Malta-registered, Russian-owned superyacht worth €45 million seized in the UK

Mar 31 2022

A Russian-owned superyacht registered in Malta was seized by the British government on Tuesday as part of the country’s sanctions against Russia.

The UK’s National Crime Agency revealed this on a statement on Tuesday, stating that the €45 million, 58.5-metre yacht is owned by an unidentified Russian businessman. Malta currently holds the world’s largest register of superyachts, with the maritime sector accounting for 14% of the country’s GDP in February.

Phi is the first superyacht to be stationed in British waters and such a seizure follows hundreds of UK sanctions on Russian individuals and organisations in light of the current attacks on Ukraine. British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps called the seizure “a clear and stark warning” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Photo Source: Superyacht Times

Two women MPs will join Cabinet after use of gender quota mechanism & casual elections

Two woman MPs will join Cabinet after use of gender quota mechanism & casual elections

Mar 31 2022

Two woman MPs will join Prime Minister Robert Abela’s Cabinet after the application of the gender corrective mechanism and casual elections.

Following Wednesday’s swearing in ceremony, where Abela officially welcomed his new Ministers and Parliamentary secretaries, the Prime Minister stated that two more Cabinet positions are to be filled by woman.

The only women in the current Cabinet are now-environment and energy minister Miriam Dalli and social inclusion minister Julia Farrugia Portelli, together with Parliamentary Secretary and Abela’s sister-in-law Alison Zerafa Civelli.

Through the application of the gender corrective mechanism, Parliament will grow by 12 seats by the end of the process, which is ultimately aimed at boosting the number of woman MPs in Malta’s Parliament. Labour’s first casual election saw Rebecca Buttigieg occupy a seat in parliament, making her eligible for one of Abela’s Cabinet posts.

Other potential names could include Cressida Galea and former Parliamentary Secretary Rosianne Cutajar.

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Dyson’s new air purifier and built-in headphones hybrid looks like it came from the future

Mar 31 2022

As the world of technology continues to grow and develop, more and more products come out each day which look like they belong in a sci-fi movie rather than a retail store… and Dyson’s latest pair of headphones is one of them.

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After over six years in development, the Dyson Zone headphones is the company’s first set of headphones and includes a built-in air purifier. Little is known about technicalities such as cost, weight or battery life, but the company has stated that what started out as a snorkel-like mouthpiece and backpack is finalised and release towards the end of 2022 is highly likely.

Inspired by internal conversations of ‘portable purification’ back in 2016, the final version of the Zone design channels “a continuous stream of purified air to your nose and mouth, without touching your face” via a visor. The technology is fully able to filter fumes and pollutants with a miniature version of Dyson’s already existing air-purifying technology.

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Mark Anthony Sammut shuts down rumours of him contesting in PN leadership race

Mar 31 2022

Newly-elected Nationalist Party MP and General Council President Mark Anthony Sammut has shut down any rumours or speculation that he will be contesting the PN’s leadership race after the party’s monumental general election loss last weekend.

In a Facebook post published on Wedneday, Sammut addressed the ‘articles by ‘pseudo-commentators who write about people without even knowing them’. He went on to highlight that his only interest is to exercise his duty as a new MP and serve as a voice for those who elected him as well as work within the PN as general council president.

The young PN candidate-turned-MP was elected to parliament on two districts after contesting the general election for the first time ever, garnering 1,904 and 921 first count votes in the fourth and tenth districts, respectively.

Per PN statute, a leadership race must be held after the loss of a general election, with Joe Giglio and Adrian Delia recently revealing that they will not contest either – leaving Bernard Grech with no challengers.

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