Новости за 06.09.2015

A fire in a garage belonging to a staff member of the Kuwaiti embassy in Balzan was quickly controlled by fire-fighters of the Civil Protection Department this evening. The blaze was reported at about 8pm and was contained in the garage. No serious damage was caused and no one was injured.

MALTA-2, AZERBAIJAN-2Malta ended a run of three successive defeats in Euro 2016 qualifying after holding Azerbaijan to a 2-2 draw at the National Stadium this evening, Trailing by one goal at the end of a first half in which their performance had left a lot to be desired, Malta played much better in the second half with Michael Mifsud and Alfred Effiong hitting fine goals only for Azerbaijan to draw level 10 minutes from time. While expectations of a home win were high before the game, moreso after... Читать дальше...

The Emigrants' Commission of the Archdiocese of Malta has for years accommodated 400 migrants in 14 residences, Archbishop Charles J Scicluna said today. He expressed gratitude to the commission amid calls in Malta and abroad for local authorities, churches and families to host the wave of migrants streaming into Europe. Pope Francis earlier today also urged Catholic parishes to adopt refugee families. Following the Pope’s appeal, the Gozo Diocese in a statement recalled how Bishop Mario Grech exactly... Читать дальше...

Maltese 'pop star priest' Rob Galea has made it to the finals of the Australian X Factor contest. "Rob Galea is probably the biggest pop star you've never heard of. He plays to hundreds of thousands of people every year. He gets mobbed on the streets of many countries..." the Sydney Morning Herald had reported in November. "Such is the Galea paradox. He's young – 32. He's handsome – as evidenced by his selfies on Instagram. He has undeniable sex appeal – women are known to weep and scream "I love... Читать дальше...

Hailstones the size of ping pong balls came crashing down near Naples, Italy late yesterday  in a storm that injured several people and animals. It also damaged some vehicles. The storm caused panic in many areas of the city as hailstones measuring well over 5cm in diameter came hurtling out of the sky with enough force to smash windows, roof tiles and car windscreens. According to meteorologists for weather.com, the storm was brought on by a vigourous southward plunge of the jet stream that carved into western Europe... Читать дальше...

A crucial telephone recording in the Dalligate scandal might have been acquired illegally, according to a Belgian privacy watchdog. In the conversation, businessman Silvio Zammit is allegedly heard asking tobacco lobbyist Inge Delfosse for €10 million to set up a meeting with his “boss” over the possibility of lifting an EU ban on snus, a form of smokeless tobacco. If a Belgian court were to declare this recording illegal, it could jeopardise the case as the evidence could be declared inadmissible. Читать дальше...

An unnamed Maltese national who has been detained for several days in Libya over suspicions of fuel smuggling could face charges before a Libyan court. The Maltese-owned tanker Santa Cruz was intercepted by the Libyan coast guard off Zuwara on Wednesday morning. Initial reports indicated the vessel was carrying 100,000 litres of diesel, but it later transpired it was carrying more than twice that amount. Libyan Observer claimed the ship was intercepted before being loaded with an additional 60,000 litres of fuel, on its way to Malta. Читать дальше...

More than 2,000 Britons have offered to house refugees in their own homes. Zoe Fritz, who has set up an online database of people willing to give a bed to those fleeing conflict and persecution, said she has been moved to tears by the flood of responses. Dr Fritz, 39, who works as a consultant at Cambridge University Hospital, said she set up the initiative after seeing shocking images of the wave of refugees risking their lives to come to Europe. The mother-of-two, who lives with her husband, seven-year-old... Читать дальше...

Lewis Hamilton enjoyed an utterly dominant Italian Grand Prix victory this afternoon to take a 53-point lead in the Formula One championship after Mercedes team mate and closest rival Nico Rosberg retired with his engine in flames. A subsequent investigation over low tyre pressures cleared Mercedes. The stewards found that the tyres were initially inflated correctly, but pressure fell by the time the measurement was taken because the tyres had cooled down due to their warming blankets being unplugged. Читать дальше...

Artist Patrick Dalli has refused to explain his role in the decision to scrap plans for a statue dedicated to Dom Mintoff in Castille Square and to install an abstract memorial instead. The Sunday Times of Malta understands that Mr Dalli, husband of Civil Liberties Minister Helena Dalli, is coordinating the Mintoff memorial project. A spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister confirmed Mr Dalli’s involvement but said he is an unpaid volunteer.  When contacted, Mr Dalli declined to comment on his role. Читать дальше...

The Budget will be presented on October 12, earlier than the norm, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt. The mid-term Budget of Joseph Muscat’s government, is intended to “consolidate” the country’s financial situation, according to sources. The Budget is normally presented towards the end of October or in November, but the European Commission imposed a strict mid-month deadline on eurozone members. Besides, Malta will be hosting two major summits in November, which could lead to logistical problems ... Читать дальше...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has had a meeting at the Auberge de Castille with the president of Azeri state oil company Socar, Rovnag Abdullayev. Mr Abdullayev and his delegation are in Malta to watch this evening's football match between Malta and Azerbaijan. Mr Abdullayev is also the president of the Azeri FA. The government said the talks focused on energy and Socar's role within the Electrogas consortium which is building the new power station. Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi accompanied the prime... Читать дальше...

The police arrested six men overnight after a number of raids in Paceville and St Julian's. The police said the arrested men are Maltese, Italian and Somali. They were found in possession of ecstasy, cocaine and cannabis. The raids followed days of observation. The operation was conducted by the Drug Squad and the Dogs Section.

A large number of iconic Fiat 500s, including some examples of the oldest models of the tiny car, were on show at Dock 1 in Cospicua this morning. The sparkling cars are the prized possessions of Maltese and Sicilian enthusiasts. The show was the Raduno Di Malta 2015 organised by the Fiat 500 Club Italia in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority and Fiat Malta.   Video - Matthew Mirabelli.

An Argentine man kept his wife and autistic son in a filthy cage during the day for at least two years, police say. Prosecutor Alejandro Pellegrini said police found the dirt-floor cell at the house of 66-year-old Eduardo Oviedo in the city of Mar del Plata. They were acting on a complaint by two of his other children. Mr Pellegrini said Oviedo's 61-year-old wife has psychiatric problems and his 32-year-old son is autistic. He described the cell as a cage with bars and an iron door that was locked from the outside. Читать дальше...

Letting Transport Malta use local councils' funds to develop and maintain roads in towns and villages would be a much more efficient system than at present as at TM had expertise, Mosta Mayor Edwin Vassallo said today. Addressing a press conference for the inauguration of 10 new roads in Blata l-Gholja, Mosta, Mr Vassallo said he would be ready to abdicate his right to decide how best to spend funds for roadworks given to the Mosta council if this would see works improve. "Lets face it, the authorities which have all the expertise... Читать дальше...

A motorcyclist was slightly injured this morning when his bike crashed into a low boundary wall at the roundabout of St Paul's Bay bypass. The incident is believed to have happened when the motorcycle skidded on some liquid. Other motorcyclists gave first aid until an ambulance crew arrived. Photo: Paul Zahra - mynews@timesofmalta.com facebook: Times of Malta

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said this morning that the government was failing to come up with solutions for problems directly affecting the people, such as transport congestion, health services and crime, Speaking in a Radio 101 interview this morning, Dr Busuttil hit out at the ‘stupid’ ideas in a government White Paper on transport. He said the proposal to ease traffic congestion by making schoolchildren go to school early was stupid and reflected the government's lack of ideas. Last year... Читать дальше...

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning hailed economic growth being achieved by Malta and criticised 'a faction' of the Nationalist Party for continuing to be negative. Speaking on One Radio, Dr Muscat said many people thought last year that economic growth had peaked when it reached 4% in real terms. Many, therefore, were surprised when, in the second quarter of this year, growth accelerated to 5.2% in real terms. This was the strongest economic growth by Malta in 10 years, four times higher than the EU average. Читать дальше...

Six people have died and several others were injured after being hit by a speeding car that left the road while taking part in the Coruna Rally in Spain. The accident killed four women and two men in Carral, in the north-western region of Galicia, a police spokeswoman said. Among the injured taken to the hospital were three children, she said. The reasons for the accident are being investigated. Press reports said the rally has been suspended.