Новости за 23.03.2017

A Spanish aid organisation says it has recovered five bodies from waters off the Libyan coast and fears that at least 240 migrants could have died after two boats capsized in the Mediterranean. Proactiva Open Arms spokeswoman Laura Lanuza said each rubber boat usually holds 120 people but smugglers tend to fill them over capacity to maximise their benefits on each trip. She said the non-governmental organisation (NGO) confirmed the sinking of two boats but was only able to find the bodies of five men of African origin on Thursday morning... Читать дальше...

A tender for the conversion of the former Mtarfa Military Hospital to an international school will be issued in the coming days to cater for the increasing number of foreigners working in Malta, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced this evening. Addressing a public consultation meeting at the Ċittadella in Gozo, the last in the Gvern li Jisma' series, Dr Muscat stressed that this would ensure that no land outside the development zone would be taken up. He noted that the current economic growth... Читать дальше...

The story of a legendary pilot and a woman who came to Malta to work as an entertainer will be retold at the same place where she soared to stardom 75 years ago: Valletta. Christina Ratcliffe first landed at the Morning Star in St Nicholas Street, Valletta, in the late 1930s as a cabaret performer, a visit that was followed by another in 1940, which coincided with Italy’s war declaration on Britain. Ms Ratcliffe’s return home was delayed, so she joined a troupe that toured barracks and gun sites, among other spots, entertaining the troops. Читать дальше...

Malta coach Pietro Ghedin has named his final 20-man squad for Sunday’s 2018 World Cup Group F qualifier against Slovakia at the National Stadium (kick-off 8.45pm). Former Malta U-21 player Cain Attard, who had been initially included in the Malta B squad, has been promoted to the senior group after seizing his chance to impress during a friendly game yesterday. This is not the first time Attard has been called up to the senior squad as the Birkirkara right-back earned his first cap for Malta in... Читать дальше...

Scientists in Germany have switched on what is being described as the world's largest artificial sun - a device they hope will help shed light on new ways of making climate-friendly fuels. The giant honeycomb-like set-up of 149 spotlights - officially known as Synlight - in Juelich, about 20 miles west of Cologne, uses xenon short-arc lamps normally found in cinemas to simulate natural sunlight which is often in short supply in Germany at this time of year. By focusing the entire array on a single 8x8in spot... Читать дальше...

A magistrate's court was faced with an urgent application by a man who yesterday evening was taken into detention at the Corradino Correctional Facility after failing to turn up for a criminal appeal hearing on March 13. Joseph Pisani, 43, was handed down a two-month jail term by a magistrate's court for having missed maintenance payments to his estranged wife. The man appealed this conviction but did not make an appearance at the appeal hearing, thus bringing into effect the immediate application of the effective prison sentence. Читать дальше...

A magistrate yesterday put off a defamation case involving a former manager at the Foundation for Tomorrow’s Schools pending the outcome of police investigations into fraud and corruption allegations. The case, ongoing for the past year, is against Gozo contractor Giovann Vella, who is accused of tarnishing Edward Caruana’s reputation when he reported to the authorities that Mr Caruana asked him for a €30,000 bribe while he was working on a government school in Victoria. Lawyer Joe Giglio, appearing for Mr Vella... Читать дальше...

A civil court has awarded damages to a man who two years ago was sentenced to jail following his conviction for a drug-related offence which was based solely on a statement released under police interrogation without the assistance of a lawyer. Daniel Gatt was just 18 years when in the early hours of June 29, 2008 he was taken into police custody and questioned after two women were caught red-handed abusing drugs outside a nightclub in the limits of Rabat. One of the women, Mr Gatt's girlfriend,... Читать дальше...

German state officials have banned an Islamic cultural association which ran a mosque in the central German town of Kassel due to extremist comments. Hesse state interior minister Peter Beuth said the Almadinah Islamic Culture Association was banned because the group's leading imam had, among other things, repeatedly called for the killing of infidels in his sermons. Investigations by the authorities also confirmed that several members of the mosque had already left Germany for Syria to join extremist Islamic fighters there. Читать дальше...

It’s been a while since I have been moved to post a blog update. Life gets in the way and, let’s face it, it’s always more of the same: “The government is corrupt, and we're on so many drugs, with the radio on and the curtains drawn”, to quote postrock legends Godspeed! You Black Emperor (look them up, you’re welcome). Different day, same err, news. Then I get a newspaper headline along the  lines of: “7 year jail term for rape of 11-year-old” and I tend to forget about the Panama papers and how... Читать дальше...

Over 80 per cent of the apartments in the Mercury House development in Paceville, designed by world-renowned architectural firm Zaha Hadid, have already been snapped up, according to the leading agent for the project, Re/Max. Managing director Kevin Buttigieg said that it was standard procedure for developers to test the market for their project prior to its launch – even before the permit was issued. The response was significant, with most being taken by foreign investors, he said, who got a hefty... Читать дальше...

Electronic and electrical equipment waste recycling initiative WEEE Malta has been awarded the Best Practice in Recycling Award after a week-long initiative that saw a massive, free door-to-door waste collection. WEEE Malta collected more than 15 tonnes of electronic waste from around 800 households disposing of more than 7,000 discarded products for recycling. The 2017 Malta Waste Reduction Awards, organised by Wasteserv, were held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre earlier this month. The company... Читать дальше...

