Новости за 22.08.2015

Mosta struck two goals in the closing stages of the match to overcome Floriana 2-1 at the National Stadium. The Greens had seemingly set to give new coach Luis Oliveira a good start to life in the BOV Premier League when they took the lead after only five minutes. They were awarded a corner on the right channel from which Nicholas Chiesa sent a dipping cross towards Steve Bonnici who headed the ball past a stranded Omar Borg. Steve Pisani came close to a second goal on 28 minutes when he took charge... Читать дальше...

The Italian navy rescued 3,000 migrants aboard more than a dozen boats in the Mediterranean today after receiving requests for help from 22 vessels, the coast guard said. Operations are continuing and it is still unclear where the people will be taken, a spokesman said. Also today, thousands of rain-soaked migrants stormed across Macedonia's border as police lobbed stun grenades and beat them with batons, seeking to enforce a decree to stem their flow through the Balkans to western Europe.

Furniture in a top floor apartment in Mosta was destroyed in a fierce blaze this evening. The blaze was reported at about 7.30pm when fire-fighters were called to the third floor apartment at the corner of College Street with Spring Street. A 54-year-old woman and a seven-year-old boy got out of the apartment safely but were treated for smoke inhalation. A thick plume of smoke was seen over a wide area.

Air Malta engineers are questioning the future direction of the company following the recent announcement on fleet downsizing. The Association of Airline Engineers joined the Union of the Cabin Crew and the Airline Pilots Association’s in criticising the decision to use eight planes in summer and seven in winter instead of the present 10. AAE president John Camilleri told the Times of Malta that though the company could, technically, improve aircraft utilisation, this would come at a cost and be very difficult to implement. Читать дальше...

At least seven people are feared dead after a plane crashed into cars on a major road during an aerial display at the Shoreham Airshow in West Sussex. The aircraft, believed to be an old Hawker Hunter jet, plummeted to the ground when it failed to pull out of a loop manoeuvre, smashing into the A27 in a huge fireball. Police said there were "several casualties" after the plane hit a number of cars. The Royal Sussex County Hospital was put on major alert at 2pm and told to expect casualties. One... Читать дальше...

An explosion hit a chemical plant today in eastern China, the official Xinhua state news agency said, citing local authorities. No casualties have been reported yet, Xinhua said. The blast, which triggered a fire, happened around 8.50pm local time in Huantai county in Shandong province. The explosion occurred at a factory of Shandong's Runxing Chemical company, according to the official People's Daily. More than 10 fire engines were at the scene trying to put out the fire, the People's Daily reported, citing an eyewitness. Читать дальше...

Top aides to the leaders of North and South Korea held talks at the Panmunjom truce village straddling their border today, raising hopes for an end to a standoff that put the rivals on the brink of armed conflict. The meeting at the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) village, known for its sky-blue huts and grim-faced soldiers, began soon after the deadline for North Korea's previously set ultimatum demanding that the South halt its loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts along the border or face military action. Читать дальше...

Double world champion Lewis Hamilton clinched pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix  with a flawless lap to take top slot on the starting grid for the 10th time in 11 races. The Mercedes driver will have his closest rival and team mate Nico Rosberg,  alongside on the front row. The Mercedes pair will be determined not to repeat the fiasco of 2014, when Rosberg was on pole and they collided on the second lap. Hamilton kicked off a controversy after that race by accusing Rosberg of driving into him deliberately. Читать дальше...

Manchester United's 100 percent start to the Premier League season ended when they were held to a goalless draw against Newcastle United at Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney had an early goal ruled out for offside as United, 1-0 winners in their opening two league games, dominated but it was Newcastle who went closest to scoring in the first half when Aleksandar Mitrovichit the crossbar. Substitutes Javier Hernandez and Antonio Valencia then had opportunities to snatch a late goal for the home team who are top of the table with seven points. Читать дальше...

