Новости за 13.05.2016

New traffic arrangements in Ta’ Xbiex were “imposed” by Transport Malta, the locality’s mayor Max Zammit told the Times of Malta. A number of residents have complained about the incomprehensible road marking and lack of proper signage. Heavy vehicles following a diversion up Triq l-Ambaxxati are having to reverse back down the road once they reach a tight bend that is a squeeze even for a normal car. “Drivers of heavy vehicles and buses being unaware of this, after attempting the impossible, have... Читать дальше...

A man who suffers from a degenerative disease with no cure has donated €100,000 to scientific research into it. Bjorn Formosa announced the massive personal donation this evening during a fund-raising telethon on TV programme Xarabank. The 29-year-old IT guru was diagnosed with ALS two years ago, and has battled to raise awareness of the condition ever since. In an interview with Times of Malta published on Tuesday, Mr Formosa said he was ‘working ‘gas down’ on raising awareness and funds until I still have the time... Читать дальше...

Shooting and bomb attacks claimed by Islamic State killed at least 16 people north of Baghdad today, days after Islamic State's deadliest blasts so far this year in the capital stirred public criticism of government security measures. Three gunmen opened fire with machine guns around midnight at a cafe in the predominately Shi'ite Muslim town of Balad where young men, including fans of Spain's Real Madrid football club, had gathered to start the weekend, police and hospital sources. At least 12 were killed and 25 wounded. Читать дальше...

People automatically associate Joseph Muscat's government with corruption just three years into its legislature, PN deputy leader for parliamentary affairs Mario de Marco said today.  Closing the first day of the PN's general conference, Dr de Marco urged party delegates not to let Dr Muscat's history tar all politicians with the same brush. “We are not Konrad Mizzi. We are not Keith Schembri. We did not open up companies in Panama...We are not corrupt,” he declared. He urged those present to keep on fighting not for themselves... Читать дальше...

Radiohead have scored their sixth number one album with A Moon Shaped Pool.The rock band's ninth studio album achieved celestial success, going straight in at the top spot on the official album chart after it was released on Sunday.Its 50,000 combined chart sales are made up purely of digital downloads and streams, as the album will not be available in physical form for another month.The chart-topper follows in the footsteps of OK Computer, Kid A, Amnesiac, Hail To The Thief and In Rainbow.Grime... Читать дальше...

Boxer Tyson Fury has sparked further outrage after making homophobic, sexist and anti-Semitic comments in an hour-long video rant.Fury has previously been accused of sexism and homophobia, including over controversial remarks about Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill.In his latest outburst, he claimed "Zionist, Jewish people ... own all the banks, all the papers, all the TV stations".He made personal attacks against Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko in the run-up to their rematch fight in July.Fury... Читать дальше...

The Obama administration told U.S. public schools today that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice, upsetting Republicans and raising the likelihood of fights over federal funding and legal authority. Conservatives pushed back against the administration's non-binding guidance to schools, the latest battleground in the issue of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the guidance "must be challenged." A Tea Party champion... Читать дальше...

Historic buildings should not make way for housing apartments in already-overcrowded Cospicua, a museum curator in the fortified city is insisting. John Vella, of Bir Mula Heritage, yesterday condemned a project that would see the demolition of houses in the Santa Liena area and the construction of 56 housing units and 120 garages. His comments come three years since the planning authority approved an application filed by the Housing Authority to renew a development permit granted in 2007. The 2007... Читать дальше...

If the Panama Papers confirmed the reality of concealed power by showing us the partial face of the Establishment, the coup that is being staged against President Dilma Rousseff in Brazil reminds us of those dark days when democratically elected governments in Latin America used to be overtaken by violent coups sponsored by the wealthy Establishment and staged by military juntas. However, unlike those dark decades between the 50s and 90s, here we have a global hegemonic system that confirms two scenarios... Читать дальше...

Organic farming activists opposed to a controversial weed killer and the use of genetically modified crops will march down Valletta next week as part of a global protest movement.  Activists all across the world will take part in 21 May's March Against Monsanto, with the aim of raising awareness about the multinational's business practices and lobbying in favour of GMOs and weed killer glyphosate. Malta's march is being organised by the Clean Food Movement. The movement is calling on the government... Читать дальше...

Tele-voting will be eliminated from this year’s Junior Eurovision song contest in Malta, which will also be moved to a more family-friendly time-slot and feature a revised age range. During a press conference in Stockholm this evening on the fringes of the main event, PBS revealed its vision of sweeping changes for this year’s children's competition, being held in Malta in November following Destiny Chukunyere’s victory last year. The event also took place in Malta two years ago. The changes are... Читать дальше...

Two motorbike riders were taken to hospital this evening after they were involved in a crash with a car in Mosta.  The two injured people are a 30-year-old Portuguese man who lives in Mgarr and a 28-year-old Maltese woman from Ta' Xbiex. It is understood that their injuries are not life-threatening.  The accident happened at around 5.55pm on Independence Avenue, and involved a Suzuki GSF 400V motorbike being ridden by the Portuguese man and a Peugeot Panther driven by a 46-year-old man from Għargħur. Читать дальше...

Six months after its inauguration, the €53 million Coast Road project is still incomplete with pedestrian lights missing along its 7.3km route, to the detriment of nearby residents needing to cross this major thoroughfare. Last February, the issue was raised in parliamentary questions and Transport Minister Joe Mizzi told Opposition MP Ċensu Galea that the lights would be installed by mid-March. Though both the poles and gantries intended to hold overhead traffic lights have been erected since then... Читать дальше...

8.26pm - Updated with Labour Party comments The Nationalist Party this evening launched a traffic management plan aimed at mitgating the gridlock on Maltese roads, with one of the proposals being a voluntary opt-in scheme whereby car owners may opt to use their vehicles only on selected days and during particular times. The plan is based on four main pillars; information quaity, targetting specific commuter segments, infrastructural investment and better planning and management. Among the proposals... Читать дальше...

You don’t have to be skinny to be graceful, a dancer whose videos have become an internet sensation has shown.  Eric Cavanaugh’s elegant moves have resonated with people and his YouTube and Instagram videos have gained thousands of views. His videos are flooded with praise for his role in encouraging others to dance regardless of their size. The dancer from Pittsburgh wants to show people that dancers come in multiple sizes and that dreams are possible as long as you work towards them. He uploaded a video to Ellentube... Читать дальше...

Ira Losco performed in the first dress rehearsal at the Globe Arena in Stockholm ahead of tomorrow's Grand Final. Losco gave a characteristically powerful and high-energy performance, setting her up well for a good showing in tonight's dress rehearsal for national juries, which will account for 50 per cent of her total score tomorrow, with televoting making up the rest. ‘Walk on Water’, the Maltese entry, will be one of the last three songs to be performed in the Grand Final, which is typically considered a strong advantage. Читать дальше...

Spain striker Diego Costa could miss next month's European Championship finals due to his latest hamstring injury, Chelsea's interim manager Guus Hiddink said today. The Brazilian-born forward missed Wednesday's 1-1 Premier League draw at Liverpool and will not be back for Sunday's final game of the season at home to champions Leicester City. "He needs a good rest and with training he might be fit for the Euros but I'm not sure," Hiddink told a news conference. Spain coach Vicente del Bosque will name his initial 23-man squad on Tuesday... Читать дальше...

Police in Belgium have warned residents there to avoid using Facebook's reactions feature to ensure they are not targeted by advertisers.  "Facebook never lets an opportunity to gather more information about us pass," the Belgian police force said in a statement. "The [reactions] icons help not only express your feelings, they also help Facebook assess the effectiveness of ads on your profile."  "One more reason to not rush to click if you want to protect your privacy," the police statement ended. Читать дальше...

Australians voting in the Eurovision semi-finals picked Malta and Austria as their two favourite songs, according to SBS.  But while Ira Losco might Walk on Water, bookmakers reckon it might take an even bigger miracle for her to walk away with the Eurovision crown.  With tomorrow's Grand Final looming, online betting company Betsson has made Malta the seventh favourite to win the Eurovision.  Russia - already the bookies' favourite even before this week's semi-finals - has strengthened its position... Читать дальше...

The typical Maltese streetscape in a lot of localities is losing its character as heavy machinery moves in to build yet another block of flats in place of an old house.  In many localities, it's too late, and the few remaining old facades have long been dwarfed by new construction. So why are certain NGOs and experts insisting on restoring old house facades at any cost? What real value remains when the general street outlook has already been radically changed? Architect Michael Falzon from the Malta Developers' Association... Читать дальше...

Classrooms dedicated to music and art are among the improvements Pieta' primary school students will enjoy thanks to a new €40,000 school wing.  The wing was inaugurated today by Education Minister Evarist Bartolo. The ministry would be announcing maintenance works for several schools over the coming weeks, a ministry statement said. The works would take place over the summer holidays.

Road markings will be carried out tonight in Valley Road, Msida and Rue D’Argens Gżira after Transport Malta resurfaced the roads in the past few days. Works will start in Valley Road at 8pm and run until about 3am. Vehicles towards Msida will go through Triq Mikiel Anton Vassalli while traffic from Birkirkara to Msida will proceed towards the slip road and onto Regional Road, Msida. The contractor will then move to Rue D’Argens where works are scheduled to be completed by 6am. From 3am, vehicles... Читать дальше...

The world's oldest person, Susannah Mushatt Jones, has died aged 116.Ms Jones died at a nursing home in Brooklyn, New York, according to Robert Young, a senior consultant for the Gerontology Research Group. He said she had been ill for the past 10 days. She was said to be a huge fan of bacon, eating it every day. For breakfast, she always ate four strips of bacon along with scrambled eggs and grits. Ms Jones was born in a small farm town near Montgomery, Alabama, in 1899. She was one of 11 siblings... Читать дальше...

The number of migrants arriving in Greece dropped 90 percent in April, the European Union border agency said today, a sign that an agreement with Turkey to control traffic between the two countries is working. The agency, Frontex, said 2,700 people arrived in Greece from Turkey in April, most of them from Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, a 90 percent decline from March. Under the EU's agreement with Turkey, all migrants and refugees, including Syrians, who cross to Greece illegally across the sea are sent back. Читать дальше...

Real Madrid can pip Barcelona to the La Liga title on Saturday even though their destiny is out of their hands, coach Zinedine Zidane said on the eve of the season finale. Real need to win at mid-table Deportivo La Coruna and hope leaders Barca, who are a point ahead of second-placed Real, fail to win at lowly Granada to lift a first league title since 2012. "We have faith in the league, we've won 11 games in a row and we're going to keep believing until the end, until the last minute, until the... Читать дальше...