Новости за 29.07.2016

The Sliema Local Council has appealed against the decision to grant planning permission to a temporary car park which has been a persistent source of dust pollution and road safety complaints. Located on Tower Road, in front of the iconic Villa Drago, which formerly served as the Libyan Embassy, the car park was opened a couple of years ago on the site where the Regina Hotel stood. The hotel used to be a popular wedding venue in the 1960s but the site became an eyesore after the hotel was pulled down about a decade ago. Читать дальше...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this evening paid tribute to the late leader of the Labour Party Dom Mintoff on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth. In an address in Bormla, Mr Mintoff's place of birth, Dr Muscat said that Mr Mintoff was being given the best present possible today as Malta became the EU country with the lowest level of unemployment in Euroe. Mr Mintoff, Dr Muscat said, worked to get people out of poverty and the results achieved were due to the decisions which had been... Читать дальше...

Muslims and Christians have prayed together at a mosque in the French town where an elderly priest was killed this week, with one imam calling the extremists non-Muslims who are "not part of civilisation" or "humanity". Muslims came from other parts of France to be present for the service shared with Christians in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray. The killing of 85-year-old Reverend Jacques Hamel as he celebrated morning Mass on Tuesday sent shockwaves around France, and deeply touched many among the nation's five million Muslims. Читать дальше...

Migrant women rarely manage to secure a job with a decent pay that matches their skills, so a new research has been launched to unearth the main stumbling blocks. “Since we set up Migrant Women Association Malta last year, we realised that most migrant women don’t have proper access to employment, which is one of the main keys to integration,” Umayma Elamin, the association president told this newspaper. “The issues could be the language barrier, qualifications, or a mismatch of skills. But because of lack of research... Читать дальше...

Malta’s EU commissioner Karmenu Vella is unlikely to lose part of his portfolio to Britain’s incoming commissioner, sources have told the Times of Malta. Politico Europe reported this week that Mr Vella was approached about giving up part of his portfolio to Britain’s nominee to the EU Commission. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron reportedly requested that Britain’s new nominee be put in charge of environmental policy. Politico Europe reported that several EU commissioners were approached... Читать дальше...

Restraints in infant car seats fit most newborns poorly, and low-birthweight infants in particular may not be well protected, Australian researchers say. In their small study, fewer than one in five normal- and low-birthweight babies achieved a proper fit. Historically, the smallest children's car seats were designed for babies weighing between three to four kg and do not account for lower-weight infants, said lead author Julie Brown, a senior research scientist at Neuroscience Research Australia in Randwick. Читать дальше...

Maltese workers are still paying some of the lowest taxes in the EU, however, they are still almost among the lowest paid and the cheapest to hire, according to a new study. Compiled by the Institut Economique Molinari based in Paris, the study shows that in 2015, Maltese workers paid a real tax rate of 29.44 per cent of their total earnings, when all taxes are deducted, including social security, income tax and VAT. With an average real gross salary of €17,759, a typical Maltese employee ended up with an average real net salary of €12,530... Читать дальше...

Florida appears to have the first cases of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes on the US mainland, according to the state governor. Rick Scott said during a news conference in Orlanda that no mosquitoes in the state have tested positive for Zika, but one woman and three men in Miami-Dade and Broward counties probably contracted the virus through mosquito bites. More than 1,650 Zika infections have been reported in the US, but the four patients in Florida would be the first not linked to travel outside the US mainland. Читать дальше...

Malta International Airport has been awarded four stars by the leading air transport industry audit organisation, Skytrax. Only 13 other European airports are ranked four stars, including Zurich, Barcelona El Prat and Amsterdam Schipol. Introduced in 1989, this star classification for airlines and airports is now hailed as a benchmark of quality in the air transport industry worldwide. Skytrax grants a final rating after its team of air transport research professionals conduct a thorough evaluation of the frontline products and services... Читать дальше...

Drivers heading into Mosta could soon be able to access the main square directly if a proposal by the council to change the direction of traffic in Eucharistic Congress Road is approved. The decision to allow traffic to flow out of the square through the main road, taken some 20 years ago, was meant to be temporary but traffic has been exiting Mosta through Eucharistic Congress Road ever since. Speaking to this newspaper as a public consultation on the issue comes to an end, mayor Edwin Vassallo... Читать дальше...

Among the thousands of people at the Floriana Granaries yesterday evening, 96-year-old Paul Stainer was probably Joseph Calleja’s oldest British fan. Avid opera lover Mr Stainer, who has made the trip to Malta from London 55 times so far, flew over specifically for the tenor’s annual summer concert. This was the third consecutive year that the man from Dulwich, south London, attended the event in Malta after he first heard a recital by Mr Calleja some 10 years ago in London. “Mr Calleja’s name cropped... Читать дальше...

Experts at a zoo in the Moroccan capital are trying to understand why an elephant hurled a stone in the direction of visitors, killing a seven-year-old girl. The behaviour of the female elephant was "abnormal" and needs to be examined, a vet at the zoo in Rabat said. The girl was at the Zoological Garden of Rabat with her family on Tuesday, admiring three elephants, when one picked up a stone and tossed it more than 10 metres over a large ditch and a wooden barrier toward the visitors. The girl was hit on the head and died hours later. Читать дальше...

A 19-year-old today admitted to running over a man in Marsa during a late night argument, disobeying police orders, reckless and dangerous driving and simple cannabis possession. Leon Borg, from Birkirkara, who a few days ago started a new job as a cleaner, was charged before Magistrate Claire-Louise Stafrace. He was also accused of driving a car without a licence and an insurance policy. The court heard that these offences were committed on July 14, when the accused was involved in a car chase with... Читать дальше...