The Nationalist Party insisted once more today that local petrol and diesel prices needed to be reduced to reflect the international price of oil. In a statement, the shadow minister for energy, Marthese Portelli, said the Maltese people are being robbed through exaggerated fuel prices.   She observed that oil prices are currently at their lowest for many years - at $40 per barrel - but local prices have not changed.   Local fuel prices are among the highest in the EU. Only four of the 28 EU countries charge more for diesel. Читать дальше...

The University Students' Council (KSU) and a host of other university organisations said today that the government's decision on the splitting of the campus of the American University of Malta was better than the original proposal, but not good enough. "KSU, together with the undersigned organisations, welcomes the regeneration of Cospicua’s historical building and the downsizing of development on ODZ land, but questions the need to develop 18,000 square metres all the same," KSU said. It said no... Читать дальше...

Malta has the highest concentration of birds killed per square kilometre in the Mediterranean but totals are nowhere near those of neighbouring countries, a study found. The island’s small size means that about 340 birds are killed illegally for every square kilometre, according to a Birdlife International study on bird hunting in the Mediterranean region entitled ‘The killing’. The average 108,000 birds killed illegally ever year in Malta pales when compared to the millions killed in other Mediterranean countries. Читать дальше...

The police are on the lookout for a man who this morning ran off with cash when he held up a stationery in Wilga Street, Paceville. The man, believed to be North African, produced a knife and demanded the cash. No one was injured. PBS reported that some €3,000 were stolen.

A gunman who was overpowered by passengers during a shooting on a train in France yesterday had been identified as dangerous by foreign security services and had been under police surveillance, a French source with knowledge of the case said. Three people were wounded in the struggle to subdue the 26-year-old aboard the high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris. He was eventually overwhelmed by passengers including two American soldiers, one of whom was hurt in the incident. French newspaper La Voix... Читать дальше...

Xlendi is safe for swimming, the Environment Health Directorate said today. It had issued a swimming ban on Monday after contamination from nearby farms. It said that a number of water tests confirmed the bay is now safe.

Fears of a China-led global economic slowdown drove Wall Street to its steepest one-day drop in nearly four years yesterday and left the Dow industrials more than 10 percent below a May record. Wall Street's selloff this week suggested investors are growing nervous about paying high prices for stocks at a time of minimal earnings growth, tumbling energy prices and an expected rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve that could gradually usher the end of almost a decade of easy money. Stocks have seen few large moves this year... Читать дальше...

The Church's Interdiocesan Commission for the Environment (KA) said today it had serious reservations on some aspects of the government's plans to demerge Mepa's environment and planning functions. It said that, for years, it had pronounced itself in favour of splitting the environment from the planning function so that the environment could be given greater protection. "However, the KA sadly notes that beyond the rhetoric and the marketing efforts currently being made to portray positively the splitting... Читать дальше...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat visited Marsascala today to be briefed by architects following the government's decision to split the campus of the American University of Malta between Marsascala and Cospicua. In comments to the media, Dr Muscat stressed that the 18,000 square metres of ODZ land which the Marsascala campus would use - along with the site of the former national pool - was substantially smaller than what was originally proposed and did not involve private land. The area of ODZ, he said... Читать дальше...

Iran today unveiled a new surface-to-surface missile it said could strike targets with pin-point accuracy within a range of 500 km (310 miles) and it said military might was a precondition for peace and effective diplomacy. The defence ministry's unveiling of the solid-fuel missile, named Fateh 313, came little more than a month after Iran and world powers reached a deal that requires Tehran to abide by new limits on its nuclear programme in return for Western governments easing economic sanctions. Читать дальше...

Lord Gerald Strickland, who served as prime minister of Malta between 1927 and 1932, died 75 years ago today. He made a great contribution to the development of Malta and was a pioneer in the area of social legislation. It is no exaggeration to say that he was one of Malta’s greatest prime ministers. Strickland had already had a most distinguished career before he became prime minister. Elected to the Council of Government in 1886, he was instrumental, together with Fortunato Mizzi, in ensuring that... Читать дальше...