Новости за 03.02.2017

Romania's ombudsman has challenged in the Constitutional Court a cabinet decree passed earlier in the week decriminalising some graft offences, in an apparent watering down of an anti-corruption drive that sparked mass protests and international condemnation. The decree would decriminalise abuse-of-power offences in which the sums do not exceed 200,000 lei ($48,000), potentially scuttling an ongoing trial of the governing Social Democrat party chief and benefiting dozens of other public officials. Читать дальше...

Malta Enterprise has taken disciplinary action against Jimmy Magro after a Commission Against Corruption found that there were grounds to investigate him for corruption. In a brief statement, Malta Enterprise said that it had taken "all possible disciplinary action" in relation to Mr Magro "as stipulated in his contract". READ: Commission 'morally convinced' Mr Magro requested money A report tabled in Parliament last Wednesday found that former Labour Party general secretary Mr Magro was involved... Читать дальше...

A Libya-specific agreement reached by EU leaders at a summit in Malta today was the continent's "first decent shot" at tackling migration from Libya, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat told reporters this evening.  Dr Muscat acknowledged criticism by human rights organisations that the agreement made no mention of humanitarian corridors but said that the plan was a first step.  READ: EU leaders hammer out Libya plan He said that talks concerning humanitarian corridors would come at a later stage.  Both... Читать дальше...

Lawyers for Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman have complained that he was being subjected to excessive conditions of confinement in a federal jail and that his wife was not being allowed to visit him. The arguments came in federal court in Brooklyn at a hearing for Guzman, who has pleaded not guilty to charges that he ran the world's largest drug-trafficking organisation during a decades-long career. He faces life in prison if convicted. Guzman's wife, Emma Coronel, flew from Mexico to attend the hearing... Читать дальше...

The president of the Socialists and Democrats group within the European Parliament brings with him a message of unity for Europe’s leftist leaders when he lands in Malta. Gianni Pittella tells Kurt Sansone progressives cannot be detached from the real society. Social Democratic parties across Europe are facing an onslaught from the far right on what should be their traditional voter base among the working classes. Has the moderate Left ignored for too long the concerns on immigration prevalent among the working classes? Читать дальше...

European Council President Donald Tusk told EU leaders today he was ready to serve a second term as their chairman after his current mandate expires at the end of May. Chairing the leaders' meetings is one of the European Union's most influential jobs and, if re-appointed, Tusk will have a key role in Brexit talks once Britain triggers a divorce clause to become the first country to ever leave the bloc. BLOG: EU leaders meet in Malta  "After talking to many leaders who expressed their support, I informed that I am ready to continue my work. Читать дальше...

The top United Nations human rights official said Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi has promised to investigate UN allegations of atrocities against Rohingya Muslims. Security forces and police have committed mass killings and gang rapes and burned villages in northern Rakhine state, a UN investigation published today found. "I did speak to Aung San Suu Kyi about an hour and a half ago. I called upon her to use every means available to exert pressure on the military and the security services to end... Читать дальше...

David Cameron promised he will "be back" as he channelled Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator in a video with the Hollywood star. The pair appeared together in a Snapchat video posted on the actor's account on Friday captioned "with my great friend David Cameron". Mr Cameron tells the ex-Republican governor's followers: "I'm here with the governor, he did a great job and I'll be back." The former prime minister resigned as an MP in September, saying he did not want to be a "distraction" for Theresa... Читать дальше...

Three years ago, Yury Alekseyev became disillusioned with the concrete walls of his one-room Moscow apartment and his daily commute to work in a law firm, and began to think about building a new home. Picking up a shovel, he abandoned his career and headed 60 km (40 miles) northeast. Selecting a spot by the road in some woodland, he dug a Zemlyanka, or a Russian underground dugout. Now he is known as the "Russian hobbit". Alekseyev doesn't live like a hermit. His pet rabbit Petrushka shares his meals of peas and soy sauce. Читать дальше...

Updated 7.28pm - Sanctions were 'in the pipeline' The United States today sanctioned 13 individuals and 12 entities under its Iran sanctions authority, days after the White House put Tehran "on notice" over a ballistic missile test and other activities. In a statement on its website, the US Treasury listed the sanctioned individuals and entities, some of which are based in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and China. The sanctions were "in the pipeline" before President Donald Trump took office, but were activated in light of recent events... Читать дальше...

The public transport company is looking into allegations that a passenger asking for directions was told by the driver to “take a bus to Somalia”. The alleged incident happened yesterday morning on a bus stop at Msida, when according to a bus passenger, a man boarded the bus and asked the driver for directions. According to the passenger who spoke to this newspaper, the man knocked on the door of the bus, which had left Valletta at around 11.20am. But all the man allegedly received after asking for directions was “disgusting racism and hate”. Читать дальше...

EU leaders have for the first time hammered out a Libya-specific plan, although doubts persist about how workable it is given the country's state of lawlessness.Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the plan was no silver bullet but expressed confidence it could help stem the flow of migrants from Libya."We know Libya is in a particular situation but this must not be an excuse to do nothing; if anything it is a reason to do more with Libya," he said at a press briefing attended also by Council president... Читать дальше...

Late diagnosis of cancer leads to millions of people enduring needless suffering and premature death, and efforts to catch the disease earlier must be stepped up, the World Health Organization said. In a report launched ahead of World Cancer Day, the WHO said it wanted to improve chances of survival for cancer patients by ensuring health services focus on diagnosing and treating the disease earlier. "Diagnosing cancer in late stages, and the inability to provide treatment, condemns many people to... Читать дальше...

