Ralph Rangnick has been granted a work permit to start his stint as Manchester United interim manager, the Premier League club announced on Thursday. The 63-year-old German will be introduced to the media on Friday and will take charge of the team for the first time at Crystal Palace two days later. “As all paperwork has now been completed, we will hold an in-person press conference with Ralf Rangnick at Old Trafford at 9:00 am tomorrow morning,” said a United statement. United confirmed the appointment of Rangnick as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s short-term replacement on Monday, just over a week after sacking the Norwegian following a 4-1 humbling at lowly Watford. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of the Times of Malta

In the cluttered workshop of his home off the coast of northwest Scotland, Ian Mackay patiently weaves a bright green wool, surrounded by bags of fabric, spools and tools.  He makes a steady clatter as he pedals his machine in the shed of his croft on the village of South Shawbost on the Isle of Lewis, watching closely for any defects. "It's handwoven... or rather foot-woven," the 51-year-old weaver jokes in his sing-song accent typical of the Outer Hebrides. Mackay spins wool for 10 hours a day, resting only on Sundays, when most shops and services are shut on the religiously conservative islands. Wool is set in the loom at The Carloway Mill. Once complete, his handiwork – authentic Harris Tweed – could be shipped to the other side of the world, as the rough woollen fabric becomes more popular than ever. Long associated with the windswept Scottish islands, the textile's ecological and sustainable properties have inspired designers to be more environmentally friendly. "It doesn't really matter how bad the weather is outside if you are weaving," Mackay told AFP as an icy November wind whipped across the ochre-coloured moor where sheep were grazing. "There's no point in being...

Maltese media organisations and NGOs have written to Prime Minister Robert Abela urging him to revoke a legal notice which allows the director-general of the law courts to remove judgements from the courts' online portal at his discretion. They expressed alarm that Legal Notice 456 of 2021 gives the director-general sole discretion to decide whether a person has “valid grounds” to have court judgments removed from a public government website, on the pretext of allowing people to exercise their right to be forgotten. The legal notice says the right to be forgotten can be applied by either censoring any part of the judgement or by removing the judgment from the internet entirely. “The online publication of court judgements fulfils the Maltese state’s Constitutional and ECHR (European Court of Human Rights) obligation to ensure that all stages of a trial are public, including the judgment. It also serves the public interest of transparency and accountability by delivering access to the public, including, crucially journalists and other social watchdogs,” the prime minister was told in the letter. “Moreover, the FATF’s greylisting of Malta has obliged the country to step up its...

The cannabis reform bill is a "significant effort" at addressing lacunas in the sector, however, several issues still need to be discussed, the Department of Public Policy within the Faculty of Economics said on Wednesday.  The department said in a statement it valued the participation of medical experts, criminologists, social workers, the police force and community organisations, together with politicians as representatives of the people, in deliberating grounded realities and observations to make the best choices. "The proposed bill is intended to address the regulatory void but, at the same time, raises several pertinent questions and issues that need to be addressed in public fora, and most importantly in Parliament," it said. Its argument hinges on four issues: Addressing law enforcement There needs to be a delineation of responsibilities across the various regulatory and enforcing authorities, including the proposed Authority on the Responsible Use of Cannabis in varied contexts, the department argued. The bill, it says, does not specify the measures to be taken by the police and other authorities to ensure that all the provisions of the law are respected. "In other...

Air Malta on Thursday said it had successfully launched its new booking and customer experience platform, developed by Branchspace. “Throughout the year we implemented various initiatives and projects to revamp our digital ecosystem by leveraging technology to deliver an outstanding user experience when browsing and booking through our website in a digitally secure environment," Wayne Grixti, Air Malta’s Chief Technology Officer said. Branchspace was founded by Michael Huynh in 2011. In its 2021 report, the Financial Times flagged Branchspace as one of the top European fastest-growing companies. CTO David Turton noted on Thursday that Branchspace built Triplake - its innovative digital commerce platform - to help airlines and other travel brands deliver best-in-class digital experiences and allow them to fast adapt to the changing market conditions. "The Branchspace team is thrilled to be a key part of Air Malta’s strategy to become one of the best airline digital retailers in Europe," he said. Branchspace developed Triplake over the past three years, complementing its digital consulting expertise with innovative technology. Triplake allows airline and travel partners the...

