Новости за 13.07.2016

The girlfriend of murder victim Giuseppe Cutajar, also known as il-Lion, has been acquitted of money laundering charges after the prosecution did not adequately prove that the money, yacht and jewels she owned were the proceeds of criminal conduct. In May of 2012, Sharon Camilleri and Mr Cutajar, who was murdered seven months later, were arraigned in court and charged with money laundering. The couple had a two-year-old daughter and a four-month old baby at the time. Police investigations revealed... Читать дальше...

China has vowed to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty in the South China Sea and said it has the right to set up an air defence zone, after rejecting an international tribunal's ruling that denied its claims in the region. The case, overseeing an energy-rich region that is home to also one of the world's busiest trade routes, has been seen as a test of China's rising power and its economic and strategic rivalry with the United States. China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin... Читать дальше...

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was cautious when asked about Theresa May, who will be Britain's first woman prime minister since Margaret Thatcher. Before the referendum, May had campaigned for Britain to remain in the EU, albeit in a low-key fashion. Since the vote, she has repeatedly said that "Brexit means Brexit" and her backers say she is determined to make the exit a success. Supporters say she has steely determination, pays attention to detail and focuses on getting on with the job at hand. Читать дальше...

The anti-censorship bill approved by Parliament yesterday does away with “old-fashioned laws”, replacing them with ones that are better address society’s needs, Culture Minister Owen Bonello said this morning. Addressing a press conference in Parliament, the minister said that while laws on hate speech had been amended, offering victims of such crimes better protection, vilification of religion has been decriminalised. “We have updated those laws that serve to protect those who are most vulnerable... Читать дальше...

Lija local council and residents have accused the Planning Authority of ignoring their arguments after it gave the go-ahead for a five-storey apartment block in a quiet area currently characterised by low-lying villas. There was uproar as the Planning Commission board gave its unanimous verdict at a packed hearing this afternoon, with residents shouting that the authority had been reduced to selling apartments and that the case had been pre-decided. “The board simply wasn’t ready to listen; our arguments... Читать дальше...

Updated - David Cameron signed off as Prime Minister in the House of Commons this afternoon with advice for successor Theresa May to keep the UK "as close to the European Union as possible". After being forced out of the premiership by last month's referendum vote to quit the EU, Mr Cameron won a standing ovation from Conservative MPs and applause from some of the opposition as he ended his last session of Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons by telling them: "I was the future once."... Читать дальше...

A young Pakistani couple’s honeymoon didn’t go according to their plans, when the newly-wed husband was not allowed to join their romantic getaway. Huma Mobin and Arsalaan Sever, who were married earlier this year, were planning to travel to Greece for their honeymoon, but the Greek border agency had different plans. Arsalaan was not permitted a visa, but  the couple had already paid for their holiday. Huma went without him, accompanied by her new in-laws. She was upset over the missed honeymoon, but still decided to make the most of the trip.

Italian mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano, one of the most notorious crime figures of his time, has died in a Milan hospital at the age of 83, prison authorities said. Provenzano was the undisputed head of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra Mafia from 1993 until his arrest in 2006 ended 43 years on the run. As a young hitman in Corleone, the hill town near Palermo made famous in the Godfather films, Provenzano made a name for himself with such ruthlessness he became known as "Binnu the tractor" because of the way he mowed down clan enemies.

Former MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando is calling on the telecommunications companies and the government to stop blogs that, he said, have no journalistic purpose but constitute menacing content or annoyance. In a judicial protest filed today, Dr Pullicino Orlando, executive chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Technology, said that as a person in public life, he understood that he was subject to public scrutiny and journalistic comment and he did not wish to hinder this in any way.  However... Читать дальше...

Starting from today, Times of Malta will be publishing a series of historic and memorable pictures on its Facebook page.  Derived from Times of Malta's archives, the section entitled Times Gone By is accessible simply by liking our Facebook page.  A different picture will be uploaded daily to the Facebook page around noon.  Pictures were mostly taken by Times of Malta's photographers though a thousands of pictures were lost when Strickland House was burnt down in 1979. If you have any old pictures... Читать дальше...

Only 2,485 students achieved grades of between one and five from 4,597 who sat for the Maths O level exam in May, figures issued today show. 2,720 passed their Maltese out of 4166 candidates.  In the English language exam 3,023 passed out of 4,611. 32 per cent failed their Italian and 23 per cent failed their French. The failure rate for German was 18 per cent. See the roundup for all subjects on pdf below.  FREE REVISION CLASSES The Ministry for Education said it is offering free SEC revision classesfor... Читать дальше...

Nearly four months following the launch of an investigation into the Gaffarena scandal, the police refuse to say if the probe has been concluded and whether they will be pressing charges. This newspaper reported in March that the police had seized Land Department files related to the case involving the expropriation of half a Valletta palazzoin Old Mint Street worth €944,500, for which businessman Mark Gaffarena was given €3.4 million in cash and property. The case led to the resignation of Michael... Читать дальше...

Full-time employment increased by 4.0 per cent in February while part-time employment as a primary job increased by 5.6 per cent when compared to February last year, the NSO said today. The labour supply (excluding part-timers) increased by 2.9 per cent, reaching 179,711. This was mainly attributed to an increase in the full-time gainfully occupied population (6,765) and a drop in unemployment (1,679). Registered full-time employmentIn February 2016, arts, entertainment and recreation and administrative... Читать дальше...

Theresa May is set to take over as UK Prime Minister today and the pound continues to regain lost ground against a number of peers on optimism of re found political stability ahead of Brexit talks with the European Union. Uncertainty remains in the foreground of market sentiment however, and the sterling depreciation is possibly far from over until more concrete information is known on how May will tackle such talks. The Bank of England in fact is due to decrease interest rates by 25 basis points... Читать дальше...

Manager Juergen Klopp has told Mario Balotelli that with so much competition for places up front at Liverpool he should look for another club. Balotelli has returned for pre-season training following an unsuccessful loan spell at AC Milan but is well down the pecking order at Liverpool, who also have Daniel Sturridge, Christian Benteke, Divock Origi and Danny Ings on the books. "I have spoken to him about this," the manager told reporters. "He's not at the stage of his career where he should be battling... Читать дальше...

Living at the mercy of a degenerative disease that could lead to complete paralysis, Joe Magro tells Kurt Sansone why he would like euthanasia to become legal. Just over a year ago, Joe Magro stood bewildered in front of the bathroom mirror unable to shave his face as he had always done. He had no explanation for the sudden impairment. Medical tests later confirmed that he had developed problems in his central nervous system. The harsh news followed: he probably had ALS, a neurodegenerative disease... Читать дальше...

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi this morning was unable to say when the Intelligent Traffic Management System installed in Malta's roads will become fully functional. The issue was raised in parliament by Opposition leader Simon Busuttil after the Sunday Times of Malta reported how the system is currently only being used to transmit announcements such as warnings against drink driving or using a mobile phone behind the wheel. Mr Mizzi said the system was actually meant to have been set up by the former government. Читать дальше...

The mother of Archbishop emeritus Paul Cremona, Josephine, passed away last night. She was 94. Archbishop Charles J Scicluna expressed his condolences. See Mrs Cremona's comments after Mgr Cremona was announced as Archbishop of Malta at http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20070127/local/meet-the-parents.28381

More than 30 people became ill in an apparent mass drug overdose on a New York City street corner, sparking warnings from police and health chiefs. Calls started coming in late yesterday that numerous people appeared to be overdosing in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighbourhood of Brooklyn. Witnesses reported seeing victims lying on the pavement, shaking and leaning against trees and fire hydrants. Thirty-three people were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. It was not immediately... Читать дальше...

A takeaway shop owner in New Zealand stopped an armed robber by ignoring him and continuing to serve another customer. CCTV footage showed the incident unfold at Egyptian Kebab House in Christchurch, New Zealand. After the robber left, shopkeeper Said Ahmed called the police. Local media interviewed him and asked how he felt.  "Quite lucky because that reaction come to my head in that moment. I'm not a hero but, you know, I controlled my reaction," he said. The video was recently posted on the Christchurch... Читать дальше...

A gay couple has become the first in Malta to adopt a child in the wake of its civil union. One News reported that the go-ahead for adoption was given by the Family Court yesterday for the adoption by the two men.   The Civil Unions law gives same-sex couples the same rights as in marriage, including the right to adopt, although gay adoptions were never technically illegal.   The adoption process is centred around an assessment of the suitability of the applicants by the Family Court.

The following are the top stories in the Maltese newspapers today. Times of Malta reveals that the GO sale to a Tunisian company is under the spotlight because of potential conflict of interest. The current majority shareholder also has a stake in the chosen bidder.  It also reports how an ALS patient will make his case for the legalisation of euthanasia when he speaks before Parliament’s Family Affairs Committee this evening. MaltaToday reports how a court has issued an injunction preventing the Air Malta pilots' from calling strikes. Читать дальше...

It may not make you immortal, but a ruby red superfruit revered in ancient times as “food of the gods” could hold the key to youthful ageing. The pomegranate contains a chemical that combats a fundamental ageing process which causes muscles to weaken, scientists have said. As in every legend involving a hidden secret to staying young, there is a catch, however. To experience any anti-ageing benefit from the pomegranate compound you must first possess the ‘right’ sort of gut bacteria. The microbes... Читать дальше...

ALS sufferer Joe Magro will make his case for the legalisation of euthanasia when he speaks in front of Parliament’s Family Affairs Committee this evening. Mr Magro will tell MPs of his yearning to live in dignity and which he fears will be taken away from him when his neurodegenerative disease leaves him totally paralysed. “I feel my life will lack dignity if I am totally paralysed and dependent on others, which is why I would like to have the possibility to die in a legal way,” Mr Magro told the Times of Malta. Читать дальше...

The upcoming sale of Malta’s telecommunications operator GO to Tunisia’s national telecom company is under scrutiny in both countries due to potential conflicts of interest. Telecom industry sources told this newspaper that both the Maltese and the Tunisian regulatory authorities were having another look at the deal in view of the fact that GO’s majority shareholder, Dubai’s Emirates International Telecommunications (EIT), was also the sole minority private shareholder in Tunisie Telecom (TT), making the venture seem “odd”. Читать дальше...