St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral, one of the most iconic features of the Valletta skyline, is launching an urgent fundraising appeal for vital restoration work as parts of the historic church are declared unstable. The cathedral wants to raise €3 million to address severe architectural problems threatening the 60-metre high bell-tower and spire as well as internal and external stonework. Built between 1839 and 1844 on the initiative of the Queen Dowager Adelaide, widow to King William IV and aunt to Queen Victoria... Читать дальше...

Former Labour Party minister and broadcaster Joe Grima has died aged 80.  Mr Grima was the CEO of the Malta Broadcasting Authority in the early 1970s before turning to politics. After winning a parliamentary seat in 1976, he served as Industry Minister as well as Tourism Minister in the 1980s.  His 40-year broadcasting career saw him present shows for the Rediffusion Company, Radio Malta and later on PN and PL TV stations.   The Żejtun-born Mr Grima quit politics in 1992 to focus on his radio station Live FM. Читать дальше...

Comedian Russell Brand has said that becoming a father has made him re-evaluate the way he looks at gender and forced him think twice about dressing his daughter in clothes designed for girls. Brand and his fiancee Laura Gallacher welcomed Mabel last November and he said she has changed his life. He told: "I think you have to evolve because it's quite an abrupt and sudden change, one minute you don't have a baby and then suddenly there is a new relative who lives in your house, not a moderate or minor relative like an uncle... Читать дальше...

A man died after choking on his food at an Aġenzija Sapport centre today, the government said in a statement.  Despite staff performing first aid on the man and medics rushing to the scene, the man was pronounced dead a while later.  Police said the incident happened at 9am in Għajnsielem, Gozo.  A magistrate is leading an inquiry into the case, and police are investigating further.

A spokesman for the Finance Ministry has rubbished claims by PN MP Robert Arrigo that people were being overcharged on their income tax. Last week, Mr Arrigo said in Parliament that he received information about people in the €19,501 to €35,000 income bracket being overcharged. He said the government was taxing people in that particular income range at 26 per cent rather than 25 per cent. Mr Arrigo said he had confirmed with a number of accountants that the government was charging more than 25 per cent in the income range he mentioned. Читать дальше...

Visitors to the Louvre learned by loudspeaker announcement of this morning's attempted attack on the Paris museum and there was no panic, witnesses said, though some children cried as guards directed people to sit tight together and away from windows. A French soldier shot and wounded a man armed with a machete and carrying two bags on his back as he tried to enter the world-renowned museum in what the government said appeared to have been a terrorist attack.  READ: Machete-wielding attacker shot outside the Louvre The man... Читать дальше...

The MSE Share Index erased most of the gains of the previous two trading sessions as it slipped by 0.54% to 4,715.797 points. The decline in the Index reflects the drops in the share prices of IHI (-4.3%), RS2 (-1.6%) and MIA (-0.5%). Week-on-week, the local equity index eased by a minimal 0.10% on strong volumes worth nearly €1.90 million. The most actively traded equity today was Malta International Airport plc as twenty-one deals totalling 51,836 shares pulled the equity 0.5% lower to a near three-month... Читать дальше...

A ferry worker who won £4.3 million (5€ million) on the Lottery spurned a champagne celebration and instead went home to sit in a dark room with a cup of tea. James Couper, a 46-year-old grandfather from Greenock, Inverclyde, is still in shock and trying to come to terms with the money he won with a lucky dip Lotto ticket last weekend. He found out he had matched six numbers while at work on Sunday. He said: "We were just casually sitting chatting on our lunch break when my workmate came across the Lotto results in the newspaper. Читать дальше...

Seven Times of Malta readers can now browse Malta's favourite news portal on new iPad Mini tablets after winning a competition held in December on this website.  Clayton Luke Mula, (further left) Josephine Mary Muscat, George Aquilina, Matthew Catania, Ian Bugeja and Rachel Cachia are six of the seven winners of the iCentre-sponsored competition. Missing from this photo is Stephen Farrugia who won the first iPad. The one-week competition saw a lucky reader win an iPad Mini every day for seven days. Читать дальше...

Purposely "heading" a football ball may lead to concussion symptoms despite research suggesting those issues mainly arise from accidental knocks to the head, according to a new study. While amateur football players were at an increased risk of concussion-like symptoms from colliding with each other and objects, they also had an increased risk for those symptoms if they often used their head to hit the ball. The new study can't say heading leads to brain damage or other issues down the road, however. Читать дальше...

After several months of procrastination, the road along the Buġibba promenade is finally receiving a well-deserved facelift, just days after a report published by the Times of Malta highlighted the bad state of the roads and the general shabbiness of the locality. READ: Buġibba shabbiness is 'scaring tourists away' Buġibba residents and shop owners told this newspaper they had had enough of the poor state the popular tourist resort was in and complained that tourists were avoiding Buġibba.

Customs officials in the German port of Hamburg have seized cocaine with an estimated street value of €145 million. Rene Matschke, head of the Hamburg customs investigation office, said the cocaine - the largest single seizure of the drug in Germany to date - had a very high degree of purity, news agency dpa reported. The haul - weighing 1,580lbs - was seized on January 18 after it was found in a shipping container from the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao. Mr Matschke said that an international... Читать дальше...