Новости за 24.07.2017

Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca is going where no Maltese President has gone before: on the first-ever State Visit to Ghana, leading a sizeable trade delegation. She spoke to Matthew Xuereb. The President is viewing her State Visit to Ghana this week in the spirit of exploring engagement with part of the world with which Malta has had very little contact. Ghana is fast becoming a regional hub for opportunities in other West African markets, in the same way that Malta is being seen as a gateway to the wider Mediterranean and as a bridge to Europe. Читать дальше...

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, detailed four meetings he held last year with Russian officials in a statement today in which he also said he "did not collude" with Moscow during the 2016 US election campaign. Kushner, who met behind closed doors with Senate Intelligence Committee staff, issued a written statement before that session that gave the fullest account to date of his contacts with Russian officials during the campaign and the presidential transition. Читать дальше...

A local entrepreneur has beaten a budding startup to the race to unveil Malta's first Bitcoin ATM.  The machine, which has been installed outside a Sliema shop on Blanche Huber street, allows users to buy Bitcoin and check their ewallet balance using QR codes displayed on their smartphone. Bitcoin is a decentralised cryptocurrency and payment system that runs on blockchain technology - meaning all transactions are recorded on a public distributed ledger. Traditionally, buying the currency involves... Читать дальше...

They are happy occasions but getting invited to a baby shower or attending a Christmas Day lunch are a struggle for women dealing with infertility. Diane Calleja Gilson and Lee-Anne Spiteri tell Kurt Sansone their story. The story is supposed to go like this: you get married, settle down and have a baby. This is the fairytale trajectory Diane Calleja Gilson, 34, envisaged when she got married 10 years ago, only to realise that trying to have a baby could be a heartbreaking experience. Today, she... Читать дальше...

Juventus have signed young Italy winger Federico Bernardeschi from Fiorentina on a five-year contract. The 23-year-old Tuscan, who scored 11 league goals for La Viola last season, attended Juve's medical centre on Monday morning and has now committed to the Serie A champions until 2022 for a reported fee of 40million euros. Tweets published by Juve's official account showed Bernardeschi, who earned the first of his nine Italy caps in March 2016, meeting Bianconeri fans before and after his medical in Turin. Читать дальше...

The International Monetary Fund could be based in Beijing in a decade if growth trends for China and other big emerging markets continue and these are reflected in the Fund's voting structure, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said on Monday. Lagarde said at a Center for Global Development event in Washington that such a move was "a possibility" because the Fund will need to increase the representation of major emerging markets as their economies grow larger and more influential. "Which might very well mean... Читать дальше...

More than three-fourths of the money forked out for advertising by the Ministry for Social Dialogue in the first half of this year was spent on promotion for the Malta EU presidency. According to figures tabled in Parliament last week, entities that fell within the remit of the ministry spent €410,438 in advertising between January and June of this year. The largest amounts – €119,899 and €144,471 – were spent in May and June, respectively. Minister Helena Dalli told Parliament that the sums included adverts that had not yet been paid for... Читать дальше...

Olympic champion Adam Peaty claimed a dominant victory in the 100 metres breaststroke final at the World Championships in Budapest on Monday night. Peaty bettered his own championship record to finish in 57.47 seconds, but his own world record of 57.13secs set last August in winning Olympic gold in Rio was beyond him. His nearest rival was Kevin Cordes of the United States, who was 1.32 seconds behind, while bronze went to Kirill Prigoda of Russia in 59.05. Briton Ross Murdoch was eighth in 59.45 as Peaty retained the title he won in Kazan... Читать дальше...

California rock band Linkin Park said today the suicide of frontman Chester Bennington had left them brokenhearted but recalled it was Bennington's demons that had made fans fall in love with the band. In their first statement since Bennington's suicide at his Southern California home last week, the remaining members of Linkin Park said they did not know "what path our future may take." The alt-rock band on Friday cancelled its North American tour that had been due to start on July 27. Bennington... Читать дальше...

Easyjet has apologised to passengers left stranded in Malta on Saturday after a flight to Milan's Malpensa airport was cancelled without prior warning.  In comments to the Times of Malta, the budget airline acknowledged that a "technical fault" had forced the flight cancellation and apologised to passengers, but insisted its ground staff "did everything they could to help."  The story came to light after passengers, among them many underage English language students, were quoted in Italian media... Читать дальше...

A couple jailed for five months each for knowingly buying a stolen iPad have had their punishment reduced on appeal. Francois Ellul, 28, and Rowena Garcia, 26, had been caught red-handed with the stolen tablet after its inbuilt GPS system had led the police to them outside the Msida detox centre. The two had said they bought the device from Renaldo Rotin, who was in turn arrested and sentenced after admitting to the theft.  During proceedings against the couple, Mr Rotin had testified how he had... Читать дальше...

A fire that scorched large parts of Mosta's Wied Speranza was probably not started intentionally, Environment Minister Jose' Herrera said this afternoon.Dr Herrera suggested farmers working nearby may have inadvertently caused the fire when they let flames spread as they burned some hay, though he also suggested the fire could have started on its own due to the summer heat.The fire burnt across the valley over the weekend, leaving behind a black scar streaking across the Mosta countryside. But although the fire damage appeared extensive... Читать дальше...

Roadworks in Lija will continue throughout the night today and tomorrow, Transport Malta has said.  Workers will spend the night hours between 7pm and 5am working on the zebra crossing before moving on to carrying works on the existing roundabout tomorrow night.  Triq il-Mosta will be closed to traffic from Mosta to Birkirkara for those hours on both days, with the opposite carriageway also closed to traffic between 10pm and 5am tonight.  Between Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 July, scarifying and asphalting works will be carried out. Читать дальше...

Charlie Gard's parents have ended their legal fight over treatment for the terminally-ill baby. Chris Gard and Connie Yates announced their decision as a High Court judge was preparing to oversee the latest round of a five-month legal battle. Mr Justice Francis had been scheduled to analyse what the couple said was fresh evidence at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London. A lawyer representing Charlie's parents told Mr Justice Francis that "time had run out". "This case is now... Читать дальше...

A man facing charges over his involvement in the disposal of the body of Eleanor Mangion Walker, allegedly murdered by her husband a year ago, is still in custody six months after his arrest. A person must be released pending trial unless the state can show justification for continued detention," argued defence lawyer Giannella DeMarco, when making submissions on bail requested on behalf of Kristian Zekic. The man is facing charges of having assisted Andrew Mangion, prime suspect behind the murder... Читать дальше...

A giant Dubai-based property developer is considering expanding its operations to Malta, according to reports. "Malta presents an ideal mix of investment benefits that make it a very attractive place for luxury and hospitality developers looking to expand into the EU zone," Damac chairman Hussain Sajwani said in a statement. Mr Sajwani was in Malta last week where he also held a private meeting with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Details of the meeting between the two sides have not been divulged. Читать дальше...

Manchester City have taken their summer spending past the £200million mark with the signing of Monaco defender Benjamin Mendy. The left-back, who will reportedly cost the club an initial £49.4m, is the fourth defensive reinforcement brought in by Pep Guardiola, who signed Real Madrid's Danilo yesterday for an estimated £26.9m. Tottenham's Kyle Walker (£45m) and goalkeeper Ederson (£35m) are the other players to join a new-look backline with Mendy's Monaco team-mate Bernardo Silva a £43.6m signing to bolster midfield. Читать дальше...

A veritable fleet of caravans is making a Mistra Bay restaurant owner’s life a misery and it seems that the authorities are reluctant to take action. Several caravan owners have descended on Mistra Bay in recent weeks, setting up structures that suggest they intend to make the place their home this summer. During a site visit by Times of Malta last week, about 10 caravans were taking up most of road next to the picturesque beach. Restaurateur Claude Camilleri said he had written to several ministers... Читать дальше...

Seventeen employees of a Turkish opposition newspaper went on trial accused of supporting a terrorist group, a case seen by government critics as a further sign that freedom of expression is under attack. "Journalism is not a crime," chanted several hundred people gathered outside the central Istanbul court to protest against the prosecution of writers, executives and lawyers of the staunchly secularist Cumhuriyet newspaper. The hearing coincides with an escalating dispute with Germany over the arrest in Turkey of 10 rights activists... 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. 3.55pm Huddersfield defender Christopher Schindler has committed his future to the club until at least 2020. The German centre-half, who scored the winning penalty in last season's play-off final against Reading, has signed a three-year deal, with the Terriers retaining an option over an additional year. Читать дальше...

Disposable breathalysers will now be distributed to seafarers in a bid to reduce excessive drinking while at sea, where the alcohol limit is similar to that on the road. Speaking at a press conference this morning, Malta Road Safety Council Consultant at Transport Malta Pierre Vella said the awareness campaign, which kicked off at public places on land two years ago, was now being taken to sea. Alcohol drinking, he noted, was an important safety factor, no matter the type of transport. In Malta,... Читать дальше...

Malta Today's managing editor and a writer were today acquitted of criminal libel over an obituary penned in the memory of acclaimed writer Frans Sammut, after proceedings were instituted upon a complaint filed by the deceased's widow. The Sammut family had taken objection to certain remarks written in the obituary which had been published on May 8, 2011 just four days after the death of Frans Sammut. The author's son, Mark A Sammut had communicated with the paper by means of a series of emails over the allegedly offensive piece. Читать дальше...

A South African child born with HIV has surprised experts by appearing to be effectively cured of the AIDS virus after just a year of treatment followed by eight and a half years drug-free. Patients with HIV would normally need to stay on antiretroviral (ART) drugs for the rest of their lives to keep AIDS at bay. But this child, still off treatment and now almost 10 years old, has no signs of the disease. This and other recent, isolated cases of remission have given additional hope to the 37 million... Читать дальше...

A barman was cleared of having seriously injured a customer in a glass-throwing brawl inside a St Julian's club after the court found that the charges hinged upon a botched investigation and a flawed identification process. Stephen Azzopardi, 36, from Pembroke, was charged with having on the evening of February 10, 2014, unintentionally placed the life of Clinton Attard in clear danger when he was hit by a glass while waiting to be served at the bar. The court, presided over by magistrate Doreen Clarke... Читать дальше...

Gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood within three months of sexual activity instead of 12 months, the UK government has announced as part of a wider reform of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) laws. Men who have sex with men are currently barred from donating blood for a year following their last sexual encounter in order to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The government, which will implement the changes from early 2018, said the decision... Читать дальше...