Новости за 23.02.2017

Leicester have sacked manager Claudio Ranieri less than a year after their incredible run to the Premier League title. With the Foxes hovering just one point above the relegation zone, the Italian was relieved of his duties after the team returned home from Wednesday night's 2-1 Champions League defeat to Sevilla. In announcing Ranieri's departure, the club paid tribute to his achievements as the club's "most successful...manager of all time" but said their perilous league position required action. Читать дальше...

An elderly woman’s suggestion today that while some cases of poverty are genuine, other can be self-inflicted prompted disapproval from participants at a debate on the definition of poverty held today at the University. The woman, who was among the audience, noted that a distinction should be made between the so-called working poor (people in employment who still struggled to make ends meet) and others who lived beyond their means. “You cannot group cases which are the result of illness, low income... Читать дальше...

Seven of every 10 people treated for alcohol consumption last year had been binging and did not wind up in hospital because of a drinking problem. This trend emerges from figures tabled in Parliament by Health Minister Chris Fearne. The figures show that nearly three-quarters of the 388 individuals who were treated at Mater Dei Hospital last year after having too much to drink were not classified as alcohol dependants. They did not require treatment after years of heavy alcohol use but had been binge... Читать дальше...

James Bond star Naomie Harris has said there is "a very good chance" Daniel Craig will return as 007. Harris, who played Moneypenny in 2012's Skyfall and Spectre in 2015, was speaking after she was appointed an OBE by the Queen at Buckingham Palace. The Hollywood actress's royal encounter comes just days before the Academy Awards, where she is up for an Oscar for her role as a drug addict in Moonlight. Harris, who is synonymous with the character of Moneypenny, has previously spoken of her desire... Читать дальше...

More than 1,000 migrants have been rescued in the Mediterranean Sea during several operations since Wednesday, and many more are expected to attempt the perilous journey as winter ends. Rescuers found 332 people on Thursday in three separate rubber boats travelling north of the Libyan coast, according to Proactiva Open Arms, the non-profit organisation that operates the Golfo Azzurro rescue vessel. The first boat was located 25 miles offshore. It carried 99 people, including two pregnant women and some passengers with burn injuries... Читать дальше...

Maria Muscat, La Barokka has launched her new music video, Unbreakable.  The song penned by Matt Muxu Mercieca and composed and produced by Cyprian Cassar Somnio is meant to encourage people not to feel belittled if people in power tried to block their dreams and aspirations.  La Barokka, a journalist with TVM, said it had been her dream to be filmed with real tigers, and she did this with the support of Christopher Borg, who owned several big cats at his park in Mtahleb.  She said that as the video was being shot... Читать дальше...

A pregnant salesgirl had the fright of her life this evening when a man wearing a hoodie and brandishing a knife entered the shop she was working in and asked for cash. The hold-up took place at the Early Learning Centre in Rabat at 6.30pm. The thief is believed to have escaped with a small amount of money.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat made five proposals today when speaking at the CEPS Ideas Lab conference in Brussels “Reconstructing the Union”. His first proposal was that Europe should become the bitcoin continent. The rise of crypto currencies, he said, could be slowed but cannot be stopped. Rather than resist, European regulators should innovate and create mechanisms in which to regulate crypto currencies, to harness their potential and better protect consumers, while making Europe the natural home of innovators. Читать дальше...

A 72-year-old man from Għarb is being kept under house arrest against a deposit of €1,500 and a personal guarantee of €10,000 after he pleaded not guilty of importing explosives. He was also charged with keeping the explosives and carrying them without the necessary police permit. He was also accused of having an unlicensed firearm in his possession.

It will be 60 years tomorrow since the first international football match played by Malta. The match against Austria was played at the Empire Stadium in Gzira to a sell-out crowd. The Austrians won the game 3-2 after a late rally by Joe Griffiths’s boys saw the Malta team claw back two goals in the space of three minutes. To record this momentous event in Maltese football, the Times of Malta will tomorrow carry a double-page feature by sports contributor Alex Vella, who on the day was a spectator. Читать дальше...

Nasa's Jupiter-circling spacecraft is stuck making long trips around the gas giant because of sticky valves. It currently takes Juno 53 days to fly around the solar system's biggest planet, which is almost four times longer than the intended 14-day orbit. After repeated delays, Nasa decided late last week to forego an engine firing that would have shortened the orbit. Officials said the manoeuvre poses too much of a risk. Nasa said the quality of science will not be affected, but it will take more time to gather the data... Читать дальше...

Unauthorised works have been carried out on the unique historic structure of the Valletta Covered Market, a Grade 1 Scheduled building in the centre of the city, Din l-Art Ħelwa said. It said in a statement that a cantilevered concrete balcony was constructed projecting onto St Paul Street, severely impacting the aesthetic and architectural values of both the building and the fine aesthetics of St Paul Street. “Din l-Art Ħelwa is disappointed that such insensitivity was allowed to mar the project... Читать дальше...

A landmark tree-lined avenue made famous by fantasy drama Game Of Thrones has been damaged in Storm Doris. One of the beech trees that make up the spectacular Dark Hedges in Co Antrim has fallen victim to high winds that have battered Northern Ireland. The avenue is one the region's top tourist attractions, with Game of Thrones fans from all over the world travelling to the isolated location to get a picture in front of the haunting backdrop. Work was already under way to remove the felled tree, which had blocked the road. Читать дальше...

