Новости за 24.04.2017

Former US President Barack Obama today made his first major appearance since leaving office, having chosen Chicago, the city where his political career started, to emerge from a three-month hiatus from the public eye. In a panel discussion at the University of Chicago, where Obama once taught constitutional law, the 44th president told the audience that he had been spending a lot of time thinking about what's next for him. "The single most important thing I can do is to help in anyway I can prepare... Читать дальше...

Lawyer Yana Micallef Stafrace is to be appointed magistrate tomorrow. Dr Micallef Stafrace has been chairwoman of the Domestic Violence Commission since May 2013. She is the daughter of prominent lawyer Joe Micallef Stafrace, who served for some months as a minister in the early 1970s before a falling out with then prime minister Dom Mintoff. Her brothers Simon and Kirill were Labour candidates for the general election and the European Parliament election respectively but she was never involved in politics. Читать дальше...

French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has announced that she is temporarily stepping down as head of her National Front party. The move appears to be an attempt to appeal to a wider range of potential voters ahead of the May 7 run-off between herself and Emmanuel Macron, the independent centrist who came in first in Sunday's first round. "Tonight, I am no longer the president of the National Front. I am the presidential candidate," she said on French public television news. Ms Le... Читать дальше...

The United Nations said today it was horrified by a video screened by the government of Democratic Republic of Congo that appeared to show the brutal killing of two UN investigators. Congo's government showed the film to reporters in Kinshasa, saying it showed members of an anti-government militia carrying out the act. Government spokesman Lambert Mende did not explain how authorities obtained the video, but said they were showing it to rebuff suggestions that Congo authorities were complicit in the killings. Читать дальше...

The new Electrogas power station, conceived in controversy and delivered two years late, was inaugurated this evening with a promise of cleaner air as the use of heavy fuel oil was consigned to history. The new power station was inaugurated minutes after the 25-year-old Delimara I power station was switched off. That too had been built amid political controversy in 1992, the controversy at the time being about its location. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat switched off the old plant and switched on... Читать дальше...

The Federation of Estate Agents is no longer affiliated to the Malta Developers’ Association, saying it wanted to have its own voice. Kevin Buttigieg of ReMax, who took over as FEA president a few months ago, said he had always been against the affiliation agreement signed in June 2015. “Our clients sometimes buy properties from developers, so if there is a problem, there would be an obvious conflict of interest,” he said. At a hurriedly-called meeting a few days ago, the federation council decided... Читать дальше...

An American war veteran, who travelled to Malta aged 95 and later donated his uniform to be displayed at the war museum, had one last surprise up his sleeve. The late Herb Tollefson first spoke to this newspaper in 2013 while looking for wartime friends on the island. He served in Malta in World War II to repair aircraft. Through an appeal in the Times of Malta, he had met the son of his friend and late police sergeant, John Mifsud, and relatives of the Borg family who used to serve food at the Melita Bar at the Ferries, in Sliema. Читать дальше...

Marco Gaffarena, the man at the heart of the controversies over an irregular petrol station in Qormi and the expropriation of a property in Valletta, insisted in court today that he was present for a meeting with the leader of the Nationalist Party in 2013, despite claims to the contrary. He said he had accompanied his father to the meeting inside PN headquarters some time before the 2103 general elections. He gave evidence during the continuation of two libel suits filed by the leader of the Nationalist... Читать дальше...

Iraqi children in eastern Mosul are once again able to buy dolls and teddy bears after the militant group was driven out of the area in January. See video above.

A Water Services Accountant has been acquitted of his alleged involvement in a scheme intended to defraud Polidano Brothers Limited of some €24,000. Victor Testa, 35, from Sliema, had faced accusations of having disclosed confidential information and assisted his friend, former Sliema mayor Nikki Dimech, in swindling funds belonging to the Polidano company. The matter had come to light following a police report filed by the Chief Executive of Enemalta Corporation regarding the alleged misappropriation... Читать дальше...

The pedestrian bridge over the Mrieħel bypass will be put in place later this week and the bypass will therefore be closed for several hours during the next three nights. Transport Malta said the bridge span will be trucked from Hal Far to Mrieħel tonight between 8pm and 11pm. Aldo Moro Marsa, direction to Paola, will be closed at times during these three hours.   One side of the bridge will be put in place tomorrow night and the bypass, direction to Attard will be closed to traffic for some time from 8pm. Читать дальше...

The Malta Financial Services Authority said this afternoon that the application by Pilatus Bank for a licence as a credit institution in Malta was processed and assessed in full compliance with applicable legal requirements and in accordance with the Authority's authorisation procedures for the granting of a credit institution licence. The bank was granted a licence in 2014. "Pilatus Bank is subject to all prudential and supervisory rules and on-going supervisory procedures of the MFSA applicable to credit institutions," it said... Читать дальше...

