Новости за 26.02.2017

A French historian who has taught at the Sorbonne and Colombia University was detained by US customs for 10 hours yesterday. Henry Rousso, 62, was on his way to a symposium at Texas A&M University when immigration officials at Houston airport decided he should be denied entry into the USA and be deported.  Officials felt that since Mr Rousso was going to be paid for participating in the symposium, the tourist visa he was travelling on was not valid. "I confirm," he wrote on Twitter, "I have... Читать дальше...

Nokia's newly revitalised phone business went back to the future today, re-introducing a brightly coloured version of the classic 3310 talk and text phone, the world's most popular device in the year 2000. The new model has bigger screens and is priced at just €49 ($52). Its 22 hours of talk time and up to one month of standby time potentially heighten the phone's appeal as a backup for smartphone users. Analysts hailed the 3310 launch as a smart retro gambit, but one which could overshadow the Finnish... Читать дальше...

Updated 8.05pm Manchester United forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic struck twice including a late headed winner as they edged Southampton 3-2 in an absorbing League Cup final at Wembley today. With extra time looming the Swede nodded Ander Herrera's cross past goalkeeper Fraser Forster to score his 26th goal of the season in all competitions and secure Jose Mourinho's first trophy since the Portuguese coach took charge. United had taken a 2-0 lead with Ibrahimovic's free kick and Jesse Lingard's shot but... Читать дальше...

Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti (FPM) has over the years proven that it is particularly adept at putting on a visually pleasing and informative exhibition, be it on a large or small scale. The ongoing exhibition at Palazzo Falson is the sixth such small temporary yearly exhibition dedicated to selected trinkets that served a purpose and which were also often artistically embellished. It follows the success of exhibitions that focussed on whistles, smoking pipes, scent bottles, Edward Lear’s watercolours and antique watches. Читать дальше...

Approaching the traffic lights in Msida, the green glow suddenly changed to amber, signalling drivers to ease to a halt on an ordinary morning last Monday. “I’m already late, I’m going to keep going,” James* thought to himself, driving through the still-yellow lights. Seconds later, a car which would have been right beside his burst into flames in the second bombing this year in as many months. “I hate waiting at traffic lights. It’s a good thing I didn’t this time; otherwise I would have been blown up along with that man,” James... Читать дальше...

“Hi, jien nixtiq nibbulika ktib, ri nrid nml??!” Do you feel the need to add a [sic] or 10 to the above? Go on, knock yourself out. That, sadly, is fairly typical of what passes for a covering note (ah, how it sullies the term itself, for those nostalgics among us who remember properly-composed letters) accompanying a manuscript submitted for publication. Like an illiterate person turning up for a teacher job interview, the above is not exactly the best of visiting cards to propose one’s writing skills for publication. Читать дальше...

A four-year-old boy was grievously injured this afternoon after he was hit by a car in Mellieħa.  The accident happened at around 1.45pm on Triq is-Salib, police said, when the child was hit by a Renault Traffic van being driven by a 37-year-old Rabat man.  Paramedics took the child to hospital for treatment. Police say they are investigating further.

S. DebonoIt-Tfittxija Għall-Ġenwin Ta’ Josef Gambin Horizons, 2016, 210 pages The written word often reveals humanity’s age-old curious preoccupation with its place in the world. The fear that life may, after all, be meaningless drives people to embark on personal quests for meaning. They may seek this in friends, family, sport, work, politics, pet causes and even religion. However, the journey is often torturous and fraught with unpredictable developments. At one point, one may even realise that... Читать дальше...

Gozo has reached an important milestone and is now processing its own waste in an underground facility in Xewkija. Until 2004, when Malta joined the EU, waste used to be dumped at the Qortin landfill, which was the dumping ground for Gozo’s waste for several decades and has now been rehabilitated and turned into a garden. From 2004 until recently, Gozo’s waste was transferred to processing plants in Malta. A WasteServ spokeswoman told The Sunday Times of Malta that the Tal-Kus project in Xewkija saw the rehabilitation of an old, disused quarry.

Lionel Messi came to Barcelona's rescue for the second time in a week by snatching a late winner to give his side a barely deserved 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid today which provisionally took the champions top of La Liga. Rafinha had put Luis Enrique's side ahead against the run of play in the 63rd minute but Godin nodded in Koke's free kick to level in the 70th and bring back memories of his title-clinching goal for Atletico at the Nou Camp in May 2014. For much of the game, Barca looked to be suffering... Читать дальше...

German police processed more than 3,500 reports of attacks against migrants and asylum seekers last year, amounting to nearly 10 such attacks every day.  Interior ministry data showed that 560 people, including 43 children, were injured in the assaults, the AFP reported.  Just over 2,500 of the attacks were directed towards individual refugees and migrants. A further 988 were attacks against refugee housing, including arson attacks.  In 2014 - one year before chancellor Angela Merkel opened Germany... Читать дальше...

Updated 8.25pm A 24-year-old Birżebbuġa man died this afternoon after crashing into a bus in Mosta, police have said.  The man, who sources identified as Rhys Celeste, was riding a quad bike down Vjal Millbrae towards Burmarrad when he lost control of his vehicle and ended up ploughing into oncoming traffic at around 5.15pm. He was certified dead at the scene. The bus involved in the accident was being driven by a 28-year-old man from Mosta, police said.  Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Читать дальше...

