Новости за 18.03.2021

The bodies of 11 people bearing gunshot wounds were discovered on Thursday in eastern Libya's Benghazi, said a security source, suggesting they had been "executed". "Security forces were alerted on Thursday of the presence of 11 unidentified bodies at the southern entrance to Benghazi in the Haouari area, near a cement factory," a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity.  Examinations revealed "bullet holes" in the bodies, supporting the theory that they were "executed", the source added. Читать дальше...

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has warned Italy not to be on the “wrong side of history” after a court cleared Olympic champion walker Alex Schwazer of doping. Schwazer was suspended for eight years just before the 2016 Olympics for testing positive for anabolic steroids, but has claimed he was the victim of foul play.  The samples taken on January 1, 2016, had initially given negative results but a new analysis, the following May, revealed traces of doping products.  Continue reading this article on SportsDesk... Читать дальше...

Several countries said Thursday they would resume AstraZeneca vaccinations after Europe's medical regulator said the jab is "safe and effective" and not associated with a higher blood clot risk after days of commotion around the shot.  The closely-watched announcement from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) came after the WHO and Britain's health watchdog both said the vaccine was safe, adding that it was far riskier to not get the shot as several countries face a worrying rise in coronavirus cases. Читать дальше...

An independent study into child sex abuse in Germany's Roman Catholic Church published Thursday revealed hundreds of alleged cases and led to the resignation of the archbishop of Hamburg. The long-awaited 800-page report on Germany's top diocese Cologne found 202 alleged perpetrators of sexual assault and 314 victims between 1975 and 2018, Bjoern Gercke, a lawyer mandated by the Church, told reporters. "More than half of the victims were children under the age of 14," Gercke said. The findings... Читать дальше...

A request by the European People's Party for a plenary debate on the latest revelations in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case has been blocked by the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament. The call for a debate was made earlier this week with the EPP referring to the shocking testimony by self-confessed hitman Vince Muscat. It said that with the new testimony emerging on the involvement of key officials and politicians, the Maltese government faced a profound crisis of credibility in the EU. Читать дальше...

Europe's medical regulator said Thursday the AstraZeneca vaccine is "safe and effective" and not associated with a higher blood clot risk, after more than a dozen countries paused rollouts over health fears.  The closely-watched announcement comes after the WHO and Britain's health watchdog both said the vaccine was safe, adding that it was far riskier to not get the shot as several countries face a worrying rise in coronavirus cases.  "The committee has come to a clear scientific conclusion:... Читать дальше...

A young Italian chef who has become a symbol of frustration with the never-ending coronavirus crisis said Thursday she wants Prime Minister Mario Draghi to listen to her "despair". A photo of Camilla Moccia crouching on the floor of the kitchen of her family's restaurant, her head in her knees, has gone viral in Italy and made the front pages of several newspapers. "My mother took it last Thursday, it was one of those days... we didn't have any reservations, the weather was not so good and we... Читать дальше...

A group of migrants were on Thursday relocated to France, following another two relocation exercises to Luxembourg and Portugal earlier in March. The Home Affairs Ministry said the relocated migrants will have their request for asylum decided by the countries they are being relocated to. The relocation forms part of a commitment by EU member states to take on a number of irregular migrants from Malta, the ministry said. All COVID-19 preventive measures were taken both before and during the transfer, the ministry said. Читать дальше...

As museums and art galleries closed their doors due to the COVID-19 measures announced last week, many exhibitions had to shut down abruptly or else were postponed. One of these is the exhibition Light is Time Thinking About Itself by Antje Liemann, which had opened at MUŻA’s Community Space on March 5 and has now been rescheduled for summer. As an artist, Liemann is concerned about the fragility of humankind and often questions both our existence and reality. Through her latest multi-disciplinary project... Читать дальше...

The Malta Employers’ Association (MEA) has condemned a proposed amendment to the Interpretation Act and urged the government take a step back to re-think it. The amendment will allow administrative fines issued by regulatory entities to be interpreted as criminal punishment. The government moved the bill after failing to obtain two-thirds majority for a direct amendment of the Constitution back in October.  The bill is being opposed by the Opposition with the Nationalist Party calling for it to... Читать дальше...

Ħamrun Spartans striker Jorge Ailton Soares, aka Dodo, has been named in Cape Verde’s squad for the first time ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches this month. The African side are due to face Cameroon at home on March 26 before heading to face Mozambique four days later. Dodo has been one of the outstanding performers for Ħamrun Spartans this season as in 21 appearances he netted 13 goals – the highest he ever managed in the Premier League – that put him joined third in the scorers’ list... Читать дальше...

Gozitans who have received an invitation to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in Malta should call helpline 145 to get an alternative appointment in Gozo, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Thursday. Speaking during a visit to the Gozo Conference and Expo Centre in Victoria, which has been transformed into a vaccination centre, the minister said this centre will make it possible for all Gozitans to get their vaccine in Gozo. The centre was one of 40 from where the vaccine is being given out. The... Читать дальше...

Turkey’s central bank on Thursday sharply hiked its main interest rate to 19 per cent to counter rising inflation and the dropping value of the lira. The bank said it “has decided to implement a front-loaded and strong additional monetary tightening” after seeing the annual inflation rate climb to 15.6 per cent last month. The bank’s main rate was raised by a greater-than-expected 200 basis points. The lira gained two per cent in value against the dollar moments after the decision was announced. Читать дальше...

An online awareness-raising campaign on same-sex intimate partner violence is being launched by the commission on gender-based and domestic violence. In a statement, the commission said the aim of this campaign is to educate the public about this phenomenon that is widely believed to be found exclusively among heterosexual couples.  But domestic violence occurred among same-sex and heterosexual individuals in intimate relationships when one person sought to manipulate and control the other person... Читать дальше...

Alternative plans for Mrieħel proposed by the Qormi council have been welcomed by three non-governmental organisations. The council on Wednesday presented plans to build an underpass crossing the Mrieħel bypass, saying its alternative to the government's flyover proposal would “not take up one centimetre of agricultural land”.  The government has been insisting on a flyover to remove the need for traffic coming from the south to have to cross the busy bypass to enter one area of the business district. Читать дальше...

Images of army trucks transporting piled-up coffins out of the Italian town of Bergamo last year provided a shocking testament to the horrors of coronavirus. One year on, the memories are still raw. At the height of the pandemic last year, Father Marco Bergamelli was blessing coffins every ten minutes in this city in Italy’s north.  “This place was full of coffins, there were 132 lined up at the foot of the altar,” he said, opening the doors of the church at the Monumental cemetery to AFP. “At the beginning... Читать дальше...

Trade between Europe and Britain plunged by a record amount in January, the UK’s first month outside the EU single market after 47 years of bloc membership, data showed on Thursday. The EU’s Eurostat statistics agency said that exports from Europe to the UK sank by 27.4 per cent between January 2021 and 12-months earlier, to €18 billion. British exports to the continent meanwhile shrank by 59.5 per cent, to just €6.4 billion. The fall was steeper than that showed in recent UK data, due to differences in methodology. Читать дальше...

Nico Rosberg, himself the son of a former world champion, has warned Mick Schumacher to expect huge media attention when he makes his Formula One debut next week to follow in the footsteps of his father Michael Schumacher.   “It’s not easy to be the ‘son of’. And with Mick, it is 10 times more difficult, because Michael’s era was not so long ago and he was much more successful,” Rosberg, 35, told website Sport1.  Mick Schumacher, who turns 22 on Monday, makes his Grand Prix debut for American... Читать дальше...

After exploring the world of Cupra and configuring their own versions of the brand’s models, FC Barcelona players have received their personalised vehicles at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. The club’s official automotive and mobility partner delivered the Barça players their new cars at an event attended by 16 of the club’s footballers, with the participation of Cupra director of strategy, business development and operations, Antonino Labate. Want to read more? Visit timesmotors.com

Yorgen Fenech is back in court on Thursday five weeks after he was again denied bail in connection with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.  Melvin Theuma, the murder middleman who was given a state pardon to reveal all, is expected to testify. Last month's case heard a series of harrowing accounts of firefighters who were called to the scene shortly after 3pm on October 16, 2017, when the bomb went off.  Thursday's hearing takes place after hitman Vince Muscat pleaded guilty to the murder and... Читать дальше...

Against all odds, the shipping industry, expected to be sailing in treacherous waters following; the US-China trade war, the introduction of IMO2020 – an environmental regulation set to reduce emissions released from vessels, and disruptions stemming from the unprecedented coronavirus outbreak, navigated 2020 well. Shipping companies, demonstrating considerable resilience at the peak of the pandemic, reported improved year-on-year operating results. The optimistic results achieved by the majority... Читать дальше...

A maintenance worker has died after the ceiling of a public toilet in Dwejra, Gozo, collapsed on him as he carried out maintenance works on Thursday morning. Rescuers from the Civil Protection Department and an ambulance crew rushed to the scene but were unable to save the 52-year-old from Xewkija. A magisterial inquiry is under way.  The incident at the popular tourist destination happened at around 9.30am. It was raining at the time. Emanuel Psaila, director-general of the CPD said rescuers were called to the scene. Читать дальше...

The University of Malta chaplaincy is organising various initiatives during Lent, some of which will be offered online via its social media pages. A weekly programme is being published on Mondays on the chaplaincy’s Facebook page ‘Chaplaincy Uni’ and Instagram account @umchapaincy. Each Tuesday the chaplaincy will be inviting the public to make donations to a different organisation that supports the vulnerable, with information on how this can be done shared via Facebook. During the Chaplaincy Wednesday Prayers at 7pm... Читать дальше...

A man and a woman avoided serious injury but got the fright of their life when the ceiling of their house in Sliema collapsed. The police said the incident happened at 4am in St Paul Street. The two 75-year-olds  were assisted by rescuers from the Civil Protection Department and hospitalised.  Their daughter told Times of Malta later that her parents had heard some noise early in the morning and went upstairs to see what was going on when the ceiling gave way. They had no clue there was any damage to the roof, she explained. Читать дальше...

The crafts villages have always hosted a good number of jewellers working traditional jewellery pieces using filigree, creating timeless objets d’art that speak of our proud history and Mediterranean culture through their design. Indeed, the endless spirals design of precious metal dates back to the Neolithic period, while the eight-pointed cross remains a very popular motif especially among tourists seeking items representative of Malta. At their renovated workshops within the regenerated Ta’ Qali Artisan Village... Читать дальше...