Новости за 26.03.2016

Police in San Francisco have released footage of the "brutal" murder of a 44-year-old Briton assaulted in a street robbery. Paul Tam was walking with his niece on the evening of February 18 when he was attacked with a weapon in the Japantown neighbourhood of the Californian city. The former website manager at the University of Manchester was critically injured and died on Thursday. CCTV footage of the incident shows Mr Tam fleeing from a hooded assailant into the middle of the road before he is chased around an oncoming car. Читать дальше...

A nonagenarian is unable to retake possession of a garage he rented out in late 2013 notwithstanding a court ruling in his favour and paying €1,500 in legal and administrative fees. In the circumstances, Emanuel Agius felt he had no alternative but to initiate another court case to obtain back his own property, from which he has a rental income of €450. “It is said justice is blind but, in this case, it is cross-eyed. Instead of helping my parents as rightful owners, the system is turning them into sacrificial lambs... Читать дальше...

Nearly nine of every 10 Maltese people feel pets should be treated better by their owners, a recent study has found. A survey conducted by the European Commission on people’s beliefs and attitudes towards animal welfare, found that 87 per cent of Maltese felt “companion” animals should enjoy better welfare. The EU average was 74 per cent. The Maltese were the second most likely to feel this way, with Cypriots only slightly more concerned for their pets’ well-being. The publication of the findings... Читать дальше...

Syrian government forces advanced into Palmyra today with heavy support from air strikes and artillery, state media and a monitoring group said, taking control of several districts in a major assault against Islamic State fighters. Television footage showed waves of explosions inside Palmyra and smoke rising from buildings, as tanks and armoured vehicles fired from the outskirts. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was the heaviest assault in a three-week campaign by the Syrian army and... Читать дальше...

Clocks go an hour forward early tomorrow morning to observe Daylight Saving Time. At 2am, clocks are to be moved forward to 3am which means days become longer from tomorrow evening. The time of 2am was originally chosen since it was thought it would be the least disruptive to most people’s lives. We lose an hour of sleep, balancing out that extra hour gained in the autumn. Advocates in support of Daylight Saving Time suggest that in addition to reducing crime and car accidents, extended daylight... Читать дальше...

A group of 250 business leaders and entrepreneurs have signed up as backers of a pro-Brexit campaign ahead of the European Union referendum. The business figures, including former HSBC chief executive Michael Geoghegan, JD Wetherspoon pub boss Tim Martin, hotelier Sir Rocco Forte and Luke Johnson - chairman of continental-style cafe chain Patisserie Valerie - have given their support to Vote Leave in a personal capacity. The campaign group also announced that former British Chambers of Commerce director general John Longworth... Читать дальше...

No action would be taken on Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg’s contentious development permit despite the Ombudsman’s recommendations, a spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister said. The spokesman was reacting to comments by outgoing Ombudsman Joseph Said Pullicino who, last week, criticised Prime Minister Joseph Muscat for failing to order a review of a controversial development permit issued to Dr Borg in Dingli. The Ombudsman probed the issue last year and found that “complaints that planning... Читать дальше...

A video of a goalkeeper blatantly diving at opposing players' feet during a match in South Africa to obtain a foul has gone viral. Maritzburg United goalkeeper Glenn Verbauwhede not only blatantly dived at the Golden Arrows player's shins, but he then complained to the referee that he had been fouled. True to the form of many of the world's top attacking players, he fell to the ground clutching his face then got up immediately to accost the referee for not stopping the match for a free kick. The... Читать дальше...

Plans for a new children and maternity hospital have been completed, which would cater for 180 beds, four operation theatres as well as an intensive therapy unit for infants, Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne said today. He was speaking during the inauguration of a new outdoor play area at Mater Dei's Disneyland Ward. The outdoor play area was made possible thanks to the initiative of Nathan Farrugia, who did a marathon in the other 27 EU states in the 27 Challenge for Charity. Mr Fearne... Читать дальше...

Bank of Valletta is still investigating allegations made in January that officials were being pressured to issue loans to dubious individuals and companies. The bank had tasked its internal audit department to look into the allegations of lending malpractices made by Nationalist MP Kristy Debono. However, despite the bank making it clear at the time that the matter was one of urgency, a spokeswoman has confirmed that the investigation was still ongoing two months later. When contacted, Ms Debono said that... Читать дальше...

The final print edition of The Independent has been sent to press as the title moves to a digital-only format. The paper's last front page features an exclusive story about a British connection in a plot to kill a Saudi King and a striking image of train passengers being evacuated during an anti-terrorism operation in Brussels. Inside the paper, which was founded in 1986 under the slogan "It is. Are you?", four special edition magazines look back at its history. Journalists for the daily paper posted... Читать дальше...

A violent attack against a Libyan man who turned a Mellieha man's life into a living hell was "excusable but not justifiable", a court decided today. Magistrate Ian Farrugia this afternoon sentenced 51-year-old Pierre Buhagiar to 18 months prison, suspended for three years, after he grievously injured his neighbour Isam Mohamed El Shahuni yesterday. Magistrate Farrugia ruled that Mr Buhagiar had acted in a moment of "sudden passion and mental excitement" when he assaulted Mr El Shahuni after the... Читать дальше...

