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LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Italian market continued to be the driving force of passengers who made use of Maltàs International Airport in April. This was confirmed by official statistics released by the company manning the airport.
708,388 passengers made their way through Maltàs International Airport, an increase of 8.4% when compared to the pre-pandemic period in 2019. The Italian market was followed by passengers coming from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. The Spanish market improved drastically as a result of the resumption of flights from Seville and Valencia and an increase in flights from Barcelona. The new summer schedule launched by the airport and the Easter holidays contributed to this increase; with the Easter weekend registering the most passengers with a total of 98,449.
Ryanair is the airline that shares most of the market of Maltàs airport, carrying 45% of all passengers, followed by Air Malta at 26%, Lufthansa at 5%, Easy Jet at 5%, and Wizz Air at 5%.
The CEO of Maltàs International Airport Alan Borg was reported saying that the company that runs the airport is closely monitoring Air Maltàs situation as talks between the Maltese government and the European Commission over the future of the flag carrier are still ongoing. “Having a home carrier operating to primary airports to and from Malta is very important and we need to make sure we keep this home carrier,” Borg said.
(ITALPRESS).
– photo credit Malta Airport-

THE HAGUE (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The International Criminal Court (ICC) told the United Nations Security Council that the court has issued four new secret arrest warrants for crimes allegedly committed in Libya since 2011.
This was announced by Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the ICC during the presentation of his half-yearly report on Libya to the United Nations Security Council.
He added that his office in the last few weeks had applied for two more arrest warrants, but judges have not yet ruled on those applications.
The warrants are currently under seal so it is not clear who is targeted or what crimes specifically the ICC prosecutor is charging. The prosecutor has asked judges for the warrants to be unsealed and a decision is pending.
Khan called the warrants “an important step in the rights of victims and survivors” for accountability, but only a first step.
The Security Council unanimously referred Libya to The Hague, Netherlands-based ICC in February 2011 to launch an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The referral followed Muammar Gaddafìs brutal crackdown on protesters that was then taking place. The uprising, later backed by NATO, led to Gaddafìs capture and death in October 2011.
Since then, major fighting erupted in Libya and ended in 2020, but there has been little progress towards a political solution, as armed factions still dominate the country.
-photo agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS).

ANKARA (TU’RKIYE) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced a 45% salary increase for the public sector workers ahead of the next key elections scheduled on 14 May. “We are increasing wages by 45 percent, including the welfare assistance. Therefore, we are raising the lowest salary of the public workers to 15,000 TL.” This was announced by Erdogan during the signing ceremony of the 2023 collective workers’ agreement.
“With this agreement and through this wage framework, the workers will receive about 700,000 for the period 2023-2024,” he said.
“The Turkish government will continue to work to increase the minimum wage for the civil servants and to increase the pensions,” he stated.
Erdogan added “in July we plan to intervene to minimize the effect of inflation and the welfare aid,” while emphasizing that citizens will not be allowed to “be crushed” by inflation.” The Turkish President said “we will continue to take these steps despite the burden of more than 100 billion dollars that the earthquake disaster has imposed on our economy. Now, thank God, Turkey has reached its strength and is able to bear all these burdens.” “We will also make new regulations that will raise the level of income for all our citizens to address the problems as a result of high inflation and cost of living,” he said, while made it clear “no one will feel the load because of the inflation.” In January, the Turkish government had increased for the first six months of 2023, the wages and the financial benefits by 30% for active and retired civil servants.
-photo agenziafotogramma.it-
(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Maltese government confirmed that so far this year, the Armed Forces of Malta saved 92 migrants, including an unaccompanied child, who have been brought to Malta after being rescued at sea. Maltese Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said that the disembarkations followed five rescues coordinated by the Armed Forces of Malta between 3 February and 18 April. The 92 people brought to Malta included no less than 75 Bangladeshis, 11 Egyptians and 5 Sudanese, and a person whose nationality has not yet been determined. Minister Camilleri emphasised in Parliament that “as soon as the asylum process is concluded, the government will start working to immediately return those not deserving of protection to their country of origin”. Maltese law includes an “accelerated procedure” for the processing of asylum claims for people considered to come from a “safe” country. The list of safe countries is included in the International Protection Act and amended at the discretion of the Home Affairs Minister. Bangladesh and Egypt are included on the list of safe countries, and thus no less than 86 of the 92 people brought to Malta will face an accelerated procedure.
(ITALPRESS).
-photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-

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-

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).

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-

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).