LA VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta will seek to secure European funds for a hrydrogen pipeline after the European Commission turned down the Labour’s government application to get €400 million for a gas pipe which would connect Malta to the European grid through Sicily.
The European Commission has reduced the priority in the use of gas for energy supply. The demand for gas energy is expected to decrease following the European Green Deal Objectives which focus on cleaner forms of energy.
Miriam Dalli, the Minister for Energy said that “the government’s plan is to present a hydrogen-ready pipeline which connects the island to the rest of Europe,” while insisting on a mix of clean energy sources.
Meanwhile, the Opposition in Malta has unveiled in its energy plan for the coming 30 years and said that a future Nationalist government will revive an EU-funding application for a hydrogen-ready pipeline and build a second interconnector electricity link to a different site in Italy.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government is planning to legalize the “responsible use” and the right to grow cannabis altough there will be a limit. This was confirmed by the Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela who said that it is time to take action about this issue.
The new law will eliminate completely the police arrest and prosecution in cases of cannabis for personal use. At the moment, only those caught with 3.5 grams of cannabis will not be prosecuted, and according to the Maltese Prime Minister, that amount is expected to increase.
On Valentinès day, two teenagers were arrested after being caught smoking cannabis in a hotel room. Maltese politicians have appealed for better use of police resources and for laws to be amended.
However, in relation to the use of cannabis and the legal implications, a group of organisations working in the drug rehabilitation sector said that while it is true that not all cannabis smokers end up addicted to it, adolescents may use cannabis as gateway drug to other narcotics.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese Government is holding talks with the European Commission to grant state aid to the national airline, Air Malta. Clyde Caruana, the Minister of Finance confirmed that negotiations are taking place and added that Air Malta is making a loss of €170,000 every day just to operate its aircrafts, and without the state aid, the Maltese national airline will go into bankrupcy in few weeks.

Minister Caruana said that the present administration needa to present the European Commission an “honest and credible” plan to save the national airline. The Nationalist Opposition is accusing the Labour government that over the years, the European Commission was told false information about the state of the national airline.

The Executive Chairman of Air Malta, David Curmi confirmed that the airline will stop operating to unprofitable destinations and further pay cuts will come into effect. While the present payroll amounts to €50 million, Air Malta has already cut salaries and made hundreds of pilots and cabin crew redundant. He also added that Air Malta will focus on “core destinations” like the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Germany.

