Новости за 26.09.2016

A Syrian government offensive on the rebel-held eastern part of the city has entered its fourth day, after diplomatic efforts broke down last week. Residents say the ferocity of the bombing is "unprecedented". They shelter in their basements -- but the onslaught includes bunker-busting bombs that bring down entire buildings with people huddled inside. A quarter of a million people are trapped in eastern Aleppo. Hundred have been reported killed in the bombing including dozens of children. The offensive... Читать дальше...

Pembroke Athleta handed Birkirkara their second league defeat of the season when they beat them 2-1 at the Tedesco Stadium. The Blues almost took the lead on nine minutes when Manolito Micallef flashed into the area but his angled drive finished over. Birkirkara’s response was very weak and instead it was Pembroke who took the lead on 34 minutes. Asani Djeljlj picked Adrian Borg who tucked the ball home from close in. The Stripes looked rattled and in time added on they almost conceded a second.... Читать дальше...

Balzan continued their positive start to the 2016/17 football season today when they eased past Gżira United 3-1 at the Tedesco Stadium. Gżira started brightly and after two minutes Juan Corbalan forced Ivan Janjusevic into a fine one-handed save. Balzan gradually came more into the picture and Gżira goalkeeper Jurgen Borg did well to block Abdel Karim Nafti’s drive. The Reds took the lead on 33 minutes when Steve Bezzina picked Bojan Kaljevic inside the area. The Montenegrin headed the ball into... Читать дальше...

Consultation will kick off this week on a Bill which could see the revocation of the licence of homes for the elderly that do not adhere to care standards. The Bill, aimed at rising elderly care standards, sets the financial penalty for homes that break the law at €5,000. In cases of repeated failure to manage the home according to its classified category, there would be a daily penalty of €3,500. The consultation on the Homes for Older Persons (Care Quality Standards) Authority Act will be launched on Wednesday... Читать дальше...

Three men were injured this afternoon, one critically, in an explosion on a van in Aldo Moro Road, Marsa. The cause of the blast which happened at about 6.15pm was not immediately known but explosive material was found on the scene. The inside of the driver's cabin was extensively damaged and two men who were there - a 35-year-old from Qormi and a 45-year-old from Naxxar were injured. One of them had a severe foot injury and his condition was described as critical. According to sources, he is suffering... Читать дальше...

Two men are believed to have been injured in what was described by eyewitnesses as 'an explosion' on a van in Aldo Moro Road, Marsa, this afternoon. The blast happened at about 6.15pm. The cause was not immediately known, although the 'explosion' could have been a blown front tyre. An eyewitness said the incident involved a white Transit van which then crashed into a lamp post. A man was treated for a severely injured leg. The windows of a car which was being driven alongside were shattered and its driver was also injured. Читать дальше...

English Premier League followers are fuming as more often than not teams playing in the traditional Saturday 4pm bracket will not be screened live on GO’s premium sports channel, which holds the exclusive rights for Malta. Last weekend, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur fans had to wait till 6.15pm to see their team in action.  Next week it will be the turn of Chelsea’s supporters as for the second time in a fortnight none of the Saturday afternoon games will be screened live. UK football followers... Читать дальше...

UK Police were given a "shock" when they were called to reports of an assault, only to find two comedy "zombies" running late. Officers rushed to the scene at junction 11 of the M62 on Sunday after receiving a call that a woman was being assaulted by a man in a car. But when they arrived it turned out to be two actors - a man and a woman - on their way back from working as extras on the set of Dead Town, an online sitcom set in Runcorn, Cheshire. The show's director Peter Mckeirnon spoke to Wish FM after a picture of the couple... Читать дальше...

A troubled lawyer opened fire on commuters in Houston, injuring at least nine people before being fatally shot by police, authorities said. Six victims were taken to hospitals and three were treated at the scene after being shot at while inside their vehicles in the wealthy neighborhood of West University Place, acting Houston Police Chief Martha Montalvo told reporters. One of the victims was in critical condition and another was in serious condition. Montalvo declined to identify the suspect but... Читать дальше...

Rehearsals are in progress for Vespers, a double bill of contemporary dance works inspired by the plays of Federico García Lorca will be shortly performed in Malta. The performance will take place on October 8 and 9 at Pjazza Teatru Rjal. Diciembre Dance Group's Blood Wedding is a work fusing contemporary and flamenco dance styles, uniting professional dancers and people from the community, and intertwining Maltese and Spanish cultures. Under the artistic direction of Lucía Piquero, the work is... Читать дальше...

One of the largest sports facilities in Malta is surrounded by neglect – with trailers parked haphazardly along the streets. As soon as sports enthusiasts make a left turn, ahead of the traffic lights at the top of Corradino Road, heading to Telgħa ta’ Ras Ħanżir, they are welcomed by a wall that seems to be supported by tree trunks. Part of the wall has in fact collapsed and has been left as is for months, noted Ronnie Calleja, general manager of Assoċjazzjoni Sportiva Hibernians. Driving on into Corradino Heights... Читать дальше...

Halmann Vella has been named a National Champion for Malta in The European Business Awards, sponsored by RSM. This is Europe’s largest business competition set up to celebrate business excellence and best practice in the European business community. The Award, now in its 10th year, is supported by business leaders, academics and political representatives from across Europe, and this year engaged with over 33,000 businesses from 34 countries. Halmann Vella was chosen after the first phase of judging by an independent panel. Читать дальше...

