Maltatoday - 10th Apr 2011

Transcription

maltatoday
€1.00
Your first read and first click of the day www.maltatoday.com.mt
SUNDAY • 10 APRIL 2011 • issue 596 • published every wednesday and sunday
Children should be used
in anti-divorce
campaign
Migration:
Malta,
Italy face
showdown
Karl StagnoNavarra
Matthew Vella
Media studies lecturer Fr Joe
Borg wants to use children –
‘tfal’ – from broken families as
a weapon for the anti-divorce
lobby. And the chief executive of the Public Broadcasting Services has admitted to
being a ‘gun for hire’ for the
divorce referendum campaign,
although he has so far rendered his services to the ‘no’
campaign only.
These are some of the revelations from email conversations
that strongly hint at the links
between the ‘no’ campaign, the
Church and the Nationalist
Party in the campaign against
the introduction of divorce for
the 28 May referendum.
In the emails, seen by MaltaToday, Fr Joe Borg – a media
guru to the Church but also an
adviser to government – communicates with stock exchange
chairman Arthur Galea Salomone and the no campaign’s
chairman Andre Camilleri.
Fr Borg is suggesting that
parish chaplains forward them
a list of separated couples and
children from broken marriages to speak “intelligently”
against a law on divorce.
But Borg claimed, after being asked, he is not referring
to minors! In comments to
MaltaToday, Borg said it’s
important to give a voice
to those “more vulnerable”
to know what they
think of the proMedia studies lecturer Fr Joe Borg
posed divorce legissuggests tapping parishes for children
lation.
from broken marriages who can speak out
“This is why I adagainst divorce
vised the participation of separated
couples as well as
“I could not have been referring to minors as they cannot
their sons and daughters…
“I wrote they should be able be reasonable expected to into talk intelligently against telligently discuss the prodivorce legislation, thus the posed legislation. I do believe,
word ‘tfal’ is used in the same however, that we have to find
way I use it when I say that ‘my a way of listening to children
brother and I, although of a (even minors) as
certain age, are children of our they are innocent
pg 7
victims.”
parents.”
Exclusive
IVF should not be available to
cohabiting partners - Mgr Anton Gouder
pg 5
HOW ITALY ISSUED HONORARY CITIZENSHIP
TO GADDAFI OIL MINISTER AND FORMER PM
Karl StagnoNavarra
Italy’s foreign ministry struggled to reply to
questions by MaltaToday when asked to confirm or deny reports
that Libya’s oil minister Skokri Ghanem has
been granted an Italian
passport, which has reportedly been confiscated by Col. Gaddafi
while tightening his
grip on his ministers
following the defection
of Mousa Kousa.
“I really cannot answer
the
question
about Ghanem being in
possession of an Italian
passport,” was the curt
reply from a very senior official at the Farnesina, Rome’s foreign
office.
But further investigations by MalaToday
Skokri Ghanem
revealed how sanctionhit Ghanem has been
granted an Italian
passport, after Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s cabinet approved the proposal by
interior minister Roberto Maroni in December 2008. This can be
confirmed by a simple
search on google.
Ghanem is known to
be very close to Italy’s
energy giant ENI Cor-
poration
chairman
Paolo Scaroni, to the
extent that even when
faced by allied strikes,
he confirmed that Libya would honour its
contracts with ENI.
Ghanem is also the
head of Libya’s National Oil Corporation
(NOC), ENI’s main interlocutor in the country.
See full story on page 6
Home Affairs Minister
Carm Mifsud Bonnici is to
face his embattled Italian
counterpart Roberto Maroni in Luxembourg tomorrow, as tensions between
both countries re-emerged
over the rescue of asylum
seekers in waters between
Malta and the Sicilian island
of Lampedusa.
But as both ministers have
plenty to sort out between
them over this week’s events,
which have once again
strained relations between
Malta and Italy, Mifsud
Bonnici and Maroni desperately need each other to
keep up a united front with
their hostile European colleagues, who are adamantly
objecting to the acceptance
of a burden-sharing policy
of asylum seekers.
Malta and Italy, who are
facing the brunt of an exodus of migrants and asylum
seekers from war-torn Libya,
and Tunisia, have so far been
left alone by Europe.
France and Germany are
resisting any attempt to allow migrants to advance into
Northern territory, prompting Italy’s Maroni to declare
his country’s readiness to
withdraw from Frontex.
Despite calls by Malta and
Italy to activate the solidarity mechanism that would
oblige member states to
share the burden of the current migration flows from
Libya, Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom has again argued
against the proposal, stating
that “the numbers are not
yet huge” to merit the activation of the temporary protection
pg 5
directive.
Newspaper post
– Fr Joe Borg
2
maltatoday, Sunday, 27 MARCH 2011
3
News
maltatoday, Sunday, 10 APRIL 2011
PN Commission appointee agreed to
updated register before issuing of writ
Nationalist Electoral Committee representative Joe Zammit Maempel voted ‘yes’ together with
the majority on the Electoral Commission decision to use the updated electoral register for
the divorce referendum on 28 May
Nestor Laiviera
According to minutes of an
Electoral Commission meeting
dated 23 March, 2011 seen by
MaltaToday, former Lotteries and
Gaming Authority chairperson
Zammit Maempel, who is also
the Nationalist Party’s ‘official’
lawyer whenever court litigation
rears its head, was the one PN
representative who voted in favour of the decision.
According to the document,
the Electoral Commission had
decided “that the publication of
the writ will still be done after
the publishing of the new register
– although the parliament reso-
‘Are we better
off with
divorce?’ –The
Today debate
Next Wednesday (13 April),
the Today debate will be discussing the divorce issue. The seminar will be held at The Palace,
Sliema at 6pm and the general
public is invited. The seminar
has as speakers Austin Bencini
and Joyce Cassar from the Zwieg Bla Divorzju and Marlene
Mizzi and Deborah Schembri for
the Iva movement. The debate
is being held as part of series of
debates organised by MediaToday. The debate will also invite
guests to pass comments and
ask questions. The seminar will
be chaired by Roger de Giorgio,
and the discussion will be held in
Maltese.
And today, the Iva Movement
will be organising a public debate in Rabat in St Paul’s square
at 10.30am. Journalist Kurt Sansone will interviewing Deborah
Schembri, the chairperson of the
Iva movement.
Libya – help
arrives
The beleaguered Libyan cities
of Misrata and Zawiya enjoyed
some relief on Saturday, as a Red
Cross ship docked in Misrata carrying medical supplies.
The supplies were sent to Misrata’s main hospital, and will be
able to treat 300 patients with
weapon injuries, according to a
Red Cross representative.
This was made possible thanks
to one-week negotiations between independent human rights
negotiations, the result of which
is being considered a real “breakthrough”.
While the Red Cross has been
maintaining a presence in the
eastern part of Libya, it has struggled to reach the western parts,
where civilians have been lacking
food and medical supplies.
lution has already been published
in the Government Gazette on
the 22 March.”
The document proves that
there was agreement by both
the Nationalist Party and the
Labour Party on the Electoral
Commission decision to allow
the controversial 2,800 fresh
voters, who become eligible to
vote between March 2011 and
October 2010, to vote in the divorce referendum.
The writ that the minutes refer to is the referendum writ
that announces the official date
on which the referendum will
be held. The decisions refers to
how the Electoral Commission
agreed to delay the publication
of the writ until after the publication of the new electoral register – including the 2,800 new
voters – was published.
The email states that “Commission Secretary said that he
had legal advice (from Ian Refalo) that we can do this,” the document goes on to say – quashing
previous claims by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi that (according to electoral law) it is “impossible” to stall its publication by
18 days, and the writ should be
published as soon as it is signed
by the President.
The issue has degenerated
into a squabble between the PL
and the PN over which party is
responsible for having negated
2,800 new voters from voting.
The minutes, seen by MaltaToday, show that six Electoral
Commission members voted in
favour of the decision, while the
two other PN representatives on
the Commission Mario Callus
and Ray Zammit voted against.
Vanni Ganado, the third PN representative, abstained.
nlaiviera@mediatoday.com.mt
4
News
€65,000 for new MEPA CEO
MEPA gets new ‘expensive car’ but Chairman’s
salary will be revised
JAMES DEBONO
MEPA chairman Austin Walker is still receiving his €93,000
annual salary despite the appointment of a new Chief executive earning €65,000, who
has relieved him of the day-today running of the Authority.
But Walker’s salary will be
revised “once the transition is
over and the roles of the Chairman and the CEO are settled,”
a spokesperson for the Office
of the Prime Minister told
MaltaToday.
“Once the transition is over,
the remuneration package of
the MEPA Chairman will be
adjusted commensurate with
the new roles.”
The OPM revealed that
the package of Dr Ian
Stafrace comprises a
basic salary of €65,000
– which is set to increase
to €70,000 in the second
and third year of his
appointment, plus a
car and a performance
bonus up to 15% of the
salary
Back in 2008, Walker was appointed to serve as executive
chairman, a post which comprehended the twin roles of
chairman and chief executive.
The OPM revealed that the
package of Dr Ian Stafrace
comprises a basic salary of
€65,000 – which is set to increase to €70,000 in the second and third year of his appointment – plus a car and
fuel allowance and a performance bonus of up to 15% of the
salary.
Stafrace, who was appointed
in his new post without a public call for applications, had
been handling the authority’s
legal caseload since 2001, when
the authority was embroiled in
a high-profile legal feud with
its chief lawyer and as a consequence, outsourced most of
its legal caseload. MEPA paid
Abela, Stafrace & Associates
– formerly the legal firm led
by President George Abela –
€1.23 million for handling its
caseload.
Stafrace will be taking over
Austin Walker’s duties as chief
executive who will continue
acting as the MEPA chairman.
Back in June, when asked
why he “deserved €93,000 a
year,” Walker did not mince
his words. “It all depends,”
Walker said. “If you decide to
buy an expensive car, then you
have to pay for it.”
In an interview with MaltaToday last January, Walker defended his salary, arguing that
if one pays peanuts, one only
gets monkeys.
“I was employed with Mizzi’s organisation for 30 years.
The salary I received there
was higher than the one I
have now. This counts for
other persons who previously
worked in the private sector.”
He also revealed that he
would be reluctantly accepting a reappointment when his
post expires next June.
“Therefore against my wishes, I think I will be subjected
to pressure to accept an extension of my term in office
after June… but given the
choice, I would run so fast
that nobody will be able to
catch me, come 15 June.”
On that occasion Walker
described his work load as
“heavy” starting each day at
8.30am and finishing some
time between 7.30pm and at
8.30pm.
Changes in responsibilities
The OPM spokesperson confirmed that the appointment
of a MEPA Chief Executive Officer will over a
period of time bring
about a change in
Walker’s responsibilities.
Stafrace has already assumed responsibilities relating
to “the day to day administration of MEPA,” and other duties specified in Article 13 of
the Environment and Development Planning Act, which
include assuming full responsibility for the overall supervision and control of MEPA’s
Directorates.
On the other hand, Walker,
as Chairman of MEPA, retains
what the OPM describes as the
“important role” in leading
the Authority by Chairing the
Board which, amongst other
things, “discusses and decides
applications of large and sensitive projects and provides
policy direction to MEPA.”
According to the OPM, Walker continues to play a critical
role in ensuring the smooth
implementation of MEPA’s reform process, which this year
entered in the implementation
stage.
“During this roll-out stage of
the MEPA process, Walker is
also serving as a point of reference to both internal and external stakeholders.”
Other expensive cars
Apart from the new wage
for its CEO, MEPA also has
to foot €440,278 for the fulltime employment of the nine
Austin Walker
members
of
its two Environment Planning
Commissions responsible for
deciding on hundreds of ordinary permits.
Commission
chairpersons
Sandra Magro and Franco
Montestin receive an annual
salary of €54,043. This sum
includes a €38,184 basic salary, a €1,980 petrol allowance
and a car, and two additional
non-pensionable allowances
of €13,879.
The other board members
receive € 47,456 a year each.
This includes a basic salary of
€32,456, a petrol allowance of
€1,980, a car and two additional non-pensionable allowance
of €13,020.
All board members and
their families are covered by a
health insurance and have free
mobile phones and land lines.
The board members are Bjorn
Bonello, Claude Borg, Saviour
Borg, Elizabeth Ellul, Anthony
Ellul, Anna Maria Montaldo
and John Mangion.
Previously, this role was occupied by boards consisting of
part-time architects who faced
accusations of conflict of interest especially when deciding on projects involving past
or potential clients.
‘Give young people
the right to vote’ – AD
MIRIAM DALLI
This
week,
Alternattiva
Demokratika (AD) hit out at
both PN and PL for “acting in
a non-democratic manner in
excluding 2,800 18-year old
voters from voting in the forthcoming divorce referendum.”
Speaking during a press conference, AD’s chairperson
Michael Briguglio said that the
two main parties are acting
like a “cartel” when it came to
the divorce referendum.
“Not only have they devised
legislation which excludes other political parties and movements from the referendum
electoral process, but they are
also both to blame for the exclusion of over 2,000 18-year-
old voters. Instead of blaming
each other, both parties should
reach parliamentary consensus to allow these voters to exercise the basic right to vote,”
Briguglio said.
Dirk Urpani, AD Spokesperson for Youth and Sports, said
that “it is very discouraging to
see the leaders of our country
shape democracy to how it suits
their needs, especially when it
comes to young people, who
should be actively encouraged
to participate openly in democracy with the use of their vote.
The fact that some people who
will not be entitled to vote will
be 18 years and 8 months old
clearly shows that Malta’s electoral system requires change.”
David Friggieri, AD Spokesperson for Justice and Home
Affairs, stressed that “we
should resist the temptation
to regard this issue as a purely
technical matter which one
of the two parties may or may
not have made a mess of. We
should certainly refuse to get
caught up in the PN and PL
blame game.
“The truth of the matter is
that this voter eligibility charade has become a staple of
this country’s electoral process. Yesterday it was residents
of old people’s homes, today it’s
2,800 young people.
“There appears to be a worrying element of arbitrariness
and uncertainty built into the
system. This factor alone raises serious concerns about the
country’s democratic processes,” Friggieri said.
5
News
DOI head touted for Malta’s
Commission representation
Miriam Dalli
Director of Information
Martin Bugelli has refused to
say whether he has been selected to head the European Commission’s permanent representation in Malta or not.
Last Sunday, The Sunday
Times reported that Bugelli
has been selected for the post.
However, Bugelli simply said
“the process is still open”, adding that: “when the post will be
awarded, the Commission itself
will announce it.”
Malta’s representation office
is currently held by an EU offi-
cial, Bill Martin, as a temporary
replacement until a new permanent head is found.
The post has previously been
occupied by Joanna Drake, who
had relinquished it in January
2010 following her appointment
as director within the European
Commission.
Bugelli is currently director
general of information, local
government and public consultation within the Office of the
Prime Minister. For a number
of years he also worked within
the secretariat of President
Emeritus Ugo Mifsud Bonnici,
both when the latter was a minister and then president.
Archbishop Cremona’s top
adviser libels MaltaToday
Anton Gouder has instituted libel proceedings against
MaltaToday after a story that
reported his presence during
a parliamentary group meeting organised for the PN group.
During this meeting, Mgr
Gouder sat next to senior Nationalist MP Tonio Borg and
suggested to the PN parliamentarians present that ‘cohabiting
partners’ should not be offered
IVF.
Mgr Gouder’s libel action is
unprecedented and a first for
such a top Church figure.
In a comment, Managing Editor Saviour Balzan said: “Mgr
Gouder is entitled to take whatever action he deems fit. But the
facts are as follows: before the
2008 election, he was invited
to attend a meeting organised
for PN parliamentarians. He
offered many opinions on the
subject of IVF, and one of them
included a suggestion that cohabiting partners should not
be afforded IVF. He is arguing
over semantics, and nowhere in
the article is there an attempt to
offend or ridicule him, and his
lawyers know that.”
“Mgr Gouder’s court action
is significant: it reflects a new
strategy by Archbishop Cremona and underlines the hostility
of the Church to the independent press. It is well known that
Mgr Gouder is Cremona’s most
important adviser. We will be
calling as witnesses the parliamentarians who were present
during the meeting, and then
we will see who is saying the
truth.”
Political restrictions… on a
non-political event?
The Broadcasting Authority
last week issued strict directives for broadcasters intending
to cover the divorce campaign,
reminding them of their Constitutional obligations to impartiality when covering matters “of political controversy”.
The directives stipulate that
all broadcasters had until last
Thursday (7 April) to supply an exhaustive list of all the
guests invited to discussion
programmes dealing with divorce. The guest-lists have to be
approved by the BA before the
programme can be aired.
But recent developments have
raised doubts about the ‘political’ nature of the controversy.
Dr Godwin Grima, head of the
civil service, this week claimed
that the issue itself is apolitical.
