L’articolo MANGIA APPOINTED NATIONAL TEAMS’ HEAD COACH proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

During a meeting held on Thursday 26 December 2019 between the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP) and the Committee on Agriculture and Food Safety of the Assembly of Citizens’ Representatives (ARP), it was decided to speed up the preparation of a legislative initiative later this year to save the rest of the olive harvest season. UTAP President Abdelmajid Zaar said the move would allow the National Oil Board (ONH) to purchase oil at production cost to save the farmers and improve the product. According to the union, the total losses of the olive season amount to over 750 million dinars, as well as other serious repercussions of the delay in harvesting on the quality and crops of next year. The ONH will sell olive oil at a price of 5,6 Dt per liter from Monday 30 December. Sales operations will take place in regional centers under the Office oil from Tunis, Sousse, Kairouan, Sfax and Zarzis.
(ITALPRESS/MNA).

L’articolo TUNISIA, INITIATIVE TO OVERCOME THE OLIVE OIL CRISIS proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

The National Water Plan (PNE) 2020-2050 constitutes a project with a roadmap to face the challenges of water for the next 30 years. The head of government, Saad Dine El Othmani, said this in Rabat. This plan is an extension of the priority water program, said the head of government who chaired a meeting of the ministerial committee on water, dedicated to the presentation of the different axes and components of the PNE project in view of its optimization and its improvement, in view of its presentation to the National Water Council. In this regard, El Othmani underlined the importance of the forward-looking and anticipatory approach and the spirit of solidarity that characterizes the components of this project, underlining the need to ensure optimal convergence of its programs. The project set a timetable for its implementation after its adoption, as well as monitoring, evaluation and recovery mechanisms, said the head of government. He also reiterated the particular importance that Morocco attaches to the problems generated by climate change, in particular those related to the guarantee of the necessary water resources, in quantity and quality, recalling the total adhesion of the Kingdom to all international initiatives related to climate challenges. In this sense, he referred to the balanced Moroccan experience in the mobilization of waters, which allowed the Kingdom to acquire significant infrastructures for the mobilization and storage of waters, which cover all the regions of the Kingdom, including large and small dams, canals distribution and treatment plants, which have greatly contributed to meeting the needs of citizens and the national economy for this vital resource. El Otmani also focused on the new challenges that Morocco, like countries all over the world, must also face in the field of mobilization, treatment and storage of water resources as well as the new measures required and on which the Sovereign continues to insist . During the meeting, the members of the ministerial committee followed a presentation by the Minister of Equipment, Transport, Logistics and Water, Abdelkader Amara, in which he illustrated the different pillars of the elaboration of the PNE, in the context of universal challenges that the Kingdom must face, in the light of the real directives and on the basis of the urban planning documents available in the context of consultation, participation and coordination.
(ITALPRESS).

L’articolo MOROCCO, FOR WATER PLAN 383 MLD DIRHAM proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

The volume of exports of fishery products increased by 8% at the end of October 2019, reaching almost 22,604 tons compared to 20,945 tons in the same period of 2018, according to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, water resources and fishing.In value, exports increased by 6.6% to reach 450.5 million dinars (MTD) against 422.5 MTD in the same period of 2018.This increase in exports is explained by the increase in exports of bluefin tuna fresh, by 642 tons for a value of 36.8 MTD. Furthermore, crab exports increased by 35.8% to reach 3,548.5 tonnes worth 33.3 MTD. Similarly for exports of conditioned tuna which have more than quadrupled, in quantitative terms to reach 2,252.1 tons in 2019, generating estimated revenues of around 34.4 MD.
In return, a decline in octopus and squid exports was recorded in volume and value. The quantities of octopus exported decreased by 20.1% and those of squid decreased by 51.4%. Fishing and aquaculture production recorded an increase of 6.7 thousand tons, the equivalent of an increase of 6%, to reach almost 116.5 thousand tons at the end of October 2019 compared to 109.8 thousand tons in the same period of the ‘last year. In the same period of 2019, fishing activities produced 102.4 thousand tons against 93.1 thousand tons in 2018, with an evolution of 9.3 thousand tons.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo TUNISIA, EXPORTS OF FISH PRODUCTS INCREASE BY 8% proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

The first MEDREG Presidents’ Meeting was held in Rome, the meeting of the presidents of the Mediterranean energy regulation authorities, who met to share best practices in renewable energy development and analyze the growing role of the gas in the area, in order to improve regulation and promote international cooperation. At the event, opened by Stefano Besseghini, MEDREG vice president and president of ARERA and by Gülefþan Demirbaþ, president of MEDREG, the association of Mediterranean regulators that brings together 27 regulators from 22 countries of the European Union, the Balkans and North Africa, participated also the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economic Development Alessandra Todde, the presidents of French regulators Jean-François Carenco (CRE), Moroccan Abdellatif Bardach (ANRE), Egyptian Karem Mahmoud (GASREG) and Albanian Petrit Ahmeti (ERE), and the managing directors of Enel Green Power, Antonio Cammisecra, and Snam, Marco Alverà.
In recent years, thanks to the cooperation of the Regulators in MEDREG, a series of reports have been prepared in preparation for the development of regulation: from smart grids, to renewable energy auctions, from gas extraction and storage infrastructures to competition in the gas market. Furthermore, the association has developed best practices on tariff methodologies, transparency, allocation capacity and third party access to the Mediterranean region. In addition to this workshops, training courses and other studies for its members were organized, aimed at supporting regulators in exercising their prerogatives for the creation of a competitive and efficient energy market. The statements “The Mediterranean is our present and represents the future opportunities in our region – said Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economic Development Alessandra Todde – The interconnections and energy investments will certainly strengthen our historical relations to promote social and economic growth”.
“MEDREG is a very important platform to share experiences and develop a common understanding of the main problems and challenges currently faced by the Mediterranean energy regulators and this cooperation will have to be translated more and more into common actions with concrete and evident results”, commented Stefano Besseghini, MEDREG vice president and ARERA president, opening the meeting. “The more our challenges grow, the more important it is to be able to count on a network of national regulatory authorities that share the Mediterranean borders and work towards greater interconnection and compatibility of laws between countries in order to establish efficiency and competition for the Mediterranean energy market with possible benefits for all “declared Ms. Gülefþan Demirbaþ, president of MEDREG, the association of Mediterranean regulators that brings together 27 regulators from 22 countries of the European Union, the Balkans and North Africa.
(ITALPRESS/MNA).

L’articolo THE FIRST MEDREG PRESIDENTS’ MEETING proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

The Malta Vocational Centre (MVC) and the Maltese Italian Chamber of Commerce (MICC), together with ARCES University College and Arancia ICT Srl, organize the Conference “JobMatch 2020. The future of online recruiting between Italy and Malta”.
The aim is to promote the JobMatch 2020 Web Platform and the culture of Blue and Circular Economy (B.C.E.) as an opportunity to facilitate the workers’ mobility in the cross-border cooperation area Italy-Malta, in accordance with the project objectives.

On the 11th of December from 8.30 am until 4 pm, a conference will take place which will launch the platform, where a detailed examination of the content in the platform will ensue. Alongside this, we will also be discussing in-depth the future of online recruiting and areas revolving around this topic. A Q&A session will also be taking with the panellists for anyone looking to inquire further on the platform or the topic at large of the role of digital media in online recruiting.

The future of online recruiting is here! JobMatch is a platform to expand your reach and look beyond the Maltese shores. If you are a Maltese, Italian and EU citizen and entrepreneur this platform will help you progress your career further and help you get in contact with the right people!
Jobmatch 2020 is a tool which will be used by both job seekers and entrepreneurs with the aim of creating ease in communication. Looking for jobs has never been easier and more efficient!
This is a multifunctional portal with the aim of creating a medium for the supply and demand of work especially in sectors of blue and circular economy. It will promote while also simplify the professional integration of the unemployed.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo JOBMATCH 2020, THE FUTURE OF ONLINE RECRUITING ITALY-MALTA proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

When it comes to online shopping Cyprus is near the end of the EU queue with only 32% of Cypriots making a virtual purchase, according to a Eurostat survey.
There was an increase in the number of online shoppers in the EU as 60% of people aged between 16 and 74, used the internet to purchase at least one item in 2018 compared with 32% in 2008.
But Cyprus consumers seem to be bucking the trend of buying from online shopping platforms or shops, as less people have purchased an item online in 2018 than 2017 when 39% of Cypriots had made an online purchase.
Only Romania (20%) and Bulgaria (21%) had a lower percentage than Cyprus for people had bought at least one item online over the year.
Cypriot shoppers (56%) used the internet mostly to shop for clothes and sporting goods.

