Новости за 17.07.2017

Grandparents of U.S. citizens from six Muslim-majority countries are now eligible to receive U.S. visas, according to a State Department memo seen by Reuters that reflects the latest court ruling on U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban. The memo, or cable, from U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was sent to all U.S. diplomatic posts overseas on Friday after a U.S. district judge in Hawaii issued a ruling late on Thursday limiting the scope of the administration's temporary ban on refugees and travelers from the six countries. Читать дальше...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat pledged to tackle issues like human trafficking and prostitution during the coming legislature.  Prostitution had been neglected for too long, and the practice of trafficking individuals to be used as sex workers had taken root in Malta, the prime minister acknowledged. Cases of massage parlour workers and clients being marched to court were on the increase, indicating systematic abuse. The Prime Minister was speaking during the third session of parliament's discussion in reaction to the President's speech. Читать дальше...

A 52-year-old man sustained grievous injuries after he fell down a spiral staircase in Kalkara this afternoon.  The incident happened at 5.30pm in Triq ir-Rinella, when the Kalkara resident was walking down the stairs. An ambulance rushed the victim to Mater Dei Hospital.  Police are investigating.

Shocking footage has emerged of a woman being dragged along a platform by a metro in Rome after her bag got trapped in the door.  The 43-year-old woman from Belarus was left in intensive care after sensors failed to register the incident and emergency brakes did not stop the train's advance. The CCTV footage shows the woman boarding the train at Termini station, before changing her mind at the last minute. As she backed out of the train, her bag appears to become stuck in the door and despite the efforts of people on the platform... Читать дальше...

A 30-year-old man had to be airlifted after he found himself wedged between rocks unable to climb back to shore in Mellieħa. Civil Protection Department, the Armed Forces and Red Cross members had to be called in to rescue the man.  The Maltese national was eventually airlifted with no injuries reported, according to the police.

The government had sold off property in 2012 worth €2.4 million for just €525,000 in a “conspicuous” deal that suggested “an element of ministerial involvement”, the National Audit Office has found. In a damning report, tabled in parliament, the NAO found that the 2012 sale of a seafront property in St Julian's to Eighty Two Co Ltd had seen government departments fail to safeguard taxpayers’ interests and had not upheld the principles of transparency and good governance. "When one considers that... Читать дальше...

The lack of documentation on the Fekruna Bay expropriation case was identified as a “serious shortcoming” in an investigation by the Auditor General's Office (NAO). An NAO report, tabled in parliament this evening, said the lack of documentation retained on file by the Land Department effectively impeded the office from establishing key developments. On March 5, 2013, just days before a general election, the Land Department signed a contract transferring two properties (one in Swieqi, the other in... Читать дальше...

Having just taken part in two gruelling election campaigns on a national and party level, the new Deputy Prime Minister, Chris Fearne, says some unfinished business remains before he can take a well-deserved break in August. Mr Fearne, who fended off stiff competition from Finance Minister Edward Scicluna to secure the role of Labour deputy leader for parliamentary affairs on Saturday, told the Times of Malta he had a number of health-related projects he wanted to set in motion before taking a break. Читать дальше...

Dancers, musicians and a handful of colourful extra-terrestrials weaved their way through scientific exhibits yesterday as the Malta International Arts Festival came to an end at the Esplora centre in Kalkara. Science and art collided in a day of interactive events, including an innovative live collaboration between a dancer and animator, dances about the perils of social media addiction and the life cycle of a flower, snippets of a new sci-fi theatre play, hands-on workshops and demonstrations.... Читать дальше...

Airline passengers are facing cancellations, delays and disruption after a plane tyre burst as it left the runway on a transatlantic flight. Flights are using Gatwick's back-up runway after the airport's main strip was closed following an incident involving an Air Canada Rouge flight to Toronto. The plane was leaving Gatwick at 1.16pm bound for Canada when its tyre suffered a blowout. It returned to Gatwick just under an hour later, triggering disruption to operations. An airport spokeswoman said... Читать дальше...

Miguel Cauchi, who is 17, has a steely determination to be the first boxer to represent Malta at the Olympic Games. Unlike professional boxing, which can last up to 12 rounds, Olympic boxing is a much speedier affair, with three bouts of three minutes each. Mr Cauchi’s trainer, Steve Abela, points out that many of the boxing greats, like Muhammed Ali and Mike Tyson, started their careers in the Olympic ring. “Boxing is a noble sport. It helps athletes take care of their health, mind and spirit. It helps you stay focused. Читать дальше...

Daily Stock Market Review – 17 July 2017 The MSE Share Index trended higher for the third consecutive trading session as it added a further 0.28% to a fresh four-month high of 4,733.807 points. However, trading volumes were weak as only €0.14 million worth of shares changed hands. Just over half of today's trading activity took place in the equity of Malta International Airport plc which maintained the €4.15 level across 18,400 shares. Last week, MIA published the June 2017 traffic results revealing... Читать дальше...

A young mother was cleared of all charges following a scuffle with police on board a bus in St Julian's two years ago, after the driver had insisted on denying her boarding unless she first closed the pushchair in which her child was sleeping. Following the incident, Polina Gutshabes, 27, had landed in court to answer to charges of having assaulted and resisted police arrest, with having threatened the officers, disobeyed their orders and disturbed the peace. The incident happened on August 9, 2015 when the mother... Читать дальше...

A stolen bicycle was reunited with its owner after she reportedly executed a sting operation to seize it back from a man selling it online. Jenni Morton-Humphreys was said to have hatched the plot when her blue bike was spotted for sale on Facebook hours after being taken. The 30-year-old had appealed for help on the Bristol Cycling social media page when it was stolen from the city centre on July 9, the Bristol Post reported. Another keen-eyed user saw the expensive bicycle being flogged and offered to liaise with the man selling it... Читать дальше...

The whistleblower who had pointed at Health Ministry official Neville Gafa as the mastermind behind the medical visa racket, was today summoned before a magistrates’ court to answer criminally for his claim. Khaled Ben Nasan, 45, Syrian-born, residing in Swieqi, pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud and extortion following his allegations that Mr Gafa had pocketed some €38,000 for medical visas for Libya nationals, which eventually never materialised. Under cross-examination, inspector Rennie Stivala... Читать дальше...

The European Union will allow members to restrict sales of inflatable boats and outboard motors to Libya in an effort to stop dangerous migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean. On an initiative by Malta, EU foreign ministers have agreed to allow member countries to ban such exports or supply "where there are reasonable grounds to believe that they will be used by people smugglers and human traffickers". A statement said the measure will also apply to boats and motors transiting through the EU... Читать дальше...

"Extensive" roadworks in Rabat's Roman Villa area will begin today and are expected to be completed by the second week of August, Transport Malta has announced.  The roadworks, which will begin at the corner with the town's HSBC branch and continue until Rabat cemetery, will also include the square in front of the Roman Villa.  The area was identified by Transport Minister Ian Borg as one of the first key roads to be upgraded as part of the government's seven-year pledge to fix all Malta's roads. Читать дальше...

An 89-year-old man lost his life while swimming in Marsalforn this morning, police said in a statement.  The senior citizen, who lived in St Paul's Bay, was found lying face-down in the water, taken ashore and given emergency first aid. He was rushed to Gozo General Hospital by ambulance, but failed to make it and was certified dead by doctors there.  He is the second person to die while swimming in as many days, with a 61-year-old woman dying while in the sea at Mistra yesterday. Police said they... Читать дальше...

Did David Davis forget his notes? Or does he just have no ideas? Pictures from today's start of negotiations in Brussels that showed Britain's Brexit minister facing his EU counterpart without notes or paperwork prompted jibes from critics who say a divided government is woefully unprepared for the process. British media and Twitter commentators pounced on images taken as Davis and his team sat down opposite the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier; all three EU officials had thick piles of papers in front of them... Читать дальше...

Carolyn Radford has been a pivotal figure for Mansfield Town FC since her appointment as CEO back in 2011 at the young age of 29. As the Stags head into their fifth League Two campaign in a row, Ms Radford is optimistic about the club’s chances for promotion. Mansfield were recently in Malta for a one-week training camp and Ms Radford shared her thoughts about the club’s prospects with Gianluca Lia. Mansfield Town is already a familiar name here as former Malta international Luke Dimech featured... Читать дальше...

Mcast students graduating from a childhood education higher diploma will now be able to enrol in the third year of a University of Malta undergraduate honours degree, following an agreement reached by the two educational institutions. The Memorandum of Understanding will allow students with a higher diploma in Advanced Studied in the Early Years to progress to a BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Education and Care.  Honours graduates are eligible to work in the kindergarten sector and can also further... Читать дальше...

The European Union today imposed sanctions on 16 Syrian scientists and military officials for their suspected involvement in a chemical attack in northern Syria in April which killed scores of civilians. Western intelligence agencies accuse the government of Bashar al-Assad of carrying out the attack, arguing that rebels in the area would not have had the capabilities. The international chemical weapons watchdog said in June the nerve agent sarin was used. Syrian officials have repeatedly denied using banned toxins. Читать дальше...

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva appears to be closing in on a move to Lazio after the Italian club posted a picture of the Brazilian on their official Twitter account. The Brazilian, who had been the subject of a £5million bid, was pictured holding a Lazio scarf at an airport. Lucas is Liverpool’s current longest-serving player after a decade on Merseyside, but was left out of the squad for a friendly against Wigan last week as he considers his future. The 30-year-old, who made 19 starts in all... Читать дальше...

Broadcaster David Thake has ruled out running for the Nationalist Party leadership following a meeting with outgoing party treasurer Alex Perici Calascione.  Mr Perici Calascione has said he intends to contest the post, joining Chris Said and Adrian Delia, who have already submitted their nominations, in the race. "I will not contest the leadership because I believe Alex Perici Calascione can be the leader this party needs," Mr Thake said in a selfie video posted to Facebook (see below).   WATCH... Читать дальше...

Updated 12.30pm Transport Malta's decision to hack down holm oak trees in Lija as part of roadworks has been slammed by the Nationalist Party.  In a statement, PN environmental spokesman Karol Aquilina said the decision was "unacceptable" and called on the government to ensure it was not repeated.  Lija residents were shocked to see Transport Malta workers cut down the trees on Saturday close to the town's cemetery.  In a statement given to The Malta Independent, the Environment and Resources Authority dismissed concerns... Читать дальше...