Quantcast
Channel: Times Of Malta
Viewing all 84484 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Jesus hat-trick lifts Man City's mood in Zagreb

December 11, 2019, 11:56 am
$
0
0

Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus (centre) attempts to control the ball in between Dinamo Zagreb defenders.

Manchester City put their Premier League woes to one side as Gabriel Jesus scored a hat-trick in a dominant 4-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian capital on Wednesday. Dinamo needed to win to have any chance of joining City in the last 16 and got off to the perfect start through Dani Olmo's sweetly struck volley 10 minutes in. However, even a much-changed City side had way too much quality for the hosts as the game wore on and a trio of fine finishes from Jesus in a 20-minute spell either side of half-time secured a morale-boosting win. Phil Foden rounded off the scoring as defeat saw Zagreb slip to the bottom of Group C and out of European competition for the season. Pep Guardiola made eight changes from the side beaten 2-1 at home by Manchester United on Saturday to leave the English champions 14 points off the top of the Premier League table with Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne among those left on the bench. Derby defeat meant City had won just two of their previous seven games in all competitions and another poor night beckoned when Damian Kadzior's cross was brilliantly smashed past Claudio Bravo by Olmo, despite the Chilean goalkeeper getting a hand to it. City...
↧
Search

Champions League debutants Atalanta reach last 16

December 11, 2019, 12:06 pm
$
0
0

Atalanta's Timothy Castagne scores a goal against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Atalanta reached the Champions League last 16 in their first season in the tournament on Wednesday after a 3-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in Group C. The Italians, who were without a point until their fourth game in the campaign, joined Manchester City in the knock-out stages as Dinamo Zagreb failed to beat the English champions in Croatia, losing 4-1. Timothy Castagne, Mario Pasalic and Robin Gosens scored in the second half for the side who finished third in Serie A last season to reach the top tier of European football for the first time. The defending Ukrainian league and cup champions, who play their home matches in the city of Kharkiv due to the ongoing conflict in the east of the country, will play in the last 32 of the Europa League after the defeat. Shakhtar coach Luis Castro kept faith with the side which beat Olimpik Donetsk on Friday, starting goal-scoring defenders Ismaily and Mykola Matviyenko. Atalanta's Gian Pero Gasperini made three changes to the starting lineup from the weekend's victory over Verona including bringing in Gosens for the injured Josip Ilicic. The visitors, who drew with City in November to avoid defeat for the first time in the European...
↧
↧

French PM refuses to back down on pension reform plan

December 11, 2019, 12:20 pm
$
0
0

Edouard Philippe

France's prime minister on Wednesday refused to back down on his government's controversial pension reform plans in the face of a crippling week-old transport freeze. Edouard Philippe said he stood "firm" on the principle of his proposed pension changes but that he remained open to discussions on the measures. Earlier he sought to strike a conciliatory note as he unveiled details of the plan to overhaul the country's pension system, but failed to appease striking unions which vowed to expand the transport stoppages. "I am firm on the principle... of a system that will concern everyone... (that will be) truly universal," he told the TF1 television channel. Public transport networks in Paris and other cities have been paralysed by the walkout, which began last Thursday and left shops, hotels and restaurants fearing for their bottom line. Announcing the new plan, Philippe said the government would pursue its objective of creating a new points-based pension system that fuses the country's 42 existing plans into one, but said the reform was "not a battle". He declared the new-look scheme would be fairer and guarantee better basic coverage for the most vulnerable workers, insisting...
↧

Top-ranked Barty named WTA Player of the Year

December 11, 2019, 12:23 pm
$
0
0

Ashleigh Barty

Australian Ashleigh Barty, whose breakout 2019 campaign included a French Open crown and world number one ranking, was named the WTA Player of the Year on Wednesday. Barty, who is the first Australian to top the women's tennis rankings since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1976, took the award with 82 percent of the media vote. It was a fitting end to a campaign that saw Barty claim her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros. Her four titles in 2019 included the prestigious WTA Finals, where she cemented her place atop the year-end rankings. Barty, who led the tour with 57 match wins, had ascended to number one in September and finished the year nearly 2,000 points ahead of second-ranked Karolina Pliskova. The 23-year-old started the season ranked 15th in the world. Her coach, Craig Tyzzer, was named WTA Coach of the Year. In voting for the award Barty finished ahead of fellow Grand Slam champions Bianca Andreescu, Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka. Canada's 19-year-old US Open champion Andreescu was named Newcomer of the Year. American Sofia Kenin was named Most Improved Player, Switzerland's Belinda Bencic was Comeback Player and top doubles team honors went to Timea Babos and Kristina...
↧

Al-Sadd dash New Caledonian minnows' Liverpool dream

December 11, 2019, 12:58 pm
$
0
0

Al-Sadd forward Baghdad Bounedjah (right) tries to get past Hienghene defender Emile Bearune.