Justifying the participation of
Frans Borg – deputy secretary
of the Cabinet of Ministers – in
the ‘No’ campaign, Dr Grima
said: “The introduction of divorce in Malta is not considered to be of a party political
nature.”
Borg has been given two
months’ vacation leave, coinciding with the weeks preceding the 28 May referendum.
He is understood to be deeply
involved in the official lobby
group Zwieg Bla Divorzju, together with his brother, media
lecturer Fr Joe Borg.
But the discrepancy between
Grima’s statement and the BA’s
treatment of the divorce issue
raises questions both about the
BA directives, and of Borg’s involvement in the campaign.
If Dr Grima is correct, and
the introduction of divorce is
not considered a political issue,
then local broadcasters are not
obliged to follow the BA’s directives.
But if the BA’s interpretation
is correct, then Borg’s involvement in the campaign is in
direct violation of the Public
Service Management Code, and
like other public servants before
him – or at least, those hailing
from lesser parties like AD and
the defunct Azzjoni Nazzjonali
– he would have to choose between his career and his political activities.
Burden sharing or bust
The European Union faces a crucial test tomorrow, as 27
interior ministers are set to battle over opening up or
sealing their borders from an influx of asylum-seekers
fleeing the troubled North African coast.
Karl Stagno-Navarra
It has been a long and intensive
week for Home Affairs Minister
Carm Mifsud Bonnici.
He has juggled between coping with the arrival of more than
1,000 asylum-seekers from Libya,
worked to diffuse tensions with
Italy after the capsizing of a migrant boat off Lampedusa, and
the subsequent denial for entry
into the same island of an Armed
Forces patrol boat laden with
rescued men and women from a
sinking boat.
The otherwise camera-shy minister – who reacted late to the
Italian media onslaught – didn’t
mince his words to drive his message home: Malta will not be bullied by anyone, let alone a fellow
EU member state.
Mifsud Bonnici will meet his
Italian counterpart Roberto
Maroni in Luxembourg tomor-
Carm Mifsud Bonnici
row, and will have to
sort out pending issues that have once
again strained the relations between Malta
and Italy.
But Mifsud Bonnici
and Maroni need each
other as they are to insist on having Europe
accept the fact that
both countries are being left alone to carry
the brunt of receiving
Roberto Maroni
an exodus of asylumseekers fleeing warthe authorities.
torn Libya.
Tomorrow’s meeting in LuxemMalta and Italy have been engaged in tough back-room nego- bourg, however, is expected to
tiations with the EU Commission see a showdown by Italy, whereby
and individual member states to minister Maroni will face a hoshave the principle of burden shar- tile France and Germany who are
adamant to close their borders
ing accepted.
But these calls are seemingly be- to any migrant influx travelling
ing ignored by a majority of mem- through Italy.
Maroni – who is now threatber states, and this is reflected in
the way both the European Com- ening to pull Italy out of Frontex
mission and the EU border on the basis of its inefficient role
control agency Frontex are in the Lampedusa crisis following an unprecedented influx of
responding.
While EU Commissioner 10,000 migrants from Tunisia
Cecilia Malmstrom has in one month – is also threatenagain argued against the ing to resign from his post if his
proposal, stating that “the colleagues within the Berlusconi
numbers are not yet huge” centre-right coalition governto merit the activation of a ment do not back him.
But while Laitinen yesterday
temporary protection directive that invokes extraor- expressed “appreciation” for Itdinary measures to assist aly’s efforts to address the crisis,
countries facing a migration Maroni replied that while Europe
exodus, MaltaToday has rightly boasts of its great values,
seen official correspond- “the principle of solidarity is simence the Maltese govern- ply non-existent.”
The Northern League goverment has received from
distant Warsaw, whereby nor of the Veneto region, Luca
Frontex chief Ilka Laitinen Zaia also made himself heard. He
admitted
understanding stressed his hope that an agreeMalta’s preoccupation, but ment is reached in Luxembourg
added that the only thing he tomorrow: “otherwise it would
could assure is to send over make no more sense to call it Eua team of experts to assist rope anymore.”
6
News
How Italy thanked
Gaddafi’s oil minister
Libya’s oil minister Skokri Ghanem was given an Italian passport by Silvio Berlusconi’s government
Karl Stagno-Navarra
Libya’s oil minister Shokri
Ghanem has every reason to
regret not seizing the opportunity to defect when he had the
chance two weeks ago, when he
secretly escaped to to Tunisia
and crossed paths with Moussa
Koussa, who fled to the United
Kingdom.
As the news on Koussa’s defection was out, Ghanem was
quickly driven back to Tripoli
through the Ras Jedir border
in a bid to deny reports on his
defection.
Seated on the backseat of his
diplomatic plated Mercedes
500 outside a prominent Djerba hotel, Ghanem held a hand
close to his breast pocket where
he jealously guarded a forgotten secret: an Italian passport
granted to him by Silvio Berlusconi’s government in 2008.
That passport would have
granted him access to any European airport.
According to intelligence
services who have since
swarmed all over Djerba, being
the closest airport to the Western Libyan border, Ghanem
considered the consequences
to his family if he fled.
The passport he held in his
pocket was the one he never
told Col. Ghaddafi about, even
though he served him as Prime
Minister and subsequently as
his oil minister and head of all
oil resources in the country.
A passport to Ghanem was
in Italy’s interest, as it secured
lucrative presence in Libya and
the consolidation of ENI in
Libya.
Gaddafi is said to have been
livid to learn that Ghanem was
granted “honorary citizenship”
by Italy, little knowing that
this also came with a passport.
Gaddafi has since ordered the
confiscation of the Italian
passport.
Because of his closeness to
Seif al-Islam – Gaddafi’s second born son – Ghanem managed to patch things up with
the Colonel, who had sidelined
him for some time.
Seif’s brothers too were angry
at Ghanem. They understood
that the special relationship
between Seif and Ghanem
came in the name of millions of
dollars. Seif was garnering the
lion’s share of all oil contracts
Ghanem would sign for.
Italy’s foreign ministry struggled to reply to questions by
MaltaToday when asked to
confirm or deny reports that
Libya’s oil minister Skokri
Ghanem held an Italian passport.
“I really cannot answer the
question about Ghanem being in possession of an Italian
passport,” was the curt reply
from a very senior official at
the Farnesina, Rome’s foreign
office.
But further investigations by
this paper revealed how US
sanction-hit Ghanem has been
granted an Italian passport, after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s cabinet approved the
proposal by interior minister
Roberto Maroni in December
Shokri Ghanem
2008.
Honorary citizenship was
granted to Ghanem “for special
merits and eminent services
rendered to Italy.”
Ghanem is known to be very
close to Italy’s energy giant ENI
Corporation chairman Paolo
Scaroni, to the extent that even
when faced by allied strikes, he
confirmed that Libya would
honour its contracts with ENI.
Ghanem is also the head of
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC), ENI’s main interlocutor in the country.
But as the world continued
to isolate Gaddafi and his regime, Italy surprisingly turned
its back on the Colonel and in a
bid to safeguard its energy interests, also dumped Ghanem.
As foreign minister Franco
Frattini this week announced
that Rome was now formally
recognising the Benghazi-led
Transitional Council as the only interlocutor in Libya, Scaroni
was immediately on the phone
with Benghazi to secure energy
contracts in the oil rich city.
Rome also immediately dispatched a C-130 aircraft laden
with medical supplies to Benghazi, while it was also deploying a hospital ship via Malta to
the besieged city of Misurata.
The President of the Libyan
Transitional Council Mousatafa Jalil is also expected in
Rome for an official visit next
Tuesday.
Escaped former Libyan minister says no
other official escaped to Malta
Libya’s former trade and energy minister Omar Fathi Bin
Shatwan, who has found refuge in Malta after escaping the
besieged port city of Misurata,
said that he knows of no other
senior Libyan official who has
defected to Malta.
Shatwan, 59 fled to Malta together with his family last week
on board the Libyan-flagged
trawler ‘Alintishar’, which was
operating an aid supply service
to Misurata hospital.
He was assisted by the Maltese government and the British High Commission, since his
elder son holds a British passport.
Malta’s foreign Minister Tonio
Borg confirmed that Shatwan
has been granted an emergency
visa on humanitarian grounds.
“On the boat that brought me
to Malta, there was me and my
family and some other Libyans
who operated the aid service,
but I know of no other official
who either came over or is in
Malta at the moment,” he told
Malta today.
Shatwan, who no longer holds
any governmental positions in
Libya since 2006, was also the
head on the Malta-Libya joint
committee for eight years.
He expressed gratitude to the
government and the people of
Malta for assisting him and his
family, and vowed that he will
help his people’s cause to topple
Gaddafi.
Speaking about the situation in Libya, Shatwan said
that Gaddafi is holding all
his ministers “hostage” at the
Aziziya compound.
“He has taken all their
passports, and he is allowing travel only to those who
really need to, on condition
that they leave their families
behind. He is blackmailing
them,” Shatwan said.
The former Libyan minister
Omar Fathi Bin Shatwan
said that “given the chance,
they would all defect, and this people to die.”
“It was good when military
is a fact!”
“If Moussa Koussa defected – action was being led by the US,
who was considered to be the UK and France, but since NATO
closest to Ghaddafi – then logic took over it is a mess, and there
tells you that given the opportu- is no real will to liberate Libya
from the hardships Gaddafi
nity, they will all leave.
“Even the deputy foreign min- troops are putting the Libyan
ister Abdelati Obeidi, who came people in.”
“NATO is slow, inefficient and
to Malta last Monday as an envoy, would have defected if he practically giving Gaddafi an
was given a chance, but obvi- incredible advantage,” he said,
ously, his family is still in Lib- adding that the situation in
Misurata is a clear example of
ya...” Shatwan said.
Asked about Col. Gaddafi’s the confusion NATO is in.
“I came from Misurata, a city
future, Shatwan said that the
fact that Gaddafi has ordered that has been under siege for
his troops to shoot and kill his 48 days. People are being killed
own people meant that “there is everyday, they have been surno way that he can ever be ac- rounded by the loyalist troops
cepted by the Libyan people to and they are attacking all the
time.
continue ruling.
“They have destroyed the city,
“Neither his sons, nor any
other member of his family can cut off all water and electricity
ever aspire to rule over Libya supplies. There is no food or
medicines, there is nothing but
anymore,” Shatwan said.
He was highly critical of fear and dead bodies all over the
NATO for “leaving the Libyan place,” he said.
7
News
Revealed: How to win the ‘no’ vote
Pierre Cordina Radio DJ, antidivorce poster boy
Suggested that Julie and
Ludwig’s ‘Intensity’ becomes ‘no’
movement’s theme song. Turned
down by Fr Joe Borg.
Fr Joe Borg’s
strategy for
getting more
help from
the Church
1. Church must keep
using Bishops’
pastoral note and
the position paper
on conscience and
voting as its basis
for preaching;
2. Look for separated
couples and
children from such
broken marriages
to speak “sensibly”
against a divorce
law.
3. Tapping parish
priests for
serious monetary
contributions.
4. Two pamphlets
against divorce
posted to each
household, one at
the start of the
campaign, the other
towards the end of
the campaign.
5. Tapping
parishioners who
own halls and such
public buildings
that can be used by
the ‘no’ movement.
Anton Attard, CEO PBS
Has lent his services to the ‘no’
movement on sexing up their
campaign but claims he would
give the same contribution to
the pro-divorce movement if
asked.
From page 1
Borg told MaltaToday that
even Labour MP Marie-Louise
Coleiro Preca quoted studies
that find children of divorce
“at far greater risk for a host of
ills than their peers from intact
families.”
A lecturer on media ethics,
Borg makes his suggestion to
Galea Salomone, in an email
discussing the stock exchange
chairman’s forthcoming meeting with parish priests. Borg
also suggests that Galea Salomone makes it clear that the
‘no’ movements expects the
Church’s involvement “without
making crusades or creating
panic”, and to use the bishops’
pastoral note and the position
paper issued by Borg and six
other leading clergymen.
The position paper, which
Borg says is approved by Archbishop Paul Cremona as “part
of the Church’s position” recommends Christians to vote
for or against divorce using “an
informed conscience” above
everything else. But a recent
sermon by Gozo bishop Mario
Grech made a veiled reference
to this position paper when he
claimed that conscience was
“not dictated by theologians.”
Borg also tells Galea Salomone to ask the parish priests
for “funds, and not just meaningless words but a serious
contribution, parish by parish...”
Telling him to speak to them
“clearly and strongly”, Borg
suggests that parishes print
two pamphlets against divorce
to be delivered to each household, and to tap parishioners
who own halls and such buildings that can be used by the
‘no’ movement.
In his contribution, Andre
Arthur Galea Salomone,
Chairman of Stock Exchange
Wants ‘public endorsement’ by
Maltese singers to “increase
public positioning”.
Andre Camilleri, Deputy
chairman of financial services
authority and ‘no’ movement
figurehead Says voters must be
reminded that as Christians they
should not vote against divorce.
Why does the ‘no movement’ need Anton Attard?
Two very important reasons: he is the chief executive of the
Public Broadcasting Services and as a former PN strategist
provides the all-important nexus to State broadcasting, and
party-in-government.
The ‘no’ movement now straddles the Church and the PN, and its
main leaders are people close to the government or who enjoy
the confidence of government ministers. Attard led the Prime
Minister’s 2008 media campaign, even accompanying Nationalist
candidate Jeffery Pullcino Orlando during his face-off with
Labour leader Alfred Sant on the Mistra saga.
Attard was also behind the technical set-up of Net TV in 1998,
the Nationalist Party’s television station, going for a high-end
setup that dwarfed Super One television, both in terms of picture
clarity as well as content.
A few years later, in 2005, he left Net TV to launch Multiplus, a
fledgling digital terrestrial television network with the express
aim of taking on Melita Cable’s dominance in the television field.
The network was later sold to telecoms company GO in 2008.
Attard’s expertise in the field of television, his intimate contacts
with top government and party brass, make him an essential ally
for the ‘no’ movement.
Camilleri also suggests that
the chaplains understand that
“Christians and citizens” cannot vote in favour of divorce.
In yet another confirmation
of the religious motivation behind Camilleri’s and his movement’s rationale against divorce, the deputy chairman of
the financial services authority
says: “Christians and citizens
cannot believe one way in the
Church, and another way outside it. They must understand
what’s best for society, and exercise their right of expression,
association, and vote in a way
that conforms with their understanding.”
Anton Attard, on his part,
has declared with MaltaToday
that he is “not an active member in any movement. I was invited for one meeting which I
attended.”
Likewise, he stated, he would
attend any meeting by the pro
divorce movement “should I be
invited”.
Attard led the PN’s media
campaign in the 2008 elections and today is the PBS chief
executive. He was invited to a
meeting with the ‘no’ movement over the organisation of a
big sing-along stunt in the same
way the PN had organised for
the 2003 EU referendum and
Julie & Ludwig, Onceuponatime
lovers, and former Eurovision
hopefuls
Their song ‘Intensity’ failed Fr
Joe Borg’s ‘ear/sing/hum test’.
later for the 2008 elections.
According to the emails, Fr
Joe Borg turns down a suggestion by Pierre Cordina – the
radio deejay and husband of
Mireille Bonello, who together
provide the ‘no’ movement’s
star anti-divorce couple – to
use Julie and Ludwig’s song ‘Intensity’.
Borg turns down the song on
the grounds that the YouTube
video for the song only has 116
views, and suggests that Anton
Attard organises a group of
willing singers to join the ‘no’
bandwagon.
“This song wasn’t exactly successful,” Borg tells Camilleri
and Arthur Galea Salomone.
“It’s not even easy on the ear.
Hard to sing or hum. I suggest
we make a new one, in Maltese
and sung by various singers
who agree with the movement’s
position. I suggest we speak to
Anton to see if he can do this
job.”
Galea Salomone chips in,
saying that having a chorus of
singers would provide ‘public
endorsement’ and improve the
movement’s public positioning.
Additional reporting by Nestor
Laiviera.
mvella@mediatoday.com.mt
8
News
For&Against
Q:
Should a separated person, whose marriage failed
with no possibility of reconciliation, be given the
right to remarry or should it be denied?
T
he ‘No to divorce’ camp wants to
deny separated persons the right
to remarry on the premise that
they know what is best for others. In
the meantime, people in Malta go on
with their lives.
Separations are on the increase.
There are various reasons for this. This
includes stress, negative experiences
and various situations which people
encounter. Other reasons have to
do with increased individualisation
in contemporary societies. In this
regard, people are giving more value
to the importance of being happy in a
relationship.
Many separated persons would like to
remarry. In other societies, many do,
as divorce legislation permits them to
do so. Thus, divorce is a right which
enhances family stability.
