Новости за 28.07.2017

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has suggested the UK might change its mind about Brexit. In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant, Dr Muscat said that he sensed doubts about the decision to quit the EU beginning to creep in. “For the first time, I’m starting to believe that Brexit will not happen. I am seeing hopeful signs that indicate things will change. I see encouraging signs that the tide is turning. I’m not saying the Brits have made a mistake, but the mood is changing,” he said.  Dr... Читать дальше...

Sought-after midfielder Radja Nainggolan has signed a new four-year contract with Roma. The 29-year-old Belgian, who had been linked to Chelsea and Manchester United, has committed to the Serie A club until June 30, 2021. On Thursday he told asroma.com: “I’ve shown that I always wanted to do this. I’m happy to be here.” Nainggolan moved to the Stadio Olimpico from Cagliari in January 2014 and has since made 161 appearances for the Giallorossi, scoring 27 goals. “We are happy that Radja has agreed... Читать дальше...

Building on ODZ land will continue unabated as long as the Environment and Resources Authority is denied a veto in controversial development applications, the Environmental Ombudsman has warned. In a statement calling for laws to be updated to give the ERA a greater say in planning decisions, Commissioner for Environment and Planning David Pace slammed developers for filing misleading applications under false pretences and said that the onus was on the Planning Authority's boards and commissions... Читать дальше...

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays are adding flights to Malta from London Stanstednext summer. The flights, which will operate twice weekly, are already on sale. The airline and package holiday specialist is adding over 23,000 seats with the addition of the new route. Malta will now be served from eight of the airline’s UK bases in summer 2018. In total, Malta will be served 12 times weekly during peak weeks next summer. “This expansion of Jet2.com & Jet2holidays schedule to Malta through the addition of Belfast International... Читать дальше...

Welcome to this new initiative by Times of Malta's sports desk. We are looking to keep our readers and social media followers updated with all the latest news and gossip regarding the summer transfer window. 10.45am Birkirkara have confirmed the signing of Brazilian forward Bruno Fernandes De Brito. The 28-year-old forward has put pen to paper on a one-year contract and comes to the Premier League following spells at Dutch side Willem II and Hapoel Kfar Saba, of Israel. 10.30am Some news from the Maltese transfer market. Читать дальше...

Updated: 10.40am A commuter train crashed into a railway buffer in Barcelona's Francia station, injuring 39 people, one of them seriously, emergency services said today. There were no deaths reported. At least 18 of the injured need hospital attention, emergency services said. The driver was among the injured, they said. The train was coming from Sant Vicenc de Calders village in the province of Tarragona on the R2 line of the Rodalies commuter rail service, emergency services said. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Sustaining the euro Last week the meeting of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank was held. Mario Draghi, the ECB president, announced that the Council decided to keep the key ECB interest rates unchanged. He also announced that these rates are expected to remain at their current levels for an extended period of time and well beyond the expected end date of the quantitative easing programme. Yes, we had forgotten that term, probably because it no longer makes news. However, it is evident... Читать дальше...

Corporate bonds, both investment grade corporate bonds and bonds of high yield issuers, trade on the secondary market at what is known as a yield to maturity. This yield to maturity is equivalent to the risk premium assigned by the market to those particular bonds, depending on the prevalent credit risk being assigned, and is thereby trades at a spread differential between the bond itself and the underlying return (yield) on a risk-free asset. So for example, a single A rated bond will trade at a... Читать дальше...

Updated 10.45am Pakistan's top court has disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office after a damning corruption probe into his family wealth, cutting short his third stint in power and ordering a criminal investigation of his family. In a surprise move, the court also dismissed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, one of Sharif's closest allies who has been credited with steering the economy to its fastest pace of growth in a decade. But Sharif's ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party... Читать дальше...

The Nationalist Party has agreed to contribute to talks leading to local council reform.  PN MP Robert Cutajar accepted the government's invitation to take part in the consultation process on the Opposition's behalf in a meeting with parliamentary secretary Silvio Parnis, the PN said in a statement.  "It is only natural that as the party which gave birth to and grew local councils, we feel an obligation and duty to continue playing our part," the PN said in a statement.  Taking part in the process... Читать дальше...

