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

Starting from next October 1st, Marco Travaglia will be the new president and CEO of Italy and Malta for the Nestlé Group.

Currently a Business Executive Officer at Nestlé Purina PetCare Southern Region, he joined the Nestlé Group in 1990 and has held managerial roles of increasing responsibility in various countries and within various functions of the company, from marketing to sales. Backed by an international career that brought him to Switzerland, USA, France and the United Kingdom, Travaglia returned to Italy in 2003 to lead the Food and Beverage division of Nestlé Italy in the role of general manager, contributing significantly to the growth of the business. Subsequently, from 2010 to 2013 he was able to play the role of Nestlé CEO for the countries of the former Yugoslavia, based in Zagreb, where he started an important process of transformation of the Group with remarkable success that led him to fill the current role within the PetCare category, expanding its responsibility to all markets in Southern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews

The Malta Tourism Authority and the English football team of Manchester United have reached a historic agreement that will expose Malta to new markets in America and Asia.

In a visit to Old Trafford, the Minister for Tourism, Konrad Mizzi, said that this partnership with the English team, which has more than a billion supporters around the world, is part of the Government’s strategy to promote Malta as the destination of the Mediterranean.

On Saturday, Malta’s name will start appearing at Old Trafford, which is among the largest stadiums in England with a capacity of 76,000 spectators and further promotion will appear on the social media and other websites.

This is possible through a partnership agreement for the next three years between the Malta Tourism Authority and Manchester United; one of the football teams followed by more than a billion supporters worldwide.

In a visit to the Training Complex of Manchester United, the Minister for Tourism, Konrad Mizzi, said that through this partnership, Malta will increase its visibility tremendously. 

The Chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority, Gavin Gulia, described  this partnership as historic for Malta. “It will serve as a showcase for Malta because Manchester United are known all over the world, and Malta will be promoted worldwide. Tourism is advertising, marketing, and of course this is an important to promote our country and the most important ever had in the history the Malta Tourims Authority. “

First among the United football players intending to visit Malta for the first time is the Spanish international, Juan Mata. “I’ve never been in Malta but I love to travel. I love to discover new countries and new cultures and yes of course, I would like to go at some point to relax and enjoy, probably in summer. Nice food, nice weather and yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

The English club legend, Bryan Robson, has learned about Malta because his wife’s parents had a residence in Msida. “First I went to Malta I was sort of 19 years old so over the last 10 years, I’ve actually went back there. I’ve had some great holidays over in Malta. The beaches are great. Over the years, the hotels have really improved. There’s great bars and restaurants. The weather is always really good, so it’s great island to visit”.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews

President elect of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen assigned former Maltese European Affairs and Equality Minister Dr Helena Dalli with the responsibility of the Equality portfolio in the European Commissioners’ College. The proposed political role still needs the final approval of the European Parliament after a public hearing scheduled for the end of this month and the beginning of October.

Helena Dalli is the first woman nominated by the Maltese Government for such role. Since 2013, as a Minister in the Labour Government, she introduced various laws including rights for gay people with the introduction of the civil union. In 2017, Malta became the 24th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage and Malta is also among just five countries that give LGBT people equal constitutional rights.

Helena Dalli said she is eager to start working for equality in all sectors, once her nomination is approved.

The Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat declared that the European Commissioner President elect made the perfect choice to implement the ambitious vision for equality. Muscat said that Malta’s positive track record and Dalli’s resolve in this sector are both testament to this. In an official statement, the Maltese Government said added that this portfolio is proof of the positive change implemented in Malta in recent years and as it is described by respected international institutions – is considered as a ray of hope.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

 

Source: medNews

The Basel Institute for Governance has published the Basel AML Index, which measures the risk of money laundering and terrorism financing country by country, elaborating a series of data published by various institutions, including Transparency International, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.

The index places Malta among the countries where the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing is lowest, precisely in thirteenth place. The special ranking is led by Estonia, followed by Finland and New Zealand.

The institute elaborates the index taking into account 15 indicators, including the level of corruption, standards adopted by the financial system, application of the rule of law and political openness. A score below 5 indicates a low level of exposure to money laundering and terrorist financing.

 

It is interesting to note that important European countries, such as Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom, have obtained lower scores than the archipelago state, which obtained 3.94 as an AML index. Among the European countries where the risk is greatest, there are Cyprus (5.01), Italy (4.99), Hungary (4.90), Latvia (4.89) and the Netherlands (4.86).

In general, a slow improvement emerges worldwide. Only 27% of countries improved their score by over 0.1 points, while only one country (Tajikistan) recorded an improvement of more than 1 point. Furthermore, 16 out of the 125 states analyzed show a negative trend, a worrying future. Another disappointing fact is that 60% of countries continue to be considered at risk, as they have obtained scores equal to or greater than 5.

The five countries with the greatest improvement compared to last year were the aforementioned Tajikistan (from 8.30 to 6.28), Cambodia (from 7.48 to 6.63), Egypt (from 5.35 to 4.55), Indonesia (from 5.73 to 5.13) and Portugal (from 4.66 to 4.10).

