Cyprus is among the top three EU states for recycling plastic packaging with a rate of 62% well above the European average of 42%.In the EU, an estimated 42% of plastic packaging waste was recycled in 2017. In seven EU Member States, more than half of the plastic packaging waste generated was recycled. The highest recycling rate of plastic packaging waste was recorded in Lithuania (74%), ahead of Bulgaria (65%), Cyprus (62%, 2016 data), Slovenia (60%), Czechia (59%), Slovakia (52%) and the Netherlands (50%).In contrast, less than one third of plastic packaging waste was recycled in Malta (24%, 2016 data), Estonia, France and Finland (each 27%), Ireland (31%), Hungary (32%), Luxembourg and Austria (33%). Compared with 2005, the recycling rate of plastic packaging waste increased by 18 percentage points (pp) in the EU (from 24% in 2005 to 42% in 2017). This increasing trend is observed at varied levels in all EU Member States, except Croatia.
(ITALPRESS/MNA)

L’articolo CYPRUS, TOP THREE EU STATES FOR RECYCLING PLASTIC PACKAGING proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

Fabio Grosso è il nuovo allenatore del Brescia. Dopo aver rescisso il contratto con il Verona, il club del presidente Massimo Cellino ha ufficializzato la nomina del tecnico (da calciatore campione del mondo nel 2006 con la Nazionale azzurra) che prende il posto di Eugenio Corini, licenziato domenica scorsa dopo la sconfitta in casa dell’Hellas del Verona.
Si tratta del quinto cambio in panchina dopo 11 giornate di serie A. I primi due dopo il settimo turno: il Milan, nonostante la vittoria in casa del Genoa, caccia Marco Giampaolo sostituendolo con Stefano Pioli, mentre alla Samp, ultima in classifica, finisce l’avventura di Eusebio Di Francesco e al suo posto viene chiamato Claudio Ranieri. Una partita dopo è il turno del Grifone: l’1-5 di Parma e il penultimo posto con appena 5 punti convincono Preziosi a scegliere Thiago Motta al posto di Andreazzoli per centrare la salvezza. Il decimo turno è invece fatale a Igor Tudor: la sconfitta interna per 4-0 con la Roma, a pochi giorni dall’1-7 con l’Atalanta, convincono l’Udinese a dare una sterzata. La sconfitta nella gara di Verona valida per l’11esima giornata è invece fatale a Corini: il Brescia, penultimo, caccia il tecnico della promozione e punta su Grosso.
Nella scorsa stagione furono in tutto dodici i cambi in panchina: anche in quel caso due nel corso della stessa giornata di campionato. Dopo l’ottavo turno, infatti, furono esonerati Lorenzo D’Anna dal Chievo (arrivò l’ex ct azzurro Gian Piero Ventura) e Davide Ballardini dal Genoa (arrivò Ivan Juric).
(ITALPRESS).

L’articolo FABIO GROSSO NUOVO ALLENATORE DEL BRESCIA proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

The independent national electoral authority (ANIE) of Algeria communicated, through the official APS news agency, the list of candidates for the upcoming presidential elections of 12 December 2019. The deadline for the submission of candidacies expired Saturday 26 October 2019 at midnight. Twenty-two will then be running for the seat currently occupied by Abdelkader Bensalah, after the forced resignation of Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April 2019. A total of 147 candidates had withdrawn signing forms for the collection of signatures necessary for any application. The Algerian squares still refuse to have these elections organized by the politicians who participated in Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s regime. The protesters proclaimed it again, on Friday 25 October 2019, during the weekly demonstrations taking place from 22 February 2019. On Sunday 27 October 2019, the Algerian judges and prosecutors started an indefinite strike to demand the independence of the judiciary and in particular the cancellation of the assignment of 3,000 of them by the Ministry of Justice. They believe that political power has “invaded the prerogatives of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary” and denounce “the hand of the executive power over the judiciary”. According to the National Union of Magistrates (SNM), the follow-up rate of this movement would reach 96%. Previously the lawyers had also demonstrated for the independence of justice. Two of Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s former ministers are among the candidates: Ali Benflis (75 years), a former prime minister expelled in 2003 and who has already been twice a candidate for this post (and everytime second behind Abdelaziz Bouteflika re-elected with 80% of the votes) and Abdelmadjid Tebbone (73), prime minister who resigned three months after being appointed in 2017. Other personalities presented their candidacy, Azzedine Mihoubi of the National Democratic Rally, a formation that participates in the coalition that supported the former president during his mandate, Abdelkader Bengrina (El-Bina, Islamist party), Abdelaziz Belaid, former leader of the National Liberation Front (FLN) and founder of the Front El-Moustakbel party, close to Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The ANIE must now validate the applications. The previous elections, scheduled for 4 July 2019, were finally canceled due to the lack of successful candidates. This list must pass into the hands of the Constitutional Council for a final validation within seven days.
(ITALPRESS).

L’articolo ALGERIA, 22 CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENTIALS ON 12 DECEMBER proviene da Italpress.

Source: medNews

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