LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government has confirmed that a multi-billion underground metro project is not a priority, despite a proposal that was unveiled two years ago by the government itself. The metro project with an estimate of €6.2 billion was not included in the Budget for next year presented in parliament by the Minister of Finance Clyde Caruana. Maltese Prime Minister admitted “it is not at the top of our priorities,” adding “there are still studies ongoing and it is one of the possibilities or alternatives that we are considering”. In October 2021, the government published the proposal for an underground metro that would operate through 25 stations around Malta. According to studies by London-based consultants, Arup Group, it would take 15 to 20 years to build.

(ITALPRESS).

Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The German NGO Sea Watch accused the Maltese authorities of ignoring calls for immediate assistance to migrants in distress. The NGO said that its monitoring aircraft Seabird spotted a distress case this week where a group of migrants onboard a boat were sheltered by the PAN MULTIARA merchant vessel from high waves for ten hours. Sea Watch remarked that the Maltese authorities neither answered the calls for assistance nor offered to rescue the migrants while the nearest rescue vessel had no permission to rescue the people in distress. Sea Watch described Malta’s non-response as “disgraceful”. Meanwhile, the Tunisian authorities are under heavy criticism as a group of migrants are feared that were taken back to Tunisia illegally. A group of 50 migrants managed to find shelter on a gas platform, while crossing the Mediterranean Sea. However, a Tunisian coast guard ship was immediately on the scene for further investigations.(ITALPRESS).

 

Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government is planning to issue proposals for further discussions and eventually introducing new applications with the relevant competent authorities for land reclamation. This was announced by the Minister of Finance Clyde Caruana during the announcement of next year’s Budget. In the past months, the Minister explained, the government has explored a number of projects which not only ‘respect and improve the environment’, but also ‘analyse with experts the best interventions’ when it comes to land reclamation.
Malta is expected to start reclaiming land during this legislature, a move considered crucial to keep the economy growing. (ITALPRESS).

Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma

Source: medNews

TRIPOLI (LIBIA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Libya’s national unity government, headed by Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeibeh, established a new maritime zone, which analysts considered a new chapter in the intense race over energy sources in the Eastern Mediterranean basin. Libya will be become a renewable energy source for Malta following a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year between the Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and the Maltese counterpart Robert Abela. Abela said, “Libya has a strong potential to generate renewable energy and in the context of Libya’s willingness to be a strategic partner with the European Union it leads to Malta being ready to serve as a centre for green energy that connects Europe with Africa”. The cooperation on the use of alternative energy is also of great importance following a meeting with the Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni and in the context of an agreement reached in Malta this year at the MED9 summit between the energy ministers of nine member states of the EU located in the Mediterranean. The new Libyan decision expands the authority of maritime borders from 12 to 24 nautical miles. However, the demarcation of maritime borders by Libya constitutes a point of fundamental regional disagreement with Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt. Signs of the disagreement appeared since the signing of a maritime border agreement between the Tripoli government and Turkey in 2019. The Foreign Ministry of the Dbebeih government justified this by saying the region falls within Libya’s sovereign rights over the area adjacent to its territorial waters and does not violate international law or infringe on the maritime borders of other countries. The head of the Land and Maritime Boundaries Committee at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Al-Harari, asserted that the new law confirms Tunisia’s eastern marine border. (ITALPRESS).

Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “An Air Force C130 has already left this morning to transport the first humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population. The flight, organized in cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UN and the Red Crescent, is about to arrive in Egypt from where the aid will be transported to Gaza via the Rafah crossing. Furthermore, several naval units have been ready for days which will transport further aid, if security conditions allow it, to provide humanitarian support to the population affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East”. This was stated by the Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, in a statement.

He also announced Defense vehicles will be used to transport humanitarian aid to Gaza from the Mediterranean. The multipurpose offshore patrol vessel, Thaon di Revel, of the Military Navy, has already been sent to Cyprus in recent days, following a decision taken by the Defense Minister himself while two other Multimission Frigates of the Military Navy and an ‘amphibious unit’ are also prepared for their mission.

The Minister added, “further shipments of humanitarian aid prepared by the Defense Ministry are expected in the coming days”, but he reiterated: “it is necessary to make a clear distinction between Hamas, which is a dangerous terrorist organization that aims to destroy the State of Israel , and the present and future destiny of the Palestinian people who are suffering, through no fault of their own, with many deaths and tragedies. This is why the Ministry of Defense is ready, with all its assets, to do everything possible to help the civilian population and, as soon as possible, provide basic necessities and goods, as well as evacuate civilians, both foreigners, Israelis and Arabs, who request it for health reasons”.

In conclusion, the Minister recalled that “Italy is working 360 degrees, through all its government representatives, to achieve a de-escalation of the conflict as soon as possible. However, it would be truly dramatic if the ongoing war, starting from Israel’s understandable reaction and its consequent military counter-offensive on the ground, inflamed the Islamic world and triggered a new war between the West and Islam”.