Qatar's Al-Sadd defeated Hienghene Sport 3-1 after extra-time on Wednesday, shattering the New Caledonian part-timers' dreams of facing Liverpool in the Club World Cup. Al-Sadd, coached by Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez, will now face Mexico's Monterrey, the CONCACAF Champions League winners, on Saturday. Whoever emerges from that match will then be able to look forward to a plum semi-final against European champions Liverpool on December 18. "We had many chances to score. They didn't look like scoring in the second half apart from early on," Xavi told the BBC. "We suffered too much, we did more than them but we missed too many chances." Algerian star Baghdad Bounedjah gave the Qataris the lead after 26 minutes before Asian Player of the Year Akram Afif had a goal ruled out for offside. Amy Roine levelled for the Pacific Islanders in the first minute of the second half after a VAR review. The game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes before the greater fitness of the home side came to the fore with a Abdelkarim Hassan free-kick and Pedro Miguel Correia sealing the win.   Al - Sadd - Hienghène Sport Live Score
↧
↧

Middleman testifies in Caruana Galizia mastermind compilation

December 11, 2019, 12:59 pm
$
0
0

Melvin Theuma

Daphne Caruana Galizia murder middleman Melvin Theuma and lead investigator Keith Arnaud testified in court on Wednesday as prosecutors began making their case against business tycoon Yorgen Fenech. During the court sitting, which lasted almost five hours, the middleman stressed that he could not declare under oath that former chief of staff, Keith Schembri, had ever handed him money or spoken to him about the journalist’s assassination. “To me, Yorgen Fenech was the mastermind,” said Mr Theuma, tracing the steps from the day when the businessman had first accosted Mr Theuma, a taxi driver stationed at the Hilton for the past seven years or so, up to the time of his arrest and his immediate willingness to tell police all he knew about the murder, in exchange for a presidential pardon. “How can we contact George iċ-Ċiniż? I want to kill DCG because she’s going to publish information about my uncle,” Mr Fenech had allegedly told Mr Theuma, one day some three weeks before the announcement of the 2017 election date. That request had set in motion the chain of events leading up to the car bomb explosion on October 16 of that same year and the investigations and arrests that followed...
↧

Atletico, Atalanta reach last 16 as Bayern cruise past Spurs

December 11, 2019, 2:45 pm
$
0
0

Atletico's Angel Correa (left) runs past Lokomotiv Moscow's Rifat Zhemaletdinov.

Atletico Madrid claimed the final spot in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday with a 2-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow, after Atalanta completed an impressive comeback in Group C to qualify. Bayern Munich sealed consecutive victories over Tottenham with a 3-1 success at the Allianz Arena, while Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus also finished their group campaigns on winning notes. Diego Simeone's Atletico went into their game knowing defeat, coupled with a Bayer Leverkusen win against Juve, would see them dumped out. Kieran Tripper had a second-minute penalty brilliantly saved by Lokomotiv goalkeeper Anton Kochenkov at the Wanda Metropolitano, but Joao Felix made no mistake from the spot a quarter of an hour later. Atletico wasted a string of chances and Alvaro Morata had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside. But their place in the knockout rounds was secured when centre-back Felipe volleyed home Koke's cross after a short corner routine. Cristiano Ronaldo scored his second Champions League goal of the season as Juve, who were already sure of top spot, saw off Leverkusen 2-0 in Germany in the other Group D game. Substitute Paulo Dybala was the creator of the...
↧

What happened on... December 12

December 11, 2019, 11:21 pm
$
0
0

The front pages of Times of Malta from 50, 25 and 10 years ago.  Become a Times of Malta premium member to gain full access to our archive dating back to January 1930.
↧
Search

Britain votes in 'Brexit election'

December 11, 2019, 11:25 pm
$
0
0

Britain went to the polls on Thursday to determine the immediate future of Brexit, in a vote described as the most important in a generation. More than 4,000 polling venues across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including a windmill, several pubs, a hair salon and a chip shop, opened their doors for a day of voting that ends at 2200 GMT.  All eyes will be on the winter weather, with forecasts of near-freezing temperatures, rain and even snow that could affect turn-out in the first December election in nearly a century. Up for grabs are all 650 seats in the British parliament, which has been deadlocked since the 2016 referendum on EU membership that saw a majority vote to leave. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who took over from Theresa May in July after she was unable to get parliament to approve her EU divorce deal, is hoping to secure both a mandate and a majority. Johnson's Conservatives need just nine more seats for a majority, which would allow him to push through his own Brexit deal with Brussels and take Britain out of the bloc by the end of January. Johnson said Thursday was a chance to end more than three years of political deadlock and uncertainty. "Just...
↧
↧

Arsenal, Rangers chart safe passage in Europa League

December 11, 2019, 11:30 pm
$
0
0

Arsenal defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos(left) pushes the ball ahead against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Last season's runners-up Arsenal and Steven Gerrard's Rangers have their sights fixed on the Europa League knockout phase Thursday with 19 clubs competing for the final 11 places. Interim Arsenal boss Freddie Ljungberg will look to lead the Gunners into the last 32 after Unai Emery was sacked following last month's 2-1 home loss to Eintracht Frankfurt. Monday's 3-1 victory at West Ham ended the club's worst winless run since 1977 and Arsenal just require a point at Standard Liege in Belgium to progress from Group F. Rangers missed out on their first major silverware in almost a decade at the weekend following an agonising 1-0 defeat by Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final.  Gerrard's side dominated large parts of the game but were unable to find a way past an inspired Fraser Forster, who saved a second-half penalty from Alfredo Morelos. Rangers are top of Group G and will advance if they avoid a second defeat of the competition to Swiss champions Young Boys. "We've got a huge game on Thursday and there's no better game to bounce back," Gerrard said. "We have to soak it up, remember it and be ready to go and give ourselves another opportunity. That type of performance will get...
↧

Bentley opens new showroom in Cyprus

December 11, 2019, 11:45 pm
$
0
0

Bentley Motors today announces the opening of a new showroom in Limassol, Cyprus. The first Bentley showroom in Cyprus is situated at the most southern point of Europe. Limassol which is the largest city in Cyprus is an administrative, economic, and cultural centre. The new showroom, located on 1 Ioannis & Aggelikis Kordari, will be managed by FLCP Automobile Ltd and offers the full Bentley model range, consisting of the New Flying Spur, Bentayga and Continental GT. The highlight of the exclusive opening event saw the presentation of the Bentley Continental GT. Designed, engineered and handcrafted in Britain, the third-generation Continental GT combines spirited, focused performance with handcrafted luxury and cutting-edge technology, to create the finest Grand Tourer. Available as a coupe and convertible Bentley introduced the 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine next to the very powerful 6.0-litre Bentley W12 engine. Commenting on the official opening, Marco van Aalten, Sales Operations Director, Bentley Europe, said: “Bentley Cyprus opening is an important step for strengthening the British luxury brand’s presence in southern Europe. We are pleased to have a great partner...
↧

Political crisis impacts investor sentiment towards capital market

December 11, 2019, 11:47 pm
$
0
0

The Maltese capital market has been negatively impacted by the political developments that erupted in the past few weeks. The MSE Equity Price Index, which measures the performance of the shares quoted on the Official List of the Malta Stock Exchange, had advanced by 7.2 per cent until the first week of November after reaching the highest level in over 11 years on September 30. However, as the political landscape began to change and new revelations unfolded almost on a daily basis, the index eased while volumes plunged reflecting the immediate reaction by the investing public as investor sentiment was impacted. In fact, over recent weeks, the MSE Equity Price Index shed 4.7 per cent thereby reducing this year’s gain to a mere 2.3 per cent. The impact on investor sentiment is also very evident from the trading volumes across the equity market. Until the first week of November, the average weekly volume across the equity market amounted to just under €1.9 million and this shrank to under €1.1 million in recent weeks reflecting the immediate impact from the worrying political developments that unfolded. While not all movements across the equity market may be directly attributable...
↧

