28

Mar

EU officials lament move by member states of recalling ships taking part in Operation Sophia

European Union officials lamented Wednesday a move by member countries to recall their ships taking part in an EU naval mission patrolling the Mediterranean Sea for migrants attempting the dangerous…

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27

Mar

Salvini announces that migrants have hijacked cargo ship and is directed towards Malta or Lampedusa – Updated

UPDATE: The Armed Forces of Malta established communications with the Captain of Motor Tanker ELHIBRU 1 when it was about 30NM away and still proceeding towards Malta. The Captain repeatedly…

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27

Mar

EU to phase out Operation Sophia in the Mediterranean

  The EU's political and security committee agreed to phase out the Mediterranean migrant rescue Operation Sophia's mandate during a prolonged six-month period. All will depend on the final confirmation…

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23

Mar

Heavy toll in migrants lives off Libyan coast

The Libya Express reports that during the past week at at least 30 migrants went missing after their boat sank off the western city of Sabratha this week. One survivor…

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11

Mar

New air tower at Mitiga Airport progressing well

The Libya Observer quotes the director of Mitiga Airport, Lutfi Al-Tabeeb as saying that the construction of the new air control tower at the airport is at its final stages…

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10

Mar

Algerian President’s plane returns to Geneva

  On Sunday, French news agency AFP reported that an Algerian government plane that transported the country's ailing president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to Switzerland for treatment two weeks ago returned to…

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10

Mar

Algeria’s antiquities museum looted during massive protests

  Reuters reports that Algeria's antiquities was, after a mostly peaceful protest on Friday, looted .The Algerian Culture Ministry said criminals and not the protesters were to blame. The protests…

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10

Mar

Tripoli in the crosshairs. Fear of an offensive on Libyan capital

  Forces from eastern Libya under the command of Khalifa Haftar have signalled that an offensive against the Libyan capital Tripoli might be imminent. Forces from eastern Libya who have…

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08

Mar

Britain optimistic regarding Libyan political solution

Angus McKee, the deputy ambassador of the United Kingdom to Libya, said he was optimistic Libya's crisis can be politically settled in 2019, insisting that there's no military solution in…

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07

Mar

Libya-Italy discussions on resuming commercial flights

Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Salvini discussed the resumption of direct flights between Italy and Libya in a meeting with Vice-President of the Libyan Presidential Council (PC), Ahmed Maiteeq. In the…

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07

Mar

Tripoli Mitiga airport back to normal after drone alert

    Mitiga airport in the Libyan capital Tripoli was functioning normally after a security alert that resulted in the temporary suspension of all activity. The administration of Mitiga airport…

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07

Mar

Financial crisis for Libya’s parallel government in the east

  Reuters reported that the Libyan government based in the east has sold bonds worth more than $23 billion (around 32 billion Libyan dinars) to fund its wage bill, bypassing…

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07

Mar

Tunisia to hold autumn parliamentary and presidential elections

Reuters reports that the Tunisian Electoral Commission, ISIE, announced that parliamentary and presidential elections will be held on October 6th and November 10 respectively. They will be the third set…

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05

Mar

The climate change and the Mediterranean means collapse in Italian olive harvest

Extreme weather events have been the “main driver” of an olive harvest collapse that could leave Italy dependent on imports from April, a leading climate scientist has warned. The Guardian reports…

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05

Mar

Force majeure lifted at the El Sharara oilfield

Libyan state oil company (NOC) announced the lifting of force majeure at the El Sharara oilfield . The decision was taken after the operating company Akakus had received written assurance…

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04

Mar

Reports of increased Russian military presence in Libya

Russia has set up two military bases in eastern Libya and hundreds of mercenaries linked to the GRU, the Russian military intelligence, are backing the forces of Khalifa Haftar in…

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04

Mar

Algeria’s Bouteflika offers to leave… within one year

Amid the continuing turmoil in Algeria, Reuters reports that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika offered to step down after a year if re-elected. Algeria is facing the biggest protests since the Arab…

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03

Mar

Bouteflika confirms he will seek re-election

Reuters reported that Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika submitted the official papers confirming that he will seek re-election. Even before he did so, Algeria saw the biggest protests in years  against…

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03

Mar

Over 180 people injured in Friday’s anti-Bouteflika protests

Reuters reported that a total of 183 people were injured during protests across Algeria on Friday against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term in office. These protests were…

