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Migrant murder accused in court
A police car sweeps into the grounds of the law courts in Valletta with one of the two soldiers accused of the racially motivated murder of a migrant last month in Ħal Far.
What made the headlines
Two soldiers charged with migrant’s murder: Two young soldiers were charged with the racially motivated killing of a migrant and the attempted murder of two others in a drive-by shooting in Ħal Far last month. Francesco Fenech, 21, of Marsascala and Lorin Scicluna, 22, from Paola pleaded not guilty of shooting dead Lassana Cisse Souleymane, 42 as he was walking along Triq il-Ġebel on the outskirts of Birżebbuġa at 11pm on April 6. Ibrahim Bah, 27, from Giunea, and Mohammed Jallow, 28, from Gambia, were wounded from shots fired from a white Toyota Starlet. The two soldiers have been suspended from their duties following a special order by President George Vella. Evidence against them started to be heard on Friday.
Prime Minister admits environment is a failing: The government has not been as sensitive as it should have been with regard to the environment, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Wednesday during his debate with Opposition leader Adrian Delia, who attacked the government for its failure to do long-term planning.
Thirty-seven issues flagged over Tal-Balal roadworks: Transport Malta has listed dozens of issues with the roadworks at Tal-Balal, between Naxxar and San Ġwann, including confusing junctions, potential bottlenecks, unsafe bike lanes and missing street signs. The €4.4 million upgrading project is being carried out by another agency, Infrastructure Malta.
Prime Minister told to keep Egrant publication pledge: A draft report to be put before the Council of Europe for approval next month calls on Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to make good on his promise to publish the entire Egrant inquiry report without further delay. The report, on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta, says the latter is seriously undermined by the extreme weakness of its checks and balances and that this constitutes a source of vulnerability for all of Europe. It calls for a holistic, fundamental reform.
Today’s election could seal Muscat’s future in EU: Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has yet to decide whether to step down and decisions are most likely to be made according to the outcome of the elections for the European Parliament, this newspaper has been told by Labour insiders. Dr Muscat has been lobbying for a top post but signals have been sent to his prospective successors to take it easy.
PN and PD join forces on abortion ban: The Nationalist and Democratic parties have pledged to bring forward amendments to entrench Malta’s abortion ban into the Constitution by the end of the year. They bound themselves to a written declaration by pro-life activists against any legislation that could lead to the introduction of abortion. The pledge was spearheaded by the leaders of Alleanza Bidla and Moviment Patrijotti Maltin.
Traffic accidents up 10 per cent: Statistics on road collisions show traffic accidents have increased by more than a tenth over the same period last year. There were a total of 3,656 accidents in the first three months of 2019, although casualties dropped slightly, by three per cent, to 360 during the same period. There was one fatal injury and 59 grievous ones.
Paediatricians call for mandatory vaccines: The Maltese Paediatric Association called on the Education Minister to ensure children are not admitted to childcare centres, nurseries and schools without proof they have received vaccinations according to their age in line with the national immunisation schedule.
What trended
A Maltese for President?
An unlikely combination of abortion and pastizzi coloured the online comments to the news story that prospective US presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old, openly gay mayor of Maltese descent, had been enticed to speak in Maltese at a Maltese migrants’ club in New York with the offer of Maltese cheesecakes.
There was the expected outpouring of support: “Well done Peter, Malta is proud of you,” gushed Victor Vella, while Christopher Richard described him as “the best candidate the US has had in modern days”.
The best candidate the US has had in modern days
But it was inevitable that his stand on abortion would get in the way of more widespread praise. Klaus Vella Bardon was straightforward enough: “His support for abortion tarnishes his credentials and is a discredit to his roots.” Others were less measured in their language: “This guy is an embarrassment to the USA and Malta. More than half of America will do its best to keep him and anyone else with his despicable agenda away from the While House,” wrote Cathy Dykstra, mainly in capital letters. Simon Abela went so far as to call him “Pete the Baby Killer” – no mistaking the message there.
The story also exposed some sensitivities to the Maltese traditional delicacy, pastizzi, which, pronounced Vincent Galea in an outburst of culinary patriotism, “does NOT need American fancy packaging. They are so goooood.” Perhaps S. Pace’s comment was slightly more tongue-in-cheek: “Seems like the Pastizz is what makes us Maltese.”
Far too friendly
Talking of elections, the final debate between Joseph Muscat and Adrian Delia, as expected, attracted its fair share of contrasting comments. Online Peter Midler saw a non-participant, former PN leader Simon Busuttil, as the biggest loser, backing this up with the remark that this was a “civil debate” in contrast to Busuttil’s “dirty politics”.
M Borg 2, on the other hand, did not see much worth in a “questions and answer exercise where no answers were given”. And Stephen Bonello saw even less value in a “cordial debate between a Prime Minister, mired in so many allegations and suspicions of wrongdoing, and a leader of the Opposition…” It could only mean, he said, that the Opposition leader is not doing his job properly.
What they said
“We fear leaving our house… we do not feel safe going outdoors.”
An 87-year-old woman who was mugged with her 91-year-old husband in Sliema on the way back home from Mass.
“We cannot accept the government shaking off all responsibility before all the facts are established.”
Opposition leader Adrian Delia calling for an independent inquiry into whether the Armed Forces of Malta could have done anything to prevent the murder of Ivorian national Lassana Cisse, allegedly by two AFM members.
“We need to understand this national tragedy and as a nation reflect on this moment.”
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat speaking in the wake of the arrest of two young soldiers who were then charged with murdering the migrant in Ħal Far.
“For too long have we accepted without comment, much less condemnation, intolerant views, derogatory comments and inflammatory speeches.”
A group of 60 NGOs issuing a call to address the dangers of racism.
“We have solved murder cases that up to some years ago we thought would be impossible.”
Police Commissioner Laurence Cutajar saying Malta was now safer than a few years ago after a drastic fall in the crime rate.
“Young people have ended up without the skills they need to be able to deal with stress and they are having a hard time functioning.”
Canadian psychiatrist and renowned expert in adolescent mental health, Stan Kutcher, who was in Malta to train teachers, child psychologists and counsellors in how to increase mental health literacy.