LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (MNA/ITALPRESS) – Italian Admiral Valentino Rinaldi has taken command of the European Union’s “Operation IRINI,” succeeding Admiral Stefano Turchetto. This naval operation enforces the United Nations arms embargo on Libya, a country mired in conflict since the 2011 uprising that overthrew Muammar Gaddafi.

Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Italy’s Chief of Defense, hailed Rinaldi’s appointment as a “strong message of confidence” from the EU, emphasizing Italy’s vital role in Mediterranean security.

Admiral Rinaldi’s leadership marks a new chapter for Operation IRINI, emphasizing robust maritime surveillance and enforcement. The operation’s success is crucial for the EU’s foreign policy goals in the Mediterranean, seeking to foster a stable and secure environment that will eventually support political dialogue and reconciliation in Libya.

Operation IRINI is a crucial element of the EU’s strategy to stabilize Libya. The mission has inspected thousands of vessels, monitored 1,480 suspicious flights, and conducted checks at 25 airports, 16 seaports, and numerous oil facilities. These efforts aim to prevent weapons from fueling the ongoing conflict in the war-torn country.

In a recent decision, the European Union extended the enforcement measures of the arms embargo on Libya for another year. This extension authorizes EU member states to inspect vessels in international waters off the Libyan coast suspected of violating the UN arms embargo.

Libya’s strategic location and significant oil reserves have attracted regional and international powers, intensifying the conflict. Persistent instability has enabled various factions, supported by different foreign actors, to compete for control.

Launched in March 2020, Operation IRINI is part of a broader international effort to support peace and stability in the region. The mission not only enforces the arms embargo but also aims to curb the illicit export of petroleum, train the Libyan Coast Guard, and disrupt human trafficking and smuggling networks.

(ITALPRESS).

Foto: EUNAVFOR MED

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Several localities across Malta and Gozo are experiencing long interruptions to their electricity supply. Portable generators are appearing across Malta as summer power cuts continue to leave residents sweltering in their homes with temperatures of above 35 degrees Celsius are hitting Malta. Tourist sought localities like Gzira, Sliema St. Julian’s, Bugibba and St. Paul’s Bay were also hit by electricity outages. Residents are left in the dark as the authorities are not providing an estimate of when residents and businesses in affected areas could expect power to return.
Enemalta the only Maltese energy company that provides energy services and is entrusted with the distribution of electricity, and the development of the national electricity distribution network said problems in affected regions were due to high voltage faults.
Energy Minister Miriam Dalli said, “The infrastructural work needed to bring Maltàs electricity distribution network up to scratch will have to be done in phases. She remarked, “I promised the biggest ever investment into electricity distribution, and €55 million has already been spent on improving the infrastructure,” she said. “However, you cannot carry out these works across the whole country at the same time. I wish it were possible but it must be done in phases.”
Enemalta, the state-owned energy firm, said problems were due to faults on its high-voltage cable network and that alternative energy supplies were being used where possible.
A National Audit Office report concluded that Enemalta investment on the distribution network was lacking for several years until 2023, when a series of nationwide power cuts sparked by an abnormally long heatwave forced the government and Enemalta into action.
As social partners demanded action, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela pledged to double investment in electricity infrastructure to €30 million a year. That pledge came just one year after Dalli, as energy minister, had said Enemalta was accelerating its investment in energy Infrastructure. But despite itensified works to improve Maltàs high voltage infrastructure, problems with power supply consistency have continued to plague Malta this summer.
A €37 million emergency power station will be functional as a fallback in case one of Maltàs main sources of energy generation developed problems.
Enemaltàs forecasts last year were that power demand would rise by 3%, when in reality demand rose 14%.
Enemalta confirmed that temporary generators were the power company’s second plan. “That plan includes transporting large generators directly to substations and feeding electricity to households through portable generators.”
Enemalta has installed 14 diesel-powered generators in various localities around Malta to cope with another power-cut crisis amid a heatwave. “More generators are on the way after a tender was awarded. These units will be on standby and will be used only if necessary.”

