Новости за 22.11.2021

With 48 million clients, pop star Anitta on its board and a viral ad set to the beats of Brazilian funk, Nubank, a new digital-only bank, is shaking up the market in Brazil – and now eying a $50 billion (€44.3bn) entry on Wall Street. Launched in 2013 by an international trio of fintech entrepreneurs, the Sao Paulo neobank will make its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange on December 9, consolidating its meteoric rise. Nubank is hoping to raise some $3 billion in its IPO, for a total valuation of more than $50 billion... Читать дальше...

VJ Salomone Consumer Lines Ltd, agent for the Hill’s brand, has been the main pet food sponsor for the feat undertaken by Maltese triathlete and animal lover Fabio Spiteri to raise funds for various animal shelters. Spiteri is the second person who has managed to cycle around the Sicilian coast in less than 48 hours without stopping. But for him, this was not just a sporting challenge but primarily a quest to raise funds for a purpose that is close to his heart. Spirteri’s target was to collect... Читать дальше...

Shares of Telecom Italia (TIM) soared on Monday after receiving a “friendly” buyout offer from US private equity fund KKR valuing the operator at around €10.8 billion. Shares in Italy’s largest telecom rose as high as €0.45 on the Milan bourse, up almost 29 per cent from Friday’s closing price. The public tender offer by New York-based Kohlberg Kravis Roberts regards the entire share capital of the company. TIM said the offer would be for an initial €0.505 a share.  Italy’s economy ministry saluted... Читать дальше...

A man who used a fake Facebook profile to threaten Repubblika president Robert Aquilina and testified that his comment had been “misunderstood” has been fined €3000 and bound under a protection order. Aquilina filed a police report about the matter on March 23, when a profile named ‘Mario Borg’ reacted to one of Aquilina’s Facebook posts with a comment written in Maltese. “You’re making up all sorts of things to get the PN reelected. We’re quiet, until you make us angry… you’ve already annoyed me in Valletta and let me tell you... Читать дальше...

The Malta Bankers’ Association (MBA) annual conference, organised recently in webinar format, covered the transformation of the banking sector and the various challenges it is facing and will be facing in the future and how such elements will impact banks as well as their clients and communities. Titled ‘The Changing Face of Banking’, the annual conference brought together various relevant stakeholders to cover diverse aspects of the banking industry and assess the developments in the sector given... Читать дальше...

Gareth Southgate has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension after leading England to the final of Euro 2020, the Football Association announced on Monday. Southgate, who also masterminded a run to the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has transformed his team into serious contenders after years of underachievement. Reports over recent weeks suggested the 51-year-old was set to sign a new deal, which had been due to end after the Qatar World Cup late next year. “The FA is delighted... Читать дальше...

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Monday slammed three nights of unrest over anti-COVID measures as "pure violence' by "idiots" and vowed to prosecute those responsible. The Netherlands was taking stock after a weekend that saw dozens of violent protests across the country against the government's anti-coronavirus measures. At least 130 people have been arrested, four people wounded and several police officers injured since the violence first erupted on Friday, when a protest in the port city... Читать дальше...

Over 800 individuals have objected to the Planning Authority against Fortina’s newest application for a pontoon to service its catamaran in Balluta Bay, a group of NGOs and local councils said on Monday. The application - PA 07251/21 –provides for the building of a larger pontoon on the same site of another, already-approved, application which is currently being appealed before the environmental tribunal (EPRT). "This latest application is further proof of the insatiable greed of certain companies... Читать дальше...

Britain will make electric car chargers compulsory for new buildings in England from 2022, as it switches away from high-polluting vehicles, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday. Johnson, fresh from hosting the COP26 climate change summit, told business leaders that he will legislate to compel charging points in new homes, supermarkets and workplaces in England, as part of his carbon-slashing plans. The new legislation will create 145,000 new charging points per year and apply also to major renovation projects. Читать дальше...

Sixty-two new COVID-19 cases were reported on Monday - almost half the number on Sunday - and the number of virus patients in hospital remained unchanged at 12. Two are in intensive care.  The health authorities reported, however, that a 72-year-old man died after having tested positive for the virus.  Forty-two patients were declared recovered, leaving a total of 866 active cases. The number of booster jabs administered so far has increased to 96,507.

Ericsson said on Monday it was acquiring US cloud-based communications provider Vonage, in the Swedish company’s biggest acquisition in recent memory as it widens its operations beyond its traditional telecommunications equipment business. The €5.5 billion deal is part of Ericsson’s strategy to expand its presence in wireless enterprise and broaden its global offerings, the company said. The offer was unanimously approved by Vonage’s board of directors, it said. Ericsson is among the world’s biggest telecom equipment makers... Читать дальше...

A row of 10 scheduled townhouses in Paceville are under threat as an outline application seeks to raise the building height limitation on the properties, ostensibly to make way for future development. Among the last preserved residences in the now commercially overrun area, the 10 houses were built in the interwar period (between 1918 and 1938) and run from Triq Wilġa and Triq Paceville in St Julian’s. They were given formal protection through Grade 2 scheduling in 1995. However, a new application... Читать дальше...

If parking is a problem in Malta, it can be even more of a headache for electric car owners. The electric charging stations that now dot the island are often occupied by their petrol counterparts, says EV enthusiast Luke Zammit. There is no enforcement either. Fines for blocking a charging station are not being applied, he claimed. And this is one of the reasons why people would hold back from driving an EV, he said. While there is no legislation that specifically makes it illegal to park a car... Читать дальше...

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai said she was safe and well during a video call with the International Olympic Committee chief Sunday, the organisation said, amid international concern about her well-being after her explosive claims of sexual assault. At the beginning of a 30-minute call with IOC President Thomas Bach, “Peng Shuai thanked the IOC for its concern about her well-being,” the organisation said in a statement. “She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but... Читать дальше...

Nationalist MEP David Casa has given up his role as quaestor of the European Parliament to make it possible for colleague Roberta Metsola to enter the race to become the next European Parliament president. Casa, who was elected to the role in July 2019, had at the time secured the highest-ranking European Parliament post for any Maltese MEP. Now, as Metsola gears up to become the European People’s Party (EPP) candidate for the president role, Casa has relinquished his role to enable her to do so. Читать дальше...

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he hopes to have left Manchester United in a better state than he inherited them three years ago after the Norwegian was sacked by the club on Sunday. A 4-1 thrashing at the hands of lowly Watford finally saw the axe fall on Solskjaer’s position after the club’s hierarchy kept faith with the 48-year-old in recent weeks despite humiliating home defeats to rivals Liverpool and Manchester City. “This club means everything to me and together we’re a good match, but unfortunately... Читать дальше...

 Updated 8.11am with death toll, injuries Five people were killed and 40 others wounded after a vehicle ploughed into a Christmas parade in the US state of Wisconsin on Sunday, police said. Officials said a red SUV broke through barricades at the Christmas parade in Waukesha, a suburb of Milwaukee just after 4:30 pm (2230 GMT), as spectators watched the annual tradition. "We can confirm that five people are deceased and 40 are injured. However, these numbers may change as we collect additional... Читать дальше...

If you run a Google search for digital diplomacy, cyber diplomacy or internet governance, you will likely see a link to DiploFoundation on the top of the list. This Maltese-Swiss organisation is a key global player in digitalisation and international relations. Apart from Google – which is a reliable indicator of the relevance of an organisation’s resources, a sort of digital vox populi – I discovered Diplo’s global impact in my work as foreign minister. Whichever country I visit, I will likely encounter one of Diplo’s 6,000 alumni ... Читать дальше...

A hard-charging lawyer who accused the authorities of protecting “prominent individuals” involved in crimes has renounced his brief as self-confessed hitman Vince Muscat’s legal representative. Times of Malta is informed that Marc Sant has found alternative employment outside of criminal practice. Sant renounced his brief after long complaining about police “inaction” over information his former client, Vincent Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, offered to give on an array of violent crimes carried out by a criminal gang between 2010 and 2017. Читать дальше...

The following are the top stories in Malta's newspapers on Monday. Times of Malta reports that Corradino Correctional Facility has set up a “solidarity” fund which is being used to bridge the salary shortfall of two prison warders suspended on half-pay over the alleged involuntary homicide of an inmate. It also reports that a lawyer who accused the authorities of protecting “prominent individuals” involved in crimes has renounced his brief as self-confessed hitman Vince Muscat’s legal representative. Читать дальше...

The iconic Alitalia logo has for five decades been an integral part of the Made in Italy brand. Alitalia was considered the jewel in the crown of public investment and went a long way in helping Italy export its excellent products to the rest of the world. But now, this national carrier has been grounded. Its place was taken by ITA (Italia Trasporti Aereo), a new state-owned airline that took off on October 15. The European airlines’ industry faces formidable challenges as legacy airlines fight for market share with nimble low-cost airlines.

Several localities in Malta and Gozo were pelted with hailstones early on Monday, ushering in a period of weather instability. The pictures above and below were taken in Baħar ic-Cagħaq by Times of Malta photographer Jonathan Borg. Picture below showing clouds over Gozo, was taken on Sunday by Joseph Debono. Forecasters expect thundery showers to continue for much of Monday morning. Rain is also expected for most of the week, with wind on Saturday. The gathering storm - as photographed by Joseph Debono. Читать дальше...

Reporting facts I was devastated to read about the toddler falling two storeys (November 16). I wonder, however, why the report seemed to go beyond the actual facts: “a toddler fell off a balcony…” The circumstances of whether his mother was at home and so on seem perhaps superfluous because the background is not known, surely to be determined later by a magisterial inquiry. It is not productive to feed public speculation in what may turn out to be the worst tragedy to befall somebody. Unfortunately... Читать дальше...

Former prisons chief Alex Dalli “suspended himself” just over a week ago after the 14th death under his watch in Corradino. Despite numerous calls for his removal, the Minister for Home Affairs, Byron Camilleri, has so far refused to as much as criticise Dalli. That Dalli only suspended himself, instead of being suspended or removed by Camilleri, speaks volumes about the power he yields. Following Dalli’s removal, 10 inmates went on hunger strike, and 94 per cent of the prison warders signed a petition asking for his reinstatement. Читать дальше...

Nostalgia often involves reaching for a pair of rose-tinted spectacles: were the good old days really so much better? As another tourist season ends and the business counts the costs of a second year of COVID-19, it is a time to reflect but, maybe, this time, via a smoke-tinted rear-view mirror. Malta’s Chamber of Commerce has been doing just that, producing a 96-page review and I have a fiver here that says most of the sector’s ‘stake-holders’ won’t bother to read it, illustrated though it is with pie-charts and graphs. Читать дальше...