The members of the forces of law and order are in the process of receiving their invitations for the COVID-19 booster jab, the Health Ministry said on Thursday. Its statement came a day after police unions, complaining of delays, instructed officers who have not had the extra jab not to go into any buildings as part of an investigation unless there is an emergency.  The ministry said invitations are being issued by SMS today to members of the armed forces, the police, civil protection, LESA and prison warders. Their vaccination is expected to be completed within a few days. The booster vaccination programme is currently open for all those aged over 50, who can apply on vaccin.gov.mt.

The Malta Football Association issued a statement to defend its actions after Rabat Ajax criticised the local governing body for providing them with a hectic playing schedule following their return to action after coming out of COVID-19 quarantine. The Challenge League club made their competitive return on Tuesday when they suffered a comprehensive 7-2 defeat to San Ġwann at the Centenary Stadium and are now scheduled to face Naxxar Lions on Friday at the same venue. In separate statements, Rabat Ajax and their forward Adam Smeir said that the Malta FA was not taking into consideration the well-being of their players and added that it was difficult how one can give a team a playing schedule that will see them face six matches in the space of 22 days, after just returning to training. Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of the Times of Malta 

Pope Francis arrived on the divided island of Cyprus on Thursday as part of a landmark trip to push two of his priorities: the plight of migrants and inter-confessional dialogue. The pontiff, 84, landed at Larnaca airport on the Mediterranean island where he will stay until travelling early Saturday to Greece, another front in Europe's migrant and refugee crisis.  Francis had also been due to visit Malta this month, but his visit was postponed over concerns that it could clash with an election announcement.  Francis is the second Catholic pontiff to set foot on Cyprus, which has a Greek Orthodox majority, after Benedict XVI visited in 2010. Migration is a key theme of his visit to the country, which complains of bearing a disproportionate burden of the flow of people trying to reach the European Union. Ahead of his visit, the pope said the wider five-day trip was an "opportunity to approach a humanity wounded", noting there were "so many migrants in search of hope". He also said his trip would "be a journey to the wellsprings of apostolic faith and fraternity among Christians of various denominations". On the plane, the pope greeted journalists, one of whom gave him framed...

The funeral of Fra’ Matthew Festing, 79th Grand Master of the Knights of Malta, will be held on Friday afternoon at St John's Co-Cathedral, marking the first time for at least 246 years that a grand master is buried in the church crypt. Fra’ Matthew was grand master of the Sovereign Order of Malta from 2008 to 2017 and died in Malta on November 12, aged 71.   Fra’ Matthew Festing. He will be the 13th Grand Master to be laid to rest in the frescoed crypt – the burial place of L’Isle-Adam, who brought the Order to Malta in 1530, and La Valette, who won the 1565 Great Siege and founded the city of Valletta. The last grand master to be buried in the crypt was Vasconcellos in 1623, although it is understood, despite a lack of documentation, that it is also the resting place, in an unmarked grave, of Ximenes, who died in 1775, 23 years before the knights were ousted from Malta by Napoleon's invasion. Friday's Requiem Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi, the Pope’s Special Delegate to the Order of Malta and concelebrated by Archbishop Charles Scicluna. The Lieutenant of the Grand Master, Fra’ Marco Luzzago will attend the ceremony.  The co-cathedral’s crypt , was...

