LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The international NGO Alarm Phone has accused for once more the Maltese authorities of Malta of ignoring a distress call to rescue around 75 people at sea. The NGO said that the migrants have been reportedly rescued by Italy. “Although the authorities do not provide us with information, we believe that the 75 people in distress arrived in Lampedusa. Once more, the authorities of Malta failed to conduct a rescue in the vast Maltese Search and Rescue zone,” Alarm Phone tweeted on Thursday. Among this group of migrants, there were sick and elderly people, and the group did not have food or water and were asking for urgent assistance. Last year, Malta was accused of shirking its responsibilities following the death of Loujin Ahmed Nasif, a four-year-old Syrian girl who died of thirst in Maltàs territorial waters. Days later, another six people, including two babies, died of dehydration on a migrant boat that arrived in the Sicilian port of Pozzallo. One of the survivors, a 6-year-old Syrian girl who was medically airlifted to Malta, was in danger of dying after drinking sea water during the attempted crossing from Libya to Europe.
According to the International Organization for Migration, at least 1,377 migrants drowned during 2022 while attempting to reach Europe across the Central Mediterranean.

foto: agenziafotogramma.it

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Meteorological Office in Malta confirmed that last December, the temperatures reached a record high in 100 years. The highest temperature last month was recorded on December 16 at 22.6°C. Locals and tourists headed to the beaches for an unusual swim.
The high temperatures in December were due to very warm air moving from the Sahara Desert towards Malta and Southern Europe, where at least eight more countries broke their national record in temperature for the month of December.
Experts say that countries in the Mediterranean region should expect similar higher temperatures during the winter months due to the changing climate over the central Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, the temperatures in Malta for the first week of January are expected to be higher than usual with a minimum of 12°C and a maximum of 18°C.
-photo agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – At least 50 migrants on board a boat are still in distress. Alarm Phone said that the group of migrants are in the search and rescue area, and the Maltese authorities were urged to launch a rescue operation.
Meanwhile Alarm Phone confirmed that it lost contact with a group of 34 migrants who were in Maltàs SAR region and no updates were available about what happens to them.
-photo agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government paid a tribute to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s memory and has offered its condolences to the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI had visited Malta in April 2010 for a 27-hour visit. He also canonised Dun Gorg Preca, making him Maltàs first saint during a ceremony in St Peter’s Square in June 2007. The Maltese government stated that Prime Minister Robert Abela remembers fondly his meeting with the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI during his pastoral visit to Malta, as well as meetings held during the same visit, including one with Maltese youths. Opposition leader Bernard Grech also paid tribute, and recalled the 2010 visit and Ratzinger’s appeal to the nation then. The President of Malta George Vella also recalled the 2010 visit, as he saluted the memory of the late pope emeritus. The Archbishop of Malta Charles Scicluna has paid tribute to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. In a video message, the Archbishop said his heartfelt tribute to a great man, is also a tribute to a great and wise man of the Church. “He dedicated his life to teaching, to study. In his great humility and wisdom, he was a great servant of the people of God. His experience at the Vatican Council II opened up to him, his mind and his heart, to the great horizons of the Catholic world and to the people of God around the world,” Archbishop Scicluna said. Describing him as an accessible person, the archbishop hailed his teachings.
“We Maltese will always remember Pope Benedict for the great gift of canonizing our saint, St George Preca, and also for his visit to Malta in 2010. He came as a pilgrim of reconciliation at a difficult time for the Church around the world. He came with his humility, with his wisdom, with his candor, with his modesty. He left an indelible mark in our hearts”. Mgr Scicluna thanked the pope emeritus for nominating him bishop in 2012. “I would like to also thank God for the gift of such a great teacher and shepherd”, he said.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta will not impose any restrictions on travellers from China. This was confirmed by the Health Ministry. However, the Ministry said that the Maltese government is assessing the situation and is in direct communication with the European Commission and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for any actions which need to be taken.The Ministry added that the European Health Security Council is not recommending compulsory testing for travellers from China.
Earlier this week, Italy announced it would impose restrictions in a bid to curb a new surge in infections. The move came after nearly half of the passengers on two flights from China to Milan’s Malpensa Airport tested positive for coronavirus.
Spain became the latest EU country to require a negative test or vaccination proof on arrival.
China unexpectedly changed its zero-Covid policy after widespread protests erupted in the country.
Meanwhile, the Maltese health authorities have confirmed the death of two other patients with Covid-19 bringing the total number of deaths linked to the pandemic in Malta to 815.
The number of active cases of Covid-19 is presently registering an increase with 274 cases of Covid-19. The number was 190 at the start of the month.
36 new cases were reported on Friday while 27 individuals have recovered from the virus.
144 new cases were detected over the past seven days.
-photo agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The international NGO Alarm Phone confirmed that 45 migrants are in danger in the Maltese search and rescue area. Alarm Phone said on Twitter that there are six migrants on board the boat who are in a very critical condition and they need urgent medical assistance.
Although the Maltese authorities were informed, so far no immediate rescue took place. The group of migrants escaped from Libya towards Europe.

