Новости за 07.03.2016

Five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova has announced she failed a drugs test at this year's Australian Open. The 28-year-old Russian made the shocking revelation at a pre-arranged press conference in Los Angeles, on Monday. Sharapova, who has played in only one tournament this year, losing to Serena Williams in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, said she received a letter from the ITF informing her of the failed test for meldonium - a substance which has been on the banned list since January 1, 2016. Читать дальше...

The Opposition said this evening that it was surreal that minister Konrad Mizzi this evening rose in Parliament to speak about an inquiry into the administration of cemeteries when far more serious allegations had been made against him. Dr Mizzi made his statement after the Speaker earlier ruled in favour of an Opposition demand that a statement which was meant to have been delivered by Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne had to be made by the minister himself (See separate story). Dr Mizzi said... Читать дальше...

Mac users who've long assumed they're safer than Windows users - beware: Some will find out later today that they have been hit with ransomware in the first attack campaign against Mac computers. Palo Alto Networks researchers discovered this so-called "KeRanger" malware on Friday. They warn that victims could start losing access to their data on Monday because it encrypts data three days after it is installed. They say KeRanger will then demand that users pay one bitcoin, a digital currency worth around $400, if they want their data back. Читать дальше...

Madam Justice Edwina Grima this afternoon began delivering the concluding address to jurors in the trial of former policeman Carmel Cutajar, who stands accused of the attempted murder of his estranged wife. Earlier, defence lawyer Edward Gatt reminded the jurors that the accused’s former wife, Maria, took her lover to meet his children’s headmistress, rhetorically questioning whether such an act amounted to provocation. The accused had spoken at length of his suspicions when he had given the police his statement... Читать дальше...

The Opposition insisted in parliament this evening that a ministerial statement due to be given by Parliamentary Secretary for Health Chris Fearne, should be given by the minister, Konrad Mizzi, since he was in the House. Opposition whip David Agius referred to various rulings along the years which all spoke about ministers making statements in the House. Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said parliamentary secretaries had delegated responsibilities, and what Mr Agius had said did not exclude parliamentary secretaries in any way. Читать дальше...

The government has identified a site from which Sedqa will offer specialised services for drug users aged under 18. Social welfare minister Michael Farrugia said in Parliament that such a service was long overdue and would be started as soon as personnel were trained.

An increase in the incidence of HIV, which can lead to Aids, was the result of gay relationships and not shared syringes by drug users, the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Chris Fearne, said in Parliament this evening. He said a similar increase was being seen in several other countries. A task force of professionals is drawing up policies and preparing an information campaign to tackle the trend and educate the people on precautions to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. He said there was no... Читать дальше...

Nationalist Party executive president Ann Fenech has opened libel proceedings against Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Labour president Daniel Micallef in connection with the Panama claims. It is Dr Fenech's second libel against the Labour Party in three days. The PL issued a statement claiming Dr Fenech had kept under wraps a company she has held in Panama since 2003. She said the statement was intended merely as an attempt to harm her reputation. The Labour Party has made its claims in the wake... Читать дальше...

Rapid Intervention Unit officers and a former journalist who were present at the site of a traffic accident where a police officer crashed into a motorcyclist gave conflicting evidence in court today. They were testifying in the case of Jean-Claude Mangion, a 21-year-old constable from Qrendi, who was driving to work just on January 10, 2014 after 5am, when he was involved in a collision with a motorcycle driven by Clive Brincat, 32, from Floriana. The officer is charged with causing Mr Brincat’s death through negligence... Читать дальше...

A weak 2.5m blue shark was washed ashore at Pembroke this afternoon. Officials from Sharklab Malta and the National Aquarium made several attempts to rescue the shark back to safety. Until this evening it was still not yet known whether the shark died since it was constantly beaten against the rocks. The blue shark is an "absolutely harmless" shark with no reported fatal attacks on humans, Greg Nowell from Sharklab Malta told Times of Malta. "It is absolutely harmless and there is no cause for alarm. Читать дальше...

Scores of militants, police and civilians have been killed in clashes in the Tunisian city of Ben Guerdan near Libya's border, raising concerns about the presence of Islamic State in the region.  The fighting began with an attack by Islamist militants on a police barracks. Residents say the assault was carried out by Islamic State, raising concerns about a potential spill-over of fighting from Libya, where the group is ramping up it's presence. Tunisia has been targeted by the militants several time over the past year... Читать дальше...

A top government official, who according to an investigation was one of the main actors behind the Gaffarena scandal, decided to spill the beans by exposing pressure and threats from the office of former Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon and Marco Gaffarena. In an eight-page sworn affidavit, presented to the National Audit Office, Charles Camilleri, former Director Estate Management, reveals that the process surrounding the Gaffarena debacle was all pushed by Clint Scerri – the person chosen... Читать дальше...

Turkey offered the European Union greater help today to stem a flood of migrants into Europe but demanded more money, faster accession talks and quicker visa-free travel for its citizens in exchange, diplomats said. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Ankara was willing to take back all non-Syrian migrants denied asylum in Europe as well as all those intercepted in its territorial waters, and to crack down harder on people smugglers, they said. An emergency EU-Turkey summit, originally planned to last half a day... Читать дальше...

