Новости за 16.12.2021

Simon Vella Gregory has been appointed communications director of the Nationalist Party. The appointment was made after a unanimous vote by the party's administrative council. Vella Gregory succeeds Alessandro Farrugia, who stepped down citing “personal reasons” earlier this month.    

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has vowed not to quit the troubled Premier League club but admits he may not be safe from the sack during his side’s dismal run. Bielsa’s side are five points above the Premier League’s relegation zone after an embarrassing 7-0 hammering at Manchester City on Tuesday. It was the joint-heaviest league defeat in Leeds’ history and increased talk that Bielsa might walk away from Elland Road before he could be sacked.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the... Читать дальше...

Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic on Thursday expressed his fear that the Africa Cup of Nations, due to kick off in Cameroon on January 9, could be called off due to the renewed threat of Covid-19 and the possibility that European clubs might not release players for the tournament. “With the health situation, it is getting more and more complicated and difficult,” Halilhodzic told AFP in a telephone interview. It emerged on Wednesday that the European Club Association, which represents leading clubs across the continent... Читать дальше...

Greece international defender Kostas Manolas has rejoined Olympiakos from Napoli, the Greek champions announced on Thursday. The 30-year-old centre-back returns after seven years in Italy with Napoli and Roma. Continue reading this article on Sports Desk.

England, Italy and Germany were placed in the same group in the draw for the next edition of the UEFA Nations League on Thursday. Hungary will complete Group A3, the pick of the groups for the competition which will be played between June next year and June 2023. Malta was handed a favourable draw as it was pitted in a three-team group against San Marino and one between Cyprus or Estonia. Cyprus and Estonia will face each other in a two-legged play-out in March 2022 that will determine who will... Читать дальше...

Gozitan-born player Maria Farrugia had a night to remember when she scored Sunderland Ladies' winning penalty to beat Liverpool Ladies in the women's League Cup, on Wednesday. Despite exiting the competition in the group phase due to other results not going to their favour, Sunderland  came out on top against fellow FA Women's Championship side Liverpool who in their recent league encounter had beaten them.  Continue reading this article and watch Maria Farrugia's winning penalty on Sports Desk. Читать дальше...

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff said Sunday’s controversial climax to the Formula One season in Abu Dhabi had “robbed” Lewis Hamilton of the world championship. He suggested the deposed champion would “never get over” the end-of-race decision-making that had left him a “sitting duck” for Max Verstappen. And although he had yet to receive assurances that Hamilton would return next season for another tilt at an unprecedented eighth title Wolff stated: “As a racer his heart will say I need to continue because he’s at the peak of his game”. Читать дальше...

The Malta men’s national team was handed a favourable draw for the 2022/2023 Nations League campaign as Devis Mangia’s side were pitted in a three-team group against San Marino and one between Cyprus or Estonia. Cyprus and Estonia will face each other in a two-legged play-out in March 2022 that will determine who will get promoted into League C and who will eventually drop into League D. The seven teams in League D were split into two groups, one of four and the other of three. Meanwhile, England... Читать дальше...

The MSE Equity Price Index advanced by a further 0.79% to 3,788.292 points as the gains in HSBC, BOV and GO outweighed the drops in Mapfre Middlesea, MaltaPost and the RS2 preference shares. Meanwhile, four companies closed unchanged as overall trading activity in equities surged to a three-week high of €0.25 million. Malta International Airport plc was the most actively traded equity today as it stayed at its one-year low of €5.65 on a total of 21,556 shares having a market value of €0.12 million. Читать дальше...

Football matches in France will be called off definitively if a player or official is injured by a projectile thrown from the stands, the government said Thursday. It was one of a series of measures announced after meetings between Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and French football chiefs in the wake of a spate of incidents in the French league this season.  The government decided action needed to be taken after a match between Lyon and Marseille on November 21 was brought to a halt when Marseille... Читать дальше...

A couple and their son have been cleared of animal cruelty after the police failed to prove they were responsible for their pet dog’s ear cropping. Investigations against Josephine and Andrew Magri and their son were sparked by information passed to police by the animal welfare commissioner about a suspect case of a dog subjected to the banned practice of ear cropping. The information allegedly lifted off a Facebook page, consisted of images of the animal before and after. Animal welfare officers... Читать дальше...

Leicester’s Premier League match against Tottenham on Thursday has been postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak, the Foxes have announced. Britain is battling record numbers of Covid-19 cases as the Omicron variant wreaks havoc, with fears growing that the crisis could derail the season. The Leicester v Spurs match is the fourth Premier League game to be postponed in the past week.  “Leicester City can confirm that the Premier League Board has decided to postpone Thursday night’s fixture against... Читать дальше...

The final Airbus A380 superjumbo jet to roll off the assembly line has been delivered to Emirates airlines, marking the end of one of Europe's most ambitious yet ultimately costly aviation projects, the companies said Thursday. It was the 123rd A380 to enter the Emirates fleet, by far the largest of the massive double-decker jets capable of carrying anywhere from 500 to 850 people -- and offering private suites and even showers onboard. But despite glowing reviews from passengers after commercial flights began in 2007... Читать дальше...

A new fleet of ambulances will start being used by Mater Dei's emergency department in the coming days, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced on Thursday.  A total of 11 new ambulances will be added to the fleet.  "The new ambulances are custom-made for Malta. In recent weeks, a group of specialists was in Germany so that together with the manufacturers they could look closely at the equipment.  "The ambulances are now like mobile ITUs," the minister said, adding the vehicles are equipped with all the necessary equipment. Читать дальше...

Former Tonga international halfback Taniela Moa has died at the age of 36, the country’s rugby ruling body announced on Thursday. “Such sad news to receive about the passing of Taniela Moa,” wrote the Tonga Rugby Union on their Twitter account without giving a cause of death. Moa, who could play scrum half or fly-half, appeared 21 times for Tonga between 2011 and 2015.    Continue reading this article on Sports Desk, the new sports website by Times of Malta

Inspire Foundation Malta is seeking to raise €10,000 in funds, in order to be able to acquire a van, which will serve as an essential tool for carrying out its mission, making a difference in the lives of hundreds of individuals who use the services of the Foundation every day. The Foundation is appealing to the generosity of the public, as well as businesses to help with this noble cause. The van is used in the daily operation of the Foundation, supporting logistical activities across its various centres of operation across the island. Читать дальше...

People aged over 35 can now register to get the COVID-19 booster jab as Malta steps up efforts to contain rising case numbers.  Health Minister Chris Fearne announced the latest update, adding that the country has yet to detect a case of the Omicron variant that is sweeping the UK and parts of Europe.  He pointed to the booster as being crucial to tackling the spread of COVID-19, especially the more contagious Omicron variant.  While there has yet to be an Omicron case detected in Malta, Fearne... Читать дальше...

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ Caddy has been awarded the top rating of five stars after being put through Euro NCAP’s latest crash test series. The test consortium has thus shown that the new Caddy has not only become appreciably safer, but that it is even one of a group of currently top-rated passenger cars that perform especially well in various different crash scenarios. The five stars now awarded by Euro NCAP for the latest, fifth generation of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ family MPV... Читать дальше...

EU regulators on Thursday recommended two new treatments against Covid-19 for use in the bloc.  The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said Kineret, an immunosuppressive produced by Swedish Orphan Biovitrum to treat inflammatory conditions, could "decrease lower airway damage, preventing development of severe respiratory failure".  It said also that GlaxoSmithKline's Xevudy drug had shown in a study that it "significantly reduces hospitalisation and deaths in patients with at least one underlying condition". Читать дальше...

A 71-year-old woman was seriously injured when she was hit by a truck which kept on going, the police said. The incident happened at about 10am in Birkirkara Road, San Ġwann. The victim, who is from San Ġwann, is receiving hospital treatment. The police are investigating.  

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has called for this weekend’s Premier League fixtures to be postponed to allow clubs to deal with coronavirus outbreaks that are threatening to derail the season. Brentford’s match with Manchester United was called off on Tuesday after Covid-19 cases at the Old Trafford club and the Burnley v Watford fixture on Wednesday became the third game in a week to be postponed. Britain is battling record numbers of coronavirus cases as the Omicron variant takes hold.   Continue reading this article on Sports Desk... Читать дальше...

The police fired some 50 shots at a wanted man they were trying to stop in Mellieħa on December 2, a court has been told. Aidan Bartolo, 24, had been driving a Mazda Demio on the Mellieħa bypass when he realised the police were waiting for him at a roadblock. He tried to get away by driving at officers who tried to flag him down. The officers opened fire, hitting the tailgate of Bartolo’s car several times, but he managed to get away after hitting two private cars and a police van and driving the wrong way. Читать дальше...

Australian flag carrier Qantas on Thursday announced a deal to buy 40 Airbus aircraft, to renew its domestic fleet. The purchase, which is expected to be finalised at the end of the next financial year, is for 20 long-range A321XLRs and 20 A220s. “Financial details of the deal are commercial in confidence but represent a material discount from list prices,” Qantas said in unveiling “the largest aircraft order in Australian aviation history”. The order is a blow to US planemaker Boeing, which currently... Читать дальше...

The first-ever Malta Film Awards' nominees were revealed on Wednesday by the Malta Film Commission.  Andrea Cassar and Xandru Grech announced the nominees for the Best Film, Best TV Series, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Director, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Post-Production, Best Musical Score, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Hair and Makeup Design... Читать дальше...

Dozens of women protested on Thursday in Afghanistan's capital, demanding the right to education, jobs and political representation from the Taliban government.  Although public protests are effectively banned by Afghanistan's new hardline rulers, authorities gave permission for the march - held in biting cold after the first snowfall of winter in Kabul. "Food, careers and freedom," participants chanted, while others held placards demanding women get political posts. Some protesters carried banners... Читать дальше...