LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Seismic activity was reported in various parts of Malta following two earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean. The seismic activity was felt by many residents all over Malta, though no damages or injuries were reported.A 6.9 magnitude earthquake between Crete and the east Libyan border, followed by another one two minutes later measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale were felt in various parts of Malta on Friday morning. The University of Malta’s Seismic Monitoring and Research Group, confirmed that the first earthquake was felt at around 8:10am local time, and two minutes later, the second earthquake was recorded in the south of Greece. The second earthquake was centered beneath the seabed near the Strofades islands, about 120 kilometers south-southwest of the western city of Patras. Authorities have begun evaluating the potential risk of tsunamis along the coastline. (ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

SHAMA (LEBANON) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “You give up everything to build and guarantee that peace that many, especially at this moment, are with their mouth full while sitting comfortably on the sofa of their homes. Because peace is not built with good feelings and nice words. Peace is above all deterrence, it is commitment, it is sacrifice.” Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni made this declaration while meeting the Italian soldiers in Lebanon at the Millevoi base in Shama.
“There cannot be peace if there is not respect, and the respect that Italy has managed to build in nations and territories like these is guaranteed by professionalism and humanity, by the ability to be competent but also by knowing how to look at the need of others, and it is the identity of our pride”, she added.
Meloni showed to the Italian contingent “the gratitude and closeness of the Government and Italy for the commitment made in a significantly deteriorated security framework, to protect international peace and security, in line with the Resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations”.
The prime minister met with the forces within the UNIFIL Mission and a representation of soldiers from the Bilateral Italian Military Mission in Lebanon (MIBIL).

– Photo Agenzia Fotogramma –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese Parliament has unanimously approved with 75 votes in favour and none against the nomination of former Speaker of the House of Representatives Myriam Spiteri Debono as 11th President of the Republic of Malta.
Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela submitted a motion seconded by Opposition Leader Bernard Grech for Notary Spiteri Debono to be appointed President on Thursday 4 April.
Parliamentarians also agreed to the nomination of former Nationalist Minister and MEP Francis Zammit Dimech as Acting President.
Spiteri Debono will be third Gozitan to become President as well as the third woman to reach this position. She had contested a number of general elections and rose to national prominence when she became Speaker in 1996, after the electoral victory of the Labour Party.
Prime Minister Robert Abela said that today is a historical day for our country because one of the constitutional reforms implemented in the last few years for the President to be appointed by two thirds of the House rather than a simple majority as it was previously being used.
The Prime Minister described Myriam Spiteri Debono, as the ideal person to occupy this constitutional role. He mentioned that he worked with her on both on a political and professional level and said that when it came to the choice, Notary Spiteri Debono has all the qualities to bring about national unity. He said that she demonstrated this quality during the difficult period when she was the Speaker of the House between 1996 and 1998. He mentioned that she always voiced her opinions strongly without ever losing her self-respect or showing any lack of respect towards her role. Abela added Myriam Spiteri Debono was never afraid of progress and was always one to look forward to change. He added that her Presidency will be a point of reference for women and she will be the voice of equality He said that Spiteri Debono never sought the limelight and she always spoke up fearlessly when she was Speaker and even recently during her speech to commemorate the Great Siege.
Opposition leader Bernard Grech on his part quoted an excerpt from a speech by Myriam Spiteri Debono on 6 September 2021 when she stressed the need to start afresh and unite as we did in the past, by making the necessary changes as we have already started doing. Grech said that when he heard this speech he immediately remarked that Spiteri Debono has all the necessary qualities to serve in the highest position of authority which Parliament has entrusted her with. He described Spiteri Debono as a person with empathy and he augured that the words she spoke less than three years ago will lead to the country to renew itself and unite as a nation, during her Presidency.
In the same session, the Maltese Parliament approved a motion of thanks for the work carried out by outgoing President George Vella during his presidency in the past five years.

– Photo Net News –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

PALERMO (ITALPRESS/MNA) – HelloFly, a Maltese company that operates in collaboration with the best European carriers on the market, will further enrich the programming of the 2024 summer season with the Palermo-Malta connection.
After a preview scheduled for 25 and 28 April, starting from 28 June and until the first week of October, the airports of Palermo and Malta will be connected twice a week, Thursday and Sunday, with a third additional frequency on Monday scheduled for the entire month of August.
A 78-seat DHC-8/Q400 aircraft will operate in synergy with the Maltese partner carrier Luxwing.
The promotional offer that will accompany the launch of this new flight is set to start from 45 euros each way, taxes included. It will be possible to bring 8 kilograms of hand luggage into the cabin, as well as a small bag.
“An important new route, the one between the Sicilian capital and the island of Malta,” explained Teodosio Longo, founder and President of HelloFly, “will contribute to further improving our positioning as a regional carrier in this area of ??the Mediterranean, thanks also to the collaboration with Gesap and Luxwing”.
Natale Chieppa, general director of Gesap, the management company of the ‘Falcone Borsellinò international airport in Palermo, said, “it is another important event to address the growing demand from passengers using this route.” Chieppa added, “HelloFly will cover the route in the coming summer months that was not adequately covered until now. The company has also announced the possibility of continuing with flights to Malta also in winter, which could make a difference”.
The airline said: “The HelloFly commercial team is already very active in promoting the new summer routes in the Mediterranean. In fact, in recent days, a series of familiarization trips to Lampedusa are underway departing from Perugia airport which are involving travel agencies from Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany”.
– foto xd6 Italpress –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A new Agreement on the mutual recognition of driving licenses between Italy and Morocco has been signed at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. The agreement was signed by the deputy prime minister and minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini and the Moroccan ambassador to Italy Youssef Balla. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport stated: “Long awaited agreement, that replaces the current one agreed in Rome on 26 November 1991 and will serve to facilitate the movement of driving licenses holders of both countries and to improve their respective road safety”.

– Foto Mit –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has ranked second in new research that revealed the easiest countries to move to for expats. The research, conducted by William Russell, looked at a number of countries and analysed factors such as expat population, visa data, required vaccines and language requirements to determine the easiest countries to emigrate to.
The easiest country to move to is Hungary. With a difficulty score of 3.85, Hungary stands out as relatively more accessible for expats. The salary threshold for Hungary is pretty low, at €14,650, and the fees are just €65. There is also no language test requirement, and just one required vaccination for most travellers. Following up in second place is Malta. With a difficulty score of 3.87, it also presents a less challenging migration process. Over a quarter of the Maltese population are expats, suggesting that the process is relatively easy compared to other countries. Expats moving to Malta also do not need to worry too much about vaccines, with just tetanus required for most travellers and rabies for some. Rounding out the top three is Austria. Austriàs difficulty score of 3.91 reflects its relatively welcoming stance towards expats seeking the EU Blue Card. Austria is another country with a relatively high expat population (19.3%), and the processing times are just eight weeks, which is relatively quick compared to other countries.
(ITALPRESS).
– Photo credit: Agenzia Fotogramma –

Source: medNews

TUNISI (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A Turkish tanker ship owned by a private company has undertaken a humanitarian mission off Tunisia, rescuing 139 migrants on a sinking boat. While en route to Malta, the crew of the tanker named Beks Bodrum/Valut received an urgent distress call and swiftly altered their course to aid the refugee boat. Upon reaching the scene, the crew initiated a rescue operation, successfully evacuating the 139 migrants aboard their ship and providing them with essential food assistance. A video recorded by a crew member captured poignant moments as some of the migrants struggled with the waves before ascending onto the vessel.
Meanwhile the Tunisiàs coastguard recovered the bodies of five migrants off the country’s coast, the national guard said, bringing the death toll in one week to 11 migrants.
Tunisian maritime authorities rescued 1,178 undocumented immigrants off its eastern coast and thwarted 28 attempts at illegal sea crossings to Italy, the Tunisian National Guard said in a statement. The maritime guards intercepted vessels off the coast of Sfax province, saving 1,160 immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa and 18 Tunisians. Additionally, two bodies were recovered during the operations. Authorities also seized 15 boats and arrested nine individuals. Measures against the immigrants are being taken after consultation with the public prosecutor’s office, according to the statement.
Located in the central Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the main points of access to Europe used by undocumented immigrants.
Meanwhile, the international NGO Alarm Phone said that a boat carrying about 145 migrants is at risk of capsizing. It added the communication with the migrants is very difficult but “we believe they are in the SAR zone of Egypt and south of Crete. They say they are drowning.” Alarm Phone alerted the authorities and urged for an immediate rescue operation.The Mediterranean Sea, where many migrants try to reach southern Europe from northern Africa, continues to be the deadliest route for migrants, with at least 3,129 deaths and disappearances registered last year.
-photo Agenzia Fotogramma-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

