Tribute to bravery

Archbishop Charles Scicluna pays his respects to Bishop Sylvester Magro, former Apostolic Vicar of Benghazi, at the Mdina Cathedral. Bishop Magro was known for his fearlessness when serving in Benghazi during the Libyan revolution. He had refused to abandon the Christian community in Libya at the height of the civil war and attacks by Isis and only returned to Malta in August 2014 in one of the last flights organised by the government.

What made the headlines

PA approves 32-storey Paceville tower: The Planning Authority board approved a 32-storey tower on the Mercury House site despite members repeatedly highlighting the absence of a master plan for Paceville.  The high-rise, proposed by Gozitan developer Joseph Portelli, is nearly double the height of plans approved on the same site six years ago, and will include 48 hotel rooms, 275 serviced apartments, and around 3,300 square metres of retail space. The PA board voted 10 to three in favour of the project. PA chairman Vince Cassar, NGO representative Annick Bonello and St Julian’s mayor Guido Dalli voted against.

European MPs flock to sign car bomb murder motion: A motion to send a rapporteur to Malta to monitor ongoing investigations into Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder was signed by an “exceptionally high number” of MPs from across Europe. The motion, presented by Dutch MP Pieter Omtzigt, urges the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to draw up a report and appoint a rapporteur to follow the case closely. Mr Omtzigt said the motion was signed by 114 MPs hailing from different parties, a number he defined as “exceptionally high”. The motion was tabled during a meeting at the Council of Europe attended by the three sons of the journalist who was killed in a car-bomb on October 16, 2017.

Dead girl’s family ‘barely had enough to eat’: The death of Victoria, 7, about which two separate investigations have been opened, was the result of a systematic failure that saw the family remain indoors with the children missing school and barely having enough to eat, friends of the family told the Times of Malta. The Nigerian girl died last Sunday from a rare disease, Aplastic anaemia, according to her death certificate. Friends said that, having refugee (no social) status, the family of five did not receive any benefits or free healthcare and depended on people’s charity.

Police sergeant caught allowing in migrants at airport: A 67-year-old police officer, reinstated soon after the 2013 election, resigned after he was caught on CCTV cameras at the airport arrivals lounge allowing in migrants from non-Schengen countries without any passport control, the Times of Malta revealed. The police were asked whether Sergeant Mario Camenzuli, from Cospicua, would be facing criminal charges but no reply was forthcoming.   Police sources said Mr Camenzuli was one of the retired police officers who returned to the force when Labour changed the rules on reinstatements.

Vitals-linked firm fails to file audited accounts: The local parent company behind Vitals Global Healthcare failed to file any audited accounts since its incorporation in 2014, according to official records. Bluestone Investments Malta Limited should have filed its audited accounts by the end of 2016 at the very latest.  The company was incorporated in December 2014 and is owned by a company registered in the British Virgin Islands.

Magisterial inquiry reopened: The magistrate investigating the mysterious death of a Mike Mansholt, a 17-year-old German adventurer, at the foot of Dingli Cliffs in 2016 has reopened the inquiry to probe how the corpse was returned to relatives with most organs missing, the Times of Malta revealed.

Under 18 pregnancies highest in State schools: Pregnant students in State schools outnumbered those in independent and Church schools six to one, according to a Health Department study. The research found there were 236 pregnant girls aged under 18 in secondary State schools between 2011 and 2015, compared to 38 in independent and Church schools.

Silence over Vitals €9m performance guarantee: The government would not comment on a €9 million performance guarantee Vitals Global Healthcare bound itself to make soon after signing an agreement for the running of three public hospitals in 2015. When asked by the Times of Malta for an explanation and proof that Vitals did in fact make the €9 million bank guarantee covering the government in the eventuality of any mishaps in the contract’s implementation, the Health Ministry failed to reply.

What trended

Dust and danger

The demolition methods being used on the old Fortina Hotel in Sliema were jack-hammered by readers this weekend, most of them probably long-suffering Sliema residents.

The complaints ranged from the dust produced to the sheer danger involved in what one Brit described as methods harking back to 1950s/60s UK.

“Today’s dust is tomorrow’s gold,” observed one wit, while another did a twist on what has now become a sarcastic mantra: “Make dust while the sun shines, Mr Chetcuti.”

I think I can see hoof prints in the dust, because that’s how cowboys travel

They had competition for the best sarcasm award: “Shoddy practices in Malta? Surely not!,” said one wise guy, tongue firmly in cheek. “Just looking at the photos it’s easy to see how competent these contractors are. I think I can see hoof prints in the dust, because that’s how cowboys travel!”

Others were not being funny at all. One warning was: “The practice of using small diggers to remove floor by floor is extremely dangerous. The ceilings can give way under the pressure of weight or digging.”

Some were more concerned about their pockets in the light of the building frenzy: “When the bubble bursts who will remain with pie on the face? The banks’ normal client savers. I’m depositing my savings abroad,” he declared.

Higher high-rise

Plenty more construction-related flak was reserved for the news that the Planning Authority had decided to allow the planned tower on Paceville’s Mercury House site to be doubled in size.

More “make hay” comments, followed by yells of “monster”, “shame”, “horror” and “disgrace”.

The new tower looked “ugly and also blingy” was one more aesthetically inclined comment, while some waxed political and blamed both Joseph Muscat and Adrian Delia, practically acting in tandem, for the mess.

The Planning Authority was demolished too, as usual.

What they said

“Come together to save the nation and be on the right side of history.”

Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia urging party supporters at the St Paul’s Bay PN club not to be bystanders as the country’s reputation is tarnished.

“No one and nothing can replace the family in a person’s life.”

Gozo Bishop Mario Grech addressing a Diocesan Family Conference entitled ‘Youths, Alcohol and Drugs. What can the family do?’

“If we transpose the [Istanbul] Convention as is, the government will be opening a window [to abortion].”

Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo defending his decision in Parliament to vote against a Bill which updates domestic violence and gender-based violence laws and which transposes the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention into Maltese law.

“Six million people were killed and there is no place where people can go to mourn them – their remains were burnt and destroyed.”

Birte Hewera, from the Yad Vashem International School for Holocaust Studies in Jerusalem, addressing students at the Junior College ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“He was Franciscan to the core, in spirit, style and example. A true ambassador of Malta in North Africa and a worthy son of Mother Church.”

Former foreign minister Tonio Borg paying tribute to Mgr Sylvester Magro, former bishop of Benghazi, who died recently.