LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltàs debt has continued to increase, close to 10 billion euro, according to new national statistics. Meanwhile, the Maltese government has decreased its deficit in the first quarter of this year. Maltàs debt is at 9.97 billion, up from the 9.24 billion recorded last year, equivalent to 50.4% of Maltàs GDP. Malta is on track to keep its debt-to-GDP ratio under 60% to avoid falling under the EU regulations over debt levels, something it has failed to do for its deficit. Last month, the European Commission warned eight member states, including Malta, over their excessive budget deficits. Data for the first quarter of 2024 shows that the government’s revenue has imcreased by a fifth compared to the same period last year, almost reaching 1.69 billion. But its spending has also increased by 5.5%, to reach 1.75 billion. This means Maltàs deficit for the first three months of the year was of 59 million. The increased revenue is a result of by more tax collection, with almost 650 million collected in taxes on income and wealth between January and March, roughly 150 million more than in the first quarter of 2023. The government also received 70 million more in taxes on imports and production and increased its income from social contributions by 30 million. However, the government’s spending on its employees has increased to almost 511 million, more than any other point in its history, and 30 million more than during the same period in 2023. Government spending on social benefits has also increased drastically by 53 million compared to the first quarter of last year.
(ITALPRESS).
– Photo credit: Malta Tourism Office –

Source: medNews

TRIPOLI (LIBIA) (MNA/ITALPRESS) – A United States Triton drone was observed monitoring the Libyan coasts near Al-Khums, Tripoli, and Zuwara. The information was shared by the Italian military radar in a post on the “X” platform. According to the radar data, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was patrolling the coastal areas, highlighting ongoing surveillance operations in the region. The exact purpose of the drone’s mission remains undisclosed, but such activities are typically associated with monitoring maritime security and gathering intelligence. The presence of the U.S. drone underscores the continued international interest in the stability and security of Libya, particularly in light of recent political and security developments in the country. The use of advanced UAVs like the Triton, which is capable of long-endurance flights and high-altitude surveillance, signifies a significant investment in maintaining situational awareness over the Mediterranean Sea and the Libyan coastline. Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations. The conflict has led to a significant humanitarian crisis in Libya, with thousands of people killed, and many more displaced. Migrants and refugees using Libya as a transit point to Europe have also faced dire conditions. Despite the ceasefire, security remains a significant concern with sporadic fighting and the presence of mercenaries and foreign fighters. The unification of the military and the removal of foreign forces are crucial challenges.

(ITALPRESS).

Foto: Ipa Agency

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta is in real risk that will be suspended from the Schengen area due to its failure to implement a new passport control system, known as the Entry/Exit System, EES. The EES is a centralized automated IT system that will record and store the date, time, and place of entry and exit of non-EU nationals crossing the EU’s external borders. It will apply to those requiring short-stay visas as well as visa-exempt travelers from non-EU countries visiting for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. The Home Affairs Ministry has acknowledged Malta is in a race against time to have its border control system aligned with new EU rules by the October 2024 deadline, stating it is in talks with Brussels over potential contingency plans to avoid any risk of being suspended from the free movement area.
Meanwhile, Nationalist Party MEP Peter Agius said that he had requested an informal meeting with the European Commission, who told him that there is a “real risk” that Malta is suspended from the Schengen Area since it continues to lack the required electronic system to verify fingerprints and passports.
According to the European Commission, the Maltese Government is creating a temporary manual system of passport control and that, through this, Malta would avoid being suspended from the Schengen zone this October. The system, however, may be bureaucratic and time-consuming.(ITALPRESS).

Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma

Source: medNews

ABU DHABI (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “Cordial and fruitful meeting with Jamaal Al Kaabi, new Director of Wam news, the UAE news agency”. This is what the Embassy of Italy in the United Arab Emirates said in a post on its X profile following the meeting, adding, “We discussed the opportunities to deepen mutual knowledge between Italy and the United Arab Emirates through new communication initiatives”.
Photo: Embassy of Italy in the United Arab Emirates on X
(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

CAIRO (EGYPT) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Morocco chaired the plenary session on guaranteeing migrants’ right of access to basic services, as part of the second regional review of the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly Migration and regular, known as the Marrakech Pact. The session, which was held in Cairo, was attended by representatives of Arab governments, international organizations, institutions and NGOs interested in migration issues. Ismail Chekkouri, representative of Morocco and president of the plenary, underlined the importance of the effective implementation of Objective 15 of the Global Compact, which consists in working to guarantee migrants’ right of residence and access to basic services.
The challenges and crises facing the Arab region have not prevented these countries, particularly Morocco, from making progress by implementing programs and developing good practices that allow migrants to access basic health services, such as health, education and professional training, he specified. At the conclusion of the work, Chakouri called for joint efforts to highlight the positive contribution of migrants to the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and to the fight against the increase in hatred, racism and discrimination.
(ITALPRESS).
– Photo: Map source –

Source: medNews

MILAN (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Mayor of Palermo, Roberto Lagalla, who was at Palazzo Marino, participating at the Milan-Palermo Forum “Mediterranean Genius”, in the presence of the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala said that Milan and Palermo “are imagining being able to pass everything that is common and shared, and what will be able to share further in terms of administrative policies, culture, social integration and inclusion, and good management practices”. However, Lagalla remarked, “above all in terms of hybridization between a Central European and a Mediterranean culture, for the construction of a new Euro-Mediterranean identity, which affects the two cities and I think the entire country”.

– Foto xp2/Italpress –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has registered the second unemployment rate in the European Union, according to Eurostat statistics. The Eurostat said that unemployment rate in May was the lowest in Poland with 3%. Malta and Slovenia with 3.2% had the second lowest unemployment rate in the European Union, while Germany followed with 3.3%. The average EU unemployment rate is 6% and 6.4% among euro zone countries.
Eurostat agency said that there were over 13 million persons registering for work in May in the European Union. More than 11 million were registered as unemployed among euro zone countries.
Compared with the same month last year, Eurostat said that unemployment rose both in the EU and in the Euro Zone.
(ITALPRESS).
– Photo credit: Agenzia Fotogramma –

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “The Mediterranean has an increasingly central role for Europe. The new EU Commission needs to work hard on maritime connectivity, preferably with a commissioner for the Mediterranean”. This was declared by the Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Edoardo Rixi following a meeting with Maltàs Transport Minister Chris Bonnet.
Both sides highlighted the need for the revision of the Directive on the extension of Emissions Trading System (ETS) to the maritime sector, the backing of a European regulatory intervention to strengthen the role of logistics and maritime connectivity as an instrument of European strategic autonomy, and the promotion of investments at European level in new fuels.
“The discussion with Minister Bonnet was useful for strengthening coordination on the actions to be implemented and it is precisely our belonging to different political groups that gives greater strength to our proposals, because they are of general interest. Maintaining strong cohesion between maritime countries, will be fundamental for the future of European competitiveness”, said Rixi.

– Photo Ministry for Infrastructure and Transport –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Two Maltese engineers have managed to create a system to store energy so that the electricity generated from wind farms at sea can be more efficient. This project is among the inventions which have a chance to win a prize in the European Inventor Awards which for the first time will be hosted by Malta on July, 9. According to the European Environmental Agency, in the last 40 years more than 85,000 people have died around Europe as a result of climate change. Daniel Buhagiar, the student who developed this system, said that there are countries such as the UK, France and Germany which already utilise large wind farms. “Our challenge was to come up with a system which works like a battery, you give it energy and it gives it back without using new processes which in this environment are never used, as that would be very difficult”. He explained how, contrary to other countries such as the Netherlands, the Mediterranean Sea is deeper and therefore technology known as “floating winds” needs to be used; these turbines are tied up like a ship when it is anchored. The way it works is that it uses the electricity which it needs which is stored in order for the pump to work, it then pushes the liquid, which can be sea water, which eventually arrives inside a tank.
Professor Tonio Sant from the University of Malta said that in this way , energy is stored in the form of compressed air which is being stored at sea. He said this is a great advantage for Malta because apart from not needing space on land, one is avoiding the visual impact and the noise. “When we speak about offshore wind farms, one turbine today is enough for the wind conditions in Malta to generate enough electricity in one year for 10,000 families.

– Photo Agenzia Fotogramma –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (ITALPRESS/MNA) – A 31-year-old Sicilian woman died in a tragic accident in Gozo on Saturday night when the quad bike she was on fell off a cliff. Police said that the accident occurred at 8pm in Wied il-Mielaħ Street, Għarb.
A 47-year-old Italian man was driving a quad bike close to the cliffs and lost control of the vehicle. While he managed to jump off the vehicle in time, his passenger was not so lucky and fell off the cliffs and into the sea.
The police and the Armed Forces of Malta searched the area and recovered the woman’s body.
-photo Ipa Agency-
(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews