LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Syrians in Malta who were celebrating the fall of the Baath Party rule after 50 years in power were warned by the police not to wave the Syrian flag while cheering in the streets. Syrians in Malta took to the streets to celebrate as they woke up to news that President Bashar al-Assad had fled the country as Islamist-led rebels declared they had taken Damascus in a lightning offensive. Some joined carcades, waving Syrian flags and cheering. Others joined the peaceful celebrations in various Maltese localities. Human rights activist Omar Rababah, who was born in Malta to a Syrian father, said police officers in Hamrun were stopping people with flags in their hands and giving them a warning. “The right for freedom of peaceful assembly, according to the Constitution of Malta, applies to every person, not just every citizen. “Just like no one is stopped when we celebrate the results of general elections in Malta, we should not stop four cars and pedestrians with flags. Do not discriminate,” he said in a Facebook post.
However, those celebrating thanked the European Union and Malta for welcoming Syrians over the years while expressing their overjoy that they finally rid us of the Assad regime. Some described the Assad regime as “mafia that led a government by tyranny”. Many of those who were celebrating have been in Malta for years. Some of them expressed their wish to return to their home country and their families.
(ITALPRESS).
-Photo: xf3/Italpress-

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese Government has launched a public call to develop the first offshore renewable energy project, located 12 nautical miles off the Maltese coast within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela and Minister for Energy Miriam Dalli highlighted that this innovative project will strengthen Maltàs position as a hub in the Mediterranean through investment in renewable energy.
The international call, known as a pre-qualification questionnaire was issued, inviting the private sector to participate in this floating wind turbine project. It outlines the key details of the project and allows interested parties to demonstrate their technical and financial capabilities. This information will then be used to shortlist the highest-ranking companies for the next stage. Only the first five applicant will proceed to the subsequent cycle, known as the Invitation to Participate in Dialogue. At this stage, these five candidates will submit initial proposals that will serve as a basis for discussions. Following the dialogue phase, a competition for the Best and Final Offer will be launched.
Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela emphasized that this project will enhance Maltàs energy diversification and increase the use of renewable energy. He reiterated the vision of positioning Malta as a clean energy hub in the Mediterranean. “This technology continues to evolve, and our country is ready to shape a sustainable future,” said the Prime Minister, noting that challenges posed by climate change can be transformed into opportunities.
Abela described the project as one that will deliver collective benefits and emphasized the Government’s belief in the private sector as a strategic partner in helping Malta achieve its goals, including becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Minister Miriam Dalli described the project as significant for both the energy and environmental sectors. “This project is not only crucial for energy generation but will also have a positive environmental impact. It addresses Maltàs space limitations in a sustainable manner. She added that Maltàs vision, aligned with European goals, is for the Mediterranean to become a clean energy hub. “Malta is taking the lead in achieving this goal, having united Mediterranean countries to establish this principle,” concluded Minister Dalli.foto: DOI

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Syrian rebels took control of Damascus on the night between Saturday and Sunday, effectively overthrowing the Assad regime.
According to Al Jazeera, Bashar al-Assad has fled the country. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad boarded a plane and left Damascus for an unknown destination overnight, marking the definitive end of his regime in Syria. This reportedly happened as rebels said they entered the capital with no sign of an army deployment.
The New York Times reports that only one flight was leaving Damascus as the rebels approached. That flight was headed to Moscow. Other footage appears to show chaos at the airport as staff and security leave their posts.
The head of the main Syrian opposition group abroad Hadi al-Bahra Syrian said Damascus is now “without Bashar al-Assad”.
Syrian rebels also said Damascus is “now free of Assad,” calling on Syrians abroad to return to their newly liberated country.
An Al Jazeera TV reporter in Damascus reported seeing groups of armed civilians lining a road on the outskirts of the capital and hearing gunfire.
The city’s main police headquarters appeared abandoned, its door left partially opened with no officers outside, they said. Footage circulating on social media shows an abandoned army checkpoint where uniforms were being thrown to the ground beneath a poster of Assad’s face.
Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed al-Jalali said he is ready to “work with” any leadership chosen by the people and for any handover process, after the apparent fall of the Assad regime. “This country can be a normal country that builds good relations with its neighbors and the world… but this issue is up to any leadership chosen by the Syrian people. We are ready to work with [that leadership] and offer all possible facilities,” Jalali said in a speech broadcasted on his Facebook account.

Photo credits: Ipa Agency
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltàs Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg defended the decision to invite Russia to the OSCE’s council summit in Malta, saying it is important to engage with those who can stop war immediately.

Speaking at the closing press conference, Borg declared: “I’d rather have the participating states sat at the same table as Russia telling them to stop this war and retract from Ukrainian territory,” he said. He added it is more challenging “to engage with those who started and can stop this war immediately”.

Ian Borg has dismissed a tirade of anti-Western sentiment from Russiàs foreign minister Sergey Lavrov at the opening of today’s OSCE conference, insisting the group would “not be intimidated” by Russia.

Borg also announced that a unanimous agreement has been reached at the OSCE Ministerial Council, after discussions between the 57 OSCE countries had been ongoing for years.

The agreement was reached on a new leadership covering the OSCE’s top four posts. The announcement came on the second and final day of the organisation’s annual ministerial council meeting being held in Malta.

Feridun Sinirlioglu from Turkey was announced as OSCE Secretary General while Maria Telalian of Greece was named as Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Christophe Kamp of Netherlands, meanwhile, took the post of High Commissioner on National Minorities and Norwegian Jan Braathu was appointed Representative on Freedom of the Media. The announcement has come as a relief to the OSCE, which had been stuck in negotiations on the top leadership positions for months.

Speaking at a news conference, Sinirlioglu said: “I take this with a deep sense of pride and duty… I know it will not be easy, there are challenges facing the OSCE region, not least in Ukraine. My role will enable me to act as a bridge between participating states for consensus and solutions”, he said.

The OSCE Ministerial Council welcomed delegates from 57 member states, and is likely to be the last large event of the organisation hosted by Malta, the current chair of the organisation.

– Photo Department of Information Malta –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – In his opening remarks at the 31st OSCE council meeting in Malta, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov declared the West’s anti-tank weapons and barbed wire in Ukraine were a “reincarnation of the Cold War, only now with a much greater risk of a transition to a hot one”.

Lavrov’s statement was a direct message to Maltàs Foreign Minister Ian Borg opening remarks. Borg stated that times have changed since the Cold War came to an end in Malta, but the world is again marked by the same threats, pointing to the escalation of Russian aggression towards Ukraine.
Lavrov accused the West that it never respected the principle of consensus, adding, there is no single sphere in the OSCE where it can play a useful role, claiming that mutually respectful dialogue has been killed inside the 57-nation bloc.

Lavrov said that the aim in Ukraine is to “keep Russia down and inflict defeat on it on the battlefield”.
He also referred to the revocation of the visa for the Malta conference for his spokesperson Maria Zakharova, saying it was yet another attempt to destroy consensus.

However, Maltàs Foreign Minister Ian Borg remarked the situation has deteriorated, adding, the rules that have underpinned international security for 80 years are being questioned and undermined.
Borg called on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine and end its escalation, saying the OSCE must work towards “just and lasting peace”. He also called for the release of Vadym Golda, Maxim Petrov, and Dmytro Shabanov, three OSCE officials who have been detained by the Russian Federation since April 2022.

Borg declared today we are no longer talking about building bridges, wère talking about preserving one of the few we have left”. The international community was running out of time, Borg admitted. “It’s time to walk the talk,” Dr Borg concluded. “The decisions we take over the next two days will determine whether we can finally set the organisation on a path towards a more sustainable, effective and resilient future, let’s get it done”.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga on Thursday told the meeting that Russia was the “biggest threat to our common security”. “Russia is not a partner; it is the biggest threat to our common security. Russiàs participation in the OSCE is a threat to cooperation in Europe,” he said, calling Lavrov himself a “war criminal”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Lavrov of spreading a “tsunami of misinformation” and blamed Moscow for an escalation of the war in Ukraine. “Our Russian colleague is very adept at drowning listeners in a tsunami of misinformation”, Blinken told those present.
“But let’s not fool ourselves and let’s not allow him or anyone else to fool us. This is not about and has never been about Russiàs security. This is about Mr. Putin’s imperial project to erase Ukraine from the map.”

Also speaking at the opening, the chair of the OSCE parliamentary assembly Pia Kauma reiterated calls for Russia to “return to honouring the international order and norms it previously adhered to”. “Ukraine alone has the right to determine the timing and terms of peace,” she said, insisting that Ukraine must be given space to set the terms of a peace agreement.

