Новости за 26.10.2021

On Tuesday, was yet another day of extraordinary tales and adventure. The 42nd Rolex Middle Sea Race continues to live up to its billing as a blockbuster thriller. Overnight the list of finishers had lifted from seven to 18 by 9am and is now up to 31 as more boats filed across the line. Some 40 or so crews are on the leg from Lampedusa to Malta and will be relieved to be on the last stretch home. The weather is predicted to throw another curve ball in the next 12 hours. Winds are forecast to build... Читать дальше...

Police in Europe and the United States have announced the arrest of 150 people who allegedly bought and sold significant volumes of drugs, weapons and other illegal goods on the dark web. Europol and US authorities said they had seized tens of millions of euros in cash and virtual currencies as they rolled up an online underground trading market in the 10-month Operation Dark HunTOR. They said major dealers of counterfeit drugs, often tainted with dangerous substances like fentanyl, on the dark web had been arrested. Читать дальше...

A minor who circulated an indecent photograph of an underage girl he had received was let off with a slap on the wrist by a magistrate who, however, ordered the destruction of the boy’s iPhone 11. The boy, whose name cannot be published by court order since he is still a minor, admitted the charges brought against him. Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit conditionally discharged him for three years, warning him about the serious consequences should he commit another crime within this period. Police... Читать дальше...

Updated 6.45pm NGO Repubblika kicked off a 72-hour sit-in outside the police headquarters in Floriana claiming police "inaction" on former minister Konrad Mizzi. “We have been patiently warning the Police Commissioner to do his job, but he has pushed the limit too far now,” Repubblika president Robert Aquilina told journalists on Tuesday.  Behind him, a banner showing Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa, Prime Minister Robert Abela, Konrad Mizzi and former prime minister Joseph Muscat with the words “shame on you” splashed across... Читать дальше...

AZERBAIJAN   1 Seyfatdniova 90 MALTA            2 Theuma 58; Xuereb 87 AZERBAIJAN A. Sharifova; Z. Mahsimova, A. Ahmadova, M. Mollayeva, A. Dorofeeva, N. Mirzaliyeva, V. Seyfatdinova, A. Aliyeva (75 P. Bozdag), B. Su Koyun (60 D. Mammadova), N. Parlak, K. Bakarandze.  MALTA P. Ebejer; C. Zammit, S. Farrugia, E. Lipman, A. Said, N. Sciberras (64 A. Sultana), S. Zammit, D. Theuma (76 E. Xuereb), R. Cuschieri, B. Borg (88 J. Flask), M. Farrugia. Referee: Reka Molnar (Hungary FA). Malta recorded its... Читать дальше...

General Electric reported higher-than-expected profits on Tuesday as aviation profits grew even as supply chain problems weighed on some operations. Chief executive Lawrence Culp described the aviation business as “building momentum and showing signs of recovery” as GE scored higher orders across industrial businesses. But he called the overall environment “challenging”.  Global supply chain problems remained a headwind, with Culp telling Wall Street analysts that the bottlenecks would likely... Читать дальше...

Updated 5.30pm Winds reaching up to force 7 and heavy rain are expected to batter Malta over the next few days, with weather forecasters bracing themselves for a gregale storm. The rough weather comes as storms in neighbouring Sicily left two people dead and entire regions on high alert, with cars overturned and entire streets submerged as a result of torrential rainfall. Locally, meteorologists at the Malta International Airport Met Office expect east-northeast winds to pick up the pace overnight and reach very strong levels on Wednesday... Читать дальше...

Two teenagers charged with multiple car thefts, breaking into other vehicles, stealing registration plates and damaging a police car have been denied bail. The boys, aged 14 and 15, were arrested on Sunday afternoon after being spotted by Rapid Intervention Unit officers on patrol in Żebbuġ. It transpired that the car they were in - an Isuzu Gemini - had been reported stolen in Birkirkara.  The 14-year-old, who was behind the wheel, tried to drive away from the officers. The car suddenly stopped and the teenagers fled the scene on foot... Читать дальше...

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis said on Tuesday it is reviewing the future of its generic medicine division Sandoz, with all options on the table – including spinning it off. Novartis, which listed its ophthalmology division Alcon separately on the stock exchange in 2019, said it has “commenced a strategic review of the Sandoz Division”. “The review will explore all options, ranging from retaining the business to separation,” it said in a statement that also announced its third quarter results. Читать дальше...

University of Malta scientists have discovered an area of coral mounds off Marsascala that is 10 times the size of Comino. Many of the organisms living on these mounds are endangered and protected by international law, but unfortunately, some mounds have already been destroyed by anchors or fishing trawlers.   On Tuesday, Scientists from the Department of Geosciences called on the authorities to urgently declare the seafloor hosting these mounds as a Marine Special Area of Conservation. Video... Читать дальше...

Joshua Kimmich will be under the spotlight for Bayern Munich at rivals Moenchengladbach on Wednesday amid a fiery debate in Germany since the footballer revealed he opted not to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The 26-year-old is set to play for Bayern in a German Cup second-round tie, but off the pitch, his decision not to get vaccinated has even drawn comment from the government in Berlin. On Saturday, Kimmich revealed he decided against being vaccinated, despite having founded the ‘We Kick Corona” charity last year. Читать дальше...

Switzerland’s largest bank UBS said on Tuesday its third-quarter profits rose nine per cent to $2.3 billion (€1.9bn), buoyed by its wealth management division and fees from investment banking. The bank’s operating income, the equivalent of revenue, rose by two per cent to $9.1 billion, beating the $8.5 billion forecasted by Swiss agency AWP. It was the latest in a wave of global banks reporting rising profits after being buffeted by the COVID-19 pandemic, after positive results announced by HSBC, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase. Читать дальше...

Maltese e-ID users will soon be able to access a wider range of online services in other EU countries after Malta's e-ID system passed 'rigorous' testing and achieved the highest level of security assurance recognised by the EU. The final evaluation process, which is ongoing, will take up to six months. Maltese e-ID users will then be able to access EU online systems to manage their health, education and tax services. "People are increasingly choosing to spend some time living and working in EU countries... Читать дальше...

Labour MPs on Tuesday refused to condemn Konrad Mizzi’s repeated refusal to appear before parliament's public accounts committee to answer for the Electrogas power station deal. Opposition MPs tabled a motion for the entire committee to condemn Mizzi’s behaviour, but Mizzi’s former colleagues voted against the proposal. This led Opposition MPs Beppe Fenech Adami, Karol Aquilina and Ryan Callus to accuse their Labour colleagues of being in cahoots with the former energy minister. Mizzi was kicked... Читать дальше...

With the electric revolution in full swing, we’re now starting to see manufacturers introduce performance versions of their EVs, enticing driving enthusiasts over to zero-emission motoring. That’s exactly why Ford has released a go-faster GT version of its Mustang Mach-E SUV. Being an electric car, the regular model is no slouch, but this new version ups the ante. The Blue Oval is perhaps best known by enthusiasts for its exciting hot hatches, but the Mach-E is more like an electric muscle car... Читать дальше...

Neptunes player Jeremy Abela is set to leave Malta this weekend to pursue his career in Italy as he is set to join Pescara Nuoto. Abela has been one of the key players for Neptunes in the last few years and his decision to further his career with the Italian Serie B club will surely help him to further develop his talents. “Our Senior Team Centre Forward, Jeremy Abela, will leave Malta this Saturday to join Italian Serie B Team, Pescara Pallanuoto,” Neptunes WPSC said in a statement. “The Serie B league will start in January. Читать дальше...

COVID infections and deaths are on the rise again in Europe, with Russia, Ukraine and Romania registering the highest fatalities on the continent, an AFP tally showed Tuesday.  About 1,672,000 new cases have been registered on the continent over the past week, an average of about 239,000 per day. That was an increase of 18 per cent on the previous week, according to AFP’s data, compiled from official sources from 52 countries and territories in the region.  The increase in cases was a 60 per cent jump from August and September... Читать дальше...

The bioeconomy claims to solve our time’s biggest problems: climate change, species extinction, pesticides and depleted soils. But what does the term "bioeconomy" even mean? And can it really solve these problems? This documentary takes a critical look at the green promises of science, industry and politics.

A Paris museum on Tuesday exhibited over a dozen colonial-era treasures taken from Benin, the last time they will be shown in France before being handed back in a landmark gesture.  The 26 pieces, from a trove of objects snatched by French forces in 1892, are being shown for just six days at the Quai Branly museum before being shipped to the West African country later this month. The decision to return them follows growing calls in Africa for European countries to return the colonial spoils from museums. Читать дальше...

Amazon warehouse workers in New York said on Monday they had filed to create a union, hoping to be the first such body recognised by the e-commerce giant six months after a similar attempt failed elsewhere. Their effort has been closely watched as it could pave the way for further unionisation in the United States at one of the world’s most powerful companies. Amazon Labor Union (ALU), the organising group in New York that submitted the formal papers to officials, said the company is fighting the effort. Читать дальше...

Hibs and Starlites Naxxar booked their place in the February final as the humid ambiance somewhat conditions play in Ta Qali The very damp weather characterizing the weekend somewhat affected the two Shield semi-finals as, despite all the efforts made by the local basketball association, the humidity trapped in the arena resulted in some slippery conditions on the playing surface. Of course, all the four teams eyeing the two spots in this competition’s final to be played on February 10 were in the same pot... Читать дальше...

Mariella Vella, who has been involved for years with the Lasallian mission in Malta as an effective teacher and administrator, received letters of affiliation to the Lasallian Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools during a ceremony held at the La Salle Retreat Centre, Mellieħa, on September 25. Seen in the above photo are, from left, Br Ben Hanlon, Acting Visitor, who heads the District of Great Britain, Ireland and Malta, Br Edwin Chircop, Br David Mizzi, Br Edward Galea, Mariella Vella... Читать дальше...

University students are keen on hybrid learning systems that include both in-person and online lectures to continue beyond the pandemic, a study by the Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU) has found.  Called the post-COVID-19 academic strategy, the study analyses the benefits of online learning, the way forward for tertiary education and also looks at feedback from students.  Of the respondents who took part in the study, 75 per cent said they would prefer having the so-called hybrid system once the pandemic subsides. Читать дальше...

A man accused of involvement in a robbery at a Zejtun ice cream factory seven years ago has been cleared by a court, which found that there was not one single piece of evidence linking him to the theft. Stephen Borg, 43, had been named by two other alleged accomplices in the robbery. The two admitted their involvement. They told police that  it was Borg who had entered the premises on September 8, 2014. Workers reported that between €4000 and €5000 in cash as well as CCTV equipment, were missing. Читать дальше...

None of the measures recommended by the independent inquiry into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia have been implemented yet, the PN told a Council of Europe fact-finding mission on Tuesday. The report was issued at the end of July and found that the government must share responsibility for the murder. The Council of Europe delegation, which is looking into rule of law, corruption, media reform, migration and equality, met a PN delegation that included MPs Jason Azzopardi and Carm Mifsud Bonnici. Читать дальше...