An inclusive social policy should
be sensitive to the stress that many
people are facing because of the lack
of divorce in Malta. In the absence
of divorce legislation, the State is
excluding thousands of citizens from
a civil right.
The ‘No’ camp argues that the
majority of marriages in Malta
succeed, and therefore one should
not legislate for a minority of persons
whose marriage failed. This argument
is insensitive to the reality of such
persons. It is also self-defeating,
because people are still separating
and forming new relationships, even if
there is no divorce legislation. Perhaps
the ‘No to divorce’ camp want to
abolish separation, cohabitation and
the use of condoms too?
The ‘majoritarian’ argument is also
potentially dangerous, as it seems to
Michael Briguglio
Andre Camilleri
assume that minorities should not
have rights. Is the ‘No’ camp saying
that minorities such as persons with
disability, persons with an LGBT
identity, and others should simply
be excluded as they do not have a
‘majoritarian’ identity?
I believe that separated persons
have the right to remarry, because
such persons should not be denied a
right which is available all around the
world.
Such persons should have the right
to remarry because individuals should
be respected for their choices, and not
be seen as mere pawns of outdated
ideology.
In short, separated persons should be
given a second chance.
I shall therefore vote ‘yes’ in the
divorce referendum. Those want to
deny the basic right of divorce to
others should not be allowed to win.
he question, as with the
referendum on divorce
question, is skewed and
loaded.
The issue is not whether a person
should be denied a right to remarry,
but whether society is better off
with a marriage commitment for
life or a so-called marriage that
either of the spouses can walk away
from for no reason whatsoever, as is
being proposed in the bill presented
to Parliament.
Our country still values marriage
more highly than all other countries
in Europe. We truly recognise that:
“The family is the natural and
fundamental group unit of society
and is entitled to protection by
society and the State” (Universal
Declaration of Human Rights,
Article 16).
The Civil Code of Malta provides
that: “The Law promotes the unity
and stability of the family. The
spouses shall have equal rights and
shall assume equal responsibilities
Michael Briguglio, a sociologist,
is Chairperson of Alternattiva
Demokratika – The Green Party
T
during marriage.
They owe each other fidelity
and moral and material support.”
These are not mere nice-sounding
statements; they ref lect our belief
that our civil society is better off
with united and stable families,
built on strong and lasting
marriages, than with marriages
that can be dissolved, at times
without cause or, even worse, by the
party that has caused the marriage
breakdown.
Wherever a right to dissolve a
marriage and remarry was granted,
marriage lost its standing as a
commitment for life. In turn, this
led to a reduction in the number
of marriages. This is very evident
wherever divorce is available. The
provisional number of UK weddings
in 2009, for instance, is 266,950,
from a peak of 480,285 marriages
in 1972. This paints a very bleak
picture for UK marriages, leading
a Cabinet member to admit earlier
this year that marriage is suffering
from neglect.
Wherever divorce was introduced,
families, spouses and, the least to
blame of all, children, ended up
worse off. Marriages decreased, and
cohabitation increased. This is a
logical outcome, as many couples
see no sense in entering into a
commitment “till death do us part”
when they know that either spouse
can break up the marriage and
enter into a second, third or fourth
marriage.
Andre Camilleri is chairman of the
‘Zwieg Bla Divorzju’ movement.
Follow the debate online: maltatoday.com.mt
‘Political parties have messed it up’ – divorce movements
MIRIAM DALLI
Uncharacteristically
of opposing parties, the Moviment Iva ghad-Divorzju and
the Moviment Zwieg Bla Divorzju have managed to agree
on one thing: the divorce issue
has been politicised, and this
should have never been the
case.
The two opposing movements
were represented by Deborah
Schembri and Martin Scicluna,
and Joyce Cassar and Austin
Bencini respectively.
They were participating in
a debate organised by AZAD
yesterday morning.
Bencini hit out at the political parties, saying they could
not have messed things around
more than they have done – to
which Scicluna agreed.
“In all democratic countries,
this would have been solved in
parliament and not thrown out
to the people,” Scicluna said.
“This is why we elect parliamentarians.”
Bencini also said the referendum campaign is becoming “too personal” with people
constantly being attacked: “We
have to give people the time to
speak without being attacked
or accused for what they say.”
Bencini added if “any abuse is
taking place, then its up to the
responsible parties to address
it.”
Coincidentally, this week the
Moviment Zwieg Bla Divorzju
claimed the media is engaging
in a “systematic bullying campaign” against its members,
after MaltaToday revealed that
the Cabinet’s deputy secretary,
Frans Borg, was taking a frontseat role in the ‘no’ lobby.
Bencini reiterated the movement’s position that divorce
is not the solution for marital breakdown, and the state
should intervene to safeguard
marriages.
“I am in favour of marriage, as
the foundation of the Maltese
society,” he said, adding that
90% of the marriages in Malta
are strong. “This goes to show
that Maltese society is still producing strong families.”
Replying to this remark,
Schembri claimed that the
movement never said divorce
is the solution to problems, but
reiterated that it gives peace to
the parties who do not want to
have anything to do with each
other and move onto a new life
and a new family.
“If they do not want to remarry it’s their choice – no one is
forcing them to divorce or marry again if they do not want to,”
she argued.
While recognising family as
the “bedrock of the Maltese
society”, Scicluna said that he
believe in divorce “because [he
is] firmly against hypocrisy,
dogma and intolerance and
[believes] in justice, fairness
and civil rights.”
He said that without divorce,
people are being denied the
right to remarry: “For this is
what divorce is all about: remarriage after legal separation.”
Referring to the referendum
question, Bencini said the question is “loaded”, while voters
will be asked to vote on a small
section of the bill. “In reality,
people do not know what the
bill consists of,” he said, adding
more information should be
made available.
9
News
Ignored: Experts’ calls for police
investigation into waste oil company
James Debono
A report prepared by officials
of The Malta Environment and
Planning Authority (MEPA)’s
Environmental Permitting and
Industry Unit following two
inspections held in March and
April 2009 had called on the
authorities to commence legal proceedings against Falzon
Waste Oils, in connection with
the illegal discharge of waste oil
in the sewage network next to
Hexagon House.
These reports were passed by
MEPA to the Water Services
Corporation (WSC) so that it
could initiate legal action, but
this recommendation was never
implemented.
Legal proceedings against the
waste oils company were only
commenced last week after Labour MP Leo Brincat filed a report to the police.
Report’s recommendations
ignored
A report tabled in parliament
by the Prime Minister following
a request by Opposition MP Leo
Brincat this week confirms that
the authorities were not only
aware of the illegality but had
been specifically asked to commence legal action by MEPA’s
experts.
The report authored by Environment Protection Officer
Aimee Brincat and Environment Protection Inspector
Josianne Muscat refers to an
inspection on the sewer manhole in front of A. Falzon Ltd
and Falzon Waste Oils Co Ltd’s
premises carried out on 2 April
2009.
The report states that upon
opening the manhole a sewer
pipe connected to a toilet in
the garage of Falzon Waste
Oils Co Ltd was observed to be
discharging large quantities of
oil contaminated water in the
sewer.
Upon being called on site to
explain the illegal discharge,
the operation manager of the
facility claimed that the facility was discharging clean water
collected from surface run off.
But the inspection revealed the
existence of an illegal discharge
of oil-contaminated water in to
the public sewer by means of a
flexible hose found in the hole
of a bathroom floor of a garage
belonging to the company. Two
of the rainwater culverts from
which water was percolating
into the sewers were also found
to be containing large quantities of oil.
The report concludes that “it is
very evident that illegal dumping of oil-contaminated water
was occurring from Falzon
Waste Oils Ltd on the day of the
inspection” and that it could not
be excluded that “such an illegal
activity had been going on for a
period of time.” This claim was
sustained by the evidence of
old oil stains found in the hole
where the flexible pipe was observed discharging illegally, and
also in the sewage manhole in
front of the company’s premises.
In its recommendations, the
report clearly states that legal
proceedings should be initi-
ated against Falzon Waste Oils
Co. Ltd “by the competent body
in connection with the illegal
discharge of waste oil in the
sewer.”
Photos of the hose still discharging oil-contaminated water were included in the report.
MEPA passes buck to WSC
The case was first raised in
parliament by opposition environmental spokesperson Leo
Brincat in November 2009. The
Labour spokesperson asked the
Prime Minister whether “political pressure” was exercised to
stop action against a company
after it was identified as the
source of the illegal discharge.
Replying this parliamentary
question in November 2009
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi confirmed the existence of an
illegal discharge but refused to
name the name the company
responsible.
The Prime Minister claimed
that MEPA had sent all the evidence it possessed on this case
to the Water Services Corporation “so that it could initiate legal action as the entity responsible”.
The case was taken a step
further by MaltaToday during the next
month, when questions were sent to the
WSC asking for the
name of the company
involved and whether
legal action had been
taken against the culprit.
After waiting for
three weeks and following persistent efforts to get a reply,
MaltaToday reported
that WSC was mum
on this case.
The report by MEPA
vindicates Brincat’s
claims that the company has developed
an illegal connection
to the sewers and the
nearby culverts to
dump their waste.
Company had redressed
situation
Answering another parliamentary question last month,
Minister Tonio Fenech – who
is responsible for the WSC –
confirmed that no criminal
procedures have been taken by
the police on illegal dumping of
waste oils in the drainage system in Marsa after the case was
reported by MEPA to WSC.
Fenech was not responsible for
the WSC at the time of the incident, as this fell under Austin
Gatt’s portfolio.
According to Fenech, no legal
action was taken because the
waste oil company immediately
redressed the said irregularities
and subsequent inspections by
the WSC confirmed no further
irregularities were committed.
The company was later granted an Integral Pollution Control Permit, which prohibits the
dumping of industrial waste. In
February 2011, the WSC also
conducted a week-long monitoring exercise on the drainage
system around Hexagon House,
which excluded the dumping of
petroleum products.
Timeline:
March/April 2009: Inspections by MEPA identify
Falzon Waste Oils Co Ltd
as source of illegal waste oil
discharge in sewers.
April 2009: MEPA’s Environmental
Permitting
and Industry Unit’s report
recommends legal action
against Falzon Waste Oils
Co Ltd.
November 2009: Leo Brincat asks Prime Minister
asks the Prime Minister
whether “political pressure” was exercised to stop
legal action against a company after it was identified
as the source of an illegal
discharge.
November 2009: Prime
Minister refuses to name
company involved but reveals that MEPA had sent
all the evidence it possesse
d on this case to the Water
Services Corporation so
that it could initiate legal
action as the entity responsible.
December 2009: WSC
refuses to reply questions
sent by MaltaToday asking
for the name of the company involved and whether
legal action was being taken against it.
March 2009: Tonio Fenech
tells parliament that no legal action was taken against
company because the waste
oil company involved immediately redressed the irregularities.
April 2009: Leo Brincat
files police report against
Falzon Waste Oils Ltd.
If you don’t vote, it means you don’t care about children
Raphael Vassallo
The anti-divorce campaign
stepped up a gear this week,
with a pullout distributed to
all Maltese households urging
people to go out and vote ‘No’
in the 28 May referendum.
Among the messages in its
12-point ‘Q&A’-style missive
is one which equates abstention in the coming referendum
with an anti-family and antichildren stance.
“If you don’t vote it means that
you don’t care about your family or those of others, or about
children,” the missive warns.
Ironically, this message was
received at roughly the same
time as an email, circulated
among key government and
Church officials involved in
the ‘No’ campaign, urged cam-
paigners to exploit children as
weapons in the war against divorce.
Furthermore,
Archbishop
Paul Cremona recently addressed children directly in a
pastoral note, urging them to
pray so that adults vote ‘in a
way that Jesus wants them to’:
an initiative which was widely
criticised by teachers and social workers.
The latest initiative takes the
form of a four-page pullout distributed with the official Malta
diocese magazine Flimkien.
Entitled ‘Why Not?’ (‘Ghaliex
Le’ – which in Maltese may
also be taken to mean ‘Why
(vote) No?’) the pullout also
reiterates a controversial argument originally raised by Dr
Andre Camilleri, chairman of
the anti-divorce lobby group
Zwueg Bla Divorzju: that di-
vorce will allow abusive husbands the chance to marry and
ultimately abuse other women.
“If divorce is introduced, it
will not be only the battered
wife who will be able to remarry, but also the husband who
had battered her!”
However, the same pullout
also acknowledges that there
is an apparent discrepancy in
Church teaching regarding the
right to remarry, and the right
of a priest to marry after leaving the priesthood.
“You have a point”, the pullout concedes in answer to the
question: “Priests have also
vowed to dedicate their lives to
Jesus; but you find those who
do not remain priests and who
get married.”
The authors of this pullout get
around this stumbling block by
pointing out that the celibacy
of the priesthood
is an imposition
by the Church
– unlike the
ban on divorce,
which
comes
directly from
Jesus Christ.
“Therefore the
Church
can
give permission to a priest
to marry, if he
has a serious
reason.”
The four-page,
12-point ‘Q&A’
style missive
was sent to all
households
10
News
No BBQ pits at
Rdum il-Madonna
Government plans for BBQ pits in Natura 2000
site turned down by MEPA
Five BBQ pits had
been proposed in this
protected site
James Debono
A proposal by the Ministry
for Resources and Rural Affairs to include five BBQ
pits in the Rdum il-Madonna
Natura 2000 site was deemed
too dangerous by The Malta
Environment and Planning
Authority (MEPA), which
expressed concern that this
could pose a fire risk to vegetation in the area.
On Wednesday the Environment Planning Commission gave the architect of the
project 10 days to remove the
BBQ pits from plans for the
project.
The architect had justified
the five rectangular BBQ pits
as a way to deter the use of
open fires.
But the case officer said that
these BBQ pits could pose
a risk to nearby trees. The
Natural Heritage Advisory
Committee also objected to
the BBQ pits, claiming that it
will result in the generation of
waste, rats and possible fire
hazards.
No objections were made
about the other aspects of the
project, which includes the
setting up of a barrier to limit
vehicular access to the cliffs,
with the aim of limiting the
disturbance of nesting birds.
A parking area is also being proposed, while pedestrian access to the cliffs will
be made possible at all times
through a pedestrian passage.
Other proposals include the
repair of rubble walls and the
setting up of signs.
The proposed development
is aimed at reversing the
population decline of the Yekouan Shearwater – a protected seabird – by limiting the
disturbance of nesting birds,
particularly during the night,
through the management of
visitors and recreational activities.
Divorce issue ‘reduced
Nestor Laiviera
Maltese families are among
the strongest in the EU, Centre
of Family Studies Director and
psychologist Dr Angela Abela
said.
Abela was speaking during
a Forum organised by the Office of the President and held
within the Presidential Palace
on Saturday.
The forum considered the
changing Maltese identity, featuring a panel of experts that
touched upon language, technology, religion, values, and
the role of the state in promoting and protecting the Maltese
identity.
Speakers included leading
economist Dr Gordon Cordina,
Historian Prof Henry Frendo,
and prominent author Prof Olivier Friggieri.
During her own address, Abela refuted claims that Malta’s
family is deteriorating. “Our
family is one of the strongest
of the EU, and has not showed
signs of weakening in recent
years.”
Citing the most recent census,
she said that only 5.5 of Maltese families are separating.
Referring to the way the divorce issue is unfolding, Abela
however said that the debate
is being quickly reduced to a
“polarised debate”, adding that
this however is nothing new
for a country that is habitually
and traditionally ridden with
festa-related piques.
“We are risking losing out
on the issue’s complexity and
not informing people of what
divorce truly means,” she
warned. She also said that the
Centre for Family Studies is
“not saying anything (about divorce) because we believe that
we should inform people of the
facts, not simply tell them what
do to.”
Arguing that the idea of Maltese marriage had changed but
its strength had not, Abela also
quoted an yet-to-be-published
EU values study by Professor
Troisi that found that Maltese
still give top priority to family,
second to work, and third to
religion.
She quoted the European
Values study that found that,
regarding factors relevant to
marital success, fidelity was
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
The North-South poverty divide
with highest recipients of supp
James Debono
Confirming a North-South
poverty divide, a MaltaToday
analysis of statistics presented
in parliament last week shows a
far higher percentage of recipients of supplementary allowance in southern localities.
While 16.5% of Valletta’s total
Maltese population are eligible
for this benefit, only 1% of Swieqi and Iklin receive this assistance.
Supplementary allowance is
presently given to households
earning less than €10,330 in
the case of married couples and
€8,162 in the case of singles.
The maximum amount paid
is €8.13 per week, while singles
receive a maximum of €4.57
per week.
Valletta emerges as the locality with the highest percentage of recipients, to the extent
that 17% of its total population
(children included) receives
this allowance. A total of 1,001
Valletta inhabitants receive
this allowance. Marsa comes
second with 14% of its population in receipt of this benefit.