Air Malta was hit very hard due to the travelling restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The rate of vaccination against COVID-19 in Malta is the highest and the fastest in the EU. This was confirmed by the Maltese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Chris Fearne.
He said that by next Sunday, Malta is expected to reach the target of administering 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, two weeks before the official schedule.
Meanwhile, the Maltese health authorities said that the first consignment of AstraZeneca vaccine is safe after temperature issues developed. Health Minister confirmed that this vaccine will be administered as from today. Fearne also said that as from next month, Malta would have another 250,000 doses of the fourth vaccine, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson.
So far, Malta has registered a total of 19,497 cases. 16,811 have recovered while 2,398 are still active. Over the past week, most cases were registered in the 25-34 age group.
Malta has registered a total of 288 deaths. Most Covid fatalities were registered among those aged between 75 and 84 years.
The Superintendent of Public Health, Professor Charmaine Gauci confirmed that the health authorties have issued an order that passengers arriving from France, Germany and Greece will need to show a negative medical test to COVID-19.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese health authorities are investigating whether a consignment of AstraZeneca vaccine which arrived in Malta over last weekend was kept at the right temperature. This was confirmed by Chris Fearne, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health.
Minister Fearne added that the local health authorities are in discussions with AstraZeneca about whether the tempreture was correct or not. Every vaccine consignment has two monitors, a GPS monitor and a temperature sensor. However, the Maltese government did not give any further details about the investigations concerning this first consigment from AstraZeneca.
The Maltese health authorities will administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to non-medical front liners under the age of 55 but it will not be administered to vulnerable and elderly people, or those suffering from chronic disease.
Malta registered 202 new coronavirus cases during the last 24 hours bringing the total of active cases to 2,406. So far, the pandemic has claimed 284 lives to date.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Former Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat presented Yorgen Fenech, accused of being the instigator of the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, to Paolo Scaroni, the President of AC Milan,about a potential agreement on the supply of electricity.
This was revealed by the Times of Malta, which in its Sunday edition highlights this news. This meeting causeda stir in Malta, also due to the current role of Paolo Scaroni as President of Milan, one of the most popular teams in Malta amongst football fans.
In a statement published on his Facebook page, the former Maltese premier confirmed that he had met Scaroni, former CEO of Eni and also vice president of the Rothschild bank, in London in March 2019 in the presence of Maltese officials.
According to the newspaper, following the London meeting, Yorgen Fenech would also travelled to Italy to meet Scaroni, considered a friend of Muscat who is also a staunch Milan fan.
Muscat said the sources cited by the Times of Malta are nothing more than information contained in some whatsapp chats, the subject of investigation by the local investigators, including himself, his former Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and Jorgen Fenech. Muscat also said that during the meeting, Scaroni allegedly said there could be investors interested in the Electrogas project. “I replied that it was a private venture and that we could only put him in touch with the consortium. That’s what happened and I was not involved in subsequent discussions. This is normal practice and I acted normally on a request, especially one regarding a project of national interest” wrote Muscat in his statement published on Facebook.
Yorgen Fenech is one of the main shareholders of the Electrogas project and in the months before the murder the Maltese journalist, Caruana Galizia herself had receive a dossier on Electrogas consisting of over 200,000 documents.
The Electrogas consortium was selected in October 2013 by the Labour government led by Joseph Muscat to build and manage the LNG plant in Delimara. The agreement was signed in April 2015.
According to the prestigious Maltese newspaper, Muscat informed Fenech that, if an agreement was reached with Scaroni, the local partners would remain shareholders in the project.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The mastermind behind the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was planning to escape from Malta to Sicily, to reach Southern France. This was revealed by the Prosecution during the compilation of evidence in the case against Yorgen Fenech, who is charged with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017.

According to a chat on whatsapp which started on 18th November 2019 and traced by the investigators, Yorgen Fenech was communicating with his uncle, Ray Fenech. The prosecution said that the conversation indicated that Yorgen Fenech had plans to leave Malta.

At that time, the Police authorities were already concerned that Yorgen Fenech was planning to escape from Malta, and the chat found by the investigators confirmed that in reality, the accused was going to leave Malta and be picked up in Sicily, and would not be using any credit cards. In one message, Jorgen Fenech told his uncle to look after his children, as he would be moving.

In the chat, Yorgen Fenech told Ray Fenech that he had made contact to check about the
airport. Another chat was found with the Chief Executive of Malta International Airport regarding a discreet departure from Malta, with the Chief Executive telling him this was not possible.

The Prosecution added that Yorgen Fenech had explained he would be entering Sicily and driving to Su Loi, when it had been suggested this trip would be made with his brother Franco.

In one of the chats, a mention had been made of a private jet at a safe airport. ‘K’ is also referred to, with the investigators assuming this is the former Chief of Staff at the Office of the Prime Minister, Keith Schembri, to check whether the airport was safe.

In another chat, there was communication between Yorgen Fenech and an operator of a private jet, with a Swiss contact number. The operator of the private jet was asked whether Jorgen Fenech can land in Nice. According to the prosecution, Yorgen Fenech asked a certain Maruan if he could arrange him a flight on the eve of his arrest on 19 November 2019.

