Новости за 15.02.2017

US President Donald Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today and urged him to curb settlement activity, but he avoided any explicit endorsement of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a longstanding bedrock of U.S. Middle East policy. The two leaders met face-to-face for the first time since Trump's victory in the 2016 presidential election even as Palestinians urged the White House not to abandon their goal of an independent state. Speaking at a joint news conference... Читать дальше...

Gozo Minister Anton Refalo has called on the Government and the Opposition to come together to see how Gozo, which he said was giving added value to Malta’s economy, could be given the special status it deserved. Speaking in parliament this evening during the debate on the Budget Measures Implementation Bill, Dr Refalo said that Gozo could never have autonomy or a special status if it did not have any fiscal powers. Also, he said, there could never be devolution of legislative powers if laws directly... Читать дальше...

Manfred Galdes, former director of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit, has been invited to give evidence before the European Parliament’s committee of inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (PANA) on Monday. Dr Galdes controversially stepped down at the height of the Panama Papers scandal. The committee agreed to invite him to give evidence at the request of Nationalist MEP David Casa. “I’m satisfied that my proposal was accepted as it would have been unacceptable not including him in our programme. Читать дальше...

Parliament this evening expressed its condolences to the family of former Labour Minister of Industry and Tourism Joe Grima, who passed away on February 3, one day short of his 81st birthday. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Mr Grima would be remembered most for being a good communicator in politics and broadcasting.   Mr Grima would be remembered for his hard work and fierce speeches as a politician as well as for having shaped the broadcasting landscape in the 1970s when he was CEO of the Broadcasting Authority. Читать дальше...

The PSA Group, owners of French car maker Peugeot and General Motors, owner of Opel, have mobilised their chief executives to defend the Peugeot maker's planned acquisition of Opel against a German-led backlash that could derail the deal even before its terms are finalised. Germany's federal government and powerful unions have heaped criticism on the tie-up plan, confirmed by both manufacturers yesterday, fearing job losses. Britain also said it had contacted GM President Dan Ammann to express concern over the future of Opel's UK plants. Читать дальше...

A future Nationalist government will offer lower water and electricity tariffs to sports, social and cultural clubs as part of its efforts to promote voluntary work, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said today. He made the commitment when he visited the offices of the Malta Football Association, where he was greeted by, among others, MFA president Norman Darmanin Demajo. Dr Busuttil observed that sports clubs were currently charged commercial rates for water and electricity.  He said a PN government... Читать дальше...

The elderly need to be reminded regularly they are valued members of society, especially when they move to residential homes, according to Caritas HelpAge director Anne Rose Toledo. Speaking during an event organised by the agency at the Holy Family Home in Naxxar to mark Valentine’s Day, Ms Toledo said it was crucial that the elderly felt loved and valued, even when they resided in a residential home. “Generally, when the elderly move to a residential home, they tend to sit at the receiving end and not be active citizens within society. Читать дальше...

Grumpy waiter service is as traditional as apple strudel in Vienna, but a cafe in one of the city's most recognisable landmarks has caused disquiet with what seems to be an Austrian first: charging customers for charging their phones. Tired of tourists powering up batteries for hours, cafe owner Galina Pokorny has introduced a 1 euro ($1.06) fee for those who plug in their mobiles for too long. "Tourists - always electricity, electricity, electricity. Sorry but who is going to pay me for it?" said Pokorny... Читать дальше...

Keeping track of planning applications, enforcement orders and scheduled buildings has been made easier, thanks to the launch of a new online mapping system by the Planning Authority. The PA said the new online geographic information system (GIS) would allow the public to access data in a faster and a more user-friendly web-based interface, helping to identify issues of primary importance to them. The new GeoPortal system replaces the current Mapserver and is the fruit of an agreement with the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)... Читать дальше...

A man condemned to three months imprisonment by a magistrate's court after breaching bail conditions, was today conditionally discharged by a court of appeal. Eugene Galea, 57, from Lija, who had been granted bail when facing criminal proceedings for allegedly harassing Parliamentary Secretary for Animal Rights Roderick Galdes, was condemned to a jail term of three months after being charged with having breached bail conditions. The accused had approached Inspector Ramon Mercieca, one of the witnesses... Читать дальше...

Warring Libyan factions have tentatively agreed on an Egypt-brokered roadmap to heal divisions with the creation of a joint committee to negotiate reconciliation and elections by February 2018. The deal comes after months of diplomatic efforts by Egypt, culminating this week with visits by Fayez Seraj, prime minister of the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli, and Khalifa Haftar, a military commander supported by eastern factions. The two men met separately with senior Egyptian military officials and... Читать дальше...

Sales of second-hand cars in the UK reached a record high last year. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said 8.2 million used cars were sold in 2016, up 7.3% on the previous year. The industry body claimed there is "no reason" why demand should drop off in 2017 as long as the "economic conditions remain stable". Petrol cars were the most popular with more than 4.6 million traded, up 4.7%, although their market share fell by 1.5%. The shift in new car sales to diesel over the past... Читать дальше...

The MSE Share Index posted its third consecutive daily loss as it retreated by a further 0.07% to a fresh five-day low of 4,718.416 points. Trading activity was spread across eight equities with only RS2 performing negatively whilst Malita Investments and GO ended the day higher. Meanwhile, another five equities closed unchanged. Trading volumes dropped markedly from yesterday as only €0.26 million worth of shares changed hands today. Meanwhile, another five equities closed unchanged. Trading volumes... Читать дальше...

Acclaimed author Philip Pullman will publish the long-awaited follow-up to the His Dark Materials trilogy on October 17, years after the last installment. A new trilogy of books, which he describes as an "equel" rather than a prequel or sequel, begins with The Book Of Dust which will be published on October 19 by Penguin Random House Children's and David Fickling Books. It will return to the story of Lyra Belacqua, based in a parallel Britain of alethiometers, daemons and the Magisterium, and will... Читать дальше...

The uniformed services have so far engaged more than 1,000 people under this government, with further recruitment in the pipeline, Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said today. He was speaking following a parade of the latest 55 recruits in the Armed Forces of Malta. Dr Abela said further recruitment will be announced later this year in the AFM, the police, the Civil Protection Department and the Prison Service. The minister added that the AFM was being modernised and €500,000 have been allocated for training this year... Читать дальше...

The government has published the agreements made in 2014 with D3 Power Generation Ltd, a subsidiary of Shanghai Electric, for the sale of the former BWSC power station and its conversion to use gas. The documents can be seen here. They consists of the Electricity Connection agreement, the Fuel Supply agreement, the Operation, Maintenance and Management agreement, the Power Purchase Agreement, Site Services Agreement and Subscription Agreement. Some parts, ranging from definitions to power purchase rates... Читать дальше...

Harrison Ford came within metres of crashing his small aircraft into a passenger jet on Monday, NBC has reported. The well-known actor, 74, was about to land his single-engine Husky at John Wayne Airport, California. He was instructed to land on runway 20L but mistakenly made for a  taxiway, just flying over an American Airlines 737 carrying more than 100 passengers and a six-person crew. The passenger aircraft departed for Dallas a few minutes later.  NBC said that Ford was heard on air traffic control recordings asking... Читать дальше...

A magisterial court of inquiry examining evidence in the Seabank Hotel tragedy has declared there are sufficient grounds for four of the five co-accused, facing proceedings on charges of involuntary homicide, to be placed under a bill of indictment. The fifth co-accused was freed of the charges. Criminal proceedings were instituted following the unfortunate accident which took place almost five years ago, when extension works at the seaside resort resulted in the collapse of a structure which cost... Читать дальше...

A 12-year-old dubbed the "chicken whisperer" has founded his town's first poultry club. Gifted Dominic Wright attracted two dozen people to the first meeting of the Chester-le-Street and District Poultry Club to share their know-how on keeping birds happy. The schoolboy, who is determined not to allow cerebral palsy to stop him from achieving, has a calming way of handling the chickens and talking to them which relaxes the birds. He fell in love with hens, first keeping them on an aunt's smallholding... Читать дальше...

A flock of large white birds presumed to be the 12 mute swans that had stayed in Marsalforn valley since January 1 appeared briefly in San Blas today, before continuing on their way. Their departure yesterday was observed by members of the Facebook group Birds in the Maltese Islands after 7am. The volunteers had been monitoring the swans since their arrival. Posting on the same group today, member Kevin Dimech, the hunter who was feeding the swans in Marsalforn, said he had been informed they were now in San Blas. Читать дальше...

The European Commission has sent a "final warning" to the UK for failing to address repeated breaches of legal air pollution limits in 16 areas including London, Birmingham, Leeds, and Glasgow. The UK is one of five countries served with the warning over persistent breaches of nitrogen dioxide levels, which come from sources including factories and vehicles, particularly diesel engines. Air pollution is linked to the early deaths of about 40,000 people a year in the UK - and causes problems such as heart and lung diseases and asthma. Читать дальше...

Malta's national dance company ŻfinMalta is making its UK debut this month. Martina Zammit takes you with the dancers on the journey. Yoga class is a great preparation for the week and we're so thankful that Claire Cunningham let us join her class at The Place. Raymond's open class at Dance Works is a stabilising, as always, and a somewhat steamy start to the afternoon as the studio turned into a sauna halfway through class. It's refreshing to share class space with people other than company members. Читать дальше...

Tenor Joseph Calleja has been named one of the world's top 10 male opera voices by French newspaper Le Figaro. Mr Calleja joined operatic voices such as Vittorio Grigolo and Francesco Meli on the list of male voices to listen out for. The 39-year-old tenor has performed with many of the world's most famous opera companies and the USA's National Public Radio has described him as "arguably today's finest lyrical tenor".  Apart from his opera performances, the Maltese tenor performs extensively at several summer festivals... Читать дальше...

A Taliban suicide bombing targeted the administrative headquarters of a tribal region in north-western Pakistan, killing three policemen and two passers-by, according to officials. The explosion happened at the main gate of the tribal headquarters in Ghalanai in the Mohmand tribal region, just as the working day was about to start, said Hameedullah Khan, a local government official. A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban - Jamaat-ul-Ahrar or Freedom Movement - claimed responsibility for the attack in a text message. Читать дальше...

Maltese government lawyers arguing in favour of a derogation on finch trapping faced multiple questions at a European Court of Justice hearing this morning, sources close to the court said.  ECJ Advocate General Eleonor Sharpston expressed scepticism about the government's arguments, reportedly telling government lawyers "I'm sorry, but I don't seem to be able to follow your line of reasoning". Sources said that the Maltese government, represented by the lawyers from the Attorney General's office and law firms CCX Advocates and Stibbe... Читать дальше...