– Photo: Agenzia Fotogramma –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation and the environmental NGO Friends of the Earth condemned the proposed gas pipeline between Malta and Sicily.
The Melita TransGas Pipeline is a 159-kilometre pipeline proposed to run from Delimara in Malta to Gela in Sicily, intended to transport natural gas, renewable gases and hydrogen from Italy to Malta.
The two organizations are saying that through this project, the key investors that will ultimately benefit are those involved in the controversial Electrogas project, including former Electrogas director Yorgen Fenech, who has been indicted for the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
“Corruption, assassination, and environmental destruction are keywords associated with the Electrogas power station and the Melita TransGas pipeline proposed by the Maltese Government,” declared the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation and the environmental NGO Friends.
This pipeline with an investment of €400 million, was listed by the European Union as a Project of Common Interest, making it eligible for EU funding.
“Clauses in Electrogas agreements are set to trigger a multi-million payout to the company once the gas pipeline is completed and connected to the Electrogas power station, rewarding the ultimate beneficial owners”
The organizations added, “the European Union and Malta risk not only rewarding the alleged killer of Daphne Caruana Galizia but also her murder itself”
In 2017, Daphne Caruana Galizia received a leaked cache of over 600,000 emails related to the Electrogas project. A year earlier, she had exposed the ownership of offshore companies in Panama by former prime minister Joseph Muscat’s most trusted men, Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi.
These offshore companies were allegedly intended to receive substantial payments from a secret company called 17 Black, which was later revealed to be owned by Yorgen Fenech. Both Schembri and Mizzi denied any wrongdoing and claimed they had never received any money from 17 Black.

– foto: Agenzia Fotogramma –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese authorities have been implicated in another pushback of a group of migrants who left from Libya. According to the international NGO Alarm Phone, 30 migrants who were in distress on a small boat in Maltàs search and rescue (SAR) zone, early this week were intercepted by a Libyan vessel operated by the Libyan militia group Tarek Ben Zayed and were taken back to Libya with the assistance of the Maltese government. The Tarek Ben Zayed is a militant organization led by Saddam Haftar, son of the Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar. AlarmPhone confirmed that a week ago, the distress vessel’s location was established and reported its location just inside the southeast edge of Maltàs search and rescue zone. The vessel was low on fuel, food and water.
The people on board were at first thought to have been picked up by a commercial vessel but were later confirmed to have been pushed back by the Libyan vessel Tareq Bin Zayed, belonging to an armed militia group.
The vessel, which left from Sirte, Libya, was spotted by Alarm Phone after receiving distress signals after encountering strong winds and waves. On Friday, the commercial vessel Nippon Princess heeded the distress call and looked for the smaller boat but could not find it. This week, AlarmPhone confirmed the pushback by the Libyan militiàs vessel and “condemned Maltàs role in pushbacks”.

foto: Agenzia Fotogramma

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – More than 50 countries will be represented during talks in Malta this weekend to discuss ways to end the Ukraine conflict. Igor Zhovkva, a senior aide to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, told the Kyiv Post that the Ukrainian President expects a larger attendance than in similar meetings in Jeddah and Copenhagen earlier this year.
The third international gathering aims to approve Zelensky’s 10-point peace plan ahead of a planned Global Peace Summit later this year. Turkey, which has offered itself as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, is among the countries due to take part. Zelensky has also invited a representative of Saudi Arabia to participate.
It is not yet clear if Zelensky or other leaders, such as Turkey’s Recep Tayipp Erdogan will be present in person, or send representatives for the meeting scheduled in Valletta on October 28-29.
Ukraine is also expecting “newcomers” for the meeting in Malta, who will join the collective pressure on Russia and act as guarantors of the legal force of the Peace Formula.

Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese authorities have issued the first two licenses to cultivate the cannabis plant for non-medicinal use. The Authority for the Responsible Use of Cannabis is also assessing other applications from four other associations to ensure the production of high-quality products, and to safeguard the health and rights of their respective members. Rebecca Buttigieg, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Reforms and Equality stated that Maltàs model is serving as a model for other countries because, in a cautious but decisive manner, it aims at fighting organized crime without creating a place for a new industry. “Our satisfaction is even greater after European countries, including Germany, are looking at the Maltese model in order to carry out similar reforms.”
These associations work on a not-for-profit basis, and together with the Maltese authorities are focusing on a harm reduction policy. Those aged 18 and over and Malta residents can only become members of one association.

– Photo: Agenzia Fotogramma –
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg called for a ceasefire in Gaza, an independent investigation into the bombing of Ahli Arab Hospital in central Gaza and called on Hamas to release all hostages immediately.
Borg, who was addressing the United Nation’s Security Council, added, “Malta will continue to work for a two-state resolution,” and urged influential parties to promote dialogue and de-escalation to nurture peace. Terrorist groups should not be financed, he added. The Maltese Foreign Minister stated Malta acknowledged that Israel has a right to defend itself but added that any military action must be conducted according to international law and be proportional, while condemning all attacks against civilians and humanitarian workers. He added that “the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people must not be confused with the terroristic group of Hamas”. Borg said Malta was “deeply concerned” over Israel’s decision to cut off water, food, fuel and electricity supplies to Gaza. Humanitarian corridors and safe zones must be established in Gaza, he said.

Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews