Новости за 20.02.2016

A news camera was recording the moment Israeli security forces shot dead a Palestinian man in Jerusalem. Israeli police say the man stabbed two officers outside the walled Old City before police forces opened fire and killed him. The violence was one of several incidents that happened in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank on the same day. In Hebron, clashes broke out between Israeli police and Palestinians marking the 22nd anniversary of the killing of 29 Palestinians by a Jewish settler. Police... Читать дальше...

The Malta Union of Teachers said today that it regretted that the new Learning Outcomes Framework had become the subject of partisan politics It confirmed that it has been in talks with the Ministry for Education about various concerns raised by its members. They included the uncertainty felt by teachers in the primary and secondary sector and the varying versions of information reaching teachers and other educators during training sessions, or information meetings, which was creating an atmosphere of resentment an. Читать дальше...

A ban on visible tattoos for police recruits which was described as an “anachronism” four years ago by then opposition Labour MPs Joe Mizzi and Marie Louise Coleiro Preca is still in place. The ban was heavily criticised when introduced in 2012 as it applied to police recruits having a tattoo, whether visible or hidden under clothing. A call for new police constables published this week in the government gazette says that applications by candidates having visible tattoos or body piercings will not be considered. Читать дальше...

Sliema Wanderers ended a depressing run of five successive defeats when they edged past Tarxien Rainbows 1-0 at the Tedesco Stadium. The first half was bereft of scoring opportunities. In fact the only attempt at goal came Tarxien’s way on 41 minutes when Montebello turned past his marker and his curling drive finished just over. The game showed signs of improvement on the restart and on 48 minutes Tarxien were awarded a corner kick from which Bruno connected to Ayrton Azzopardi’s delivery but his header flashed just wide. Читать дальше...

HIBS 6; QORMI 0 Hibernians began the third round with a 6-0 hammering of relegation strugglers Qormi to move one point ahead of Valletta who meet St Andrew's tomorrow. The game was over as a contest inside the opening 14 minutes as Hibs surged into a two-goal lead before adding another two before half-time as the limited Qormi were outplayed. To make matters for Qormi, they finished the match with eight men after Ousmane Sidibe and Pietro Viggiani were dismissed and Tensior Gusman left the field... Читать дальше...

Drivers whose cars were buried in bricks when a structure collapsed at a school on Thursday should be able to make a valid insurance claim so long as they have comprehensive coverage, according to the head of the Malta Insurance Association. Adrian Galea, the association’s director general, yesterday told the Times of Malta that “contrary to popular belief” most property insurance policies did not exclude acts of God from coverage. “In fact, many of the natural perils such as storms, wind, hail and... Читать дальше...

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders will test his appeal with minority voters in Nevada today, looking to puncture rival Hillary Clinton's argument that he is a one-note candidate whose support is limited to mostly white states. After routing Clinton in New Hampshire and finishing a strong second in Iowa, states with nearly all-white populations, Nevada's Democratic caucuses give Sanders his first chance to prove he can win over black and Hispanic voters and compete nationally as the... Читать дальше...

The United States became the top destination for German exports last year, overtaking France for the first time since 1961 thanks to an upturn in the U.S. economy and a weaker euro, data from Germany's Statistics Office showed today. Exports to the United States rose by 19 percent to 114 billion euros ($127 billion) in 2015, compared with an increase in French purchases of 2.5 percent to 103 billion euros. It was the first time in more than half a century that France was not Germany's biggest trading... Читать дальше...

A meeting of the Commission for the Administration of Justice has been called for Monday but there is no sign yet it will discuss the nomination of Caroline Farrugia Frendo as a magistrate. The controversial issue has not so far been included on the meeting’s agenda, Times of Malta can confirm. The commission had been asked to discuss another nomination, of lawyer Ingrid Zammit Young, and declared there may be a constitutional obstacle to her appointment because she had occupied a public post, following which she withdrew. Читать дальше...

Holders Arsenal's long unbeaten run in the FA Cup continued but they were frustrated by stubborn Championship leaders Hull City this afternoon, drawing 0-0 in a dreary fifth-round tie at the Emirates Stadium. Arsene Wenger's side piled on late pressure but could not find a way past the massed ranks of Hull's defence and will need a replay in their quest to become the first club in the modern era to win the competition three years in a row. Despite overwhelming possession, the closest Arsenal came... Читать дальше...

BALZAN-2, PEMBROKE-1 Balzan made it seven wins in a row after edging Pembroke Athleta 2-1 in an entertaining match. The title hopefuls, who finished the game with 10 men after Pedrinho's dismissal, needed a late Rennie Tanti own goal to keep their championship bid on track as Pembroke were unlucky not to take a point. Pedrinho fired high after being released by Lydon Micallef but Pembroke created the better chances in the early stages. Close to the 10th minute mark, Alex Cini burst forward on the... Читать дальше...

Floriana 4; Naxxar 0 Floriana broke little sweat to overcome the challenge of Naxxar Lions 4-0 in a one-sided encounter at the Tedesco Stadium. Nicolas Chiesa put Floriana ahead on 20 minutes. The Argentine midfielder controlled a short clearance by the Naxxar defence and let fly and firm drive that flew into the bottom corner of the net. On 25 minutes, Mario Fontanella evaded his marker before hitting a curling drive that flew just wide. Four minutes later Eduardo Vallecillo should have pulled Naxxar... Читать дальше...

