Malta has been denounced for helping the Libyan coastguard intercept a boat carrying some 100 asylum seekers towards the Italian island of Lampedusa in the latest spat between humanitarian organisations and the governments of countries overlooking the Mediterranean see.
The captain of the NGO vessel Mare Jonio said a Maltese military aircraft guided the Libyan coastguard to a migrant boat heading for Europe’s shores.
The boat was intercepted some 15 nautical miles away from Malta’s maritime search and rescue zone and brought back to Libya.
Beppe Caccia, head of mission on Mare Jonio – a vessel belonging to NGO group Mediterranea –accused the Maltese authorities of “repatriating” the migrants to a detention centres that are plagued with human rights abuses at a port in Libya.
“We denounce this repatriation to an unsafe port, where human rights are not respected… this was a grave violation of human rights and international conventions,” Mr Caccia told Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
According to the NGO, this was the second migrant boat rescued by the Libyan coastguard in the space of 24 hours. Another vessel carrying some 80 migrants was also intercepted and returned to the country, where at least 376 people have been killed and thousands displaced since fighting erupted last month.
Mediterranea, which offered to assist the boat, said the Italian authorities refused saying that both operations were being dealt with by the Libyan authorities.
“Rome does not dare say that the two operations are formally closed because evidently it does not wish to certify the work of the Libyan authorities and its militias, whose job is to take people back to prison,” Mr Caccia said.
He added that Italy’s strategy has been to put the blame on the government of Malta.
Malta and Italy have insisted over the past 18 months that the Libyan coastguard should be allowed to do its job within their area of competence, a position that has been heavily criticised by private rescue NGOs and human rights organisations.
The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) declared a state of emergency in Libya’s capital city of Tripoli in September 2018, less than a week after a UN cease-fire went into effect. Attempts to create a unity government have so far failed.
Rival armed groups, including the Libyan National Army's loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, militia groups and the forces of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), have continued to clash as all sides compete over access to oil fields and territorial control.
International NGOs have documented the abuses suffered by migrants in Libyan migrant centres, including rape, torture and food deprivation. The UN does not consider Libya a safe haven and has warned against sending migrants back to the country where they risk abuse and degrading treatment.
Mare Jonio left the Italian port of Marsala on Tuesday, having gained permission to sail as long as it does not engage in rescue operations. In March, the boat’s joint captains Pietro Marrone and Luca Casarini were indicted for the abetment of illegal immigrants.
The dispute broke out as Italy’s interior minister Matteo Salvini, who heads the Eurosceptic League party, met with Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban on Thursday in the border town of Roeszke, where a barricade blocks the access to migrants moving towards Europe.
“I praise prime minister Victor Orban who, rapidly and effectively, ensured the security of 600 kilometres along the frontier, blocking the access. The positions of the Italian and Hungarian government are the same,” Mr Salvini wrote on Facebook.
The visit came as the interior minister seeks to rally right-wing anti-immigration parties into a united front ahead of the European parliamentary elections in May.
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The five pillars of Islam
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
SPEC%20SHEET
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M2%2C%208-core%20GPU%2C%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.3-inch%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201600%2C%20227ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%3B%20Touch%20Bar%20with%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206%2C%20Bluetooth%205.0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2058.2Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2020%20hours%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%2C%20ProRes%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Stereo%20speakers%20with%20HDR%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20support%2C%20Dolby%20support%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Pro%2C%2067W%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C%20cable%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh5%2C499%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Racecard
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.