Новости за 29.01.2021

Updated January 30  The EU backtracked Friday over threats to restrict vaccine exports to Northern Ireland after London voiced "grave concerns" over the proposed move. A furious row over shortages of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine has risked stoking conflict with the UK just weeks after London and Brussels sealed a Brexit trade agreement. The EU had warned it would invoke Article 16 -- overriding part of a deal with London allowing the free-flow of goods over the Irish border -- but backed down after criticism from the UK and Ireland. Читать дальше...

British online fashion group Boohoo said on Friday that it is in discussions with administrators of collapsed retail giant Arcadia to buy three of its brands, including Dorothy Perkins. The announcement comes just days after Boohoo agreed to purchase the intellectual property assets of failed department store chain Debenhams. “Boohoo Group plc... confirms that it is in exclusive discussions with the administrators of Arcadia over the acquisition of the Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton brands,” it said in a brief statement. Читать дальше...

Valletta are keen on making a double transfer coup in the closing days of the January transfer window as the Times of Malta understands that the Citizens are in advanced talks with Wellington of Sirens. This website can confirm that Valletta are also interested in bringing Sliema Wanderers player Gilmar to their ranks. Valletta are at the back of a heavy defeat at the hands of Ħamrun Spartans (3-0) as they sit ninth on 23 points. The club is aiming to bolster the squad, to lift the spirits of the... Читать дальше...

Balzan gave their hopes of avoiding relegation a major boost when they came from behind to see off Mosta at the Centenary Stadium. It looked as though Mark Miller’s boys were set for a frustrating evening when they fell behind to Christ Ememe strike. But that setback only spurred Balzan into action as inspired by their Serbian attacking duo of Milan Duric and Aleksa Andrejic, scorers of a brace each, they turned the match on its head to clinch a vital win. In fact, Balzan have now moved to 12th place on the 19-point mark, level with Floriana. Читать дальше...

Travellers to Canada will have to quarantine in hotels for up to three days under strict supervision and at their own expense, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday, citing concerns over new coronavirus strains. Ottawa is also stepping up COVID-19 testing while Canadian airlines have agreed to cancel flights to sunbelt destinations until the end of April, Trudeau told a news conference. "Now is just not the time to be flying," he said. The extra measures come as public health officials... Читать дальше...

Needless to say, 2020 was a rough year for everyone, so it is not surprising that the European gambling industry experienced many turmoils and challenges.Here are the most dramatic changes in the European gaming industry that happened in 2020! Evolution takes over NetEnt The Evolution takeover of NetEnt can only be described as the proverbial clash of titans. The most popular live casino supplier completed the $2.3bn acquisition of one of the most prominent gambling software companies NetEnt. What... Читать дальше...

A Serbian man suffered grievous injuries after falling off a fence and into a St Julian's valley. The police said the incident took place on Triq Birkirkara at around 4pm.  He was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital. Investigations are ongoing.

Portugal's parliament on Friday passed a law allowing medically assisted dying, putting the Catholic-majority country on course to become the fourth in Europe to legalise euthanasia. Before coming into force the bill must first be signed into law by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a staunch Catholic and conservative who was re-elected only last weekend. However, the president -- who has yet to make public his position on the issue -- could either use his veto against the legislation, or refer... Читать дальше...

Malta and eight other European members states have written to the European Commission urging it to turn a directive on adequate minimum wages into a recommendation. They are insisting that the proposed directive does not take into account the different realities of the various member states.  The European Commission in October proposed an EU directive that would set a framework for minimum wages across all EU member states and encourage collective bargaining, which evidence shows that it tends to lead to higher minimum wages. Читать дальше...

Weightlifter Tenishia Thornton has been named as the first winner of the Atlas Youth Athlete of the Year. She won this prestigious award after a combined vote by a panel of three sports journalists and a public vote which was held online over the past weeks. Thornton was the only athlete in 2020 who managed to scoop two awards in March and November respectively. Upcoming football player Haley Bugeja was the runner up, followed by gymnast Tara Vella Clark to complete an all-female podium.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk... Читать дальше...

Swedish telecoms equipment maker Ericsson on Friday announced greatly increased annual profits, boosted by the rollout of 5G networks. However, the company also expressed worries it could suffer reprisals from China after its home country banned the use of competitor Huawei’s equipment in the next generation of phone networks. “The pandemic has fast forwarded the digitalisation of societies, including remote working, by months if not years... We see more signs that countries and enterprises see 5G... Читать дальше...

The head of German finance watchdog Bafin is stepping down as part of an overhaul triggered by last year's spectacular collapse of payments provider Wirecard, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said Friday. "The Wirecard scandal revealed that the German financial regulator needs a reorganisation to fulfil its supervisory role more effectively," a ministry statement said.  Scholz thanked Bafin chief Felix Hufeld for eight years of service and said the revamp would include "a fresh start" at the top of the agency. Читать дальше...

The European Commission on Friday launched a scheme to monitor and in some cases reject exports of vaccines produced in EU plants -- amid a row with British-Swedish drugs giant AstraZeneca. "We paid these companies to increase production and now we expect them to deliver," EU Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters. "Today's measure has been adopted with the utmost urgency. The aim is to provide us immediately with full transparency... And if needed, it also will provide us with... Читать дальше...

Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo said Friday it had nothing to do with him if star player Cristiano Ronaldo broke coronavirus rules with a visit to a mountain resort. “Ronaldo had the day off, he can do what he wants in his private life,” Pirlo said, after Italian media reported the striker defied travel restrictions earlier this week. He added of all the footballers in the Serie A club: “Off the pitch they are free citizens and each one takes his own responsibility.” Continue reading this article on Sports Desk... Читать дальше...

Grandparents have a right to turn to the courts to seek access to their grandchildren, with the ultimate decision always to be taken in the best interests of the child, a court has ruled. The court of appeal is hearing an ongoing lawsuit in which the Italian grandparents of a four-year-old girl who lives in Malta with their estranged daughter and Maltese son-in-law, are seeking to establish contact with the child.  Relations between the child’s parents and maternal grandparents deteriorated and communication... Читать дальше...

Senior citizens aged between 80 and 84 who live within the community will start receiving COVID-19 vaccination appointments in the coming days.  Anyone in the 80-84 age cohort can expect to receive a letter in the post detailing the time and place when they will receive their first and second vaccine doses.  All letters should be delivered by the end of next week, the Health Ministry said.   Letters will be posted to the address that eligible people have registered as part of the Pharmacy Of Your Choice scheme... Читать дальше...

The EU's medicines regulator on Friday gave AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine the green light to be used on adults of all ages, saying it believed it would be safe for older people too. Malta has ordered a million doses of the vaccine, meaning that it could be a potential game changer for the island with a population of just under half a million people. In his first reaction, Health Minister Chris Fearne said it was "imperative" that agreed delivery dates and quantities are maintained. To put it into perspective... Читать дальше...

Norway is known for its restrictive regulatory framework, but what happens when the local laws must comply with regulations that surpass them and have a completely different point of view over certain subjects? As a member of the European Economic Area, Norway is obliged to implement all EEA directives to State laws, but when it comes to gambling, it refuses to do so. Such action, or lack thereof, has resulted in many angry customers and companies. So, where is the catch and who is right? Local laws... Читать дальше...

Tourism accommodation owners will be fined €3,000 if they breach COVID overcrowding rules, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said on Friday.  Those renting a farmhouse, apartment, or other types of holiday accommodation who break the rules on large gatherings can also expect to be slapped with €100 fines each.  Bartolo said the government was taking the matter seriously and expected owners of tourism properties to be clear with their clients that the rules must be respected.  Enforcement, he said... Читать дальше...

High street fashion icon Hennes and Mauritz (H&M) said on Friday the coronavirus pandemic had slashed its 2020 net profit by 90 per cent, with about a third of its some 5,000 stores currently closed. For its financial year to November, the company reported a net profit of 1.24 billion Swedish kronor (€120 million) as sales fell 20 per cent to 187 billion kronor. “Our measures to mitigate the negative effects of ongoing restrictions and closures are continuing,” chief executive officer Helena Helmersson said in a statement. Читать дальше...

Key development, planning and environmental sector stakeholders will discuss how to review Malta’s long-term environmental strategy and new rules for building aesthetics in 2021, the Environment Ministry has said.   The Intelligent Planning Consultative Forum has been asked to focus on three key areas this year: a review of the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development, or SPED; a new aesthetics policy for buildings; and a two-speed application process which would allow applications featuring... Читать дальше...

Bar owners will receive a one-time payment of up to €2,870 to cover the five-month period they spent shut to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic.  Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo told a press conference on Friday that the €2.2million financial aid scheme for bars would be split across three categories: commercial bars, bars that are housed within a club (kazin), and bars owned by clubs.  Political party clubs have been excluded from the scheme.  While commercial bars will receive a one-time payment of €2,870... Читать дальше...

Access to a secluded bay at Fomm ir-Riħ has been restored after pictures of a metal gate blocking the path provoked widespread anger. But the environment ministry say the land has been private "for decades" and there are plans to submit a formal planning application to block off the site because of the danger of nearby terrain. Concerns about public access to the picturesque site were brought to the fore by conservationist Raniero Borg, who shared a video on social media showing the area cordoned off along with 'Private Property' signs. Читать дальше...

Most governments are struggling to react to COVID-19. What contingency plans were in place, by those constantly self-praising themselves, to handle widespread national emergencies of this kind? Truth is, old certainties begin to look like a house of cards during a profound crisis. Time is needed to study an invisible threat but governments could have prepared themselves, before 2020, when the writing about pandemics was on the wall for several years. The pertinent question now is whether proactive... Читать дальше...

Europe's row with AstraZeneca worsened after Germany declined to recommend the firm's coronavirus vaccine for older people, while the more contagious South African variant of the virus was detected for the first time in the already hard-hit United States. With anti-virus restrictions being tightened worldwide again, the economic toll came into focus with the United States seeing its sharpest contraction in growth since 1946. UN data released Thursday also said the global tourism sector, battered by border closures and bans on mass gatherings... Читать дальше...