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6 MTV and the Malta Tourism Authority have revealed British singer-songwriter and Grammy award winner Jess Glynne as the second act to take the stage at this year's edition of the free open-air concert Isle of MTV Malta. Marking its ninth consec- utive year, the live music event will return to The Granaries in Floriana on July 7. Jess Glynne has garnered inter- national acclaim over the last 18 months, after making an impact on the UK charts with a series of number one singles, includ- ing recent UK number one 'Hold My Hand ', a dance anthem col- laboration with electro-classical group Clean Bandit on 'Rather Be' (winner of 'Best Dance' at the 2015 Grammy Awards) and a soulful-house feature on Route 94's 'My Love'. Glynne's portfolio of smash hits continues to gain traction, with 2014 summer smash 'Rather Be' attracting 250 million hits on YouTube alone, while becoming a top-ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100. Bruce Gillmer, EVP, Music, Talent Programming and Events, MTV, commented: "As the name behind three of the year's biggest International hits, there is no one better to add into the Isle of MTV mix than Jess Glynne!" For this year's edition of Isle of MTV, Glynne will be joined by DJ Martin Garrix. As one of the world 's youngest DJ's, 18-year- old Garrix stormed the DJ Mag Top 100 in 2014, smashing into #4 position as a result of sensa- tional break-out dance anthem 'Animals' which catapulted him into the spotlight. The song re- ceived almost half a billion views on YouTube and topped the charts around the world, earning the platinum status in the US. This year's show will also inte- grate, MTV Breaks (MTV's in- ternational pro-social campaign offering exclusive opportunities to help aspiring young creative people secure their ' break ') by giving a lucky young winner the opportunity to join the team in Malta as a social media photog- rapher and a DJ. Isle of MTV Malta will be filmed and edited into a 60- minute special that will broad- cast across 20 MTV channels throughout Europe. As part of an extensive integrated market- ing campaign, the Isle of MTV Malta Special concert will be supported by marketing ini- tiatives, all of which will drive awareness of the event as well as leverage MTV's world renowned brand and unique youth insight, to further cement and promote Malta's position as a holiday des- tination for young people. Over the nine years that Isle of MTV has been held in Malta, the number of visitors to the is- land who are under the age of 24 has increased by 120.9% and they now account for 19.9% of all tourists. maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 20 MAY 2015 News EU ministers approve military plan to defeat smugglers EUROPEAN Union ministers have rubber stamped the planned military mission that could translate in the destruction of boats used by human traffickers, which have carried an estimated 1,800 migrants to their deaths in the Mediterranean in the first five months of the year. The 19-page document ap- proved by ministers on Monday underlines the bloc's intention to "disrupt the business model of the smugglers" by undertak- ing systematic efforts to identify, capture and destroy vessels and assets before they are used by the smugglers. The EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the operation would be carried out in phases with surveillance and assessment of human smuggling networks in the Mediterranean being the first priority. In the second and third phas- es hostile vessels suspected of harbouring migrants could be boarded, searched, seized or dis- posed of in Libyan territory or international waters – as long as a chapter 7 UN resolution to au- thorise the use of force to do so is obtained first The operation could be launched as soon as 25 June, Mogherini told a Brussels press conference, add- ing that there is "a clear sense of urgency" as the summer months are edging closer. "As summer comes, more peo- ple are travelling so we want to have the operation in place as soon as possible, if it is to deter the traffickers' and smugglers' organisations," she said. The cost of the operation is es- timated at around €11.82 million for a two-month start-up phase plus an initial mandate of 12 months. The operation will have its headquarters in Rome and be run by an Italian rear admiral, Enrico Credendino, with an initial year- long mandate. Mogherini did not delve into the "boots on the ground" op- tion to destroy smugglers' assets, outlined in an EU strategy paper leaked before this week's sum- mit. The plan has come under in- tense scrutiny with the interna- tionally recognised Libyan gov- ernment has warned against a military intervention, shedding doubt on whether this would achieve the desired result. Libya's UN envoy, Ibrahim Dab- bashi expressed deep reservations about the European plan, point- ing out that Libyan fishermen's livelihoods could be at risk as their vessels might get destroyed during such operations, which totally depend on intelligence gathered by foreign operatives. Dabbashi cautioned "it will be very difficult to distinguish be- tween fishermen and trafficking boats. It could be disastrous for fishermen." Moreover, on Monday, the Ital- ian coastguards who are often protagonists in rescue missions in the southern Mediterranean also voiced their concern about the EU's strategy, arguing that military operations will not stop migration to Europe and calling instead for European navies to prioritise search-and-rescue mis- sions. Grammy winner Jess Glynne to make Isle of MTV debut UK singer Jess Glynne is the second Isle of MTV act to be announced so far, following news that DJ Martin Garrix will also form part of the annual free concert on July 7 at the Granaries, Floriana Jess Glynne Federica Mogherini