Новости за 08.10.2021

MALTA            0 SLOVENIA       4 Ilicic 28, 60 Sporar 49; Sesko 67 Malta H. Bonello, K. Shaw, J. Mbong (68 A. Magri Overend), L. Montebello (80 J. Degabriele), S. Pisani (68 T. Caruana), P. Mbong (56 A. Satariano), E. Pepe, T. Teuma, C. Attard, S. Dimech (56 L. Gambin), Z. Muscat. Slovenia J. Oblak, J. Balkovec, J. Ilicic (71 L. Zahovic), S. Lovric (70 J. Stankovic), A. Sporar (61 B. Sesko), J. Kurtic (82 T. Elsnik), M. Mevlja, Z. Karnicnik, B. Verbic (61 D. Crnigoj), A. Cerin. Referee Anastasios Sidiropoulos (Greece). Читать дальше...

A military commission made up of rival camps in Libya's conflict has agreed on a roadmap for the departure of foreign fighters, the United Nations said on Friday after talks in Geneva. The so-called 5+5 committee "agreed on, and signed a comprehensive Action Plan, which will be the cornerstone for the gradual, balanced, and sequenced process of the withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign fighters and foreign forces from Libyan territory," the UN mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said in a statement. The plan... Читать дальше...

The Malta U-21’s national team fell to the second straight defeat in their European qualifiers after losing 2-1 to Lithuania. The Baltic team opened the score from a direct freekick in the closing stages of the first half before wrapping up the win with a penalty, early in the second 45 minutes. Deep in stoppage time, Jamie Sixsmith pulled one back for Malta but it was too late for the Maltese side to rescue at least a point from this game. Led by Gilbert Agius, Malta remain with three points... Читать дальше...

The number of people waiting for social housing is expected to drop by 60 per cent by the end of the year, as new public accommodation becomes available.  Addressing a press conference on Friday evening, Social Accommodation Minister Roderick Galdes said the waiting list for social housing was at its highest in 2017 when 3,288 were hoping for a state-financed home.  By the end of this year, the waiting list will stand at 1,321 - a 60 per cent drop from that 2017 high, Galdes noted.  Furthermore... Читать дальше...

A fire broke out at the national football stadium of Andorra on Friday, a day before Andorra were due to face England in a World Cup qualifier. The flames were put out by firefighters minutes later, according to reports, and nobody appeared hurt.  It remains unclear if the game against England on Saturday night will go ahead as planned. “A small fire that has broken out at the National Stadium this Friday afternoon has been extinguished,” confirmed the Andorran government on Twitter. The blaze... Читать дальше...

N’Golo Kante has returned to training at Chelsea following a period of self-isolation after he tested positive for coronavirus, the Premier League club announced on Friday. The World Cup-winning midfielder has missed Blues’ matches against Juventus and Southampton, and also sat out France’s international fixtures but could be back for the match against Brentford on October 16. Kante, 30, had battled ankle trouble earlier this season, only to return a positive COVID-19 test. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk... Читать дальше...

Church schools on Friday lambasted the government for rushing through cannabis legislation just before a national election. The government this week tabled a bill in parliament that would allow cannabis users to grow plants at home or buy the substance from specially set up associations. Smoking a joint in public will remain against the law and no one can carry more than seven grams of cannabis at any given time. The new rules were drawn up following a public consultation period on the white paper published in March. Читать дальше...

A father of two who stood accused of repeatedly raping his wife and sexually abusing his young daughter has been cleared of those charges, with a court saying the wife’s version of events was not credible.  The man was reported to the Victim Support Unit by his estranged wife while the couple were undergoing acrimonious separation proceedings. Police charged the suspect with marital rape, sexual abuse of the minor as well as having held his wife against her will, besides being a recidivist. The case went to trial behind closed doors. Читать дальше...

Kevin Azzopardi has announced that he has submitted his nomination to contest the election for the post of general secretary at the Maltese Olympic Committee. Azzopardi is a former football referee but during the last years, he has been working in Maltese sport in the role of Education Officer (Physical Education) within the Ministry of Education. As of this year, he is also forming part of the National Sport School set up as he is assisting in sport performance analysis. Azzopardi confirmed his... Читать дальше...

Kenneth Zammit Tabone was conspicuously absent for the launch of the Manoel Theatre's new season but he remains the national theatre's artistic director, according to its chairman. “I can confirm that he is still the artistic director, and I do not know the reason why he was not present at the launch,” Michael Grech said, when contacted. On Tuesday, the national theatre introduced the new 2021-2022 season with a launch event celebrating the completion of works on the façade and throughout the historic building. Читать дальше...

The MSE Equity Price Index moved to the highest level in 16 weeks as it advanced by 1.67% to 3,960.473 points. The gains in seven equities outweighed the declines in HSBC and Trident. Meanwhile, MPC remained unchanged as overall trading activity improved to €0.21 million. PG plc ended the session at a new all-time high as the equity added 0.8% to the €2.52 level on four trades totalling 18,827 shares. PG will be holding its annual general meeting on Thursday 21 October.  Simonds Farsons Cisk plc... Читать дальше...

Lawyers who practice in the Gozo law courts have banded together to create their own lobby group. Avukati Għawdex will serve as the chamber of advocates for Gozo-focused lawyers and represent their interests in official fora.  The Gozo law courts are currently in a state of turmoil, with lawyers on strike in protest at myriad problems at the ageing building. The Victoria-based courts have been found to fall short of accessibility and health and safety minimum standards and lawyers who practice there say they lack even the most basic staff... Читать дальше...