– foto: xl2/Italpress

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A group of 24 Ukrainian soldiers will be coming to Malta to be fitted with prosthetics after they lost body parts due to the war in their country.
It is estimated that 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers lost part of their body in the war in Ukraine.
The two first soldiers will arrive in Malta during the first days of January. It is expected that two patients will be arriving in Malta every month to undergo the intervention.
Although each prosthetic leg costs around 15,000 euro, the Ukrainians will receive all services free of charge. Two Maltese professionals are working on the form and design, and on the insoles and orthotics. The prosthetoc legs will be fitted by another Maltese-Australian professional.
Each patient is expected to spend four weeks in Malta for rehabilitation and to be able to walk with prostheses.
-foto agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – An independent survey commissioned by the Archdiocese of Malta concludes that almost 70 per cent of the respondents have declared their opposition against abortion when a woman’s life is not a risk.
The survey was conducted last November when the Maltese Parliament was debating a draft law presented by the Labour government which add a new amendament that would allow the termination of pregnancy when the woman’s life is not a risk. Yesterday, the Maltese Parliament voted infavour of the bill; 42 govenment MPs voted in favour whie 34 opposition MPs voted against as had vowed to do.
The controversial bill amending Maltàs abortion legislation was approved in its second reading in Parliament on Monday, and is now headed to the committee stage where amendments are expected to be discussed.
According to the survey, 80% of the respondendes are in fabour of a medical intervention which terminates a pregnancy when the woman’s life is in danger. 21% declared that abortion can be a solution to limit the size of the family irrespective of the mother’s health or life is at risk. 58% of the women questioned against 78% of the men said they were against abortion in cases where the woman’s life is not at risk. The survey indicates a significant increase among those over 24 years of age who are against abortion.
– photo agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Two boats with about 220 migrants onboard are in distress to the southwest of Malta. This was confirm by Alarm Phone who appealed to the competent authorities to send their assistance.
Alarm Phone said that on Sunday evening, the migrants on board one of the boats reported that water was coming in, and although it had contacted the relevent authorities, no immediate help was availble. On board there are about 60 migrants and they are south to the Italian island of Lampedusa and east of the Tunisian islands of Kerkennah.
Meanwhile, on Sunday night another boat with around 160 migrants was in distress close to the first boat. The second boat was reported to be heavily damaged with all migrants in panic fearing of drowning. Although the migrants were spotted by a vessel operated by NGO, they were not saved as the vessel is not well equipmed to save so many people on board.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – As Christmas and New Year holidays approach, Malta’s national airline is warning its customers that they should expect delays in the immediate future as a new ground handling company took over the operations as from the begining of this month.
Air Malta has fired its own ground handling services in an attempt to cut the financial costs either by transfering them to other government departments or given a generous financial incentive to leave the national airline. The ground handling services have been outsourced to Aviation Services Handling Limited – a new joint venture between Rome-based Aviation Services Spa (60%) and Air Malta (40%).
Several Air Malta customers complained on social media about the difficulties they have experienced since December 1, some have had their luggage lost and others missing their connection flights because of mistakes made by the newly foreign grounded handling staff.
The Aviation Services Handling Ltd, is actively recruiting new staff, mostly Italians, because of lack of employees. According to local reports, the new employees are not adequately trained, there is a language barrier with the customers, and have received no handover since the takeover took place. The Italian employees were given a three-month define contract.
Air Malta stated that the transition was expected to take place over a period of time in a phased approach that will see passenger handling, baggage handling and cargo handling being transferred to the new operator. Describing the whole operation as “very complex and challenging” due to new employees working in a new environment, Air Malta said it was “doing its utmost to limit disruptions at the Malta International Airport, but the dimension of the transition is such that delays are likely to occur.”
The European Commission is yet to decide on the request made by the Maltese government to provide another state aid package to Air Malta in an effort to save the national airline.
-photo agenziafotogramma.it
(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews