Morning Briefing
NGO claims Maltese authorities refused to rescue migrants in SAR zone
Rescue NGO Sea Watch have claimed Malta ordered a merchant vessel not to rescue a group of 400 migrants, and just supply them with fuel. The NGO had harsh words towards Maltese authorities, with the latter allegdly shifting responsibility on Italy. Two merchant ships [were] ordered not to rescue, instead one was asked by Malta to only supply the boat with fuel,” the NGO said on Twitter. A group of 400 migrants struggling on the seas were spotted by the NGO’s aircraft after they left the Libyan port of Tobruk on Easter Sunday. In an update on Monday afternoon, the NGO said the Italian coast guard set out to rescue the 400 people. (Maltatoday)
Drunk woman drives Mercedes into confectionary
A woman, 35, from Hamrun has been held under arrest after she was charged that yesterday while she was drunk she drove her Mercedes straight into a confectionery. Sonya Sammut, the mother of three children, who is unemployed, caused more than €2,500 in damages to the confectionary and damaged someone else’s car. She was also charged with driving under the influence, of driving without a licence or insurance, of breaching the public peace and of breaching a Court sentence. (VM)
Malta-Roma flights suffer lengthy delays
Two Air Malta flights between Rome and Malta were delayed on Monday due to a “technical issue” with one of its aircraft, a spokesperson has confirmed. Originally scheduled to depart at 7.35am, the flight from Malta to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport was rescheduled to leave Malta at 1.30pm, while the returning flight from Rome was moved from 10am to 3.30pm. An Air Malta spokesperson told The Times Malta that the delay was not due to staff shortages but was instead due to a technical issue with one of its aircraft that was being investigated. The airline would never operate flights while there were any concerns for passenger safety, she added. (Times of Malta)