Standard and Poor’s has endorsed Enemalta's efforts in the implementation of its turnaround plan for better quality services and long-term financial sustainability. “We believe that the predictability of Enemalta's performance has greatly improved and that the swing to profitability is now consolidated,” Standard and Poor’s said in its annual review of the company, issued this afternoon. In a statement, Enemalta welcomed the review as another confirmation of its team's achievement as they transformed a loss-making corporation into a profitable... Читать дальше...

More than 4% of the world's population lives with depression, and women, youth and the elderly are the most prone to its disabling effects, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. An estimated 322 million people suffered depressive disorders in 2015, a rise of 18.4% in a decade, UN agency said in a report. Global economic losses exceed $1 trillion a year, it said, referring to lost productivity due to apathy or lack of energy that lead to an inability to function at work or cope with daily life. Читать дальше...

An unemployed man, escorted to court after receiving medical treatment in hospital, was today given a suspended prison sentence after he admitted to defrauding his former employer out of €1,550. Nigerian-born Emeke Wisdom Azomokwu, 28, currently residing at the Marsa Open Centre, was charged with forging a company cheque and then attempting to cash it. The prosecution explained that the accused had filled in the details on the cheque and forged the signature of the company's authorised signatory. Читать дальше...

Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall nearly had a wardrobe malfunction when she walked down the red carpet at the Brit Awards. The band opened the show with Shout Out To My Ex and won best British single for the same track at the ceremony. On her way into the event, Thirlwall, 24, had to hold down her skimpy dress to ensure onlookers did not get an eyeful. The singer opted for a low-cut gown slashed to the thigh, teamed with elbow-length black gloves. Bandmate Perrie Edwards flashed her legs in a mullet-hem... Читать дальше...

The curtain went up on Milan's fashion week on Wednesday with Gucci's enchanted garden inspired looks and Fay's 1990s rock chick styles paraded for the womenswear autumn and winter 2017/2018 season. After New York and London, the Italian capital of fashion will be the setting for six days of runway shows, exhibitions, parties and events as the fashion elite, designers, bloggers and media flock to the city. Gucci, the biggest brand of French luxury giant Kering, kicked off the extravaganza showcasing clothes with flowers... Читать дальше...

The acclaimed Bursa Symphony Orchestra from Turkey will be performing at a concert at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on Sunday, March 5.  In 2012, BRSSO won the Orchestra Of The Year award with votes from more than 200 professionals and the public at the Donizetti Classical Music Awards ceremony. As the only 'state' orchestra of Turkey, Bursa Regional State Symphony Orchestra (BRSSO) has its roots in the String Instruments Chamber Orchestra, which was formed within the Uludağ University and... Читать дальше...

A young man from Żejtun was granted bail after pleading guilty to his involvement in an alleged VRT scam. The accused, whose name is not being published as the police investigation is ongoing, was charged with receiving bribes and forging documents. The prosecution explained how the accused's role as contact person in the alleged scam was to ensure that pre-identified vehicles would not be driven through the test lane. The court was told that the accused did not have the necessary password to access the VRT system. Читать дальше...

Pope Francis delivered another criticism of some members of his own Church, suggesting it is better to be an atheist than one of "many" Catholics who he said lead a hypocritical double life. In improvised comments in the sermon of his private morning Mass in his residence, he said: "It is a scandal to say one thing and do another. That is a double life." "There are those who say 'I am very Catholic, I always go to Mass, I belong to this and that association'," the head of the 1.2 billion-member Roman Catholic Church said... Читать дальше...

Dolly the sheep continues to inspire research 20 years after she was revealed to the world, scientists have said. Treatments for degenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease are still influenced by the creation of Dolly, the world's first successfully cloned mammal. The sheep was born at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh in July 1996 but announced to the world on February 22, 1997. Her creation has been fundamental to stem cell research and "opened up previously unimaginable possibilities" in biology and medicine, scientists said. Читать дальше...

A 60-year-old pedestrian from Qormi was grievously injured this afternoon when he got caught between a car whose driver lost control and an electricity pole. The accident happened in Mdina Road, Qormi at 2.45pm when the man was walking on the pavement. The car was being driven by a 22-year-old man from Fgura. The victim was assisted by members of the Civil Protection Department and a medical team from Mater Dei Hospital before he was transferred to hospital. An inquiry is being held.

The number of people applying for asylum in Britain in 2016 was just over 38,500, falling for the first time in six years, official data shows. But refugee advocates said the drop was no cause for celebration, with ever more people fleeing their homes in an increasingly dangerous world. Britain received a total of 38,517 asylum applications last year, down from 39,968 in 2015, in the first year-on-year drop since 2010, beforethe Syria crisis triggered the biggest migration crisis since World War Two. Читать дальше...

Recent declarations by MEPs in the European Parliament's Pana committee were an added reason why the prime minister should take action against his chief of staff Keith Schembri and minister Konrad Mizzi, the Nationalist Party said today. The MEPs were in Malta on Monday to discuss the tax system and the Panama Papers allegations. PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami observed that one of the declarations made by the committee was that everything looked like a potential case of money laundering. A year... Читать дальше...