Новости за 22.07.2017

The European Union has sounded an alarm about moves in the US Congress to step up US sanctions on Russia, urging Washington to keep coordinating with its G7 partners and warning of unintended consequences. In a statement by a spokeswoman after Republicans and Democrats in the US Congress reached a deal that could see new legislation pass, the European Commission warned of possibly "wide and indiscriminate" "unintended consequences", notably on the EU's efforts to diversify energy sources away from Russia. Читать дальше...

Works on the government’s first solar farm for households lacking roof access and therefore unable to invest in photovoltaic panels is at an advanced stage. The €1.46 million project, which will cater for up to 370 families, is based at the Fiddien water reservoir in the limits of Rabat, which has a footprint of two football pitches. The area is to be covered by an estimated 4,000 panels, which will contribute to a reduction of about 600 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. Energy Minister Joe Mizzi yesterday visited the facility... Читать дальше...

People may be inspired to quit smoking cigarettes soon after a heart attack, but new research suggests many don't take advantage of drugs that could help them. Only 7% of smokers picked up a prescription for a smoking cessation drug during the 90 days following their heart attacks, researchers found. "These medications are being underused," said lead author Dr Neha Pagidipati, of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. "Now we need to understand why." Pagidipati and colleagues noted in JAMA Cardiology... Читать дальше...

Chiswick House School is looking for an “equitable solution” to its proposed development on unbuilt land in Pembroke – a project that has been lambasted by local residents. The proposed project would see the construction of a primary school with 36 classrooms and outdoor sport facilities. According to an outline proposal by CHS (Chiswick House School) Ltd, there will also be 82 parking spaces. The site earmarked for development on Gabriele Henin Street falls within the development zone but lies not far away from scheduled garigue. Читать дальше...

U.S. President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Saturday declaring that he has "complete power to pardon," as his administration continued to be bogged down by ongoing investigations of possible ties between his 2016 campaign and Russia. Trump did not specify who, if anyone, he might consider pardoning. But his tweets appeared to be in response to Washington Post reports this week that Trump and his legal team have examined presidential powers to pardon Trump aides, family members and possibly even himself. Читать дальше...

Actor John Heard, known for his starring role in Home Alone, has died aged 72. The star played the father of Macaulay Culkin's character in the hit 1990 film and also went on to star in the 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. His death was confirmed to Associated Press by the Santa Clara Medical Examiner's office in California and celebrity website TMZ reported he died at a hotel in Palo Alto, where he had apparently been staying while recovering from recent minor back surgery. Starting his career on the stage... Читать дальше...

Juergen Klopp revealed he spoke to Philippe Coutinho about Barcelona's attempts to sign the Brazilian before the playmaker delivered a match-winning performance to help Liverpool win the Premier League Asia Trophy against Leicester City on Saturday. Coutinho has been the subject of a 70-million-pound ($90.94 million) bid by the Catalan giants, but Liverpool have said none of their key players is for sale ahead of the new season. And the Brazilian responded in impressive fashion, setting up Mohamed... Читать дальше...

As one does these days, I was having a conversation with several friends on social media about excessive construction in Malta. The starting point was whether the outrage one reads in Maltese media about over-development is actually happening in a bubble of like-minded individuals or whether it is more widespread. These discussions go all over the place, but I was pleased to engage with my friend James Debono, who at some point made a comment which I want to quote in its entirety because I believe it chimes with my feeling over the matter. Читать дальше...

Wayne Rooney scored his second pre-season goal for Everton in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Genk. Manchester United and England's record goalscorer marked his first appearance back in a Blue shirt with a fine effort against Gor Mahia earlier this month and was on target again at the Luminus Arena. He produced a neat first-time finish at the back post just before half-time following a cross from Sandro Ramirez and later took the captain's armband when Leighton Baines left the pitch. New £30million goalkeeper... Читать дальше...

With a verdict of seven votes in favour and two against, jurors declared a Nigerian national guilty of his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy which came to light back in 2010. After six hours of deliberation, jurors returned a guilty verdict again Ikechukwu Stephen Egbo, condemning him to a prison term of 13 years and a fine of €30,000. The court heard how Mr Egbo, 38, had been arrested in the course of a controlled delivery conducted by police in Sliema back in November 2010. A few days earlier... Читать дальше...

High street chemist Boots has said it is "truly sorry" for the way it responded to a campaign calling for it to cut the price of emergency contraception and announced it is looking for cheaper alternatives. The chain faced criticism after refusing to reduce the cost of the morning-after pill over fears it could incentivise its use. Labour MPs attacked the company for taking an "unacceptable" moral position and health campaigners claimed women were being hit with a "sexist surcharge". A spokesman for Boots said... Читать дальше...

A 50-year-old man is being held under arrest after breaching bail conditions and breaking into his former partner’s residence. Paulo Miguel Da Costa Osorio, originally from Portugal, had been in a relationship with a woman from Fgura for 16 years. The court this afternoon heard that he kept harassing her since he did not want to accept that the relationship had come to an end. Mr Da Costa Osorio was accused of harassment, inflicting fear of violence, insulting her and entering her residence despite warnings, among others. Читать дальше...

A 59-year-old motorcyclist was grievously injured after he collided with a car in Swieqi. The victim, a Sliema resident, was hurled into an adjacent field two storeys below as a result of the impact with an Opel Corsa, according to the police. The incident happened in Triq Ta' L-Ibraġ around 1.30pm. The car driver, an Italian national who lives in Naxxar, sustained no injuries.  Civil Protection Department officials were on site shortly after the accident and an ambulance rushed the victim to hospital. Читать дальше...

A 37-year-old woman has been granted bail after threatening two wardens with a piece of wood in Birzebugia yesterday. Visibly nervous, Marouska Camilleri, a hairdresser from Żabbar, this afternoon pleaded guilty to insulting and threatening two wardens, disobeying their orders and breaking public peace. Defence lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Chris Busietta told the court she had already expressed regret about her behaviour. When Magistrate Ian Farrugia warned her about her actions, Ms Camilleri said she was deeply sorry. Читать дальше...

The Council of Women is concerned over the proposed debate on the regularisation and decriminalisation of prostitution. In a statement, it reiterated its position that such a law would be “a confirmation that women are considered a commodity and that women’s sexual favours are there for the taking as long as one pays”. This “worst form of degradation” of women is “totally unacceptable” to the National Council of Women. The NCW believes respecting women's dignity and human rights should translate into practice through a holistic... Читать дальше...

Despite his long-term knee injury which threatened to cut short his career, Ledley King still managed to play over 300 matches for his boyhood club, Tottenham Hotspur. In the past days, King, now Spurs ambassador, was in Malta and spoke about his eventful career which saw him guide the North London club to a Champions League qualification and also represent England in the 2010 World Cup. However, a knee injury forced him to hang up his boots in 2012. The full interview can be read in tomorrow's edition of The Sunday Times of Malta.

The Syrian military declared a cessation of hostilities on Saturday in the rebel-controlled Eastern Ghouta region near the capital, state television reported. Eastern Ghouta, stretching from eastern to northeastern suburbs of Damascus, has long been under opposition control in the six-year conflict, as rebels have lost ground in the west. State television reported a "cessation of fighting activities in several areas of Eastern Ghouta." It said the cessation began at 12:00 noon (0900 GMT) and any... Читать дальше...

An Australian expat says she has chosen to leave Malta and return to her country in frustration over the overwhelming number of unchecked illegalities on the island.  "I've had enough of this country. I've had enough of the noise, the constant illegalities, the lack of law enforcement, the vandalism, the overcharing for foreigners... I'm selling up. I'm sorry to say but Malta is a third-world country," Michelle Sullivan told Times of Malta.  The frustration was cemented over the past three days after a garage in Triq il-Ħemel... Читать дальше...

An NGO has expresses "serious alarm" at the way Outside Development Sprawl is being rubber-stamped by the Planning Authority through various legal loopholes. Nature Trust - FEE Malta called on the Environment Minister together with the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for the Planning Authority to take active and immediate remedial legal compensatory steps in this regard.  Nature Trust (Malta) also appealed to the Commissioner for Environment and Planning within the Ombudsman Office to air his... Читать дальше...

Five truckloads of illegally-placed deckchairs and umbrellas were removed from Armier and Little Armier Bay this morning.  The confiscated items were found to be in breach of the terms and conditions of the applicable permits, according to the Malta Tourism Authority and the Lands Authority which carried out the joint operation.  Prior to today’s action, the operators of establishments who manage these beach concessions were informed on previous occasions that they were not operating in accordance... Читать дальше...

Welcome to this new initiative by Times of Malta's sports desk. We are looking to keep our readers and social media followers updated with all the latest news and gossip regarding the summer transfer window.

Dubbed as Europe’s hardest mountain bike race, the HERO Sudtirol Dolomites is on the bucket list of every seasoned mountain biker.  The race attracts many world-class athletes and forms part of the UCI Marathon Series. This year Malta was represented by seven cyclists, the biggest contingent to date. The team was formed of Maurice Formosa, Patrick Scicluna, Mark Bonnici, Jeffrey Borg, Mark Micallef, Paul Zarb and Marie Claire Aquilina.  Competing against some of the world’s renowned cyclists, they registered some impressive timings... Читать дальше...

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Budapest would fight to defend Poland as the European Union threatens Warsaw with sanctions over its plans to extend government control over its courts. Poland is moving ahead with an overhaul of its supreme court despite street protests and the threat of EU sanctions. "The inquisition offensive against Poland can never succeed because Hungary will use all legal options in the European Union to show solidarity with the Poles," Orban said in a televised speech in Baile Tusnad, Romania. Читать дальше...

Michelle Muscat has embarked on a gruelling 10-kilometre swim in aid of charity.  The prime minister's wife is swimming from Ta' Fra Ben in Qawra to Marsamxett Harbour to raise funds for the Marigold Foundation, which supports NGOs for vulnerable people. "I think preparations have been going on for over three years. First I took on a 6km swim, then an 8 km one. Today I'll be swimming a total of 10km," she told reporters before jumping into the water. The challenge is expected to take around six hours, depending on sea currents.