Russia successfully tests new missile called ‘Satan 2’ and wins Mariupol

Apr 21 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Wednesday that his military has been successful in test-launching an intercontinental missile dubbed ‘Satan 2’.

The RS-28 Sarmat, which NATO nicknamed after the ruler of hell, is considered Russia’s most powerful ICBM: a super-heavy, thermonuclear-armed intercontinental-range ballistic missile.

It is capable of firing up to 12 nuclear warheads in just one go, travelling 6,000 miles and targeting an area the size of France. However, the Pentagon said that it is not a threat to the United States or its allies.

‘Testing is routine, and it was not a surprise’ said Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby. This comes as Putin stretches his ‘special operation’ in Ukraine into its eighth week.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the battle for Donbas has begun. In turn, Russia has also said that it ‘liberated’ Mariupol as Moscow seizes control of the Ukrainian port city apart from its giant Azovstal steel plant.

If Russia takes control of this area, it would be a massive strategic victory as it can connect Crimea to pro-Russian separatists in Eastern Ukraine. Putin has ordered the blocking off of this industrial area so not ‘even a fly can escape.’

#MaltaDaily

School mask guidelines officially released by health authorities

Apr 21 2022

The public health authorities have finalised the new guidelines for schools which were first announced by Health Minister Chris Fearne and Superintendent Charmaine Gauci.

The document was released just days before the start of school on Monday and after many schools revealed that they will stick to old rules due to lack of clarification.

However, many are critiquing the new rules for not providing enough additional information. The major changes concern the use of masks as it will no longer be mandatory to wear them in school.

The document also makes it clear that individuals can decide to wear their mask if they choose to. However, the document does not clarify whether schools can enforce their own rules.

Each school is asked to ‘adapt these guidelines according to the specific setup of the school itself’. It also states that all activities which used to take place pre-COVID should take place keeping in mind mitigation measures.

Parents can also attend indoor seated events such as concerts without any vaccine or test certification.

#MaltaDaily

RyanAir offering 300,000 reduced flights until midnight

Apr 21 2022

If you’re looking for a quick May getaway to somewhere like Italy or Jordan, RyanAir are offering insanely reduced flights to 300,000 travellers.

However, this offer is only up for grabs until one minute until midnight, and suffice to say the prices are insanely affordable.

A one-way flight to Catania, Italy is set to just €7.99. But that is literally nothing compared to a one-way flight to Nis, Serbia at just €4.99. The most ‘expensive’ flight is to Budapest, Hungary at just €16.99. And there are more of those as well!

Travellers have a wide range of choices – from Turin to Naples, from Zagreb, Croatia to Athens, Greece. The price reduction applies to around 1,000 routes which RyanAir have for the month of May.

Click here to find out more.

#MaltaDaily

Malta’s ‘not us, but them’ mentality slammed by EU prosecutor

Apr 21 2022

EU chief prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi said that she was not able to identify the institution in Malta which was responsible for detecting financial crimes, slamming the fact that no one could provide answers.

The chief said that Malta was only supporting her European Public Prosecutor’s Office with words but not with facts.

She said that when she visited Malta and had meetings with the national authorities, it became very difficult for her after two days to identify the institution responsible to detect crimes because everyone directed her to someone else.

‘It’s not me, it’s them’ was the response she was given time and time again, saying that this needs immediate addressing. During her October visit, Kovesi had meetings with the National Audit Office, the Commissioner of Police, the Attorney General and the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit.

She warned that if members states do not do their job, the EPPO cannot do it for them. This isn’t the first critique delivered at Malta by Kovesi. In October, she said that not a single actionable report of fraud related to EU funds came from Malta.

This raised concerns of lack of reporting from the country, meaning that possible abuse is going unchecked. Malta joined the EPPO in 2018 following the spotlight shed on the country after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination.

#MaltaDaily