NEW YORK (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The United Nations Security Council has approved the resolution for the immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages.
The new draft resolution was given the green light with 14 votes in favour while the U.S. abstained. The document “calls for an immediate ceasefire for Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a lasting and sustainable ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as the guarantee of humanitarian access to deal with the their medical and humanitarian needs”.
“This was a long awaited” decision, declared the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a comment posted on X, adding: “This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable”.
-photo Agenzia Fotogramma –
(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is amongst four EU countries who are ready to recognise the State of Palestine when the conditions allow for the State to be set up. The other countries are Spain, Ireland and Slovenia. So far, Malta recognises the Palestinian right to a state.
In a press statement, the Office of the Prime Minister said that Malta, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia met on the margins of the European Council summit in Brussels to discuss developments in Gaza and the Middle East: “The four countries agreed that the two-state solution is crucial for peace in the Middle East, and so they are ready to recognise Palestine as a state when the conditions to set up this State allow for this.”
The four countries also agreed that there should be an immediate and permanent stop to the fighting, that all hostages are freed, and that humanitarian aid be provided immediately.
The statement comes after the 27 European Union countries agreed to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the release of all hostages and provision of humanitarian assistance.
– credit photo agenziafotogramma –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “The data is more than comforting: in 2022 there was an increase of 20% on the Saudi Arabia route, the one we care about most, an increase of 15% last year and also for this year it is predicting that there will be a double-digit increase”. Fabio Zinanni, Sales & Marketing Manager of Saudi Arabian Airlines for Italy, made this announcement during an interview with Claudio Brachino for the television magazine Italpress Economy.

“From Italy we fly from Rome and Milan to Jeddah and Riyadh. Compared to previous years, we have 8 flights a week to Jeddah, we operate with large aircraft carrying 300 people on board with daily flights from Italy to Saudi Arabia.” “Since 2019”, he explained, “except for the pandemic period, Saudi Arabia has opened up to tourism. This is an absolute novelty because it is one of those countries that had not yet been discovered on a tourism level”.

Zinanni underlined the importance of sustainability for the company. “We are planning a 20% reduction in CO2 between now and 2030, even zero in 2050. We do this thanks to the assistance from our partners, thanks to the efficient airports and bio-fuel. We try hard and want to become absolutely sustainable. We are waiting for the arrival of 30 Airbuses which are the latest model in terms of technology, but not only that!”

He spoke about the comfort experience, and explained, “the Airbuses we currently use in Rome have 20 business seats and 90 economy seats. On board we offer a choice of 3 meals in both economy and business; in business we have the chef on board and everything is extremely comfortable. We will not use certain types of aircraft because we are introducing new features, obviously it takes time but we are working on this too.”

Zinanni also spoke about the routes. “This year we opened the route to Beijing, in addition to the others already in place such as Thailand where we are doing very well, Singapore, Jakarta, all of South East Asia, Africa”.

Finally, Zinanni spoke about the cultural change underway in Saudi Arabia. “I was there for the first time in 2010, from then to now it has grown exponentially from a rights point of view, it’s not all rosy but they are absolutely making giant strides,” while adding, “I invite anyone to go to Saudi Arabia and see how women are doing today. It’s not true that they don’t drive. Women are in Parliament, they are in charge of very important companies, we too now have many women and it was unthinkable until a few years ago. Let’s dispel this myth, Saudi Arabia is a safe, beautiful country to visit,” concluded Zinanni.

– Foto Italpress –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews