Following maintenance works, last Saturday the electro-nuclear power station of Krško has been connected to the national electric grid and that, since then, it has been working regularly. The interruption lasted since 1 October, and maintenance works (which included also the replacement of some parts) costed about EUR 20 million.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

In view of the forthcoming COP22 in Marrakech, from 7 to 18 November, Tunisia is working to a new energy plan based on low carbon emissions.

The announcement comes directly from the Ministry of Energy of Tunisia, Hela Sheikrouhou. In recent years, Tunisia made major improvements from the economic point of view, focusing the efforts on the capacity to attract investments and it understood the role that energy efficiency can play in this period. Currently, Tunisia uses twice the amount of energy set by OSCE in order to produce dinars 1 of GDP. The COP22 is the best moment to present to the entire world their low carbon emissions projects. Minister Sheikrouhou commented in this way the announcement of the new plan: “Within two weeks we will start preparing the first investment plan in renewable energy. A long list of projects will be announced shortly on the autonomous production of renewable energy by the private sector, increasing the activities of the Tunisian operator for electricity and gas. The plan will cost about EUR 815 million”.

“Tunisia is working for a low carbon emissions system and for an economy resistant to climate change, and it offers great investments opportunities in energy efficiency, in renewable energy, in the fight against climate change that impacts agriculture and water resources”. “Increasing energy efficiency – Sheikrouhou said – allows to facilitate energy subsidies and to re-allocate these resources in other priority sectors, such us schooling and health”.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

Divergent opinions between the Israeli Public Comptroller and the Israeli Post on the level of upgrade of the international posting system. While, on the one hand, the public authority notices some inefficiency, on the other hand the Post claims the progress made in the last two years. This is what the economic newspaper Globes refers today. 

Israeli Post representatives argue that the study, whose findings seem not to be satisfactory, was carried out in 2015, a period in which the company was undergoing a major reorganization plan with new management that gave strategic development importance to the on-line market.

This strategy led to an increase of the delivery facilities from 700 to 1000 planned, longer opening hours of the post offices, a more efficient customer service, the possibility of having home service, apps and tracking services.

With this strategy, the Israeli Post are getting ready to satisfy a constantly growing demand of on-line services, which involves Israel as any other mature economy.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

The first biogas power station in the capital of Montenegro for the production of electricity from waste, that is, from the biogas accumulated in the landfill of the municipality of Podgorica, is expected to be activated by the end of 2017. The power station, part of which has already been built, will cost EUR 2 million in total, and will be managed by a public-private partnership. The director of the Deponija landfill said to the local press that a tender for a feasibility and economic sustainability study will be issued soon.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed “great concern” about the high number of refugees and migrants in 2016 WHO have lost their lives crossing the Mediterranean. To date, despite still missing two months to the end of the year, there are at least 3,740 dead and missing – a little less than 3,771 recorded in 2015, so far the deadliest year. A “tragic outcome” is detected despite the sharp overall decline in the number of people who have crossed the Mediterranean to reach Europe.

“Decrement” apparent if it is true that only yesterday, 24th October, the Italian Coast Guard has rescued 2,200 migrants in the central Mediterranean, in 21 different rescue operations (18 rafts and 3 small boats).

According to UNHCR data, there are about 327,800 refugees and migrants who undertook the dangerous crossing, compared to 1,015,078 recorded in 2015. Since the beginning of 2016, one person in every 88 who attempted the crossing has lost life, a figure up sharply compared to 1 person every 269 last year. In the central Mediterranean this figure is even higher, with one death every 47 arrivals.

There are many causes of this increase, in the opinion of UNHCR, : about half of those who cross the Mediterranean are headed to Italy and embark from North Africa, a notoriously dangerous route.

Traffickers are also using increasingly poor quality vessels, including fragile rafts that often do not stand up to the entire duration of the trip. The cause of several accidents appear to be bad weather, but also the tactics of traffickers are changing in many cases have occurred mass departures of thousands of people simultaneously. This may be due to the fact that human trafficking is shifting towards new modes or perception that the risks linked to the crossing are lower than before, which makes the work more difficult rescuers.

“Facing this situation, while ensuring asylum systems functioning, it remains a political challenge for many countries, but measures to save lives are” points out that UNHCR calls on all countries “to do more in this regard. Strengthening access to regular routes to ensure safety of refugees has become a more urgent priority and this must be realized through actions such as the strengthening of the resettlement and humanitarian admission, family reunification, private sponsorship, and the granting of visas to refugees for humanitarian reasons, study and work. “

The high mortality rate also points out “the importance of continuous and intense search and rescue action, without which the number of casualties would certainly be higher,” concluded UNHCR and thanked “governments and private entities that every day and often in difficult conditions, contribute to this important life-saving work”.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

Tasting Sicily will sponsor the Slow Food Mediterranean Conference, an event sponsored by Slow Food Anglia in collaboration with Slow Food Slow Food Malta and Sicily, it will be held in Valletta. The themes of the event will be those closest to the ethics of Slow Food, enhancement of good food, clean and fair. But the conference will also be the perfect opportunity to promote the first Slow Food Festival which will be held in the island this June. Two years ago, the small group of Slow Food Malta has developed the idea of organizing a festival of homemade food, which could bring the various Slow Food groups, based in Malta, in order to promote the excellence of the Mediterranean. So today the Grand Hotel Excelsior in Valletta will host the Mediterranean Conference with debates and workshops of different  international guests as well as representatives of various Slow Food.

During the conference meeting participants will focus on two central themes of significant value: sustainable fishing with a particular focus on the local fishing industry and the importance of extra virgin olive oil. In the middle of the event there will be served a buffet lunch prepared by renowned chef Enzo Oliveri, Tasting Sicily-based products and other Slow Food Sicilia, including: sesame of Ispica, black pig of Nebrodi , pistachios from Bronte, antique Apples from Etna, and strawberries of Ribera. The will of the chef of Tasting Sicily, lunch sponsor, is to give luster to products of excellence like the ancient Sicilian grains, and to highlight several Slow Food Sicily. For this reason the Timilia grain will be used by the expert hands of Francesco Arena, known baker of Messina who works with yeast and ancient Sicilian grains, to prepare bruschetta that will be served with pâté and side dishes of Tasting Sicily.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

The Jordanian Government has given the green light for the development, construction and operation of a 200 MW photovoltaic plant. The plant will built, from MASDAR companies – Abu Dhabi for Energy in the Al Muwaqqar area in north-west of Amman.

The new plant once connected to the electricity grid should satisfy the energy needs of 110,000 units and there is expected to contribute to the reduction of about 360,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

Interior Minister of Italy Angelino Alfano, met Interior Minister and National Security of the Republic of Malta, Carmelo Abela. The cooperation between Italy and Malta in the field of security, to combat illegal immigration and terrorism were the main topics.

On the migration front, Alfano and Abela agreed on the fact that the phenomenon of landings and migration in the central Mediterranean is a European problem and as such requires a collective response of the European Union. The two ministers also confirmed the close cooperation between the two countries, bilaterally and at the European level, in preventing and combating terrorism and radicalization. Alfano and Abela agreed, finally, to continue their joint action for the forthcoming European events and, in particular, in view of the forthcoming presidency of Malta in the European Union.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

On February, exports of citrus fruits from Morocco to the United States were suspended temporarily, because of the discovery of the Mediterranean fly larvae fruit (scientific name Ceratitis Capitata) in clementines exported. From this moment Representatives of the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fishing, the National Bureau Moroccan for the health safety of food products (ONSSA) and the Plant Protection Service the US Department of Agriculture (APHIS) initiated a series of meetings and information exchanges to reach an agreement that would unblock the export of citrus fruits.

In this perspective, two missions in Morocco by American experts were any carried out to the-spot verification of procedures for prevention and control in orchards and central air-conditioning of citrus. Following these verification activities, and APHIS ONSAA there was signed an agreement in June 2016 which authorized the exports again in the US market since 13th October 2016. During the agricultural season 2013-2014 Moroccan citrus exports to the United States to quantitative reached average of 44,000 tons, that correspond to 9% of total exports of this product.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews

A framework agreement was signed in Algiers by the Minister of Industry and Mines, Abdeslam Bouchouareb and Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, Qian Keming for the implementation of a series of infrastructure projects with the involvement of companies Chinese in performance of the new Algerian economic model, in which the industrial sector occupies a prominent place. This agreement reflects the new path of economic cooperation between Algeria and China with the launch of various industrial projects and prospects in the exploration and exploitation of mines and in new technologies.

In this context, among the objectives of the Convention signed at the headquarters of the Ministry of Industry and Mines, was announced the creation of a new platform that can promote the joint implementation of measures to modernize production capacities and development through the access of businesses to new industrial technologies with the transfer and optimization of production capacities. Among the sectors the most involved are the manufacturing industries, the construction of supporting infrastructure, exploitation of resources and energies through partnerships, foreign direct investment, trade in equipment and technical cooperation. 

There are ten sectors of activity covered by this new agreement between Algeria and China: engineering, railway, steel industry, infrastructure, petrochemical, renewable energy and energy efficiency, oil and gas, engineering, processing of mine products, materials construction, household appliances. By the end of 2015, the Algerian Central Bank had issued a note it provided that imports from China were settled in the Chinese currency. The decision was reaffirmed by Algerian Minister of Industry, Abdesselam Bouchouareb in the occasion of the cooperation agreement signed with China. As reported by the Central Bank Algerian “being China – first trading partner of Algeria, imports from this country should be adjusted in the Chinese currency. Such a formula would eliminate the prizes for the exchange risk coverage in the case of payment another currency”.

(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews