Новости за 03.09.2018

Last updated Tuesday 6.50am An intensive search is underway for a 20-year-old diver who was reported missing off Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq late on Monday. The alarm was raised at about 8.30pm when the man, from Paola, failed to surface. He had earlier got separated from his 38-year-old friend. The search on Monday evening was focused on an area between Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq and the Splash and Fun complex. The AFM deployed a helicopter and a patrol boat.  Sources said the missing diver was known for his love of diving and spearfishing. Читать дальше...

Update 6 at 10.35pm An AFM helicopter joined a patrol boat searching for a missing 20-year-old diver at Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, behind the Splash and Fun complex.  Police said that two divers - both Maltese - were at the site together but that only one had surfaced. The alarm was raised with the police by his diving mate, a 38-year-old man, at around 8.30pm. The missing diver was a Maltese 20-year-old, according to the AFM. Sources said that he was known for his love of diving and spearfishing. The helicopter... Читать дальше...

France's Societe Generale expects penalties relating to its dispute with US authorities over international sanctions violations to be close to €1.2 billion  which would almost entirely be covered by provisions. "Societe Generale expects that the amount of the penalties in the US Sanctions Matter will be almost entirely covered by the provision for disputes allocated to this matter," the bank said in an update released on Monday. The bank's provisions set aside to cover penalities related to legal disputes totals €1.43 billion. Societe Generale... Читать дальше...

Argentina and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was left off the shortlist for FIFA's Player of the Year award for the first time in 12 years on Monday while Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah were named as the three finalists. Although Messi won the Spanish league title with Barca last season, the 31-year-old had an unhappy World Cup, missing a penalty against Iceland and scoring only once in four games as they were knocked out in the last 16. Messi, who last failed to make the final three nominees in 2006... Читать дальше...

Two men have been arrested after being seen on CCTV trying to put an ATM on their van over the weekend. The stand-alone ATM was outside a shop in Qawra. The theft failed because the ATM was too heavy, and they drove off. The two men are a 32-year-old and 46-year-old from San Ġwann.

Two people are to be charged in court on Tuesday after the Qawra police and the Criminal Investigation Department managed to solve an attempted robbery from the ATM in Triq il-Turisti in St Paul's Bay. The two men, a 32-year-old and 46-year-old from San Ġwann, allegedly tried to take money from the ATM on August 29, 2018.

A delegation from the European Parliament probing the rule of law in Malta will be returning to the island on September 17, the Times of Malta has learnt. This will be the third visit to Malta by members of a group from the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Read: Malta portrayed as a crooked country in MEP debate The visit was announced earlier this summer when Sophie in ’t Veld, a Dutch MEP and head of the delegation, said it would take stock of the developments in Malta... Читать дальше...

As work to widen Tal-Balal Road forges ahead without a planning permit, it has now emerged that there are not even agreements in place on the compensation due to the owners of the land taken up for the project. A total of 9,000 square metres of terrain will be lost to the road extension, some of which is agricultural land. This information was confirmed by a spokesman of Infrastructure Malta, the state agency overseeing these works, in reply to a series of questions sent by The Sunday Times of Malta. Читать дальше...

At least eight people were killed in an explosion at a South African munitions depot in Somerset West, near Cape Town, but the cause of the incident was still unknown, a fire and rescue official said on Monday. The blast occurred at Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) depot, a joint venture between Germany's Rheinmetall Defence and South Africa's state-owned arms maker Denel. "I can confirm that eight people are dead," said Theo Layne, a fire and rescue spokesman. The cause of the blast was not known, he said. Читать дальше...

An unemployed former taxi driver allegedly came across his former partner abusing drugs in the presence of their child, and became violent, the court heard on Monday. The 31-year old man from Mellieħa, whose identity is not being revealed to safeguard the interests of the minor, pleaded not guilty to unintentionally inflicting slight injuries upon the his estranged partner and mother of his nine-year old child woman, while breaching the public peace and good order by shouting and kicking up a commotion. Читать дальше...

A middle-aged woman is on holiday with her husband and three children in France, a fairly normal event for the middle of the summer but renal nurse Josette Parnis knows just how special it really is. The woman is a dialysis patient and she can only travel if she can find somewhere in the host country where she can allow machines to do what her own kidneys cannot. The annual trip to Lourdes organised by the Lourdes Volunteers Association is a case in point because patients can use the renal unit there. Читать дальше...

The European Parliament expects to be able to endorse any deal with London just two weeks before Britain leaves the EU on March 29, a leading lawmaker said on Monday, highlighting how tight the schedule is to agree on divorce terms and future ties. Danuta Hubner, head of the European parliament's constitutional affairs committee that will first handle the agreement, said the target to hold a vote would be a plenary session due March 11-14.  It was one of the first times a senior lawmaker has discussed the likely timing of the vote... Читать дальше...

The Civil Protection Department’s stations would not survive a major earthquake, National Security Minister Michael Farrugia admitted on Monday.The minister told the 36th General Assembly of the European Seismological Commission in Valletta that they would not withstand a large magnitude earthquake and that a plan to completely renovate and strengthen them was being drawn up. The minister said Malta had one relatively large seismological movement that occurred over a 100 years ago and since then there were a few on a smaller scale.

Update 4 at 9.30pm One of Melita's fibre cables was damaged by third parties performing roadworks in Balzan, with the telecommunication company's customers warned to expect disruptions to their television and internet service The company said through a Facebook post that repairs were started immediately and that all services should be restored by this evening. The major areas affected are Attard, Birkirkara, Dingli, Qormi, Rabat and Żebbuġ, but by 9.30pm most services had been restored, according to the Melita FB page... Читать дальше...

Update 3 at 5.50pm One of Melita's fibre cables was damaged by third parties performing roadworks in Balzan, with the telecommunication company's customers warned to expect disruptions to their television and internet service The company said through a Facebook post that repairs were started immediately and that all services should be restored by this evening. The major areas affected are Attard, Birkirkara, Dingli, Qormi, Rabat and Żebbuġ. Melita's mobile phone service is not affected by the damage.

Coca-Cola’s £3.9 billion acquisition of Costa Coffee has made quite a ripple. Atlanta-based Coca-Cola is obviously best known for its soft drinks portfolio, found in supermarkets, kiosks, hotels, bars and restaurants around the world. Costa, headquartered in the UK, has 3,800 coffee shops in over 30 countries with about two-thirds in its UK home market. Both companies might be all about beverages, but that’s about the only overlap in their operations. The logic for Costa’s current owner, Whitbread, is straightforward enough. Читать дальше...

Having worked and lived across Britain and the Unites States for just over 27 years, I have moved between England and Scotland, from the East Coast to the Midwest, while I was never inclined to regard myself as an emigrant, and less so as a migrant or immigrant. Yet, as time passed by and I came to terms with my lifestyle and professional trajectory, I have come to realise that in effect, I am defined by all three. Indeed, I am an emigrant who left my place of birth and upbringing, a migrant who moves across several cities and countries... Читать дальше...

The fourth member of a gang of four, charged with attempting to rob the Birkirkara home belonging to the employer of one of them, was handed a suspended sentence after admitting to his involvement in the crime. Read: Teen attempted to rob his own employer, court told Melchior Portelli, a 21-year old driver from Qormi, was arraigned on Monday over the attempted burglary which had taken place late in the afternoon on July 28. In view of the fact that the accused had fully cooperated with the police... Читать дальше...

Former president and founder of the Malta Wrestling Federation Simon A. Bonello, passed away yesterday, aged 85. Mr Bonello will be mostly remembered for introducing freestyle wrestling in the local sporting scene back in 1967 when he got together a group of youths who were showing interest in practising the Olympic sport. Eventually, the federation was set up in December 1969 and became fully affiliated with the International Federation a year later. The first wrestling club on our shores was aptly named L-Ewwel Klabb tal-Lotta (EKL). Читать дальше...

It is not an everyday occurrence finding yourself handling archaeological artefacts and old national inventories, coming up close to prestigious paintings by famous artists or handling 1,000-year-old skeletons and examples of natural history. A group of students and volunteers are living such an exceptional reality through various opportunities with Heritage Malta. The collaboration between Heritage Malta and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology aims to enhance knowledge and skills... Читать дальше...

The 38-storey tower and 18-storey hotel proposed for the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) site in St George’s Bay have been recommended for approval, with a final decision due on September 20.In a report published on Monday, the Planning Authority case officer concludes that the controversial project was in line with all relevant policies and would create a “landmark building” in an area designated for high-rise projects due to the predominance of tourism and leisure activities.The report notes... Читать дальше...

The 38-storey tower and 18-storey hotel proposed for the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) site in St George’s Bay have been recommended for approval, with a final decision due on September 20.In a report published on Monday, the Planning Authority case officer concludes that the controversial project was in line with all relevant policies and would create a “landmark building” in an area designated for high-rise projects due to the predominance of tourism and leisure activities.The report notes... Читать дальше...

Former Brazil striker Ronaldo has become the majority stakeholder in Spanish La Liga team Real Valladolid after buying 51 per cent of the club from president Carlos Suarez. The former Barcelona and Real Madrid forward paid around 30 million euros ($35 million), according to Spanish media reports. Valladolid were promoted this season and Ronaldo said the aim was to keep the team in the Spanish top flight. “We want Real Valladolid to consolidate in the top flight and keep building hopes from there,” said Ronaldo. Читать дальше...

The number of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean is down, but the journey is getting deadlier: one in 18 migrants died making the attempt this year, according to new figures from the UNHCR. Around 1,600 have crossed since the beginning of the year, in spite of the fact that fewer are setting off. A spokesman for the UNHCR said that traffickers were taking more risks, and there were more interceptions by the Libyan coast guard. UNHCR special envoy for the Central Mediterranean Vincent Cochetel said... Читать дальше...

The Planning Authority has instructed the owners of a restaurant in Naxxar, which residents complain is occupying public space, to abide by their permit conditions, the Times of Malta was told. Naxxar residents have complained to the planning watchdog that the new restaurant, Cicchetti, in Victory Square, just metres away from the main church, is occupying public space and two parking spaces. The residents claim that the owners have taken over a lot more space than originally permitted and have not complied with the approved design... Читать дальше...