Новости за 08.06.2016

Labour MP Franco Mercieca said in parliament this evening that the project for a new Gozo Hospital and medical school would not reach its full potential unless priority was given to a tunnel or other permanent link between Malta and Gozo. Speaking on the adjournment, Dr Mercieca said the difficulties for consultants to live permanently in Gozo were well known and amply demonstrated. Even at present, although a consultant had been selected to take over from another at Gozo Hospital, he had a problem... Читать дальше...

Russia has presented a new medium-range passenger plane which state media said was superior to its Western-made counterparts in many respects and would be snapped up by both Russian and foreign carriers. In a glitzy ceremony at a factory in Siberia attended by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, Irkut Corporation rolled out its new MC-21 passenger plane (formerly known as MS-21) which is still undergoing testing but is due to enter serial production next year. Medvedev hailed the new twin-engine short... Читать дальше...

Two Palestinian gunmen killed three people and wounded seven this evening in an attack at a popular shopping and dining area near Israel's Defence Ministry in Tel Aviv, police said. Both of the gunmen who opened fire outside the open-air Sarona shopping complex were apprehended, and one of them was wounded, Israeli police said. Hospital officials said four of the seven people wounded were in critical condition. People caught up in the evening assault, one of the most serious in Israel's business... Читать дальше...

A technical hitch in the new electronic voting system in the House of Representatives this evening saw the House return to the old system where the names of all MPs were called out by the Clark of the House. The issue cropped up just before the vote on the estimates of the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC). The estimates were approved. The electronic voting system was introduced earlier this year.

A motorcyclist was injured this evening in a collision between his Vespa and a VW Polo near St Vincent de Paule home. The accident happened at about 7.30pm The police said the motorcyclist was a 55-year-old man from Qormi. He was hospitalised. The car was being driven by a 20-year-old man from Zebbug.

While the word independent connotes a state that is relative, the notion of an independent media cannot be relativistic. When we say “independent” we need to add a context: “from what?” or “from whom?” In Malta the expectation is that the “independent media” must be autonomous and therefore distant from the PN or PL, in contrast with those media outlets that belong, directly or indirectly, to the same parties.  The last show in this season’s Timestalk dealt with the state of the Maltese media. Yet while a lot of valuable insights were offered... Читать дальше...

The student and I are waiting on the Lija bus stop. We both need to go to the university in Msida. It’s 8am. We have already been waiting way over the time the bus was scheduled to arrive. Both are edgy: he, I suppose, has a lecture; I am on a mission to time the journey. The vehicle finally lumbers to the bus stop after 35 minutes of overdue waiting time. We hop in and plough through the traffic and, only thanks to the bus lanes, it takes us 20 minutes to arrive at our destination. On day two I get the car. Читать дальше...

The Planning Authority said today that no demolition and excavation works at construction sites within tourism areas will be allowed between June 15 and September 30.  It listed localities and streets where such works are banned and said violations should be reported on telephone number 2292 7608 (during office hours) or 99637508 (after office hours). The full list of localities and streets can be seen on pdf below.

The Nationalist Party is proposing that projects outside development zones should require approval by a two-thirds majority in Parliament. “It is high time that ODZ land is adequately protected. Both parties made their share of mistakes but it is now time to draw and line and stop further degradation once and for all,” Opposition leader Simon Busuttil told NGOs as he announced a partial review of the party’s environment policy. “I will propose to shift the final decisions on major projects affecting... Читать дальше...

Transport Malta has not accepted the gantries supplied for the installation of traffic lights on the coast road and has commissioned independent tests of the materials used and their manufacturing, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said in parliament this evening. Replying to a question by Censu Galea (PN), the minister said that while it was true that the lights were supposed to have been installed by mid-March, the contractor who supplied the gantries was late and installation was stopped when Transport... Читать дальше...

Health Minister Chris Fearne has insisted the new head of the disease prevention unit – a dental surgeon – is “amply qualified” for the job, despite criticism. He was reacting to a news item that appeared in this newspaper saying that the person earmarked to be named director of health promotion and disease prevention was not a qualified medical doctor. In a judicial protest, the Medical Association of Malta said the responsibilities tied to the position in question could only be carried out by a medical doctor. Читать дальше...

A number of investors having factories in Malta have warned the government they could leave if they do not find sufficient workers here, Education and Employment Minister Evarist Bartolo told parliament this evening. He was speaking as parliament debated the financial estimates of the Employment and Training Corporation. The minister said the number of gainfully occupied was at an all-time high and unemployment was falling, reflecting an economy which was growing at 5%. He said the government was... Читать дальше...

A floating school in a Lagos lagoon has collapsed after it was hit by heavy downpour, but the local community has vowed to rebuild it. See video above.