– Foto Department of Information Malta –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela welcomed US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken into his office in Valletta on Wednesday evening. Blinken is in Malta to participate at the OSCE ministerial conference. Malta is hosting the OSCE summit as it is currently chairing the organisation, having assumed its leadership after Russia vetoed Estoniàs bid to chair it. The two-day summit will bring together more than 800 representatives of the organisation’s 57 member states. On Thursday and Friday, the Ministerial Council of the OSCE will discuss the war in Ukraine among others.
Blinken thanked Malta for “stepping in” to head the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe). “What Malta has done – stepping in at the last minute to take up the chairmanship – is extraordinary… Not only to take it on but to do it so well”.
Blinken also commended Malta for its chairmanship of the UN Security Council up until a few months ago. “The fact you have taken on both of these assignments at the same time speaks volumes,” Blinken said, adding that the relationship between Malta and the US has grown stronger and deeper in recent years.
Reacting, Maltese PM Abela said he was “very proud” to have collaborated on the council but wished “we could achieve more”.
Issues concerning the Middle East, Ukraine, Libya and transatlantic cooperation were discussed behind close doors.
While acknowledging the ceasefire in Lebanon, Robert Abela said Malta will continue calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, adding Malta will remain in favour of a two-state solution. He also referred to the recent attacks on the energy infrastructure in Ukraine, noting the need for a just peace deal.
Abela also spoke of the strong bilateral relations between the two countries. “Our robust ties are rooted in shared values and respect for fundamental human rights,” he said, adding that these ties included strong economic ties through direct foreign investment of over €2 billion per year.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who is not subject to any sanctions, will also be attending the OSCE conference. This is Lavrov’s first trip to a European country since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. A decision opposed by Poland, Lithuania and Estonia. On Wednesday, Malta revoked a visa granted to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, saying three EU member states refused to agree to exempt her from a travel ban and to be granted permission to enter Malta, which is part of the EU’s Schengen zone. Sources quoted by the local media mentioned Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia as the opposing countries.

– photo DOI –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MARRAKECH (MAROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – “Morocco is today a key destination for major international film productions,” said Monica Bellucci during the Marrakech International Film Festival. The Italian actress, guest for the third time, praised the Festival as an event that celebrates artistic diversity and promotes emerging talents. Bellucci – as reported by the Map Agency – presented the documentary Maria Callas, Monica Bellucci: un incontro, directed by Yannis Dimolitsas, an intimate exploration of the life of the famous soprano. “Through Callas’ letters, I discovered a strong but vulnerable woman. Wearing her clothes made the role even more intense,” she explained. The actress also highlighted her special bond with Morocco, symbolically celebrated with the Moroccan caftan she wore in the film. “This dress represents femininity and elegance,” she added. The Marrakech Festival confirms itself as one of the most prestigious showcases of the world cinema.

– foto MAP

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), composed of the heads of state of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, reaffirmed its full support for Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara and for safeguarding the stability and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The announcement was formalized in the final declaration of the 45th GCC summit, which ended on Sunday in Kuwait, according to MAP agency.

The Council welcomed the recent United Nations Security Council Resolution 2756, adopted on 31 October 2024, which reaffirms the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. The GCC stressed the centrality of these principles in ensuring peace and stability in the region.

The summit also highlighted the importance of the strategic partnership between the GCC and Morocco, calling it a “privileged relationship” and reaffirming the commitment to the implementation of a joint action plan aimed at consolidating political, economic and security cooperation.

– Photo MAP –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

MARRAKECH (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – The Marrakech International Film Festival paid tribute to Sean Penn, one of Hollywood’s most influential personalities, on the second day of the Festival, now in its 21st edition.
The American actor was greeted with a standing ovation, a moment full of emotion. With a career spanning over forty years, Sean Penn has stood out for his ability to embody complex characters and for his social and political commitment. A rebel by nature, Penn has often intertwined art and activism, even at the cost of controversies that have consolidated his reputation as a nonconformist.
During his speech, the actor captured the attention with sincere and thoughtful words. “I am lucky to be here, surrounded by so many talents who weave compelling stories. They are my source of inspiration,” he said.
Penn then underlined the importance of freedom of expression, inviting us not to forget the value of diversity, both in ideas and in the heart.
The honorary star of the festival was presented by the Italian actress Valeria Golino, a recognition that celebrates a career studded with memorable performances. Among his successes, the roles in Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008), which earned him two Oscars.
The FIFM, a platform dedicated to the celebration of the seventh art, will continue with tributes to other icons, such as the late Moroccan actress Naima Lamcharki and the Canadian director David Cronenberg. This shows the central role of the festival in the international cultural landscape.

– photo MAP –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The cities of Matera (Italy) and Tetouan (Morocco) have been declared Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue for 2026, an award that celebrates “the rich cultural heritage of the cities and their common vision of the Mediterranean”, the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) announced in Barcelona.

According to MAP, this award, awarded by the UfM and the Anna Lindh Foundation, will allow the cities to host a series of cultural activities throughout the year that will involve local communities and promote partnerships across the Mediterranean region.

The two cities share a historical heritage and deep traditions, and this recognition demonstrates their commitment to promoting dialogue and mutual understanding across the region, the UfM stressed in a statement. The Secretary General of the UfM, Nasser Kamel, highlighted how “culture has the power in an era of tragic divisions and conflicts and has potential to build bridges by promoting essential dialogue”.

The designated capital of the Northern shore of the Mediterranean and the capital located on the Southern shore will be invited to collaborate, highlighting their common Euro-Mediterranean identities and local specificities.

The 43 Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean launched the “Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue” initiative during their 7th Regional Forum in November 2022, to further promote the diversity and shared identity of the Euro-Mediterranean region and contribute to a better mutual understanding of its peoples.

– Photo MAP –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews