A "radicalised teenager" shot dead two men at a gay bar in Slovakia's capital Bratislava, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said on Thursday. The shooting happened on Wednesday outside the Teplaren bar and police said they found the gunman dead at another location on Thursday. "Two people were murdered just because they were part of the LGBTI community," Heger said. "This is unacceptable," he told reporters, adding: "In a free and democratic country, homosexuals have a right to live freely." On Twitter, Heger described the shooter as a "radicalised teenager". Local media identified him as 19-year-old Juraj Krajcik, the son of a prominent member of the far-right Vlast party. The party failed to get enough votes to enter parliament in the 2020 general election. Teplaren is located in the city centre and is popular with Slovakia's LGBTQ community. Witnesses told the Sme daily they had heard up to 10 shots fired. According to reports and a local university, one of the victims was a Chinese language student who worked part-time at Teplaren. The other was his friend, a shop worker. The reports said a third person, a waitress who was talking to the two men, was wounded and taken to...

Angel Di Maria will be out for around three weeks after picking up a hamstring injury during Juventus’ humiliating defeat at Maccabi Haifa, the struggling club said on Thursday. In a statement, Juve said Di Maria underwent tests on Thursday “which revealed a low-grade lesion to the hamstring of the right thigh”. “It will take around 20 days for the player’s complete recovery,” Juve added. Argentina winger Di Maria was substituted 23 minutes into Juve’s shock 2-0 defeat in Israel which left them on the brink of elimination from the Champions League. Juve are third in Group H and five points behind second-placed Benfica with two matches remaining following a loss which led to both coach Massimiliano Allegri and president Andrea Agnelli to say they were ashamed of the team. Click here for full story

Updated 4.50pm, adds PN statement A proposed legal reform seeks to shut the door on criminals attempting to use delay tactics in court.   A draft law published on Thursday by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri and Justice Minister Jonathan Attard proposes amendments to stop those facing major criminal charges from abusing the court system in an attempt to get out on bail.   According to the Criminal Code those facing at least 15 years in prison are automatically entitled to bail if their case is not heard within 30 months of their arraignment.   This provision is a source of anxiety for prosecutors who are often concerned that defendants facing serious charges will walk out of preventative custody by delaying the court process.   Camilleri told the House that the proposals provide for the suspension of this 30-month period when the accused harmed themselves or are to blame for the delay.   If a defendant harms themselves then the court process can be suspended for two months or for as long as they remain harmed, according to the proposed reform.   If a co-accused is harmed then the court process can be halted for two-month stretches up to a maximum of six months.   Attard...

Eurowings Europe Limited on Thursday received its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) and Air Operator License (AOL) from the Malta Civil Aviation Directorate. Eurowings managing director Stefan Beveridge received the official confirmation from Captain Charles Pace, director of the Malta Civil Aviation Directorate. In a transfer phase, crews and aircraft will be successively transferred from Eurowings Europe GmbH (EWE) to Eurowings Europe Limited (EWL) in Malta by April 2023. The airline’s headquarters are in St Julian’s. The first flight of Eurowings Europe Limited is scheduled for November 3.  Beveridge said the airline’s move to Malta will help it reduce the complexity for its staff based at the various bases in Europe. In addition, Malta's economic and regulatory framework will enable it to enter new markets as an attractive value airline and to compete successfully in a highly competitive environment. Eurowings Europe Limited will maintain bases in Salzburg, Palma de Mallorca, Pristina, Prague and Stockholm and will further expand its European network with a focus on point-to-point connections. The airline currently operates 19 A320 family aircraft and will employ more than...

The MSE equity price index extended Wednesday's gain as it advanced by a further 0.05% to 3,626.863 points. The uplift in the ordinary share price of RS2 outweighed the declines in GO and HSBC whilst BMIT, BOV and Trident closed the day unchanged. Overall trading in equities improved markedly to €0.22 million reflecting the increase in activity in GO shares. GO plc eased by 1.3% to the €2.98 level across 60,000 shares having a market value of €0.18 million. Also among the large companies by market value, HSBC Bank Malta plc drifted 1.4% lower back to the €0.73 level albeit on just 2,500 shares. In contrast, the ordinary share price of RS2 Software plc rebounded by 3.8% to recapture the €1.35 level on a total of 3,000 shares. Meanwhile, Bank of Valletta plc remained at the 90c level after opening at a low of 87c (-3.3%). A total of 32,939 shares traded. A single deal of 6,000 shares left the share price of BMIT Technologies plc at the 46c2 level. Trident Estates plc traded flat at the €1.46 level across 4,500 shares. The RF MGS Index shed 0.25% to a fresh all-time low of 863.406 points. The US 10-year Treasury yield surged to the highest level in 14 years as inflation increased...

A man who held up an attendant at a Paola store at knifepoint three years ago, making off with €300 in cash, was jailed for four years after the court noted that he had wasted several chances to turn his life around.  Shamison Stafrace, a 25-year-old Cospicua resident, had landed in fresh trouble through his involvement in the armed holdup at the convenience store one evening in April 2019, along with two others, one of whom drove the getaway car.  CCTV footage and other evidence from the crime scene, including DNA samples lifted from a blue jacket, later matched to the accused, helped police track down the suspects. Stafrace pleaded not guilty to aggravated theft, holding the shop staff and customers against their will, slightly injuring one of them, breaching a suspended sentence as well as relapsing.  Numerous witnesses testified in the proceedings, including the shop attendant who recounted how she had been serving customers at around 8.30pm when a man, with a face covering and wearing a blue hoodie, headed straight up to the counter and demanded money. “Give me the money,” he rapped, holding a penknife in his hand.  The woman stood her ground and as he snatched the cash...

Novak Djokovic is eager to play at the Australian Open but it’s up to him to “work out the situation” with the government, tournament chief Craig Tiley said Wednesday, while confirming Russians and Belarusians can compete as neutrals. This year’s championship was overshadowed by an unvaccinated Djokovic being deported from Australia on the eve of the Grand Slam after a high-stakes legal battle over his visa status. Click here for full story. 

The world's largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship, built as a replica of an 18th Century vessel, is to arrive in Valletta at noon on Friday. Visitors will be welcomed on board The Götheborg, a 47m ship that is on a two-year voyage from Sweden to Shanghai. Before mooring, it will announce its arrival with a gun salute that will be answered from Valletta's Saluting Battery. The ship will be in Malta until Tuesday, when it will sail for Barcelona, the last stop on its itinerary this year. Kristoffer Bennis, expedition director at Götheborg of Sweden, said it was the first time the vessel will visit Malta and that the crew have already been "overwhelmed" by the welcome.   "We are looking forward to beautiful days”, he said. On each sailing, about 50 members of the public can sail along as deckhands. The professional crew consists of about 20 professional sailors, which means that there are between 70–80 people on board for each sailing leg.  Malta will be the 12th destination on the ship's voyage. Photo: Adrian Nordenborg The ship will continue to Asia in March and is expected to reach Shanghai by September next year. It has already visited Helsingborg, Helsinki, Stockholm,...

A US jury on Thursday rejected the death penalty for Nikolas Cruz, who shot and killed 17 people at his former Florida high school, opting instead for life imprisonment without the chance of parole. The jury deliberated for a full day Wednesday and briefly Thursday before deciding that the 24-year-old Cruz should receive life in prison for the February 2018 murders of 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. A death penalty recommendation needed to be unanimous and at least one or more of the 12 jurors found it was not justified because of mitigating circumstances. Video: AFP As the verdict was read, Cruz, wearing a striped sweater and large glasses, stared down expressionless at the defence table while several relatives of the victims in the public gallery shook their heads in disbelief. Cruz pleaded guilty to the Valentine's Day murders last year and prosecutors had argued during a three-month penalty trial that the appropriate sentence was death. Melisa McNeill, a lawyer for Cruz, had urged the jurors to show mercy to a young man she described as a "brain-damaged, mentally ill, broken" person.

International company SOFTSWISS develops innovative iGaming software products for online casinos, sports betting and more. A recognised industry leader, Softswiss was also the first online gambling software company to start working with cryptocurrencies. Here, Ivan Montik, the founder of SOFTSWISS, describes how through agile management and technological innovation, the company has grown to an international group employing over 1,500 people worldwide.  You have been developing the SOFTSWISS company for over 10 years and have grown it into a leading software provider for iGaming projects. What management approach do you see as being themost efficient – and effective – in such a dynamic industry?  I see flexibility and the capacity to adapt quickly to changing situations as the two most important principles of company management. Every time we make a decision, we keep other options in mind and are ready to change our strategy according to new market requirements.  At SOFTSWISS, we believe in agile management. Even with over 1,500 employees, we don’t let ourselves become an enterprise with a rusty and unbending structure. Although we do have a clear and well-established...

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams was charged with misdemeanor assault on Wednesday after shoving a photographer to the ground following his team’s defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs, court filings showed. Adams, 29, regarded as one of the best receivers in the NFL, knocked the photographer over as he walked down the tunnel in the wake of the Raiders  30-29 loss at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday. Click here for full story. 

Lawmakers investigating former president Donald Trump's involvement in the 2021 attack on the US Capitol returned to the spotlight Thursday with the final public hearing of their sprawling probe before crucial midterm elections. The House of Representatives panel has already unveiled reams of evidence on the former president's involvement in a labyrinthine series of connected schemes to overturn the 2020 election. In what could be its last public pitch before it issues a report on its findings, the panel of seven Democrats and two Republicans had promised fresh damning evidence on the insurrection. A select committee aide said on the eve of the panel's appearance that it would "bring a particular focus on the former president's state of mind and his involvement in these events as they unfolded." The committee is also expected to press its position that Trump - who continues to be a wellspring of disinformation about the 2020 presidential election - represents what Democratic member Jamie Raskin called a "clear and present" threat to democracy. Blockbuster witness testimony across eight hearings in the summer provided stunning examples of Trump and his allies pressuring election...

Fenced off to the public and dotted with plastic waste, Hanoi’s motor race circuit lies largely abandoned while hopes fade that Vietnam’s capital will ever host a Formula One grand prix. The city was set to make its F1 debut in 2020 but the inaugural Vietnamese Grand Prix was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Hanoi has not appeared on the race calendar since. Now, the spectator stands have been removed and most of the circuit sits empty — save a few hobby cyclists who sneak in, lured by the open space in the traffic-clogged city. Click here for full story. 

The prime minister has agreed to freeze a proposed media reform once the three Bills that encompass it are passed through the first reading stage in Parliament. The agreement was reached on Thursday evening during a meeting between Robert Abela and the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IĠM). Abela wrote to Judge Michael Mallia, the chairman of the committee of experts who had made proposals for the reform, asking him to consider opening a consultation process on the bills.  In the letter published on Thursday evening (see pdf link below), the prime minister promised that the parliamentary process would be halted until the committee concludes its consultation and drafts another report. The IĠM members on the committee will, meanwhile, push for the consultation to take place in the widest possible manner. The IĠM said on Thursday it is satisfied that common sense has prevailed and that the process will not go ahead before meaningful public consultation takes place. The institute this week warned the government it would pull out of the media reform process unless legislation on media protection is opened for consultation.  Journalists have been pressing for the reform to be more...

Arsenal maintained their perfect start to the Europa League as Bukayo Saka’s goal clinched a 1-0 win at Bodo/Glimt, while Manchester United hope to stay in the hunt for a last-16 place against Omonia Nicosia. Saka struck midway through the first half in Norway to give the Gunners a third win in as many outings in Group A. Mikel Arteta’s side are five points clear of PSV Eindhoven, who host FC Zurich later on Thursday. Bodo/Glimt also have four points but have played four matches. Click here for full story. 

