Новости за 20.02.2017

Distressing footage has emerged of a little girl being pulled alive from rubble following an attack in Damascus, Syria. The footage released by Syria Civil Defence - also known as the White Helmets - shows the girl being pulled out in the Tishreen neighbourhood on Sunday. One rescue worker is told telling the terrified child in Arabic: "We're coming. Don't be afraid. We're coming." Activists have reported air strikes in two other neighbourhoods, Qabun and Barzeh, over the weekend.

Europe has failed in its first major opportunity to address climate change, Labour MEP Miriam Dalli said after the approval of a “watered-down” reform of the Emissions Trading System (ETS). The European Parliament on Wednesday adopted draft reforms to the ETS, a cap-and-trade permit system which regulates industry pollution. The system covers nearly half of all Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions and is considered a crucial tool in mitigating the effects of climate change. The new reforms, approved by 379 to 263 votes... Читать дальше...

Allowing ongoing cases of criminal libel to proceed even after a proposed media defamation law repealed the crime would be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, home affairs shadow minister Jason Azzopardi said this evening.  Speaking during the second reading of the Budget Measures Implementation Bill, Dr Azzopardi said this was in addition to the threat to freedom of expression that the proposed Media and Defamation Bill itself posed. The proposed Bill would repeal criminal libel... Читать дальше...

The German government has drafted a law to allow authorities to tap into the phone and computer data of asylum-seekers if there are doubts about their nationalities - an unusual move in a country where data protection is sacred. According to a draft of the bill obtained by Reuters, officials at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) will receive legal clearance to scan the cellphones, tablets and laptops of applicants for asylum. BAMF officials have said many present false documents in the hope of being granted asylum. Читать дальше...

A 52-year-old Sliema man was grievously injured this afternoon after he lost control of his motorcycle on St Joseph street, Ħamrun. The accident happened at 2.30pm when the man fell off his Kymco Agility motorcycle, police said. This was the second serious traffic accident involving a motorcycle today. An ambulance rushed the man to hospital for treatment. Police say they are investigating further.

Nature Trust (Malta) yesterday expressed “serious concerns” that the number of outside development zone applications lately being approved by the Planning Authority commission was very high. Reacting to a story published in The Sunday Times of Malta, Nature Trust also said it was concerned about the recent claims made in the media that the site proposals for a racing track would be launched in the coming weeks and that the track would be planned outside the development zones. READ: More ODZ permits... Читать дальше...

The end of February can only mean one thing in London and that’s lots of traffic, lots of beautifully dressed people congregating in one place and lots of frantic hailing of taxis - fashion week. It’s the Autumn/Winter 2017/2018 collections that we are all here to see. This season London Fashion Week has a new home - it’s gone back to The Strand, not Somerset House but right next door. The move sees the possibility of hosting larger shows and presentations and hopefully maybe eventually gathering more designers under one roof. Читать дальше...

The personal title for non-binary individuals, Mx, has been endorsed by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. Reb Xiberras was surprised to find their invitation to the President's reception for the appointment of the ambassadors and High Commissioner addressed them as ‘Mx’. They said they were thrilled that their first governmental non-binary letter was sent from the President herself. Non-binary is an umbrella term used to describe those who do not identify with the gender identity assigned to them at birth. Читать дальше...

Prosecutors have called for life sentences for more than 40 Turkish soldiers at the start of their trial for attempting to assassinate President Tayyip Erdogan during last year's failed coup, according to the indictment obtained by Reuters. Under tight security, the defendants were bussed in to a courthouse in the southwestern city of Mugla, not far from the luxury resort where Erdogan and his family narrowly escaped the soldiers, fleeing in a helicopter shortly before their hotel was attacked. More... Читать дальше...

A European Parliament committee investigating the Panama Papers leak is meeting with Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Konrad Mizzi at Parliament this afternoon. MEPs who sit on the EP's Committee into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion are also meeting with Nationalist Party deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami, with committee members expected to hold a press conference later this evening. READ: Keith Schembri turns down Pana Committee invitation Finance Minister Edward Scicluna... Читать дальше...

The Triton Fountain restoration bill has doubled, reaching €4 million, after the damage to the monument was found to be much worse than expected Plans to restore this iconic landmark at the capital’s entrance have been in the pipeline since 2011, but works only started a fortnight ago, partly due to delays in the tendering process. Sea Fountain One, the joint venture awarded the direct order for the restoration work, is now racing against time to complete the works – originally scheduled to take two years ... Читать дальше...

A man who stole a TV from a hotel in St Julian's was jailed for 13 months by a court today.  Hashim El Amir, 24 and currently residing in St Julian's, pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated theft and attempted aggravated theft. He was arraigned after the police received a report regarding the alleged theft from St George's Park Hotel. The court, presided by magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, heard Mr El Amir admit to having stolen one TV set and attempted to steal another set from the hotel. Mr... Читать дальше...

Greece may need far less in bailout loans from international lenders because its finance are improving better than expected, the head of the eurozone bailout fund was quoted as saying today.  Athens underlined this by making an expected €2 billion repayment to the fund, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) Klaus Regling, the fund's managing director, told German newspaper Bild that at the end of Greece's money-for-reforms package in August 2018, the ESM will "probably have paid out far less than... Читать дальше...

Neymar, Barcelona and Santos will stand trial on fraud and corruption charges over the transfer of the Brazilian forward after their appeals were turned down by Spain's High Court. Neymar's mother Nadine Goncalves and the family company N&N also had appeals rejected. "Santos FC, Barcelona FC, Neymar, his mother Nadine Goncalves and N&N, the family company, have lost their appeals to have charges of fraud and corruption dropped," the High Court said in a statement. They cannot appeal against the Court's decision. Читать дальше...

Newly-elected Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi has received a baseball cap with the slogan 'Make Somalia Great Again' from the US Ambassador to his country.  A photo published by the USA's diplomatic mission to Somalia showed ambassador Stephen Schwartz handing Mr Abdullahi the odd gift, which alludes to US President Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again' campaign slogan.  Somalia is one of the seven Muslim-majority countries singled out by Mr Trump's executive order banning visitors to the US for 90 days. Читать дальше...

Updated 6.00pm A 26-year-old Għargħur man was grievously injured this morning in the course of a traffic accident in Mellieħa.  The man was riding a Honda motorcycle along Marfa road when he was involved in a crash with a 27-year-old San Ġwann man behind the wheel of a Peugeot 208 at around 8.10am, police said.  He was rushed to Mater Dei hospital for treatment. Police say their investigations are ongoing.

The MSE Share Index retreated by 0.47% from last Friday’s nine-year high of 4,741.747 points to 4,719.596 points today. The total value of equities traded amounted to merely €0.08 million (the lowest level of daily trading activity this year) ahead of the annual reporting season which starts tomorrow with the publication of results by HSBC Bank Malta plc and GO plc. Malta Properties Company plc shed 3.7% to a fresh five-month low of €0.52 across twelve deals totalling 69,000 shares. Bank of Valletta... Читать дальше...

Malta’s largest internet company has announced the opening of applications for internships aimed at university students. Thirteen paid positions are up for grabs as part of the Betsson Group's Betsson Academy, which is now in its third year.  This opportunity will allow the preferred candidates to spend a summer learning and working within a multinational company with a view to securing a place on the graduate scheme. Betsson Group’s operational headquarters in Malta is home to almost 1,000 employees... Читать дальше...

Internet users will find it harder to search for illegally streamed live football matches, pirated music and other creative materials under a new plan to crackdown on piracy websites. Search engine giants Google and Bing have signed up to a voluntary code of practice aimed at protecting users' safety and prevent them from visiting disreputable content providers. The code, the first of its kind in the UK, will accelerate the demotion of illegal sites following notices from rights holders. It means... Читать дальше...

Updated 6.50pm - Added Konrad Mizzi, Beppe Fenech Adami statements Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Konrad Mizzi has told MEPs investigating the Panama Papers leak that he was "the victim of fake news". In a declaration issued by the Office of the Prime Minister, Dr Mizzi accused Pana Committee members of making "politically-charged statements" and implied that the committee hearings were not objective. "How can a hearing be fair, when members of this Committee take a stand before... Читать дальше...

Daniel Craig has become cinema's second longest-serving James Bond. The British actor has now played the role of 007 for a total of 4,147 days - or almost 11-and-a-half years. Craig officially took on the mantle of the world's most famous secret agent on October 14 2005. Since then, he has starred in four Bond films. The most recent, Spectre, was released in October 2015. He needs to clock up another two-and-a-half years to become the longest-serving Bond, however. That title is currently held by Roger Moore... Читать дальше...

Updated 2.53pm  A hooded man made off with several hundred euros in cash when he held up a souvenir shop in Paceville early this afternoon. The incident happened in Paceville Avenue when the man produced a knife, threatened a 48-year-old female shop assistant from Marsascala and demanded the money. In a statement, police said they were alerted to the hold-up at 2pm. St Julian's police are leading investigations into the theft.

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela has expressed outrage at this morning's car bomb at the heart of one of the most important traffic junctions. Speaking less than two hours after the bomb in Msida seriously injured a man and slightly wounded two others, the minister said he was outraged. "We're shocked especially because the incident took place in a very busy road, this posed a risk to bystanders." READ: Car bomb goes off at busy Msida junction He said the Cabinet will tomorrow be discussing such... Читать дальше...

A daring attempt to send a research vessel completely trapped in ice across the North Pole could lead to more accurate weather and climate forecasts, say scientists. Stranded and unable to move, the RV Polarstern will be carried by slowly flowing ice as the bitterly cold and constantly dark Arctic winter closes in. During the year-long 2,500km voyage, teams of scientists - protected from polar bears by armed guards - will take measurements and make observations that have never been possible before. Читать дальше...

The amount of wood being dumped in landfills has increased astronomically, official figures show. A breakdown of the municipal waste being dumped at landfills shows that while less than 50 tonnes of wood was dumped in 2014, the figure soared to more than 14,000 tonnes the following year. The figures, published by the National Statistics Office cover the five-year period between 2011 and 2015. In the first year under review no wood was reported to have been legally dumped whatsoever. Industry sources... Читать дальше...