When it comes to number of
recipients Valletta is only surpassed by B’Kara, Qormi and
Hamrun which have larger
populations.
When it comes to the percentage of inhabitants receieving this allowance nine of the
top ten localities are located in
the south of Malta.
On the other hand Swieqi, Iklin, Attard and Naxxar register
the lowest percentage of supplementary allowance recipients.
In Swieqi and Iklin, only 1% of
the population receive this allowance.
Statistics show that the recipients of this benefit increased
from 25,951 in 2006 to 27,098
in 2008 to decrease again to
24,497 in January 2011.
This decrease between 2008
and 2011 is attributed to cost
of living adjustments, through
which a number of pensioners
found themselves earning more
than the income threshold to
Localities with highest
% of supplementary
allowance recipients
Percentage of
total population
Number
Valletta 16.5
Floriana14.3
Marsa 13.6
Bormla 13.3
Hamrun 12.1
Isla
11.3
Luqa 10.7
Birgu 10.1
Qala
9.4
Paola 8.2
1,001
300
702
733
1,117
333
619
262
144
772
be eligible for this benefit.
The means test was adjusted
as from last January, so that the
cost of living allowance does
not result in a loss in benefits
for people going over the income threshold.
This was because some people
had been losing more in terms
of benefits than they were gaining through the cost of living
adjustments.
Despite the overall decline in
the number of recipients, this
was not the case in all localities.
Surprisingly, some relatively
affluent localities have seen an
increase in recipients.
These include Attard, which
has seen the number of recipi-
11
News
to polarised debate’ – Family Studies Centre Director
We simply
aren’t
equipped to
ensure that
parents can
go out to
work and still
raise children
properly
– Dr Angela
Abela
President George Abela (far left) opens the forum. The panel consisted of Dr
Angela Abela (left), Prof Oliver Friggieri, Chairperson Dr John C. Grech, Prof Henry
Frendo and Dr Gordon Cordina
considered most important,
discussing problems came in
second, while sexual relations
between spouses was found to
be third-most important.
“When one considers that only 10 years ago, sexual relations
was at seventh place, and now
it’s a third, it says a lot about
how the Maltese family is developing,” Abela said.
Abela called on the state to
alleviate the ever-increasing
pressures that are being faced
by families in terms of buying
property, keeping up with expenses, raising families while
working, and also on other issues like binge drinking. “Parents cannot raise families
alone.”
She also hit out at “claims that
the economy cannot sustain a
longer maternity leave when we
have an impending economic
demographic crisis,” referring
to dropping birth rates because
of couples are putting off having children due to professional and financial burdens.
“We simply aren’t equipped to
ensure that parents can go out
to work and still raise children
properly.”
Economist Gordon Cordina
warned that more social awareness in how the country’s economy is approached. He said that
any economy rules by “prices”
e: Southern localities
plementary allowance
ents
increasing
from 191 in 2008
to 241 in 2011
and Swieqi, where
the number of recipients increased
from 87 to 95.
St Paul’s Bay
has also seem the
number of recipients rising from
673 to 741.
16.5% of Valletta’s
population are eligible
of supplimentary
allowance, but only
1% of Swieqi and Iklin
receive it
and the decision-making practice of automatically opting
for what is cheapest neglects
the true needs of any country,
economy, or people.
He also highlighted the risk
of ‘price inflation’ through superficial value and status symbols, which undermines the
efficiency of any economy and
the social sensitivity it can engender.
“Is the Maltese economy
based on something solid, or
is it illusory?” Referring to the
considerable progress made
in recent years, he however
questioned if the country had
lost out in other aspects, such
as the environment, and debt
management.
“We need to stop and take
stock of where we have developed, and what we are therefore losing,” he said, pointing
to enhanced awareness of education and social values as the
way forward.
“We need the courage to find
solutions for many problems,”
Cordina warned, “but not
through solutions that make
us feel better in the short-term
while creating bigger problems
in the long-term.”
During his own address, Prof
Friggieri called attention to
how Malta’s socioeconomic
makeup is experiencing stressful and abrupt development
that could disconnect it from
its past, while Prof Frendo
questioned whether the Maltese people’s collective memory is evaporating.
“Without continuity with the
past, there exists a vacuum.
This can only be filled with
new ingredients, which create
a new entity bereft of the link
with the previous society,” he
remarked.
nlaiviera@mediatoday.com.mt
Declaration
Reference is being made to the
Editorial of the MaltaToday on
Wednesday, 14 October 2009, entitled ‘Exorcise Yourself, Tonio’.
With this declaration, it is hereby
being made clear that MaltaToday
did not in any way intend to lessen
Minister’s Tonio Fenech reputation.
MaltaToday never said, stated or
intended to be understood to have
said that Minister Tonio Fenech is
corrupt or in breach of the Ministers’ code of ethics. Neither did MaltaToday intend to state that Minister Fenech forms part of a Masonic
lodge. MaltaToday did not intend in
any way to depict a message to the
effect that Minister Tonio Fenech
is so much of a bad person that he
needs to exorcise himself.
With this declaration, MaltaToday
regrets any inconvenience which
it might have caused to Minister
Tonio Fenech and apologises and
understands that following the publication of this declaration and apology, Minister Fenech will withdraw
his pending legal action against
MaltaToday.
12
Interview
By James Debono
Joseph’s deputy
In his role as one of Labour’s
two deputy leaders, Toni Abela,
who carries with him the reputation of a left-wing maverick, is
keen to stress caution and moderation.
He refers to his leader on first
name basis and suggests that
both are on the same wavelength in their bid to create an
inclusive and conciliatory party.
For Abela, Muscat is the man
of destiny.
“Joseph, I believe, is the best
person to coalesce past history
with what’s happening today,”
he says when asked about the
Labour leader’s new fondness
for former Nationalist and Labour party leaders.
Abela denies reports that his
party has asked him to sacrifice
his trademark moustache in an
alleged corporate makeover,
which saw the removal of Joseph
Muscat’s goatee, and Anglu Farrugia’s moustache.
“This is absolutely not true.”
So integral is the moustache
to his identity that he does not
even remember when he last
shaved it.
“Once I grew the moustache, it
stayed with me. I assure you that
I have no plans to shave it. ”
Public opinion polls conducted in the past two years show
the Labour Party making huge
gains since Muscat became
leader.
But Abela warns Labour supporters not to be overconfident
on winning the next election.
“I always tell supporters that
we will only know who won the
election when the electoral results are published. Until that
time, you cannot know who is
going to win.”
On a cautious note, Abela
warns that one major factor influencing election results is the
“power of incumbency” of the
Party in government, which according to Abela is even more
an important factor in Malta,
than in other countries because
of the total absence of laws limiting government activity and
the use of public funds over the
years and in the last few months
before an election.
Abela attributes the surge in
the party’s popularity to two
factors, the government’s unpopularity and the Labour
party’s ability to project itself
as a “more open minded liberal party that reacts promptly
to the general complaints of all
those who have fallen victim to
government blunders and bad
governance. ”
He also attributes the surge in
popularity to Muscat’s ability to
address “issue by issue” the main
grievances of the electorate.
But is Muscat trying to please
all and sundry, thus avoiding
making any hard choices from
the opposition benches?
Abela insists that this is not
the case.
“Joseph is not trying to appease
everybody and he is only makes
proposals that are achievable.
His proposals are not pies in the
sky.”
What about the living wage
proposal, which would quantify
the wage required by individuals and families to live a decent
life a bit of an abstract concept?
“Muscat is not inventing the
wheel, because the living wage
proposal has already been implemented in Canada and other
countries. If they have achieved
it, there is no reason why we
cannot do the same. After all,
the living wage is a Christian
concept that was first put forward in the Pope Leo XIII encyclical Rerum Novarum.”
I point out that due to the voluntary nature of the proposal,
employees will depend on the
good will of their employers in
order to benefit from it.
But according to Abela, the
government can “encourage”
employers to comply, by offering them a “set of incentives”.
What clearly distinguishes the
Labour Party from the Nationalist Party is its economic outlook, Abela insists.
“What is happening right
now is that the present government concentrates on economic
growth without giving attention to individual aspirations of
the citizens. We have confused
two important concepts. Stand-
NOT BUDGING
Once I
grew the
moustache, it
stayed with
me. I assure
you that I
have no plans
to shave it
ard of living and quality of life,
which are not one and the same
thing.”
The second major difference
between the two parties concerns the distribution of wealth.
“We believe in the free market,
but there should be a just distribution of wealth.”
Still how can he reconcile Labour’s pledge of reducing taxation with strengthening the
welfare state and keeping health
free for all? Is this not simply
another example of Labour trying to appease all and sundry?
But Abela makes a clear distinction between “appeasing”
and “including” different social
strata.
“What we are doing is trying
to include everyone in the social
model we are proposing. This is
not about appeasing everyone.
Social inclusion is an important
aspect of good governance. Trying to come to terms with everybody’s interest is an integral
part of the art of governance.”
As regards the balancing act
between taxation and social
spending, Abela makes it clear
that Labour has never talked
about outright reduction of taxes
– certainly not before knowing
the true economic state of the
government – and this would
only be known if Labour Party
is seated in government. Labour
is, however, deeply concerned
about “excessive taxation” and
not fair taxation, which is essential to guarantee the revenue
needed to keep the welfare state
and general expenditure afloat.
“Taxation is the main source
of revenue for any government
anywhere in this world. What
we are saying is that we would
look into excessive taxes.”
He also gives a clear example
of a tax, which is of concern: the
excise and duty on diesel fuel.
“A good 55% of the price of
petrol paid by the consumer
consists of taxes. We are saying that this is excessive. This is
something which is being done
in the United Kingdom.”
Abela also sees this as a way
of alleviating the pressure of
increasing oil prices on the consumer.
“We do understand that if international oil prices increase,
there is very little one can do.
But we can try unburden the
consumer from having to sulk
under the weight of unreasonable taxes that are government
induced.”
Creating a level playing field
for consumers will be one of the
major priorities of a new Labour
government.
“When it comes to inflation,
the government has rendered
itself a spectator, manifestly
falling short of its responsibili-
PAST MISTAKES
History calls
upon us not
to make
the same
mistakes
and we are
determined to
answer this
call
ties of putting the regulatory
authorities in place.”
Abela does not advocate a return to direct government intervention in the way markets
function, but calls on the government to strengthen regulatory authorities. One area,
which deserves special attention, is medicine prices.
“Some people are being impoverished because of medicine prices, and government sits
pretty saying a lot without doing
much to address the situation
save for publicity stunts that
don’t change anything.”
An issue Labour has not taken
a position on is divorce. While
the Labour leader has committed himself to campaign for a
‘yes’ vote, the party will remain
non-committal. Isn’t this situation absurd?
Abela disagrees with my interpretation, turning the tables on
the PN.
“What is contradictory is the
way the Nationalist party is
tackling the issue, by having the
party against divorce and at the
same time conceding a free vote.
This is what I call a highly contradictory political stance. This
is a way of trying to appease and
compromise with both conservatives and libertarians.”
On the other hand, Abela believes that the PL has been consistent in leaving the matter at
the “absolute discretion of the
individual.”
“Muscat is saying that he is a
leader is in favour of divorce but
has always expressed his opposition to imposing his views on
others. That is why the party
has not taken a stand. The party
would have been in overt contradiction to declare itself in
favour of divorce while advocating a free vote. We would have
ended up in the same contradictory position of the Nationalist
Party.”
According to Abela, Joseph
Muscat has been consistent in
his approach way back – nearly
two years ago – when he first
expressed his view on this matter.
But this decision leaves us with
one party (the Nationalist Party) against divorce and the other
party represented in parliament
(the Labour Party) non-committal. Since the referendum
law states that only parties represented in parliament can be
involved in the scrutiny of the
referendum process, this creates
an imbalance against non-party
movements that are campaigning in favour or against the introduction of divorce.
Abela agrees that this situation
is not desirable, and something
has to be done to address this
imbalance, since the debate on
divorce is not a partisan matter.
“The two movements campaigning for and against divorce
should be given some kind of
right – although not on the same
footing of political parties – to
participate in the scrutiny of the
voting process in the same way
as the PN and the PL. This, of
course, is strictly my personal
opinion.”
One notable difference between former leader Alfred Sant
and Joseph Muscat is that while
the former leader used to constantly denounce the networks
of “friends of friends” and “barons,” Muscat has toned down
this approach.
Abela attributes this to a difference of in world outlook,
which he sees as the result of a
generational change.
“Inevitably, Joseph Muscat
comes from a generation different from that of Alfred Sant.
Muscat’s world outlook is different and reflects the times
we’re living in. This is what
makes him the right leader in
the right time for the Labour
Party. Joseph Muscat has adopted a different political language.
This does not mean that those
who came before him were
wrong. It means that Joseph is
responding to change.”
Another change in the Labour
Party is that Muscat has been
more willing to come to terms
with the party’s past by celebrating the merits of Dom Mintoff’s
government in the 1970s, and
13
His moustache is not for shaving, but he is foursquare behind Joseph Muscat’s
drive to make Labour an ‘inclusive’, electable party.
Toni Abela
Age: 53
Status: Married with three children
Last book read: Freedom House by Victor
Aquilina
Most Inspiring song: Streets Of Philadelphia by
Bruce Springsteen
Favourite holiday destination: Tuscany
at the same time praising past
Nationalist leaders like George
Borg Olivier and even Nerik
Mizzi.
“Again Joseph is showing himself to be a man of our times.
He is sending a message of what
I call historical conciliation…
something which we rarely
come across in a highly polarised country. He recognises that
each party has given its contribution to the constitutional
and political development of
the country, albeit in different
historical contexts. He does not
shy away from praising past and
present political adversaries,
despite opening himself to the
criticism from the more partisan elements on both sides of
the political fence.”
But by praising Labour governments in the 1970s, isn’t Muscat
open to the criticism that he is
glossing over far less positive aspects of Labour rule, especially
in the 1980s?
Abela is adamant on not rehabilitating these negative aspects
of the Labour leader, and insists that Muscat is on the same
wavelength.
“It is not the first time that
Joseph, myself and other party
officials admitted that the 70s
had their good side and their
bad side. What we are saying,
however, is that the in the 70s
had positive moments which
many are wont to forget out of
political revisionism… there
were a lot of political blunders,
some by design and others by
accident. Blunders that, in some
way or another, the major political characters of the time
committed. However, notwithstanding the downside, the 70s
and late 80s were also the economic foundation upon which
a Nationalist government could
safely build its projects during
the last 22 years.”
He also refers to the exhibition
commemorating the party’s
90th anniversary.
“Anyone visiting it could not
help observe that the unpleasant political episodes of the
1970s and 1980s were not overlooked.”
But Abela goes one step forward than other party exponents, describing these episodes
as “unpardonable” and the work
of a handful of undesirable elements.
“History calls upon us not to
make the same mistakes and
we are determined to answer
this call. I myself was a victim
of those moments, having had
to resign from the party in 1989
after having denounced those
that had marred us.”
One of the legacies of the 70s
was a close relationship between
Malta and Gaddafi’s Libya. With
the hindsight of recent events –
which revealed the brutality of
the regime – how does Abela assess this special relationship?
Abela immediately points out
that this relationship was not a
plain sailing one, but had its ups
and downs.
He also disputes the idea that
the Labour Party was the only
Maltese party that has wooed
the Gaddafi regime.
“Only recently, just a few days
before the eruption of the civil
war, our Prime Minister felt like
visiting him in the now familiar
Bedouin tent.”
Abela does not deny that there
were positive aspects in the relationship with Libya noting
that when the Labour Party got
elected to government in 1971
and found the public coffers literally empty, it was only thanks
to Libya we had an economic
start.
“Suffice to remind your readers that at the time, the government did not have the funds to
meet the public sector bill.”
However, later on in the early
80s, he recalls that when Malta
tried to explore oil, Libya intervened with its military to stop it
from exploring the seabed “in
waters that – internationally
speaking – are ours”.
He also recalls that, when Mintoff and Gaddafi were at loggerheads, “strangely enough, the
Nationalist Party started to flirt
with the Libyan government instead of backing the legitimate
claims of the Maltese.”
But why has the Labour Party
kept silent on events in Libya
during the past weeks?
Abela begs to differ. Being
cautious is not the same thing
as being silent.
“Unfortunately, at this moment
in time, an island like Malta has
to take decisions which might
not be popular, but in the interest of the country. This why
the Labour Party has been foursquare behind the government
on this issue.”
The Labour Party has distanced itself from any statement suggesting approval of the
Libyan regime’s actions, but at
the same time, it has not condemned Gaddafi. Why was the
party failed to do so?
“There aren’t two ways, there
is also the third way… I think
we have managed to perform
positively in this situation by
declaring ourselves that we are
ready to provide humanitarian
aid to those who need it. As the
Prime Minister has rightly put
it, Malta has a humanitarian
mission to accomplish.”
One of the interesting aspects
of the current crisis is that the
Nationalist government has discovered a new enthusiasm for
Malta’s neutrality to justify its
refusal to participate in a military intervention authorised by
the UN Security Council.
He observes that in the past,
the government did not give
much importance to neutrality.
He recalls that back in 2002,
during the controversy on ship
repairs on the USS Lasalle, the
government was claiming that
neutrality was an anachronism.
Now that same government
is invoking neutrality to justify
why we should not participate
in any military action – when in
truth even we participate due to
the state of affairs – it is not, legally speaking, in breach of the
constitution.
“Strictly speaking, had we approved of Malta being used as
a military base, I think that we
would have been in line with
the constitution since it allows
such participation as long that
it follows UN Security Council’s
resolutions.”
In this sense, therefore, according to Abela, the government has gone a step forward
from strictly invoking constitutional neutrality.
“It has moved to a more practical neutrality based on pragmatism or should we call it real
politik”.
14 maltatoday, Sunday, 10 APRIL 2011
15
Opinion
Saviour Balzan
sbalzan@mediatoday.com.mt
Italian bullies and Maltese
follies
I
t has finally dawned on the
Maltese government that the
centre right Italian government,
made up of former Italian Christian
Democrats, are not bosom friends
after all. Many of them consider
Malta to be an irrelevant, silly island
state.
I remember the times of the IVA
movement for Europe: an organisation
run like a puppet on a string by
Richard Cachia Caruana. Back then, I
had to participate in boring meetings
at Castille with boys who dressed up
like Italian Armani models.
They not only adored Italian fashion
but the idea of having an Italian
burlesque figure by the name of
Silvio Berlusconi making it to the
top and keeping people like D’Alema
and Prodi out of government... even
though Prodi was closer to Fenech
Adami than anyone else.
You had Casa and his troop of
oddball followers, who would talk of
Silvio as if he were some demi-God.
Needless to say, they obviously
conveniently forgot what a crook
Berlusconi is and was, and what
a great homophobe he is. Not to
mention his sexual appetite with
underage women who return sexual
favours for money.
Now, I am sure that the local
Italian ambassador may feel hurt
by my comments. But then, I would
be ashamed to be the diplomat of a
country who has as Prime Minister
someone who was not only a member
of Licio Gelli’s Masonic lodge, the
P2, and a septugarian with cosmetic
surgery to his face and scalp… but
of someone more preoccupied with
his penis than the vital interest of his
country.
But back to Italy. The Italian interior
minister Maroni, a member of Bossi’s
Northern League – another political
aberration created on the belief that
one should promulgate the NorthSouth divide – thinks that Malta
should be treated like a schoolboy.
International maritime law states
very clearly that boats in peril and
their crew should be escorted to the
nearest port of call.
But in the latest incident, the Italians
blocked a Maltese patrol boat from
entering Lampedusa. Hours later,
our interior minister Carm Mifsud
Bonnici was talking to the press
about the incident and Italians.
This diplomatic incident brings to
fore the reality of European Union
partnership. The word ‘partnership’ is
one big joke.
A whole load of hogwash, if you
ask me... which goes to explain why
someone like Martin Bugelli (the
present DOI chief) may well be the
new head of representation for the
European Union.
The EU has become so
inconsequential, that it does not make
a difference who heads it. It could
just as well be my great aunt. I am
sure she would be very happy with
the remuneration, as Mr Bugelli will
surely be.
The EU has turned out to be a
downer, a toothless federation of
States with little political convergence.
As people die in Libya, the EU issues
statements but does not have the
clout or determination to take serious
action… for the simple reason that it
was, until recently, in deep flirtation
with Gaddafi.
When Italy’s buffoon Silvio
Berlusconi decided unilaterally to
award Libya (or, rather, Gaddafi) €5
billion in reparation in return for
Gaddafi to block the migration of
black migrants to Italy, very few raised
any eyebrows.
Instead, Berlusconi’s mad diplomacy
was met with the usual applause. In
October last year, even Home Affairs
Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici
said the migration agreement between
EU and Libya was ‘an important step
in the right direction which Malta
had been advocating for a number of
years.’
Nobody questioned the fact that
many of these migrants were coming
from war-torn Somalia or Eritrea or
Sudan. And that many of them were
humanitarian cases.
Now Mifsud Bonnici– himself a lover
of the Italian culture – is experiencing
Italian hypocrisy first hand. Italy may
have the most beautiful women and
best food in the world, but the Italians
are surely the most inept at ruling a
country and the biggest hypocrites you
can get.
This humanitarian crisis is an
indictment on Europe and the
European Union. And in this country,
we have resolved to respect EU laws,
such as the one of not subsidising our
national airline.
We have been led to believe that the
real concern is about the ‘loss of lives
situation.’ But let us face it: no one gives
a toss.
Nato, with all its military vessels, does
not come to the aid of sinking boats. It
is the Maltese, with their Lilliputlian
navy, who end up having to do the
heavy lifting.
It’s about time Mifsud Bonnici
takes some private lessons from Dom
Mintoff. These Italian friends need to
be told to respect international law, and
there is no nice way of telling them.
***
Closer to home, the divorce debate
has led to a few unexpected exciting
statements. Frans Borg is deputy
secretary of the cabinet. It transpired
that he was given the green light to take
two months’ vacation to militate with
the Zwieg Bla Divorzju lobby-group.
An unprecedented move, considering
most civil servants are barred from
participating in political activities, and
always have. Godwin Grima, the chief
civil servant, defended Borg, though his
arguments are feeble.
Then – in a statement clearly penned
by Borg himself– the Zwieg bla
Divorzju camp accused MaltaToday
(not by name) of ‘bullying’.
Just in the same way, the Labour
government of yesteryear would call
us ‘xewwiexa,’ Borg decided to call us
bullies.
It is clear that at the very end of
the day, the inconsistencies of this
government are not be discussed or
debated.
Indeed, some commentators went
as far as insisting: what’s wrong with
Borg’s participation?
That was of course not the point,
the point is that others who have
in the very recent past attempted
to participate in political activities
were obviously told that this was
in contravention of the public
management code.
Mr Godwin Grima, in his wisdom,
has declared that the divorce
movements – and the ensuing debate
they inspire – are not a political
concern.
If this is the case, then Sur Grima:
why did the Broadcasting Authority
issue its set of rules on TV debates
on divorce according to its rules of
impartiality on matters of political
controversy?
When we come to this, the rules
of the game change according to the
whims of the political animals. We
might as well ask ourselves if we really
share the same democratic values.
This is by all means the typically
bigoted approach one expects from
a party which has spent 25 years in
power. Just read the front page story.
And read what Anton Attard and Joe
Borg (Frans Borg’s brother) had to say.
The latter, as reported in the front
page, tries to downplay an email
he wrote stating very clearly the
use of ‘children’ in the anti-divorce
campaign. He has know clarified
that the word ‘children’ refers to
‘offspring.’
U hallina Father Joe, b’min tahseb
qed titnejjek?
After 25 years you not only start
becoming arrogant, but you start to
believe that there is only one way…
and that is ‘my way or the highway’.
That is why after 25 years, you vote
those arrogant people out. With the
hope their sabbatical in opposition
will serve them as an opportunity to
see the light and come in line, and
reform.
16
Opinion
Raphael Vassallo
rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt
‘Allah hu Akbar’? It’s
government policy now…
A
while back I described
our former President
(also known as ‘the
Father of European Malta’,
without any discernable trace
of irony) as… ‘Eddie Fenech
Ahmadinejadami’.
It seems the appellation
caused considerable offence.
Some people thought it
was ‘distasteful’ and ‘over
the top’. At least one junior
college lecturer described it as
‘unethical’ on our news portal.
And I am told that Mahmoud
himself was mortally offended,
and has since vowed to
destroy MaltaToday altogether
(after dealing death to Israel,
America and the rest of the
non-Muslim world).
Faced with such universal
condemnation, I was naturally
assailed by doubt. Could I have
been wrong in making the
comparison? Is it so terribly
innapropriate to point out
similarities between two
heads of state like Eddie
Fenech Adami and Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad? And if so… why?
I have since given the matter
considerable thought, and…
no, for the life of me I can’t
see anything wrong with it at
all. If two people use exactly
the same sort of rhetoric to
get their identical message
across… and propose exactly
the same type of world vision,
both appealing to nothing
more than their own respective
religion’s sacred texts as
justification… then as far as I
am concerned they have invited
the comparison themselves,
and have no option but to take
it on the chin like everybody
else.
And that’s not all. The more
I think about it, the more
outrageously hypocritical
it is of Eddie’s defenders to
take such offence in the first
place. Who do these people
think they are, anyway?
What on earth gives them the
impression that their own ‘Rais’
is in any way ‘better’ than his
political equivalent in Iran, to
take offence at the comparison?
Sorry to be blunt (by hey!
James is Blunt too, and seems
none the worse for it) but
if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
qualifies as a fundamentalist,
then so does Eddie Fenech
Adami. And please note I use
that word ‘fundamentalist’
in its literal sense. Eddie and
Mahmoud may have their
differences, but they definitely
share a common ideology. Both
firmly believe in the intrinsic
inerrancy of their own religious
beliefs (and have said so, in no
uncertain terms), as well as the
inherent superiority of their
own faith over all other worldvisions. Conversely, both are
just as convinced that anyone
who disagrees with their
religious views is by definition
‘wrong’.
Interestingly enough, it
appears to have occurred
to neither that the same
observation may just as easily
apply to himself. Eddie could
very easily be wrong about
the divinity of Christ, just
as Mahmoud may be wrong
about the fundamental truth
to Mohammad’s teachings.
Try telling them this, however,
and you can rest assured that
both will respond with the
same, typically fundamentalist
moral outrage. And of course,
identical irrational affirmations
will follow as sure as night
follows day: ‘Allah hu Akbar’,
‘Jesus is the Lord’, ‘La Illa Illa
Illa’, and so on ad infinitum.
Ah, but some of you may
argue: surely there is at least
one difference which is visible
at a glance. Christians are not
Muslims, and vice versa. There
are insuperable theological
divergences between the two
disparate faiths.
I used to think so too, but I
have reassessed this opinion.
Leaving aside individual
details: – the miraculous
circumstances of Christ’s birth,
his resurrection, the divine
origin of the Koran, etc. – and
the actual distinctions between
Islam and Christianity become
progressively harder to define
the further one reads into their
respective sacred texts. Both
religions comprise an identical
overall worldview: creation by
God in seven days; centrality
of mankind in God’s ‘divine
plan’; man’s first disobedience,
and the fruit of the Forbidden
Tree; the concept that women
was somehow ‘derived’ from
a single part of the male
anatomy; a structure based
overwhelmingly on rules and
regulations (thou shalt this,
thou shalt not that, etc)… and
a virtually indistinguishable
form of eschatology based on
Universal Judgment, complete
with identical doctrines of
heaven and hell.
Incidentally, they also share
between them the same old
patriarchs and prophets –
Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Moses, Joshua, all the way
down to Jesus himself, etc.
Anyway, I could go on forever
(and ever, Amen) but if this
were a two-way conversation,
at one point I would doubtless
be interrupted by the
following objection. There
is a fundamental difference
between the two forms of
fundamentalism. Countries
with a strong Christian
tradition – that is to say, most
of the Western world– tend to
be considerably more tolerant
of dissenting voices than their
Muslim counterparts. And
even I, infidel that I am, shall
have to concede the point.
One example should I think
suffice. Apostasy is a crime
punishable by death in many
Islamic countries – which
in turn means that I myself
would not be alive today if
I was born in Saudi Arabia
or Iran, and you would not
be reading this article right
now. The same applies also to
conversion to other religions
(Christianity included), as
the Abdul Rahman incident
in Afghanistan so amply
illustrated.
All this is true, and I
would be the equivalent of
a fundamentalist if I denied
it. But what many people
somehow fail to realise is
that Europe’s tradition for
greater religious tolerance
does not actually derive
from Christianity. Quite the
opposite, in fact: if Europe is
in any way built on respect
for human rights – including
freedom of religion, freedom
of speech, etc. – it is actually
thanks to secularism, not
to religion at all. It was
secularists who fought for the
abovementioned right (in fact,
religious freedom is for pretty
obvious reasons an automatic
consequence of Church-State
separation to begin with),
and in some cases the actual
battles raged centuries, if not
millennia ago.
The irony is therefore
inescapable. The same people
who now talk of ‘secularism’ as
if it were some kind of threat
to their basic rights, actually
owe those same rights to
the secularist movements of
yesteryear. This also accounts
for the undeniable difference
in attitude between Islamic
and Christian cultures. Secular
battles have not been fought
equally throughout in the
Islamic world – and where they
have, they generally gave rise
to secular dictatorships of the
kind currently spontaneously
combusting throughout the
Arab world.
What about Malta? Well,
we’re a curious bunch, I freely
admit. On the one hand we
have a Constitution which is
comparable at various points
to that of postwar Iraq – only
with Roman Catholicism as
State religion instead of Islam.
But we also have the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
– with all its essentially secular
values – entrenched in the
same document.
But in practice many of us
– starting with Eddie himself
– manifestly fail to make the
‘God is
bigger’ =
‘Allah hu
Akbar’.
There is no
difference
whatsoever,
except that
this time
the phrase
was used
by Dr Peter
Grech:
Malta’s
very own
Ayatollah
General
distinction between Church
and State: a distinction so basic
it forms the first amendment to
the US Constitution, as well as
the core principle of European
Enlightenment.
For what it’s worth, I have a
theory to account for this. If
Malta subscribes at any level
to European values, it does so
grudgingly and only because
of our past experience as a
European colony. Left to our
own devices (as in fact we have
been for over 40 years) and
sure enough, the same secular
values bequeathed to us by
European colonisers will slowly
be scaled back.
And oh look: who did all
the scaling back, if not Eddie
Fenech Adami himself? In his
14 years as Prime Minister of
Independent Malta, Fenech
Adami ceded entire sections
of Malta’s jurisdiction (for
instance, Family Law) to the
Holy See. He entered into an
agreement by which Church
schools are to this day heavily
subsidised by the State, and
now campaigns against divorce
on the battle-cry that ‘Christ is
the Son of God’.
And while Eddie is himself
but a shadow of the man who
once refashioned Independent
Malta into a Vatican satellite,
his legacy is ironically stronger
today than it was when he was
Prime Minister.
I’ve left myself with too little
space to illustrate this, but
again one example should
suffice. Last week I read the
Attorney General’s appeal in
the case against Alex Vella
Gera and Mark Camilleri.
One line immediately leaps
to the eye: “And there’s God
above everything and above
everyone, and God is certainly
bigger than the biggest of egos
of even more famous writers.”
God is bigger, God is
bigger… Now where O where
have I heard that line before?
Of course! It was Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad wot said it…
as Ayatollah Khomaini did
before him. ‘God is bigger’ =
‘Allah hu Akbar’. There is no
difference whatsoever, except
that this time the phrase
was used by Dr Peter Grech:
Malta’s very own Ayatollah
General.
As the same AG is also the
Maltese government’s official
legal advisor, this cannot but
make the same sentiment
(‘Allah hu Akbar’) part of
official government policy.
Faced with all this, is it even
possible to deny that Malta is
now officially a fundamentalist
Christian state? Well, I suppose
it is. It’s always possible to deny
the self-evident… if you’re a
fundamentalist.
17
Opinion
Claudine Cassar
Shooting, singing and
sucking the country dry
O
nce again, the spring
hunting season is upon
us, and unfortunately
I have to say that I have no
confidence whatsoever in the
proposed carnet de chasse
management mechanism. I
sympathise with the hunters,
who clearly were taken for a
ride by the authorities during
the EU negotiation phase,
however I cannot for the life
of me believe that the 6,000
hunters who are soon going
to start milling around our
countryside with guns and
dogs are going to shoot just
nine thousand turtledoves
and two thousand five
hundred quails.
It is hard to imagine that
each hunter will limit his bag
to an average of less than two
birds each (the actual rule
is that they are allowed to
shoot up to one bird a day up
to a maximum of four birds
a season), particularly when
the hunting licence for the
period costs €50… in other
words, €25 per bird.
Taken in the local context,
the system proposed for
the control of the carnet de
chasse – i.e., the number
of birds shot – is ludicrous.
Does anyone seriously believe
that hunters are going to send
a text message every time
they shoot a bird? I bet you
anything that at the end of
the hunting season, when the
official statistics are released,
we will be told that – lo and
behold – the number of birds
shot was much lower than the
targeted 11,500.
The problem with the
proposed system is that
it makes self-regulation
impossible. If a law-abiding
hunter comes across a
poacher carrying a bird, there
is no way that the former
will know whether the latter
has sent the required text
message or not. Similarly,
any law enforcement officers
monitoring hunters will find
it very difficult to keep track
– what are they going to do,
take the hunter’s particulars
and mobile number and then
go back to their office to
check if an SMS was sent?