foto: xf3/Italpress

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Foreign and local travelers at Malta International Airport faced up to 10 hours delay in a crowded departure lounge as a global IT outage led to a series flights delays.
Some 85% of all flights at the Malta International Airport have been impacted by a global IT outage, with passengers looking out for a space to sit in the airport, which is already operating at maximum capacity this summer.
In a statement, Malta International Airport said multiple airlines were experiencing “network disruptions” affecting numerous airports worldwide, including in Malta. “As a result, delays are expected. Please be assured that we are working diligently to manage the situation with minimal disruption,” it said.
Airlines, banks, TV channels, and other businesses worldwide were scrambling on Friday to deal with one of the biggest IT crashes in recent years, caused by an update to an antivirus program.
Around 85% of yesterday’s flights to and from the airport have been affected, resulting in delays to process passengers for their flight or subsequent slot changes,” the Malta International Airport said.
Although MIA’s IT systems were not affected by the outage, the IT team was monitoring the situation closely with the impacted airlines to ensure their systems become operational as soon as they are restored.

– Photo xf3/Italpress –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Summer Dinner was held on 18 July at Villa Miani in Rome. Hosts: Angelino Alfano, President of the San Donato Group Kamel Ghribi, President of GKSD Investment Holding and Vice-President of the San Donato Group Paolo Rotelli, Vice-President of the San Donato Group and Ettore Sequi, former Secretary General of the Foreign Affairs Office and now General Secretary of ECAM Council. Also present Ignazio La Russa, President of the Senate Licia Ronzulli, Vice President of the Senate Maria Elisabetta Casellati, Minister for Institutional Reforms and Regulatory Simplification, Orazio Schillaci, Minister of Health Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Paolo Zangrillo, Minister for Public Administration, Gianni Letta, former Undersecretary of State for PM Silvio Berlusconìs government, Maurizio Enzo Lupi, President of Noi Moderati-MAIE Parliamentary Group, Alessandra Ricci, CEO and General Director of SACE and journalist Roberto D’Agostino.
Elenoire Casalegno presented the event during which GKSD Investment Holding and Gruppo San Donato awarded the Most Inspiring Woman award to Mays Anber, Afef Jnifen, Rajae Bezzaz, and Eleonora Daniele. The four women share the same commitment to supporting civil and human rights, more effectively through their professional successes, which make them influential and trusted voices on current political and social issues.
Mays Anber, with 5 million followers on social platforms to defend the rights of refugees around the world, is executive director of the 7 Dimension Medical Center in Dubai, an excellence in the healthcare sector. Anber, with a 15-year career in the media, is currently undertaking a PhD focusing on organizational justice and employee wellbeing in international organizations in the United Arab Emirates. She is a “Celebrated Supporter” of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Afef Jnifen, model and television presenter, was the first Arab female face of L’Orèal, soon becoming, thanks to her reputation, a supporter of civil and human rights. She is currently an ambassador for Action Innocence, a Foundation that helps protect the dignity of children online against the risks of pedophilia and sexual abuse. In the past, she has also collaborated with Telefono Azzurro and inaugurated the Inter Campus in Tunisia in 2011, which secures the rights of thousands of children in the suburbs of Tunis, using the values ??of sport and football as educational tools. She was honoured at the Fashion 4 Development Annual First Ladies Luncheon, in New York, with the title of new Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East.
Rajae Bezzaz, a correspondent for Striscia La Notizia since 2015, was born in Tripoli, Libya, to Maghrebi parents, and at the age of nine years, she moved to Italy. Her investigations highlight a marked common thread: the delicate balance between the reception and hospitality of immigrants and the intracultural differences between the West and the Islamic world, themes that fascinate and divide public opinion in Italy. In 2021, she wrote the book “The Happy Arab – The Revealed Life of an Unorthodox Muslim” in which she tells with irony and deep insight about her point of view on being a woman on the borders of two worlds and cultures very distant from each other.
Eleonora Daniele is an Italian journalist and television presenter. She founded the Life Inside Onlus association, intending to support people with autism and their families. The association was founded in memory of her brother Luigi, who suffered from autism and passed away in 2015.

– Photo press office San Donato Group –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Italpress press agency and MAP, Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse, have signed an international partnership in Rabat which will allow them to enhance information on the Euro-Mediterranean area for their respective subscribers through a mutual exchange of news.
Italpress and MAP will share editorial content in English and Arabic and will collaborate on special projects, the organization of events in Italy and Morocco, forums and round table meetings on Mediterranean issues, an increasingly strategic geographical area in the international geopolitical panorama.
The agreement was signed by the director of Italpress, Gaspare Borsellino, and the general director of MAP, Fouad Arif.
“Signing this collaboration with MAP, Maghreb Arab Press Agency, one of the most important and authoritative press agencies in the Mediterranean, is a source of great pride and satisfaction for us,” said Gaspare Borsellino. “I am convinced that this partnership will bring mutual benefits for the growth of our agencies both nationally and internationally”.
“This agreement – said Fouad Arif – opens new exciting prospects for our agencies. We share with Italpress a common vision of excellence in journalism and a constant commitment to the highest standards of professionalism”.
The Italpress news agency was founded by Gaspare Borsellino in Palermo 36 years ago. Today, the agency has its central editorial office in Palermo, and has editorial offices and television and multimedia studios in Rome and Milan, and a correspondence office in New York and international partnerships with other European and Med area agencies.
The Maghreb Arab Press Agency was founded 65 years ago and broadcasts 7 days a week in Arabic, French, English, Spanish and a local dialect.
The Italpress delegation, was led by Gaspare Borsellino accompanied by Emanuele Borsellino, member of the agency’s Board of Directors. They were welcomed by the top management of Map led by the General Director Fouad Arif and the managing director Moahammed Rida Brain.
During the signing of the partnership, there were also other representatives of MAP, including Hind Ben Abdennebi and Lamyaa Bouamar, advisor to the director general, and Hinde Nejjar, Head of Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation.
After signing the agreement, the director of Italpress Gaspare Borsellino visited the various departments of the Moroccan Agency and subsequently also the headquarters of M24 (Group Television) and RIM (Radio AllNews of the Map dedicated to 24-hour information), where he was welcomed by Noujoum Dabssi, broadcast director of MAP.

– Photo MAP –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (MNA/ITALPRESS) – Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela welcomed Ursula Von der Leyen’s decision to include Malta’s idea of having a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean in her work programme. He said this shows that despite Malta’s small size, it can be effective and make a difference.

Prime Minister Robert Abela proposed the appointment of a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean to better tackle the challenges of the region.

“This augurs well for the next five years where we look forward to work with President von der Leyen to develop further our comprehensive partnerships with southern neighbours,” the PM said on X.

Last November, Robert Abela insisted that the Mediterranean region had a lot of potential and should be given the importance it deserved. He proposed the appointment of a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean. Abela said this while attending a European Council meeting with other European leaders last November in Croatia, following an invitation by European Council President Charles Michel, to discuss the European Union’s Strategic Agenda for the period between 2024-2029.

The Maltese Premier added that Malta had given her its support and voted in her favour in the European Council, because he maintained that she is the person best suited to push forward European priorities in the next five years. (ITALPRESS).

Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (MNA/ITALPRESS) – Libya and Tunisia discussed the progress made following the tripartite meeting that brought together the heads of state of Libya, Tunisia and Algeria, in order to coordinate the efforts to enhance aspects of bilateral cooperation, coordination and consultation at the regional and international levels in matters related to migration.

The Head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed Menfi met the Tunisian Prime Minister, Ahmed Al-Hashani, and both stressed the keenness to advance cooperation between the two countries.

Meanwhile Libya’s Acting Interior Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Emad Al-Trabelsi, said that Libya currently hosts over 3 million irregular migrants, placing a significant burden on its resources.

During a press conference following the Trans-Mediterranean Migration Forum, Al-Trabelsi announced that Libya has deported 10,000 migrants to their home countries with coordination from Tunisia and Italy. He emphasised the country’s commitment to voluntary repatriation policies. He mentioned that Italy and Malta have expressed their intention to hold the next forum in Libya to enhance cooperation and coordination on migration issues.

Al-Trabelsi warned that Libya would cease cooperation with any international organisation that does not operate seriously or adhere to its official duties within the country. He noted that between 90,000 to 120,000 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa enter Libya annually.

The minister highlighted that Libya has spent more than $330 million to combat the irregular migration crisis, yet has only received $30 million in aid from the European Union. This discrepancy underscores the heavy financial strain Libya faces.

(ITALPRESS).

Foto: Agenzia Fotogramma

Source: medNews

STRASBOURG (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “Many pessimists think that migration is too divisive an issue on which they can find agreement, but we have demonstrated exactly the opposite. We have more solid agreements, now we must focus collectively to implement them and we must support the Member States to transform them into reality.” Ursula von der Leyen made this declaration during her speech before her re-election as President of the European Commission.
“We need a common approach to be more effective and we need to develop broader partnerships especially with neighboring countries. The Mediterranean should have our full attention: this is the reason why I intend to appoint a commissioner for this region, because the future of the Mediterranean is the future of Europe”.
-photo Agenzia Fotogramma –
(ITALPRESS)

Source: medNews

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltàs Prime Minister Robert Abela declared that an effective strategy for immigration should involve countries of origin and transit, together with clear targets which are set up hand in hand with these countries.
Robert Abela was addressing the Trans Mediterranean Migration Forum in Tripoli, during his second day in Libya. “We cannot have an effective strategy for migration without the involvement of the countries of origin as well as the transitional countries, because clear and rational goals need to be set hand in hand with these countries,” Abela said.
The Forum, which was organised by the Libyan Government, was attended by various countries from both the European Union and Africa.
In his address, the Prime Minister maintained Maltàs principle, that of addressing the issue of immigration at the roots with strategic cooperation with everyone, preventing the departure of immigrants from Africa to Europe.
He mentioned two categories of immigrants, those fleeing their country due to conflicts and those for economic reasons, adding that both types require specific solutions with the involvement of origin, transit and destination countries.
Prime Minister Abela spoke about financial assistance to these countries, saying that these should create wealth and opportunities for their peoples through this investment, but added that it should be done wisely, and Europe should see that the investment is yielding results.
Abela also declared that more cooperation is needed from countries of origin in the repatriation of their citizens, who have been found to be illegally residing in the country of destination, and who do not deserve asylum.
Robert Abela stressed that Malta has been pushing for strategic cooperation between Europe and Africa, adding that Libya is already doing a lot to fight human traffickers, but added that this effort has to be made by everyone.

foto: DOI

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews

TRIPOLI (LIBYA) (ITALPRESS) – “I think everyone sees that for this Italian government the Mediterranean is a priority. There cannot be the Mediterranean without Italy and Libya together. This is also the reason why we have improved our cooperation a lot in these two years”. This was declared by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in her speech at the Trans-Mediterranean Forum on Migration in Tripoli.
On migration “we need a 360-degree approach”, explained Meloni. The priority is “to fight human trafficking, one of the major crimes in the world according to the United Nations, these are traffickers who make money by using peoplès desperation without guaranteeing them respect for human rights: we cannot allow this.”
For Meloni “illegal migration is the enemy of legal migration. In Italy it has happened in recent years. We have not been able to legally let in many people because we have too many illegal migrants”.
“The problem of migration cannot be solved if we do not go to its origins” and it is important “to create a new cooperation between Europe and Africa”, she added. “I don’t think,” she stated, “that the charitable approach is the right one. The indiscriminate and violent approach is definitely the wrong one. The right way is equal strategic cooperation, and by bringing investments that solve problems for both”.
Then Meloni gave the example of energy resources, also speaking of the need to “concentrate efforts on a strategy that binds our destinies for the future. It is something, she added, that we want to grow together. Italy has decided to set a good example with the Mattei plan for Africa”.

– Photo screenshot video Palazzo Chigi –

(ITALPRESS).

Source: medNews