Players and technical staff from Sliema Wanderers Football Club earlier today celebrated their recent FY Trophy win with the inmates at Corradino Prisons. The inmates had the opportunity to meet with players and take photos with the players and the trophy.

Crude futures rose for a third consecutive day today, hitting 2016 highs above $50 a barrel on supply outages led by the sabotage of oil facilities in Nigeria, before paring gains as glut concerns resurfaced after U.S. data showed a surprise build in gasoline supplies. U.S. crude stocks fell for the third consecutive week to June 3, sliding by 3.2 million barrels versus analysts' expectations for a 2.7 million-barrel drawdown, government data showed. [EIA/S] But gasoline stockpiles grew by one million barrels and distillates... Читать дальше...

Eleven countries, including Malta, have urged the European Commission to take action against laws in France and Germany that require foreign drivers be paid the French or German minimum wages when they drive through those countries. The transport ministers of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia claim that such "protectionist practices" restrict the free movement of goods and services across the 28-nation European Union. "We... Читать дальше...

The two men charged with the murder of a Colombian national seemed "very shocked" and "emotional" upon being told that the man they had attacked had succumbed to his injuries, a police inspector told a court today. The court heard how CCTV footage showed that the two men had continued kicking the victim even after he had collapsed to the ground. Prosecuting officer Nikolai Sant was testifying in the first hearing before Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona in the case of Zyad Mohamed Drebeka, 23, and Ahmed Rasem Franka... Читать дальше...

Russian former world number one Maria Sharapova was handed a two-year ban by the International Tennis Federation today following her positive test for banned drug meldonium at this year's Australian Open. In a statement the ITF said the 29-year-old five-times grand slam champion's ban would be back-dated to Jan. 26 this year, meaning her results from the Australian Open where she reached the quarter-finals, would be disqualified. "An Independent Tribunal appointed under Article 8.1 of the 2016 Tennis... Читать дальше...

Global Capital said today that its issue of €10m 5% unsecured bonds has been fully subscribed. It also said payment is being made in respect of principal and interest on the 5.6% bonds which matured on June 2. The principal amount on maturity date was €13,823,200. The closing date for the €10 million bonds had been extended to today. In comments to Times of Malta on May 31, company officials had explained that the extension was given because the company was still receiving interest both from existing... Читать дальше...

Is Malta prepared and equipped to hold the title of European Capital of Culture in 2018? Kim Dalli sits down with Lieven Bertels, Leeuwarden 2018’s artistic director, and Margerita Pule, the Valletta 2018 Foundation’s programme coordinator. The last Eurobarometer survey ranked cultural participation in Malta as the second lowest in Europe. Over the years, local cultural managers have scratched their heads over sourcing adequate spaces, the arts community has bemoaned the dearth of technicians and designers... Читать дальше...

A campaign to encourage Maltese people to rediscover the values of friendliness and generosity as a means of enhancing the country’s touristic product and national pride. The campaign by 89.7 Bay, Making Malta Great, “aims to inspire locals to continue (or in some cases, start) to look after our precious island for future generations to enjoy and also for the millions who visit our island.” Times of Malta is among the sponsors. It also aims to remind the public of the little things they can do to make a difference... Читать дальше...

Two Tunisian fishermen have been fined €10,000 for illegally fishing in Maltese waters. The captain of the fishing vessel 'Sinane', Sassi Riadh, 50, was charged with having carried out cage fishing activities without holding the necessary permit. Najmeddine Oswlati, 47, was charged with hindering officials from the fisheries department from carrying out their duties. Lawyer James D’Agostino told the court that Mr Oswlati did not mean to hinder the inspection and that the miscommunication had resulted from the language barrier. Читать дальше...

The British government will rush through legislation today to extend the deadline for registering to vote for a June 23 referendum on EU membership after a key website crashed shortly before the deadline, Sky News reported. Earlier, the government said it was urgently discussing options to ensure people who applied to register after the deadline would still be allowed to vote, and that it was likely emergency legislation would be needed.

Eyebrows were raised, particularly in Italy, with regard to a project to build and run a specialised private hospital at Smart City Malta. The project, launched last year by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and the then health minister Konrad Mizzi, is the brainchild of Synesis Ltd, a company formed by Stephen Carter, a Maltese businessman, and two Rome-based lawyers, Mario Racco and Francesco Rosi. Giovanni Rusciano, another Italian, is serving as the main consultant behind the Maltese project, although he does not appear as a shareholder. Читать дальше...

A 41-year-old man from Floriana has been arraigned in court charged with causing his partner a cut above the eye in a domestic violence incident. Matthew Piscopo, who is unemployed, was charged with causing the woman grievous injuries, threatening and assaulting her and relapsing. He pleaded not guilty. Prosecuting officer Daryl Borg told Magistrate Aaron Bugeja that the woman had already reported him for slightly injuring her but had subsequently forgiven him. He objected to the accused being granted bail... Читать дальше...