Новости за 12.02.2017

Jazz and R&B singer Al Jarreau, whose hits included We're in This Love Together and Moonlighting, has died in Los Angeles at age 76. His Facebook page said Jarreau "passed away this morning, at about 600am LA time. He was in the hospital, kept comfortable by his wife, son, and a few of his family and friends." No cause of death was given. The seven-time Grammy winner had been hospitalised for exhaustion last week and was forced to cancel his remaining tour dates for 2017. A post on his Facebook... Читать дальше...

A White House official has criticised a US court ruling that blocked President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration as a "judicial usurpation of power" and said the administration is considering a range of options, including a new order. Sustained criticism of the judiciary from the White House comes amid concern among Democrats and legal scholars over Trump's view of the constitutional principle of judicial independence as the administration seeks to overcome legal setbacks to its travel ban issued on January 27. Читать дальше...

Attard's Triq iż-Żagħfran has been a one-way road since time immemorial, but one driver this morning either did not know or did not care about the street's traffic rules.  In dash cam footage captured this morning and sent to the Times of Malta, a driver in a white car can be seen driving down the Attard road, against the flow of traffic. WATCH: Crazy driving worthy of a Hollywood stunt Despite having plenty of room to pull over and turn around, the errant driver continues to nonchalantly head down the road... Читать дальше...

A top militant and three others were killed in Central African Republic when a UN helicopter fired on fighters advancing towards the town of Bambari, a rebel group said today. The UN's mission known as MINUSCA shot at fighters from the Popular Front for the Renaissance of Central African Republic (FPRC), on Saturday after they crossed a "red line" it had set north of the town, said spokesman Vladimir Monteiro. "We were looking to prevent war in Bambari," he said, referring to the town about 250 km (155 miles) northeast of the capital Bangui. Читать дальше...

Michael Said:Il-Perit Pietru Attard (1835-1916).La Stella Band, 2016 Il-Perit Pietru Attard is a short but original monograph consisting in a biographical sketch of the founding father of the La Stella Vincitrice Band of Victoria, Gozo, whose life spanned the second half of the 19th century and the first 16 years of the 20th century. It is the product of many years of research that Michael Said – one of the bandsmen of the aforementioned musical society – carried out of his own initiative. Said, who is a dedicated member of the band... Читать дальше...

Marcel Pisani, who worked tirelessly to provide people living with a disability and their carers with the necessary support structures, died yesterday aged 66.  Mr Pisani was one of the co-founders of Dar il-Kaptan, which provides respite services for people living with a disability and ensures primary carers can have some time off, as well as Aġenzija Sapport's first CEO. In a Facebook post announcing his passing, Dar il-Kaptan mourned Mr Pisani as "a man with a golden heart who worked for the... Читать дальше...

A discussion on Valletta 2018 as an opportunity for Gozitans was held during a seminar organised by the Valletta 2018 Foundation together with Kumitat Ċelebrazzjonijiet Festi Nazzjonali u Reġjonali at the Citadella Cultural Centre in Gozo. The seminar also addressed the subject of Valletta 2018’s legacy on the island after the European Capi­tal of Culture year is over. The chairman of the Valletta 2018 Foundation Jason Micallef said “the European Capital of Culture title is not reserved for Valletta alone... Читать дальше...

With Valentine's Day around the corner, love is in the air - or is it?  Times of Malta asked pedestrians in Valletta what they made of the celebration, and whether they planned on celebrating it with their special someone.  Some said they felt Valentine's was a red letter day, but not everyone felt that way. Watch the video clip above to see what people had to say.

The detention of nine Malian men who have been locked up for more than two months raises serious legal questions and undermines the humanity of Maltese society, a group of NGOs have told the Prime Minister. In a letter to Joseph Muscat and Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela, the NGOs told the two men that while the government may be entitled to deport the men, it must do so in a way that respected their fundamental dignity.  Each of the nine men were law-abiding citizens who had "done nothing to... Читать дальше...

The uplifting and magnificent ambience of St John’s Co-Cathedral was ideal for the enjoyment of good and well-executed music. In this case, it was for the premiere performance of an oratorio by Hermann Farrugia Frantz, set to words by Lawrence Gatt. Canticum Vitae is a song of life wherein librettist and composer sought to project a celebration of inclusion. This theme runs through the well-chosen texts from the Old and New Testaments with the inclusion for very last section of the non-Biblical Ubui caritas et amor, Deus ibi est. Читать дальше...

A student has created a software programme that promises to create more jobs for those with mobility problems by allowing them to answer phone calls through the computer rather than from a standard telephone set. Jader Pelligra, 21, a student at the Malta College for Arts Science and Technology (Mcast), created the eye-tracking software on a Windows operating system. In layperson’s terms, the software is a replacement for the standard PABX system. The programme does what the PABX normally does, including answering calls... Читать дальше...

Valletta put themselves back in the reckoning in this season’s title race as they scored two second half goals to overcome Hamrun Spartans 2-0 at the National Stadium. The Spartans' cause was hindered by an injury to Jake Grech after only 15 minutes, with young midfielder replaced by Brandon Paiber. Scoring chances were few and far between in the first half. On the half hour, Maximiliano Velasco hit a thumping drive that was blocked by David Cassar. Hamrun responded on 40 minutes when Mathie Manset... Читать дальше...

Albert Ganado: Judge Robert Ganado. A history of the Government Departments from 1815 and lawyers from 1666. BDL, 2015. Printed in a very limited edition of 300 copies, Judge Robert Ganado is first and foremost a tribute by his son Albert Ganado, who inherited from his father not only his predisposition for the legal profession but also his passion for Melitensia, which has made him Malta’s foremost collector and the most respected world authority on Malta maps. Born in 1875 in Valletta, the son of Judge Luigi Ganado... Читать дальше...

Various: Treasures of Malta, Christmas 2016, Vol. XXIII, No. 1 The 67th number of Treasures of Malta, the flagship publication of Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, carries on its cover a fascinating detail of a wonderful painting by Valletta-born artist Francesco Noletti (c.1611-54), an artist who is only now slowly emerging from artistic quasi-anonymity. The recent exhibition at the Old University gave many of us the opportunity of viewing several of his works, which are in private ownership, like this particular one. Читать дальше...

Robbie Brady's stunning debut goal checked Chelsea's Premier League title charge as Burnley maintained their impressive home form in a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.Republic of Ireland international Brady, a £10million deadline-day signing from Norwich, curled a home a superb 20-yard free-kick to cancel out Pedro's early opener for Chelsea. Chelsea had won 16 of their previous 18 league games heading into the fixture, while Sean Dyche's Clarets were chasing a sixth straight home league win and their eighth in all competitions.Burnley... Читать дальше...

Two publications, Pre-Siege Maps of Malta, Second Century AD - 1564 and The Charting of Maltese Waters, offer an insight into the history of mapping around the Maltese islands, focusing onpre-Great Siege separate maps of Malta and on the historical development of the charting of Maltese waters respectively. Pre-Siege Maps of Malta, Second Century AD – 1564, by Albert Ganado and Joseph Schiro, embraces all the pre-siege separate maps of Malta, whether manu­script or printed, as well as the appearance... Читать дальше...

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo was aware that his person of trust now under investigation for alleged corruption was delivering cheques to Gozo school contractors by hand, even before he was informed about it, this newspaper can reveal. Mr Bartolo told newly appointed Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools CEO Philip Rizzo of this dubious practice, which goes against normal procedure, on the very first day of the latter’s job, April 13, 2016. “Only five hours into his first day as the new FTS CEO... Читать дальше...

Ryan Spiteri came off the bench to fire home the winner as Sliema Wanderers surprised Balzan 2-1 at the National Stadium.Balzan came close after nine minutes. Matteo Piciollo fed Bojan Kaljevic who outmuscled his marker and his low drive was pushed to a corner by Sliema goalkeeper Giuseppe Sarao.Sliema tried to respond and on 12 minutes Riccardo Correa connected to Frank Temile’s cross but headed wide. Sliema took the lead eight minutes from the break. Alex Muscat served Frank Temile who broke free... Читать дальше...

Austrian authorities are investigating reports of a man appearing in public in Adolf Hitler's birthplace as the Nazi dictator's double, including the distinctive moustache, haircut and clothing. "I have often seen this gentlemen in Braunau and wonder if this means something," the Oberoesterreichische Nachrichten paper cited a local resident as saying on his Facebook page alongside a picture of the man it said resembled Hitler. Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, then part of Austria-Hungary, in 1889. Читать дальше...

One act double bill White Liars and Black Comedy gets the green light over at the MADC Clubrooms for a fun evening of farce. Two directors, two casts and two of Peter Shaffer’s plays share the space to varying degrees of success. First up that evening was White Liars, the tale of a long-suffering seaside fortune teller and two of her stranger customers. In the role of would-be mystic Baroness Sophie Lemberg, Audrey Scerri hits some great key moments in her prolonged monologues. However, I feel that... Читать дальше...

Former foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was elected Germany's president today, the 12th person to hold the largely ceremonial post in the post-war era. Steinmeier, a Social Democrat who had served as foreign minister until last month, won 931 of the 1,239 valid votes by lawmakers and representatives of Germany's 16 federal states. There 103 abstentions and 14 votes were invalid. After Bundestag president Norbert Lammert announced the results, all representatives held a standing ovation except... Читать дальше...

Donald Trump is likely to be good for the American economy in the short term, according to the head of the International Monetary Fund.Christine Lagarde said the US president's plans for additional investment in US infrastructure and his likely tax reforms will boost America's economic fortunes.However, she acknowledged that his policies will squeeze international markets."That's a tightening that is going to be difficult on the global economy and for which economies have to prepare," Ms Lagarde... Читать дальше...

Goals from Radja Nainggolan and Edin Dzeko helped Roma see off Crotone 2-0 away in Serie A today as Luciano Spalletti's side made light of a first-half missed penalty to provisionally close the gap to league leaders Juventus. Nainggolan lashed past Alex Cordaz from a tight angle in the 40th minute after being picked out by Mohamed Salah as the vistors edged a first half in which they had only hinted at their wealth of attacking quality. Salah then squared for Dzeko, who had sent a hesitant first-half penalty wide... Читать дальше...

In his programme note for the staging of his debut play Unintended, Adrian Buckle writes: “We need extreme experiences to make us think.” Buckle is also artistic director for Unifaun Theatre, a company synonymous with theatre productions that over the past few years have singlehandedly stretched the boundaries of local theatre productions by putting on plays that employ shock tactics to get their point across. The central character of his play is Jamie, played by Stephen Mintoff, a well-to-do young... Читать дальше...

Pregnant pop superstar Beyonce heads into the Grammy awards tonight aiming to clinch her first album of the year win, while riding high on a wave of goodwill that greeted her surprise announcement that she was expecting twins. The biggest night in the music industry is expected to mark her first public appearance since the 35-year-old singer announced her pregnancy on February 1 with a message and an elaborate photo shoot proudly displaying her baby bump that broke social media records. In a live show as much about spectacle as trophies... Читать дальше...