Good morning,
A number of stories are covered on today’s Maltese newspapers. The government of Malta has signed an agreement with the World Health Organisation on technical help for a 10-year plan in mental health sector. We also read that no agreement has been reached over the price of the White Rocks land. The Church calls for a rethink on plans of the ex-ITS site as planned by developers DB group. The development is facing a lot of resistance and objections from the residents in the area of Pembroke. The project has been marred by controversy in view of the price it was valued and sold and also allegations of donations to political parties which emerged prior to the 2017 election. Maltese environment expert Professor Deidun is also suggesting the government to create a fund to give incentives to businesses for usage of alternatives to plastic.
In other news we read that potentially there is a political solution for Italy’s impasse. We also read that a senior North Korean official has met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a meeting in New York. This is the most senior visit by a North Korean official to the US since 2000.
Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko turned up at a news conference in the Ukrainian capital Wednesday less than 24 hours after police reported he had been shot and killed at his Kiev apartment building. The country’s security services said Babchenko’s death was faked to foil a plot to take his life.
Human corneas have been 3D printed for the first time by scientists at Newcastle University. The researchers mixed stem cells from a healthy donor cornea with alginate, a gel derived from seaweed, and collagen to create a “bio-ink” solution that can be printed.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the Liege attack, while German police are investigating a knifing attack which happened on a train. We also read that Saudi Arabian cabinet has approved the criminalisation of sexual harassment and in Tunisia the first trial against former leader Ben Ali has started. The Head of the High Council of State (HCS) Khalid Al-Mishri, said a ceasefire must take effect in Derna, in eastern Libya, pointing out to the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) which says no to any military conflicts across Libya and advocates for reconciliation.
Higher tariffs can be imposed on dumped or subsidised imports to better protect EU jobs and businesses, under a December 2017 informal agreement that was approved by the Parliament on Wednesday.
Romania’s former Prime Minister Victor Ponta said he wants to stop the country from turning into a new Hungary. He launched his political comeback bid this week after resigning three years ago following anti-corruption protests sparked by a deadly nightclub fire.
Seven domestic arrest warrants were issued after an elderly woman was held in a cage, or in the bed surrounded by bars, her hairs were pulled violently in the hospice residence she used to live in Roccagorga (Latina).
In Peru, a candidate for Mayor is giving out Panini’s World Cup football sticker collection to constituents who pledge their vote.
Microsoft has surpassed Alphabet, the parent company of Google, in the market capitalisation for the first time in three years, becoming the third most valuable firm after Apple and Amazon globally.
If you wear glasses you may well be more intelligent than the average person. A new study published in the journal Nature Communications has found that needing to wear glasses is associated with higher levels of intelligence.
New research suggests that complications during pregnancy could increase nearly five-fold the child’s risk of developing schizophrenia later in life in high-risk individuals.
We also invite you to meet Maltese ICT company Databyte’s CEO, Mr Frederick Micallef who we met over coffee.
Have a great day!
Jesmond Saliba
Managing Editor
