Новости за 06.04.2017

The daily running costs of the government, or recurrent expenditure, ballooned since 2013, figures published by the National Statistics Office show. An exercise conducted by this newspaper and based on official figures found that while, during the last Nationalist legislature, recurrent expenditure grew by an average four per cent a year, this almost doubled under Labour. The figures (see table) show that, during the first four years of this administration (2013-2016), the increase in recurrent expenditure was across the board... Читать дальше...

Close to a third of all 16-year-olds sitting for O levels are not opting to study foreign languages, with figures dropping further at the post-secondary level. Official data shows that of the 3,716 students who sat for the Sec exams last year, 766 did not study any foreign language. Another 539 did not sit for any exam, bringing the total number of 16-year-olds who did not study any language apart from Maltese and English to 1,305. This amounts to 30 per cent of the population born in 2000. Another... Читать дальше...

The vice chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Panama Committee, Socialist Party MEP Anna Gomes, has called on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to “stop shielding his chief of staff”. Ms Gomes was reacting to comments made by a government spokesman to The Malta Independent accusing committee president Werner Langen of joining a Nationalist Party campaign over the Panama scandal Ms Gomes confirmed the decision to call on Keith Schembri to appear before the Pana committee was taken unanimously by all... Читать дальше...

A zoologist in Cuba has spent the last year raising two baby chimpanzees in her home. During that time, Ada and Aduma have broken Marta Llanes's television and computer keyboard, chewed her telephone to pieces and ruined much of her furniture. She has forgiven them every transgression as she said it is hard to stay angry at a baby chimpanzee when it clambers up your leg and into your arms and plants a kiss on your cheek in a plea for forgiveness. While zoos in other countries may have special facilities for raising baby animals... Читать дальше...

GREECE 1 MALTA 0 Malta’s opening match in Group B of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Preliminary Round ended in a slim 1-0 defeat to Greece at the Selman Stermazi Stadium in Tirana this afternoon. The MFA said Anastasia Papadopolou’s 18th-minute goal separated the two sides but Greece deserved their win as they fashioned the better chances. The Maltese girls, under the guidance of coach Mark Gatt, had a good opportunity to equalise 12 minutes from the end. Rachel Cuschieri, who plies her trade with Cypriot club Apollon Ladies... Читать дальше...

Updated at 10.10pm US President Donald Trump said today that "something should happen" with President Bashar al-Assad after a poison gas attack in Syria, as the Pentagon and the White House launched detailed discussions on military options. While Trump stopped short of calling on Assad to leave office, the comments were his strongest suggestion yet that the United States may be edging toward a stronger stance against Assad, whose country has been torn apart by six years of civil war. "I think what... Читать дальше...

A helper employed by the Active Ageing and Community Care Directorate has filed a judicial protest claiming she was the victim of abusive disciplinary action. Tenerly Demanuele, 27, claimed that she was served with a written warning after her superior claimed that she had been missing out on visits to her elderly wards whose signatures she was allegedly forging so as to cover her tracks. Not only did Ms Demanuele deny this allegation, she pointed out that one of her supervisors was willing to testify... Читать дальше...

Another meeting on the possibility of a coalition between the Nationalist and Democratic parties was held today between Nationalist leader Simon Busuttil and PD leader Marlene Farrugia. Discussions between the two parties had been initiated following Dr Busuttil's speech during the Independence Day mass meeting where he had called for a national coalition against corruption. The two sides had agreed to work together to give the Maltese people a clean government and a serious administration. Besides good governance... Читать дальше...

A PV grant scheme has been extended, the government announced today. Addressing a press conference, the Parliamentary Secretary for EU funds said €60 million in European funds had been allocated to clean energy schemes. Dr Borg said €15 million had already been allocated to PV schemes. The allocation of the remaining €45 million would be announced shortly, Dr Borg said. Minister Konrad Mizzi said the government was half-way towards hitting its 10 per cent renewable energy usage target. Dr Mizzi said... Читать дальше...

Updated with PL statement at 7.15pm Serious concerns have been brought up about an investigation which is to be undertaken by the Electoral Commission on alleged breach of the party financing act, the Nationalist Party said. It said in a statement it had received a letter which four of the electoral commissioners sent the President of Malta in which they insist that with the investigation, the Commission would be breaching the Constitution and fundamental human rights. The case concerns claims made by the db Group... Читать дальше...

Minister Konrad Mizzi today claimed that the Panama company he opened up two years ago was under liquidation. Asked by Times of Malta for details and more evidence about the liquidation process, Dr Mizzi said it was not in his hands. In February 2016, Dr Mizzi had promised “full disclosure” on the dissolution process. Asked when the company would finally be closed, Dr Mizzi said he had nothing more to add. Questioned if the Prime Minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri should reply to another summons... Читать дальше...

Quarry owners accepting construction waste in their facility will have the possibility to pay 10 per cent final withholding tax on the profits generated from this activity, under a government incentive rolled out today. Addressing a news conference, Environment Minister Jose Herrera said that this fiscal measure was part of government's plan to address the acute shortage of construction waste dumping facilities. Under this scheme quarry owners accepting construction waste at a price not exceeding... Читать дальше...