What if the hunter sends
the text message AFTER
meeting the officer? Are we
going to end up with dozens
of court cases with hunters
swearing that they had sent
the SMS earlier but the
network was down, or their
mobile malfunctioned, or any
of a myriad of other excuses
I can think of? Frankly,
this whole text message
idea is ridiculous and I
cannot understand how the
authorities have decided to
adopt it.
It seems that we never learn.
Making a song and dance
about divorce
Apparently, the ‘Zwieg
Bla Divorzju’ movement is
planning to attack the poor
unsuspecting public with
a whole song and dance
about divorce. They initially
thought of commissioning
a song by Ludwig and Julie,
however the irony of having
the anti-divorce anthem sung
by a couple made famous
for their On again/Off
again lyrics clearly dawned
upon them in the nick of
time. Instead, they have
now opted to have a song
written specifically for their
campaign, sung by as many
anti-divorce celebrities as
they can muster.
I find that the whole idea
of having a song trying to
convince us to vote against
the introduction of divorce
legislation rather sad. Surely,
the ‘Zwieg Bla Divorzju’
movement can present their
arguments without having to
resort to cheap tactics like
catchy ditties?
If things go on in this vein,
the ‘Yes’ lobby will conjur up
their own lyrical composition
and we will end up with a
Divorce Song Contest, vying
with the Eurovision Song
Contest and driving us crazy
over the coming weeks.
I have a feeling that the next
month and a half are going to
be very long indeed.
Sucking our ground water
dry
This week, George
Pullicino, the Minister of
Resources and Rural Affairs,
answered a Parliamentary
Question by Labour MP
Leo Brincat about the
estimated rate of ground
water extraction. According
to the Minister, every year
the private sector extracts
approximately 18 million
cubic metres of water from
our aquifers, while farmers
pump up around 15 million
cubic metres a year.
Last Sunday, I wrote about
the problems that we are
going to face in the year
to come because of the
irresponsible extraction of
our groundwater. My article
was based on an authoritative
report published in 2006 by
the Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the United
Nations – ‘Malta Water
Resources Review’. This
document was based on the
situation in 2003 and 2004,
when on average 22 million
cubic metres of water were
extracted annually. The
United Nations did not mince
words – the rate of extraction
was exorbitant and was
destroying our aquifer.
However, here we are, eight
years later, and not only have
we not curbed the extraction
of ground water, but it has
actually increased from 22
million cubic metres per
annum to 33 million cubic
metres per annum! We clearly
have an ecological disaster
looming ahead of us and yet
we still go along our merry
way allowing the private
sector to extract as much
water as they like without
any controls and without
charging them a penny!
We owe it to our children
to do something about this
situation as soon as possible.
If things go on like this, the
damage will be irreversible
(unfortunately it probably
already is) so the time has
come for politicians to stop
counting votes and start
thinking of our future.
18
Opinion
Deborah Schembri
The democratic process
should not be trampled on
A
divorce bill which came
like a bolt of lightening in
mid-summer of last year
got the ball rolling. Controversy
hasn’t ceased since then. I
would like to say that we’ve
heard it all, but unfortunately
it seems that something new
crops up with each passing
day. I am perplexed as to what
lengths those against the
introduction of divorce are
going in order to deprive the
people of a remedy for their
failed marriages.
We’ve gone through a period
It makes me beyond
angry that, in a country
that professes to be
democratic, having the
last say in an attempt to
show off one’s political
prowess is considered the
ultimate value
of toying with accusations of
parliamentarians hijacking the
national agenda; of giving the
people the right to decide on
the matter themselves, given
there was no electoral mandate
– something which in my
humble opinion was suggested
on impulse out of a gut feeling
that the nation wasn’t ready for
divorce yet; trying to take it all
back by further suggesting that
the bill should take its natural
course and only later go for a
referendum – given that the
polls started showing a prodivorce majority; making a big
fuss about the big question;
attempting to undermine the
referendum process in order
to have a lower turn out come
referendum day… the list goes
on.
I am not saying that I wasn’t
expecting all this, however
I thought that this country,
its politicians and people in
various seats of power had
matured enough to play smart,
rather than dirty. On looking
back, however, I must admit
that I think I was too good
to this high and mighty lot. I
would never have thought, for
instance that our politicians
would permit 2,800 votes to
be lost from a segment of the
population that has a direct
interest in divorce.
I am not minimally interested
in who did what, in who messed
up and in who failed to clean up
the mess. I think both parties
are partly to blame and it is
useless pin-pointing fingers. I
am interested, however, in the
fact that the highest institution
in this country – whose agenda
should have been to defend
the right of its citizens to vote
– chose to bicker relentlessly
on who is to blame instead. It
makes me beyond angry that,
in a country that professes to be
democratic, having the last say
in an attempt to show off one’s
political prowess is considered
the ultimate value. It is truly a
shame, because politics should
never become a master, it is
forever meant to serve.
I surely hope that the
democratic process will not
keep on being trampled on.
I hope our representatives in
parliament – who have declared
that they will disregard the
will of the people expressed in
this referendum – will rethink
their position, that the right to
vote will be better safeguarded,
that no other game be played in
order to try and keep the people
from casting their votes.
Irrespective of whether the
right to divorce is won or lost,
the game has to be played
fairly. We cannot afford to put
the democratic process aside
to accommodate the needs
of those who would rather
impose their views on others.
Referenda are held in order to
let the people’s voice be heard…
so everyone’s aim should be to
empower them to speak, then
sit back and listen.
19
Opinion
Evarist Bartolo
Give Salvina a second chance
S
alvina has been cohabiting
for 43 years. She would
have liked to marry the
man she lives with. But she
cannot. Her husband left Malta
many years ago for Australia.
For years, she tried to trace
him so as to formalise their
separation, but never managed
to find him. She does not know
if he stayed in Australia or
moved on. She does not know
if he is still alive somewhere
in the world. She does not
know anything about him. He
disappeared long ago from her
life, but still dominates it.
Priests tell her that she is
living in sin, and that she
should marry the man she lives
with. She tells them that she
wanted to marry the man as he
loves her and respects her and
has been very good to her. But
whenever she has tried to start
the process of getting married,
and says that many years ago
she was already married to
another man, she is asked to
provide proof that he has died,
or that they are no longer
married.
When she says that she has
not heard from him or had
news of him for many years, she
is told that she is still married
to him and cannot get married.
When Salvina asks priests
to help her, they are silent.
She has long understood that
remarriage in church is not an
option for her.
She has understood that she
cannot get married civilly
either. She has been told
that she would be accused of
bigamy if she were to marry
again without producing
documented evidence that her
husband is dead, or that they
are no longer married to each
other. She cannot produce that
documented evidence.
Both Salvina and the man
she has lived with for 43 years
are getting on in years. They
have children out of wedlock
and they love each other.
They would have liked to have
gotten married and brought
their children up in a regulated
family, like others. But it has
not been possible. Salvina now
has a more urgent worry. Her
partner is very sick, and she is
afraid that he will die before
she does. If he does, she will
be thrown out of the flat she
has lived in for 43 years. The
fact that she has cohabited
with her partner for 43 years
gives her no right as tenant,
because she is not married to
her partner, and the owner has
already told her she will have to
find somewhere else to live if
her partner dies before her, as
he recognises only the man as
tenant, and she has no right to
stay on if he dies.
Lawyers have confirmed that
she has no right to stay on.
When government presented
the bill in parliament to
regulate rent, as Labour Party
we asked government to think
and care for people like Salvina
and change the rent law to
protect those who cohabit
with the tenant. Government
would have none of it, saying
that “this would change the
traditional meaning of what we
in Malta mean by the family
and marriage.”
So what is Salvina to do? Her
only remaining hope is that
the bill presented by Dr Jeffrey
Pullicino Orlando and myself
gets the support of the majority
in the referendum on 28 May
and that people like Salvina are
given a second chance albeit
very belatedly in her case.
She would be able to obtain a
divorce from her husband of
many years ago and marry the
man she has lived with for 43
years.
Who has the heart to deny her
such a chance?
Evarist Bartolo is shadow
minister for education.
When Salvina asks
priests to help her,
they are silent. She has
long understood that
remarriage in church is
not an option for her
20
Opinion
Michael Falzon
micfal@maltanet.net
Is this Gonzi’s defining
moment?
T
he duty of the higher
echelons of the country’s
civil service to distance
themselves away from
controversies on public policy is
a sine qua non in the democratic
system, as we know it.
This principle has been thrown
to the dogs with the official
green light given to the Deputy
Cabinet Secretary to take time
off from his responsibilities in
order to be able to dedicate two
months to effectively manage
the referendum campaign of the
anti-divorce lobby, ‘Zwieġ Bla
Divorzju’.
Adopting a Kafkaesque
mindset, bordering on the
surreal, Dr Godwin Grima,
the head of Malta’s Civil
Service, was reported to have
defended this bizarre decision
by bizarrely ‘explaining’ that
“The introduction of divorce is
not considered to be of a party
political nature.” By whom?
This is not really true, anyway.
We have a political Party, the
Nationalist Party (PN) that has
taken an official anti-divorce
stand and another political
party, Alternativa Demokratika
(AD) that has an official prodivorce stand while the Labour
Party has opted to sit on the
fence, at least officially.
However, this is hardly the
point. If our top civil servant
really believes that public policy
controversies exist only when
our political parties disagree,
then he is not fit to be in the
position that he occupies. I tend
to think that he has stupidly
assumed responsibility for a
stupid political decision that is
not his own doing, but this does
not exonerate him from his folly.
The divorce issue is a
controversial public policy issue.
No more, no less. The decision
to allow one of the country’s
top civil servants to be officially
active on one side of this hot
debate is a bad omen. It means
that when push comes to shove,
the current administration
believes that the end justifies
the means and is prepared to
throw caution to the wind by
acting in a way that undermines
our country’s democratic
credentials.
As one who has spent the
best years of my life to see the
restoration of these credentials
– which had been sorely dented
during the days of the Mintoff
administration – I cannot but be
saddened. I am seeing all that we
had fought for – and achieved
– literally evaporating into thin
air. For what is the difference
between the police force openly
and blatantly discriminating
between the supporters of two
opposing political sides and
a top civil servant blatantly
abetting one side of a public
policy controversy? One is crude
and one is subtle; but the crass
disregard of principle involved
is the same and both situations
lead to the undermining of the
people’s democratic rights.
It is evident that the divorce
issue has led Lawrence Gonzi
to a defining moment, both
for him personally and for the
administration he leads. Apart
from the fact that he mishandled
it from day one, proposing the
idea of a referendum that should
have never been on the cards;
it now seems that Gonzi is so
adamant that divorce legislation
must not be introduced in Malta
under his watch that he is even
prepared to forgo the rules of the
democratic game.
I do not believe that any
For what is the difference between
the police force openly and blatantly
discriminating between the supporters
of two opposing political sides and a
top civil servant blatantly abetting one
side of a public policy controversy?
politician should ever fall for
this temptation, whatever
the situation. Gonzi might
misguidedly think that he is
saving Malta from ignominy,
even though this is quite a far
cry from being anywhere near
a realistic assessment of what a
referendum result in favour of
divorce legislation would imply.
Let’s face it: whether divorce
legislation is introduced in the
next two years or some time
later is irrelevant in a historical
context. This is a situation where
the only option that makes sense
is, as the Italian adage puts it,
‘tardare si, scappare no’ – you
can postpone it but you cannot
escape it. The timing of the
developments on this issue over
the next few years are, therefore,
only relevant to Gonzi’s record
and performance during his
term as this country’s Prime
Minister.
But the country’s democratic
credentials are bigger than the
personal pride of any Prime
Minister, even though prime
ministers do not see it that way.
Once I wrote that the way Dom
Mintoff used to refer to what
‘the people’ want in his tiresome
Prime Ministerial speeches
indicated that he was beginning
to have problems with confusing
his own wishes with the people’s
wishes and the term ‘the people’
had become his ‘alter ego’. Gonzi
and Mintoff do not share many
characteristics, but both are
susceptible to human frailties, as
we all are.
Meanwhile, as the referendum
campaign starts heating up,
it is obvious that the antidivorce campaign being run
by one of the country’s top
civil servants will be a ‘no
holds barred’ campaign, with
innocent children being used
as pawns in more than one
way. Embarrassing children of
broken families who know first
hand what the irretrievable
breakdown of a marriage means,
in order to get brownie points
in the referendum campaign
makes a mockery of the sham
pity shown in the argument that
divorce is harms the children of
the marriage that is ended. Yet
this is what is already happening
in some schools.
Expect the worse from people
who fanatically believe that they
are on the right side of what they
perceive to be a moral issue.
It isn’t – even though there is
nothing that can persuade their
medieval mindset to look at the
issue from other angles.
Their campaign is being run
on two levels: the official one
managed by a lobby that, in the
most hypocritical way, tries to
feign that it is independent of
the state and of the Church; and
the other level with all sorts of
quacks who have taken things in
their own hands, such as in the
case of the printing of leaflets
with quotations of the opinions
on divorce that Our Lady of Borg
in-Nadur is supposed to have
said in one of her apparitions.
The situation is turning out
to be a big mess, a barroom
type fracas. The result of the
referendum is almost irrelevant.
With the tactics being used,
the Church and the present
administration cannot but lose.
If the no vote wins, it will only be
a Pyrrhic victory, and the things
will never be the same again in
any case.
After almost half a century
since becoming an independent
state, Malta is still going through
its birth pangs!
maltatoday, Sunday, 10 APRIL 2011 21
22
Letters
Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075
E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted.
Being fair with all bright sparks
The columnist of the article
‘Giving our bright sparks a hard
time’ – published in the 20
March edition of MaltaToday
– presented one side of a story
which may be subject to a judicial case. Therefore one feels to
refrain from going into too much
detail.
These are some facts which
give a different perspective to the
whole story. On 28 November
2007, Mr Kevin Joseph Farrugia
signed a scholarship contract
with the Permanent Secretary
of the Ministry of Education,
whereby Mr Farrugia undertook
that he commenced the scholarship on 1 October 2007. Months
later, the MGSS Office discov-
ered that the course started in
May 2008.
One of the eligibility criteria for a scholarship in the
Malta Government Scholarship
Scheme (MGSS) of 2007 was
that the applicant has to be available to commence the academic
studies by 1 October 2007.
When Mr Farrugia signed the
agreement with this false declaration, the MGSS Office paid out
of public funds the tuition fee
as per his University’s invoice,
dated 29 November 2007.
As a consequence, MGSS
Office thought that funds were
exhausted for that particular
year and therefore other bright
students were deprived from
their right of a scholarship
award.
Mr Farrugia knew that action
shall be taken by the MGSS Office since September 2009.
Mario Schiavone
Communications Coordinator
Ministry of Education,
Employment and the Family
Sewage outflow in Albert Town Double standards
Given that Marsa suffers
from all-too-frequent sewage
outflow from the Wasteserv
building in Albert Town, the
Marsa Local Council asks:
where are the environmental
Open
letter
to Jose
Manuel
Barroso
I would indeed be grateful if you give your kind
consideration to a suggestion to the EU, as seen
hereunder.
Would it be proper to
adopt as a motto for the
EU the following:
“All for one, and one for
all.”
This motto was used by
the famous ‘Three Musketeers’.
I think it truly applies to
all member countries.
Lino Callus
Balzan
authorities?
The Council condemns the
authorities, as they are being
inconsiderate of the negative
health impact this has on residents. The Council expects
that immediate action be
taken to remedy the situation.
Francis Debono
Mayor
Marsa
The present divorce debate
brings back so many memories of the terrible politicoreligious crisis which crippled
Malta in the early 60s. At the
time, anybody voting for that
party was threatened with
eternal damnation by the local
Roman Catholic hierarchy.
Now 50 years later, we have
that same church declaring
that anybody who, like me, has
been divorced and is in a stable relationship cannot receive
Holy Communion. Well, I can
accept that, and have done so
for many years.
However, what I cannot
understand is the latest announcement by the local
hierarchy.
It states that divorcees who
are not in a permanent relationship are in fact allowed to
receive Holy Communion.
Is this not pure discrimination… and does it not encourage promiscuity?
It is basically telling such
divorcees to live the playboy
or playgirl life, and look for females or males of easy virtue,
and prostitutes.
Well, I certainly would not
want to be in that category,
just in order to be able to receive Holy Communion.
I have been happily remarried for almost 25 years, and
my present wife and I will be
celebrating our Silver Wedding Anniversary this coming
June.
There is an twist in the
medieval way the local Roman
Catholic Church here in Malta
is acting at the moment.
