Новости за 11.04.2016

Canadian rocker Bryan Adams has cancelled a performance in Mississippi, citing the state's new law that allows religious groups and some private businesses to refuse service to gay couples. The cancelled show was due to take place on Thursday at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. The Run To You singer said he cannot "in good conscience" perform in a state where "certain people are being denied their civil rights due to their sexual orientation". The move comes after Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band cancelled a show in Greensboro... Читать дальше...

Health parliamentary secretary Chris Fearne said today that all the projects he had worked on with Health Minister Konrad Mizzi were “above board”. Dr Mizzi is one of the people mentioned in the Panama scandal. He insists he is innocent.Mr Fearne described Dr Mizzi as a focused person who had given a lot of his time and energy for the good of the country.“I have learnt a lot from him particularly when it comes to project management. Whenever I have worked with him everything was above board. In fact... Читать дальше...

A consultation document on a charter of patients’ rights launched today proposes that patients who exceed a certain waiting time for medical care in public hospitals be given treatment privately for free. Launching the document today, the health parliamentary secretary Chris Fearne said the charter would set out maximum time frames for treatment, with the government footing the bill if these time frames were exceeded and the patient sought care in a private hospital. Mr Fearne said the charter would... Читать дальше...

Dubai's top religious authorities say that stealing WiFi from your neighbour would not be proper Islamic conduct. That is according to a religious edict - known as a fatwa - from Dubai's Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department. It was posted online on the department's website as a response to a question asked by an anonymous reader. The edict says: "There is nothing wrong in using the line if your neighbours allow you to do so, but if they don't allow you, you may not use it." The fatwa... Читать дальше...

A man is facing burglary charges after being traced by his distinctive tattoos - including a map of Florida on his face. Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said Johnathan Hewett, 25, was seen on surveillance video prying open the door of a home last month before taking a gun and two watches. The homeowner identified him as the friend of a former room-mate. Detectives said the video also showed Hewett's tattoo spelling "red rum" - murder spelled backwards - on his neck. He was released from prison... Читать дальше...

Islamic State fighters have retaken a northern town along Syria's border with Turkey just days after losing it to rebel forces and allied militants, Syrian activists have said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Aleppo Today TV station said the IS extremists captured al-Rai early on Monday morning after intense fighting for the frontier town. Al-Rai is strategically located on the border with Turkey, serving as the Islamic State group's access point to supply lines. It... Читать дальше...

A notary who failed to pass on to the government €24,500 in stamp duties and taxes was ordered by the court to refund the amount to his clients when the transfer of a property was never registered. The case was filed two years ago by Jane Agius, Joseph Agius, Antoinette Naeli Agius, Julie Muscat and Julian Agius, who were given a property by their father after their mother’s death. They complained that the notary had failed to settle the tax bills, though they had given him the money due to the government in 2010. Читать дальше...

Egypt has high hopes tourism will recover despite falling by 40 percent in the first quarter. Gavino Garay reports.

Thousands of families have started returning to Ramadi in Iraq, several months after Islamic State militants were driven out. Yiming Woo reports.

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant this morning called on Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi to take the honourable decision and resign in the wake of the Panama scandal. In a Facebook post, Dr Sant said this would be in Dr Mizzi's own personal and political interest and in the interests of his family, the Labour Party and the government. His resignation would also be in the national interest, and would also enable him to defend himself better. Dr Sant said the Prime Minister had shown prudence  and an... Читать дальше...

The Għargħur transmitting tower will be switched off at 2.30pm today for 20 to 30 minutes. The Broadcasting Authority said this is the first phase in ensuring continuous transmission of broadcasting stations. The reserve antenna will be switched on for the first time while the main antenna on top will be switched off for replacement.

Despite all policy intentions, markets have their own life. Central Banks, Governments and Authorities in the past years have made several attempts to prop up ailing economies. The prevalent trend is to weaken one’s currency in order to attract more business in the form of exports. Unfortunately currency competition (wars) and other unintended market factors dilute most good intentions. Intervention into markets remains an ideal often out of the hands of even the best economic experts.   EURUSD The... Читать дальше...

India's movie censorship board is requiring parents to accompany children under 12 to screenings of Disney's new version of The Jungle Book because the special effects made its animals too scary. The movie is a computer-generated remake of the 1967 animation based on Rudyard Kipling's book. Censor board chief Pahlaj Nihalini justified the restriction by saying the 3D effects were scary as the animals seem to jump at the audience. Bollywood producer Mukesh Bhatt said it was a shame on the country... Читать дальше...

Nearly 16,000 cigarettes on which excise tax had not been paid as well a 1.5 kilograms of rolling tobacco were confiscated by Customs last Friday. The Department said the cigarettes and tobacco were found following a period of observation on a vegetable vendor.

Rescuers are sifting through the wreckage of a Hindu temple in Kerala, southern India, where more than 100 people died after an unauthorised fireworks display went wrong. The official death toll so far after fire broke out at the Puttingal temple complex in the village of Paravoor stands at 102 people, with 380 others hurt, although local media reports put the figure was higher. Witnesses claimed scores of devotees ran in panic as the massive initial blast cut off power in the complex, while other explosions sent flames and debris raining down.

New footage has been released from the upcoming Harry Potter spin-off movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne, who stars as Newt Scamander in the film, introduced the new trailer at the MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles. After emerging from a suitcase on stage, the British actor said: "Myself and the rest of the cast had such an astounding time getting to leap back into the world of JK Rowling's imagination. "And I'm properly excited to share with you just a wee... Читать дальше...

The HSBC annual report for 2015 lacks details about the amounts paid to board members, saying only fees amounting to €211,000 were paid to its seven non-executive directors. The directors employed with the bank or with HSBC Group were not paid fees for their directorship, but their package was usually shown as part of the ‘emoluments’, a minority shareholder said. The bank has nine board members, three of whom – including the chief executive officer – are bank employees. However, the emoluments are not given in this year’s report. Читать дальше...

Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja was last night handed the Opera News award during a ceremony in New York. Calleja was among five honorees to be acknowledged for contributions to the opera world at the 11th annual awards ceremony. The tenor was handed the award by opera legend Placido Domingo - the two are incidentally currently performing in Simon Boccanegra in New York. Senior editor Louise Guinther said: “Joseph Calleja has a golden-age voice, its very timbre imbued with intense emotion and irresistible passion... Читать дальше...

The daughter of jailed former president Alberto Fujimori looks to be heading for victory in the first round of Peru's presidential election, and will likely face a former World Bank economist in a June run-off. With 20% of the ballots counted, Keiko Fujimori had 38% of the vote. Investor-favorite Pedro Kuczynski had just under 26%, while leftist congresswoman Veronika Mendoza, who had made a late surge in pre-election polls, was running third with 16%. Full results might not be available until Monday... Читать дальше...

The European Parliament is set to call for an end to the rule whereby the first country a migrant enters becomes responsible for processing their asylum application, saying this places disproportionate pressure on border states such as Malta. MEPs will vote tomorrow on a comprehensive report, co-authored by Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola, which is the first to lay out a holistic approach to migration, setting the Parliament’s political direction for the rest of the legislature. The report enjoys broad... Читать дальше...

An entrepreneurial homeowner has put his toilet on the market in one of London's most expensive neighbourhoods, according to reports. The Camden New Journal said builder James Atherton is looking to rent or sell a standalone loo he owns inside a block of flats at the bottom of Highgate West Hill. The facility is being promoted with a sign on the wall offering a "toilet space", hoping to catch the attention of bus drivers who stop to relieve themselves at Parliament Hill Fields.

The following are the top stories in national newspapers today. Times of Malta leads with the speeches made by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition leader Simon Busuttil yesterday. It says that as the Prime Minister was adamant no action on the Panama scandal could be taken until an audit was completed, the Opposition insisted it was time for the Prime Minister to go. The Malta Independent says that as Dr Muscat admitted yesterday that Panama companies were legal but led to corruption, Dr... Читать дальше...

Fearing for the safety of her four children in battles between Iraqi security forces and Islamic State militants, Umm Rayyad left everything she once owned and last month fled her hometown of Khurbardan, in northern Iraq. The start of a military campaign to retake Iraq’s second-largest city Mosul has seen the Iraqi army pushing westward towards the Tigris River. The northern city has been controlled by IS since June 2014. Clashes between the two sides have caused a fresh wave of displacement with... Читать дальше...

Reducing food waste around the world would help curb emissions of planet-warming gases, lessening some of the impacts of climate change such as more extreme weather and rising seas, scientists said. Up to 14 per cent of emissions from agriculture in 2050 could be avoided by managing food use and distribution better, according to a new study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). “Agriculture is a major driver of climate change, accounting for more than 20 per cent of overall... Читать дальше...

The owner of the Daily Mail is in early discussions over a bid for the ailing US internet company Yahoo. The Wall Street Journal reported that the media company is speaking with private equity firms about an offer. A spokesman for the DailyMail.com said that, given the success of that site and Elite Daily, it has "been in discussions with a number of parties who are potential bidders". He said the talks are in a very early stage and there is no certainty any transaction will take place. Yahoo could not immediately be reached for comment. Читать дальше...