The president of the Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment, Stefano Besseghini, met Karem Mahmoud, president of the Egyptian gas regulation authority, GASREG, in Milan. The meeting was made possible thanks to the joint membership of MEDREG, the Association of Energy Authorities in the Mediterranean, of which ARERA is the founder and Permanent Vice President.
GASREG was established in 2017 and has among its various objectives those of monitoring the functioning of the Egyptian gas market, encouraging new investments, regulating activities, promoting competition among operators, allowing access to third parties on a fair and non discriminatory condition. Among the actions planned for the start-up of the Egyptian free market, also downstream of the recent gas discoveries, GASREG intends to collaborate with ARERA to promote the separation of the supply chain to today vertically integrated and the transparent access of third parties to the infrastructures.
Next meeting is the first MEDREG “Presidents meeting” scheduled for December 10 in Rome.
(ITALPRESS/MNA).

L’articolo GAS, ARERA MEETS EGYPTIAN AUTHORITY proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

Around 1,200 migrants took control of ?al Far detention centre in Malta, after a riot took place between Sunday and Monday night. Last night’s serious incidents are the latest in a series of violent protests organized by migrants detained in various centres in the Southern part of the island.
Migrants are asking for freedom and justice, while opposing the detention period until they are transfered to other European countries. All detention centres in Malta are under pressure. Hundred of migrants were allowed by the Maltese government to desembark in Malta during the summer months.
In last night’s attacks, the administrative offices where all documents which presumably contain personal information about the identity of the migrants were burned, together with the guardroom and several cars of professionals employed with the public agency in charge of the migrants’ needs.
A police officer was slightly injured and a police car was also damaged as migrants threw stones and other heavy objects during the riot.
A group of female migrants including children were caught in the violence inside the detention centre.
According to the Police, the protest started at 10 in the evening. A number of district police officers and others from the Rapid Intervention Unit were called on site to control the situation. While the building is surrounded by the Armed Forces of Malta to prevent any migrant from escaping, the Police are still investigating the riot and a number of migrants are expected to be arraigned in court.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo MIGRANTS’ UNREST IN MALTA’S LARGEST DETENTION CENTRE proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

During the international conference “The Hydrogen Challenge – 2019 Global ESG Conference” organized by Snam in Rome, CEO Marco Alverà signed two agreements on sustainable energy and innovation. The first, signed in the presence of Israel’s ambassador to Italy Dror Eydar, is a memorandum of understanding with the Israel Innovation Authority (The National Technological Innovation Authority) aimed at fostering collaboration between Snam and Israeli companies, in particular start-up, in innovative technologies at the service of the green economy. The second, signed with the president of the National Research Council (CNR) Massimo Inguscio, is a Snam-CNR framework agreement aimed at common planning and analysis for the development of hydrogen and in general of renewable gases and sustainable mobility. The collaboration, in particular, provides for the launch of a joint working group to evaluate compatibility studies of increasing amounts of hydrogen in gas and mobility infrastructures, analysis of carbon dioxide capture, transport and storage processes, new studies technologies in the biomethane sector and in general of low-carbon gas. Snam has also announced, with the president Luca Dal Fabbro, the launch of the “Snam Plastic Less” program. The initiative aims to reduce the use of plastic in industrial packaging by 2023 by 100% and to eliminate single-use plastic in beverage dispensers in all company locations by 2020.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo ISRAEL, SNAM SIGNS AGREEMENTS ON SUSTAINABLE ENERGY proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

The trade deficit at current prices was 14848.1 million dinars (MD) during the first nine months of 2019 compared to 14183.2 MDs in the same period of the past year, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS). The coverage rate increased by 1.5 percentage points from the first nine months of 2018 to 69% against 67.5%. Excluding energy, the trade balance deficit is 9201.2 MD. The deficit in the energy balance stands at 5646.9 MD (38% of the total deficit) against 4683.7 MD in the same period of 2018.
Tunisia has seen its energy product imports increase by 24.3% due to the increase in purchases of natural gas (2934.3 MD against 1768.6 MD). According to the note on foreign trade of NIS at current prices (September 2019), general exports increased by 12% compared to + 19.8% in the same period of 2018. They reached 33008.4 MD level against 29481.7 MD during the first nine months of last year. Similarly, imports increased by 9.6% compared to + 21% during the same period of 2018. Imports therefore reached 47856.5 MD against 43664.8 MD.
(ITALPRESS/MNA).

L’articolo TUNISIA, COMMERCIAL DEFICIT REACHES 15 BLN DINARS proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

Commissioner-designate Helena Dalli, the Maltese candidate for the equality portfolio on EU Gender Strategy and the fight against discrimination is expected to be approved after she was quizzed in a 3 hour hearing before members of the European Parliament. At the end of the hearing, she has received the two-thirds of the votes needed to be approved as commissioner. During her introductory speech, Helena Dalli said that discrimination is “harming both individuals and society as a whole,” and that she would fight for a Europe “free of discrimination”.

Once approved, she committed to establish, within three months, a Task Force on Equality to build an inter-sectional approach on gender mainstreaming in all EU policies. She also promised an EU Gender Equality Strategy, with new measures on issues such as pay transparency, the gender pay gap, violence against women and gender stereotypes.

MEPs welcomed the President-elect’s decision to appoint an Equality Commissioner for the first time. They put forward questions on several files blocked for years in the EU Council, such as the Women on Boards Directive, the Anti-discrimination Directive or the ratification of the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women. Helena Dalli said that she would do her utmost to unblock these essential files, by meeting with ministers to convince them to move forward.

MEPs also questioned her on the protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights, the digital gap faced by women, disability, female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriages, and the rights of LGBTI people, in particular transgender and inter-sex people.

Based on committees’ recommendations, the Conference of Presidents will decide on 17 October if the European Parliament has received sufficient information to declare the hearing process closed. If so, the plenary will vote on whether or not to approve the Commission as a whole on 23 October, in Strasbourg

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews

The journalist Martin Micallef, president of the local broadcasting Authority and former director of Malta News Agency, the first Maltese news agency that was created in collaboration with the Italian agency Italpress, passed away last night.

After studying and living for several years in Italy, Martin Micallef embarked on a journalistic career becoming one of the most famous faces of Maltese TV. He has also collaborated with RAI
and with different international media and has been for many years President of the Dante Alighieri Committee of Malta.

Last October , as part of the  celebrations  for the 30th anniversary of Italpress, he was awarded by the mayor of Palermo Leoluca Orlando for his journalistic commitment in the Mediterranean area.

Source: medNews

The Council of Europe has criticized severely the public inquiry in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia which was set up by the Maltese Government because it fails to meet the Council’s expectations.

The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Council of Europe described as “essential” that the inquiry ordered by the Maltese government in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, investigate potential politicians that could have contributed to the assassination of the journalist. The document issued by the Committee states that the inquiry should investigate whether political activities and persons occupying public office could have contributed to a climate of impunity and an atmosphere of hostility towards journalists like Daphne Caruana Galizia. It also says that the investigation has to establish if this behavior has an affect on the investigations.

This position of the Council was published following recommendations made by Pieter Omtzigt, the rapporteur to the Council of Europe. According to Omtzigt, the inquiry currently does not meet the expectations of the Assembly. The Council requested the Maltese Government to address this urgent concern. 

One of the recommendations mentioned by the Council is the inclusion of international experts on the Board of Inquiry to secure independence and impartiality. Furthermore, the family of Ms. Caruana Galizia should be given the opportunity to present procedural motions, questioning witnesses and making submissions.

The public inquiry was ordered by the Maltese Government following pressure from the Council of Europe. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has requested that the public inquiry is to be concluded in nine months. 

In a statement, the Maltese Government declared that it does not have confidence in the integrity of Pieter Omtzigt who has a big problem of credibility because of his involvement during the investigations related to the MH17 aeroplane crash.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews

According to the Algerian National Statistics Office (ONS), the production of the public sector in Algeria has increased by 5.6% in the second quarter of 2019, generated by significant improvements in many sectors, placing the average of the first half at 4.9% compared to the same period in 2018. The most important industrial sectors that contributed to this performance are the steel, metallurgy, mechanical, electrical and electronic industries (with an increase of 32.6% during the first six months of 2019), as well as those of leather, footwear and chemical industries. In detail, the production of the iron and steel sector and the processing of cast iron and steel recorded an increase of 155%, the construction of industrial vehicles 97.8%, the manufacture of electrical consumer goods by 64.3%, the manufacture of metal materials of 46.5% and the manufacture of electrical capital goods of 24.4%. However, some declines were recorded for the manufacture of metal capital goods (-72.5%), the production and transformation of non-ferrous metals (-62.8%) and the manufacture of metal furniture (-9.8% ). 

 

The upward trend started in the second quarter of 2018 for the leather and footwear industries was confirmed in the first quarter of 2019 and reached a growth of over 15%, especially for intermediate goods (+ 20.2%). Production in the chemical industry sector increased by 7.2% in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. This increase is mainly due to the improvement of the organic chemical branch (+ 112.6%), to manufacturing of other intermediate plastic goods (27.4%), the manufacture of other chemical products (24.3%) and finally the manufacture of pharmaceutical products (+ 3.5%). Production in the energy (electricity) sector recorded an increase of 7.3% in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

 

 

Source: medNews

Home Affairs Ministers from five European Union countries together with the European Commissioner responsible for migration Dimitris Avramopulos agreed in Malta on a system to address the disembarkation and relocation of migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Ministers of Malta, Italy, France, Germany and Finland which holds the European Union council presidency, said that this agreement would be presented to the rest of the European Union states in a meeting of the Interior ministers to be held in Luxembourg in October 8. During a press conference in Fort St Angelo, it was confirmed that this agreement is temporary until a permanent procedure comes into force.

The process requires the approval of the majority of the EU countries and then an operational system will be drawn up. The Ministers discussed measures how to control vessels owned by non-governmental organizations; including licensing regulations to ships capable to rescue at sea.

According to the agreement, not only Malta and Italy, but also other member states who voluntarily choose to help in the migration crisis will be involved in the disembarkation process of migrants. As regards the migrant reception centers, once a member state is under pressure, a new mechanism will come into force so that the burden will be shared by other EU states by taking the rescued migrants. The Ministers agreed that countries who are under stress in view of migratory flows are not to be left alone, and a threshold mechanism is to be implemented. 

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews

The “Forest of violins” of the Val di Fiemme “will descend from the mountains and will reach the lowlands of Cremona, a few meters from the burial of the greatest master of violin making Antonio Stradivari. In the days when the Lombard city will celebrate its violin and musical tradition with the Cremona Musica International Exhibitions and Festival 2019, from September 21st parts of spruces destroyed by the storm Vaia will be exhibited in Piazza Roma in Cremona to raise awareness of environmental issues. Other fir trees will be located near the exhibition pavilions.

From 4.00 pm on September 21st in Bertazzola del Torrazzo the photographic exhibition ‘Rinascita con la musica’ will be opened, which will allow visitors to retrace and see the images of the disastrous event that in October 2018 in a few hours has brought down hundreds of thousands of spruces.

To complete this week of events on the evening of 28 September, the Pianolink Silent Wifi Concert for piano and guitar is scheduled in the Piazza del Comune di Cremona at 9.00 pm. The listeners, through headphones connected wifi, from every point of the square, will be able to enjoy the exhibition through a sort of personalized audition.
The initiatives will be implemented with the support of the Lombardy Region which, in 2019,holds the European presidency of EUSALP – an agreement signed between Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland and Liechtenstein and their 48 regions and autonomous provinces that are located around the Alpine chain for the development of a macro-regional strategy.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo THE “FOREST OF VIOLINS” OF VAL DI FIEMME REACHES CREMONA proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews