“The Italian authorities... did not give simple humanitarian assistance when needed.”

Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici lambasting Italy for barring a Maltese patrol boat with 171 rescued migrants from berthing at Lampedusa, even though it was the closest safe port of call.

“It does not make sense... when birds are killed, there is a lot of fuss and rightly so, but when all these people are dying we remain silent.”

Gozo Bishop Mario Grech expressing concern at the tragedy unfolding as immigrants attempt to flee the conflict in Libya but die on their sea journey to freedom.

“His forces shoot people just for being in the street... This is madness.”

Former Libyan Energy Minister Omar Fathi bin Shatwan, who escaped Misurata to Malta, describing the situation and saying Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was “behaving worse than Hitler”.

“I am troubled and saddened that a handful of individuals... seem to manifest hostility to expressions of faith.”

US Ambassador Douglas Kmiec reacting to US State Department inspector general’s report that criticised him for spending too much time writing about religious topics.

“Do not reduce yourselves to mercenaries.”

Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri appealing to new lawyers to serve their clients by keeping their integrity and not doing everything for money.