Top US diplomat Antony Blinken on Thursday warned Russia against invading Ukraine, as Moscow told Kiev that any attempt to retake the Crimean peninsula amounted to a "direct threat" to Russia. Western powers have been sounding the alarm in recent weeks about Russia massing troops along the border with Ukraine, further stoking tensions in an area where a long-running conflict has already left 13,000 dead. Moscow, which is accused of backing the separatists fighting Kiev, has denied preparing an attack and accuses NATO of raising the temperature. "We have deep concerns about Russia's plans for renewed aggression against Ukraine," Blinken told Lavrov in talks on Thursday near Stockholm, warning of "serious consequences" if Russia "decides to pursue confrontation". Striking a conciliatory note, Blinken said the US was ready to "facilitate" the "full implementation" of the Minsk peace accords. The Minsk deal was reached after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and aimed at resolving the conflict with pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine but never enforced. "The best way to avert a crisis is through diplomacy," Blinken said. 'Nightmare scenario' The US, Russia and Ukraine were...

Major oil producers began meeting on Thursday to decide on output levels from January, with a freeze possible as the Omicron coronavirus variant rattles the markets. The OPEC+ alliance led by Saudi Arabia and Russia has so far resisted US-led pressure to significantly boost output to rein in surging energy prices. The emergence of the variant has further complicated the equation, as countries have imposed new travel curbs and mull other measures that could dampen demand and hurt oil prices. The 13 members of the Organisation of the Vienna-based Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and their 10 allies began their video conference meeting at around 2.15pm (1315 GMT) following technical discussions. Observers predict the alliance will decide to stop modestly increasing output by 400,000 barrels per day every month as they had planned and as they have been doing since May. “A pause in the loosening of output controls would help sentiment in the market and is increasingly expected,” said analyst Neil Wilson of markets.com. “The market would find it virtually impossible to absorb this additional oil, especially as it will be flooded in the first quarter,” said Carsten Fritsch,...

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz is expected to be officially elected German chancellor on December 8, replacing Angela Merkel, parliament said in a planning statement on Thursday. "Chancellor election day -- expected on Wednesday, 8 December 2021", the Bundestag said in the note.  Scholz's SPD last week announced a coalition tie-up with the Greens and liberal Free Democrats (FDP), putting the centre-left in charge for the first time in 16 years. Scholz, 63, was labour minister in Merkel's first coalition from 2007 to 2009 before taking over as vice-chancellor and finance minister in 2015. Known for being meticulous, confident and fiercely ambitious, he has cemented his reputation as a fiscal conservative -- something that at times puts him at odds with his workers' party. During the election campaign, Scholz had styled himself as the continuity candidate, mimicking Merkel down to her "rhombus" hand gesture. In the run-up to the power transfer, Merkel had taken pains to ensure an orderly transition -- taking Scholz with her to the G20 summit in October in Rome where he also participated in key bilateral meetings including with US President Joe Biden. He has also featured prominently...

The IMF on Thursday urged advanced economies in the G20 to extend and improve its debt relief initiative, warning that many countries face a dire crisis without the help. “We may see economic collapse in some countries unless G20 creditors agree to accelerate debt restructurings and suspend debt service while the restructurings are being negotiated,” IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said in a blog, adding that it is critical private creditors also offer relief. The G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) expires at the end of the year, and without a renewal, countries could faced financial pressure and spending cuts just as new COVID-19 variants are spreading and interest rates are expected to rise, she said. “Debt challenges are pressing and the need for action is urgent. The recent Omicron variant is a stark reminder that the pandemic will be with us for a while,” Georgieva said in the blog co-authored by Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, director of the fund’s Strategy, Policy, and Review Department. Given the problems with the debt relief programme and the common framework for dealing with private creditors, only three countries so far have applied for relief – Chad, Ethiopia and...

Malta’s state advocate still does not enjoy security of tenure, meaning he can be easily removed by the government, PN MP Jason Azzopardi warned on Thursday. Fielding questions during a press conference, Azzopardi called the lack of security of tenure for state advocate Chris Soler as an "attack on the rule of law".   Azzopardi said the state advocate could easily lose his job if he gave the government advice it did not like. This contrasted with other constitutional posts, like the attorney general, who can only be removed by a two-thirds majority in parliament, Azzopardi said. He said security of tenure was important as it allowed people in sensitive roles to operate without fear of being unilaterally removed by the government. Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis has downplayed concerns, saying in parliament that a clause in the law setting up the state advocate’s office lays down that the holder can only be removed by a two-thirds majority. Azzopardi countered on Thursday that this clause could be revoked by a simple majority in parliament, meaning the state advocate did not really enjoy security of tenure. Carmelo Abela’s seven sins During the same press conference,...

