LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government and the State of the Vatican will continue to further enhance their collaboration, confirming the strong relationship between the two States. In a meeting held in Valletta, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that students who are in their fourth year of medicine at the University of Malta will be given the opportunity to serve at the Vatican hospital, the Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù – one of the best pediatric hospitals.
The Maltese Prime Minister confirmed that the agreement will be signed in the coming days, declaring “this will continue to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the Maltese Government and the Holy See”. The Maltese Prime Minister was meeting with the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. It was also announced that the Maltese Government would be donating a pneumatonometer to the clinic Ambulatorio Madre Della Misericordia founded by Pope Francis, which is a specialized medical device. During this meeting, the Maltese Prime Minister pointed out that both States embrace social values and work in favor of social justice.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit Doi-

Source: medNews

TUNIS (TUNISIA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Four people were killed in a gun attack near Africàs oldest synagogue, on the Tunisian island of Djerba. It is reported that a police officer shot dead his colleague before started firing on visitors and security forces before other security forces shot him dead.
The victims are two visitors, a French and a Tunisian, and two security guards. Four other visitors and five members of the security forces were also injured. A video posted online, which has not been independently verified, showed visitors running as gunshots rang out.
The attack took place during an annual pilgrimage to the island, which attracts Jewish visitors from Europe and Israel. Last year, more than 5,000 Jews participated in the pilgrimage to Ghriba.
The motivation for this attack is not yet clear but Islamist militants have previously targeted the pilgrimage in Djerba and other terror attacks in the country. Tunisia is a majority-Muslim country, but Djerba is home to hundreds of Jews.

– photo Agenziafotogramma.it –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Criminal Court in Malta found guilty four Malta Freeport employees over the theft of a container filled with 10.5 million cigarettes in 2015. The container contained 1,050 cases with 10,000 cigarettes each which were valued at €304,500. At that time, the sale of the cigarettes should have netted €1,666,875 in excise duty, €175,392 in import duties and €386,418.06 in VAT. The four employees were jailed and find almost 6.7 million each following two separate criminal proceedings. A third (€2,228,685) is being considered civil damages that should be paid to the Customs Department.
Security officer Christopher Calleja, a 59-year-old Valletta resident was jailed for 4 years, while haulier Malcolm Zammit, a 44-year-old from Qormi, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Customs officer Sebastian Zammit, a 67-year-old from Safi, and Freeport employee Roderick Borg, a 40-year-old from Qormi, were jailed for three years and two years respectively. The container arrived in Malta on 24 July 2015, which was taken out of the Freeport and returned to its original location within a couple of hours: which were replaced by bricks. The container was not intended for Malta: the Malta Freeport is primarily a transhipment hub, with the vast majority of unloaded cargo ending up loaded onto another vessel.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit Maltese customs-

Source: medNews

MOSCOW (RUSSIA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “A real war has been waged against us”. This was stated by the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, in his speech in Moscow on the occasion of Victory Day, commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.
Putin added “the Western globalist elites hit people and divide society, cause conflicts and bloody upheavals, sow Russophobia, aggressive nationalism and destroy traditional family values”.
During his speech, the Russian President declared, “it seems that they have forgotten what the mad demands of the Nazis led to,” adding, “they have forgotten who defeated this monstrous evil, sacrificing their own lives”.
“With us in Russia, memory is sacred”, continued Putin, “we also commemorate the participation of other armies such as those of the United States, the United Kingdom, and we also remember the Chinese who fought against the Japanese militarism, while we work for a multipolar world”.
Then he referred to the “special military operation” in Ukraine, saying he was proud of “all those who are fighting on the front lines, who are resisting under fire at the front, who are saving the wounded. There is nothing more important now than your work. The security of the country rests on you, the future of our people depends on you”. He said that the Ukrainian people have become a hostage to a coup and of a regime in Kiev that is trying to achieve its goals.”

– photo Agenziafotogramma.it –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani tweeted that he met the ambassadors of the African countries in Italy during a meeting in Rome and ensured that the Italian government gives priority to Africa. “The goal is shared growth through an equal partnership, also involving our businesses,” declared Tajani, adding that the Italian government is working to promote stability and food security in the African continent”.

– photo Agenziafotogramma.it –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Organization International Organization for Migration (IOM) stated that “so far in 2023, 4,819 illegal migrants were intercepted and repatriated to Libya”, adding that 505 migrants have lost their life and 319 others disappeared off the Libyan coast on Central Mediterranean route. In just one week 484 migrants, including women and children, have been intercepted and returned to Libya in the period from 23 to 29 April.
In its statement, the organization said that in 2022, 24,684 migrants were intercepted and repatriated in Libya and 525 migrants died, while another 848 went missing along the central Mediterranean route. Meanwhile, the European Council for Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) said in its report that the Italian authorities are continuing with the policy of assigning distant ports to relief vessels from NGO for the disembarkation of survivors. Furthermore, Malta has failed to save more than 7,000 people in difficulties in the Sar area of competence in 2022 and reports of non-response tactics continue to grow.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta will be organising the Mediterrane Film Festival for the first time, an event which showcases creative and artistic talent in this region. The festival will take place between 25 – 30 June in Valletta and various other places around Malta.
The event will allow the MED9 countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia, Croatia and Malta) to meet and discuss the importance of collaboration in the cinematographic sector between Mediterranean countries.
International film producers, studio officials, producers, directors as well as representatives from the Mediterrane Film Commission, the British Film Commission and Hollywood Studios will be taking part.
Maltàs Film Commissioner Johann Grech said “this is one of the many initiatives taken by the Malta Film Commission so that the industry will keep growing and attract more films to our country.” He added that the aim of this festival is to strengthen Maltàs position in the global film market and attract more film projects.
Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo emphasised the importance of collaboration through various opportunities so that an attractive future for Maltàs film industry can be built for the generations to come.
The Italian Ambassador to Malta Fabrizio Romano remarked how “this festival will serve as a tribute to the value of cooperation and the importance of the Mediterranean region to work cohesively in the cinematographic sector”.
credit photo agenziafotogramma.it
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

FLORENCE (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “Message to Putin? The only message I feel to tell him is to stop this war, stop bombing and invading Ukraine. I know he won’t. I tell the leaders to tell Putin to stop the war. The war cannot end just because the Ukrainians can no longer defend themselves. Ukraine cannot turn into a new Belarus”. This was stated by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, while speaking at the conference ‘The State of the Union’ taking place today in Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
“Peace plans? The only thing that could be defined as a peace plan is Zelensky’s proposal”, added Borrell. While referring to the Chinese proposal, Borrell declared, “it is not a peace plan. What China is proposing is a series of dreams, unrealizable. The peace plans are excellent but we need someone who wants to talk about peace. But how can you talk about peace if there is someone who continues to say that they have military objectives?”.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs said that in the Russia-Ukraine conflict “China has a role, I was strongly criticized because I said that China is a bit on Russiàs side” however, “China has not supplied Russia with weapons,” continued Borrell. He added, “the fact that President Xi spoke with President Zelensky, not talking about war, it’s a positive fact. I will go to China…”.
(ITALPRESS).

Photo Credits: www.agenziafotogramma.it

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – According to a report compiled by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, the northern African country is not a safe port of disembarkation. While noting that violations against refugees and migrants in Libya continue unabated, including in detention centres, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated that Libya is not a safe country for asylum seekers. “Any refugees and migrants intercepted along the central Mediterranean route should be assigned a safe port of disembarkation, in accordance with the law of the sea, international maritime law, international human rights law, and refugee law,” the UN Secretary-General said. Guterres also called for rights-based alternatives to detention, including by establishing legal and policy frameworks to manage migration in line with international law. (ITALPRESS).

Photo Credits: www.agenziafotogramma.it

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – 34-year-old Egyptian Najah Agheez, the man who admitted to sexually assaulting Italian local councillor Lara Ali Shahin, has been sent to four years and six months in prison. The court ordered the deportation of Agheez, once the Egyptian will serve his four and a half year sentence.
Last month, the accused pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the victim in a hotel at St. Paul’s Bay, where she was staying while on holiday in Malta. He also plead guilty to harassing her, instilling fear in her, stealing a mobile phone of a man and breaching conditions imposed on him by the Courts in a previous case. The victim, Lara Ali Shahin, is a teacher and member of the local council of Susegana in Veneto, had recounted the ordeal to the media. She was staying at a hotel in Bugibba for a weekend holiday in Malta, and was at a nearby pub when she was approached by a man who was roughly her age, who made advances that she refused. But as she returned to the hotel later in the evening, she came across the same man, who claimed to be staying in the same hotel and on the same floor. He followed her into her room and assaulted her, leaving her screaming for help. As a result, the staff at the hotel was alerted, and a night porter went to the room and stopped the man, who fled. The Egyptian was identified by the Police after he was captured on security footage. (ITALPRESS).

Photo Credits: www.agenziafotogramma.it

Source: medNews