Solskjaer calls for Man. Utd consistency after mini-revival

December 12, 2019, 12:00 am
$
0
0

Ole Gunnar Soskjaer

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Wednesday that he wants Manchester United to learn how to be consistent as his in-form team prepare for their Europa League clash with AZ Alkmaar. Group L leaders United have already qualified for the knockout stages of the competition going into Thursday's match at Old Trafford, and they are up to fifth place in the Premier League after a run of five matches without defeat that included successive wins over Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. "Consistency is vital in football. If we want to win trophies this young team needs to learn how to put performances in when they don't feel great," said Solskjaer. "It doesn't happen that you feel great every time you walk onto the pitch. "We have had some games this year where we have not been able to perform as well as we would like but that is a learning curve. "The young boys will improve that as well in the next few years and hopefully the rest of the year. We are looking brighter now." Solskjaer's side are one point ahead of surprise Dutch outfit Alkmaar and need a draw from their final group match to ensure top spot.  "Results are the proof in the end. Inside we have always believed in what we are...
↧
↧

Watch: ‘Orders from above' to clean Daphne memorial

December 12, 2019, 12:12 am
$
0
0

The makeshift memorial opposite the law courts in Valletta. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

Workers filmed clearing photos, flowers and candles from the makeshift memorial to journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia said they were merely following “orders from above” when confronted by a German journalist.  In a video posted on Twitter by Thomas Datt on Thursday morning, one worker says he was "doing his job" by clearing the Great Siege memorial opposite the law courts.  “We have to clean the memorial,” he said when asked why a memorial to a dead journalist was being cleared.  Asked who had given the orders to clear the moment, he replied: "it came from above". The worker confirmed his department had a direct order to “clean” the monument.  “We clean it. We clean it. We are doing our job. That’s all," the worker insisted.  A vigil is held at the memorial on the 16th of every month to commemorate the slain journalist.  The constant clearing of the memorial has led blogger Manuel Delia to file a constitutional case contesting these actions.  A court last year heard how the order to clear the memorial daily came from Justice Minister Owen Bonnici.  Dr Bonnici gave that order in September 2018, once the decision to restore the monument had been taken. Ramon Deguara, director...
↧

Record-breaking Audi sales in November

December 12, 2019, 12:30 am
$
0
0

AUDI AG delivered around 163,350 cars (+23.1%) to customers worldwide last month, more than ever before in a single month of November. Apart from the strong growth in Europe (+33.0%), which is still due to prior-year effects, record figures in the core regions of North America (+17.3%) and China (+16.8%) contributed to the new record-breaking figure. In turn, the company also exceeded the prior-year cumulative figures for the first time since the start of the year: From January through November the brand with the Four Rings delivered around 1,669,600 premium automobiles (+0.7%). “Our model initiative is gaining traction globally at the year-end,” says Hildegard Wortmann, Member of the Board of Management for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG. “North America has been reaping the benefits of the full availability of the new Audi Q3 for the past few months; the two electric models, the Audi e-tron and Audi Q2 L e-tron*, as well as the Audi Q8 bolstered our portfolio in November in China. Despite the increasingly difficult environment, we therefore still expect our deliveries to customers to perform robustly and to see slight growth for 2019 as a whole.” Deliveries in Europe increased...
↧
Search

Live blog: Fenech was getting help from Keith Schembri - Daphne murder middleman

December 12, 2019, 12:34 am
$
0
0

Melvin Theuma (right) entering court on Thursday morning. Photo: Jonathan Borg

Melvin Theuma, the self-confessed middleman in Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder is back in court for his cross examination a day after a marathon court sitting.  Please refresh page for updates No information on Electrogas deal Theuma confirms that he was the one who had written the letter where he mentioned both Fenech and Schembri.  "I included Keith Schembri in that letter to show Yorgen Fenech what I knew but under oath I never got orders or money from Schembri. But that’s only what I know. I don’t know what went on between Yorgen and anyone else. Had Schembri spoken to me about the murder, I would have recorded him too. But Yorgen did tell me that Keith passed on info to him." Asked about the Electrogas deal, Theuma says that he knew nothing about it.  He tells the court that he was unaware that Schembri would allegedly receive €80 million over 18 years from the deal. Back to Caruana Galizia, Theuma repeats that he did not get a single cent. "On the contrary, I forked out money from my own pocket. I even didn’t charge him fully for rent on a betting shop in Qormi." [attach id=807109 size="large" align="left" type="image"]The letter written by Theuma and published by Times...
↧

Thoughtful abuse drama

December 12, 2019, 12:42 am
$
0
0

Spazju Kreattiv is screening By The Grace Of God, François Ozon’s gripping true-life drama about three men who come together to dismantle the code of silence around historic abuse cases within the Catholic Church. Alexandre (Melville Poupaud) lives in Lyon with his wife and children. One day he learns by chance that the priest who abused him when he was in scouts is still working with children. He decides to take action and is soon joined by two other victims of the priest, François (Denis Ménochet) and Emmanuel (Swann Arlaud). They band together to “lift the burden of silence” surrounding their ordeal. But the repercussions and consequences will leave no one unscathed. The film is based on events from the 2019 conviction of Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon for concealing the conduct of Fr Bernard Preynat. By The Grace Of God, rated 15, is being screened at Spazju Kreattiv Cinema tomorrow at 8.30pm and on Sunday at 7.30pm. Tickets may be obtained online from https://ticketenginex.kreattivita.org/.
↧
↧

Bird trapper ordered to do community service

December 12, 2019, 12:45 am
$
0
0

File photo.

A Gozitan man has been ordered to perform 150 hours of community service after admitting in court to bird trapping during the close season.  Johan Cefai, from Victoria, was arraigned before Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech and admitted to having been trapping in March 2017 in Qala.  During the proceedings, the prosecution did not present any evidence on the birds which Mr Cefai may have caught or been trying to catch, or the nets he had used.     In handing down judgment, the court said it had considered the accused’s clean conduct sheet,  his early guilty plea and a pre-sentencing report which recommended community service.  The court also ordered the suspending of all hunting and trapping licences held by the accused for a month. 
↧

‘Take a stance on Malta,’ EP president passes on MEP letter urging action

December 12, 2019, 1:10 am
$
0
0

David Sassoli.

European Parliament president David Sassoli has handed European leaders  a letter by MEPs urging them to take a stance on Malta following “alarming” findings by an ad-hoc mission earlier this month.  Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has announced he is stepping down in January after developments in the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination case rocked his government.  Mr Sassoli forwarded a letter written by MEPs on the mission, who said the rapid evolution of the situation merited the European Council and heads of government to weigh in and ensure European values were upheld throughout the EU.  The prime minister is expected to participate in the council meeting later this afternoon.  Dr Muscat’s former chief of staff Keith Schembri has been implicated in the murder by business magnate Yorgen Fenech, who has been charged with ordering the killing.  Mr Schembri resigned hours before being questioned by the police about the claims levelled against him by Mr Fenech.  He was released without charge, in a move by the police that angered several Cabinet members.  The letter highlights how the ad-hoc delegation had already expressed its concerns over the “delayed” resignation of Dr...
↧

Russia's only aircraft carrier on fire in harbour

December 12, 2019, 1:32 am
$
0
0

A fire broke out Thursday on Russia's only aircraft carrier as it underwent repairs in an Artic shipyard, Russian news agencies reported, with at least one worker reported missing. The Admiral Kuznetsov has been undergoing repairs for more than two years in Murmansk and suffered previous damage in October 2018 when a crane crashed onto its deck. State news agency RIA Novosti quoted a source in the Zvezdochka shipyard as saying the fire broke out during welding operations. Initial reports said three workers were missing. More than 400 people were on board when the fire erupted, state news agency TASS quoted a Zvezdochka spokesman as saying.  News agency Interfax reported that the fire had spread over an area of about 600 square metres (6,500 square feet).  The Admiral Kuznetsov -- launched in 1985 and the flagship of the Russian navy -- has been undergoing its first major repairs since 1997. The repairs were expected to be completed by the end of 2020, with the warship rejoining the navy in 2021.                   
↧
Viewing all 84484 articles
Browse latest View live
Search
<script src="https://jsc.adskeeper.com/r/s/rssing.com.1596347.js" async> </script>