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Negotiations on Manoel Island nearing their end, prime minister says
Prime Minister Robert Abela says government expects to reach a final agreement to regain control of the site within the next few days or weeks
8 March 2026, 1:50pm
Matthew Farrugia
Matthew Farrugia
1 min read
(Photo: PL)
Discussions on Manoel Island's return to the public between the government and MIDI are nearing completion.
Prime Minister Robert Abela was speaking on Sunday where he explained that the government expects to reach a final agreement to regain control of the site within the next few days or weeks.
The discussions are the product of a petition initiated by activists which sought to see Manoel Island transformed into a public park. After initially pouring cold water on the idea, government and the opposition sided with the activists, and discussions to recover the island began.
Abela shared this update during a panel discussion held in connection with International Women’s Day.
He began the discussion by giving the latest updates on the situation in the Gulf, as 26 Maltese people were flown out of Qatar to Berlin on Sunday morning.
During the discussion, Abela addressed the rise in reported cases of domestic violence, saying that the increase is linked to improved systems that make it easier for victims to come forward. He noted that several measures have been introduced to simplify the reporting process.
According to the prime minister, the establishment of dedicated domestic violence hubs, along with reforms to the legal system, has made victims more comfortable seeking help.
Meanwhile, Lydia Abela said that men should play a greater role in household duties and raising children.
She noted that within the public sector, it is still mostly women who opt to work reduced hours. Abela argued that men should not feel embarrassed to reduce their working hours and expressed a desire to see more fathers actively involved in childcare tasks such as pushing prams and changing nappies.
Matthew Farrugia is a journalist at MaltaToday
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