medNews

Migration, deaths in the Med reached highest levels in 6 years

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The first three months of 2023 were the deadliest first quarter in six years for migrants crossing the central Mediterranean Sea in smugglers’ boats. This was declared by the United Nations migration agency, citing delays by nations in initiating rescues as a contributing factor.
The International Organization for Migration documented 441 migrant deaths along the dangerous sea route between northern Africa and Europe’s southern shores during January, February and March. In 2017, 742 known deaths were documented in the same period, while 446 were recorded in the first three months of 2015. “The persisting humanitarian crisis in the central Mediterranean is intolerable,” IOM Director General Antonio Vitorino said with reference to present situation. “With more than 20,000 deaths recorded on this route since 2014, I fear that these deaths have been normalized,” Vitorino said. “States must respond. Delays and gaps in state-led search and rescue areas are costing human lives”. The true number of lives lost among migrants who set out on smugglers’ unseaworthy rubber dinghies or decrepit fishing boats is unknown because the bodies of people who perish at sea often are never recovered. Many deaths only come to light when survivors recount that their vessel set out with more passengers than the number who ultimately make it to safety. According to the Italian Interior Ministry, 31,192 migrants had arrived in Italy by sea this year as of Tuesday. The figure didn’t include about 700 migrants crowded aboard a smuggler’s boat that apparently ran out of fuel and was towed Wednesday morning to a port in Sicily under an Italian coast guard escort. Under current EU rules, the country where asylum-seekers first arrive is responsible for them. “The situation in the Mediterranean has been a humanitarian crisis for over a decade now,” IOM spokesperson Safa Msehli said. “And the fact that deaths continue on its own is very alarming, but the fact that that’s increased is extremely alarming because it means that very little concrete action was taken to address the issue.”
(ITALPRESS).

Photo Credits: www.agenziafotogramma.it


Source: medNews

Malta exceeds pre-Covid levels in passenger air traffic

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – According to the latest statistics, the passenger traffic at the Malta International Airport for the first three months of this year has exceeded the pre-Covid levels. Over 1,245,000 passengers have used Malta’s international airport as from January to March, considered as the busiest since the coronavirus pandemic with a 2% increase. Malta International Airport said that the increase reflects the demand for more travelling abroad. It added that with an increase of 2.2% on March 2019, 83.5% of the seats available on flights from and to Malta were full. Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Poland remained the most popular markets, accounting for 63 percent of March traffic. The UK and the German markets have not yet reached the pre-2019 levels. The other markets recorded different levels of growth. Although the German market had not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, the connectivity between Malta and Germany will be strengthened next summer with an increase of three routes that are expected to increase the demand for this market.

(ITALPRESS).

Photo Credits: www.agenziafotogramma.it


Source: medNews

Flight from Bergamo to Malta makes an emergency landing in Fiumicino

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A flight from Bergamo to Malta was forced to make an emergency landing in Fiumicino, Rome due to a medical emergency involving an Italian passenger.
The Ryanair flight FR7324 departed from Bergamòs airport at 08.20 this morning and landed at around 10 am at Fiumicino airport. The passenger who was in need of medical intervention was escorted from the aircraft and was taken directly to an ambulance, accompanied by another three passengers. The plane is expected to resume its journey later on today.

Foto: agenziafotogramma.it

(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta with the safest tap water for drinking in Europe

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is amongst ten European countries declared with the safest tap water for drinking and contains no harmful elements, while African countries are at the bottom of the list with the quality of potable water very low. According to an international study by the University of Yale in the United States, Malta is at the top of the list for the safest drinking water, along with nine other countries, scoring 100 points. The other countries with equal safe drinking water are Austria, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. However, in order to be fit for drinking, water needs to be treated for microbes, pollution, and parasites, which can be very harmful to humans if ingested, before being good for drinking. The majority of the countries which obtained excellent results like Malta are in northern Europe, where temperatures are lower and water is sourced from the mountains. By contrast, Malta is in the middle of the Mediterranean, and despite having temperatures between Europe and Africa, it still ensures safe tap water.
Water in Malta is delivered to homes through a piping network of around 2,500 km under the streets and is made from a mixture of reverse osmosis water (65%) and groundwater (35%). The Maltese authorities have ensured that there is enough supply to meet the demand and that the water is of high quality, however, now they are working to improve the taste of the water.

foto: DOI

(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Ukraine, video of beheaded soldiers, Zelensky “Everyone must react”

KIEV (ITALPRESS) – “There is something that no one in the world can ignore: how easily these beasts kill. We will not forget. Nor will we pardon the murderers,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while commenting, in a video message on Twitter referring to the videos circulating on the social networks of Ukrainian soldiers beheaded by Russian forces. “This is a video showing Russia as it is,” he continued, while adding “this also shows the kind of people they are. This is not an accident, this is not an isolated episode. It was like that before. Everyone has to react”.
-photo agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta resumes commercial collaboration with Libya

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta and Libya resumed their collaboration in the maritime sector, as a large commercial ship docked at the port of Misrata Free Zone, northwest Libya, after leaving from Malta. The ship was the first of its kind to enter Libyan territorial waters and commercial ports, through its shipping agent, Amwaj Company. The CMA CGM VOLTAIRE ship is 270.7 meters long, 42.2 meters wide, and has a cargo of 1859 TEU.
In September, the Head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed Al-Mnifi held talks with Maltàs Prime Minister, Robert Abela during their visit to New York at the United Nations General Assembly. During that meeting, Maltàs Prime Minister expressed his desire to establish direct sea and air links between Libya and Malta.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-


Source: medNews

Malta SAR region, another group of 400 migrants in distress

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) (ITALPRESS) – The international NGO Sea Watch said that another boat with about 400 people on board was spotted in the Maltese search and rescue area by the aircraft Seabird 2 crew. Sea Watch confirmed that it has launched a mayday relay while it is monitoring the scene together with an Italian Air Force aircraft. The NGO added that a rescue operation is needed immediately. On Monday evening, the Italia coast guard escorted another fishing boat, with around 400 migrants, after it spent days drifting in the Mediterranean. The Armed Forces of Malted have said that the migrants aboard the fishing boat which was drifting between Malta, Italy and Greecès Search and Rescue Zone did not request to be rescued. “Written communication received by the AFM from the ship captain providing duty of care confirms that no rescue was requested by the people on board,” a spokesperson said. However, the rescue NGO Sea Watch claimed Malta ordered a merchant vessel not to rescue a group of 400 migrants, and just supply them with fuel.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-


Source: medNews

Ireland, Biden will start his official visit in Belfast

BELFAST (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The US President Joe Biden’s four-day visit to Northern Ireland and Ireland will start this evening on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement which in 1998 put an end to the long and bloody conflict.
During the visit, Biden will also meet with the former British minister Rishi Sunak. On Wednesday he is also expected to deliver a speech at the Ulster University in Belfast. This is the first visit in Northern Ireland in 10 years by an American President. On his Twitter profile, Biden reiterated “the commitment of the United States in preserving the peace in Northern Ireland”.
-photo agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Passengers demand compensation from Air Malta after six hours delay

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Many passengers were left fuming after the national airline Air Malta announced that two flights between Maltàs international airport and Fiumicino in Rome had been delayed and would take off at different times.
According to an Air Malta announcement, the flight to Fiumicino was delayed by six hours due to “operational disruption”. However, the delay was not due to staff shortages but due to a technical issue with one of its aircraft that was being investigated. The national airline said that Air Malta would never operate flights if there were any concerns for passenger safety. The flight had to take off at 7.30am on Monday morning, however, flight KM612 was delayed to 12.30pm before being delayed again to 1.30pm while flight KM613 was scheduled to depart from Rome at 3.30pm. The situation has left many passengers angry. Passengers were not allowed to leave and go back home after having arrived at the airport at 5.30am on Monday. Others said they were given a €6 voucher for a snack. However, many passengers are also demanding compensation.
(ITALPRESS).
– photo credit Air Malta-


Source: medNews

Tunisian authorities stopped over 500 illegal migration attempts

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – While in the last few days, thousands of migrants have reached the island of Lampedusa, which lies about 150 kilometers from the Tunisian coast, the Tunisian National Guard confirmed that in the first quarter of this year, the Tunisian coast guards intercepted 501 illegal migration attempts towards Italy. A total of 14,406 people, including 13,138 from sub-Saharan African countries, were rescued between January and March while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea towards the Italian coast. A spokesman for the Tunisian National Guard stated that the Tunisian coast guards arrested 63 people for their involvement in organizing illegal immigration voyages and seized 135 boats and 12 cars used for transportation.
The number of undocumented immigrants attempting to reach Italy via Tunisia has been on the rise, despite the strict measures taken by the Tunisian authorities to tackle illegal immigration.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-


Source: medNews

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