Good evening,
The news this afternoon has been dominated by the continuation of the developing story regarding the shocking finding of a newborn child. Several outlets report that the magistrate named him Cristiano.
We also read about the comments made by the Bishops regarding Malta’s real estate problem.
IIP to fund houses in the UK for patients and their relatives as they travel for treatment.
The following are the leading stories as reported by Malta’s news portals so far.
Malta is today commemorating the national feast of Jum il-Vitorja. Apart from the religious aspect of the feast of Our Lady, the feast also commemorates the end of two great sieges on Malta, both on the 8th September : the Great Siege of 1565 and the 20th Century World War II.
Official activities to mark the national feast were held in front of various monuments which commemorate the events of the Great Siege and World War II. President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca presided over the first ceremony in front of the Great Siege monument in Valletta which commemorates the bravery of the Maltese during the Great Siege. TVM
MaltaToday reports that the newborn child found in Bugibba has been named Cristiano by Magistrate Mifsud, a known Juventus supporter who has most likely named him after Juventus’ star signing Cristiano Ronaldo. TVM reports that Cristiano was found in good health and will be taken in by the Ursoline Sisters.
Magistrate Joe Mifsud, Inspector Godwin Scerri and the FSWS are currently coordinating on the situation. Mr Steve Libreri from the Child Protection Unit has been appointed to assist in the inquiry. Supplies were also collected communally, which was lauded by Carabott in a Facebook post. TVM also confirmed that if the mother is identified, she will be given all the adequate assistance.
The Shift News reports that the United States has blocked a request for the U.N. Security Council to allow a Libyan navy vessel’s return home to patrol Libyan waters in the country’s efforts to stem human trafficking, the AFP reported this week.
The Al Hani frigate has been docked in Malta since 2013 when it was brought in for extensive repairs under a contract with Maltese-based Cassar Ship Repair.
The Times of Malta reports that Malta’s bishops have urged politicians to set aside partisan differences and work together to find solutions to tame a housing crisis that they believe is growing into a “social emergency”. In a pastoral letter celebrating the feast of Maria Bambina, the Bishops warned that rent prices have shot up beyond many of Malta’s ordinary families’ budgets.
“Families and the elderly cannot meet the rapidly escalating rent crisis and consequently are ending up on the streets,” the bishops warned. “young people… do not qualify for a bank loan… people going through a crisis rely on the rental market.” Tenants, too have responsibilities, the Bishops explained.
While noting that the Church housed more than 400 migrants, the bishops urged ecclesiastical communities to do all they could to alleviate housing pressures.
Newsbook also reports Mgr. Scicluna’s belief that these ‘internal sieges’ gnaw our basic humanity. The danger is, said Mgr. Scicluna, that we might end up in a state where no one will show any more compassion to others. He expressed the hope that the Maltese strive for greater prosperity without forgetting the caring core of their heart.
Net News has released a full list of witnesses that Dr. Delia will call to the stand in the constitutional case to make the entirety of the Egrant inquiry available. Notable witnesses to be called up include the AG Peter Grech himself, and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
One News and The Malta Independent reports that IIP funds will partly contribute to new accommodation units in central London to accommodate patients and their relatives as they go to the UK seeking treatment.During the last four years, Malta’s citizenship by investment applicants opted to help Puttinu through financial contributions that reached a total value of €1 million. Added to the €5 million contribution made through the National Development and Social Fund (NDSF), announced by the Prime Minister on Good Friday, these funds will help Puttinu Cares acquire premises in London to provide more accommodation units so that relatives of patients would be able to stay close to their loved ones and provide their much-needed support, reported The Malta Independent.
The Shift News reports that scaffolding and black hoarding were unexpectedly erected around the Great Siege monument which for the past year has been turned into a makeshift memorial to demand justice for slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Justice and culture minister Owen Bonnici through Facebook announced that the lower part of the monument will be undergoing restoration. Activists said they will not allow government to “kill” the journalist’s memory.
The Malta Independent reports that parents will be saving €700 per year per child as the government reached a deal for the provision of free school transport to all schools. Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said in a press conference announcing the deal that this was the most important aspect when speaking of the financials of this deal. Two contracts have been signed, one for state schools and the other for Church and private schools.
The Times reports that Cospicua completed a clean sweep of honours at the Victory Day Regatta as they claimed both the newly refurbished shields of the Open and ‘B’ category, at the Valletta Grand Harbour, on Saturday.