Following the gains registered in the previous two trading sessions, the share index slipped by 0.16% to 4,723.611 points today as the declines in the equities of Plaza Centres (-1.9%) and BOV (-0.9%) outweighed the gains in Malta Properties (+2%) and GO (+0.3%).Meanwhile, four other equities closed the day unchanged. Trading activity was weak as only €0.15 million worth of shares changed hands. Meanwhile, four other equities closed the day unchanged. Trading activity was weak as only €0.15 million worth of shares changed hands. Читать дальше...

Belgian authorities have raised security in the port of Antwerp after a suspicious car ran a red light before being stopped at the docks. The bomb squad was brought in and the authorities raised security in the centre of town, in places where people normally gather. Antwerp police chief Serge Muyters said the driver of the car was detained once it was stopped. No further information could be given. Prime minister Charles Michel said: "We remain vigilant. Our security services have done excellent... Читать дальше...

Ryanair said today it is launching “a massive April seat sale”, with 60,000 seats on over 250 routes on sale for starting from €9.99. It said these seats must be booked before midnight tonight. It also said it still had a limited number of €5 seats left over from its last sale.

A man who was sent to prison for seven years for raping an 11-year-old girl in had his sentence confirmed on appeal after the court found no reason to doubt the credibility of the victim. The court, presided by Mr Justice David Scicluna, heard how one December evening in 2005 the accused, who was well acquainted with the victim's family, was driving the girl home when he took a detour to a garage in Żabbar so as to mend a fault in the car. Once inside the garage, he locked the door and after inviting... Читать дальше...

An Air Malta flight to Amsterdam this morning had to be diverted to Milan Malpensa because of technical problems. The airline said the aircraft landed normally and at no point was the safety of the passengers compromised, the airline said. It said that the aircraft was currently being inspected by engineers. Air Malta said that it was operating a relief flight this afternoon to minimise inconveniences and delays as a result of the diversion. It will fly to Milan to pick up the passengers and take them to Amsterdam. Читать дальше...

MEP Miriam Dalli has been selected as MEP of the Year for public health. The award acknowledges the work done in the effective promotion and solutions for implementation for issues related to public health in the European Union. She was given this honour after being recognised by The Parliament Magazine as a very active figure within the health care sector. In her reaction, Dr Dalli said that ‘any recognition offers great satisfaction yet this is just a point of departure. It’s a moment where you... Читать дальше...

A warden was assaulted in Birzebbuga early this afternoon by a man who objected after he was issued a ticket. The incident happened at about 2.15pm. The warden was unhurt, but his equipment was stolen. The aggressor ran off and is being sought by the police. This was the second assault on a warden this week, with another warden having suffered a broken nose at Tal-Balal on Monday.

The barriers set up on the centre-strip at National Road, outside Portes des Bombes, should to be extended to stop people crossing, but the subway also needs to be brought up to scratch, Floriana council said today. The council said it had long been calling for such action, in the interests of safety, but it was disappointed that Transport Malta did not consult it before going ahead. It said people were still crossing the road, at great danger, because the barriers did not cover the whole road. ... Читать дальше...

Air Malta should be given the same support by the government as low-cost airlines, Shadow Economy Minister Claudio Grech said today.   Addressing a press conference about the PN's proposals for the airline, Mr Grech said he did not believe Air Malta was operating on a level playing field with the low cost carriers when it came to the amount of support given by the government.   The government has repeatedly refused to state how much aid is given to Ryanair and other low-cost airlines.   Mr Grech... Читать дальше...

John Vassallo, a lawyer appointed by the prime minister to investigate claims of ministerial interference in a Gozo drugs case, has been granted an extension of his term. The inquiry was called after Malta Today reported that two ministers had intervened so that two young men arrested as part of a police investigation into drug trafficking, could be allowed to change their statements. Dr Vassallo had requested an extension of his term to April 5, and it has been granted, the government said.

The police have launched an investigation after finding cannabis resin and cannabis grass hidden in cigarette packets in Marsa. The discovery was made during a raid by district police in a tenement in Xatt il-Mollijiet. Apart from the cannabis, the police also found items related to drug trafficking.

Argentina head into tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier against Chile in Buenos Aires with their hopes of reaching the finals in Russia next year in doubt. Four games without a win – including consecutive losses to Paraguay and Brazil – have left Edgardo Bauza’s side out of the top four automatic qualifying places. In contrast they will come up against a Chile side glowing with confidence after their 3-1 win over second-placed Uruguay in their last qualifying game in November. Argentina’s players have... Читать дальше...

The lawyer of a woman sentenced to five years in prison for involuntarily causing the death of a man in a traffic accident welcomed Parliament’s decision to change the law, sparing his client from serving time. “Common sense has prevailed,” Arthur Azzopardi said when contacted yesterday, after MPs voted to remove the minimum five-year prison sentence in accidental traffic accidents that involved more than one victim. The House Committee for the Reconsideration of Bills approved an amendment to the... Читать дальше...