The least popular purchases are food and groceries at 6%, as there appears not to be no culture or the infrastructure for such purchases.
And only 9% of online shoppers bought an electronic gadget while just 11% bought a book online in 2018.
Cyprus was bottom of the EU when it came to shop online for household goods (11%) and electronics (9%).
The highest proportion of internet users who shopped online were in Denmark (84%), the United Kingdom (83%), Netherlands (82%) and Sweden (78%).
Eurostat published the online shopping data on the occasion of Black Friday.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo CYPRUS IS THIRD FROM BOTTOM IN EU FOR ONLINE SHOPPING proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

The main suspect in the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, entrepreneur Yorgen Fenech testified in court that the former chief of staff of the Maltese Prime Minister, Keith Schembri, had kept him constantly informed of the progress into the investigations of Daphne’s murder.

Fenech, who is accused of the murder, said that Joseph Muscat’s former chief of staff informed him that his phone had been intercepted and gave him all the details about the presidential pardon which in the end was granted to the intermediary suspect Melvin Theuma.

He also said that Schembri informed him in advance before the arrest of the brothers George, Alfred Degiorgio and Vince Muscat in December 2017.

Fenech was speaking during a constitutional case he had filed against the head of investigations Keith Arnaud to bew removed. He said that Arnaud used to keep Schembri up to date on the case and that when [Fenech] was arrested, the inspector told him to be responsible when involving and mentioning people. Fenech asked Arnaud if he was referring to Schembri and the inspector replied that he really was.

Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the relatives of the assassinated maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia presented a formal complaint to the French Financial Prosecutor’s Office to investigate businessman Yorgen Fenech, the ex Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office Keith Schembri and ex-Minister Konrad Mizzi.

The complaint brought by lawyer Emmanuel Daoud on behalf of RSF and the Caruana Galizia family says that there is a real suspicion that Fenech was using proceeds from assets in France to bribe Schembri and Mizzi to win a big public contract, which Daphne Caruana Galizia was investigating prior to her death, and to finance the car bomb that killed her on 16 October 2017.

After the latest developments, RSF and family Caruana Galizia discovered that Fenech had large assets in France including Evian-lesBains Hilton Hotel. He also has stables for horse racing in France which have rendered hundreds of thousands in profits between January 2015 and December 2017.

In view of this, they are asking the main prosecutor in France will open or judicial preliminary investigation.

The secretary general of Reporters Without Borders Christophe Deloire said that since these assets in France are owned by the mastermind behind the murder who is under arrest, the French judicial authorities should investigate so that the truth comes out.

The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has canceled a private lunch with the Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Muscat will be in Rome tomorrow for the Mediterranean Dialogues, an international event to discuss the situation in the region.

There is no official confirmation from the Italian government that this decision was taken due to the current situation of political crisis in Malta. Muscat has already stated that next January he will resign but local reports say that there is a chance that Muscat will leave his office next week.  Meanwhile, there have been changes regarding the official visit of Joseph Muscat to Pope Francis. This will only be a private audience and not an official one. Muscat will be accompanied by his family but will not be accompanied by the Maltese Foreign Minister Carmelo Abela and the Maltese Ambassador for the Holy See Frank Zammit. This development happened in view of the critical situation in Malta and the protests that reached the Holy See from the Maltese civil society opposing the meeting of Muscat with the Holy Father.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo CARUANA GALIZIA, FENECH “SCHEMBRI INFORMED ME ABOUT INVESTIGATIONS” proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

