Новости за 17.08.2017

The Moas volunteer group said today that 235 migrants were rescued from the Mediterranean by its ship ‘Phoenix’ in two operations. Both involved rubber dinghies, which carried 131 and 104 people respectively.   The Phoenix is now sailing north and has been instructed by Rome Rescue Centre to transfer the migrants to the Golfo Azzurro, a ship operated by the Proactiva Open Arms society. Ironically the same vessel last week was refused entry by both Italy and Malta to disembark three migrants, but they were later allowed to disembark in Sicily. Читать дальше...

A 54-year-old British man resident in Malta was arrested on arrival from Sicily this morning after 6kg of suspected cocaine and 12kg of suspected heroin were found in his car. The drug was hidden in the chassis of the vehicle.  Magistrate Gazzio Mercieca is hold an inquiry. The police are expected to arraign the man in court tomorrow.

Expedition 52 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Flight Engineer Sergey Ryazanskiy, of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, have performed a spacewalk outside the International Space Station. One of their tasks was to deploy several nanosatellites from a ladder outside the airlock. NASA said one of the satellites contained recorded greetings to the people of Earth in 11 languages. The cosmonauts will also collect residue samples, according to NASA, from various locations outside the Russian segment of... Читать дальше...

From stand-up comedy to educational theatre and musical cabaret, Maltese performers are out in force this summer at the largest arts festival in the world. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which runs throughout August in the Scottish capital, features more than 53,000 performances from 62 countries, with audiences treated to a feast of comedy, theatre, dance, circus, cabaret, exhibitions, children’s shows, musicals, opera and spoken-word events. The Fringe began in 1947 when eight theatre companies... Читать дальше...

Last updated 9.33pm - Thirteen people died this afternoon when a van ploughed into a crowd of people in Barcelona. Catalan government officials said more than 50 people were hospitalised. Police said they had arrested two men in connection with the attack. It was not immediately clear how many attackers were involved. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement by its news agency. Witnesses said the van zigzagged down one of Barcelona's busiest tourist avenues, Las Ramblas... Читать дальше...

The police are awaiting DNA results to establish whether a corpse found at sea late yesterday was that of a French man missing since Friday. The corpse was found about a mile off Portomaso. An autopsy was held today. The French man disappeared when he dived from a pleasure boat off Sliema on Friday evening. The search has now been called off. Informed sources said the age of the corpse appeared to be about the same as that of the French man.

This picture of Malta from space was taken by the SpaceX/Dragon CRS-12 cargo craft as it approached the International Space Station yesterday, completing a two-day journey to the orbiting outpost. NASA astronaut Jack Fischer and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Paolo Nespoli grappled Dragon at approximately 12.52pm, using the space station's robotic arm. According to NASA, the spacecraft is loaded with 2,900 kg of research materials, crew supplies and hardware, that include crucial materials... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will again be duelling for the title of world's best footballer after their names once again headed the shortlist on Thursday for The Best FIFA Men's Player. The pair, who have dominated the global award in its varied forms for a decade, will be favourites to collect yet another accolade amid the 24-strong list of the world's best. Ronaldo enjoyed another remarkable season in which he inspired Real Madrid to a La Liga/Champions League double while Messi topped him... Читать дальше...

Five foreign nationals charged with a string of thefts in the Sliema and St Julian’s area two years ago are likely to have absconded from Malta, the police have informed the court. This emerges from a letter the Attorney General’s Office sent to the Times of Malta following a report titled ‘Sliema thieves gang “vanish” off police radar’, subtitled ‘Attorney General had insisted bail should be granted’, which appeared on August 11. The Attorney General’s Office noted that it had “consistently and... Читать дальше...

Shoppers concerned about a shortage of free bottled water at PAMA supermarket will soon be able to get their hands on the packs, as the store plans to restock in the coming weeks. A spokesman for the Mosta complex told this newspaper that the shortage is temporary and customers can start collecting their free water soon. Customers said that while shopping, instead of being given vouchers to pick up free water, they were handed vouchers for toilet paper. Some expressed concern as to what had led to the sudden shortage... Читать дальше...

Australian far-right senator Pauline Hanson wore a burqa to parliament earlier today as part of her campaign to ban the all-enveloping garment worn by some Muslim women, drawing a quick rebuke from the government and Muslims. Hanson sat in her seat in the assembly for about 20 minutes covered by the black burqa before removing it to call for them to be banned in public for national security reasons. "I'm quite happy to remove this because this is not what should belong in this parliament," Hanson... Читать дальше...

Bank of Valletta is supporting the restoration of the ‘Gran Salon’ at the Auberge de Provence in Valletta. The Gran Salon is among the more captivating features of the Auberge de Provence (National Museum of Archaeology), with its richly painted walls and wooden beamed ceiling. Located on the upper floor of the Auberge, the Grand Salon is a Located on the upper floor of the Auberge, the Grand Salon is a beautifully baroque decorated hall that was used by the Knights of the Order of St. John for their business discussions... Читать дальше...

A 10-year-old rape victim who was denied an abortion by India's top court gave birth today in a case that has drawn outrage about the sexual abuse of children. The girl did not know she was pregnant and was unaware she had delivered a baby; her parents told their daughter she was undergoing stomach surgery to remove a stone. "The girl is doing fine, she is recovering. We expect she will be discharged early next week," said Dasari Harish, who heads a committee overseeing the girl's care. The girl... Читать дальше...

A man who administered CPR to an unconscious young girl at Marsaxlokk is being hailed a hero for his quick action.  The incident happened late on Tuesday at il-Magħluq in Marsaxlokk when the girl, five, was seen face down in the water. The girl's father said his daughter appeared to have been underwater for only a few seconds, possibly having been dragged by a current. She was pulled up, unconscious by her uncle and according to an eyewitness, she had no pulse.  "We lived through moments of horror," a witness wrote on Facebook... Читать дальше...

Workers exposed to airborne toxins may have an elevated risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, an immune system disorder that causes debilitating swelling and pain in the joints, a Swedish study suggests. Among men, bricklayers, concrete workers and electricians had at least twice the risk of rheumatoid arthritis they would have in certain other occupations, the study found. For women, jobs in nursing carried a 30 per cent higher risk than other careers. “Previous studies have indicated that occupations... Читать дальше...

Germany's Lufthansa is in talks to buy a majority of insolvent Air Berlin's aircraft, with the backing of Berlin, which is pushing for a national aviation champion, media reports said today. Air Berlin, Germany's second-largest airline, filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday after shareholder Etihad Airways withdrew funding following years of losses. The insolvency comes as many Germans enjoy summer holidays, and just ahead of a September general election, both factors which have put pressure... Читать дальше...

Updated 4.51pm with comments by Dr Buttigieg - Anthony Buttigieg, who recently stepped down as the deputy leader of the Partit Demokratiku, has announced his intention to contest the leadership position. The news was revealed by PD, saying that it had received an official resignation letter, submitted to outgoing PD leader Marlene Farrugia, which formalises his stepping down. The party said it welcomed the doctor's decision to try for the top post. “Partit Demokratiku welcomes broader participation... Читать дальше...

Fresh off winning her first Oscar, actress Emma Stone ousted Jennifer Lawrence on Wednesday to claim the top spot on Forbes' 2017 list of the world's highest-paid actresses. Stone, 28, who won best actress for her role as a struggling actress in "La La Land," made $26 million in pre-tax earnings, according to Forbes' calculations over a 12-month period from June 2016 to June 2017. She outpaced Jennifer Aniston, 48, who came in at No. 2 this year with earnings of $25.5 million, with residual income... Читать дальше...

Algorithm technology that detects suspected match-fixing could be used to catch teams and players involved in sports corruption, according to the Malta Football Association’s watchdog. MFA integrity officer Franz Tabone told the Times of Malta the technology formed part of the betting fraud detection system, a set-up already in place locally. “We have this technology and we get reports on local matches but there could be room to take this further,” he said. Mr Tabone, who has spearheaded the fight against football corruption in Malta... Читать дальше...

Welcome back for a whole new week of transfer news and coverage from the best leagues across Europe. 3.50pm Swansea have made an approach to Hull for Sam Clucas, according to Sky sources. 3.45pm Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista is on the verge of a £10million move to Valencia, according to Sky sources. The Brazilian defender joined the Gunners from Villarreal in January 2015 but has fallen behind Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding in the battle for a centre-back place. Valencia could make the announcement today. Читать дальше...

In July 2017, the annual rate of inflation as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) increased to 1.2 per cent, from 1.0 per cent registered in June 2017. The National Statistics Office said that the largest upward impact on annual inflation was registered in the Food and Non-alcoholic Beverages Index (0.36 percentage points) mainly reflecting higher prices of non-alcoholic beverages, while the largest downward impact was registered in the Communication Index (0.08 percentage... Читать дальше...

Updated 2.55pm  A controversial anti-migrant ship, currently outside Maltese territorial waters, will be refused entry into the island if permission is requested.  "So far no request has been made, but all we can say is they are not welcome," a government source told Times of Malta.  The ship, C-Star, belonging to the Defend Europe movement, has been plagued by controversy for weeks, as it tries to block the rescue of refugees from the Mediterranean Sea, which it described as part of an “invasion” endangering the continent. Читать дальше...

After scouring the streets of Tehran as a professional photographer, Ako Salemi traded his camera in for a smartphone and decided to produce a more stripped back street photography. In a very tense political climate, he's cut off from conventional channels; so instead, he shows off his work on social networks. He's an international success.

Roadworks at L-Imselliet, on the outskirts of Mġarr, have fuelled concerns that virgin land is being sacrificed to widen an existing country path being paved with concrete. Questions have also been asked over the safeguards being taken to preserve cart ruts, mature carob trees and rubble walls in the area. A Transport Malta spokesman said yesterday some of its projects to improve traffic flows and increase road safety were being implemented this summer to ease the impact of increased traffic ahead of the scholastic year. Читать дальше...

The United States is in an economic war with China, US President Donald Trump's chief political strategist has said, warning Washington is losing the fight but is about to hit China hard over unfair trade practices. "We're at economic war with China," Steve Bannon told US news site prospect.org in an interview published on Wednesday. "It's in all their literature. They're not shy about saying what they're doing. One of us is going to be a hegemon in 25 or 30 years and it's gonna be them if we go down this path," he was quoted as saying. Читать дальше...