Новости за 23.06.2016

Digital Economy Minister Manuel Mallia in an indirect reference to the Panama Papers controversy, said this evening that people who continue to stress the issue “on every occasion” were doing as much damage as the event they are referring to.   Dr Mallia said scrutiny and constructive criticism were positive, but mentioning the same things “over and over again” only served to harm the financial services industry. Addressing a public consultation meeting, Dr Mallia said the government is to move... Читать дальше...

An exercise to determine the demand for ethics education in State schools is finally under way after repeated complaints by parents who felt their children were not being offered an adequate alternative to religion lessons. Parents of students in State schools have in the last few days received a questionnaire from the Education Ministry asking for details on their religious beliefs and whether they would like their children to follow ethics lessons, were they to be offered, in an effort by the government... Читать дальше...

When children learn at an early age that their parents used an egg donor, the disclosure process is easier than when the kids don't hear the facts until they're older, a recent study suggests. Researchers surveyed 72 parents of 66 children who had been conceived using donor eggs. The children, from 46 families, ranged in age from 7 to 19 years old at the time of the survey. Previous studies have focused on parental intentions to disclose but not on what actually occurred in the disclosure process... Читать дальше...

Volkswagen AG will pay nearly $10.3 billion to settle claims stemming from its diesel emissions cheating scandal with U.S. regulators, a source briefed on the agreement said. The settlement includes offers to buyback nearly 500,000 polluting U.S. vehicles and to set aside billions of dollars for green energy projects and a programme to offset excess diesel pollution, the source said. Speaking on condition of anonymity, due to court-imposed gag rules, the source told Reuters the average compensation to owners was around $5,000. Читать дальше...

The guitar riff Led Zeppelin used in the 1971 classic "Stairway to Heaven" differed substantially from one the English band was accused of stealing from the U.S. group Spirit, a jury found today in a copyright infringement trial in Los Angeles. The decision was a victory for Led Zeppelin, one of the top selling rock acts of all time, after an week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles that had called into question the originality of their signature song. The jury, in their second day of deliberations... Читать дальше...

A driver who this afternoon allegedly hit a pedestrian and drove on, later also drove at a police car which tried to stop him. The pedestrian, a 24-year-old man from Mosta, was hit at Triq l-Ibrag, Swieqi at about 3pm. The car did not stop. The police were alerted and a patrol car a few minutes later tried to stop a Subaru car in St Paul's Bay. The Subaru was driven at the police car and the two cars crashed. The driver, a 67 from St Paul's Bay, was arrested. Damage to the two vehicles was not major. Читать дальше...

The winning design for the Gozo Museum project has been unveiled, paving the way for the creation of a new multi-disciplinary museum and cultural centre in Victoria. The new museum, which is expected to cost around €5 million, will take the place of the Ninu Cremona Boys Lyceum, close to the Arkadia shopping complex. The school building, an iconic piece of modernist architecture designed in the 1950s by architect Joseph Huntingford, will be retained and expanded in the new design, which was selected... Читать дальше...

An Australian reptile sanctuary shared a strange video of a python stuck in a circle of its own discarded skin after shedding it. The Alice Springs Reptile Center posted the video to their Facebook. The video shows a Stimson’s python going around in circles inside a circle of its own skin. After shedding it, the discarded skin formed in a way that caused its tail skin to end up in the mouth skin, resulting in a loop where the snake got stuck. “Have been in the reptile business a long time and have never seen anything quite like it. Читать дальше...

German label Hugo Boss has shot an awesome new campaign video in Malta featuring American champion cliff diver David Colturi. The film shooting took place as the Dwejra rock-cut arch and the similar but little-known arch at the mouth of Wied il-Mielah. "Dressing up for the dive was a very interesting and different experience for me," said Colturi. "But once you take off that cliff, your mind goes into autopilot, and that liberating feeling of launching through the air -- I felt like James Bond, getting away from the bad guys. Читать дальше...

Reference is made to an article published online on June 11 entitled 'Plans for Five Storey Apartment Anger Lija Residents: “We don’t want another Sliema”.  It seems that Mr Robin Zammit made the insinuation that that he resides across the street opposite to the proposed block of apartments.  Mr Zammit does not even reside in Triq Daniel Sammut. His residence is quite far from the proposed project. It is, I who live exactly across the road and will be facing the block of apartments.  Indeed the villa... Читать дальше...

A gunman who police shot dead on Thursday after he took hostages at a German cinema appeared to have been a "disturbed man", the interior minister of the state of Hesse said. The gunman had a rifle or "long gun" and special forces intervened and shot him, interior minister Peter Beuth told the Hesse state parliament. There was no evidence that anyone besides the gunman was injured or killed, Beuth added. A police spokeswoman also confirmed the gunman had been shot and said nobody was injured.

Turkey has welcomed a decision by Malta to open an embassy in Ankara. Bilateral relations were discussed today when Foreign Minister George Vella held talks in the Turkish capital with Foreign Minister Melvut Çavuşoğlu. The Turkish Minister said the opening of the embassy coincided with the commemoration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The two ministers reported 'outstanding progress' in talks on several sectors including maritime affairs, education, culture, business and parliamentary diplomacy. Читать дальше...

Malta Under-21 striker Joseph Mbong was offered a bribe through a mobile phone text message in an attempt to fix a recent UEFA Under-21 qualifier, but sounded the alarm bells and alerted the authorities, a court heard today. The bribe attempt was revealed by Malta Football Association integrity officer Franz Tabone who was testifying before Magistrate Joe Mifsud during proceedings against Under-21 squad members Kyle Cesare and Emanuel Briffa, as well as Ronnie Mackay, 34, of St Julian’s. Mr Tabone... Читать дальше...

Support for Britain staying in the EU is stronger in Malta than anywhere else in the EU, a survey has shown. The Brexit Showt survey was carried on websites in all EU countries, including timesofmalta.com. Readers were asked to express a Yes or No opinion (a Showt) on Brexit.  Brexit Showt is not a scientific poll; instead it is designed to give citizens a simple means of public expression and the satisfaction of having their voices heard, counted and remembered. Sixty nine per cent of respondents... Читать дальше...

Betting in Britain's EU referendum has swung behind Remain as punters rush to have a flutter on the vote before polls close at 10pm (11pm in Malta). Betfair has put the odds of staying at 2/13 or 86 per cent, while William Hill said Remain is their 2/9 favourite, equating to an 81 per cent chance. Bookies say they expect the EU referendum to be the most gambled upon political event in British betting history - beating the record set by the Scottish independence referendum. Punters from all over the... Читать дальше...

Jamie Vardy has agreed a new four-year deal to commit his future to Premier League champions Leicester. The England striker has rejected a move to Arsenal after the Gunners activated his £20million release clause in favour of staying at the King Power Stadium.Vardy only signed his last contract at the Foxes in February and scored 24 goals last season as Claudio Ranieri's side won a shock title by 10 points. A club statement read: "Leicester City have agreed with the representatives of Jamie Vardy... Читать дальше...

The Planning Authority has given the go-ahead for the construction of a lido along the promenade of the Gzira strand. The project will include the reclamation of land for an outdoor swimming pool, a sundeck area, two restaurants, changing rooms and toilet facilities and a recreational play area for public use. The project was granted an outline development permit early last year. It is being managed by a consortium made up of the hotels located along the Gzira waterfront, namely the Bay View Hotel... Читать дальше...

Foreign workers have contributed significantly to both Malta's economic growth as well as the state of its public finances, a Central Bank report has found.  The bank's Quarterly Review found evidence that foreign workers were paying more tax than before while using relatively fewer hospital and educational resources. Foreign workers had also helped meet rising demand for labour, the report found, noting that, had it not been for immigration, "in the last eight years Malta's working age population... Читать дальше...

The boxes are cluttered, filled with a seemingly random assortment of objects: old photos, children’s toys, small mementos and traditional crafts. Taken together, however, the story the objects tell is anything but random. In recent months, a number of elderly people have created these ‘memory boxes’, filled with small possessions that capture the most important moments of their lives, as part of an ongoing project at the elderly day centre in Dingli. Black and white photos tell the story of children and first loves... Читать дальше...

A 17-year-old who pleaded guilty to robbing a restaurant in Għar Lapsi was spared jail in favour of an 18-month probation order, but a magistrate warned him that further trouble would result in a jail term. The teenager whose name cannot be published by court order was arraigned this morning but refused to be assisted by a lawyer, even when the court offered one free of charge. His sobbing parents who accompanied him, told Magistrate Neville Camilleri that their son was filing an admission, and hence they saw no need for legal assistance. Читать дальше...

The share index closed in positive territory for the fourth consecutive day today as it gained a further 0.43 per cent to a four-week high 4,501.275 points. Most of today’s trading activity took place in the equity of RS2 Software which finished unchanged at the €3.50 level across 51,530 shares having a market value of €0.18 million – representing 72 per cent of today’s total value of equities traded. This morning, RS2 held its annual general meeting during which shareholders approved a number of... Читать дальше...

A 50-year-old prostitute would try to seduce potential clients by posing as a pedestrian at a busy arterial junction. She would then jiggle her curvy body when the lights turn red in a bid to entice clients, a court heard this morning. If successful she would then carry out her business in a nearby garage in Marsa, belonging to a 72-year-old man who would be waiting outside. Both Carmen Zammit of Safi and garage owner Paul D’Amato denied the charges. Inspector John Spiteri told Magistrate Neville... Читать дальше...

Is a “dwarf tossing” event going to be held in Birkirkara next month? Probably not, but don't let that spoil your fun. A poster doing the rounds on social media this morning appears to promise an evening of the controversial activity – in which people compete to throw a (consenting) person with dwarfism the furthest – in Pjazza Santa Liena, Birkirkara on July 9. The advert, which does not include any contact details, even lists prices: €5 for one throw, €20 for five. Several people on social media... Читать дальше...

PN MEP David Casa has raised concerns about EU Court of Auditors nominee Leo Brincat’s support for Minister without Portfolio Konrad Mizzi, while Mr Brincat has refused to speak about his chances ahead of Monday’s grilling on his suitability for the role. Mr Brincat will face questions from MEPs forming part of the budgetary committee about his background and qualifications for the role. Contacted, Mr Casa, who is the PN’s head of delegation to the European Parliament, pointed out that the Court... Читать дальше...

A British teacher taught children about the effects of bullying by using apples. Rosie Dutton from Birmingham, UK, tours schools, teaching children about relaxation and mindfulness. In one class she decided to demonstrate how bullying affects everyone, but how it cannot often be seen from the outside. To demonstrate this, Dutton had two apples with her in the class. She dropped one purposely on the floor, bruising the apple. Both apples still looked identical and perfect from the outside. In the class... Читать дальше...