Rescue ship Lifeline in Malta

The rescue vessel the MV Lifeline, following an agreement between eight EU Member States (France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and Malta) to distribute the 237 migrants aboard, who had spent the previous six days stranded at sea, reached Boiler Wharf in Senglea on Wednesday evening. Norway then said it would accept some of the migrants. On Thursday the ship’s captain – who had been accused by both Malta and Italy of ignoring orders to hand over the rescued migrants to Libya’s coast guard – was interviewed by the police but then released on bail. In the early hours of Friday morning EU leaders at a summit reached an agreement on migration which includes new migrant centres to be set up in EU countries on a ‘voluntary’ basis, as well as the restriction of the movement of asylum seekers between EU States.

What made the headlines

Off-duty nurse saves girl, 4, from drowning: A nurse and her friend saved the life of a four-year-old who almost drowned in a pool at the Splash and Fun complex in Baħar ic-Ċagħaq. The nurse, Claire Catanzaro, and Alison Tabone Mirasole, a first aider, went to the rescue of the girl when she found herself in difficulty while swimming.

New judges and magistrates appointed: Magistrates Consuelo Scerri Herrera, Anthony Vella and Grazio Mercieca were appointed judges during a ceremony pre-sided over by President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca. Dr Scerri Herrera had previously been rejected by the Commission for the Administration of Justice – not over matters of competence but over her conduct in her private life. Dr Vella, on the other hand, was the magistrate leading the inquiry into the car bomb murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, which means the inquiry – which has now been taken over by Magistrate Neville Camilleri – might take longer to be concluded. Three lawyers – Rachel Montebello, Simone Grech and Astrid May Grima – were sworn in as magistrates.

Construction waste crisis looms: Construction sites across the entire country could start facing hefty delays and fines in the coming days, skip operators warned, as dumping sites for building waste, including two quarries in Mqabba and Żurrieq, reached capacity. Skip operators said the authorities had ignored their pleas for help, with the Environment Ministry telling them to go to the Environment and Resources Authority, which in turn sent them back to the ministry.

Daphne murder suspects charged with money laundering: Two of the three men charged with Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder were accused of money laundering. Brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio and the latter’s partner, Anca Adelina Pop, pleaded not guilty when they appeared before Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace. The police said that though they claimed to be unemployed, the brothers had a lavish lifestyle, owning cars and pleasure boats. The investigation into the murder involved scrutiny of their bank transactions and the money they had, leading to suspicions of money laundering. The court ordered the seizure of all funds and property belonging to the accused.

Paola health centre tender stopped: The award of a €26 million tender for building a health centre in Paola has been halted amid “serious doubts as to how the evaluation procedure was executed”, the Times of Malta revealed. After hearing three appeals, the Public Contracts Review Board blocked the award to the preferred bidder identified by the Health Ministry, SP BB International JV consortium, and ordered all bids to be appraised again by a new evaluation committee. The successful bidders’ offer was €3.6 million more expensive than the cheapest bid.

Nurses to strike: Nurses and midwives will go on strike on Thursday after a breakdown of negotiations on a new sectoral agreement. MUMN gene­ral secretary Colin Galea said the union will ignore any prohibitory injunction the government may file, insisting that directives will kick off on Thursday at 7am. He said the union had already warned of industrial action in October following a seven-month delay in negotiations. He pointed out that the health sector in Malta is short of 550 nurses.

Fourth Gozo ferry plan on the rocks: Plans for a fourth Gozo ferry to meet rising demands, especially in summer, have met problems due to differences between the Gozo and Finance Ministries, the Times of Malta revealed. Gozo Channel had made arrangements to lease a ro-ro vessel from an international company at a cost of about €3,000 a day, and the negotiations were concluded. However, the Finance Ministry has yet to give its approval as it is evaluating the negative repercussions the lease could have on the company’s already strained finances.

What trended

Isle of MTV flop

The news that the Isle of MTV concert held on the Granaries in Floriana had attracted fewer people than usual was not much of a surprise to online commentators.

“No surprise there, this was to be expected,” one man said.

“Ticketing was a flop! The results are there for all to see, half the Granaries were empty,” another commented, referring to the new ticketing system.

“The reason for that was all the Maltese attending were obese and took up a lot of space,” one person cheekily commented.

“Even the best of things wear thin after a time,” another reader said philosophically.

“Crowds smaller than usual? I am not surprised. I am, however, surprised that MTV even considered Malta again. We are digging our own grave,” a pessimist said.

To which another replied: “Yep, I can see MTV pulling out of Malta as it’s a tiny market for such entertainment. Additionally, the corruption news that has been visible all over Europe has also had a very negative effect.”

“The visuals on the big screens were appalling, we could hardly see what was going on. The attendance was abysmal, even though some are circulating photoshopped photos on Facebook depicting a packed venue. People who were there know that is not true,” one reader complained.

One critic saw the concert as a way to fool the people. “Another way to keep the masses duped, together with festas, fireworks, football and partisan politics. Meanwhile the migrants’ drama silently continues.”

Too many foreigners

The revelation that 43,000 foreign nationals work in Malta and the Cabinet approved plans to bring thousands more from non-EU countries to solve the country’s labour shortage problem led to a chorus of comments online.

“Well, make sure they are treated fairly, paid a realistic wage, are properly trained, protected by enforced health and safety legislation and that they are not exploited,” one reader exclaimed.

To which one commentator replied: “Yep, maybe less than €4 per hour, take it or leave it, and 50-60 hours per week.”

Another reader commented: “Ridiculous is the state Malta has been reduced to. Being outnumbered by foreigners at our own invitation.”

One dissenter would not hear any criticism of the government: “In four years Labour transformed a dormant economy into a vibrant economy.”

Another reader brought up the old criminal chestnut: “And make sure that the criminal element is also kept away. They seem to be soon outdoing the locals in criminal activity.”

To which someone else replied: “Absolutely, proper screening and vetting is essential.”

What they said

“Almost nine hours to approve #MigrationEU conclusions, not even one minute to approve #Brexit conclusions. #EU can still work together.”

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeting after the conclusion of the EU summit dominated by mig-ration concerns.

“There are people who can’t afford meat but rely on bread, so these higher prices will definitely affect them. We are not trying to point fingers but rather find a solution. For some Maltese, bread is a diet staple.”

Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia referring to the recent announcement that the price of Maltese bread was set to shoot up by 24 cents.

“We’re just trying to save people from drowning.”

Carlotta Weibl, a crew member on rescue ship the Seefuchs, rebutting allegations by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini that their work amounts to a “taxi service” ferrying migrants to Europe.

“This shows that the right thing to do is not to send people back to Libya or to let them die at sea.”

Lifeline spokesman Axel Steier thanking Malta for opening its ports to the rescue vessel and its 237 migrants on board.

“There are questions surrounding several Member States, but when you have the death of a journalist, then that’s something else.”

European People’s Party vice president Dara Murphy dismissing as “completely inappropriate” the mention of the possibility of Joseph Muscat becoming the next president of the European Commission in the wake of unanswered questions related to the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, as well as the rule of law and corruption in Malta.