Among the countries that have registered the greatest deterioration are Colombia (-1.41), Latvia (-0.91), Finland (-0.60), China (-0.57) and Lithuania (-0.43). However, Finland and Lithuania remain among the countries with the highest overall scores.

Mozambique, Laos, both with scores above 8, are among the last places in the ranking.

The Basel Institute of Governance, an associate institute of the University of Basel, is a Swiss non-profit foundation dedicated to collaborating with public and private partners around the world to prevent and combat corruption.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews

The Maltese Government is proposing that prostitution will be decriminalized according to an official document which was launched today for public consultation.

Parliamentary Secretary for Reform Julia Farrugia Portelli launched a public consultation process and explained that this is part of a reform to address human trafficking and prostitution. She explained that the move was part of the election promise that the Labour Party made in early 2017 election manifesto.

The public consultation will lead to the drafting of the national strategy against human trafficking, as well as making the necessary legal reforms on prostitution.

In the consultation document, the Maltese Government argued that the strategy is aimed to develop the services and other initiatives to be implemented and supported by appropriate measures; thus increasing the protection to victims of human trafficking and at the same time addressing this problem effectively.

The Maltese Government has identified nine legal and political areas in drafting the national strategy: more understanding and strengthening the prevention of human trafficking, setting up an official mechanism for reference, strengthening protection mechanisms, more resources for investigations, improve the laws on human trafficking as well as broader legal aid access and compensation. The document is also proposing adequate regulations to the gentlemen’s clubs and massage parlors.

The public consultation period will end on 31st October. According to The Trafficking in Persons report by the United States Department published last June, Malta does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

Source: medNews

Egypt’s Minister of Public Enterprise Hisham Tawfik said Egypt was seeking to cooperate with China to manufacture electric cars, capitalising on China’s experience and its technological advances in the field.

Tawfik’s ministry wants to partner with a Chinese company to build Egypt’s first electric cars factory on the land of Al-Nasr Automobile Company, he said during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador in Egypt Liao Li Qiang and the Chinese Ministerial Commercial Counsellor Han Bing on Monday.

Egypt has a good starting point to delve into this industry to satiate the domestic market and to export to the global market, benefiting from agreements signed with other countries in this area.

 

The minister tapped on preparations for his scheduled visit to China in September. Coordinating with the Egyptian Embassy in China, Tawfik shall be meeting with representatives of China’s Autos Manufacturing Union and a number of electric autos manufacturing companies to stay on top of developments in the industry and explore the possibility of collaboration.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador in Egypt Liao Li Qiang promised full support and cooperation with Egypt’s public enterprise ministry, praising progress in relations between the two countries.

(ITALPRESS/MNA)

 

Source: medNews

The Kinder+Sport Tennis Trophy is back for the third year in a row. This time, the international tennis tournament for children aged nine to 12 is welcoming two new countries alongside the ones from last year, for an overall total of 13 countries playing in 172 tournaments.
The first phase began on 2 February in the town of Alba, in Italy, with the “Tennis Trophy Fit – Kinder+Sport”. The last phase of the tournament took place in Sofia at the Bulgarian National Tennis Center in this days.

The winners of the tournament are:

Vladimir Tsonkov def.  Boris Borisov  4-0
Evgeniya Stoyanova def. Karolina Kostova 4-0
Viktor Atanasov def. Kristiyan Stefanov  5-4
Antoniya Staneva def. Hermina Yanakieva 4-0
Petar Ivanchev def. Martin Latinchev 6-0
Valeria Garnevska def. Sofia Kovacheva 6-0
Daniel Spasov def. Martin Pavlov 6-0
Alisa Borisova def. Tsvetelina Stoyanova 7-5

Then others tournaments will be in Belarus, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Malta, Monaco, Poland and the Ukraine.
The winners of these will go on to the International Masters, the finals of which will be held from 17 to 20 October at the exclusive Monte Carlo Country Club, site of the ATP Tour.
As an integral part of Kinder+Sport Joy of Moving – the Ferrero Group international Social Responsibility project set up to get children and families involved in fun-filled motor activity – the Kinder+Sport Tennis Trophy is more than an athletic competition. The trophy focuses on values like trust in yourself and others, integration, respect and friendship.
The guiding principle of the tournament is that matches are played without referees, so that children can put their honesty and integrity to the test on the court. In keeping with this principle, the Fair Play Trophy is awarded at the end of each national tournament to recognise the young tennis player who has stood out the most for their honesty and good sportsmanship.
The initiative began in Italy in 2006. It was the brainchild of tennis star Rita Grande and Kinder+Sport Joy of Moving. In recent years, it has become more international in scope, helping spread the concept of an active lifestyle to younger generations. In past editions, the finalists also had the opportunity to meet world-renowned tennis idols Francesca Schiavone, Flavia Pennetta, Sara Errani, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Fabio Fognini, Simone Bolelli, Corrado Barazzutti and Nicola Pietrangeli, as well as coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
https://www.tennistrophy.com
(ITALPRESS/MNA).

Source: medNews