Awguri Giovanni Bonello! Edited by Theresa VellaMerlin, 2016  183pp. This handsomely printed and illustrated hardback in an elegant slipcase with the book’s title cut beautifully into the case’s cover and with elegant illustrations by Marisa Attard, has been published on the occasion of Giovanni Bonello’s 80th birthday. In her foreword, Theresa Vella writes that the 10 short stories in the book are inpired by some of the intriguing characters Bonello has written about in his numerous books and articles over the past decades. Читать дальше...

Thirteen people facing drug charges escaped from a police detention facility in the Philippines today after sawing through iron bars, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said. The guard on duty at the facility north of the capital Manila is now under investigation, said PDEA regional director Juvenal Azurin. "We are also trying to find out how they were able to bring in an iron saw inside the facility," Azurin told reporters, adding that most of the detainees were from nearby Bulacan province... Читать дальше...

Actor Bill Paxton has died after complications following surgery. The 61-year-old, who starred in Twister, True Lies and Aliens, died on Saturday. A family representative said in a statement: "It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery. "A loving husband and father, Bill began his career in Hollywood working on films in the art department and went on to have an illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker. Читать дальше...

Joe Sultana:A Man Of Cultural Achievements. Essays In Honour Of Joseph Attard TaboneBDL, Malta 2016 271 pp Indeed it is difficult to compartmentalize Joseph Attard Tabone whose 80th birthday last November was celebrated by an excellent festschrift which should rightly hold its place on the shelves of all Melitensia lovers. Xagħra-born Attard Tabone is best known for his part in the rediscovery of the Stone Circle near Ġgantija and his fight to save the area from the rampant building spree in the late seventies and early eighties. Читать дальше...

Christina Magrin, 13, is becoming a household name after representing Malta at the 14th edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest held in Valletta with Parachute, which she co-wrote with Matt (Muxu) Mercieca and Florent Boshnjaku. Following her participation in the festival, Christina returned to her everyday life focusing on her school- work and keeping her grades in check. Besides that, Christina has also been busy in the studio working on new material with some leading songwriters in preparation... Читать дальше...

England striker Harry Kane scored a first-half hat-trick in 23 minutes as Tottenham Hotspur overwhelmed Stoke City 4-0 today. Tottenham's victory put them above Manchester City into second place in the Premier League, 10 points behind leaders Chelsea. Kane put the home team ahead in the 14th minute with his 100th goal in club football, 84 of them for Spurs. He added another 18 minutes later, volleying in from a corner and completed his third treble in six weeks with a deflected shot. Dele Alli made it 4-0 before halftime from Kane's cross.

Graphic Novels Library Malta, in collaboration with the Central Public Library, is organising two comics- related courses following an overwhelming demand and recommendation for courses from library patrons and comic book enthusiasts. The courses are entitled Creating Comics and Understanding Comics. The Creating Comics course is ideal for those who are planning a graphic novel or a short comic. It is intended for those who would like to draw or are simply interested in the work involved in creating a graphic novel. Читать дальше...

Latvian artist Lasma Vitolina, a painter, photographer and graphic designer whose latest project is creating floral mandalas from nature elements found in Maltese flora, is currently exhibiting at Palazzo de Piro, Mdina, until the first week of March. Since young age, creativity was already a big part in her life and she has participated in various art competitions gaining recognition awards also at national level. Vitolina is a devout lover of plants, nature and the divine presence within all. ‘Mandala’... Читать дальше...

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Konrad Mizzi this week said he had fallen victim to fake news over the Panama affair. In an eight-page declaration presented to the Pana Committee on Monday, Dr Mizzi said he had exposed himself and his family to an “unprecedented level of unfair criticism”. The Sunday Times of Malta has fact-checked some of the claims made by Dr Mizzi before the committee, as well as other claims made by the minister throughout the year since the Panama scandal broke. Читать дальше...

Gozo’s main classical music festival – Gaulitana – is now on until April 2. Acclaimed by the public and critics alike, the Opera+ Weekend (March 31-April 2) will include three days of cultural bonanza highlighted with the full-scale production of Madama Butterfly at the Aurora Opera Theatre. Miriam Gauci will return to grace the stage leading a stellar cast, featuring Vincenzo Costanzo, one of the top 10 tenors worldwide, while Colin Attard will conduct the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra with Enrico... Читать дальше...

Thousands of Russians marched through the centre of Moscow today to honour opposition leader Boris Nemtsov two years after he was gunned down near the Kremlin walls, and to call for further investigations into his killing. The 55-year-old Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister and prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin, was shot dead on a bridge near the Kremlin late in the evening of Feb. 27, 2015, as he walked home with his girlfriend from a restaurant. Investigators have charged several Chechen men with the murder... Читать дальше...

More or less theatre’s latest endeavour, Get Your Act Together, is giving two local playwrights the opportunity, expertise and funds to create and tour with their own scripts over the next two years. Here, Get Your Act Together’s coordinator Angele Galea tells Iggy Fenech all about the project. Year-round productions, better staging, more theatre spaces, and fabulously talented actors: Malta’s theatre scene has definitely blossomed over the past decade or so… Yet, one important part of a great legacy... Читать дальше...

British anti-EU campaigner Nigel Farage posted a picture of him having "dinner with The Donald" on Twitter, the latest meeting between US President Donald Trump and the critic of Prime Minister Theresa May. Farage, who helped secure victory for the Brexit campaign at a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union in June, is keen to cement ties with Trump after stepping down as leader of his anti-EU UK Independence Party last year. Finding common ground with some of Trump's criticism of the political establishment... Читать дальше...