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03

Mar

Tripoli seeks to end European airspace ban on Libyan airlines

The Libyan Observer reported that Alan Bugeja, the EU Ambassador to Libya , held talks in Tripoli with Milad Matouq,  Libyan Minister of Transport. The talks were centered on the…

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03

Mar

Spain reports drop in illegal immigration by sea

The New York Times reported that the Spanish Government announced that illegal immigration by sea dropped drastically during the mont of February - from 4,000 in January to 930 in…

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02

Mar

Governments of the USA, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom issue joint statement on Libya

The Governments of the United States of America, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement on the recent developments in Libya particularly to de-escalate tensions in Libya…

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22

Feb

Frontex reports 80% decline of number of irregular migrants using Mediterranean routes

"The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, (Frontex) announced a decline in the number of irregular migrants last year via the Mediterranean route towards Italy, 80% compared to 2017. According…

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20

Jan

Mediterranean Sea claims lives of 170 persons in two shipwrecks (Updated)

An estimated 170 migrants have been lost in the Mediterranean in two incidents involving dinghies that left from Libya and Morocco, migrants organisations said on Saturday. The United Nations' Refugee Agency said…

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19

Jan

Diplomatique.Expert recommends “The EU’s policies in the central Mediterranean are all at sea”

Opinion piece by Matteo de Bellis via Euronews  We have a safe port,” a crew member tells dozens of despondent asylum seekers crammed into a cabin aboard the Sea-Watch 3 NGO…

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18

Jan

SeaWatch on its way to location of a “half-sunk boat in the Mediterranean as nearby merchant vessel too afraid to rescue in view of closed harbours

The Sea Watch is on its way to try to save people who were on board of a boat, which according to reports is half sunk, with people in the…

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15

Jan

Malta to host 5+5 Dialogue meeting

At the end of the coming week Malta will be hosting the 5+5 Dialogue meeting. More commonly known as the dialogue meeting of western Mediterranean states, the 5+5 is an…

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06

Jan

Malta Social Workers Association calls on “all politicians and people of good will” to show solidarity with people stranded out at sea

The Malta Social Workers Association has called on “all politicians and people of good will” to show solidarity with people stranded out at sea for two weeks. While taking note…

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04

Jan

Maltese Government reacts to Di Maio’s comments

In a statement issued on Friday evening with reference to public statements made by Italian Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio with regard to the migrants on SeaWatch 3, the…

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03

Jan

Naples Mayor ready to defy Salvini and let Sea-Watch dock in the city

Naples is ready to defy Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini and let in a charity-run ship carrying 32 migrants that is blocked in the stormy Mediterranean, the city mayor said…

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02

Jan

Sea-Watch 3 given permission to move closer to Malta in view of adverse conditions – No permission for disembarkation yet

The Sea-Watch 3, which has 32 rescued migrants on board, was on Wednesday given permission to move closer to Malta so that the vessel could take shelter from bad weather…

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31

Dec

Malta’s armed forces rescue 180 migrants off Malta’s coast

The Armed Forces of Malta have successfully rescued 180 migrants off the coast of Malta.  The rescue operations carried out during the night involved two separate vessels.  MaltaToday reports that…

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28

Dec

2,241 died in 2018 in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean

A total of 2,241 irregular migrants have died in the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of the year, the non-profit Spanish Refugee Aid Commission (CEAR) said Thursday, reports Anadolu Agency. In a statement,…

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25

Dec

Sea-Watch calls for safe port for the 33 migrants on board in the Mediterranean

It is not a sos, but almost. And it is launched via Twitter. It reads like this: "We need a safe port" The NGO Sea Watch, whose ship is now…

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08

Oct

Fuel spill feared as cargo ships collide off Corsica

Alarm of a possible fuel spill was on when a roll-on/roll-off ferry and a container ship after collided off the northwest coast of Cape Corsica according to the maritime prefecture.…

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05

Oct

One in five migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean from Libya in September died or disappeared

One in five migrants died or disappeared trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Libya in September, the highest proportion of deaths recorded on the crossing, according to new figures. The figures…

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19

Sep

Cyprus and Egypt sign agreement for first Mediterranean subsea natural gas pipeline

Cyprus and Egypt on Wednesday signed an agreement paving the way for the Mediterranean's first subsea pipeline to carry Cypriot natural gas to the Arab country for re-export to Europe.…

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12

Sep

Since 26 August, no NGO rescue vessel has operated on the main migration routes between north Africa and southern Europe

Thousands of migrants risk dying at sea because of a clampdown on NGO rescue ships, aid agencies have warned, in what has been their longest period of absence from the central Mediterranean…

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03

Sep

People losing their lives in the Mediterranean has risen sharply – UNHCR

Fewer people are making the journey across the Mediterranean to Europe, but the proportion of those losing their lives trying has risen sharply, the UN refugee agency has said in its…

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01

Sep

Russia starts military drills in the Mediterranean

The Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm. Vladimir Korolev announced that Russia's  Navy and Aerospace Forces will hold joint large-scale naval exercises in the Mediterranean Sea as from today 1st September, till…

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23

Aug

The Update – Mediterranean Migration

Euronews: Italy’s prime minister has allowed all child migrants on the coastguard ship that docked in the port of Catania on Monday into Italy. The legal agency in Sicily responsible for…

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21

Aug

Salvini refuses the disembarkation of people on board Diciotti

CNN reports that Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini is refusing to give permission to an Italian Coast Guard ship to disembark 177 people it rescued off the island of Lampedusa…

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13

Aug

MV Aquarius: Spain won’t take ship in its harbour (Updated)

Updated: TGCOM reports that sources close to the Spanish government said that Spain is maintaining a position where it would not be allowing the MV Aquarius in its harbour as…

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13

Aug

MSF asks EU where to take people on board Aquarius

TGCOM reports that after saving 141 migrants off Libya with the ship Aquarius, Sos Mediterranée and Doctors Without Borders launched the alarm saying that “The rescued people said they had crossed…

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05

Aug

Corporate News: BATS Ltd Now Licensed To Conduct Maintenance of Boeing B737 and B777 Aircraft

Bravo Aircraft Technical Services Limited (BATS) has announced that it has recently enhanced its already impressive maintenance scope of approval with the addition of the Boeing B737 (Classic and New…

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25

Jun

Libyan coastguard reported to have saved nearly 1,000 migrants

Euronews: Nearly a thousand migrants were rescued on Sunday by the Libyan coastguard and ten bodies recovered from the sea. Mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, the 948 migrants had taken to sea…

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16

Jun

Spain rescues 471 people from more than 50 boats

Euronews:  While much of the world's attention is focused on the Aquarius, dozens of similar stories continue to play out across the Mediterranean. Often with tragic consequences. Spain's maritime rescue service…

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12

Jun

Aquarius remains stranded in the Mediterranean despite offer from Valencia. Trip deemed too risky

EURONEWS: An NGO ship with more than 600 rescued migrants aboard remains stranded in the Mediterranean despite an offer of safe harbour in the Spanish port of Valencia. The crew of…

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11

Jun

334 persons rescued, 4 bodies recovered from Spain’s maritime rescue service

AP: Spain's maritime rescue service has saved 334 migrants and recovered four bodies from boats it intercepted trying to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean Sea. The rescue service says its…

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11

Jun

Maltese Prime Minister insists Malta is acting in full conformity with its international obligations. Italy’s Prime Minister accuses Malta of its ‘umpteenth unavailability’.

The Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, and the Prime Minister of Italy, Giuseppe Conte, had a telephone conversation on the developing situation of the vessel Aquarius on Sunday evening.…

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09

Jun

Saturday’s Morning Briefing

Good morning, Today's newspapers report that Malta will no longer get away with not accept- ing migrants rescued in the Mediterranean, Italy’s new Home Affairs Minister Matteo Salvini warned yesterday. UNHCR…

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04

May

Malta – New aircraft maintenance facility for commercial aircraft announced

Bravo Aircraft Technical Services Limited (BATS), is delighted to announce the launch of its new facility at Malta International Airport in addition to their administrative HQ in Gżira. Bravo Aircraft…

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24

Apr

10 dead, over 17 operations as migrant journeys restart from North Africa

With the good weather and the calm sea, the departures of refugees from North Africa to Italy have resumed. Unfortunately, so did the tragedies and the need for rescue operations.…

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29

Mar

Catalonia: why are the former leaders of the autonomous region being arrested?

Ing. Philip Micallef @ Diplomatique.Expert Ing Micallef's familiarity with Catalonia arises from fact that he lived and worked there from 1987 to 1992 and have been in continual contact with…

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24

Mar

Will the elections in Libya this year, lead to peace and stability?

Libya is gearing up for an election which should be held by the year’s end. Together with the cooperation of various member states, the United Nations is committed to helping…

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