Новости за 23.03.2016

A sixth-century church boasting a rare collection of early Christian art is reopening to the public in Rome after a restoration that took more than 30 years. Nestling at the foot of the hill where Rome's emperors once lived, Santa Maria Antiqua was buried under rubble by an earthquake in 847 and only uncovered in 1900. The interior's frescoes of saints and martyrs, queens, popes and emperors have now been restored at a cost of about 2.7 million euros ($3 million), funded by the Italian state and the World Monuments Fund. Читать дальше...

Imagine going to the gym and carrying a 100kg baby elephant on your shoulder for three whole hours. This iron man task is what the statue bearers in Valletta will be doing at the Good Friday procession, which starts from Ta’ Ġieżu church. A group of young bearers have been practising every night, throughout Lent, to be fit and sturdy to carry life-size statues representing the passion of Christ. The training takes place in small workshop in Valletta and requires two single items: an old stereo playing... Читать дальше...

Yesterday marked a sad day for Europe as Brussels was hit by multiple terrorist attacks following the capture of the main terror suspect in the Paris bombings over the weekend. Equity markets, notably travel stocks, were quick to drop as a panic sell-off quickly impacted European stocks following the news. Despite the attacks, risk-on investors seemed to have remained invested on possible expectations that an upcoming German cabinet vote on next year’s budget will remain accommodative to sustaining an economic recovery. Читать дальше...

The campaign for Britain to leave the European Union has taken a two percentage point lead, according to an ICM poll, indicating a dispute in the Conservative Party may have dented confidence in Prime Minister David Cameron's push for the country to stay in. Support for Britain to leave the European Union rose to 43 percent, up 2 percentage points from a similar poll a week ago, the ICM poll indicated. Three months before the June 23 referendum, the poll of 2,000 people carried out March 18-20 showed the "In" campaign on 41 percent... Читать дальше...

Zachary Street in Valletta was closed off this morning after a package raised suspicion that it could be a bomb. The narrow street opposite St John's Co-Cathedral was closed off at both ends  as bomb disposal experts went to the scene. The package was seen in a bag in the middle of the road between St John Square and Melita Street.

Nexia International has distanced itself from the unfolding Panama scandal that involves its local partners, Nexia BT, Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri. Contacted by the Times of Malta at their headquarters in London, a spokesman for Nexia Inter­national said that, although the local partners used their name and were part of their worldwide network, they did not assume any responsibility for what was done by associates. In the wake of the Panamagate allegations and the sudden dissolution of a recent... Читать дальше...

An explosion took place early this morning in a boathouse  in Armier, close to Torri l-Abjad. No one was injured. The blast took place at about 4.30am. The cause is being investigated with several policemen, members of the Civil Protection Department and bomb disposal experts on the scene.   People on the scene said it appeared that a bomb had been placed next to the boathouse. The boathouse belongs to a man from Attard.

Maltese Brussels attacks casualty Lorenzo Vella said this morning that he was feeling better after a difficult night when his experiences kept flashing before him. Mr Vella suffered back injuries at Brussels airport and is being held  in a military hospital for treatment and observation. He told TVM that he was hit by a metal object in his back and suffered 'fractures in the spinal chord'. He fell and told his wife to duck, fearing somebody would open fire. After the second explosion his wife helped him up and got him out of the building. Читать дальше...

The Environmental Health Directorate has warned that Premium MRP Diet Fuel Ultrlean Nutrition Shake must not be consumed since it contains elevated levels of copper and selenium. The product is part of the USN Body Makeover Series carried in plastic drums. They originate in Belgium with lot no.: B:P1G151106/01 and a best before date of 30/06/2017

An Iraqi identified by French and Belgian authorities as having contact with terrorists has been arrested on a European warrant in Italy. Italy's interior minister Angelino Alfano said the Iraqi was arrested  near Naples, but he did not elaborate on whether the connection was directly related to the attacks in Brussels, or the November attacks in Paris. He said investigators were working to determine more about the suspect's terror contacts and activities in Italy. Mr Alfano told reporters after... Читать дальше...

An escaped zebra that ran amok on a Japanese golf course for hours has died after it was chased by a dozen men, including police officers. The animal is thought to have drowned after being shot by a tranquilliser dart and plunging into a lake. Police said the two-year-old male zebra, which belonged to a farm in the Aichi district in central Japan, escaped late on Tuesday from a horse-riding club. By Wednesday morning it had wandered on to a nearby golf course in Toki, with TV news footage showing it zipping from hole to hole. Читать дальше...

An estimated one out of two jobs globally are dependent on water, meaning that shortages and lack of access are likely to limit economic growth in the coming decades, the United Nations said yesterday. About 1.5 billion people – half the world’s workers – are employed in industries heavily dependent on water, most of them in farming, fisheries and forestry, the UN World Water Development Report 2016 said. “There is a direct effect on jobs worldwide if there are disruptions in water supply through natural causes... Читать дальше...

The following are the top stories in the Maltese newspapers today. Times of Malta says there was carnage in Brussels as bombs hit the airport and metro. MaltaToday carries a series of pictures of yesterday's events in Brussels under the heading Terror in Brussels. The Malta Independent says IS claimed responsibility for the Brussels terror attacks. In-Nazzjon says Brussels was terrorised. It carries a large picture of hundreds of people fleeing Brussels airport. l-orizzont quotes Charles Vella, father of Maltese Brussels bomb casualty Lorenzo... Читать дальше...

U.S. Republican front-runner Donald Trump and Democratic favorite Hillary Clinton swept to victory in Arizona  in contests that were overshadowed by deadly attacks in Brussels that raised security concerns in the United States. Trump, who has riled establishment Republicans, easily defeated his two rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Governor John Kasich, U.S. television networks projected. On the Democratic side, Clinton stretched her advantage... Читать дальше...

Updated - Najim Laachraoui, an accomplice in yesterday's Brussels airport bomb attack has been arrested, according to unconfirmed media reports in Belgium. The 25-year-old was arrested in the Anderlecht district, the DH newspaper said. Earlier, media reported that the two  airport suicide bombers were identified by Belgian media as the brothers Khalid and Brahim el-Bakraoui. The two were previously known to police. Najim Laachraoui's DNA has been found in houses used by the Paris attackers last year... Читать дальше...

TheatrePassjoni tad-DuluriSpazju Kreattiv With the run-up to Holy Week packed solid with passion plays and pageants to remind us of our faith and commemorate the most violent and sacrificial stage in Jesus’s life, it seemed like a breath of fresh air for Spazju Kreattiv to stage a contemporary take on the passion of Our Lady of Sorrows. With a script by Joseph Galea, focusing on three very different mothers and their personal tragedies, Passjoni tad-Duluri was a play where sadness reigned over a valeof tears. Читать дальше...

Malta U-21 coach Silvio Vella laid emphasis on tactical discipline ahead of today’s UEFA Championship qualifier against Montenegro at the Hibs Stadium. For Vella’s U-21s this will be their first competitive appearance on home soil in the 2016-17 Group One qualifiers after five away matches that saw the team collect a remarkable five points, after one win and two draws. Malta played Montenegro in September last year and produced a very solid showing on their way to a goalless stalemate. The team’s... Читать дальше...

FIFA’s ethics watchdog has started formal proceedings against six individuals, including Franz Beckenbauer, over the awarding of hosting rights to Germany for the 2006 World Cup, world soccer’s governing body said yesterday. The others involved are former German football federation (DFB) chief Wolfgang Niersbach, who resigned over the affair last year, his predecessor Theo Zwanziger, Helmut Sandrock, Horst Schmidt and Stefan Hans. “In the cases of Mr Beckenbauer, Dr Zwanziger, Mr Schmidt and Mr Hans... Читать дальше...

Europeans, and their monuments, donned Belgian flags and the colours of black, yellow and red, in tribute to those killed in the Brussels attacks.   In Brussels' Place de la Bourse square, Belgians gathered to pay tribute to the victims of the early morning attacks on the city. A handmade sign proclaimed in French and Dutch: "I am Brussels."  "It honestly really hasn't sank in yet for me personally because I never really believed that something could happen here in Brussels but yeah, it's clearly here," a man said. Читать дальше...

Germany head coach Joachim Loew believes England are serious contenders for the Euro 2016 crown. Roy Hodgson’s men travel to Berlin this week as they step-up their preparations for France with a mouth-watering friendly against the world champions. England reached this summer’s finals with a 100 per cent record in qualification – the only country to manage the feat, although the level of opposition meant it was hardly a yardstick with which to accurately measure progress. However, the match with Germany on Saturday... Читать дальше...

Terrorist attacks in Belgium have highlighted the importance of high security at this summer’s Euro 2016, according to France’s Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. Explosions at Brussels airport and a metro station in the city have killed at least 30 people and injured many more. With the European Championship in neighbouring France just over two months away, Cazeneuve was keen to stress adequate security measures have been put in place. “The events in Brussels remind us of the very high level of... Читать дальше...