Новости за 13.07.2016

Boris Johnson's appointment as Foreign Secretary is likely to raise eyebrows after he blazed a trail of high-profile gaffes and controversies on the international stage.It is just a few months since the blond Brexiteer-in-chief was criticised for describing US president Barack Obama as a "part-Kenyan" who harboured an "ancestral dislike" of Britain after he came out in favour of the Remain campaign.He followed those remarks in The Sun in April by winning £1,000 in a competition run by the Spectator magazine the following month... Читать дальше...

Despite being legally bound to submit their annual tax returns by a set deadline in a bid to improve accountability, a significant number of organisations are still missing this target, the NGO watchdog has said. The issue was flagged in the 2015 annual report of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations and debated yesterday by the Social Affairs Parliamentary Committee. In the year under review, a total of 645 annual returns were submitted, of which 404 satisfied the criteria of the Voluntary Organisations Act. Читать дальше...

Female choreography took over Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta yesterday as the ŻfinMalta dance ensemble performed three works for the Malta International Arts Festival. Tlieta (3) is an evening of three works by three female choreographers and three female composers. The theme revolves around identity, collectively engaging with notions of communication, construction, destruction and resistance. The role of the female choreographer, set against the tradition of male choreographers in dance, is of particular interest in contemporary discourse. Читать дальше...

Plans to regenerate Antoine de Paule square in Paola were given the go-ahead by the Planning Authority today, in a decision celebrated by the Consultative Council for the South. The proposal would see traffic restricted and pedestrian zones extended, said council chairman and Labour Party MP Silvio Parnis.  Mr Parnis, who served as Paola mayor in the 1990s, said the project involved a collective effort from Paola local councillors, residents, the area's commercial sector and all those with the town's interest at heart. Читать дальше...

Updated 9.52pm Boris Johnson has been appointed Foreign Secretary by UK Prime Minister Theresa May, Downing Street has confirmed.  The former London mayor and 'Leave' campaigner will replace Philip Hammond, who was made Chancellor of the Exchequer following George Osborne's decision to quit the government. His role in Britain's negotiations over its future relationship with the EU is likely to be limited, given that May is expected to create a new ministerial post focused on Brexit. Nevertheless... Читать дальше...

A provision in the law establishing the Lands Authority would allow the minister responsible to assume its duties if it failed to follow their orders, Opposition MP Francis Zammit Dimech said today.  Reading directly from the proposed bill, Dr Zammit Dimech narrowed down on article 17 (3), which would grant the Prime Minister discretion to assign the authority's functions to the relevant minister "in part or in full".  Dr Zammit Dimech called the provision "scandalous" and said that Malta was caught... Читать дальше...

Discomfort among MPs was palpable as they convened to listen to and interview Joe Magro, the man who wants lawmakers to legalise euthanasia and "let me end my life with dignity".  “I have the right on my life and no one else,” affirmed Mr Magro in a heartfelt plea. The MPs were faced with a tangible case of balancing a difficult issue with the ethics of a common good.Social Affairs Committee chairman Godfrey Farrugia argued that euthanasia was a charged topic which needed to be discussed on an ethical level and not within religious parameters. Читать дальше...

China, backed by its richest man, has struck a deal with FIFA to host the first China Cup from next year, a competition that will pit its national side against three international "first-class" teams - and hopefully pave the way to football glory. Chinese property tycoon Wang Jianlin, whose Dalian Wanda conglomerate is already a high-level FIFA sponsor, said on Wednesday that his group and the Chinese Football Association would host the contest in the southern city of Nanning: four games played over a week every January. Читать дальше...

Update 7.17 Theresa May has been appointed the UK's second female Prime Minister in a private audience with the Queen at which she was invited to form a Government. And in her first speech as Prime Minister, Mrs May promised to create "a country that works for everyone". Speaking outside the famous black door of 10 Downing Street, Mrs May said that the decisions of her administration would be driven not by the interests of "the privileged few" but those of voters struggling with the pressures of modern life. Читать дальше...

Hoteliers are being given a 15 per cent rebate on the 50c daily eco-contribution per tourist, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said today.  The rebate was introduced following advice given by members of the industry, the minister said. Replying to questions tabled in parliament by Censu Galea (PN), Dr Zammit Lewis blamed the delay in collecting the eco-contribution on a prohibitory injunction filed by members of the tourism sector. Revenue raised by the eco-contribution would be ring-fenced for tourism projects... Читать дальше...

The estranged husband of Eleanor Mangion Walker has been charged with having murdered her on July 2.  Andrew Mangion, 40, pleaded not guilty to the charge in a court session presided by magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, as relatives of his apprehensively followed proceedings.  The Swieqi resident and handyman by profession gave himself up to authorities last week following a two-day manhunt.  He was subsequently held at Mount Carmel hospital for treatment, with Inspector Keith Arnaud telling the court that he was only interrogated yesterday... Читать дальше...

Update 6.25pm - Home Affairs ministry reaction Seven inmates are taking the Home Affairs Minister and the director of prisons to court after being denied the right to live as females and being confined to the male section of the correctional facility. The court application states that the transgender women were made to suffer intense humiliation and degradation, without respect to their private life and without being protected from discrimination. Aditus Foundation director Neil Falzon, who was one... Читать дальше...

Update 6.13pm - Archbishop bemoans sludge A foamy surface sludge has coated the sea in parts of St Paul's Bay, sending swimmers scrambling ashore. In this photo sent to us by a Times of Malta reader, just one brave soul can be seen in the water, at a time when the area is usually full of beachgoers.  Archbishop Charles Scicluna was among those bemoaned the "gelatinous white sludge", which he blamed on nearby fish farms.  Have photos or video you'd like to share with us? Email mynews@timesofmalta.com... Читать дальше...

A 37-year-old man was arraigned this afternoon and charged with attempting to defraud the owners of a Rabat jewellery shop out of some €20,000.Antoine Giscard Nyonga, a French citizen, appeared before Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberrras dressed in the suit and tie he was wearing when arrested.Prosecuting officer Robert Said Sarreo explained that, a week before, two men described as having dark skin had approached the owners of the jewellery shop on the premise of making a deal and exchanging their... Читать дальше...

Singer Taylor Swift has topped this year's Forbes list of the world's 100 highest paid celebrities, earning €153 million, mainly thanks to her hugely successful "1989" world tour. The singer, 26, came ahead of boy band One Direction, currently on a break, who took second place with €99 million. "The pop superstar smashed the Rolling Stones' North American touring record, grossing $200 million (€180 million) on the continent en route to a quarter-billion dollars in total for her 1989 World Tour," Forbes said in a statement. Читать дальше...

A 32-year-old Ghanaian desperate to return to his home country smashed his rental apartment's furniture in frustration at bureaucratic red tape, a court heard today.  Frederick Ofosu was arraigned before Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras this afternoon and charged with damaging another person’s property, using insulting language, threatening police and disobeying police orders.Prosecuting officer Nicholas Vella told the court how the police were called after noises were heard emanating from an apartment in Buġibba. Читать дальше...

Germany and France want to forge closer defence cooperation in the European Union following the departure of Britain, which has "paralysed" such initiatives in the past, German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen has said. Presenting a report on German security policy, von der Leyen said Germany and France would lead talks with other countries to assess their appetite for common projects and with the long-term aim of moving toward a common security and defence union. "I can tell you from experience... Читать дальше...

Facebook is testing a new messenger app which automatically deletes messages sent in a "secret conversation". Messages included in the "secret conversation" are end-to-end encrypted and can be scheduled to be permanently deleted, although encryption means they can only be read on a single device.  Facebook's move comes a few months after fellow messaging app WhatsApp launched a similar cybersecurity system with end-to-end encryption, ensuring third parties can neither access chats or listen to phone calls. Читать дальше...

Malta’s first Institute of Diving Medicine and Safety has unveiled its academic programme, two months after its creation was announced by DAN Europe and the Malta Institute of Tourism Studies. IDMS courses include: Diving First Aid and Emergency Management, Diving Safety and Risk Assessment, Marine Biology and Conservation, Diving Research and Citizen Science Programs, and Diving Medicine Programs for Professionals, Nurses, Technicians and Physicians. The courses are aimed at divers, diving professionals... Читать дальше...

The Planning Authority has approved two applications to reserve parking spaces at Ramla Bay in Gozo to rent out deckchairs and umbrellas from a parked vehicle, despite the continued lack of a much needed holistic plan for the area. There are already two permits, approved last year, offering the same service in the area, which is designated in the local plan for parking. The local plan specifically states that no new planning permissions should be awarded in the area until a comprehensive master plan for the bay is approved. Читать дальше...

The MSE Share Index extended yesterday’s decline by a further 0.08 per cent to 4,528.825 points as the declines in the share prices of BOV and MaltaPost outweighed the gains registered in FIMBank and Loqus Holdings. The highlight of the day was the 1.9 per cent increase in the share price of FIMBank plc which helped the equity climb to a fresh seven-year high of USD1.019. A total of 94,730 shares changed hands today. Yesterday, the trade finance specialist announced that its Board of Directors will... Читать дальше...

If you were compiling a list of the best weight-loss foods to add to your diet, you’d be forgiven for omitting pasta.We’re forever being told that in order to shed pounds, we need to be cutting right back on complex carbohydrates. However, a new study from Italy (where else!) has suggested that pasta is not fattening and could actually help to reduce the likelihood of obesity.Much to the delight of spaghetti lovers everywhere, the Neuromed Institute research - published in the Nature & Diabetes Journal - concluded that as part of a healthy... Читать дальше...

The disused underground 'A' power station in Marsa will be partially open for viewing as it hosts an exhibition by architecture students on how they feel Marsa should be redeveloped. Called A Vision for the Redevelopment of Malta’s Industrial Heartland, the exhibition opens on Friday (5-8pm) and continues on Saturday and Sunday (9am to 1pm).  "Marsa is synonymous with industrial harbour activities, with the Power Station, and with ship-building. It is closely associated with sports, and with horse-racing. Читать дальше...

The sum of €5,355 was collected in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza by the Żurrieq community. Funds were raised during the Fly a Kite for Charity event held at Ġnien il-Ġibjun. While the main attraction was the Maltese kite, funds were also raised through the selling of cakes, books and knitted items.

Malta International Airport is expecting a record 4.97 million passengers to pass through the airport by the end of the year. In a statement, the company said the first six months of this year saw passenger numbers rise by 195,574 compared to the same period last year, an increase of 9.8 per cent. MIA CEO Alan Borg said this increase was even more significant as the growth was registered in both peak and shoulder months, in line with the country's strategy to promote Malta as a year-round destination. Читать дальше...