People with hearing impairments in Gozo will now be trained in Maltese sign language following an agreement between the Parliamentary Secretary for the Disabled and the Gozo Association for the Deaf. The course, which will be provided free of charge by the secretariat, will start on Saturday. Such an initiative will mean more disabled people are being given better means to communicate through sign language and Braille, Parliamentary Secretary Justyne Caruana said. This agreement also ensures that... Читать дальше...

Were it not bad enough that Malta is now littered with illegal billboards dotting several streets, the least the authorities could do is to clamp down on those advertising outdated events. These two prominent billboards - one in Msida, and the other at Portes des Bombes - are advertising the charity fundraiser L-Istrina, held on Boxing Day. And to top it all, the canvas has been ripped to shreds and is now flapping about in the wind, causing an eyesore, and more importantly a potential danger to drivers. Читать дальше...

Iranian director Mani Haghighi says his Berlin competition movie Ejhdeha Vared Mihavad! (A Dragon Arrives!) is a hodge-podge of genres ranging from crime film to "X-Files", but he trusts viewers will find it an entertaining and thought-provoking mix. "It's a mess, yeah, it's a mess," Haghighi told Reuters in an interview on Friday, the day of the film's festival premiere. "The idea was to make a mess and see how it goes." "As I went along I realised that maybe one genre wasn't going to do the trick... Читать дальше...

Syria's opposition has agreed to a two- to three-week truce on condition that Russia stops its air strikes, sieges are ended and access for aid allowed across the country, a source close to peace talks said today. Russian air strikes began last September and turned the tide in Syria's five-year civil war in Bashar al-Assad's favour, to the frustration of the United States and its allies who have supported rebels trying to topple the president. Several attempts to agree a truce have failed in recent months. Читать дальше...

No deadline has been set for the government’s talks with a strategic partner for Air Malta, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said yesterday. Speaking to Times of Malta, Dr Zammit Lewis would not give a concrete deadline for the conclusion of talks with a buyer for the airline. Yesterday, Times of Malta reported that Air Malta workers remain in the dark over their future because negotiations between the management and trade unions have not yet started. Negotiations on a new collective agreement... Читать дальше...

An American couple allowed their nine-year-old daughter to drive them and their 11-month-old baby because they were too drunk to do so themselves, according to court records. Jason Roth, 36, and Amanda Eggert, 32, pleaded not guilty at the court yesterday to charges of recklessly endangering safety and neglecting a child, according to the online records. On January 31, a sheriff's deputy responded to a call about an erratic driver and found the couple and their children parked at a boat drop in Polk County... Читать дальше...

Prime Minister David Cameron called a June 23 referendum on membership of the European Union as he sought to rally his divided Conservative Party behind a deal which he said would guarantee Britain's prosperity and security in the bloc. After spelling out detail of the deal - clinched at an EU summit in Brussels - to his senior ministers, Cameron said he had secured the cabinet's blessing to recommend to voters that Britain stay in the bloc it joined in 1973. "I believe that Britain will be safer... Читать дальше...

Uganda's presidential election was conducted in an intimidating atmosphere and the East African nation's electoral commission is not independent, European Union observers said today, criticising a poll the opposition has disputed. "The EC (electoral commission) lacks independence, transparency and the trust of stakeholders," Eduard Kukan, chief observer for the EU mission, told reporters in Kampala. He said the dominance of the poliical space by President Yoweri Museveni's ruling National Resistance... Читать дальше...

Popular British magician Paul Daniels has terminal cancer, his publicist said this morning. A statement from his publicist said: "We can confirm that one of our greatest magicians and entertainers of all times, Paul Daniels, has sadly been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour. "On behalf of Paul, Debbie and their families, we thank you for your kind concerns and support at this sad time and ask that their privacy continues to be respected. There will be no further comments at this time."

The police are investigating a report filed by a foreign woman who claimed she was raped in Swieqi this morning. The alleged incident took place in Triq il-Qasam at about 6am. Though no further details were divulged by the police, sources told Times of Malta that the incident allegedly happened when the 22-year-old British woman was entering an apartment, and was dragged into a nearby garage still under construction by the aggressor. The man allegedly absconded. A magisterial inquiry has been launched.

Two Serbian embassy staff members abducted in Libya in November are believed to have been killed in US raids against a suspected Islamic State training camp on yesterday, Serbia's foreign minister said. Sladjana Stankovic, a communications officer, and Jovica Stepic, a driver, were taken hostage on November 8 after their diplomatic convoy, including the ambassador, came under fire near the coastal city of Sabratha. "We are expecting identification of the victims, so formally we cannot confirm the... Читать дальше...

Economic growth will not decrease as much as has been projected by a credit rating agency through planned public expenditure, Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said today. He was reacting to the latest country outlook report published by the Fitch credit rating agency yesterday, which predicted economic growth would dip from 4.7 per cent to 3.2 per cent. Addressing a press conference outside the Parliament building, Prof. Scicluna said the high rate of growth experienced last year had been in no small... Читать дальше...

The Conversion Therapy Bill being presented to Parliament violates the constitutional provisions on discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, a Church position paper has concluded. The legislation being proposed on the affirmation of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression raises a number of "serious ethical and legal issues", according to a position paper published by the Curia on the advice of seven experts in the field. "Rather than fostering a ‘culture of dignity’ in which every citizen... Читать дальше...