When I was serving as a
doctor in the British Forces at
NATO, some 14 years ago in
Belgium, my son, the product
of my present marriage, was
given his first Holy Communion there.
Who do you think gave him
this sacrament? A wonderful
married American priest with
children! Yes, he was a former
married Protestant priest, who
converted to Catholicism!
Sadly, the words “double
standards” keep on haunting
me.
Raymond Bencini
Zebbug
PKM deplores Ryanair’s comments
The Communist Party of Malta
deplores the comments made to
the representatives of Ryanair,
and considers this as interference. The Ernst & Young report
gives a clear picture that the
low-cost airlines are direct
competitors with our National
airline. This situation is creating
an unfair competition, and is a
direct threat to the sustainability of Air Malta. The fact that
low-cost airlines across Europe
are being subsidised gives these
companies an unfair advantage
in the civil aviation market.
The Communist Party expresses solidarity with all workers at Air Malta, who are the
victims of past administrative
errors which were not of their
own making. The Party fully
understands the pilots’ association (ALPA), who are concerned
about the same report, as it lacks
detailed information about the
wrong measures taken over the
years and which are affecting
workers today. Most of the work
that Air Malta employees used
to do was outsourced to private
companies. This has created
a situation where many workers are seen as surplus to the
company.
The Communist Party of
Malta condemns the government’s policy, which was always
in favour of privatisation. This
had the effect of workers losing
their jobs and others suffering
from inferior working condi-
I am a retired civil servant and
have worked all my life while
always paying my taxes.
I would like to share my experience at Mater Dei Hospital.
On Tuesday 5 April at 7.30am,
I was taken to Mater Dei Emergency Unit by ambulance with
severe chest pain.
An hour later – following
tests – I was taken to the corridor of the Emergency Unit,
where I waited for about five
hours, together with about 10
patients.
Then I was taken to another
corridor with patients on both
sides – about 20 patients in all.
They even performed a biopsy
on a patient just opposite me.
With the patients (out
patients, I presume) was a
renowned lawyer waiting for a
free ECG – unbelievable!
After about three more
hours, I was the only one who
was sent to ENT Ward, a ward
entirely unrelated to my ailment.
They performed about five
ECGs for me, finding nothing
wrong with my heart.
From other tests it resulted
that I had an infection in my
lungs.
On Wednesday, 6 April at
2.00pm, I was transferred
from ENT to MS3.
On Thursday, 7 April at
9.00am, I was discharged and
taken out of MS3 Ward to the
Discharge Lounge, where I
waited till 1.30pm until the
doctor, who was doing her
rounds in the hospital, came
to give me the prescription for
my pills (Tavenic 500mg).
The discharge note is going
to be sent by post, because I
got fed up of waiting: I spent
four and a half hours waiting
‘State of the art’ Mater Dei
tions. Several public companies
that had been privatised are
employing new workers on
atypical job contracts which
results in precarious jobs. A typical example is several workers at
GO and Malta Post plc, who are
being employed on atypical job
contracts while others face the
threat of becoming redundant.
Victor Degiovanni,
Secretary,
Communist Party of Malta
for a prescription!
This means I spent about
12 and a half hours waiting –
eight of which in a corridor.
And Minister Joe Cassar says
that there are enough beds.
He should take off his Gonzi
smile while on TV, and admit
that there are not, in fact,
enough beds.
He should address and solve
this bed problem.
I am sure he has a solution,
he should implement it.
Albert Calleja
Birkirkara
23
MaltaToday, MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016
Managing Director: Roger de Giorgio
Managing Editor: Saviour Balzan
Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 • Fax: (356) 21 385075
Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt
Editorial
Europe, we have a problem
Seven years after European Union accession, many of our preconceived notions about EU membership have evaporated in the cold light of day.
The latest symptom came in the form
of Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia
Malmstrom’s refusal to activate an existing emergency mechanism, after Malta
and Italian raised the alarm over an imminent ‘emergency’ influx from Libya.
Admittedly, Malmstrom may well have
a point when she argues that the number
of arrivals of date – 1,000 in a week does not constitute an ‘emergency’. The
influx after all remains a far cry from
the tens of thousands (if not millions) we
associate with full-blown refugee crises
from conflicts such as Kosovo, Iraq and
elsewhere.
But in all this talk of statistics, the EU
appears to be ignoring a human tragedy
unfolding right under its nose. This week
an estimated 250 lives may have been
lost at sea somewhere between Malta
and Lampedusa, and still the Commission sees no reason to intervene. How
many more shall have to drown trying to
escape from Libya, before the EU finally
accepts there is a problem on its own
doorstep, and activates its own, already
existing emergency mechanism? 1,000?
10,000? 50,000? We simply don’t know.
But this is largely beside the point. MaltaToday has seen correspondence between the Commission and the Maltese
government, and can therefore confirm
that the real reason for Malmstrom’s refusal had nothing to do with the number
of arrivals at all. It was prompted by a
simple lack of cooperation from other
member states. In other words, the EU
just said ‘no’.
In practice, individual European countries may always choose – as Germany
did this week – to provide assistance on
their own private initiative. But as a rule,
the Union tends to avoid committing
itself to binding agreements of the kind
demanded by Malta, regardless how
many lives may be at stake.
This in turn implies that, despite having been a member of the EU for seven
years, Malta is still very much alone in
facing this particular problem. And this
is but the start of a number of issues on
which the European Union has manifestly let us down.
If migration is an issue which tests the
EU’s commitment towards solidarity,
there are others which test its credibility
on the environmental front also. Before
joining in 2004, Malta was given to understand that EU membership implied
the strict observance of a number of
stringent environmental standards, all
aimed at improving the quality of life of
its citizens.
But after membership, the application
of those standards proved to be considerably less stringent than previously
supposed. The first test came very soon
after accession, when the government
extended the development boundaries
by almost 3%, without submitting a Strategic Environmental Assessment.
Following complaints by environmentalist groups, the Commission spent
three years investigating the incident,
only to conclude that there had been no
violation of European law. Afterwards,
we discovered that the Commission
had acted on insufficient information
provided by the government – which
had ‘coincidentally’ omitted to provide
the full facts regarding the Smart City
project, among others – and that by its
own admission, its entire investigation
had been flawed.
Elsewhere, the European Union proved
altogether indifferent when it came to
health and safety issues, too. Regardless of the fact that Malta has the highest rate of respiratory problems among
children in the EU, the Commission
consented to the government’s request
to extend a derogation from the air
quality directive.
There has never been any satisfactory
explanation for why Malta has been
permitted to exceed the Union’s air pollution limits, despite the obvious health
risk this poses to its residents. Perhaps
Maltese citizens – especially children
- are valued less than those of other
member states, where the directive ap-
plies in full. Or perhaps these directives
are there merely for an outward show
of environmental commitment, but are
not taken seriously at all.
There is however one area where the
European Union has proved it will brook
no nonsense whatsoever from any individual member state. While turning a
blind eye to air pollution, allowing overconstruction, and – most recently – colluding with the government to ensure
that Malta gets a spring hunting season
denied to all other member states, the
same EU came down like a tonne of
bricks when Malta attempted a direct
capital injection into Air Malta, to save
the national airline from bankruptcy.
Not only did the EU disallow any leeway for direct State intervention… but it
also insisted that any restructuring programme should streamline the company so that it runs on purely commercial
lines, in competition which much larger
and better served airlines… an impossible task, which many believe will ultimately prove the last nail in Air Malta’s
coffin.
For all this, it remains a moot point
whether Malta would have been better
off outside the Union, rather than in.
But it must be said that our quality of
life has not improved noticeably since
membership… nor are there any indications that it will in the immediate
future.
Quote of the week
“Sometimes, one gets the impression that some people were acting like Pontius Pilate, by simply washing their
hands and shirking off their responsibility,”
- Gozo Bishop Mgr. Mario Grech referring to the general indifference over the asylum seekers drowning off Lampedusa
24
25
maltatoday,
This Week
Ashes of
a tragedy
All we’ve seen so far is a teaser trailer… but
Simshar, a feature film based on the harrowing
boating tragedy, is already inspiring hope for
the local film industry. Teodor Reljic speaks to
Rebecca Cremona, the film’s young director – who
made a name for herself in international circles
with the short film Magdalene – about the layered
drama’s history. The burning question remains:
will Simshar ever get made?
See page 34
Sunday, 10 APRIL 2011
Culture | TV | Film
Cinema listings
Food | What’s On
26
this week
WHAT’S ON
NIGHTLIFE
TONIGHT
Discoteca Labirinto
A night of exclusively
alternative Italian music at
Coach and Horses, Valley
Road, Msida starting from
19:00. Pizza and pasta not
included. Free entrance.
MUSIC
APRIL 13
Homesongs vol.11 - Mark
Scicluna
lllustrator par excellance, who
attained local cult status with
the Bus Driver Card Game,
begins his worldwide takeover
attempt at Coach and Horses,
Valley Road
Msida, at 21:00.
APRIL 15, 16
Pete Molinari (UK)
Coach and Horses is proud to
present Pete Molinari, on tour
showcasing his third album
‘A Train Boung for Glory’ at
21:00. Entrance is €7 (€5 for
people born 1990 onwards
on presentation of ID card).
Please email to book since
place is limited.
APRIL 16
Nosnow/noalps Album
Launch ‘Romantikpolitik’
Nosnow/noalps will be
launching their debut album
at the Orpheum Theater in
Gzira at 21:30. The launch
will also feature performances
by Red Electrick and Stolen
Creep, and will be followed by
a DJ set by Davide Zane.
THEATRE AND
DANCE
APRIL 17, 29
Frankenstein
Exciting new production
of Mary Shelley’s gothic
horror classic, directed
by Trainspotting’s Danny
Boyle and beamed from the
National Theatre in London
to St James Cavalier cinema.
The main actors will alternate
between the characters of
Victor Frankenstein and
Frankenstein’s creature on
different nights. The version
featuring Jonny Lee Miller as
Frankenstein and Benedict
Cumberbatch as the Creature
will be screened tonight and
March 27 at 19:00, and April
2 at 20:00. The alternate
version will be screened on
27
this week
WHAT’S ON
SYMPOSIUM
APRIL 15, 16
Cultural Translations
Symposium organised
by The Department of
English of the University
of Malta in collaboration
with Centre for Critical and
Cultural Theory, Cardiff
University and University
of Zaragoza at the Old
University Building, St Paul’s
Street, Valletta. Featuring
papers by both local and
international postgraduates
broadly tackling the subject
of translation. Sessions
start at 08:30 on both days.
Registration fee is €50
for both days or €30 for
one day; undergraduates
– €40 Euros for both
days or €25 for one day
(Smartcard refund available).
Registration from: http://
www.um.edu.mt/events/
culturaltranslations2011/
registration. Registration
deadline is April 11.
FAIRS AND
FESTIVALS
TODAY
Me am Chic
Illustrator Mark Scicluna will be spinning his Homesongs at Coach and Horses,
Valley Road, Msida on April 13
March 24 at 20:00, April 8
and 29 at 20:00 and April 17
at 19:15. Tickets at €10 can be
booked by calling 21223200
or by logging on to https://
ticketengine.sjcav.org/.
EXHIBITIONS
UNTIL APRIL 23
Christine X, Denise
Scicluna and Romina
Delia
Unique exhibition at Artitude
Gallery, 17, Tigne, Sliema,
showcasing artworks of
various sizes and costs in
a series of exhibits set to
happen every two weeks.
Opening times: daily from
10:00 to 13:00, 16:00 to 19:00.
More information: www.
christinexart.com, christine@
christinexart.com, 21316708
and 99844653.
UNTIL MAY 15
Alphonse Mucha (18601939) – In Quest of
Beauty
Exhibition of works by the
Czech Art Nouveau artist at
The Salon of The National
Museum of Archaeology,
Republic Street, Valletta. In
association with Heritage
Malta and the Mucha
Foundation, Prague.
POSTGRADUATE
The Me am Chic Women’s
Expo will be a festival of
everything women love
taking place at Malta Fairs
and Convention Centre
(MFCC) in Ta’ Qali. Visitors
can shop till they drop,
watch fashion& hair shows,
get a makeover, haircut
or spa treatment, attend
cooking lessons by Maltese
renowned chefs or find
out more about cosmetic
surgery and non-surgical
procedures.
TODAY
Festa Frawli 2011
(Strawberry Festival)
The annual strawberry
festival will once again be
held at the picturesque
Mgarr parish square for
its fifth edition from
10:00. Expect freshly
picked strawberries on
sale, a myriad of desserts,
gourmet dishes prepared
by experienced chefs,
handmade souvenirs, folk
themed live entertainment,
horse rides, children’s games
and much more.
APRIL 11-15
DESA Book Sale
DESA is giving you the
opportunity to sell those
books you don’t really need
and to replace them with
new, reasonably-priced ones
at KSU Student’s House
Foyer, University of Malta.
The sale will run from
09:00-16:00. Should you
wish to sell, send an email
with your details (& the
books’) on info@desa.org.
mt.
CHARITY
EVENTS
TODAY
Charity Lunch
The sisters of St Dorothy are
organising a buffet lunch at
the Dolmen Hotel at 12:00,
in aid of the missions in the
Philippines. Price for adults
is €18, children €9. Call
99063820, 21431367.
WRITING
WORKSHOP
APRIL 12
Feature Writing for
Magazines Workshop
This introductory workshop,
organised by DESA, will be
conducted by Jo Caruana
who is the editor of ‘Style
on Sunday’, and will take
place at GW206, University
of Malta from 11:00 to
13:00. Participation is free.
However, please note that
due to the nature of the
workshops the maximum
number of participants is
12 (first come, first served).
Bookings must be made by
email on info@desa.org.mt .
28
FOOD
Meal planning
By Dr Karen Mugliett
Home Economist and
lecturer in Nutrition,
Family and Consumer
Studies at the
University of Malta
The following six main principles can help individuals plan
their meals to get the most out
of their food and maintain a
healthy lifestyle:
• Variety – eat different foods
from the four main food
groups (meat, fish, poultry;
fruit and vegetables; cereals, whole grains and starchy
vegetables; and milk and dairy
products). A variety of food
will give you the different nutrients you require.
• Balance - eat a well balanced
diet which means eating the
right quantity and variety of
food from the four main food
groups daily
• Moderation – eat moderately
so that if you consume too
many calories in one meal you
make up for it throughout the
day by eating food which is
lower in calories
• Use fresh foods and prepare
your own food – local and
seasonal foods offer the best
nutrients without the additives associated with packaged
and processed or readymade
foods. Encourage homecooking with the use of fresh
products
• Nutrient Density – try to
opt for foods which will give
you more nutrients and less
calories rather than a lot of
calories and hardly any nutrients, e.g. a banana is a much
healthier snack than a bar of
chocolate or a few biscuits
because the latter will give
you harmful fats and calories
whereas the banana is packed
with nutrients and is low in
calories.
• Energy Density – consume
foods with a low energy density (low in calories but give
bulk and promote satiety) eg
fruit, vegetables and cereals as
opposed to biscuits and fried
foods.
Meal planning for
entertainment purposes
Easter is close and we may be
inviting people over for the
Easter meal at home. Our preoccupation will be to make the
right choices which would be
enjoyed by all present and also
make it a meal to remember.
Entertaining can be stressful
and only good planning and
the right choices will make it
easier. It is not worth the effort if we get agitated, tense
and very tired. One must enjoy the preparation part too
so encourage help from family
members including the children – it’s good training for
them. Finally do not go over
the top and be over elaborate
- only do what you are capable
of culinary wise.
Here are a few tips for some
successful entertaining:
1. Plan the meal out on paper – who will the guests be,
check what is in season and
plan the food accordingly –
this will help you spend less,
plan the shopping list and
when to shop and make up
a plan of action of when to
cook. Don’t leave all the cooking to last day so plan items
that can be cooked beforehand.
2. Plan the meal about five
days in advance. Do the shopping two or three days in advance.
3. Start cooking one or two
days in advance. Desserts
and soups are ideal for prior
preparation.
4. Don’t overdo the cooking
– large portions or excessive
food which might be wasted is
not to be encouraged.
5. Balance colours and provide
interesting dishes and textures
of food. This will also help to
provide better nutrients. So
include lots of colour.
6. Plan a menu that looks elegant but doesn’t overwork
you. Even simple dishes can
look appetising. It is all in the
presentation so give this some
thought.
7. Plan foods that can be
prepared in advance and do
not require that you spend
substantial time in the kitchen
whilst the guests are there.
Do not wash plates whilst the
guests are still at home.
8. Plan food you are practised
in – try to avoid trying out
things for the first time when
guests are invited. If you want
to try out something new, first
try it out with the family for
some practice runs.
