Tag Archives: Top News

Eu, Mattarella “Accession process step to be taken without delay”

KRAKOW (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “Today, once again, the European perspective is precious for the states close to us, which they find in the accession to the EU a reason for hope and strength to claim justice, rights, and peace, and to widen the circle of countries that testify their adherence to the values ​​of people’s rights and of the nations. It is the realization of the evocative power and transformative European perspective that led to a historic decision to grant the candidate status to Kyiv and Chisinau, whose peoples must know that Europe will not leave them alone to face the challenges ahead of them.” This was stated by the Italian President Sergio Mattarella who was speaking at the University of Krakow. “The rapid conclusion of the EU accession process of our Balkan neighbors, which started many years ago, is a goal that Italy fully supports, to secure their aspirations and not to give space to forces hostile to the values ​​of coexistence and who are ready to degenerate the democratic system. A step that must be taken without any delay, an indispensable step in order not to create dangerous instability for the continent,” he added.
– photo Quirinale –
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

EU urged to stop cooperating with Tunisia on migration control

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – 69 human rights organisations from various countries, including Tunisia, Italy and, Malta are urging the European Union to stop cooperation with Tunisia on migration control, insisting the north African state should not be considered safe. The EU is being requested to provide safe routes for people wanting to leave Tunisia and stop border control funding to the country. Between 2016 and 2020, more than €37 million from the EU Trust Fund for Africa were granted to Tunisia for the “management of migration flows and borders”, the groups said, adding that more millions were earmarked for the process. They raised concerns over Tunisiàs treatment of sub-Saharan immigrants and Tunisian citizens opposed to the current regime, which is increasingly becoming authoritarian. The statement comes amid an increase in irregular boat departures from Tunisia towards the Italian island of Lampedusa. There are two main concerns as Tunisian immigrants who actually make it to the EU are not afforded international protection and are repatriated back to their country while the Tunisian coast guard intercepts boats and forces them to return back. The organisations claimed that people rescued at sea and returned back to Tunisia are at “high risk” of being subjected to human rights violations and detention, irrespective of whether they are Tunisian citizens or not.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-


Source: medNews

Air Malta will close down, new airline by the end of 2023

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltàs national airline, Air Malta, will be liquidated “by the end of the year” and a new airline will take its place and start managing Air Maltàs operations. This was confirmed by the Chairman of Air Malta David Curmi in a report published by The Times of Malta. He explained that the transition will be without any extra obstacles. Curmi said that the European Commission is expected to reject the request made by the Maltese Government to inject €300 million to prevent Air Malta from bankruptcy. He added that the European Commission does not want a “photocopy” of Air Malta. The Maltese government presented to the European Commission a five-year plan which, according to Curmi, would lead to an airline that could profit. In October last year, the Minister for Finance Clyde Caruana had said in Parliament that the European Commission was not positive about the viability of Air Malta “because many promises in the past were not kept”. He admitted that the new airline which will replace Air Malta, will not operate like the airlines that offer cheap prices but that it will be offering great service. Regarding the future of the workers who are still with Air Malta, Curmi said that they will end up unemployed but they will be able to apply with this new airline. Minister Caruana had confirmed in Parliament that 351 former Air Malta workers chose to take the Early Retirement Scheme or the Voluntary Redundancy Scheme and were given a sum of money.
Curmi explained that ground handling, which was one of Air Maltàs problems, is now being handled by an Italian company Aviation Services SpA. However, this decision led to other problems because hundreds of Air Malta workers who were working in the ground handling operation ended up unemployed after the work started to be done by this company.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit Air Malta-


Source: medNews

Tunisia, Ghribi “It is an extraordinary opportunity, not a problem”

MILAN (ITALPRESS) – “Tunisia is not a problem, but an extraordinary opportunity for Italy and the European Union, if both take a holistic approach towards a relationship based on cooperation. There is not only the issue of immigration, but there is culture, rural development, energy, infrastructure and agriculture”, declared Kamel Ghribi, President of GKSD Holding, adding that “the Mediterranean Sea should unite instead of dividing”.
While explaining that the inter-religious dialogue ensures peace, security, stability and prosperity, Ghribi added that this was the reason for organizing the Iftar dinner in Rome in the presence of the Imam of Palermo, that of Rome and with the participation of Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia. “You have to be committed and believe. This is the secret of cooperation between Italy and the European Union with Tunisia. As far as I’m concerned, I believe it,” he declared.
– photo Gksd –
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta, Sicilian faces trial 25kg cannabis worth over 500,000 dollars

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A 45-year-old Sicilian man is facing trial accused of importing over 500,000 dollars worth of cannabis in October 2018. D.B. stands is being charged over a secret plan to traffic narcotics, importing the drugs and aggravated possession of cannabis. He was arrested by the police, together with two other men during a raid in a garage in Sliema. The raid led to a discovery of over 25kg of cannabis hidden inside the premises. The drugs, which had arrived in Malta from Sicily in a shipping container, had been packed in tissue packets and declared as “food goods”. D.B. had signed for the consignment himself.
foto Malta Police Force
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta will receive 60 migrants rescued from merchant ships

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Alarm Phone has confirmed that around 60 migrants will be transferred to Malta after being rescued by a merchant vessel after the two boats they were traveling on ran into difficulties in the Maltese search and rescue area. The two boats, each with about 30 people on board, were sailing southeast of Malta. The Alarm Phone said on Sunday evening that a nearby cargo vessel had offered support, as had the Life Support salvage vessel operated by NGO Emergency. However, Malta reportedly refused to order a salvage informing the merchant vessel not to intervene, prompting Alarm Phone to contact the Maltese authorities urging them to “end the cruel salvage prevention”. This morning the turning point, with Alarm Phone reporting that it had learned that the people on the two boats “were rescued by merchant ships which Malta finally ordered to intervene”. The rescued people are expected to reach Malta in the afternoon. The rescue comes amid growing tensions between Malta and some NGOs, according to which the Maltese authorities are pressing not to rescue people in distress in the relevant Sar area in the hope that they will push themselves into Italian waters.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-


Source: medNews

Italy-Poland, Mattarella meets Duda

WARSAW (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Italy and Poland “have a common position on EU enlargement. We would both like the Western Balkans to join and Ukraine to become part of the European Union as well”. Polish President Andrzej Duda said this during a joint address with the President of Italy Sergio Mattarella in Warsaw. “The fact that Ukraine wants to be part of the EU is one of the reasons for the Russian aggression,” ha said, adding “the Russians want to oust it from the European community.”
Mattarella underlined, “this friendship is very important to me, there is a great collaboration with Poland. Last year’s exchanges were on the increase, and we hope the collaboration between various entities and companies will continue to develop more and more”.
-photo Quirinale –
(ITALPRESS)


Source: medNews

Malta, prime minister indicates land reclamation projects

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government is working on plans to start projects related to land reclamation. This was confirmed by the Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela while addressing a political activity organised by the Labour Party. Abela admitted that such projects would attract criticism and controversy, however, he said that his government wwould not be stopped by the disapproval of other sectors and will not retract from taking the necessary decisions. Without giving any details, he confirmed that preparatory works for land reclamation are ongoing. Maltàs Labour government has been proposing the idea of land reclamation for several years, with former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in 2018 describing it as a “very large environmental priority” seeing Malta was running out of space where to dump construction waste and considering it is a small island with limited land. The Environment and Resources Authority has confirmed that its draft report on land reclamation has been passed over to the government and that “a cross-government consultation” is still underway. However, it is still unclear which sites will be earmarked for land reclamation projects. Back in 2019, the ERA was tasked by the government with identifying potential sites for land reclamation projects.
-photo credit gov.mt-
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta, Government urged to stop the energy subsidies

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Although the credit agency DBRS Morningstar has confirmed the highest classification it had given to the Maltese economy, which is A (high) with a stable outlook, the agency denounced the Maltese government for the lack of strategy to reduce or stop the energy subsidies. The agency added that should energy prices remain higher for longer globally, this could prove a challenge to balancing Maltàs financial sustainability.
Maltàs economic outlook for 2023 remains less favourable, with growth expected to slow down due to a continent-wide decline and higher inflation. Despite this, Maltàs “still-moderate” levels of public debt and positive indicators for growth partly limit the risks associated with these factors, DBRS said.
The agency’s report added that Malta recorded one of the quickest recoveries in the EU with GDP growth rates of 11.8% in 2021 and 6.9% in 2022. The labour market registered a strong job growth over the last three years and the unemployment rate is at 3.0% (February 2023).”
The agency referred to the encouraging factors for Maltàs economy with special reference to the strong financial position enjoyed by Maltese households and the removal of Malta from the FATF greylist in June. It made special reference to the improvement with regards to the anti-money laundering measures and approach to good governance, which the agency notes should reduce the greylisting’s damage to Maltàs reputation and as a destination for investment.
DBRS Morningstar also explained that the impact of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine on the Maltese economy was a modest one. It said that this was due to the limited ties with Russia in the fields of energy and the economy, as well as the decision by the Government to freeze retail prices on electricity and fuel.
credit photo agenziafotogramma.it
(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

Malta considering the use of hydrogen to produce energy

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltàs Minister for Energy, Miriam Dalli said that the government is exploring possibilities of using hydrogen to produce energy. She confirmed the government’s targets to move towards decarbonization and to reach the European environmental targets. Hydrogen is a cheap source and pollutes the least, and according to foreign experts, Malta is even able to create the hydrogen it potentially uses itself.
Minister Dalli, who was addressing a conference that dealt with renewable energy and ESG criteria, urged the business community to invest more in renewable energy while using more sustainable models by taking measures to lower pollution, CO2 output, and reduce waste. However, she mentioned how businesses are following the Government’s strategy to switch to clean energy, with a drastic reduction in costs and resulting in more profits.
By 2030, it is predicted that the price of hydrogen will be very cheap, and it would cost Malta much less to generate energy. Serbian climate change expert Dr Srdjan Sokolovic said that the price of hydrogen will be around $3 per kilogram, adding “in the future, Malta could start its own production of hydrogen, or it could import it to use with the LNG ship or a pipeline between Malta and Sicily, the hydrogen could be used in the production of electricity, at the beginning with a mixture of gas, maybe 5%, or it could go in the future even 100%.”

foto: DOI

(ITALPRESS).


Source: medNews

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