Новости за 08.08.2018

China and Germany defended their business ties with Iran on Wednesday in the face of President Donald Trump's warning that any companies trading with the Islamic Republic would be barred from the United States. The comments from Beijing and Berlin signalled growing anger from partners of the United States, which reimposed strict sanctions against Iran on Tuesday, over its threat to penalise businesses from third countries that continue to operate there. "China has consistently opposed unilateral... Читать дальше...

Updated at 9.30pm with government reaction A €58 million contract for catering services and a kitchen at St Vincent de Paul Residence was signed a week after the government approved a €274 million direct order to the successful bidder, the Times of Malta has learnt. After a public call for tenders was issued in 2015, a consortium made up of James Caterers and Malta Healthcare, a subsidiary of the SeaBank db Group, was awarded a 10-year contract for the provision of meals at the old people’s residential... Читать дальше...

China's exports surged more than expected in July despite US duties and its closely watched surplus with the United States remained near record highs, as the world's two major economic powers ramp up a bitter dispute that some fear could derail global growth. In the latest move by President Donald Trump to put pressure on Beijing to negotiate trade concessions, Washington is set to begin collecting 25 per cent tariffs on another $16 billion in Chinese goods on August 23. In a statement on its official website late on Wednesday... Читать дальше...

Star government witness Rick Gates ended three days of testimony on Wednesday after admitting he lied, stole money and cheated as lawyers for US President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort attacked his character. As Gates took the witness stand for the final time at the tax and bank fraud trial of his former boss, Manafort lawyer Kevin Downing asked if his "secret life" spanned the years 2010 to 2014. "I have made many mistakes over many years," Gates, 46, replied in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia. Читать дальше...

Joseph Cole, a former permanent secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, has been appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, succeeding Norman Hamilton. According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry website, Mr Cole was appointed this month and will assume his duties upon presentation of his Letter of Commission to Queen Elizabeth. Mr Cole, a career diplomat, was appointed permanent secretary at the Foreign Affairs Ministry when the Labour Party returned to power in 2013. Since then he has served as ambassador in Sweden and Denmark... Читать дальше...

The organisers of the Oscars said on Wednesday they would create a new award category for popular movies and limit the annual, televised ceremony to three hours. In a letter to members, the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures also said it would present some of the 24 Academy Awards during commercial breaks in the televised broadcast. The changes, to take effect with the February 2019 ceremony, mark a major shake-up in the most prestigious honours in the movie industry and follow... Читать дальше...

Users who publish content freely available on the internet should get consent from the person behind it, Europe's top court ruled on Tuesday in a boost to the bloc's creative industries. Regulators say they lose out because illegal uploads of works on big online platforms such as Google's YouTube and Vivendi's video-sharing site Dailymotion deny publishers, broadcasters and artists of revenues. The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) ruling came after a secondary school student in Germany... Читать дальше...

Two hooded people who appeared to be armed with a firearm were spotted outside a Bulebel warehouse on Wednesday afternoon, the police said.Officers were dispatched to the site after receiving reports of what appeared to be an imminent hold-up attempt. By the time they arrived the suspects had left the scene without ever attempting to rob the store, the police said.

The 10th August Pyrotechnic Association is organising its annual La Notte di San Lorenzo, a spectacular fireworks display held at Grand Harbour. The event, scheduled for August 9 from 10pm onwards, is part of the celebrations in honour of St Lawrence, patron saint of Vittoriosa, and is being organised in collaboration with Total Management Solutions. La Notte di San Lorenzo is now in its 10th edition, and the organisers are planning an unforgettable experience for those attending. The ideal viewing... Читать дальше...

Moments after lifting her fingers from the piano keys and receiving a round of applause, Alessia Bonnici retyped the piece of music from memory on her laptop. She hit the playback button and beamed at her awestruck audience, who had followed her from the sitting room to the study. Throughout the whole process, she did not utter a word.  The aspiring pianist, who is preparing for her first concert with international performers, has been struggling with autism for 13 years. Her mother Cynthia Bonnici explains that to date... Читать дальше...

Pastis the pot-bellied pig likes nothing better than snuggling down for the night with the ponies at his retirement home, but also enjoys playing with the elderly cats. The 10-year-old, 90-kg Vietnamese pot-bellied pig is one of 150 ageing animals, including dogs, goats, horses and sheep, living out their final days in peace at "Les Petits Vieux" (The Little Old Ones) in rural southern Belgium. All the animals either have health problems or have been abandoned because their owners were too old to care for them. Читать дальше...

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has chosen former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to be the world body's new human rights chief, diplomats said on Wednesday. Bachelet's appointment now needs to be approved by the 193–member UN General Assembly. She would replace Jordan's outspoken Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, who is stepping down at the end of the month after one four-year term in the job, which is based in Geneva. UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a group of ambassadors of the decision on Tuesday... Читать дальше...

A medical clinic could soon be set up in Paceville to handle the drunk revellers who normally crowd the hospital’s emergency unit on weekends, Health Minister Chris Fearne said on Tuesday. “On weekends and holidays, we are experiencing a number of, let’s call them ‘patients’, who call at Mater Dei Hospital suffering from the effects of excessive drinking or some form of abuse or other. Naturally, you must treat them, and many end up in the emergency department,” Mr Fearne said. He was contacted by... Читать дальше...

Updated 5pm  Two people were rushed to hospital after an electric circuit board sparked and caught fire at Palumbo Malta Shipyard. A 45-year-old man from Naxxar and a 55-year-old man from Fgura were rushed to Mater Dei Hospital. The younger man suffered grievous injuries, while the older man was only slightly injured.  “We had our two best technicians on the job and the fire was immediately brought under control. We are in constant contact with the two men and their condition is stable. We have also... Читать дальше...

The MSE Equity Price Index partially erased Tuesday's decline as it rebounded by 0.37% to 4,384.794 points on the back of gains in five equities while a further three shares closed the day unchanged. PG plc added 1.5% to a four-month high of €1.36 on five deals totalling 53,500 shares. By the end of August, the company should be publishing its financial statements covering the financial year ended April 30, 2018. Following Tuesday's drop of 3.1%, the equity of Bank of Valletta plc advanced by 1.3%... Читать дальше...

Portugal's prime minister warned on Wednesday that a massive fire burning in the southern Algarve tourist region will take many days to put out as authorities sent more firefighters to combat the blaze. The fire, which is heading south from the Monchique hills towards the Algarve coast, started on August 3 despite huge efforts by the government to prevent any repetition of last year's deadly fires in which 114 people were killed. Nobody has died this year. In his first comments on the fire, made on television... Читать дальше...

The pound was engulfed in a heavy selloff on Wednesday, skidding to its lowest levels against the dollar and euro in almost a year as markets ramped up bets on Britain leaving the EU without an agreement with Brussels. London-based traders reported a significant increase in investor hedging against a possible freefall in sterling in the event of a 'no-deal' Brexit, which could damage the economy by raising trade barriers with the UK's biggest export market. The exodus began after UK trade minister... Читать дальше...

A new "pig family" postal stamp has stoked debate about whether China may further loosen its family planning policy next year as couples delay parenthood and the world's most populous nation greys. China Post, on its official website on Monday, unveiled the design of a stamp due for release in 2019 - the Year of Pig. The design features a family of two smiling pigs and their three cheerful piglets. Many Chinese took the design as a sign the government is seeking to promote a bigger family size, according to posts on social media. Читать дальше...

Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has paid his 80 million-euro ($92.8 million) buy-out clause to break his contract with the Spanish side ahead of a reported move to Chelsea. The 23-year-old is expected to sign for the Premier League side on Wednesday, with current goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois poised to move to Real Madrid. "La Liga has confirmed to us that Kepa Arrizabalaga has fulfilled the requirements for the unilateral termination of his contract with Athletic Club," said Bilbao in a statement. Читать дальше...

The death toll from last weekend's powerful earthquake on Indonesia's Lombok island rose to 131 on Wednesday as rescuers found more people crushed under collapsed buildings, though some still held out hope of finding survivors. "We don't know for sure how many people are alive under the rubble," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, the spokesman for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) told reporters in Jakarta. "There are reports ... that there are people buried alive, it is a critical time for immediate evacuation," he added... Читать дальше...

The Family Ministry has guaranteed the Cana Foundation €30,000 in funds every year for the next three years.  The foundation is a branch of the Cana Movement, which aims to promote and strengthen the family. It offers a variety of educational and therapeutic services, including counselling, family therapy, psychologists, psychotherapists, support groups and many other professional services, all aimed at supporting and helping couples. Family Minister Michael Falzon praised the foundation and its employees for their work.

Updated 3.35pm - Added video Former FIAU investigator Jonathan Ferris stuck by the testimony he gave as part of the Egrant inquiry during a three-hour questioning session at the police headquarters on Wednesday afternoon. Speaking to journalists outside the police headquarters, the former police inspector’s lawyer, Kris Busietta, said that Mr Ferris was questioned about the testimony that he had given to Magistrate Aaron Bugeja as part of the Egrant inquiry. The inquiry was called following allegations... Читать дальше...

As the evening colours danced in the sky and planet Earth was casting its shadow on the red moon on the last Friday of July, another not-so-natural phenomenon was occurring at ix-Xatt l-Aħmar – the Red Bay – outside Għajnsielem, Gozo. Gurgling down the hills nearby and cascading directly into the sea of the bay was sewage with an unbearable pong. The horrific ‘man-made’ stream was only a couple of metres away from the stargazers who were taking pictures of the total eclipse of the moon. Moments before... Читать дальше...

HSBC has shifted ownership of its Polish and Irish subsidiaries from its London-based entity to its French unit, and will do so for seven more European branches, as it prepares for Britain's exit from the European Union. HSBC France will also acquire the activities of seven European branches in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain, Europe's biggest bank said on Wednesday. The move is aimed at ensuring HSBC can continue to serve its European customers... Читать дальше...

The German government has agreed with Madrid that it can send back to Spain migrants who have already applied for asylum there, a spokeswoman for the interior ministry said on Wednesday, in what is the first deal of its kind. The move comes after a dispute between Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives and their Bavarian allies over returning migrants that nearly split them and brought down the government. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Eleonore Petermann said the two EU countries had signed the deal on Monday that would... Читать дальше...