Yorgen Fenech was arrested by the police on 20th November 2019, after patrol boats of the Armed Forces of Malta intercepted his yacht leaving the Portomaso Marina, Saint Julians.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) The new Italian Ambassador to Malta Fabrizio Romano met with Anglu Farrugia, the Speaker of the Maltese House of Representatives during a courtesy visit in Valletta.
After welcoming Ambassador Romano, Seaker Farrugia highlighted the very strong, long-standing and historical bilateral relations that exist between the two neighbouring countries. Speaker Farrugia recalled the extensive number of high-level visits and the numerous agreements which reflect these exceptional relations.
He noted that, at a parliamentary level, the bilateral relations were also very good and referred to his participation in the the Parliamentary event held in Rome in March 2017 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaty.
Romano and Farrugia exchanged views on the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hit Italy very severely, with almost two and half million cases, resulting in over 86 thousand fatalities. In view of the current COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions, both parties agreed to organise a number of video conferences with interested parties. A proposal was also put forward to organise a video conference with a newly appointed Parliamentary Friendship Group.
They also discussed issues of mutual interest, including the present political situation in Italy, the influx of migrants, as well as the thousands of Italians working in Malta.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – European Commissioner Helena Dallìs son, Jean-Marc Dalli, was found guilty of drug trafficking by the Criminal court in Malta. He was caught handing out ecstasy at a party in Paola in 2013.

Magistrate Natasha Galea handed down a 3-month sentence and a €650 fine to the 25-year old, taking into consideration his clean police conduct and the fact that he aided Police in their investigations by naming his seller.

Dalli, a Marsascala resident, was caught red-handed handing 6 ecstasy pills to another young man outside a party held near Corradino in September of 7 years ago. The Prosecution told the Court that Police stationed outside the party observed a group of youths arriving, and then witnessed the accused passing a paper bag to another young man. The police intervened as they suspected drug trafficking, and conducted searches. One of the other men were found in possession of six blue pills in a paper bag, and another woman was also found in possession of three blue pills. No drugs were found on the accused.

The defense presented an argument saying that it was a case of drug sharing; but the Magistrate stated that there was no evidence to show that the drug was being shared. It had simply been passed on in a paper bag.

Dalli was also ordered to pay half the Court expenses.
(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

GOZO (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Two priests from Xag?ra, Gozo pleaded not guilty to sexually abusing a former altar boy who is living in Italy, after he had to leave Gozo. The two men were arraigned before a court in Gozo on Wednesday. J.S., 84, who served in parishes in Xag?ra as well as overseas, was accused of having defiled a minor and holding him against his will. The alleged abuse happened between 2003 and 2005. J.C., 70, was separately charged with defiling and raping a minor. J.S. was the first to be arraigned before Magistrate Monica Vella on Wednesday. The victim was around 8 years old at the time. The man said J.S. would regularly abuse him for a period which ranged from twelve to eighteen months. The abuse took place either in the parish hall, sacristy or confessional. The witness told the court that he reported the abuse two years ago to Fr. Anton Theuma who is now the bishop of Gozo. Fr. Teuma had advised the victim to report the matter to the Church’s Safeguarding Commission. The victim provided the commission with the names of other alleged victims.
The alleged victim told the court that he continued to serve as an altar boy until the age of 15. He recounted how the abuse led to depression. The victim said he felt dirty and started abusing drugs in his early teenage years. He said he tried to commit suicide at the age of 18. The other priest, J.C. also pleaded not guilty to defiling a minor and raping a child. The victim told the court that J.C. had lured him to his house. He detailed the abuse he suffered and recounted how J.C. had forced himself onto him one day. The victim told the court that J.C. would give him money after abusing him. On the day he was raped, the alleged aggressor gave him 5 Malta Liri (€11.65). The prosecution told the court that both accused were aware that they were under investigation with J.S. having sent the victim a legal letter earlier this month urging him to drop the accusations. J.C. had sent a text message to another witness in the case. The prosecution stressed that more witnesses will be brought to testify. The court turned down the request for bail after the prosecution objected. The case is adjourned to 1 February.

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews