Новости за 03.07.2016

Australians have woken up to a government plagued by uncertainty after a stunningly close general election failed to deliver a clear winner, raising the prospect of a hung parliament. The gamble by prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to call a rare early election may have failed, with his conservative Liberal Party-led coalition on track to lose a swathe of seats in the House of Representatives - and potentially control of the country. On Sunday, a day after the election, the race remained too close to call... Читать дальше...

Germany's players hailed their first victory against Italy in a major tournament as an exceptional moment in their history as they reached the Euro 2016 semi-finals by beating their old rivals 6-5 on penalties. But the eventful shootout, with seven players failing to convert their kicks, left pundits dismayed with some saying it was the worst set of penalties ever seen at a major finals. "I can still speak," said breathless Germany keeper Manuel Neuer, who saved two spot kicks as the world champions... Читать дальше...

Lina Brockdorff’s beautiful War Memoirs, originally published in Maltese as Sireni u Serenati, are now available in English. But oddly enough, no mention whatsoever has been made in the papers and in the many promotional reviews which appeared all over the place, that the English translation of the work was mine. And cynical that I am, I think that this has been intentional all along. Only, I don’t know why. It is after all ethical that a translated work carries the name of its translator. But ethics... Читать дальше...

Plans for seriously high buildings should raise questions about the safety of these proposed constructions. How well, or badly, would our high-rise buildings resist an earthquake on the scale that took place here in 1693, wrecking part of the Mdina Cathedral, or something similar to the earthquake which devastated Messina in 1908, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths? To resist collapse in an earthquake, tall buildings need specially engineered foundations.  Who is responsible for this in Malta? Читать дальше...

May I draw the attention of the public and all organisations that the name of the Santa Luċija valley is ‘Wied Ġarnaw’ and not ‘Wied Garnaw’. The name ‘Ġarnaw’ was established by proclamation published in Government Gazette number 8710 of  May 17, 1940. This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

Whilst on a recent flight to Rome on our national airline Air Malta, I greatly admired the crew. Notwithstanding a nearly full plane and the short distance, they went that extra mile and took care to ensure the passengers were comfortable all along – and this they did with a genuine smile. However, a complaint with regard to the in-flight catering (sic) is due. The tuna baguette (meal) which the passengers were given was stale and almost frozen. I couldn’t help noticing the passengers on my right who... Читать дальше...

Ħondoq in Gozo, a beautiful piece of land, should be returned to its original ODZ status and ideally be turned into a national park and protected against future threats of development. It should be saved for locals, visitors and future generations to enjoy. We pray for a positive outcome in favour of Ħondoq Bay. We should think in human and not financial terms. This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

Konrad Mizzi is charismatic, charming and polite. Nevertheless, irrespective of how minor his misdemeanor was, Mizzi has been associated with the Panama Papers. However, other ministers who made an even slighter gaffe, such as Manuel Mallia, whose only mistake was some mix-up over a telephone call,  was ‘grounded’. Who would not become agitated after an ordeal such as the one he had been through? If Prime Minister Joseph Muscat wants to gain a substantial amount of votes at the next election, I suggest he develops eyes at the back of his head. Читать дальше...

Arkadia Group gave an update on the works in progress of the €10 million investment at Is-Suq tal-Belt, which is being restored to its former glory and is planned to open by the end of next year. Recounting his childhood experience of the Valletta market, managing director Brian Mizzi said he felt honoured that the Mizzi Organisation had been entrusted with this project. He is seen here (third from left) with Philip Micallef, Marco Casamonti, Jason Micallef, Maria Micallef, Antoine Portelli, Carmel Cuschieri, Joseph Micallef and Stephen Mifsud.

How can a highly qualified French person (with a PhD in French) not be accepted to teach French in a Maltese school on the grounds that they want someone who has a BA in English and Maltese from the University of Malta? Not only is this absolutely illegal but it speaks volumes about the level of teaching. No wonder pupils make mistakes and cannot speak French. No wonder there are so many mistakes in signs in French and no wonder translations into French are often illegible. This article is part of our premium content. Читать дальше...

British High Commissioner Rob Luke and his wife Louise hosted the Queen’s Birthday Party at their residence in San Pawl tat-Tarġa. This year’s event was a special celebration of Her Majesty’s 90th birthday. Guests arrived to the sounds of piper Mario Farrugia and later enjoyed entertainment by a UK tribute band, The Counterfeit Beatles. The national anthems were performed by Rachel Fabri, who has strong connections to the UK. Typical British food and drink was served, including fish and chips, a selection of British cheeses and Pimms.

A strategy needs to be devised for the electrical wiring that runs along homes and streets, including telephony wiring. When looking from roofs it seems so clear that there is no system or enforcement whatsoever to remove unnecessary cables and aerials. Building haphazardly without very sound planning will eventually make the place look ruinous. This article is part of our premium content. Full story is available on Times of Malta Premium.

The restored Siculo-Byzantinesque painting of Our Lady of Mellieħa depicting the Madonna and Child was officially inaugurated by Archbishop Charles Scicluna during a ceremony held at the Mellieħa Sanctuary. Visitors to the sanctuary can now admire the 14th century painting which includes various inscriptions of historical value uncovered during the restoration process. “The Sanctuary dates back to the 14th century and probably further back,” said Fr Joe Caruana, Mellieħa parish priest. “Historical... Читать дальше...

The Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government would like to clarify the caption underneath Minister Owen Bonnici’s picture carried in this newspaper on June 19, in the section ‘’Week in pictures’. The urgent Justice Reform Bill moved in February does not only reform the way members of the judiciary are appointed but also regulates matters relating to the accountability of the members of the judiciary and their pensions. It seems that, for this paper, matters relating to the increased accountability... Читать дальше...

Germany defeated old rivals Italy 6-5 in a penalty shootout at Euro 2016 with a winning spot kick from Jonas Hector after the game finished 1-1 following extra time to reach the semi-finals. They will now face the winners of the other quarter-final between hosts France and Iceland, who play tomorrow. Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil, who had experienced a quiet tournament so far, was in the right place to open the scroring in the 65th minute when he turned in Jonas Hector's cutback after good work from Mario Gomez down the left. Читать дальше...