Seven transgender inmates who are embroiled in a legal dispute with the government over allegations of degrading treatment have agreed to try and find an amicable solution before the next court sitting in November. The decision was taken this morning upon the suggestion of Mr Justice Silvio Meli, who is presiding the civil court case instituted against the Home Affairs Ministry and the Prisons Director. The inmates are claiming that they were denied the right to live as women after they were confined... Читать дальше...

Police in India say they have arrested a shopkeeper for axing to death a couple from a lower caste for not promptly paying a debt of 15 rupees (20c) for groceries. District magistrate Pramod Chandra Gupta said the upper caste shopkeeper killed the couple in a rage when they asked for more time to pay for the groceries they bought from his shop in Mainpuri, a town in Uttar Pradesh state. The couple were construction workers and left behind five children, Mr Gupta said. Attacks against Muslims and... Читать дальше...

A 26-year old man from Valletta was today remanded in custody after he pleaded not guilty to 16 cases of bracelet thefts from elderly women between November and May. The thefts were committed in Ħamrun, Qormi, Valletta and Birkirkara. Fourteen of them were carried out between April and May. Kerten Camilleri was also accused of breaching the conditions of a suspended two-year jail term handed to him in November 2012, and relapsing. Bail was not requested. Magistrate Claire-Louise Stafrace heard the case. Читать дальше...

The Share Index advanced by 0.19 per cent to 4,470.277 points today, reflecting the gains registered in the share prices of BOV and HSBC. Meanwhile, only two other equities were active today, with both finishing lower. Once again, trading volumes were very weak. With today’s upturn, the local equity index posted a weekly gain of 0.10 per cent. Nonetheless, on a monthly basis, the Share Index declined by two per cent, effectively erasing all the gains in the Index registered in June. Furthermore,... Читать дальше...

Updated A substantial number of tourists had a lucky escape this afternoon when the two coaches they were in collided at Triq Louis Wettinger in Mellieħa. The police said the accident happened at 2pm and it did not look like anyone was seriously injured. Health Minister Chris Fearne later tweeted that seven patients were taken to Mater Dei Hospital, two to the Mosta Health Centre. Mellieha update: 7 patients taken to Mater Dei, 2 to Mosta Health Centre. — Chris Fearne (@chrisfearne) July 29, 2016 Those hopitalised are the 24-year-old driver... Читать дальше...

Speaker Anglu Farrugia used a meeting with Turkish Ambassador Reha Keskintepe today to argue that an attempted coup should not damage democracy in Turkey.  Dr Farrugia, who also condemned the attempted coup and expressed grief for those killed and wounded as in unfolded, was briefed about the situation in Turkey by Mr Keskintepe.  Turkey has reacted to the attempted coup with vehemence, arresting thousands of police officers and judges, as well as civil society activists, journalists and civil servants it accuses of having aided plotters. Читать дальше...

Evenings on Campus is back this year with an eclectic mix of events to enhance Malta’s summer cultural calendar. Now in its 24th edition, Evenings on Campus was one of the very first festivals in Malta to give space to different forms of contemporary culture through its representations of visual and performing arts. This is what visitors can expect this year:  Wednesday 3 August at 9pmMemories are made of this – Short films by the students of the M.A. in Film Studies Thursday 4 August at 9pmChizil - Fusion Trio ... Читать дальше...

A photo of an off-duty Swedish police officer taking down a pickpocket in a public park has gone viral, with more than 10,000 likes on Instagram in less than 24 hours. Mikaela Kellner was sunbathing in a public park in Stockholm when a man pretending to sell magazines approached her and her group of friends, stealing one of their mobile phones in the process. Ms Kellner, a crossfit and power-lifting enthusiast with 11 years of police experience, quickly gave chase, tackled and pinned the culprit to the ground. Читать дальше...

The pilots' union this morning allayed concerns that it was planning to keep Air Malta planes grounded, saying they were not mulling to cancel any flights as part of their dispute over a new collective agreement.This assurance was given before Magistrate Silvio Meli, who is hearing submissions on an injunction filed by Air Malta in a bid to prevent the pilots' union from taking industrial action while the airline negotiates a proposed 49 per cent takeover by Alitalia. Pilots have been following a dress-down directive in recent weeks... Читать дальше...

Le Méridien St Julian’s Hotel & Spa has just appointed a new food and beverage team to inject a fresh style of dining at this award-winning boutique five-star hotel.Just back from a six-year stint in London where he headed the office of the Malta Tourism Authority, general manager Alex Incorvaja’s main priority was to select a team that could meet the demands of the more discerning residents in Malta. “We’re extremely proud to have such a creative and passionate team on board to provide guests with a unique... Читать дальше...

Update 1.07pm - Adds full report Three senior Irish bankers have been sentenced to between two and three-and-a-half years in prison for conspiring to defraud investors, the most prominent prosecution case arising from the 2008 banking crisis. The lack of convictions until now related to the crash has angered Irish taxpayers, who had to stump up 64 billion euros - almost 40 percent of annual economic output - after a property collapse forced the biggest state bank rescue in the euro zone. The crash... Читать дальше...

The Broadcasting Authority this morning ruled on three complaints about PBS filed by the Nationalist Party, finding that the complaint was justified in one case while dismissing the other two.  The authority found that PBS was wrong to not air news that former Prime Minister Alfred Sant had called on Konrad Mizzi to resign in the wake of the Panama Papers scandal. It noted that Dr Sant's comments merited reporting, given that he was a former prime minister and that the Panama Papers scandal was in the national interest. Читать дальше...