Новости за 06.07.2016

Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani struck in quick succession early in the second half to fire Portugal to a 2-0 win over Wales in the first Euro 2016 semi-final. After a tense and tactical first half, Ronaldo broke the deadlock five minutes after the re-start when he leapt majestically to head Raphael Guerreiro's pinpoint cross into the net following a short corner. Ronaldo inadvertently set up the second three minutes later with a mis-hit shot which Nani deflected into past Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. Читать дальше...

A new Maypole Bakery advert showing a woman holding a bread loaf against her naked breast caused a stir on social media today. But it certainly scored high for impact. “Dear Maypole management, I will not buying any products from your outlets until this advert image is removed from your vans. It is sexist and distasteful, which is a pity, because your bread is not,” one reader said. “Pics of bread and their other yummy products would be enough. Maypole hardly need advertising anyway,” a satisfied customer commented. Читать дальше...

A government scheme to fund local council projects was characterised by haste, ambiguity and decisions lacking in fairness, according to the National Audit Office. The audit, which looked into a €1 million scheme unveiled last year to help finance capital projects proposed by local councils, found various shortcomings. One example was the requirement for councils to propose projects with private sector involvement. According to the NAO, some councils interpreted this to mean alternative public sector funding... Читать дальше...

The National Audit office has criticised former Parliamentary Secretary for Local Councils Chris Said for 'unwarranted' intervention in the allocation of funds for works by the councils. The criticism is made in a report issued today following a request by the Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government to investigate operational aspects of local councils funding schemes between 2008 and 2013. "At times, the National Audit office (NAO) deemed the intervention of the parliamentary secretary as unwarranted... Читать дальше...

The first major road closures in connection with the Kappara junction project will take place in the weeks starting on July 11 and July 22 when North-South traffic on the Regional Road will be shifted and Sliema Road will be closed, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said in Parliament this evening. He said alternative routes would come into play and motorists would be continually updated by Transport Malta. 90,000 cars flow round the Kappara roundabout every day. The closures are required for the laying of new utility services and service ducts... Читать дальше...

Women suffering domestic abuse were often too terrified to speak up and seek help, fearing it would only serve to anger their aggressors, according to Elaine Compagno, coordinator of a victims’ support group. Critical of what they saw as the courts’ leniency towards abusers, many also opted to suffer in silence, she added. “Abuse victims often tell us they are disheartened by the judgmental attitudes and expressions in police stations as well as the inefficient systems and the leniency of the courts,” Ms Compagno said. Читать дальше...

Britain's former prime minister Tony Blair said today he felt sorrow and regret over the Iraq war but he defended his decision to join the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Blair was responding to severe criticism of him in the report of a seven-year inquiry into the war, which was published earlier. "The intelligence assessments made at the time of going to war turned out to be wrong. The aftermath turned out to be more hostile, protracted and bloody than ever we imagined," Blair told reporters. Читать дальше...

The Planning Authority has been urged by environment NGO not to grant a permit for a 'residence' overlooking Wied il-Kbir, Swieqi. Nature Trust Malta, Din l-Art Helwa, Front Harsien ODZ, Flimkien ghall-Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) and the Ramblers Association said the proposed development would take place on the side of the valley in an area which is outside the development zone. "This is an application for an extension to a small rural structure (conveniently referred to as a residence) to convert it into a residence complete with swimming pool... Читать дальше...

Coca-Cola is giving away bottles of a new version of its world-famous soft drink using Wi-Fi powered vending machines.  The vending machines, apart from being free Wi-Fi zones, give away free bottles of Coca-Cola Life in exchange of codes downloaded from a specified website.  Coca-Cola Life contains 36 per cent fewer calories, as it uses a combination of table sugar and stevia extract to deliver the soft drink's traditional sweet flavour.  Four vending machines have been placed in popular places - Valletta, Sliema, St Julian’s and Gozo. Читать дальше...

Language difficulties between a Qrendi taxi driver and an elderly French couple escalated to a physical altercation which left one passenger with grievous injuries, a court heard. Brian Aber, 39, was charged with grievously injuring Bruno de Bon and slightly injuring his wife, Marie, in Zebbug. Prosecuting officer Kylie Borg told the court how, on July 1 at around 10.30pm, the police had received a report that an argument between a taxi driver and his two passengers had resulted in an assault. The accused... Читать дальше...

A 20-year-old man from Somalia was handed a suspended sentence after admitting to stabbing and slightly injuring a fellow Somali. Said Fasal Ibrahim Sahir was arrested earlier today after the victim was discharged from hospital. Prosecuting officer Robert Vella explained how, at 4am, another Somali man had gone to the police station with wounds to his arm, which had clearly been caused by a sharp instrument. The victim was later medically certified as having suffered slight injuries. The accused... Читать дальше...

An American man has been jailed for 12 years and slapped with a €25,000 fine after admitting to money laundering and trafficking cocaine. John Joseph Evans, 34, had been charged back in 2013 with conspiring to sell cocaine, distributing the drug and possession. He was also charged, together with another person, with having laundered money through property transactions. The accused admitted to the charges in March 2014 and presented a note of submissions on punishment in June of this year. Although... Читать дальше...

Blair rushed to war with unjustified certainty, Chilcot Report finds British Prime Minister Tony Blair wrote to US President George W. Bush eight months before the 2003 Iraq war that he would support him "whatever", even as he outlined numerous reservations about a possible military operation. The contents of the July 28, 2002 note, originally classified "SECRET-PERSONAL", were revealed on Wednesday in the findings of a seven-year British inquiry into the conflict. In the very first sentence, Blair promised Bush: "I will be with you, whatever.

High-rise buildings must have infrastructural measures in place that facilitate rescue operations, as accessing towers from the outside is not viable, according to the Civil Protection Department. The department currently has four fire engines that can reach a height of 12 storeys, which is not adequate to deal with emergencies in high-rise buildings. To address this, the department is looking into upgrading its fleet to include equipment that reaches a height of 18 storeys. However, such equipment... Читать дальше...

The Electoral Commission changed its policy and started to "stop and verify if in doubt" after the Nationalist Party challenged the voting rights of 91 foreigners, a court heard today. Chief Electoral Commissioner Joseph Church took the witness stand this afternoon to testify in a court case involving one of the 91 people whom the PN are calling to be struck off the electoral register because they do not satisfy the requirements. Ezrilevna Kon Lyubov's application to obtain voting rights was exhibited before Mr Church... Читать дальше...

A new collective agreement signed between the General Workers' Union and Identity Malta will ensure better salaries and working conditions for workers there, the GWU said.  The collective agreement is valid for a three-year period and was signed on workers' behalf by GWU public entity secretary Jeremy Camilleri and assistant secretary George Zahra.  Mr Camilleri thanked workers for their faith in union representatives throughout negotiations, the representatives themselves, as well as Identity Malta... Читать дальше...

McDonald’s has won a trademark dispute against an unwanted copycat. And the court victory means any food in the European Union with the prefix 'Mc' or 'Mac' that isn't owned by the fast food giant is in breach of trademark.  The case, before the European Union’s second-highest court, arose from a trademark registered by a Singaporean company called Future Enterprises. In 2008, the company applied to have the name 'MACCOFFEE' registered as an EU trademark for food and beverages. The application was... Читать дальше...

A march against online hate speech due to take place in Valletta this Friday will urge people to 'connect from the heart' and use social media to fight back.  The march forms part of a broader online campaign initiated by the Council of Europe's No Hate Movement. The initiative is particularly targeted at hate speech directed towards refugees, asylum seekers, displaced persons and migrants. European concerns about rising migration influxes have brought with them a rising tide of xenophobia and racism... Читать дальше...

A 40-year-old motorcyclist from Valletta was injured late this morning when his Yamaha V80 motorcycle was involved in collision with a Fiat Tipo in Qormi Road, Marsa. The police said the accident happened at 11.30am. The car was being driven by a 31-year-old woman from San Gwann.

Update 3.40pm - Police say they're patrolling Mellieħa area  1.95m UK native was sighted on 1 July He is unshaven, with blood on his legs and wearing shorts and white-and-blue striped shirt The "gentle giant" may appear confused as he usually requires daily diabetes medication  A man first reported missing in late May is most likely disorientated, lost and in need of help and support, his relatives have said. Tom Stewart, 59, escaped Mount Carmel hospital in late May and has been missing ever since. Читать дальше...

It is not always easy for parents to get junk food-craving offspring excited about vegetables. For many kids, a packet of crisps seems more enticing than carrot sticks, and broccoli is often left uneaten. But a new study published in the journal Pediatrics shows that marketing can nearly triple the chances of a child choosing to eat vegetables at lunch. The researchers placed banners with vegetable characters to the salad bar and showed the kids television segments with the characters. Bad eating... Читать дальше...

The Malta International Arts Festival kicks off on Friday with Vertical Waves and Bandli. Vertical Waves is an artistic project that mixes together research on body movement with sound and video in the spatial context of where the performance is taking place. The facade of the National Library will become a stage as the performers use ropes, body movement, sound, video projections and space to create a thrilling vertical dance quality that plays with a perceived lack of gravity. The performance mixes... Читать дальше...

A new fisheries landing base was inaugurated in Marsa this morning by Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes. The €275,000 project, which was partially funded by the EU, will facilitate the unloading of fish and expedite the process of catch declaration with the fisheries department thanks to new weighing scales and IT system. The base also includes a small cold room to store any undeclared catches or species. Mr Galdes said this project was the latest in a series of investments aimed to support the sector... Читать дальше...

Some 800 surgeries paid for by the government will be carried out at St James’ Hospital by the end of this year, health minister Chris Fearne said during a press briefing this morning. Addressing journalists at the Sliema hospital earlier, Mr Fearne said the government had already footed the bill for over 300 surgeries carried out at the private hospital. Until a few years ago, the waiting list for knee replacements stood at some 1,700 patients. This had been cut down to about 790 patients, with... Читать дальше...