Belgian federal prosecutors said they had charged three men today, including a suspect Belgian media believe is a man captured on security footage with two suicide bombers at Brussels airport on Tuesday. This man, named only as Faycal C and who media say was the man wearing a hat and a light jacket in the picture at the airport, was charged with taking part in the activities of a terrorist group and actual and attempted terrorist murder. The prosecutor's statement said no weapons or explosives had been found during a search of his home. Читать дальше...

Two days after bomb attacks at Brussels airport and on a packed metro killed 31 people and injured hundreds, a security guard who worked at a Belgian nuclear plant was murdered and his pass was stolen, Belgian media reported today. The French language Derniere Heure (DH) newspaper reported the security guard's badge was de-activated as soon as it was discovered he had been shot dead in the Charleroi region of Belgium and his badge stolen. A police spokeswoman said she could not comment because an investigation was ongoing. Читать дальше...

UPDATED: A ship involved in a horse cargo incident is back on its way to Malta, as the owners insisted this morning that its crew had not been detained. Nineteen out of 64 horses on the Med Patron died in stormy seas during transportation from Malta to Misurata in Libya. But Josette Zammit from Patron Group, owners of the vessel, insisted its captain had advised against shipping the horses because of the rough seas last Tuesday, but the Italian representatives of the shipment insisted it should go ahead. Читать дальше...

A fan at Adele's Glasgow concert has been injured by a falling chain. The singer was performing her sell-out tour at the SSE Hydro last night when a chain that was part of the production came down and hit the fan. The injured spectator was taken to hospital and Adele, who was apparently unaware of the incident at the time, promised it would not happen again. She tweeted: "I'm so sorry to hear that someone got hurt at my show tonight. "It's being investigated to ensure it won't happen again. X" Other... Читать дальше...

Last year, Malta registered its fewest overseas adoptions for the past 10 years, latest figures show. One child was adopted from Albania, four from Slovakia and 13 from Russia. In an interview with the Times of Malta, Carmen Buttigieg, director of the Maltese central authority for adoptions, attributes the drop to the number of children up for inter-country adoption falling because many countries give preference to adoptive families from within the child’s own country of origin. Moreover, Malta competes... Читать дальше...

The police association will be seeking legal remedy after senior officers were still not paid for hours put in during the Valletta and Commonwealth summits. While all police grades – from constables to sergeant majors – were paid their dues, senior officers have still not received anything for the hours they put in or “were forced to work” during the two summits in November, the association said in a statement this morning. During a recent meeting, Home Affairs Minister Carm Abela said the task force... Читать дальше...

Along with some nifty shots, tennis star Novak Djokovic came up with the catch of the day at the Miami Open. The world's No 1. player caught a ball in his pocket during his opening match yesterday against Kyle Edmund, to the amusement of a capacity stadium crowd. When Djokovic hit a first serve long, Edmund swung and shanked the ball high in the air. It fell almost straight down toward Djokovic, who used both hands to position his left pocket under the ball. That's where it settled. Even Djokovic was impressed ... Читать дальше...

Times of Malta presents a selection of its photographers' choice of their best photos over the past days.

Brussels Airport said it would not reopen for passenger flights before Tuesday after suicide bombers blew themselves up in the departure hall. Bombs exploded at the airport and at a metro station in Brussels last Tuesday, killing 31 people. Air Malta is operating to Dusseldorf airport as Brussels Airport remained closed. Passengers booked to travel on Air Malta are being automatically rebooked on this flight. The airline is organising surface transportation between Brussels and Dusseldorf’s airport and vice-versa. Читать дальше...

Hundreds of billboards have been erected all over Malta in the past months, turning the island into a veritable notice board eyesore. It is not known whether all structures have a permit but motorists cannot help but question why the authorities are turning a blind eye to what appears to be a free-for-all. In some cases, billboards are separated just metres apart and in other places the structures are jutting dangerously into the street. Some billboards are being weighed down with unsightly concrete structures. Читать дальше...

The death toll from a suicide bombing at a football stadium that was claimed by the Islamic State group has climbed to 41, with another 105 people wounded, Iraqi officials said. The security and public health officials provided the updated toll on Saturday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief reporters. The bombing took place yesterday during a match in the small stadium in the city of Iskanderiyah, 30 miles from the capital, Baghdad. IS claimed the attack, saying it had targeted Shiite militiamen. Читать дальше...

The Nationalist Party has shot down a proposal by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to allow the appointment of technocrats to Cabinet. Dr Muscat expressed the desire to allow technocratic appointments in a book about the Maltese Constitution by David Attard launched this week. The Constitution only allows for Cabinet appointees to be elected MPs and the PN’s consent would be required to change that. A PN spokesman said appointing technocrats to Cabinet would only “exacerbate” ministers’ lack of accountability to the electorate. Читать дальше...

Last Tuesday's terrorist attacks in the heart of Europe has put security at the top of every country's agenda. But can any measure realistically stop the senseless attacks? Will excessive security measures become the new norm? Are the terrorists winning the war of fear? Presented by Herman Grech and Mark Micallef, Times Talk is aired on TVM on Tuesday at 10.05pm with a repeat on Wednesday on TVM2 at 1.30pm.