A deeply religious nurse who erroneously told the Health Minister that his superior at the Orthopaedic Outpatients’ Department was offering abortion services in Sicily has been let off the hook by a court, which found that ultimately, his intentions were not malicious. Noel Formosa, a member of the neo-chatecumenal movement, was accused of having slandered Miriam Genius and intended to harm her by fabricating untrue statements.   The court heard that in 2007 another nurse, Dorothy Bonnici, told Mr... Читать дальше...

Euro zone finance ministers should agree today to send representatives of Greece's lenders to Athens to finish a review of Greek reforms, paving the way for new loans and debt relief talks, Economic Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said. The lenders need to assess if Greece has delivered on the reforms it promised as part of the third bailout agreement, signed with them last August, in exchange for cheap loans. The review of the reforms, started in late January, stalled in early February over details... Читать дальше...

Three bored cleaners at the Floriana health centre who whiled the time away playing games on a mobile phone ended up in court after making a hoax bomb threat. Prosecuting officer Priscilla Caruana Lee told the court that, on January 29, the police were informed that the Floriana health centre had received a telephone call with a bomb threat. The centre was evacuated as members from the bomb disposal unit arrived on site. Following investigations, the police tracked down the mobile phone from which the call was made. Читать дальше...

A pedestrian was injured this afternoon when a car crashed into a fishing boat that was on a trailer in Marsaxlokk. The incident happened at about 1pm on Triq Xatt is-Sajjieda, the road leading to Birżebbuġa. The injured man was near the boat when the owner of a SSang Yong lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the boat. The vehicle was being driven by a 20-year-old man from Birżebbuġa, who was not hurt.

A Gaza zoo owner is putting the last of his starving animals up for sale. Mohammad Oweida once hosted family and school outings at his zoo in Khan Younis in the southern part of the Palestinian territory. But war and economic hardship intervened to turn the venture into what is now a sad collection of 15 emaciated animals that he can no longer afford to feed. "I have to sell them in order to save them," said Oweida, 24, sitting near the cage of a tiger who had not eaten for four days. In all, he said... Читать дальше...

Resurfacing works will be carried out in Triq Bellavista, San Ġwann between tomorrow and Wednesday from 8pm to 6am as part of preparatory works related to the Kappara Junction Project. During works, traffic from San Ġwann to Naxxar will be diverted onto Triq San Ġiljan and onto Triq Bellavista. Traffic from Naxxar to San Ġwann will be diverted onto Vjal in-Naspli, onto Vjal ir-Rihan and onto Triq San Ġwann tal-Għargħar towards Triq Bella Vista.

A national screening programme aimed at reducing the number of cervical cancer cases by 75 per cent was announced today by Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne. Addressing a press conference, Mr Fearne said some 33,000 women aged between 25 and 35 would be receiving invitations to undergo smear tests at health centres across the island. The invitations, 11,000 of which have already been sent out, are to be signed and returned to the National Screening Centre at Lascaris Wharf Valletta. Mr... Читать дальше...

Police Inspector Keith Arnaud told a court today that a threat made against him by Libyan Nizar El Gadi instilled in him a certain degree of fear and concern since, despite heading the homicide squad, he was human like everybody else. Mr El Gadi, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of his former wife, lawyer Margaret Mifsud, has been accused of threatening Insp. Arnaud and the victim's mother on the day the verdict was delivered following a trial by jury in November. When the verdict was read out... Читать дальше...

The University Students' Council (KSU) and Malta Public Transport have set up a €10,000 transport fund to encourage students to use the buses rather than private cars.   The fund will be used for discounts for students who give up their parking permit or do not apply for one. KSU President Becky Micallef and Malta Public Transport General Manager Konrad Pule' announced the fund. “We are setting high standards to reduce environmental impact and to create an environment which is healthier, more efficient, and less polluted. Читать дальше...

Two weeks after posting his latest parody on YouTube - a satire on Russian President Vladimir Putin's machismo - Slovenian actor and comedian Klemen Slakonja has had more hits than his country has people. Three million viewers - Slovenia's population is only two million - have clicked on the 3-minute spot to see Slakonja, as Putin, singing "I run this freakin' show". He rides a horse bare-chested, defeats a series of chess players, organises "Winter Olympic Games in 40 degrees", tranquilises a tiger... Читать дальше...

UPDATED 4.10pm: Joggers on the popular Sliema front got more than they bargained for this morning when a naked man was seen casually jogging without a care in the world. A passer-by said the man, believed to be Japanese, was not aggressive in any way. "He was jogging at first and tried to enter the Balluta church for some reason but the doors were locked so he couldn't go in... So he turned around and crossed the road and started taking a stroll towards St Julian's, stopping at some time to face the sun. Читать дальше...

The gender wage gap in Malta was the second lowest in the EU, according to data issued by Eurostat. Quoting 2014 figures, it said the gender gap stood at 16.1% in the EU. It ranged from less than 5% in Slovenia and Malta to more than 20% in Estonia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia. In 2014, a fifth of women in the EU aged 25 to 49 and without children were working part time compared to one in 12 of men. The gap widened with the number of children - almost half of women with at least... Читать дальше...