At the end of the meeting with the Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in Valletta, a delegation from the European Parliament expressed concern about the current state of the Muscat leadership as the Premier of an EU member state. Even the European Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova insisted that the investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia must be concluded without any political interference. She made this statement in a phone call with Justice Minister Owen Bonnici. The European Parliament delegation arrived in Malta last night. The country is in a political crisis caused by the arrest and accusations of the entrepreneur Yorgen Fenech in relation to the murder of the Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galicia; along with the close relationships that existed between Keith Schembri, Yorgen Fenech and Joseph Muscat. In the last few days a photo of Schembri has emerged with Melvin Theuma, the middleman in the murder; while today a handwritten letter by Theuma was published, revealing Fenech and Schembri as the masterminds of the murder. In court, the lawyers of Yorgen Fenech implied that Keith Schembri put pressure with the help of third parties to prevent Fenech from giving incriminating information to the police. “There is no longer a basis of trust between Malta and the European Union,” Dutch MEP Sophie Int Veld told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Joseph Muscat this morning. “We have made it clear that there is a problem. Now it is a problem between Malta and the EU, not only between the Prime Minister and the Maltese people. That trust has been seriously damaged. Justice and truth are coming out, and this is the most important thing, “Int Veld said. German MEP Sven Giegold said that Muscat admitted that he knew that Yorgen Fenech was somehow involved in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galicia. “He refused to say exactly when he knew … but he realizes he made a mistake. It was a tense meeting. I can only say that this government does not respect the EU.” Before the meeting with the European delegation, angry protesters gathered in front of the Prime Minister’s office. They threw eggs at the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Justice Minister Owen Bonnici. Minister Bonnici was hit by one of the eggs. Another meeting was with Laurence Cutajar, the police commissioner. The European delegation noted that the Maltese police with the help of Europol is doing professional work, but stated that a name like the one of Keith Schembri, mentioned on numerous occasions throughout the investigation, is now free and not under arrest. In a court, Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family asked magistrate Nadine Lia to abstain or refuse to preside over the investigations into the alleged masterind behind the murder, Yorgen Fenech. According to the Daphne’s family, Nadine Lia must abstain from the case because the magistrate’s father-in-law, Paul Lia, is very close to the Labour Party and the Labour government. Paul Lia was also the defense counsel of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, and of the former Chief of Staff at the Prime Minister’s office, Keith Schembri and various parliamentarians or Labour representatives. Yorgen Fenech is also opposing for the same reason. The Italian Ambassador to Malta Mario Sammartino said that Malta is currently at a crossroads and the Maltese are in a moment of reflection. “I am convinced that some good will come out of this difficult situation. Italy remains close to the Maltese people,” said Sammartino. The Church in Malta and Gozo have called for unity in these “difficult times” for the country. The civil society and all social partners are calling for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. They want an interim Prime Minister to be appointed before the elections take place for a new Labour leader and Prime Minister scheduled for 8 and 12 January. Meanwhile, the civil society met in front of the Police Headquarters, in Floriana, in another protest asking the Poliice Commissioner to investigate Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Keith Schembri.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo MALTA, TRUST WITH THE EU SERIOUSLY DAMAGED proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

In a televised message to the Maltese people, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that he will remain at the helm of the country until mid-January. This is the latest development in the political and constitutional crisis in Malta after the events of the last days concerning the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galiza two years ago and the arrest of entrepreneur Yorgen Fenech who yesterday was accused of having planned and organized the assassination of Caruana Galizia with the involvement of a criminal group.

In the television message, Muscat announced that he will remain as Prime Minister until a new Labour Party leader is elected after an internal electoral process that will start on January 12th. He promised he would resign as prime minister as soon as a new Labour leader was chosen.

His television message was recorded in the last few days, and aired tonight on the national tv station, and after the biggest demonstration organized by the nationalist opposition and the civil society against Prime Minister Muscat, and in favour of justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia. During the protest there were also present representatives from the Italian journalism union.

Muscat stated that the investigations into the assassination of Caruana Galicia are still ongoing and no one is above the law. Muscat said he kept his word to resolve this murder during his term in office.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo MALTA, MUSCAT WILL RESIGN IN JANUARY proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews