Новости за 17.11.2021

The Malta Football Association announced that the Challenge League match between Żejtun Corinthians and Vittoriosa Stars has been postponed to a later date due to COVID-19. The Corinthians and the Stars were due to meet on Sunday at the Centenary Stadium, with kick-off set at 3pm. However, the match has been now called off after an increasing number of COVID-19 cases reported in the Vittoriosa Stars squad. The local governing body of football also announced that the match between Senglea Athletic... Читать дальше...

The self-proclaimed "shaman" whose bare chest and horned fur headgear made him the face of the January 6 assault on the US Capitol was sentenced Wednesday to 41 months in prison. Jacob Chansley, 34, had pleaded guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding after taking part in the storming of the US Senate chamber by supporters of former president Donald Trump. The court heard how, after entering the chamber, Chansley took then-vice president Mike Pence's seat on the dais, leaving behind a message saying: "It's only a matter of time. Читать дальше...

Belarus announced talks Wednesday with the EU over thousands of migrants massed at the Polish border, a volatile crisis the West says is President Alexander Lukashenko's revenge for sanctions on his regime. An EU spokesman spoke of "technical talks" and urged Minsk to grant humanitarian access to the border area. The statement from Minsk came after a telephone conversation between Lukashenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the crisis. Berlin said Merkel and Lukashenko had discussed Europe... Читать дальше...

Andre Schembri said that coach Devis Mangia and the national team players did not deserve the fierce criticism they received following the heavy defeats to Croatia and Slovakia in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers that condemned the team to the bottom of Group H. The former Malta striker, who was part of the team that amassed the record five-point haul in Euro 2008 qualifiers, said that he was positively impressed by the work carried out by Mangia and the national team players and went further to... Читать дальше...

The health authorities warned on Wednesday about fake appointments for COVID-19 vaccination jabs given to people from an unknown SMS number.  They were reacting after several people reported having received messages inviting them to walk-in clinics. Some were also given appointments which turned out to be fake. The source of the messages is not yet known and the police have been alerted. "People have been showing up (at vaccination centres)  showing us this message, which is fake," the spokesperson said. Читать дальше...

An unfortunate man who accidentally left his camera on when he went to the toilet while following a virtual meeting of the Planning Authority's planning commission was the butt of jokes on social media on Wednesday. Screengrabs of the Teams meeting showed the man giving his back to the camera as he urinated, followed by him pulling up his pants.  Members of the public witnessed the man using the bathroom during a Teams meeting call The screenshots were widely shared on Whatsapp groups, underlining... Читать дальше...

Two of the men who allegedly planted the bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia were back in court on Wednesday for a hearing on further preliminary pleas ahead of the upcoming murder trial. Having already filed over 100 pre-trial pleas last year, Alfred and George Degiorgio’s lawyer raised additional pleas concerning witnesses and evidence which came to light when the bill of indictment had already been issued by the Attorney General. In a judgment delivered in September, the Court of Appeal... Читать дальше...

The bodies of 10 people were found in an overcrowded boat carrying migrants off the coast of Libya, apparently having suffocated, Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday. The charity's Geo Barents rescue ship pulled 99 people from the sinking boat on Tuesday before making the gruesome discovery in the lower deck. "At the bottom of the overcrowded wooden boat, 10 people were found dead," tweeted the charity, known by its French initials MSF. In a later statement, it said the air was filled with the smell of fuel... Читать дальше...

ABEY has won the Blockchain Solution of the Year award at the fifth edition of the AIBC Europe 2021 Awards, held on November 16. The victory is the latest achievement for ABEY and its blockchain Abeychain, which is one of the fastest growing blockchain solutions in the world. The awards were determined by a combination of a popular vote on the AIBC Summit website and by a panel of expert judges with deep understanding of blockchain technology, usage and the global developer community. “This victory... Читать дальше...

There were no recorded positive COVID-19 cases linked to mass activities that took place throughout the month of September, according to Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo on Wednesday.  Bartolo specifically referenced mass events held at the Granaries in Floriana. The minister was answering a parliamentary question by MP Rosianne Cutajar, who asked for an update on the situation relating to mass activities.  “September marked as the return of many cultural activities, where we saw a number of mass events take place. Читать дальше...

A Maltese cartoonist who has faced a backlash of hate comments after posting a cartoon about Joseph Muscat, had her account temporarily blocked by Facebook after what appears to have been a collective effort by trolls. Miriam Galea said on Wednesday that Facebook restricted her account for 24 hours shortly after she posted cartoons about Joseph Muscat and his wife Michelle Muscat. Facebook restricted Galea's account for 24 hours. The cartoons sparked outrage among Labour supporters, triggering trolls to report her posts en masse... Читать дальше...

Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba has said that he will be backing Roberta Metsola's bid for the presidency of the European Parliament.  The PN MEP confirmed on Monday that she has officially entered the race to become the next president of the European Parliament, after months spent gauging her support and lobbying centre-right EPP colleagues. In a post on Facebook, Agius Saliba said that while politically the two MEPs have "a lot of differences" ultimately they are both Maltese.  "A few moments ago... Читать дальше...

A Royal Navy pilot was unhurt on Wednesday after ejecting from his F-35 fighter jet as it crashed into the Mediterranean, the UK Ministry of Defence said. The pilot had flown off from HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is nearing the end of its maiden deployment. The pilot was returned to the aircraft carrier. The MOD did not say which part of the Mediterranean the aircraft carrier is operating in. The cause of the crash is being investigated. 

