Новости за 09.11.2016

The members of the Electoral Commission nominated by the government and the opposition have clashed on the re-drawing of electoral boundaries and produced separate reports, which were tabled in Parliament this evening. Although Malta has strict proportionality between votes cast in general elections and representation in parliament when two political parties are successful at a general election, the boundaries come into play in determining the result should a third party successfully elect a candidate. Читать дальше...

Two men from Georgia and another from Uzbekistan appeared before a magistrate in Gozo today, accused of two burglaries and attempting a third. The three were arrested last week after somebody alerted an off-duty policeman to their suspicious movement. The officer in turn summoned help and proceeded to arrest them. They were found in possession of a number of items denoting that they were preparing a burglary. The police said the two men from Georgia, aged 54 and 31 and a 46-year-old from Uzbekistan... Читать дальше...

A truck driver from Gozo was ordered to pay a fine of €4,000 and condemned to 250 hours of community work after being found guilty of having caused the death of a motorcyclist in an accident which took place in Gozo in July 2013.  Paul Borg, 52, of Victoria was accused of having been responsible for the death of Michaelangelo Zammit, also a Gozitan, as a result of negligent driving. The accused was driving his truck along a main road in Ghasri on July 16, 2013 at around 7.30pm, when the victim drove... Читать дальше...

A fisherman has been handed a suspended sentence after he admitted to shoplifting from the same supermarket on three occasions this year. Kamel Kacem, 44, from Tunisia appeared before Magistrate Audrey Demicoli this morning, charged with simple theft, having stolen items from Pavi in August, October and this month. The items stolen were returned, with the exception of €58.73 worth of goods, the court was told. Kacem pleaded guilty. In submissions on punishment, the defence argued that the value of the itemsstolen was minimal. Читать дальше...

The classic REM song was uploaded by an incredulous friend on Facebook this morning as the world was jolted out of its sleep to discover that a misogynistic, narcissistic, serial liar had been elected president of the so-called land of the free. It is not the end of the world, but there are worrying seismic shifts spawned by what we call democracy. The majority of Americans have opted for a man who steered one of the most amateur campaigns in history by attacking minorities and building walls while... Читать дальше...

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's renowned outspokenness may have rubbed off his Maltese counterpart George Vella, comments caught on camera suggest. "Let's have a handshake," Dr Vella can be heard telling Mr Johnson as camera shutter an flashes go off,  "[and] get rid of these people." The "people" Malta's Foreign Minister was referring to were the various journalists who had flocked to Dr Vella's Palazzo Parisio office in Valletta to document his brief meeting with Mr Johnson. The conversation... Читать дальше...

Working as a bus driver is no easy ride for women, fully aware of the widespread perception that it is a job for men. Yet for the 95 ladies behind the wheel of route buses, this is precisely what motivates them. The Times of Malta spoke to just four of them (who all happen to share the surname Spiteri but are unrelated). They admit that passengers are often taken aback upon realising they will be riding on a bus driven by a woman. Malta Public Transport general manager Konrad Pulè notes that about 10 per cent of all its employees are women. Читать дальше...

Donald Trump pulled off one of the biggest upsets in American political history when he toppled Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday - and he did it using far less cash than his rival. Relying heavily on an unorthodox mix of social media, unfiltered rhetoric, and a knack for winning free TV time, the New York real estate businessman likely paid less than $5 per vote during his insurgent White House bid, about half what Clinton paid, according to a Reuters analysis of campaign finance records and voting data. Читать дальше...

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton delivered the most difficult speech of her long political career this afternoon, saying her defeat in the presidential election hurt, but fighting for what's right was worth it. In her address, frequently punctuated by applause, Mrs Clinton said she had offered to work with Mr Trump on behalf of the country and she hoped he would be a successful president for the sake of the country. “This is painful and it will be for a long time, but remember this, the campaign was not about one person or one election... Читать дальше...

A ballot measure to make recreational marijuana legal for adults was approved in California, opening the most populous US state to a burgeoning commercial cannabis market in a major victory for supporters of liberalised drug laws. Proposition 64 passed easily as statewide returns from the election showed nearly 56 per cent of voters favoring the measure and 44 per cent opposed, according to results on Wednesday morning reported from more than 90 per cent of precincts. California was by far the largest... Читать дальше...

US President-elect Donald Trump loves Twitter. But judging by the reaction to his electoral win, Twitter doesn't love him back.  With the world still coming to terms with the fact that the outspoken businessman will in January become the USA's 45th president, Twitter users flocked to the social network to share their thoughts - and they weren't pretty.  While more upbeat Democrats have already started looking ahead - 'Michelle Obama 2020' is trending - they were in a minority. Judging by the hashtags trending across the USA... Читать дальше...

Cuba has announced a week of pre-scheduled nationwide military exercises to prepare for "enemy actions", the day after the United States elected as president Donald Trump who has threatened to unravel the US-Cuban detente. Cuba did not directly link the exercises to the victory of Trump, who has threatened to reverse outgoing US President Barack Obama's moves to open relations with the island. But there has been no official reaction to the news yet. The announcement about the military exercises... Читать дальше...

Valletta FC are in favour of removing all restrictions on foreign players in the Maltese Premier League as the pool of homegrown players is too restricted, club president Victor Sciriha said today. Sciriha made the declaration this afternoon during a news conference in which Valletta unveiled Von Der Heyden Group (VDHG) as one of their new sponsors. At present, Premier League teams can field up to seven overseas players but Valletta FC are pushing for the freedom to play as many as 11 foreigners. Читать дальше...

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said today that he looks at Foreign Minister George Vella's speaking notes at EU meetings and always finds them very useful. "Our two countries have much in common," Mr Johnson said before meeting Dr Vella in Valletta during a short visit. The two ministers are discussing Brexit in the context of Malta's presidency of the EU, as well as bilateral relations. They sit near each other in meetings of EU foreign ministers.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that Russia was ready to fully restore relations with the United States following the election of businessman Donald Trump as the new U.S. president. Receiving credentials from new foreign ambassadors to Russia, Putin said he had heard Trump's campaign statements about improving ties with Moscow. He said Russia was ready do its part to achieve this but recognized it would not be easy. Improved relations would benefit both Russia and the United States, he added. Читать дальше...

The MSE Share Index moved higher for the third consecutive day as it gained a further 0.08% to 4,544.229 points. Trading activity was spread across five equities only, two of which registered gains, another two finished the day lower whilst Malta Properties Company plc maintained the €0.60 level on trivial volumes. Trading volumes were relatively healthy as €0.31 million worth of shares changed hands today of which nearly €0.25 million (or 79.4%) took place in Bank Valletta plc. The equity eased... Читать дальше...

Investigators have traced the getaway car allegedly used in last Monday’s arson attack in Paceville that left a car gutted, but the motive for the attack is not yet clear. The incident happened at around 10.30pm when an unidentified man wearing a crash helmet was seen throwing an object with flammable liquid through the window of a Honda Jazz in St George’s Park private car park. The perpetrator was chased by a resident but managed to flee in a car driven by another man. The destroyed vehicle belonged... Читать дальше...

The former mayor of San Lawrenz and five other former council officials were today acquitted of having been accomplices to a fraudulent scheme concerning grants offered by the Malta Resources Authority to residents investing in the installation of photovoltaic panels. Noel Formosa, Anthony Formosa, Giovanni Mercieca, Joseph Sultana, Luigia Grima u Lucia Anna Haber, as former representatives of the San Lawrenz council were accused of having been accomplices to fraud with Godfrey Formosa, director of Di Natura... Читать дальше...

Malta's GDP growth is projected to glide to 4.1% this year and 3.7% in 2017 and 2018, which still puts it among the fastest growing in the euro area, the European Commission said in its autumn forecast today.  Growth was 6.2% last year. "Growth is to continue to be based on strong labour market fundamentals - robust job creation and low unemployment. Fiscal consolidation is set to continue, bringing down the government debt below 60% of GDP," the commission said.   "Domestic demand is projected to... Читать дальше...

ECG technicians are to resume normal working duties after the Health Minister announced that industrial action directives have been suspended pending further discussions.  Technicians started industrial action on Monday, with directives issued by the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses leading to delays of up to four hours for patients requiring ECGs. The directives had been issued after the MUMN and government had failed to reach an agreement about working conditions offered to technicians.  Health... Читать дальше...

Electric car use will remain “marginal” for the foreseeable future despite several incentive schemes, according to government forecasts. Malta has a European target of 5,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2020, but the revised National Renewal Energy Plan published last week suggests that “it is unlikely that significant take-up shall occur in the next few years”. There were only 136 electric and 432 hybrid vehicles on the road – out of more than 275,000 licensed passenger cars in the country – by the end of 2015, according to NSO figures. Читать дальше...

Indians have woken up to confusion as banks and cash machines remained closed after the government withdrew the highest-denomination currency notes overnight to halt money laundering. Roadside vegetable sellers, kiosks selling biscuits and tea and small grocery stores all saw a sharp drop in customers on Wednesday, the day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise televised announcement. As of midnight on Tuesday, all 500 (€6.80) and 1,000 (€13.60) rupee notes had no cash value. People holding... Читать дальше...

An elderly man was grievously injured this morning after he was hit by a car in Rabat.  Police said the man, a 78-year-old Rabat resident, was in the area known as tas-Salib when he was hit by a Peugeot being driven by a 28-year-old Sliema man. The accident happened at around 8.30am.  An ambulance rushed the man to Mater Dei hospital, where he is receiving treatment. Rabat police are investigating further. This was the second such accident today, after a five-year-old was hit by a car in Qormi. The child is also grievously injured.

The bookies have been major determinants of investor money flows over the last couple of weeks, though many would not have expected the underdog to pull through in yesterday’s US election. Odds of both US presidential candidates have both tightened and widened over the period, prompting a number of asset classes to fluctuate. Over recent weeks, my opinion has been that election polls were not truly reflective of the probability of a Trump presidency. My concerns of there being many down low Trump supporters... Читать дальше...

A diver who in May 2009 had his left foot sliced off by the propeller of a speedboat while diving off the coast of San Blas in Gozo has been denied compensation as a court ruled the mishap was brought about solely by his own negligence. Louis Bonavia, 59, had set sail on a fishing spree in his dinghy together with a friend, Ian Busuttil, on May 25, 2009. The court heard how the two left Marfa and headed towards San Blas in the limits of Nadur. The court observed that the dinghy was moored 1,300 metres... Читать дальше...