timesofmalta.com newsletter - 10 Jan 2017

Copyright © 2017 timesofmalta.com Newsletter for Tuesday, 10 Jan 2017 [Times of Malta] [TimesTalk] National - [TV presenter Rennie Vella dies, aged 56] Popular TV presenter Rennie Vella has passed away after a long illness. He was 56. Since 2003, Mr Vella presented a programme on ONE TV, with his wife Paulanne recently joining him on screen. For a number of years, Mr Vella was also involved in... - [Legionella bacteria spread into Parliament showers] Bacteria that can cause legionnaires’ disease has been found in two showers in the Parliament building, Speaker of the House AnÄ¡lu Farrugia has confirmed. Speaking to the Times of Malta, Dr Farrugia confirmed that the bacteria had been found in... - [Malta newspapers review] The following are the top headlines in Malta's newspapers today. Times of Malta reports that Electrogas has been hit with a €1.5m asset seizure. It also reports that bacteria that can cause legionnaires’ disease has been found in two showers in... - [Energy consortium hit with €1.5m asset seizure] The consortium behind the new gas-fired power station has been slapped with a €1.5 million asset seizure, court documents show. Madame Justice Miriam Hayman last month upheld a request for a garnishee order filed by Ocean Installer, the company... - [MPs to discuss controversial Electrogas bank guarantee] Parliament is to debate a Bill that would compel the government to publish all contracts and documentation related to the €88 million bank guarantee given to Electrogas. Debate on the Private Members' Bill tabled by Opposition MPs Marthese... World news - [Pakistan fires first nuclear missile from a submarine] Pakistan has fired its first submarine launched nuclear-capable missile from the Indian Ocean - a rocket with a range of 280 miles. It's a move that's sure to intensify the already stained ties with India, which have fought three wars since... - [Trump to make his son-in-law a senior adviser - transition official] Updated 9.51pm US President-elect Donald Trump will appoint his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to the position of senior adviser to the president, a transition official has said, a potentially thorny choice in the face of the country's anti-nepotism... - ['Thanks, but no thanks', EU Liberals tell Italy's 5-Star] The Liberals in the European Parliament have rejected a request by Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement to join their group, saying there were fundamental differences in their visions for the future of Europe. The decision by the Alliance of... - [Cyprus leaders seek deal in 'historic opportunity' for peace] The leaders of both sides of ethnically divided Cyprus began new unification talks today but sought to temper hopes of a swift breakthrough, though its UN envoy said a deal to resolve one of Europe's most enduring conflicts was within... - [World-famous tree destroyed by storm] A well-known giant sequoia tree known for the huge tunnel carved through it has toppled during California's weekend storms. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the historic Pioneer Cabin in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, in Calaveras County,... Opinion - [Booming economy and inequality] Local economists, particularly the politically partisan ones, continue to exalt the statistics supporting our booming economy, while... - [Panama Papers scandal] During the year just ended the Labour government con­tinued to dig itself deeper into a culture of institutionalised corruption with... - [Word of 2017: immigration] We have started a new year. What will be the words that will dominate 2017? I thought I would start with ‘immigration’. Three years ago,... - [Concerns of European citizens] In our times of turbulence, the European Union faces a myriad of existential and practical challenges. In such a context, it is... - [When is a hijack not a hijack?] “Control tower MIA… control tower MIA. This is Captain Azhar Mohammed, captain of flight number QZT 141, Mickey Mouse Airlines, Libya,... Letters - [Turn-off] Allow me to refer to the letter ‘Good publicity’ by Alfred Gauci (December 29) wherein he said that certain articles, similar to the one... - [Thoughts for 2017] The new year started with Malta assuming the rotating presidency of the Council of Europe. Joseph Muscat now seems to be happy with... - [Children of the 1960s] I am aged 77 and completed my national service in Malta between 1958 and 1960. During the last months of that time friends took me... - [Ban referenda] Further to my last letter, I have seen the wise comments of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. He mirrors my comments regarding the... - [Condomini affairs] In reply to Roberta Galea Schembri’s query regarding the role of the condominium administrator (January 4), it is very clear from article... Sport - [Liverpool set to be boosted by Coutinho return] Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho is set to return to action after almost seven weeks out to boost manager Juergen Klopp’s attacking... - [Ronaldo wins FIFA's player of the year award] Cristiano Ronaldo won FIFA's player of the year award for the fourth time, beating his old rival Lionel Messi who was pulled out of the... - [Schembri stars in Boavista’s 1-0 win] Andre Schembri played a key role as Boavista made it two wins in a row in the Portuguese Primeira Liga after defeating Vitoria Setubal at... - [Sporting briefs] Cabanas: Former New York Cosmos, Boca Juniors and Paraguay forward Roberto Cabanas has died aged 55, his brother said yesterday. Cabanas,... - [Sports round-up] Tennis: Kei Nishikori (picture, right) has pulled out of an exhibition event in Sydney to recover from a hip injury, with the Japanese... Business News - [Money market report for the week ended January 6] On Monday, January 2, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced its weekly main refinancing operation (MRO). The operation was conducted... - [Oil slumps on supply worry while sterling hurt by May remarks] Oil prices fell yesterday on signs that growing US output could undermine plans by other producers to cut supply, while sterling slumped... - [EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year Malta judges announced] For the last three decades, EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year has gone from strength to strength and is now held in over 60 countries. With... - [Iran capitalises on Opec oil cut to sell millions of barrels – sources] Iran has sold more than 13 million barrels of oil that it had long held on tankers at sea, capitalising on an Opec output cut deal from... - [French central bank reaffirms Q4 GDP up 0.4%] France’s economy would expand by 0.4 per cent in the fourth quarter, the Bank of France said yesterday, reaffirming an earlier GDP growth... Social - [Announcements] BALDACCHINO. With regret we announce the death of LOUIS of Msida, who passed away on January 6, aged 67. Funeral Mass præsente cadavere... - [Café Scientifique in Gozo] The next meet-up for Café Scientifique, taking place tomorrow in Gozo, will focus on dark and light in our planet. At this time of the... - [Lunchtime concert] Upcoming, talented soprano Christabelle Formosa will be performing at a lunchtime concert in Valletta today. She will be singing a number... - [La Befana flies in to Malta] The Italian Cultural Institute opens up its Magic Box series for 2017 with an event dedicated to la Befana, today in Valletta. A bit... - [Announcements] BALDACCHINO. With regret we announce the death of LOUIS of Msida, who passed away on January 6, aged 67. Funeral Mass præsente cadavere... Blogs - [I never saw Star Wars] That's right. I never saw Star Wars until last night. That may strike many as strange. After all, Star Wars first hyper-spaced itself... - [Take this plane to Uganda] This is not to be taken as any manner of negative criticism of the men and women on the ground who handled the "hijack" last week, or of... - [A glimmer of hope at the end of the year] 2016. One hell of a year, right? Seriously it was one hell of a year. Syria, South Sudan, terrorism all over Europe, thousands of... - [The angry politics of corporate nationalism] Confronted by angry politicians whose followers refuse to be rational and who have a total disregard towards empirical facts, we are... - [When words resonate] It's not about how our politicians look or dress but about what they say and the way they act. This has never been more true than it has... Copyright © 2017 timesofmalta.com Newsletter for Tuesday, 10 Jan 2017 This newsletter has been delivered to you because you have subscribed with [timesofmalta.com]. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please click [unsubscribe] and follow the instructions. Problems to sign in? click [here] to go on the help page.