Новости за 25.07.2017

US Vice President Mike Pence had to break a 50-50 tie as the Senate voted by a hair to start debating Republican legislation to tear down much of the Obama healthcare law. The vote gives President Donald Trump and Republican leaders a crucial initial victory but launches a week-long debate promising an uncertain final outcome. The 51-50 vote kept alive hopes of delivering on promises that countless Republican candidates have campaigned on for years - repealing President Barack Obama's 2010 healthcare overhaul. Читать дальше...

Two rival Libyan leaders have committed themselves to a ceasefire, working towards elections and finding a roadmap to secure the country against terrorism and trafficking of all kinds, according to a document released by the French presidency. The meetings at a chateau in La Celle Saint-Cloud, west of Paris, brought together Fayez Serraj, prime minister of the UN-backed unity government, and General Khalifa Hifter, the Egyptian-backed commander of Libya's self-styled national army. French President... Читать дальше...

A 44-year-old man from Rabat was grievously injured this afternoon after losing control of the truck he was driving and crashing into a pole. The accident happened in Triq id-Difiża Ċivili, Mosta at around 3.30pm. He was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Abundant lightning activity last night provided reader Andrea Muscat with an opportunity to take some interesting photos. Mr Muscat said the isolated thunderstorm in the midst of summer could be an indication of what awaits once this hotter than average summer came to an end. Yesterday's hot spell was followed by an area of cold air from central Europe which on coming into contact with the hot and humid air mass over the central Mediterranean formed a trough of low pressure over Tunisia. A number... Читать дальше...

Helene Pellicano and Francesca Curmi made serene progress at the European U-16 Championships in Moscow yesterday.  Pellicano reached the third round of the singles competition when she had the better of Maja Makoric, of Slovenia, 7-5 6-1. She was joined into the next round by Curmi who eased past Austrian player Emily Meyer 6-2, 6-2. Pellicano and Curmi then teamed up in the doubles tournament to have the better of Spanish duo Gemma Lairon Navarro and Martinez Cirez with a straight sets 6-4 6-3 win.

The Paola square regeneration project is far from complete, to the chagrin of the residents who will celebrate the feast of Christ the King this weekend, this newspaper has learnt. Works on Antoine de Paule Square have been in progress for the past two years, with no end yet in sight, according to some. The residents said the work rhythm was not constant, though lately there had appeared to be a push with the laying of porfido stone. Still, they described the situation as “worrying”, saying only... Читать дальше...

A man who was given a suspended sentence for sending a threatening email to his avowed enemy and damaging the latter's car had his punishment revoked on appeal since there was no legal evidence linking him to the offences. Gozitan Terance Zammit, 43, had been pointed out as the suspect behind the offences after a report was filed at the Victoria Police Station last summer. One day in June last year, a car owner had told police he had parked his Lexus vehicle overnight in a street in the limits of Marsalforn... Читать дальше...

A tiny tortoise not much bigger than a 50p piece has hatched at West Midland Safari Park - and proved an instant hit on social media. The park near Bewdley, Worcestershire, said keepers are in awe of the three-week-old baby pancake tortoise, which has been named Finn. Steve Slater, deputy head of the park's Discovery Trail, said Finn, who is being fed on vegetation ranging from courgettes to dandelions, was the first baby of the species hatched at the site. Mr Slater said: "The biggest threat to... Читать дальше...

Experimental therapy "could have been an opportunity" to help Charlie Gard, but it is too late to start care for the critically ill baby, a Vatican paediatric hospital chief said. Bambino Gesu Hospital had offered to treat the 11-month-old boy while his parents were trying to persuade UK courts to tell Great Ormond Street Hospital in London to release the boy for treatment in the United States. Hospital chiefs said in a statement that they are not in a position to know what might have happened six... Читать дальше...

The share index eased by 0.05% to 4,727.870 points as the declines in the share prices of five equities slightly outweighed the gains in seven other shares. GO, RS2 and Mapfre Middlesea closed the day unchanged. The most actively traded equity today was Malta International Airport which extended yesterday’s gains by a further 1.2% to the €4.20 level across 23,759 shares. Tomorrow, the airport operator is scheduled to publish its half-year results and provide its updated guidance for 2017. Also among the large companies by market capitalisation... Читать дальше...

Nearly a fifth of the $94 trillion in global infrastructure investment needed by 2040 risks being unfunded if current spending trends continue, the G20-backed Global Infrastructure Hub said today. To close the spending gap, annual infrastructure spending needs to rise to 3.5% from 3% of global gross domestic product, the GIH said in a report. The report details how much each country needs to spend on infrastructure to 2040, which sectors need it the most and how they far they are from meeting these needs based on current spending trends. Читать дальше...

Alvaro Morata helped set up a goal on his Chelsea debut but could not prevent a 3-2 friendly defeat against Bayern Munich in Singapore. The £60million signing from Real Madrid came on as a second-half substitute with his new side trailing by two goals, and teed up Michy Batshuayi for his fifth goal of pre-season. But Chelsea paid the price for a slow start, falling 3-0 behind before Marcos Alonso and Batshuayi made the scoreline respectable. The Blues were without Pedro, who suffered multiple facial... Читать дальше...

Eight police officers were called in last Sunday afternoon to restrain one frustrated man who wrought havoc in the home of a host after the promise of a sexual encounter went terribly wrong. The man, in his thirties, was arraigned this afternoon on charges relating to the episode, wherein he admitted to insulting and threatening the police officers, attempting to injure two of them and disobeying their legitimate orders. The man was also charged with slightly injuring his host, caused damaging her property and breaching public peace. Читать дальше...

Transport Malta, in conjunction with the Ministry for Transport, is extending the grant scheme on environment-friendly vehicles with another €150,000. The scheme aims to reduce emissions generated from road traffic improving air quality levels by reducing the number of old motor vehicles from the roads, promoting the purchase of battery electric vehicles and battery electric quadricycles. Between January and July, all the applications submitted for the grant were accommodated and another 28 electric vehicles were registered. Читать дальше...

Leukaemia medicine Azacitidine has been placed on the government formulary as from this week, Health Minister Chris Fearne said. The minister said that €3 million from this year’s budget were being voted specifically for cancer medicine. Azacitidine, he said, was to be used by elderly people who, for various reason, could not receive standard leukaemia treatment. It could also be given as outpatient medicine reducing the need for patients to be in hospital. It also reduced the need for blood or platelet transfusion. Читать дальше...

Malta lies in sixth place among EU member states for the amount of solar heating when adjusted to reflect the size of the population. A EurObserver report on solar energy reported that Malta had 0.119 square metres of solar installations per capita in 2016, generating 0.083 kilowatt hours per person. This compares very favorably to the EU average of 0.10 square metres and 0.07 kilowatt hours, but is nowhere near the 0.764 square metres and 0.535 kilowatts of the EU leading member state, Cyprus. The... Читать дальше...

More than 50 artefacts pertaining to the wine trade and shipping in Malta in the early 20th century have been donated to the Maritime Museum. The artefacts - from the personal collection of the Dacoutros family - were presented to the museum by John Dacoutros. The donation includes a built up wooden model of the Maria Dacutros. This represents the barquentine Maria Dacutros popularly known as Maria. The vessel was built in 1920 at Castellamare di Stabia in Italy as a double-hulled wine tanker. In... Читать дальше...

An Australian government minister has quit the cabinet because his mother told him he might be Italian - and therefore ineligible to be an MP. Resources minister Matt Canavan's shock announcement followed the recent resignations of two senators who discovered days apart that they had technically never been elected because they are dual citizens. Australia's constitution states that a "citizen of a foreign power" is not eligible to be elected to parliament. Mr Canavan said his mother contacted him... Читать дальше...

A video of a reckless driver risking a motorcyclist's life by undertaking on the hard shoulder has prompted a storm of condemnation on social media.  The brief video shows a motorcyclist driving along the inside lane of Triq Mikiel Anton Vassalli when a Toyota Aygo suddenly appears on their left-hand side and squeezes past.  As the motorcyclist honks his horn in shock and anger, the car driver speeds on - only to find himself caught behind another car just a few metres away.  Malta's highway code... Читать дальше...

Pop singer Justin Bieber on Monday canceled the remainder of his "Purpose" world tour citing "unforeseen circumstances" but gave no specific reasons. The cancellation will affect 14 dates in North America and Asia through October 10. Ticket holders will get refunds. "Justin loves his fans and hates to disappoint them," his tour publicist said in a statement. "... However, after careful consideration he has decided he will not be performing any further dates." Bieber, 23, made no comments on his social media platforms. Читать дальше...

Chopping down Holm Oak trees in Lija to make way for a new lane of traffic was an unpopular but necessary decision to take, Transport Minister Ian Borg said today.  In comments laying out the government's busy roadworks schedule for the summer months, Dr Borg said during morning and evening rush hours around 2,400 vehicles passed through the section of road being widened.   READ: Transport Malta slammed for hacking down trees in Lija Although authorities would have rather not cut down the trees or removed several parking spaces... Читать дальше...

A truck driving along Mdina Road in Żebbuġ hit multiple vehicles in an accident this afternoon, forcing police to temporarily close off a section of the road. The accident happened at around 12.30pm. Initial indications are that nobody was seriously injured in the incident.

Real Madrid have agreed a £161million deal for teenage Monaco striker Kylian Mbappe, according to the Spanish media. Marca reported on Tuesday morning that the LaLiga and Champions League holders had struck a huge agreement for the 18-year-old that would shatter the current world-record transfer. The £89m paid by Manchester United for Paul Pogba last summer was the top mark, but should this deal go ahead, it will nearly double that. Mbappe's breakthrough year with Monaco - which saw him score 26... 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. 1.40pm Monaco's response to Marca's report regarding Kylian Mbappe future comes quickly as the French side dismiss the report of a deal with Real. 1.30pm Former Newcastle defender Steven Taylor has signed for Sky Bet League One side Peterborough. The 31-year-old centre-half, who made over 250 appearances for the Magpies over 13 years... Читать дальше...

Sister Frances Farrugia has never been one to shy away from a sticky situation. The Dominican nun first moved to Pakistan 33 years ago, and in that period of time she's learned Urdu, provided communities with access to clean water and toilets and taught countless girls science in school.  But Sister Frances also helps her local community in an altogether different way - by helping unjustly imprisoned people access justice.  In this Times Talk interview to be uploaded tomorrow, she reminisces about the first man she helped out of prison... Читать дальше...