The 41st meeting of the season, which was held on Wednesday evening at the Marsa Racetrack, included the two semi-final races from the President’s Cup championship for class Premier trotters on a short distance of 2,140m. These races were won by Pablo Andover and Duke Of Mearas. Wednesday’s card consisted of 11 races all for trotters. From the two semi-finals, 12 horses made it to the final stage. In the first class Premier semi-final, Sir Q.C. (Rodney Gatt) went in front after the official start of the race and immediately opened a small lead from Castle Rose (Marco Debono) and Glen Ord Superb (Kurt Saliba). Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of the Times of Malta

Inter midfielder Christian Eriksen has begun working out at the training ground of his youth club in Denmark following his rehabilitation after suffering a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, a spokesperson for the club said yesterday. Eriksen, 29, has not played since suffering the cardiac arrest while running near the left touchline during Denmark’s opening game of the tournament against Finland in June and received life-saving treatment on the pitch. Eriksen remains under contract with Inter but, because he has been fitted with a pacemaker, is not permitted to play in Serie A.   Continue reading this article on SportsDesk, the sports website of the Times of Malta

A court in southern Libya on Thursday reinstated Seif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi, as a candidate in next month's presidential election, Libyan media reported. He had lodged an appeal earlier in the day at the court in Sebha against the electoral commission's rejection of his application last month. The commission had pointed to articles of the electoral law stipulating that candidates "must not have been sentenced for a dishonourable crime" and must present a clean criminal record.                   

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri says Rafael Benitez will be given time to turn things around after a heavy defeat against neighbours Liverpool intensified pressure on the Spanish manager. The Goodison Park club, who started the season brightly under their new boss, are now winless in eight Premier League matches after their 4-1 drubbing on Wednesday — their worst sequence since 1999. They are languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table, just five points above the relegation zone. Continue reading this article on Sports Desk.

The police are to offer self-defence sessions to children who were victims of crimes, Lydia Abela, the prime minister's wife, said on Thursday. The victims, aged eight and over, will be instructed free of charge by experienced police instructors. The purpose is to help the children defend themselves and protect their personal space without resorting to violence, Abela said during a visit to the gym of the Academy of Disciplined Forces. The children will thus learn new skills and become more confident in themselves.  Abela was accompanied by Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri who said the police were there to help everyone. This, he said, was an effort to ensure that victims of crime did not become repeat victims. Those wishing to participate may contact the Victim Support Agency on 2568 9700 or email victimsupport.police@gov.mt.

The MSE Equity Price Index on Thursday erased Wednesday's gain as it retracted by 0.19% to 3,755.027 points. The declines in the share prices of BOV, Lombard, IHI and Mapfre Middlesea outweighed the gains in four other companies. Meanwhile, FIMBank, HSBC and PG ended the day unchanged as the total value of equities traded amounted to €0.08 million. Half of Thursday's activity in equities took place in Bank of Valletta plc as the bank’s share price slid by 1.7% back to the €0.85 level across 50,500 shares. BOV’s insurance associate – Mapfre Middlesea plc – lost 13.2% to the €1.91 level albeit on trivial volumes. Lombard Bank Malta plc shed 6.2% to the €1.83 level on 1,066 shares. A single deal of just 1,018 shares forced the equity of International Hotel Investments plc to move 0.9% lower to the €0.58 level. On Tuesday, IHI announced that it is expecting to generate a consolidated EBITDA of over €24 million in 2021 compared to the earlier forecasts of €11 million (June 2021) and €15 million (October 2021). Also among the large companies by market value, Malta International Airport plc added 2.6% to regain the €5.95 level albeit on shallow volumes. The ordinary shares of RS2...