Новости за 03.12.2015

Clashes broke out on the Greek-Macedonian border on Thursday, after a migrant was found electrocuted by a border fence. Diane Hodges reports.

The two attackers who killed 14 people in a gun rampage in California fired up to 75 rifle rounds, left behind three pipe bombs and had over 1,600 more bullets with them when they were gunned down. At their home, they had 12 pipe bombs, tools for making more explosives, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition, Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said. Wearing military-style gear and wielding assault rifles, Syed Rizwan Farook, a 28-year-old county restaurant inspector, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 27,... Читать дальше...

The Opposition today embarked on a consultation process on its proposals for the economy in a meeting with officials from the General Workers’ Union. The PN’s proposals are in the working document Economy for the People”. The PN was represented by shadow minister Claudio Grech and spokeswoman Kristy Debono. The GWU was represented by secretary general Josef Bugeja and officials Victor Carachi and Kevin Camilleri.

President Barack Obama has said it is possible the mass shooting in California was related to terrorism, but that authorities still do not know. He added that it is possible it was workplace-related or that there were mixed motives. Mr Obama was speaking in the Oval Office to assure Americans that authorities will get to the bottom of what happened. He also called for people to wait for facts before making judgments. Mr Obama said many Americans feel there is nothing they can do about mass violence. Читать дальше...

Hungary's prime minister has said the country is filing a lawsuit against the European Union objecting to a mandatory plan to distribute migrants among members of the bloc. Viktor Orban said the suit would be filed at the European Court of Justice. The EU is looking redistribute 120,000 asylum seekers already in the bloc among its 28 countries. Parliament last month approved legislation obliging the government to challenge the EU quotas, while Mr Orban has repeatedly said that Brussels overstepped... Читать дальше...

The Prime Minister’s behaviour and votes in Parliament on planning legislation confirmed that he wanted absolute control on land in Malta, PN spokesman Ryan Callus said today. He said this was because rather than handing power to civil society, he opted to retain it himself. Addressing a news conference, Mr Callus said the Opposition as the voice of common sense moving the amendments which environmental organisations wanted to obtain a greater voice and more power in planning decisions. Most were resisted by the government. Читать дальше...

A couple were hospitalised this afternoon after they suffered burns following a gas leak, the police said. The incident happened in Triq il-Knisja l-Qadima, Siggiewi, at around 4.30pm. The police said the man scalded his face and the woman burnt her arm. The extent of their injuries is not yet known. The Civil Protection Department assisted in the operation.

The Valletta Alive Foundation has expressed concerned about the impact new planning legislation would have on urban conservation areas, particularly on Valletta. “The new planning legislation will result in a planning system that is radically different from the one that has been operating for the past 23 years.  It is weaker with reduced checks and balance; it is less transparent and more susceptible to political control. “The new planning legislation is likely to impact negatively historic areas including Valletta... Читать дальше...

The European Central Bank has cut a key interest rate and extended its stimulus programme to bolster the 19-country eurozone economy - but the actions underwhelmed investors, who pushed stocks sharply lower. The main move by the ECB was to cut the interest rate on deposits from commercial banks from -0.2% to -0.3%. That is intended to push banks to lend by imposing a penalty on the cash they park at the central bank. Many in the markets, however, had predicted a bigger cut to -0.4%. And alongside other measures... Читать дальше...

Intensified attacks and fighting in Azaz district in northern Syria have left thousands of civilians with nowhere safe to flee as they are caught in the crossfire, the Norwegian Refugee Council has warned. Many families are currently fleeing for safety in already highly overcrowded areas by the Turkish border. Refugees caught at the Jordanian border have also more than doubled over the last month. Over the last month and a half thousands were displaced from Idleb, Homs, Aleppo and Latakia, and most... Читать дальше...

A former referee was today fined €5,000 by a court after he was found guilty of defaming the head of the referees’ body over the selection of an official to oversee international matches. The case dates back to January 2013, when Charles Zerafa, a former Malta Football Referees official, uploaded a post on his Facebook page questioning the appointment of Kevin Azzopardi as a Fifa official. The post, which was directed at Adrian Casha, a member of the Referees Committee within the Malta Football Association... Читать дальше...

Russia's president Vladimir Putin has called for "one powerful fist" to fight terrorism and hinted at more sanctions against Turkey. Speaking in his state-of-the-nation address televised live, Mr Putin called for an end to what he called double standards that hampered uniting global efforts in fighting terrorism. Without naming the United States, he accused Washington and its allies of turning Iraq, Syria and Libya into a "zone of chaos and anarchy threatening the entire world" by supporting change of regimes in those countries. Читать дальше...

A proposed policy guidance document for shooting ranges has been launched for public consultation by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. In a statement this afternoon, Mepa said the document was the result of the significant increase in the popularity of the clay pigeon and target shooting and the demand for shooting range facilities with internationally recognised standards. It aimed to establish clear planning parameters through which planning applications could be assessed and regulated. Читать дальше...

The main direct impact of climate change on Malta is expected to be increased water stress, believes Malta’s first ambassador on climate change, Michael Zammit Cutajar. Water stress is the ratio of ground water extraction to available groundwater resources. Speaking to this newspaper as the UN climate change summit in Paris began this week, the former (and first) executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change noted that climate change would also perhaps increase emigration from drought-stricken African countries. Читать дальше...

A police inspector who, until recently, was stationed at the Sliema police station, has been indicted by a court over accusations that he accepted bribes. Jason Francis Sultana, 34, from Sannat is also accused of committing a crime he was duty bound to prevent. He has been suspended from duty. At the beginning of proceedings today, the court heard that the police officer had allegedly asked for €4,000 from a couple, who wanted to move to an apartment in Gzira which had just been vacated after its inhabitants were jailed. Читать дальше...

A Canadian college student caught at a border checkpoint in August 2014 with 51 live turtles in his pants pleaded guilty to six smuggling charges in U.S. District Court in Michigan. Kai Xu, 27, of Windsor, Ontario, admitted to smuggling or trying to smuggle more than 1,600 turtles of different species out of the United States from April 2014 until his arrest in September 2014. Each of the six counts carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Authorities are still trying to determine why a man and a woman opened fire at a holiday party of his co-workers in Southern California, killing 14 people and wounding 17 in an attack that appeared to have been planned. Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, who had a six-month-old daughter together, were killed in a shootout with police after Wednesday's bloodshed at the Inland Regional Center in the city of San Bernardino, a social services agency where Farook worked as an inspector. San... Читать дальше...

The share index extended yesterday’s gains by a further 0.19 per cent to close at 4,471.452 points as the positive performances of five equities marginally outweighed the declines of two of the largest companies by market capitalisation – HSBC and GO. Trading volumes surged with almost €678,000 worth of shares changing hands. The top performer of the day was FIMBank plcas the equity advanced by a further seven per cent to close at the 68c5US level – the highest since early July 2014 – across 51,692 shares. Читать дальше...

The Local Governance Board has informed Front Harsien ODZ that it started investigations into the Marsascala mayor’s talks with the investors in a new university on its own initiative before being so requested by the NGO. Front Harsien ODZ said yesterday that it had asked the board to investigate Mario Calleja, mayor of Marsascala, "following his recent statements on agreeing to being gifted the construction of new local council premises by Sadeen Education Investment Ltd if the proposed American... Читать дальше...

A magistrate has ordered that €100 confiscated from the sale of a few grams of cannabis resin in Paceville, be donated to the Ursuline Sisters Crèche of Sliema. Abdi Ali Mahammed, 19, from Somalia who lives in Gzira, was arraigned this morning under arrest before Magistrate Gabriella Vella, accused of trafficking seven grams of cannabis two days ago. The court heard how the man had sold the drug for €140 but had already spent €40 at various entertainment clubs, before being arrested by the police. Читать дальше...

Swiss police arrested the two top soccer bosses in the Americas today on suspicion of taking millions of dollars in bribes linked to television rights, widening a graft probe into world soccer's governing body. Switzerland's Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) named the men as Alfredo Hawit of Honduras, acting president of the CONCACAF federation and a FIFA vice president, and Juan Angel Napout of Paraguay, head of the South American soccer federation CONMEBOL. CONCACAF administers soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean. Читать дальше...

Moments before being fatally stabbed, Anthony Borg fired two shots from his handgun, but had to manually reload the weapon to use it the third time, a ballistic expert told a jury head this morning. Brigadier Calleja, was testifying in the trial by jury of Allan Galea, a 36-year-old monti hawker from Marsaxlokk, accused of murdering Anthony Borg, il-Bona, in February 2010 in Marsaxlokk square following an argument. The veteran expert was testifying together with Sgt Pierre Attard from the police forensics department and Jesmond Cassar. Читать дальше...

A petition calling for the replacement of white LED street lights by warmer lighting or a filter has started to gather steam. The petition notes that in many localities in Malta and Gozo, street lights have been changed from sodium lights to LED white lights. "Sodium light emits warm bright light which, apart from being aesthetically pleasing to the eye because it complements the colour and texture of the Maltese limestone, it also effects us psychologically in a positive way particularly in contrast... Читать дальше...

An investment style is somewhat underestimated nowadays, yet gaining a basic understanding of the major investment styles is one of the fastest ways to make sense out of the thousands of investments available in the market today, and the mere knowledge of these styles may change the way you look at trading. The main investment styles may be broken down into three fields, namely; 1) active vs. passive management, 2) growth vs. value investing, and 3) Small cap vs. large cap companies. Active or Passive Management In determining investment style... Читать дальше...

Construction works on a building at The Strand, Sliema, kicked up a dust cloud this morning, with precautions clearly not having been taken to contain the dust. And as if that was not enough, there was another hazard further up the road yesterday, at the corner with Tower Road (see below). Pictures show a crane elevating material as pedestrians walked down below. Readers said bollards were only placed to keep a distance between the oncoming vehicles and the crane... but not to keep pedestrians at a safe distance.