Reigning MotoGP world champion Fabio Quartararo insisted Thursday he remained calm and unfazed by a string of a poor results that has thrown the title race wide open. The Frenchman has taken just eight points on his Yamaha in the last three races, allowing Italy’s Francesco Bagnaia on a Ducati to close within two points of at the top of the standings with three grands prix left. After 17 races, five riders are within 40 points and all in contention, with 75 still up for grabs. Click here for full story. 

Europe faces a higher-than-usual chance of a cold blast of weather before the end of the year, but the winter overall is likely to be warmer than average, the continent's long-range weather forecaster said Thursday. Temperatures this winter will be crucial for homeowners worried about the record cost of heating their homes, and for European policymakers seeking to avoid energy rationing due to cuts in Russian gas supplies.  "We see the winter as being warmer than usual," said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service that produces seasonal forecasts for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). "Nevertheless there is a still a significant chance of a block situation, which can lead to cold temperatures and low wind over Europe," he told AFP as the service issued a monthly update to its forecasts. A so-called block or blocking pattern in the winter can bring stable, often wind-free weather accompanied by freezing temperatures. "This was looking more likely in November, but there now looks like a pronounced probability of a cold outbreak in December," Buontempo added. The ECMWF produces weather modelling with data from a range of...

The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday night overwhelmingly voted to condemn Russia's annexation of parts of Ukraine, a move US President Joe Biden said sent a "clear message" to Moscow. The General Assembly approved the resolution with 143 in favour and five against, but 35 nations abstained including China, India, South Africa and Pakistan despite a major US diplomatic effort to seek clearer condemnation of Moscow. The resolution "condemns the organization by the Russian Federation of so-called referendums within the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine" and "the attempted illegal annexation" announced last month of four regions by President Vladimir Putin. It calls on all UN and international agencies not to recognize any changes announced by Russia to borders and demands that Moscow "immediately and unconditionally reverse" its decisions. The vote showed Russia that it "cannot erase a sovereign state from the map," Biden said in a White House statement. "By attacking the core tenets of the UN Charter, Russia is tearing at the very foundations of international peace and security," the statement said. "The stakes of this conflict are clear to all -- and the...

Has Malta lost its soul? Could this be the real Apocalypse now? One just wonders and ponders. What has happened to these Maltese islands? Even the idyllic, worldwide-known Azure Window in Gozo decided that “enough is enough” and called it a day in 2017, during the reign of this present political administration! So it collapsed! I am the grandson of two of the founders of the MLP, my grandad Robert Bencini and his twin brother, John or, ‘Is -Sur Ġann’, as he was more affectionately known. I voted for Joseph Muscat in the 2013 elections. Indeed, I gave him the number one vote when he was standing for the Żebbuġ region. After the weak Nationalist administration, which had been in power for all those years, I felt I had no other option, especially after having spent so many years working abroad. I was delighted that Malta would have a new beginning. How wrong could I have been? Finally, I am showing three of the famous poet Yevgeny Yevtuchenko’s quotes below, which say all I have to say: “When truth is replaced by silence, the silence is a lie.” “Justice is the train that nearly always arrives late.” “Life is a rainbow, which also includes black.” Food for thought. Raymond Bencini –...

I’m not a journalist so, who cares about press freedom. Right? Wrong. Press freedom is not only, or even mainly, about journalists. Press freedom is a public good that all citizens should benefit from in a democracy. There is no democracy without press freedom but there is no press freedom without democracy. And if there is no democracy or press freedom, all citizens are the losers. Take, for example, our government’s claim that it wants to bolster the media through legislation that it is presenting in parliament. And, yet, you, the reader, you were refused a voice in the matter as there was no consultation. The government is saying that it did consult before deciding. This is a consultation that no one except the government knows took place. All those whom the government is saying were consulted are demanding consultations. These include the members of the Istitut tal-Ġurnalisti Maltin, journalists, academics and activists, among others. This list also includes editors from all media houses bar One and PBS. Many international bodies, including the Council of Europe, are asking the government to launch a proper consultation. It is very clear that the government’s definition of...