Azerbaijan held a referendum today to extend the presidential term from five to seven years, a step that a European democracy watchdog said would hand unprecedented power to President Ilham Aliyev. Aliyev, 54, succeeded his father as president in 2003 and can seek re-election indefinitely after term limits were scrapped in another referendum seven years ago. There are 5.3 million eligible voters in the oil-producing, former Soviet republic. The authorities argue that a longer presidential term will make for more continuity in decision-making... Читать дальше...

An incident where a man opened fire near a supermarket west of Paris and seriously injured two people does not initially appear to have been an act of terrorism, a spokeswoman for the Versailles public prosecutor's office said. The man, believed to be in his 60s, went back to his home and elite police are now at the building. The incident happened near a supermarket in Port-Marly, about 20 km or so west of Paris. "He went home and the RAID (elite police unit) is readying for negotiations with him," said the spokeswoman. Читать дальше...

The use of tablets by teachers and LSAs in schools is currently limited to training and familiarisation only, the Malta Union of Teachers said this afternoon. It said this had been previously agreed with the Ministry of Education until a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is signed. "It is important that all colleges are aware of this to avoid any issues that could affect discussions on the MOU," the union said. "No one can expect tablets to be used in classrooms until an MOU is in place and news... Читать дальше...

A 42-year-old man has been jailed for six years and six months for being an accomplice in the dramatic attempted hold-up on a Valletta jewellery in 2010. Jason Galea, of Birżebbuga, was found guilty of taking part in the early-morning hold-up on Frank Zampa Jewellery on September 18, 2010. Mr Zampa, then 79, had foiled the hold-up when he surprised the aggressors -armed with an iron bar and a fake gun - by resisting them. In 2011, Marcus John Calleja, 37 of Balzan, admitted his involvement in the same crime and was jailed for three years. Читать дальше...

The upcoming high-rise projects in Mrieħel and Tigné would each contribute €50,000 to a new artistic fund, according to the Office of the Prime Minister. The funds have not yet been allocated as the two permits granted last month were still not executable, an OPM spokesman said in response to questions from this newspaper. This is due to a pending appeal over the 38-storey Townsquare project in Tigné, while in the case of the towers at Mrieħel, the developer is yet to pay the bank guarantee and other required fees. Читать дальше...

The MSE Share Index closed higher for the third consecutive trading session as it advanced by a further 0.11% to a near three-week high of 4,430.575 points. However, trading activity was very low and only 4 equities traded today. Most of today’s trading activity took place in the equity of HSBC Bank Malta plc, as eight deals totalling 29,469 shares pushed the share price to its highest level in more than seven weeks of €1.63 (+0.6%). Also in the retail banking sector, Bank of Valletta plc closed... Читать дальше...

Residents and environmentalists in Venice have protested against huge cruise ships being allowed to pass through canals, amid concerns that they cause damage to the already fragile city. See video above.

The former managing director of Allied Newspapers, Adrian Hillman, has denied claims by his former employers that he used company funds without the authorisation of the board of directors. Mr Hillman made his denial in a judicial letter after Allied Newspapers last week filed a judicial letter calling on him to refund money he had used without authorisation during his tenure. The company called on Mr Hillman to repay amounts spent on company credit cards or transferred to other bank accounts without authorisation... Читать дальше...

A British woman is believed to have become the world's youngest ever commercial airline captain at just 26 years old, after she flew a plane from Gatwick to Malta.  Kate McWilliams, originally from Carlisle, told the Press Association she gets quizzed about her age by cabin crew and passengers almost every day and most are "pleasantly surprised and impressed" when she tells them her age. She began flying aged 13 in the air cadets before embarking on a training programme at CTC Aviation in Southampton on her 19th birthday. Читать дальше...

The hunters' association Kaċċaturi San Ubertu (KSU) has described BirdLife calls for the closure of the autumn hunting season as extremist. The association referred to  an ongoing Council of Europe initiative on the illegal killing of birds, whereby the 'BirdLife partnership' quantified the extent of illegalities per country. That data, the association said, proved Malta’s government was doing far more to stop illegalities than elsewhere and it rendered Birdlife Malta’s claims insignificant in comparison to other nations. Читать дальше...

Scientists in Britain have found a new link between the diversity of bacteria in human poo - the human fecal microbiome - and levels of harmful types of body fat. In research that may help explain why excessive weight problems and obesity tend to run in families, the scientists said high levels of visceral fat - which is linked to risks of chronic disease - were linked to having a relatively small range of bacteria in faeces. People with a high diversity of bacteria in their faeces had lower levels of visceral fat... Читать дальше...

The yearly advance and intermediate examination results should be published without further delay, the Studenti Demokratici Maltin said today. The statement from the students' organisation comes after MATSEC today "finally" published the Ordinary Level September session examination results. It said a number of educational institutions have already started their new scholastic year or will do so in the coming days.  A number of students have contacted SDM expressing their anger at the current situation... Читать дальше...

Libya's prime minister called for a national reconciliation initiative to repair the divisions in a fragmented country reeling from the turbulence that has followed the fall of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Fayez Seraj also told Reuters in an interview that the battle against Islamic State militants in their former stronghold of Sirte was in its last stages, although bombings and booby traps still posed a challenge. Gaddafi's fall in 2011 brought chaos that splintered the North African country into rival armed fiefdoms. Читать дальше...