“Trump cruises in New Hampshire primary election, Haley vows to fight on…”

Donald Trump cruised to victory in New Hampshire’s Republican presidential contest on Tuesday, marching closer to a November rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden even as his only remaining rival, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, vowed to soldier on.

“This race is far from over,” she told supporters at a post-election party in Concord, challenging Trump to debate her. “I’m a fighter. And I’m scrappy. And now we’re the last one standing next to Donald Trump.”

At his own party in Nashua, Trump opened his speech by mocking Haley, calling her an “imposter” and saying, “She’s doing, like, a speech like she won. She didn’t win. She lost … She had a very bad night.” His remarks followed a series of angry posts on his Truth Social app, denouncing her as “DELUSIONAL.”

With 57% of the expected vote tallied, according to Edison Research, Trump held a comfortable 54.4% to 43.6% lead.

Haley had hoped the Northeastern state’s sizable cadre of independent voters would carry her to an upset win that might loosen Trump’s iron grip on the Republican Party.

Instead, Trump became the first Republican to sweep competitive votes in both Iowa – where he won by a record-setting margin eight days ago – and New Hampshire since 1976, when the two states cemented their status as the first nominating contests.

While the final margin was still unclear, the result will likely bolster some Republicans’ calls for Haley to drop out so the party can coalesce behind Trump. Her campaign vowed in a memo earlier on Tuesday to push forward until “Super Tuesday” on March 5, when Republicans in 15 states and one territory vote.

Tuesday’s vote was the first one-on-one matchup between Trump and Haley, after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, once seen as Trump’s most formidable challenger, dropped out on Sunday and endorsed Trump. Though DeSantis had only marginal support in New Hampshire, his voters were far likelier to switch allegiance to Trump, rather than to Haley, according to polls.

Despite Trump’s win on Tuesday, exit polls hinted at his potential vulnerabilities in a general election campaign. He faces 91 criminal charges for a range of offenses, including his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat and his retention of classified documents after leaving the White House in 2021. He has denied any wrongdoing and claimed to be a victim of political persecution.

About 42% of voters who participated in the Republican primary said he would not be fit to serve if convicted in court, according to exit polling by Edison.

EU Policy. Europe scrambles to finalise new fiscal rules after lawmaker vote

EU lawmakers and governments will engage in a furious few weeks of haggling over fiscal rules, after MEPs today (17 January) voted for budget deficit curbs that diverge from a deal struck by governments in December.

Finance ministers meeting in the EU’s Council already spent months arguing over a new economic governance framework, and now they’re going to have to do it all over again with MEPs.

Electoral cycles and financial market pressure mean they’re in a race against time.

The tough fiscal rules that constrain national tax and spending within the EU have long been controversial, after debt-laden Greece sought a bailout over a decade ago.

The fiscal framework was more or less abandoned entirely during the pandemic, and now policymakers are attempting to determine what comes next, with June elections looming.

Esther de Lange, the Dutch Christian democrat who marshalled the parliament’s views, told her fellow lawmakers the new rules would “protect the credibility of the Union and the stability of the eurozone.”

The MEPs’ proposal allowed flexibility for investment in priority areas like the environment, she said – adding that “stability means respecting our planet … not burdening the next generations with unsustainable levels of debt.”

Compared to the December deal, de Lange’s text doesn’t set exactly the same numerical targets for debt reduction, and MEPs also want tougher independent fiscal watchdogs.

Lawmakers get an equal say over plans on budgetary planning, and they need to compromise quickly.

The agreement “needs to be reached by the first half of February, if we want to have this legislative process concluded in this political cycle,” the European Commission’s Paolo Gentiloni told reporters today.

“There is a lot of commitment from the parliament and from the council to reach this goal,” Gentiloni said, but added that there are “differences in substantial aspects” between the two arms of the legislator.

Tordoir, a senior economist at the think tank, is optimistic a deal will be found, as there’s no unbridgeable philosophical gulf between the parliament and council.

If not, he warns of serious consequences – including the return of old rules that are both “absolutely terrible,” and no longer credible given the extra debts racked up during Covid-19.

“If the deal collapses, you’re in an absolute limbo,” Tordoir said, adding the absence of legal clarity may also start to make bond markets twitchy. “I don’t think that’s really a feasible outcome.”

Malta Company Announcements:

International Hotel Investments p.l.c 

Mr Simon Naudi has been appointed on the board of International Hotel Investments p.l.c., as Managing Director, effective from 18 January 2024.

IHI comprises owned commercial and hotel real estate across four continents, as well as operating companies such as Corinthia Hotels Limited (CHL), Corinthia Developments Limited (CDI) and QPM Limited (QP).

In furtherance of this progression, IHI will soon be announcing the appointment of a CEO for CHL, a position held by Simon Naudi for the past 8 years.

Medserv p.l.c

The Company announces that the Board of Directors has today resolved to distribute an interim dividend of €1million, representing an interim dividend of €0.0098389 per share. The dividend shall be payable on all shares settled as at close of business on 8 th February 2024 and shall be paid by no later than the 29th February 2024.

The said dividend represents profits generated by the Company during the current financial year arising from dividends distributed within the Group during January 2024. The directors are confident that, after having reviewed the financial position of the Company, there shall be sufficient headroom within the Company’s distributable reserves throughout 2024 to satisfy this distribution.

1923 Investments

The Company announces the execution of a share purchase agreement for the sale of all the shares in E-Lifecycle Holdings GmbH, a company registered with the commercial register of the local court of Düsseldorf under HRB 97170 with registered office in Düsseldorf, Germany. The consideration for the shares, together with other relevant details, will be announced following the successful completion of the conditions precedent and closing of the transaction.

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