Two Turkish Airlines escapees deported, two on the run
Footage has surfaced showing four men attempting to flee Malta International Airport after jumping off a diverted Turkish Airlines flight. The flight, en route from Istanbul to Marrakesh, was diverted to Malta for a medical emergency. Shortly after medical vehicles departed, the men opened the plane’s rear door, jumped onto the apron, and ran across the tarmac, eventually scaling the airport’s perimeter fence. Aviation-focused social media platform HavaSosyalMedya shared a video capturing one of the men running across the apron, later joining two others. The footage also shows a brief pursuit before the chase ends. Two of the escapees were caught, deported, and issued travel bans from Malta and the Schengen area. The passenger who reported feeling unwell was also deported under similar conditions, police confirmed. Two other escapees are still at large. (Times of Malta)
PN reveals new taxes on financial services firms
The Nationalist Party has revealed that new taxes on companies in the financial services sector were introduced through legal notices issued on Christmas Eve. The measures were announced by Prime Minister Robert Abela and Finance Minister Clyde Caruana and are aimed at addressing Malta’s growing national debt, the PN said on Friday. According to PN spokesmen Jerome Caruana Cilia and Graham Bencini, the new taxes affect banks and companies offering investment, insurance, and payment services. Some taxes have reportedly more than doubled. The PN criticised the government for implementing these measures quietly during the Christmas period rather than announcing them publicly. The party also claimed that the record debt accumulated by the government, with little tangible benefit, is now being passed on to businesses and ultimately to the Maltese and Gozitan people. (The Malta Independent)
Labour rejoins Socialist International
The Labour Party has officially re-joined the Socialist International after being de-listed a decade ago. In a statement on Thursday, the PL announced that its International Secretary, John Grech, received confirmation of the party’s renewed membership from SI coordinator Chantal Kambiwa. The PL had been removed from the organisation in 2014 following a failure to pay its membership fee. This followed an earlier demotion to observer status in 2011, before being fully delisted three years later. Under Joseph Muscat’s leadership from 2008, the PL deprioritised its engagement with the Socialist International, opting instead to strengthen ties with the Party of European Socialists. At the time, the Socialist International faced criticism over the inclusion of member parties with questionable democratic credentials. (Maltatoday)
