Malta

VALLETTA, Aug 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) – The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM), yesterday, rescued a boatload of 41 migrants, who were in difficulty, while in the island’s search and rescue region, according to a police spokesman.

The AFM also medically evacuated two migrants, rescued by a rescue vessel operated by an NGO, and who were in critical condition. One of the two is suspected to have suffered a heart attack, the spokesman said.

VALLETTA, June 19 (NNN-Xinhua) — The number of migrants arriving in Malta by boat dropped by one-third in 2020, the country’s statistics office said on Friday.

The National Statistics Office said that the number of migrants arriving in Malta dropped by 33 percent to 2,281 from the previous year’s number of 3,405.

The office said that almost 85 percent of the people brought to shore were citizens of African countries while the remaining were citizens of Asian countries.

VALLETTA, Jun 11 (NNN-XINHUA) – Maltese Prime Minister, Robert Abela, yesterday launched the public consultation document, outlining Malta’s economic vision from 2021 to 2031.

“The last 10 years saw us bridge the gap with the European average, when it comes to GDP per capita and the employment rate,” he said, “The next decade will now see us become a centre of excellence, worthy of being with the best in Europe and the world.”

VALLETTA, May 12 (NNN-Xinhua) — A group of around 70 migrants were brought to Malta after being rescued to the south of the island on Monday night following a distress call, a spokesperson from the Home Affairs Ministry said Tuesday.

The spokesperson gave no further details, including the nationalities of the illegal migrants.

VALLETTA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Malta on Sunday announced more restrictive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, including cutting the number of people for group gatherings in public spaces from four to two.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said that groups of more than two people will be prohibited, including in queues on bus stops, unless social distancing of two metres is observed.

The fine for people breaching these new rules has been tripled to 300 euros per person.

VALLETTA (Reuters) - Keith Schembri, the former chief of staff of ex-Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, was arraigned in court late on Saturday charged with money laundering, fraud and corruption, police said. He entered a plea of not guilty, court officials said.

Schembri resigned in November 2019, shortly after Yorgen Fenech, a close friend of his, was charged with masterminding the murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017. Fenech pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

Prime Minister Muscat resigned two months later.

VALLETTA, July 17 (Xinhua) -- A group of 63 migrants rescued from their stalled boat which was taking in water in Malta's search and rescue zone, have arrived in Malta, local media Times of Malta reported on Friday.

The migrants were rescued earlier in the day following the alarm from NGO Alarm Phone which they contacted for help on Thursday as their boat was taking in water in rough seas. Alarm Phone offers a hotline service which people in distress at sea can resort to.

VALLETTA, July 7 (NNN-Xinhua) — Malta and Libya should continue to work better together to prevent loss of lives at sea, Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela told his Libyan counterpart Fayez Serraj here.

Abela said the “excellent” relationship between the two countries will lead to better border controls.

Abela stressed the importance of better border control across Europe and the Mediterranean, and he thanked the Libyan coastguard and Libyan authorities for helping in saving lives at sea.

VALETTA, 06 July 2020; AA: Turkey’s defense minister and chief of General Staff on Saturday held talks with Malta’s minister for home affairs and national security in Valetta, the capital of the island nation.

VALLETTA, June 2 (Xinhua) -- Police were called in on Tuesday to help quell a protest at one of Malta's detention centers where hundreds of migrants were demanding "freedom."

The protest, which lasted from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., was kept under control. No major incidents were reported.

The migrants held at a detention center in the harbor village of Marsa waved towels, banged on windows and chanted "We want freedom."