The share index closed virtually flat today at 4,716.327 points as the 2% gain in the share price of Lombard offset the 3.1% decline in MIDI. Meanwhile, four other shares remained unchanged. Trading activity improved to a four-day high of €0.26 million. Eight deals totalling 25,883 shares lifted the equity of Lombard Bank 2% higher to a fresh six-year high of €2.49,9. This morning, the bank issued an announcement containing all the resolutions to be presented for the consideration and approval by... Читать дальше...

As he digs into Malta's wartime history for a new documentary, British actor John Rhys Davies is keen to remind his countrymen that, as Brexit approaches, a special bond between the two nations must always remain. Best known for playing Gimli the dwarf in the Lord of the Rings franchise and Sallah in three Indiana Jones films, Mr Rhys Davies is in Malta conducting interviews for a new documentary centred around a new play set in Valletta during World War II. The Star of Strait Street, written by... Читать дальше...

The civil case over the Gaffarena expropriation scandal involving property in Old Mint Street was today put off to a later date when the Prime Minister would be expected to take the witness stand. The case was instituted by the Prime Minister against Marco Gaffarena and his wife Josielle in January 2016 to revoke the transfer of property after his own government had, in 2015, acquired one-half undivided share of a palazzo in Old Mint Street from the Gaffarena spouses and had paid them compensation... Читать дальше...

If you have not yet given up meat or sweets, you are still in time to do a good deed this Lent: donate blood. And if you are scared of the sight of a needle, just follow Peter Bartolo’s advice and you will not regret it. “I was scared stiff of anything to do with needles or syringes, and it is not the first time that I passed out. I cannot even stand seeing them on TV, and I would either change the channel or look away. “I was convinced that overcoming this fear was impossible,” Mr Bartolo, 28, told... Читать дальше...

French presidential candidate Francois Fillon has called for a tougher and more united Europe that can defend itself against violent extremists and unfair trade. Most of the 11 French presidential candidates are sceptical about the 28-nation European Union, amid growing nationalist sentiment around Europe and Britain's pending exit from the bloc. But Mr Fillon argued that the EU is "indispensable" to ensure peace and prosperity. He warned that far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's proposals... Читать дальше...

The man who last month had admitted to having stolen perfumes and toiletries from two retail outlets has been given an effective jail term of 18 months. Bjorn Borg, 33, residing in St Paul's Bay and Senglea alternately, had pleaded guilty to stealing perfumes with a total retail value exceeding €5,000. The shoplifting had occurred on December 11 at a perfumery store at the Malta International Airport. Another less costly theft had taken place on a separate occasion in March to the detriment of a Naxxar shopowner. Читать дальше...

St John's Co-Cathedral Museum has been closed for extension and refurbishment works. The works are being managed by the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation and will be carried out in phases over three years to enable display of all the foundation's collections. These include the 29 Flemish tapestries, the sacred vestments, the silver collection, the illuminated manuscripts, and the Cappella Ardente. A Caravaggio Centre is also planned to focus and highlight the works of one of the most celebrated artists of the baroque era... Читать дальше...

The French Communist Party is a real architectural curiosity. Completed in 1971 in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, this exceptional headquarters is the work of the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.  It is in this exceptional setting that the band Air give a private concert.

Explosives found in a residential building in St Petersburg this morning are similar to the unexploded bomb in the city's metro, found on the day of the bombing that killed 14 people on Monday, Russian security sources said. "Explosives were in a similar amount that was used at Vosstaniya (metro station)," a security source told Reuters. A Reuters witness near the searched building heard officials discussing that the explosive device "was exactly like" the unexploded bomb.

Four suspected migrant smugglers were killed in an exchange of fire with coastguards off Libya's western coast this morning, coastguard spokesman Ayoub Qasem said. Qasem said a German journalist travelling in the coastguard boat was also injured in the clash, which he said had started when the coastguards tried to apprehend heavily armed gunmen guarding a migrant boat. Two of the suspected smugglers were arrested and one was missing, Qasem said.

A New Zealander who early yesterday caused some commotion inside a Paceville hotel and punched a policeman was handed a suspended sentence and a €4,000 fine today after admitting to the charges. Stacey Wayne Wright, 21, from New Zealand, went to the hotel in Ball Street, Paceville to sort out a personal issue reportedly involving a woman. A heated argument broke out and in the ensuing tussle a police officer ended up being punched in the face. Mr Wright was today charged with having assaulted and... Читать дальше...

The Planning Authority has approved extensions to the massive car park and commercial complex being built in Spinola despite concerns that the project will seriously affect air quality in the area. Changes to the project, which began life as a car park proposal in 2013, were approved by an overwhelming majority this morning, with only Environment and Resources authority chairman Victor Axiak voting against. The ERA had objected to the proposal in its current form, arguing that it would negatively... Читать дальше...

One of the officials responsible for the regulation of billboards within Transport Malta said in court today that it was the Planning Authority which was responsible for removing illegal billboards, and he did not know if any enforcement action had been taken. Luke Genius, a manager at TM, was testifying in a case instituted by the Nationalist Party against the government over new regulations which, it says, restrict its freedom of expression. Mr Genius said the intention of the Malta Transport Authority... Читать дальше...