Antonio Denti (Reuters) - Italy on Monday denied safe harbor to 141 people rescued by the humanitarian ship M/V Aquarius off the coast of Libya last week, setting up another standoff with European Union allies over taking in migrants who try to cross the Mediterranean. The Aquarius, run by Franco-German charity SOS Mediterranee and Doctors without Borders (MSF), picked … [Read more...]
MV Gold Star Becomes Epic Cannabis Campfire Off Malta
The Tanzanian-registered cargo ship MV Gold Star, loaded with an estimated 30 tons of cannabis, caught fire on Friday 6 September while in international waters 30 nautical miles north of Malta. The cargo volume estimate comes from Italy's Guardia di Finanzia, however very little data appears to exist to support the estimate of 30 tons. At first glance, it seems quite … [Read more...]
Italy Agrees To Take In Stranded Migrants After Malta Refuses
ROME, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Italy on Wednesday allowed 102 migrants who were stranded on a tanker in the Mediterranean to disembark on the Sicilian coast after Malta refused them entry for three days despite European Union calls for it to help on humanitarian grounds. The migrants, mainly from north Africa, were rescued from a boat 24 miles (39 km) off the Libyan coast on Sunday … [Read more...]
Malta Insists Rescued Migrants and M/T Salamis To Be Denied Entry
VALLETTA/BRUSSELS, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Malta said on Tuesday it would not allow a tanker which picked up 102 migrants off the Libyan coast to dock, despite a call from the European Union for it to do so on humanitarian grounds. National Security Minister Manuel Mallia told a press conference that the captain of the Liberian-registered Salamis had ignored instructions by Malta … [Read more...]
Italy and Malta Sign Accord on Mediterranean Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration
By Alessandra Migliaccio and Karl Stagno Navarra July 15 (Bloomberg) -- Italy and Malta’s prime ministers reached an agreement today for joint oil and gas exploration in the Mediterranean Sea between the islands of Sicily and Malta. “We have made a political declaration, now it’s up to the technical people to iron out the details,” Malta Prime … [Read more...]