Parliament will soon be able to scrutinise the government's nomination of chairpersons and ambassadors, the prime minister said today. Joseph Muscat said a parliamentary committee would be tasked to give its recommendations to the government on key appointments. This, he at a press conference, was the fulfillment of an electoral pledge. Dr Muscat said Cabinet was in the final stages of approving legislation that would make this parliamentary scrutiny possible. He did not elaborate.

Opposition leader Simon Busuttil this afternoon listed reasons why the Prime Minister should resign in the wake of the alleged Egrant scandal, adding that the magisterial inquiry currently underway should analyse all aspects revealed in the Panama Papers. Speaking at a press conference, Dr Busuttil referred to his meeting this morning with President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and a statement issued by the Office of the President. He said he had asked the President to intervene and exercise her moral... Читать дальше...

Joseph Muscat has again skirted a question as to whether his chief of staff Keith Schembri owns a personal account at Pilatus Bank.Mr Schembri refused to confirm the allegation made by blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia when confronted last Saturday.Speaking at a press conference at Auberge de Castille, the Prime Minister reiterated his hope that the magisterial inquiry into allegations linking his wife to Panama company Egrant will be concluded swiftly.Dr Muscat said he trusted the independence of the... Читать дальше...

A 77-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man, both from Dingli, were seriously injured this afternoon when their Mitsubishi Pajero Junior crashed and flipped over near Dingli. The accident happened shortly before 2pm.

A woman accused of luring a man into her Qawra apartment with the promise of sex as ruse to rob him was today acquitted of the charges.   Carmela Cini, 46, from St Paul's Bay, stood accused of aggravated theft and of loitering with intent, as well as of having committed the alleged offences while under the operative period of two suspended sentences. The story dated back to February 8, 2016 when a man turned up at a police station and claimed that he had been robbed of €300 some days earlier after... Читать дальше...

The Armed Forces of Malta today launched a ten-year strategic plan aimed at improving its capabilities and the work environment of its members. Launched by Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela, the plan identified the strategic goals for the next decade including the necessary level of military capability required to act as a deterrent to hostile intention and to acquire more assets, particularly in its naval and air squadron. READ: Minister won't comment on police commissioner's fenkata The army... Читать дальше...

Five men were spotted illegally trapping turtle doves in a fenced property directly beneath Mellieħa's Red Tower last Saturday, a bird conservation NGO said.  The Committee Against Bird Slaughter said its activists captured more than two hours of footage of the five men activating a clap net more than 20 metres long, retrieving trapped birds from the net and placing them in a large aviary containing around 45 live turtle doves.  But activists who reported the illegalities were left frustrated by police delays in meeting with them. Читать дальше...

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo declined to comment on the police commissioner’s decision to participate in a fenkata while serious allegations of corruption were being made against the Prime Minister and his wife.Asked during a press conference whether he agreed with the commissioner Laurence Cutajar's course of action, Dr Abela did not reply. Instead, he attacked the Opposition for undermining the commissioner and the island’s institutions.“It is not fair that allegations are made and no proof is presented to substantiate them. Читать дальше...

Updated 3.37pm - Added PM's comments Malta registered a general government surplus of €101 million in 2016, new figures from the National Statistics Office show.  The €101 million figure, equivalent to one per cent of Malta's GDP, is separate to the €8.9m consolidated fund surplus announced last month and includes funds from the Malta's cash-for-passports scheme, among others.  Income from the scheme was a major contributor to the €179.2m surplus registered by extra-budgetary units throughout 2016. Читать дальше...

Malta was on the brink of a historic agreement to raise the minimum wage, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said this morning.Addressing a conference organised by the GWU, Dr Muscat said all those involved in the talks needed to swallow a bit of pride.Only some minor issues remained before an agreement was reached, Dr Muscat said.He said the government was at the closest point of reaching an agreement in modern history.This would lay the foundations for substantial social progress, Dr Muscat said, with... Читать дальше...

A 36-year-old man was grievously injured last night in the course of a fight in St Paul's Bay. Police said they were called to Triq il-Ġifen at around 10.50pm to stop a fight at an establishment.  There they found the injured man, a Serbian national, who told them that a fight had broken out between a number of people. Police are investigating further.

A 12-year-old boy has been stopped by Australian police after having already driven a dangerous 1,300km across the country, according to The Independent. Having stolen his family's car, the boy was apparently attempting to drive the entire distance of Australia. He was pulled over on Saturday in the mining city of Broken Hill, appearing to have driven across the whole state of New South Wales.  A police spokesperson told Associated Press: “Checks revealed the driver to be a 12-year-old boy travelling... Читать дальше...

Updated 11.45am - Added PL statement Lawyers for blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia have filed an urgent court application to preserve mobile phone records relating to a minister and his assistant, in a libel case over an alleged visit to a German brothel.  The case against Ms Caruana Galizia was filed by Economy Minister Chris Cardona and his assistant Joe Gerada, after the blogger alleged that the two had visited the FKK Acapulco brothel while in Germany on government business.  Both men deny the allegations... Читать дальше...