Новости за 28.06.2017

A split on the gay marriage issue would condemn the Nationalist Party for an eternity in Opposition, Simon Busuttil warned this evening warned. Delivering the concluding speech of the party's first general council following the June 3 general election defeat, Dr Busuttil said: “The conservative and the liberal factions must co-exist together, even if this entails taking delicate and controversial decisions which have to reflect societal changes,” he told party delegates who met to approve the timeframe to elect his successor. Читать дальше...

A 19-year-old man from Victoria was grievously injured this afternoon after crashing into a wall at Nadur. The police said the accident happened in Triq ir-Rabat corner with Triq Ta’ Xħajma at 5.20pm when the young man lost control of his car. A medical team gave him first aid on site and members of the Civil Protection Department assisted him out of the vehicle. He was first taken to Gozo General Hospital and later moved to Mater Dei Hospital. An inquiry is being held.

A Swieqi vandal, caught on tape, admitted to damaging a resident’s car but insisted he had “no idea what he had done”. Michelle Sullivan told the Times of Malta she had walked into the new Swieqi police station to tell a police officer that she had come home to find her car’s wing mirror had been smashed, only for the perpetrator to walk in right behind her and confess. She said the vandal, a Finnish gaming employee, walked into the station as she was filing her report and basically described the same incident she had just finished reporting. Читать дальше...

A Venezuelan minister has denounced the international community for not condemning the actions of a helicopter pilot the government accuses of using gunfire and grenades to attack the Supreme Court and Interior Ministry. Foreign relations minister Samuel Moncada singled out Canada, the European Union and the United States for ignoring the attack. President Nicolas Maduro's administration is characterising the incident as a "terrorist attack" in which a rogue police pilot fired 15 shots against the... Читать дальше...

A concert by the National Philharmonic Orchestra last Saturday, which was to close the season in style, ended up in controversy when the conductor Brian Schembri did not turn up for the performance. Although an announcement before the start of the concert said that “Maestro Schembri was not available due to unforeseen circumstances”, sources close to the orchestra said the real reason was “a massive clash” between Mr Schembri and the National Orchestra’s management. The Times of Malta is informed... Читать дальше...

Before bowing out of politics, Foreign Minister George Vella ensured his own chief of staff  would become Malta’s Ambassador to Ireland, replacing a lower-ranking chargé d’affaires. Dr Vella’s decision to send Leonard Sacco to Dublin has already been cleared by both the Maltese and Irish governments. Mr Sacco is a civil servant with decades of experience at the Finance Ministry but who has not served overseas as a diplomat since 1987. He is a trusted aide of Dr Vella's, having worked in his secretariat... Читать дальше...

A 70-year-old woman from Naxxar was critically injured in an accident at Triq Bella Vista in San Ġwann today at 1pm. The police said that the collision involved a Mazda Demio driven by a 22-year-old from Mqabba and a Chevrolet Trax driven by a 70-year-old man from Naxxar. The woman was a passenger in the Chevrolet. Neither of the drivers was hurt.

The share index extended yesterday’s gains by a further 0.38% to a seven-week high of 4,698.417 points, mostly reflecting the gains in the share prices of IHI (+3%), RS2 (+0.6%), MIA (+0.5%) and HSBC (+0.2%) which offset the 0.3% drop in GO.Total value of equities traded today improved to a two-week high of €0.58 million. The total value of equities traded today improved to a two-week high of €0.58 million. Ten deals totalling 66,514 shares lifted the equity of International Hotel Investments 3%... Читать дальше...

Justice Minister Owen Bonnici told Parliament today he was precluded by law from giving information as to whether a magistrate conducting an inquiry had requested to go abroad to further follow up the process. In a parliamentary question, Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi asked the minister whether any magistrate had asked to do this. Although he did not mention Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, who is investigating the ‘Egrant’ case, it has recently been stated that this magistrate was conducting part of his investigation abroad. Читать дальше...

A football player who allegedly shook a 15-month-old baby so hard he caused the child permanent brain damage stood in the dock today as his trial by jury got underway.  Mellieħa resident Akande Rotimi Williams, 27, Nigerian-born with a Maltese residence permit, stands accused on three separate counts of attempted wilful homicide, grievous bodily harm and ill treatment of the child dating back to April 2013.  A panel of jurors in the criminal court, presided over by Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi, heard... Читать дальше...

Europe is not doing enough to protect human rights, especially when it comes to safeguarding children’s needs, according to the director of the EU’s Agency for Fundamental Rights – FRA. “We need to invest far more in a culture of human rights, a culture where no decision can be taken, no policy developed and no government action implemented without asking the question: how does this strengthen respect towards the human rights of every person in society,” Michael O’Flaherty said when contacted. Prof. Читать дальше...

From white water rafting in Bali to visiting temples on Java, former US President Barack Obama's private family holiday is being closely tracked in Indonesia where he spent four years as a child. Obama was six when he moved to Jakarta after his American mother, Ann Dunham, married an Indonesian man following the end of her marriage to Obama's Kenyan father. "I feel proud that my friend became a president," said Sonni Gondokusumo, 56, a former classmate of Obama at the Menteng 01 state elementary school in Jakarta. Читать дальше...

The construction of the last remaining wing wall for the Kappara flyover will start tomorrow morning, Transport Malta said. For safety reasons, existing traffic management on the northbound lanes of Regional Road will be slightly modified during works.  Vehicles will be able to proceed towards St Julian’s on one lane for the whole stretch. Traffic from Triq Bella Vista, San Ġwann will be diverted onto Triq il-Ħuttaf in Kappara. Heavy vehicles will be diverted onto Triq Birkirkara, San Ġwann. The... Читать дальше...

Malta's gay community is right to demand marriage equality and a bill being debated in parliament simply formalises the term 'marriage' for same-sex couples, Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil said.  Speaking on NET TV, the PN leader defended his decision to push forward with party support for the marriage equality bill, saying the party "has to face today's social realities" and insisting the Civil Unions Act already granted the same rights and obligations as marriage.  "When you go to a gay couple's civil union celebration... Читать дальше...

A refuse truck driver involved in a collision with a motorcyclist in Gozo three years ago, has been ordered to pay the victim €58,345 in damages. Charles Zahra had been driving an ERF truck, registered in the name of Joseph Mercieca, one March afternoon at around 3.40pm, when a collision occurred with a Honda motorbike driven by Donald Cassar who at the time was 21 years old. CCTV footage taken from the site of the accident showed that the truck had driven straight out from its parking slot onto the road. Читать дальше...

Four benches which used to form part of a Malta tram have been offered for sale to the Malta Railway Foundation, which has issued an appeal for financial assistance. Paul Galea, the man behind the foundation, said he had inspected the benches in a private residence in Zebbuġ and could confirm that they started life in a tram. Among other features, the backs of the benches were reversible so that passengers always looked forward. The four benches, all of which need restoration, are being offered to the foundation for €100 each. Читать дальше...

A €53.7 million social housing project financed by loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) was launched today by Finance Minister Edward Scicluna. A total of 16 sites owned by the Housing Authority have been identified in order to construct over 600 social housing units.  The 680 homes will include one, two and three bedroom apartments.  Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said this was part of the government’s plan to improve the country’s infrastructure to better reflect its economic growth.

Equality before the law should not be a pretext to deny differentiation, the Cana Movement said today as it entered the controversy over the wording used in amendments to the marriage law. The law is being amended to formally introduce same-sex marriage. References to fathers and mothers are being removed. The movement said every person, regardless of his sexual orientation or life preferences should be treated with utmost dignity. But, whereas it is the legislator’s duty to regulate different forms of relationships... Читать дальше...

Updated at 5pm with Curia statement A Gozitan priest who committed violent indecent assault against a child has received a suspended sentence. The priest was condemned to a jail term of one year suspended for three years after facing sexual offence accusations related to three underage girls. Jesmond Gauci, 44, from Xagħra, was charged with having committed lewd acts against his victims and having violently and indecently assaulted the girls. He was also accused of harassing the youngsters through... Читать дальше...

Karan lived in Norway with his family for six years before they had their asylum application rejected and were deported back to Iraq. In the autumn of 2015, Karan, now aged 11, arrived in Norway, having made the dangerous journey from Iraq for the second time. This time, only Karan and his father undertook the journey, as they could not afford to bring his mother and two younger brothers.

Pietru Pawl Busuttil, the man who was framed for the shooting of Raymond Caruana in 1986, has passed away.  Mr Busuttil was arrested by the police on December 11, 1986 after it was claimed that a machine gun used in the fatal shooting was found in his farm.  Mr Busuttil denied any knowledge of the gun and he passed out when he was about to appear before a magistrate.  Then PN leader Eddie Fenech Adami immediately declared this was a frame-up. The courts soon established that Mr Busuttil has been framed by police. Читать дальше...

Britain's state prosecution service today announced criminal charges against six people over the 1989 Hillsborough soccer stadium crush in which 96 fans died, the country's worst sporting disaster. The victims, all Liverpool supporters, died in an overcrowded, fenced-in enclosure at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, northern England, during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Police at first blamed the tragedy on drunken fans, an explanation that was always rejected... Читать дальше...

Two companies with bonds listed on the Malta Stock Exchange have gearing ratios over 80 per cent, according to an analysis by Charts Investment Management Service. PTL has the highest gearing – a measure of a company’s debt compared to its underlying capital – at 89.91 per cent, with a bond of €36 million active. The second is Gap Group, whose ratio is 86.39 per cent. The lowest gearing was 27.97 per cent, for AX Investments. The analysis was part of the report on the IHI Group prepared by Charts. Читать дальше...

Mcast has launched its Prospectus 2016-2017 for full-time courses starting in October 2017.The Open Days are being held It also announced that Open Days will be held between this Friday and Tuesday, July 4 J at theStudents’ House, Mcast Main Campus, in Paola.  The new Prospectus contains detailed information about Mcast's full-time courses at Foundation, Technical and University Colleges ranging from introductory certificate courses, degree programmes to Master’s programmes. This year the College is offering 12new courses... Читать дальше...

Video of a black substance flowing out of a pipe and into the sea by Fort Ricasoli has gone viral, with social media users outraged by the blatant pollution of Malta's marine environment. The discharge, which many social media users believe was oil, came from the Ricasoli Tank Cleaning Facility, a spokesperson at the Environment Resources Authority told Times of Malta. "ERA compliance officers ordered the facility to cease all activities with immediate effect, following which the discharge was confirmed to have ceased," the spokesperson said. Читать дальше...