Новости за 26.04.2017

A 29-year-old man from Montenegro was seriously injured this evening when he fell down a lift well while working on a cruise ship in Grand Harbour.  The police said the accident happened at about 7pm as the worker worked on the lift.  He fell the height of two decks. A magisterial inquiry is under way.

Former tennis world number one Maria Sharapova made a winning comeback today following her 15-month doping ban, beating Italian Roberta Vinci in straight sets in the first round of the Stuttgart Grand Prix. The 30-year-old Russian, three-time winner on Stuttgart's clay courts, received a controversial wild card for the German tournament, having had no ranking points after more than a year out following her suspension for banned substances. She had a nervous start in front of a supportive crowd but... Читать дальше...

The White House has unveiled President Donald Trump's tax plan which would slash the US tax rate on business profits to 15 percent, from 35 per cent, while also offering tax cuts to average Americans.   A one-page summary of his proposals, released at a White House briefing, said Trump also wants to reduce the number of tax brackets to three from seven, double the standard deduction that Americans can claim on their tax returns and repeal the estate tax and alternative minimum tax. Under US law, only Congress can make major tax law changes. Читать дальше...

Magistrate Aaron Bugeja has accepted a request by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil to present evidence on alleged kickbacks involving the prime minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri. "I will appear before the magistrate tomorrow morning at nine to present the evidence of the government's corruption," Dr Busuttil told supporters at a political conference in Gozo. He said that the evidence, which he disclosed yesterday, had shocked him. Dr Busuttil said yesterday that the case stemmed from corruption in the sale of Maltese passports... Читать дальше...

The Ornis Committee has recommended to the government the opening of an autumn trapping season for Golden Plover and Song Thrush. The committee also decided this evening that individual catch quotas should be removed, but the national quota should be retained. Last year, BirdLife and CABS had called for the autumn trapping season for Golden Plover to be closed, complaining of widespread trapping activity, often at night, and with the illegal use of electronic callers. The Ornis Committee groups representatives... Читать дальше...

A building in Luqa is to be converted into a Rock Hub, providing rehearsal and performance spaces for lovers of rock music.  The €1.9m project was launched today by Justice and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici.  The works will be completed in 30 months.  Dr Bonnici said this project will fill a void felt by musicians and lead to raising standards.

China has launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier amid rising tensions over North Korea and worries about Beijing's assertiveness in the South China Sea.  State TV showed the launch of the carrier, designed and built in the northeastern port city of Dalian. Up to now, China has only had one aging second-hand carrier, the Liaoning, built in Ukraine in the mid-80s.

The Malta Council for Science and Technology has launched the Malta National Space Policy 2017. "This is the first space policy for the country. It aims to drive home the relevance of space applications to everyday life and to tangibly link space activities to benefits and applications which the average citizen makes use of on a regular basis," the council said. The Chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Technology, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, said that this policy ties in well with the national... Читать дальше...

Brandon Pace, the young man stabbed to death in Hamrun on April 2, had run out of his apartment bare-chested and barefoot to face his aggressors after a slandering match conducted from the balcony of his father's flat, a court was told today. This evidence was given by Donna Pace, the victim's sister, during the compilation of evidence against Kurt Grech, a 23-year-old driver known as in-Nemes, and his father Joseph, 53, who stand accused of murder. The woman recalled how that Sunday evening at around... Читать дальше...

The ALIVE Charity Foundation has presented €70,000 to the Research Trust of the University of Malta. The money will go towards the University’s specialised programme in children cancer research.   The sum was collected by cyclists who last year took part in a  gruelling 1100km ride from Croatia to the Vatican City in seven days. The presentation was made at San Anton Palace under the auspices of President Marie-Louise Coleiro-Preca. “In our first four years of ALIVE Cycling Challenge for Cancer,... Читать дальше...

Saudi forces have foiled an attempt to blow up an Aramco fuel terminal in southern Saudi Arabia using a high-speed boat laden with explosives, the interior ministry said. It accused Yemen's Houthi group of being behind the attempt. The ministry said in a statement that navy forces opened fire on the remote-controlled boat, after it was intercepted inside Saudi territorial waters some 1.5 nautical miles from its target. There were no immediate reports of any injuries in the incident, which the statement... Читать дальше...

No one was injured when this car caught fire in Mosta Road near Lija cemetery this afternoon. The car was considerably damaged and a long traffic jam built up. Picture: James Mulholland Facebook Times of Malta.

The government and the social partners have reached an agreement on raising the national minimum wage, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced in a tweet this afternoon.    Details are expected to be announced in the coming hours.   Dr Muscat said he was proud of this accomplishment Talks were held over the past months between the government, trade unions and employers' associations after the government in the Budget speech announced its intention to review the situation.  READ: How Malta's minimum... Читать дальше...

Hundreds of candles have been lit to help prevent the grapes at a Hampshire vineyard from succumbing to the unseasonable frost experienced around the country. The Leckford Estate vineyard, which produces 30,000 bottles of sparkling wine for Waitrose each year, took the unusual step to protect their crops from the plummeting temperatures. The 750 candles are used to raise the temperature at the level of the vine canopy because a drop to -1 degree celsius after bud-break in the springtime could lead to serious injury to the young shoots. Читать дальше...

A worker at an estate agency was handed a two year prison term suspended for four years today after being found guilty of misappropriation of company funds. Daniel Sapiano, 25, from St Paul's Bay, admitted to having swindled Frank Salt Real Estate Agency out of €5,953 over a period of months before 2015.. Prior to delivering judgment, Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, had ordered a pre-sentencing report to be drawn up by a social worker. In delivering judgment, the magistrate observed the recommendations... Читать дальше...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today reaffirmed his complete support for his chief of staff Keith Schembri. Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday that he had proof in hand that Mr Schembri took a €100,000 kickback on passport sales from his auditor, Nexia BT’s managing director Brian Tonna. Asked if he was willing to vouch for Mr Schembri’s integrity, Dr Muscat said he would vouch for everyone he trusted. “I believe the version Keith Schembri has given me,” Dr Muscat said. Mr Schembri claimed... Читать дальше...

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil today denounced the fact that he had not yet been contacted by the police commissioner 12 hours after he had flagged corruption claims against Keith Schembri.  However, Dr Busuttil said he would not meet with the commissioner were he to contact him because he did not trust him. This alone, Dr Busuttil said, was further testament to the fact that the country’s institutions had been paralysed by the Labour government. Dr Busuttil was addressing the media outside the law courts in Valletta... Читать дальше...

Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis would not say today whether he backed Keith Schembri in light of recent kickbacks allegations, insisting that it was the fact that he enjoyed the prime minister's trust that mattered. Mr Schembri, he said, was not a political person but he still testified whenever asked to appear. Dr Zammit Lewis was commenting about allegations by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil that the Prime Minister's chief of staff received kickbacks from the controversial cash-for-passports scheme. Читать дальше...

A new study has found that consuming four cups of coffee a day is not a threat to your health, according to London's The Independent.  There is a lot of controversy surrounding the effects of coffee on one's health, however, a group of researchers have revealed that caffeine may not be as bad for us as we may think. Scientists from the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) conducted research on over 740 studies and concluded that consuming up to four cups of coffee a day, equivalent to 400mg of caffeine... Читать дальше...

Some 8,000 party-goers visited Malta as part of the five-day AMP Lost & Found festival held across Easter weekend.  The music festival featured headline acts such as Annie Mac, Armand Van Helden, Jamie Jones, Kolsch and Andy C, with events held at multiple venues across Malta. Festival tourists who came to Malta for the event are estimated to have given the local economy a €7 million boost, Malta Tourism Authority event operations manager Edward Zammit said.  "This positive result is proof that... Читать дальше...

A conference planned in Malta for next week to discuss Brexit is being postponed because of "unforeseen circumstances".  Themed 'Brexit: Mind the gap', the debate on May 3 at the Intercontinental Malta was meant to feature Mats Persson (David Cameron's former special advisor), Foreign Minister George Vella and Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola. Co-organisers Times of Malta and EY said details of an alternative date will be given in due course.

Beyonce has announced that she is offering four scholarships to female students to mark the one year anniversary of her Lemonade album. The scholarships will be given at four US colleges for the 2017-2018 academic year, to "encourage and support young women who are unafraid to think outside the box and are bold, creative, conscious and confident". The singer, who is expecting twins, said the chosen students will be called Formation Scholars. Formation was the name of one of the songs on Beyonce's album... Читать дальше...

A poacher is being investigated by the police for illegal hunting and trapping and using an illegal bird caller in a walled compound west of Siġġiewi on Monday. The Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) said its activists filmed the trapper in the act on Monday afternoon after monitoring his trapping site for a couple of days. It also reported the case to the police and Administrative Law Enforcement officers arrived on site within 20 minutes and were able to surprise the poacher before he could remove his shotgun and other evidence. Читать дальше...

Two biomedical ethicists are insisting on the formation of new human rights laws to make sure that the privacy of one's brain is protected, according to London's The Independent. Previously thought of as impossible, technological advancements are causing devices to gain a whole new level of intelligence that may require “the right to cognitive liberty” and “the right to mental integrity” to be highlighted. Facebook recently disclosed that the company is working on the creation of mind-reading technology. Читать дальше...

Since 2009, five trains of the RZD - the Russian railway - travel through Siberia and the Russian Far East to provide medical care in isolated villages. For these remote regions, striken by the rural exodus, the railway is the only link with the rest of the world. In this depopulated countryside, only the elderly are left.