Strong gale winds as Gozo Channel announces delays

Mar 18 2022

Malta’s Meteorological Office is issuing warnings of strong winds, set to increase to gale forces as the hours progress.

The warning is being issued up until 9pm of today, Friday 18th March, but it could be extended as necessary. With south-east to east winds hitting the island, the Gozo Channel wrote to Facebook for travellers to expect delays.

Fast Ferry services were postponed up until next Sunday. The X300 will be operating instead, which takes workers and students from Valletta and Imsida to Ċirkewwa.

Facebook page Aġġornament tat-Temp forecasted force 7 and 8 winds, with temperatures which reach a high of 16°C and a low of 10°C.

The weather page is also forecasting rainy weather for Saturday evening and on Sunday night. Winds will remain at a very strong force, with warnings extended to anyone venturing outside.

#MaltaDaily

Apple saves around $6 billion by not providing chargers in iPhone boxes

Mar 18 2022

Back in 2020, Apple stopped shipping a charger in the box of its iPhones. Despite it being a move the company claimed would benefit the environment by reducing carbon footprint, it also reduced the size of the iPhone’s retail boxes.

According to recent reports, Apple made more than $6 billion by not providing the chargers.

The news was reported by Daily Mail, which revealed that Apple could have made the digit by selling over 190 million iPhones across the globe. The removal of the earphones and the reduction of shipping costs due to smaller boxes contributed to this save.

According to the report, an Apple spokesperson said that one of the steps of the company’s path to become carbon neutral for their entire supply chain is to reduce the materials used in products and production.

‘While the manufacturing cost of a power adapter is not that significant for a company that sells its products for over $1,000, multiplying the cost of one charger with millions of units of smartphones sold by the company makes it huge.’

Another benefit would address the problem of iPhone buyers buying a new charger due to not having an authentic Apple charger. The smaller boxes are easier to ship, meaning more boxes can be sent in the same container.

#MaltaDaily

€48 million investment to create medical centre and 100 new jobs

Mar 18 2022

A new €48 million investment by pharmaceutical company KELIX bio will be seeing the creation of a world-class manufacturing and distribution centre in Malta.

A governmental statement revealed that this instrument will be instrument in its cause to develop and commercialise affordable speciality generics for emerging economies.

Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development announced the investment, saying that it will create 100 quality jobs over the next three years. Dalli announced the investment during a visit at KELIX bio accompanied by Malta Enterprise Chief Executive Kurt Farrugia and KELIX chief executive Hocine Sidi-Said

The Minister explained how KELIX is an example of an investment which Malta wishes to attract. ‘Innovation and cost leadership are today being put into action. The investment being carried out by KELIX bio, with the support of the CDC, the Development Partners International and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is an investment in citizens around the globe.’

KELIX bio is a specialty generic business which focuses on selected therapy areas and product forms of oncology, diabetes, anti-invectives and inhalers, injectables and biosimilars. They are exported to over 40 countries around the world and the company has acquired Italfarmaco SPA’s subsidiary Chemi Malta in Ħal Far.

It will be taking over its newly built world class, EU and US-FDA certified facility to augment its labour force with around 100 new professionals.

#MaltaDaily

Lies are the only tool Labour has left says Bernard Grech

Mar 18 2022

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech has claimed that the Labour Party’s only remaining weapon for the election campaign are lies.

Addressing a political event in Mqabba on Thursday evening, Grech said that Labour started its election campaign with a lie by saying that he (Grech) would not contest his district.

‘Robert Abela, I will contest this district with conviction, and not out of convenience like you because you want to try and remove candidates like Miriam Dalli. I am contesting this district as I lived in this district’ said Grech.

He went on to accuse the Labour Party of more lies, bringing up recent scandals surrounding Abela’s involvement in a property deal with Christian Borg as well as his Zejtun Villa.

Grech criticised the Freeport and motorsports track pledges by saying that the PL had been promising the latter for ten years. The PN government would undertake this project and make it a success, said Grech.

Grech also slammed Abela for ‘running away’ from a. Debate with him at Junior College with students. He said that Abela instead prefers to attend a walkabout somewhere in Malta instead. ‘Abela does not respect our students and for him they are not important.’

#MaltaDaily