Two men who were involved in a string of armed hold-ups at convenience shops and a lotto office five years ago were spared jail and afforded a “last chance to reform” on Monday while an alleged accomplice was cleared.   Kane Grima, Pierre Sciberras and Josef Galea were jointly accused of involvement in five armed robberies between January and March 2016, targeting four convenience shops and a lotto booth around Gzira, Msida and San Ġwann. Some €900 in cash were taken during the first robbery when two hooded men walked into a Gzira shop... Читать дальше...

A huge majority of prison warders and workers have signed a petition calling for Colonel Alex Dalli to return to his post as prisons director, according to the General Workers' Union. In a post on Facebook on Wednesday afternoon, the union said 94% of all prison workers - 390 -  had signed it. "The workers of the Corrective Services Agency appreciate and thank Alex Dalli for his service," the union said. "The agency workers are publicly acknowledging the great progress achieved under Dalli's leadership. Читать дальше...

The government is to hand out €800,000 in aid to fishermen who suffered financially as a result of COVID-19.    Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Anton Refalo said that the fisheries industry suffered when restaurants were closed at the height of the pandemic.   “While both the agriculture and fishing sectors worked hard to keep fresh and nutritious food on our tables, the government acknowledges the challenges faced by fishermen during this time,” Refalo said. The minister said some 600 fishermen are eligible for the scheme. Читать дальше...

Four companies have thrown their hat into the ring with a bid for the contract to build the Marsascala marina project, according to documents tabled in parliament.  In response to a parliamentary question, Transport Minister Ian Borg said that there are four companies bidding for the contract; Harbour Management JV; Scala Marina JV; G&P Borg Ltd; and Bonnici Brothers Services.  Two of these bids are joint ventures. Harbour Management is made up of Italian firm MCS, engineer Stefano Puppo, architect Marcofilippo Alborno... Читать дальше...

The man who died in a botched bomb attack in the northern English city of Liverpool on Sunday had planned the blast for at least seven months, police said Wednesday. Iraq-born Emad Al Swealmeen, 32, rented a property in the city in April and had made "relevant purchases" for his bomb since "at least" that time, said Russ Jackson, who heads counter-terrorism policing in northwest England. Al Swealmeen's improvised device went off in the back of a taxi outside a Liverpool hospital moments before Britain marked Remembrance Sunday last weekend. Читать дальше...

Sixty-four new COVID-19 cases were registered on Wednesday, while a further 30 patients recovered, according to health data. It is the second consecutive day that 64 new cases were registered, following's Tuesday's tally. There are now 670 known active cases in Malta. Of these, 15 are being cared for at Mater Dei Hospital, including three in the intensive care unit. So far, 82,115 booster jabs have been administered, while a total of 914,967 COVID vaccine doses were administered over the past months. Читать дальше...

Low vaccination rates in some parts of the world are a future risk to financial stability, the European Central Bank said in a report on Wednesday, while the recovery from the pandemic has eased pressure on the economy. The economic rebound from the coronavirus in the eurozone had “reduced many of our worst fears about economic scarring,” ECB vice-president Luis de Guindos said in a statement. But the “risks stemming from the pandemic have not disappeared entirely, not least because vaccination... Читать дальше...

Miss World Malta, Naomi Dingli, is leaving Malta for Puerto Rico for the 70th Miss World beauty pageant which will be held at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in the Caribbean country on December 16. This is the first time that the Miss World finals will be staged in Latin America. Photo: Modelle International The 2020 edition was originally scheduled for December 2020, but it was postponed due to the pandemic. Designers Charles & Ron have created the dress that Naomi will be wearing for the final... Читать дальше...

India's capital has shut schools and coal plants as it battles dangerous levels of air pollution in the region that on Wednesday left residents of Lahore in neighbouring Pakistan choking on acrid smog. Air quality has worsened across northern India and adjacent parts of Pakistan in recent years, as industrial pollutants, smoke from seasonal crop burn-off, and colder winter temperatures coalesce into toxic smog. Delhi is consistently ranked the world's worst capital for air quality, with levels... Читать дальше...

The annual rate of inflation as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices in October was 1.4%, up from 0.7%, the National Statistics Office said. This was still the lowest annual rate registered in EU states, according to Eurostat. Compared with September, annual inflation rose in all 27 member states. Eurostat said the euro area annual inflation rate was 4.1% in October 2021, up from 3.4% in September.  The National Statistics Office said Malta's 12-month moving average rate for October... Читать дальше...

Swieqi Phoenix Volleyball is fielding ten teams during season 2021/22, in a year when it will be celebrating ten years since parent organisation Phoenix Sports Club opened its volleyball nursery. Commenting on the anniversary, club president Orlando Bonnici said that Swieqi Phoenix Volleyball has made giant strides in the relatively short time since six girls formed the core of the club’s first U-14 team. Bonnici explained that thanks to the contribution and leadership of Leonard Zammit Munro as volleyball director and head coach... Читать дальше...

An injured protected bird that was rescued and rehabilitated has been found dead at sea in a suspected shooting. Birdlife Malta released pictures of the dead marsh harrier taken by a kayaker, who came across the animal earlier this month near San Dimitri Point in Gozo. The wildlife NGO said it was found in an area known for rampant illegal hunting. It said the bird had been deprived of a second chance after all the efforts that went in to rehabilitating it back to good health.  The bird was originally... Читать дальше...