England manager Gareth Southgate said Friday the coronavirus vaccination programme was the “only way out” of the pandemic as concerns grow over the low rate of Premier League players getting the jab. Although no official figures are available, reports suggest only seven of England’s 20 top-flight clubs have more than 50 percent of their squad fully vaccinated. A number of players in Southgate’s squad are understood not to have had the jab ahead of Saturday’s World Cup qualifier in Andorra. The... Читать дальше...

The Malta Developers Association will continue hunting for a new president until the end of the year, after nobody submitted a nomination to replace Sandro Chetcuti in that role.  Michael Stivala will serve as acting MDA president until a new president is found, with association members having unanimously voted to appoint the outgoing Chetcuti as honorary president of the MDA.   Stivala – a developer who served as Chetcuti’s deputy at the MDA – will lead a council made up of Denise Micallef Xuereb as vice-president... Читать дальше...

Malta’s tax system is under threat and the government appears to be doing very little to protect it, the Nationalist Party has said in a statement expressing concern at the lack of stakeholder consultation. “Yet again, the Opposition, business owners, unions and stakeholders were not consulted about the government’s decision to give in to international institutions and lose its fiscal independence by accepting a decision about a common minimum tax rate for foreign companies,” PN finance spokesperson Mario de Marco said. Читать дальше...

Audi quattro and the five-cylinder engine are legends with a great history, but are also defining trailblazers for the future of the automobile. As an integral part of Audi’s Vorsprung durch Technik DNA, the drive system and engine have not lost any of their power to captivate, even 40 years after they premiered. The constant all-wheel drive and the sporty engine awaken memories of historic venues. But they are also the technological basis for the automotive experiences that lie before us. In this video... Читать дальше...

Fast cars, nostalgic gadgets, and tasteful one-liners, No Time to Die walks down a familiar path with an exciting coat of paint. Although as sad as it may be to see Craig pass on the title, he can do so knowing that his story knew when to end, and does so admirably. Generally speaking, I try to avoid the modern, spoiler-filled, three-minute trailer as if it were a global pandemic – in essence, with difficulty. As teasers pop-up in my recommendations, I keep scrolling but can’t help from finding... Читать дальше...

A primary school in Żebbuġ, Gozo is to be refurbished to include new open recreational spaces, increase accessibility and make it more energy-efficient.   The €3 million project will see the school’s 1950s building given a complete revamp, with changes also to the school’s outdoor areas. The works have been granted a planning permit and a call for tender for the works is to be issued in the coming weeks.  While works are under way, schoolchildren will be moved to temporary classes that are being set up on school grounds. Читать дальше...

The fiancée of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Friday criticised the takeover of Newcastle United by a Saudi-led consortium, accusing the English Premier League football club of only thinking of money. Hatice Cengiz, who was set to marry Khashoggi when he was killed in 2018 inside Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul, said the £300 million ($408 million) takeover deal was “heartbreaking” for her and she was “very disappointed”. “It seems like they (Newcastle fans) don’t care about what happened to Jamal... Читать дальше...

The XC60 has been a core part of Volvo’s range for a little while now. In fact, it’s been one of the firm’s best-selling cars since 2009, which goes to show just how important it is. So it’s little surprise that Volvo has chosen to refresh its ever-popular XC60, adding a little extra sparkle to this mid-size SUV while ensuring that its powertrains tie in with the brand’s electrified ethos. But given this market is so awash with options, can this update do enough to keep the XC60 current? We’ve been finding out. Читать дальше...

A man was conditionally discharged and fined after commenting on Facebook that Nationalist MP Karol Aquilina and his brother, civil society group Repubblika president Robert Aquilina, “deserved a good beating once and for all”. Sandro Farrugia was summoned to court on Friday over the hate speech incident dating back to July when he posted a comment under a Facebook post uploaded by Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar. On July 21, Cutajar reacted to a protest by the civil society group outside police headquarters... Читать дальше...

Archaeologists excavating at Tas-Silġ in Marsaxlokk have discovered the remains of another Neolithic structure. The newly-unearthed structure, still being excavated, has substantially increased the footprint of the land used in the Neolithic period at this site.  The discovery was announced during a site visit at Tas-Silġ by Heritage Minister José Herrera, Heritage Malta’s chief executive officer Noel Zammit and Superintendent of Cultural Heritage Kurt Farrugia. They were shown around the site by David Cardona... Читать дальше...

Updated 2.59pm with Prime Minister's comments Prime Minister Robert Abela on Friday confirmed that Pope Francis will pay a visit to Malta in the first three months of next year.  Speaking to journalists following his private meeting with the Pope, Abela said the Pope had confirmed his visit and said he was enthusiastic to come to Malta.   The news came during a private meeting the two had at the Vatican in Rome, with Abela citing the tentative period in comments to TVM.  Video: DOI Pope Francis... Читать дальше...

Poland's government on Friday insisted it wanted the country to stay in the European Union as it faced a growing backlash against a court ruling that analysts said could lead to "Polexit". German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Poland must "fully and completely" implement EU law, while France's Europe Minister Clement Beaune called the ruling an "attack against the EU". European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was "deeply concerned" and vowed that the EU would "uphold the founding principles of our Union's legal order". Читать дальше...

A contractor facing criminal charges for dumping a migrant worker on the side of the road after falling two storeys from a construction site was granted bail on Thursday evening following a marathon sitting. Glen Farrugia, a 31-year-old contractor from Żebbuġ and director of J&G Farrugia contractors, was released on bail against a €10,000 deposit and a €30,000 personal guarantee by presiding Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia, who continued hearing witnesses until almost 10pm to be able to release Farrugia from custody. Читать дальше...