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ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “I remain convinced that the best path for the full stabilization of the Balkans is to anchor definitively the region to the European family”. This was stated by the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, in a video message while greeting the Ministerial Meeting on the Western Balkans. “In 2022 we have reached historic milestones. Italy supported with determination the opening of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia and the decision of the European Council to recognize Bosnia and Herzegovina as a candidate status. We must now maintain this pace and move forward, using all the incentives available. It’s vital for both the Balkan region and Europe, to change pace on the process of the region’s integration within Europe and obtain concrete development. Europe is your home and Italy will always be there by your side on this journey”.

– photo Agenziafotogramma.it –

(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The Libyan government declared that the improving in the conditions of migrants in Libya requires solidarity and support with United Nations agencies and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as well as active states in the international community.
In its reaction to the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission’s report on violations against illegal immigration in Libya, the Government of National Unity declared that Libya refuse to be held responsible for the failure of the international community to resolve “this thorny and painful document” and called for expanding and stepping up the support of the voluntary return program”. Libyàs Foreign Ministry admitted that some detention centres inside Tripoli lacked international aid or had little support from international organizations. The Ministry remarked that most government-run centres treat illegal immigrants in private health centers at the government expense and provide free meals regularly, while the civil society activities and individual initiatives of Libyans provide aid and relief to migrants inside detention centres throughout the country.
The Ministry emphasized that the UN report did not mention the cooperation of the Public Prosecutor and the Ministry of Defence in dismantling local networks for smuggling illegal immigrants and human trafficking in Bani Walid, Al-Qurayyat, and Al-Shwerif. It further noted the Libyan authorities’ success in freeing many migrants held captive in illegal detention centers run by international gang traffickers.
(ITALPRESS).
– photo credit agenziafotogramma.it-

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Italian singer Gianni Morandi will be giving a concert in Malta in August. The concert will take place on 12 August at Fort Manoel on Manoel island and is being organised by Malta Globe Music. Morandi will visit Malta as part of his tour ‘Go Gianni Go!’. The last time Gianni Morandi was in Malta was in 2019. He wowed his fans at the MFCC in Tà Qali with his best hits such as “Occhi di ragazza,” “Scende la pioggia,” and “La fisarmonica”. During his first visit, Morandi described it as “always emotional.” Morandi added that he likes Malta very much and wishes to come for a holiday, to sing and if everything goes well on a holiday with my wife.” In February, Morandi presented Sanremo along with Amadeus.

Foto: agenziafotogramma.it

(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – While the Armed Forces of Malta has received a new 75-metre patrol boat which is manned by a 40-strong crew to reinforce its border control surveillance, according to UN information, Malta has taken in just one irregular migrant from the sea so far this year as the number of arrivals to Italy has tripled.
Considered as the largest vessel in the history of law enforcement following an investment of €53 million co-financed by the EU, Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri said the Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta plays a very important role for security especially being an island surrounded by sea and this ship will give us those skills that we didn’t have until today.
The Brigadier of the Armed Forces, Clinton O’Neill, explained how this ship will help soldiers protect national security. “This is a ship which can be used for more roles than we had before; it lasts longer at sea depending on how it is used, it can accommodate more people and is equipped with new aerials and communication and also other things that will help our operation.
Minister Silvio Schembri and Parliamentary Secretary Chris Bonett said that this vessel is the beginning of an investment by European funds in the field of security. They said the Government has €200 million in European funds dedicated to other investments in the field of defence, also in order to ensure that the Maltàs borders are better protected.
This comes as United Nations data shows that only one asylum seeker was rescued by the AFM at sea in 2023, while the number of arrivals to Italy has tripled.
According to the UN’s Mediterranean operational portal only one person landed in Malta compared with 20,535 in Italy, which is three times as many as in the same period in 2022.
Malta is often accused of shirking its responsibilities in rescuing asylum seekers at sea. So far this year, at least 374 people have been recorded missing in the central Mediterranean, according to the Missing Migrants Project. A report compiled by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) on Malta shows that in 2021 the AFM continued to drastically decrease rescues at sea. The report also highlighted the Maltese government’s insistence on denying disembarkation to individuals rescued at sea.
photo Doi
(ITALPRESS).

ROME (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The grand jury in New York has officially indicted Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States of America – in office from 2016 to 2020 and running for the 2024 elections – with the accusation of having paid an amount of $130,000 during his campaign seven years ago to buy the silence of porn actress and director Stormy Daniels, in order to conceal their relationship. The tycoon thus became the first US President or former president to be indicted by a court, and the charges will be formalized early next week, according to one of his lawyers, Joe Tacopina. According to CNN, which cites reliable sources, Trump will face more than 30 counts of corporate fraud. The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, a young African American already known for having overseen the case of Harvey Weinstein, the famous Hollywood producer accused of various sexual harassment, is carrying out the accusations against Trump.
It is precisely against Bragg that Donald Trump himself lashes out, who according to US media reports he is in his residence in Mar-a-Lago and did not expect the decision of the grand jury to arrive in these days: “This is a persecution and interference in politics at the highest level in the history of an election, reads a long statement from the former Republican president, adding “since I came down the golden escalator of the ‘Trump Tower’, even before becoming president of the United States, radical left Democrats, enemies of the hard working men and women of this country, have been engaged in a witch hunt to destroy the Make America Great Again movement. The Democrats have lied, cheated and stolen in their obsession with the intention to hurt Trump,” the statement said. It added “now they have done the unthinkable: indict a completely innocent person in an act of blatant election interference. Never before in our nation’s history has this been done. Democrats have cheated before, and this time they’re using our judicial system to punish a political opponent and by far the leading Republican presidential candidate like never before.”
Joe Biden is also mentioned in Trump’s statements: “Alvin Bragg was chosen and paid by George Soros and it is shameful. Hès doing Joe Biden’s dirty work, ignoring the murders, burglaries and assaults. This is how Bragg spends his time. I believe this witch hunt will come back to haunt Joe Biden in a big way. The American people understand exactly what the Democrats on the radical left are doing here. Our party and our men will first defeat Alvin Bragg and then Joe Biden,” he concluded, while declaring “we will drive out the Democrats by making America great again “.
For the moment, the White House has not released any statement on the matter. The reactions are manifold, above all that of his son Eric, who considers the indictment of his father as a political act that “would make Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot to fade”.
Stormy Daniels’ attorney, Clark Brewster, commented on Twitter: “The indictment of Donald Trump is no cause for joy. Now let truth and justice prevail, no one is above the law”. Another lawyer, at the time in the service of Donald Trump, is precisely the key character in this story. In fact, it was Michael Cohen, the tycoon’s former lawyer, who provided the testimony that led to the request, now accepted, for the indictment of the former president: “For the first time in the history of our country, a former president of the United States, wrote Cohen on Twitter, “I am not happy to release this statement and I also want to remind everyone of the presumption of innocence. However, today’s indictment is not the end of this chapter but only the beginning,” he concluded, while claiming his testimony and the evidence he provided to the New York prosecutor’s office”.
One of Trump’s lawyers reported that his client should travel to New York on Tuesday to surrender to the Manhattan authorities and be indicted: subsequently, according to practice, he will be arrested for taking fingerprints and a mug shot, but not will go to jail. According to another Trump lawyer, Chris Kise, “there is a complete lack of legal basis for this indictment, which should frighten every citizen of this country regardless of opinions about President Trump”.
In the United States there is already a debate about Trump’s intention to continue in the electoral campaign and to contest the presidential election. However it is up to the Republicans to decide. An indictment or even a criminal conviction would not prevent him from continuing his presidential campaign if he so chooses – and he has given every indication that he will keep pushing ahead regardless of what happens. There is nothing in US law that prevents a candidate who is found guilty of a crime from campaigning for, and serving as, president – even from prison. Meanwhile Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida as well as candidate in the race for the White House is in a close fight with Trump, said, the prosecutor district of Manhattan is breaking the law to target a political opponent: Florida will not respond to his extradition request.”

– photo agenziafotogramma.it –

(ITALPRESS).

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The European Commission expressed concern about the efficiency of the justice system in Malta, especially in cases related to high-level corruption.

While addressing the European Parliament during a discussion on the rule of law in Malta, European Commissioner for Values and Transparency V?ra Jourovà acknowledged the reforms implemented by the Maltese government, including the appointments in the judiciary, however, she declared “challenges remain such as the efficiency of justice and the length of proceedings which continued to deteriorate in recent years”.

Jourovà added that several initiatives are underway to improve the efficiency of Maltàs justice system but “although Malta took additional measures and increased resources allowed to investigative and prosecution bodies, the investigation of high-level corruption cases remains lengthy.” She added that final judgements are still lacking results and “remain a cause of concern”.

The debate, which also looked into the rule of law in Spain and Greece, came after the European Peoplès Party (EPP) moved a motion to debate the latest developments in Malta following the criminal investigation launched against author and journalist Mark Camilleri.

Camilleri has published a series of messages between former junior minister and current MP Rosianne Cutajar and the man indicted for commissioning the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Yorgen Fenech.

– photo Agenziafotogramma.it –

(ITALPRESS).

LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri told Parliament that 974 migrants were either returned to their country of origin or deported to another country. This includes the return of persons who arrived in Malta irregularly, and have had their asylum request rejected, and persons who were residing in the country irregularly.

Meanwhile from the beginning of this year, 186 people were deported to their country of origin, or another country.

The Home Affairs Minister also said that 738 failed asylum seekers are still living in Malta, some dating back to 2004. The failed asylum seekers came from Nigeria and Sudan, with 117 and 103 respectively. There are also a few migrants from Mali and Ivory Coast, with 86 and 78 respectively. The failed asylum seekers come from 35 different countries, with most coming from sub-Saharan Africa.

– photo Police Malta –

(ITALPRESS).

BRUXELLES (BELGIUM) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – “Ukraine will define the terms of a just peace, which requires the withdrawal of invading troops. Any peace plan that would actually consolidate the
Russian annexations is simply not a viable plan. We have to be frank on this point”. This was declared by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in her speech on EU-China relations at the Mercator Institute for China Studies and the European Policy Centre, in Brussels.
“The way China continues to interact with Putin’s war will be a determining factor for the future of relations between the EU and China,” Von der Leyen stressed.
“Even China itself has taken a more assertive stance towards own neighborhood,” she continued, adding that the performance of military strength in the South China Sea and the Eastern China Sea and bordering India, directly affects our partners and their legitimate interests. We also emphasize the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Any weakening of the regional stability in Asia, the fastest growing region in the world, affects security and global economy, the free flow of trade and our interests in the area”.

– foto Agenziafotogramma.it –

(ITALPRESS).