Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/440087
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 31 DECEMBER 2014 10 'Libyan military fired on migrants' boat before capsizing' HOURS after a rickety boat car- rying hundreds of asylum seek- ers capsized in Maltese territorial waters, survivors told MaltaToday that they were shot at by a Libyan military vessel before capsizing. "A Tunisian man thought to have been skippering the boat, which capsized 65 miles south of Lampedusa, is among the 146 migrants who were brought in yesterday morning by the Armed Forces of Malta. "MaltaToday has also discovered that the boat capsized after a Lib- yan military vessel fired on them killing two. It is also believed that that there were more than 250 migrants. Among the survivors, believed to be mainly Syrian and Palestinian refugees, is a month- old baby and a couple, who lost track of their three children," the report said. The majority of the migrants saved by the AFM and the Italian Nav y were Syrian while others claimed to be Palestinian. Contrary to initial reports, sur- vivors who spoke to MaltaToday at Mater Dei Hospital explained that the boat which capsized was carrying between 400 and 450 persons, including around 100 child ren. 12 October, 2013 'Names of those who buy Maltese citizenship will not be published' DAYS after breaking the news that the Maltese government intended to sell Maltese citizenship to the world 's super-rich, a MaltaToday report issued on 13 October, 2013 said the scheme " lacks any form of transparency or accountabilit y because the VIPs who buy a pass- port will not have their names published in the Government Ga- zette, and home affairs minister Manuel Mallia will be granted discretionary powers to award citizenship to applicants facing so called 'politically motivated ' charges." The secrecy clause was subse- quently removed after immense public pressure and the opposi- tion's protests. The report added "Contro- versially, government is allow- ing itself the power of granting citizenship to applicants claiming they face "politically motivated charges or convictions" – a vague description for politicians running away from criminal investigations at home, to pro- democracy activists persecuted by authoritarian governments. Of concern is the fact that govern- ment will strike off Article 25 of the Maltese Citizenship Act, which obliges the government to publish the names of all natu- ralised citizens. It will now be impossible to know to whom government is selling citizenship for cash." Following a hotly-contested European Parliament debate and a number of revisions approved by the European Commission, the scheme now requires wealthy foreigners to invest at least €1.15 million in order to obtain a Mal- tese passport. Applicants must also invest in propert y and gov- ernment bonds and shares before being granted citizenship. 13 October, 2013 15 Years 2013 www.creditinfo.com.mt info@creditinfo.com.mt Tel: 2131 2344 Your Local Partner for Credit Risk Management Solutions Supporting you all the way www.gourmettoday.recipes