Portugal on Wednesday, as there was “a little pressure” on him across the country. The Real Madrid striker was brought back for Euro 2020 by coach Didier Deschamps after a five-and-a-half-year exile from international football over his alleged role in a blackmail plot. Benzema failed to score in his first four matches since returning for France, who won the 2018 World Cup without him. But he netted a first-half... Читать дальше...

Like everyone with a head on his shoulders, I hope I’ll have woken up this morning to the news that Malta escaped being put on the grey list of the FATF, the global watchdog against money laundering and terrorism financing. It would mean we’ve escaped a severe economic blow, almost dealt thanks to corruption and political inaction. I’m writing this on Tuesday, however, having read the op-ed by Clyde Caruana, the finance minister, who said that he and the government have done all they could to avoid the dread fate. Читать дальше...

Gibraltar heads to the polls Thursday to vote on plans to ease draconian abortion laws in a referendum delayed for over a year by the coronavirus pandemic. The issue has exposed sharply opposing views within this tiny, normally closely-knit British enclave at the southernmost tip of Spain, which is home to some 32,000 people.  The referendum was initially slated for March 19, 2020, but a week ahead of the vote it was postponed as virus cases began spiralling at the start of the pandemic. Except in cases where it would save the mother's life... Читать дальше...

Obituary VASSALLO. On June 22, at Mater Dei Hospital, CARMEN, aged 73, from Rabat, widow of Vincent Vassallo, passed away peacefully comforted by the rites of Holy Church. She leaves to mourn her loss her children Etienne and his partner Krista, Annelise and her husband Reuben, her grandchildren Tara and Chloe and their fiancés, her brothers and their spouses, her in-laws and their spouses, her nieces and nephews, relatives and friends. The funeral cortège leaves Mater Dei Hospital today, Thursday... Читать дальше...

Brazil continued their winning romp through the Copa America Wednesday, eking out a controversial 2-1 victory against Colombia after struggling most of the match to answer a magnificent bicycle-kick goal by Luis Diaz. The 11th-hour win gave the “Selecao” a perfect nine points from three matches in the South American championships, and extended their current winning streak to 11 matches. However, the victory was steeped in controversy: Brazil’s second-half equalizer, a Roberto Firmino header, was... Читать дальше...

The Maksar brothers have “strongly denied” any link to the stockpile of weapons discovered hidden at sea, including some 40 rifles and machine guns believed to form part of a Malta-Italy-Libya smuggling operation. The weapons were discovered in the sea off Miġra l-Ferħa cliffs between Sunday and Monday, after the police received a confidential tip. Robert and Adrian Agius’s lawyer, Alfred Abela, told Times of Malta when contacted that his clients deny any of the allegations made in their regard. Читать дальше...

Three words, three questions The concluding words of Mgr Joseph Galea Curmi for this year’s aggiornamento are really inspiring. He invited us, priests, to be priests of discernment, priests close to the people and priests who instil hope in people’s lives. Do I discern? How can I be close to the people? And how can I instil hope in the people I come across? Can these three words become the three ongoing evaluation questions of my life, as a priest? Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap – Marsa COVID vaccine I wish to advise readers that... Читать дальше...

The following ships are expected in Malta: the Gerrit Braren from Beirut to Tunis, the Norderoog from El Dekheila to Taranto, the Atlantic Merchant from Annaba to Gemlik (all CMA CGM Malta Agency Ltd), the MV Neptune Kefalonia from Catania to Catania (SMS Shipping Ltd) and the MV Eurocargo Malta from Catania to Catania (Sullivan Maritime Ltd) today. The Cartagena Trader from Piraeus to Valencia, the APL Savannah from Gioia Tauro to Singapore, the As Freya from Thessaloniki to Damietta, the Contship Ace from Rijeka to Bejaia... Читать дальше...

Xewkija parish will celebrate the liturgical feast of the birth of St John the Baptist today and the titular feast on Sunday, June 27. Today, Fr Joseph Camilleri will celebrate Mass for the sick at the Rotunda at 9am, while former Xewkija archpriest Mgr Carmelo Mercieca will celebrate solemn Mass for all benefactors at 7pm. The homily will be delivered by Xagħra archpriest Mgr Carmelo Refalo. Tomorrow, Mgr Eddie Zammit will celebrate solemn Mass at 7pm. Special prayers will be said for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two penalties to equal the all-time international goalscoring record and help holders Portugal edge into the last 16 of Euro 2020 with a 2-2 draw against France in Budapest on Wednesday. Portugal will face the world’s top-ranked side Belgium in the first knockout round in Seville on Sunday. Fernando Santos’ men moved through as one of the four best third-placed sides, for the second straight Euro, from Group F behind France and Germany, who only just qualified after a dramatic 2-2 draw with Hungary in Munich. Читать дальше...

Leon Goretzka came off the bench to rescue Germany’s Euro 2020 campaign with a late equaliser as a nerve-shredding 2-2 draw against Hungary in Munich on Wednesday sent them through to the last 16. Captain Adam Szalai gave Hungary a shock early lead and although Germany drew level through Kai Havertz in the second half, the Hungarians went back in front almost immediately through Andras Schaefer.  With six minutes left, Goretzka fired home a crucial equaliser to set up a blockbuster tie against England at Wembley on Tuesday... Читать дальше...