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY The Sun reports that Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is keen to take Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Stamford Bridge. The Italian is said to be planning a £50 million swoop for the pair as he looks to beef up his 'home-grown' player pool ahead of the new season. The Mirror reports Liverpool are expected to make a final bid for RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita in excess of £70million. The Guinea international has reportedly instructed his advisers to look for a way out of... Читать дальше...

Open warfare erupted inside President Donald Trump's inner circle as his new communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, attacked senior White House colleagues in obscene comments published late yesterday. Scaramucci blasted White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon, in an article in The New Yorker based on a telephone conversation on Wednesday night between one of the magazine's correspondents and Scaramucci. Amid a stream of vulgar language, the former... Читать дальше...

Two Memoranda of Understanding were signed at the close of a business forum in Ghana, which was attended by a Maltese delegation headed by President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca. The MOUs were between Trade Malta and the Association of Ghanaian industries, and between the Ghanaian Chamber of Commerce and the Maltese Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry. During her speech in Accra, the President said that the business forum was a tangible opportunity to reaffirm Malta’s interest in nurturing stronger trade relations... Читать дальше...

Malta to Gozo by helicopter is a dream comes true. In the first week of August, HeliFly Limited will launch a transport service between the two islands. But not only – during this summer, there will also be a helicopter transport service for tourists visiting the three islands. The innovative service has been conceived by Italian lawyer Elio Blasio, CEO of HeliFly. Together with his family, Dr Blasio has been living in Malta for over a year. Before becoming a lawyer, Dr Blasio was the commander of... Читать дальше...

US Senate Republicans failed to overturn the healthcare law known as Obamacare early today, in a stinging blow to President Donald Trump that effectively ended the Republican Party's seven-year quest to repeal the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Three Republicans crossed party lines to join Democrats in a 49-to-51 vote to kill the bill: John McCain, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. Senate Republicans decided to vote on the pared-down proposal to repeal portions of Obamacare after failing to reach consensus... Читать дальше...

The European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) highlighted three main flaws in the arguments laid out in an Opinion on trapping, which it felt placed the wrong emphasis on various aspects of the wording of the Birds Directive. It was commenting following the recent opinion of the EU Advocate General (AG) in the live-finch capturing (trapping) case instituted by the European Commission against Malta. FACE is currently engaged in a detailed review of the AG’s opinion with its member,... Читать дальше...

The Planning Authority has sanctioned three 55-ton LPG storage tanks at the Easygas storage facility in Luqa, amid concerns over the lack of clearance from the Civil Protection Department. Easygas was granted two permits to cover developments carried out without a permit at its facility in Valletta Road, including temporary distribution areas, a ring road and three 55-ton LPG storage tanks. The company was ordered to pay a total fine of €17,456. During a hearing yesterday, board members raised concerns... Читать дальше...

Network equipment maker Nokia reported a jump in profit yesterday thanks to a patent deal with Apple and gains in market share though it warned the network business could slow by more than expected this year. Nokia’s shares rose 5.5 per cent after it posted second-quarter operating profit of €574 million, up 73 per cent from a year ago and well above analysts’ average forecast of €447 million in a Reuters poll. “We are actually taking some share in the market... early signs look quite promising in... Читать дальше...

Scientists in Chile have discovered molecules in two species of Antarctic flowers that protect the plants from solar radiation and could potentially be used in products such as sunscreen for humans and protection for vulnerable crops. Researchers at the University of Santiago investigating the properties of Antarctic plants grown under controlled conditions found that Colobanthus quitensis (pearlwort) and Deschampsia antarctica (hair grass) could tolerate high levels of ultraviolet radiation. According to the British Antarctic Survey... Читать дальше...

Leaving a lasting legacy is the ambition of every administration and Malta Football Association president Norman Darmanin Demajo looks determined to do just that if the ambitious plans he announced during the recent annual general meeting are implemented. Mr Darmanin Demajo presented to FA delegates and members of affiliated clubs and associations a five-point plan that, in his own words, indicated where the country’s foremost football organisation should be heading to in the next six years. He announced... Читать дальше...

With over 20 Maltese and Gozitan wines to choose from at the upcoming Delicata Classic Wine Festival, held at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta, from August 10 to 13, the choice can become a bit overwhelming. Yet the vast selection offers the perfect occasion to explore the many different styles of quality wines on show, especially if you keep a few tips in mind. Firstly, I suggest visiting the winery’s informative site www.delicata.com and see how it all works and what has changed for this year’s edition. Читать дальше...