9. At times it is nice to have a
theme, a wine party, cocktail
party, summer dinner party,
buffet, etc. It adds interest if
you have some commonality in
the menu rather than a whole
mix of food which doesn’t go
together. At times it could be
international food or a seasonal
meal, a Valentine’s dinner or a
seafood dinner.
10. Keep the guests’ food preference in mind, cater for vegetarians or non meat lovers if they
are part of the crowd. I always
ask my guests what they do not
eat. There are some people who
hate cucumber for example so
I make sure I avoid it. Likewise
keep dietary and religious restrictions of guests in mind.
11. Give thought and plan the
setting of the table with appropriate tableclothes, matching
cutlery and dishes, candles if
appropriate, etc. This should
be done beforehand and well
organised so you won’t have to
keep getting up for items you
may have forgotten to put on a
table.
12. Leave appropriate time for
setting the table, or have someone to do it at least an hour before the guests arrive.
13. Do not keep cooking till the
last minute. Allow enough time
for you to have a shower/bath
before the guests arrive.
I hope this article may help
you to enjoy entertaining and
bring a group of friends or
family over for some good
food and wine and for some
relaxation and good fun....and
hope the gesture will be reciprocated!
29
Salmon Terrine (plus alternative
method for Chicken Terrine)
Creativity is the essence of good cooking and entertaining differently. Food, particularly meat or fish can
either be cooked directly in a simple way or be used with
more versatility. A terrine is a rectangular dish which is
used to hold meat, fish or chicken which has been made
into a mousse or pate’ and takes the shape of a loaf. It can
make food more interesting and is a way to show your
creativity or culinary skills. It may look difficult but it is
actually quite simple to do as long as the steps below are
followed. Once you have tried one terrine successfully I
am sure that your imagination will start running wild
and you can create your own terrines. So go ahead and
try this one out and then create your own.
The terrine is also a suitable dish for entertaining purposes as it can be prepared a day or two in advance and
so eases the pressure on the day. In a meal or a party,
this type of dish gives colour, different tastes and textures and contrast as in the blue cheese with the salmon.
A terrine can go down well with children and they will
enjoy fish, meat or chicken with vegetables even if they
may normally refuse any of these.
Tip: Instead of salmon one can use any other type
of fillet of fish or may substitute this altogether with
chicken mince. In this case instead of prawns at the centre, one can use the blue cheese as in the recipe below
or bacon and an orange or red pepper which has been
blended in a liquidiser.
Ingredients
10 slices of smoked salmon or blanched spinach leaves to
line the terrine
500g fresh salmon
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
200ml soya cream
100g prawns or few slices of blue cheese to go in the
middle of the terrine
2 tablespoons fresh basil
2 tablespoons dill (or parsley)
Baking paper
Foil
Recipe
Method
1. If using spinach to line the terrine (a loaf tin can be
used), wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and then
blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Then
pick them up carefully, drain them and run cold
water over the spinach to stop the cooking process. Line the bottom and sides of the greased terrine
dish with the blanched leaves. Make sure there are
no gaps.
2. If using smoked salmon to line the terrine, line it with
baking paper and layer the smoked salmon neatly in
the terrine dish. Make sure there are no gaps.
3. To make the fish mousse, trim and skin the fish and
remove all bones. Puree the fish in a food processor
adding a little salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the egg whites and blend well and then add the
soya cream and blend well. For a velvety texture pass
the mixture through a fine sieve but this is not all
that necessary.
5. If making a chicken terrine, substitute minced chicken breasts for the fish in step 4 above.
6. Pour half of the mixture over the spinach leaves or
the smoked salmon and spread out evenly.
7. Place the prawns or the blue cheese slices (if using
chicken) neatly over the salmon mixture in the terrine
8. Whilst the second half of the salmon mixture is in
the food processer add the liquefied basil and dill to
this mixture to get a greenish colour
9. Pour this mixture over the prawns or blue cheese
and smoothen with a spatula.
10. Cover the terrine with foil and bake bain marie at
160°C for 1 hour or until the skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool slightly.
11. The terrine can be served hot or can be chilled for a
few hours and then served cold. It is ideal as a starter
served with some toasted bread and olive oil, as part
of a buffet or as a main course accompanied with
vegetables and rice.
Fruit of the week
Strawberries
Mgarr is today hosting the annual Festa
Frawli celebrating this much loved fruit.
Strawberries are at their best locally right
now. The original Maltese strawberry is
small in size and very tasty. Nowadays, with
more sophisticated cultivation methods
and the introduction of foreign varieties, we
are getting larger varieties. Their lovely red
colour makes them such an attractive fruit which can be eaten as a fruit on its own
or used in desserts, in fruit smoothies or milkshakes or in tarts. When entertaining I always like to serve fruit to my guests especially for those who prefer not to
overindulge in a meal. I like to serve strawberries with pine nuts or walnuts and
a little honey with some yogurt or vanilla ice cream on the side. Here as seen in
Chicken terrine
Salmon and Blue cheese terrine
the photo I am serving strawberries with dried figs which
have been baked with cinnamon and yogurt with a swirl of
cardamon.
The strawberry is high in minerals, vitamins A, B complex and C but low in calories (150g containing only 50
calories). One must take care to buy strawberries which
have not been harvested more than one or two days before.
Choose strawberries that are intact, bright red, even and
have healthy green leaves. They should have a fresh aroma.
Do not buy strawberries if you are not going to use them
within two days. Do not wash strawberries before storing them as this will remove their protective outer layer.
Strawberries spoil easily and can become contaminated
with pathogenic bacteria or viruses. When washing strawberries do so with the leaves still on and soak well in water.
Hull the leaves before serving the strawberries and only leave in the refrigerator for
up to two hours before serving.
The fruit cocktail is made by liquidising altogether a punnet of strawberries, 2 bananas, 1 carton yogurt or 100ml milk and 1 small grated carrot. Some Angostura
bitters can be added to the drink to add a touch of flavour.
Today
Out next Sunday with maltatoday
30
this week
TELEVISION
TVM
07:00 L-Ghodwa T-Tajba 07:50 Starboard (rpt) 08:30 Waltzing Matilda
(rpt) 09:00 L-Quddiesa Tal-Hadd – Gharghur 09:45 Hajja (rpt) 10:15
Destinations (rpt) 11:00 Hadd Ghalik 12:00 News In Maltese/Weather
Report 12:05 Hadd Ghalik Ikompli 14:00 TVM Shop 14:30 TVM Shop
15:00 Taht l-Art (rpt) 15:30 Airborne (rpt) 16:00 Mixage (rpt) 16:25
Gadgets (rpt) 17:00 Eukanuba Extraordinary Dogs (rpt) 17:25 Taghna
F’Taghna 18:00 Sign News/Weather Report 18:05 Luxdesigns 19:15
Venere 20:00 L-Aħbarijiet/Sports/Rapport Tat-Temp 20:40 Kc 21:45
Kontrattakk 23:15 L-Aħbarijiet/Weather Report 23:35 News In English)
NET TV
06:30 Net News 08:30 Chit Chat 09:30 Teleshopping 10:30 SalMisrah – Mgarr 12:30 House Magazine Weekend 13:30 It-Tokk 14:00
Net News 14:05 Teleshopping 15:00 Net News 15:05 Teleshopping
16:10 Mill-Guf Sal-Iskola 17:00
Sport Extra 18:00 Net
News 18:10 Flusek 18:40 Infittxu ‘L-Awtur 19:00 Wheelspin 19:30
Ghalik Fl-Ewropa 19:45 Net News 20:30 Simpatici Eps26 21:10 Replay
21:30 Net News 21:32 Replay 23:00 Net News 23:30 Futbol Malti
ONE
07:00 One News 07:20 Ezercizzi Tar-Randan 07:30 Bil-Kelma T-Tajba
08:00 X’ser Issajjar?! 09:00 Mat-Tokki L-Prima 09:35 Aroma Kitchen
11:05 Teleshopping 12:05 Pink Panther 12:50 Malta Fuq Kanvas
13:30 One News & Weather Update 13:40 X’hadd Maghna 15:55
Midinbin [Episodju 23] 16:55 Trijangolu 17:30 One News Update
17:35 Ezercizzi Tar-Randan 17:40 Fresh & Funky 18:10 On D Road
19:00 Ieqaf 20 Minuta 19:30 One News, One Sport & Weather Report
20:25 The Kilo Challenge 22:00 One News Headlines 22:01 The Kilo
Challenge 22:45 Pandora 23:15 One News & Weather Update
CANALE 5
08:00 TG5 Mattina 08:50 Le frontiere dello spirito 09:40 TGCom 10:00
Grande Fratello - Riassunto 10:15 Il Mammo 10:45 L’onore e il rispetto
BBC WORLD NEWS 200
06:00 BBC World News 06:30 Newsnight 07:00
BBC World News 07:30 The Record Europe 08:00
BBC World News 08:30 Fast Track 09:00 BBC
World News 09:10 World Features 09:30 To
Be Announced 10:00 BBC World News 10:10
World Features 10:30 Dateline London 11:00
BBC World News 11:10 My Country 12:00 BBC
World News 12:10 World Features 12:30 Third
Eye 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 Newsnight
14:00 BBC World News 14:10 World Features
14:30 Extra Time 15:00 BBC World News 15:15
Sport Today 15:30 Click 16:00 BBC World News
16:30 Nature Inc. 17:00 BBC World News 17:10
To Be Announced 18:00 BBC World News 18:30
India Business Report 19:00 BBC World News
19:30 Third Eye 20:00 BBC World News 20:15
Sport Today 20:30 Click 21:00 BBC World News
21:30 To Be Announced 22:00 BBC World News
22:10 World Features 22:30 Nature Inc. 23:00
BBC World News 23:10 My Country
BBC ENTERTAINMENT 300
06:05 Me Too! 06:25 Tweenies 06:45 Teletubbies 07:10 The Large Family 07:20 Me Too!
07:40 Tweenies 08:00 Teletubbies 08:25 The
Large Family 08:40 My Family 09:10 My Family 09:40 Pride 11:10 Doctor Who Confidential
11:20 Casualty 12:10 Casualty 13:00 The Weakest Link 13:50 The Weakest Link 14:35 Doctors
15:05 Doctors 15:35 Doctors 16:05 Doctors
16:35 Doctors 17:05 Pride 18:35 My Family
19:05 Full Circle with Michael Palin 19:55 Robin
Hood 20:40 North & South 21:35 Paradox 22:25
Spooks 23:15 Only Fools and Horses... 23:45 The
Weakest Link
E! ENTERTAINMENT 306
06:00 50 Most Shocking Celebrity Confessions
07:50 Favourite Child Stars: Where Are They
Now? 08:40 THS: Mario Lopez 09:30 E! News
10:00 Style Star: Renee Zellweger and Anne
Hathaway 10:25 Married to Rock: Josie Is a Doll
10:50 Keeping up with the Kardashians: Kourt
Goes A.W.O.L. 11:15 Jennifer Aniston 12:15
E! News 12:45 Forbes 20 Cash Queens of Music
13:40 THS: Donald Trump 14:30 Forbes Top 20
Celebrity Cash Couples: Crazy Double Incomes
11:40 TGCom - Meteo 5 13:00 TG5 - Meteo 5 13:40 Grande Fratello
14:00 Domenica Cinque 18:50 Chi vuol essere milionario 20:00 TG5 Meteo 5 20:40 Paperissima Sprint 21:10 Il senso della vita 00:30 Terra!
01:00 TG5 Notte - Meteo 5 Notte
ITALIA 1
07:00 Superpartes 08:10 Hi! Hamtaro 08:30 Jewelpet 08:50 Spongebob 09:05 Spongebob 09:15 Ben 10 09:35 YU-GI-OH! 5D’S 10:00
Beyblade Metal Fusion 10:25 Teen Titans 10:45 Chill Out, ScoobyDoo! 11:35 TGCom - Meteo 12:25 Studio Aperto - Meteo 13:00 Guida
al Campionato 14:00 Grand Prix 14:35 Tornado - la furia del diavolo
15:30 TGCom - Meteo 16:30 Beethoven 17:45 TGCom - Meteo 18:00
Studio Aperto - Meteo 19:00 Mr. Bean 19:30 Un tipo imprevedibile
20:25 TGCom - Meteo 21:25 50 Volte il primo bacio 22:25 TGCom Meteo 23:25 Torno a vivere da solo 00:25 TGCom - Meteo
RETE 4
07:15 Superpartes 08:20 A.D. - Anno Domini 09:20 Magnifica Italia
10:00 Santa Messa 11:00 Pianeta mare 11:30 TG4 - Meteo 12:00
Melaverde 13:20 Pianeta mare 13:50 Donnavventura 14:50 Suor
Thérèse 16:35 Vie d’Italia notizie sul traffico 16:40 Una ragione per vivere e una per morire 17:35 TGCom - Meteo 18:55 TG4 - Meteo 19:35
Il ritorno di Colombo 21:30 Tempesta d’amore 23:20 Controcampo Posticipo 23:30 Controcampo 01:20 TG4 Night News
RAI UNO
07:00 TG1 08:00 TG1 09:05 TG1 L.I.S. 09:10 Pole Position 09:55
Mondiale Formula 1 2011 10:50 A sua immagine 10:55 Santa Messa
12:00 Recita dell’Angelus 12:20 Linea verde 13:30 TG1 - TG1 Focus
14:00 Domenica In - L’Arena 15:50 Domenica In - Amori 16:15 Domenica In... onda 16:25 Che tempo fa 16:30 TG1 18:50 L’eredità 20:00
TG1 20:35 TG Sport 20:40 Affari tuoi 21:30 Un passo dal cielo 22:30
Un passo dal cielo 23:39 TG1 60 Secondi 23:40 Speciale TG1 00:45 TG1
Notte - Che tempo fa
15:20 Forbes Most Bankable Stars 15:50 World’s
Most Expensive 16:15 Forbes Top 20 Young Royals
17:10 Women of the Forbes Celebrity 100 18:05
Long Island Princesses Unleashed 18:30 Got
Rich Quick: Forbes Outrageous Fortunes 19:00
E! News 19:30 Dallas Divas & Daughters: Don’t
Mess with Mean 20:00 The Spin Crowd: Beauty
and the Billionaire 20:30 The Spin Crowd: Should
I Stay or Should I Go? 21:00 Keeping up with the
Kardashians: My Bodyguard 21:30 Keeping up
with the Kardashians: Botox and Cigarettes 22:00
Kourtney and Kim Take New York: Sexy in the City
22:30 Holly’s World: On a Claire Day 23:00 E!
News 23:30 Dr 90210: Regeneration Gap
FINE LIVING NETWORK 307
06:00 Breathing Space Yoga 06:25 Breathing
Space Yoga 06:50 Caribbean Workout 07:15 Caribbean Workout 07:40 Making It Big 08:30 Easy
Entertaining with Michael Chiarello 09:00 Bathtastic! 09:25 Kitchen Impossible 09:50 World’s
Most Extreme Homes 10:15 Planet Food 11:05
My Big Amazing Renovations 11:30 Rachael Rays
Tasty Travels 12:00 Giada’s Weekend Getaways
12:25 Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello
12:50 Saturday Kitchen 13:15 I Do, Let’s Eat
13:45 Kitchen Impossible 14:10 Small Space, Big
Style 14:35 Small Space, Big Style 15:00 Bathtastic! 15:25 World’s Most Extreme Homes 15:50
World’s Most Extreme Homes 16:15 Offbeat
America 16:40 Offbeat America 17:05 Bathtastic! 17:30 Kitchen Impossible 18:00 Divine Design 18:25 Divine Design 18:55 Small Space, Big
Style 19:20 Extreme Yachts 20:10 Bazaar 20:35
Bazaar 21:00 Adventure Golf 21:30 Adventure
Golf 21:55 State of Style: Spring/Summer Collection 22:20 State of Style: Spring/Summer
Collection 22:45 Guy’s Guide to Romance 23:35
Offbeat America
ZONE REALITY 308
06:00 Search and Rescue 06:25 Search and Rescue 06:50 Missing Persons Unit 07:40 Animal
Miracles 08:30 Medics 08:55 Medics 09:20 City
Medicals 10:10 The Boy Who Will Never Grow
11:00 Beyond Chance 11:50 Search and Rescue
12:15 Search and Rescue 12:40 Animal Miracles
13:30 Medics 13:55 Medics 14:20 City Medicals
Brothers & Sisters Y4 Ep1: The Road Ahead [Drama Series]
21:15 on melita more (Channel 802)
21:00 – N.C.I.S. – Rai Due
RAI DUE
07:00 Cartoon Flakes Weekend 07:01 Le nuove avventure di Braccio di
Ferro 07:15 Gargoyles 07:35 Art attack 08:00 Yes! Pretty Cure 5 Gogo
08:25 Spike Team 08:50 Bruno The Great 08:55 Victorious 09:20 Social King 10:10 Ragazzi c’è Voyager - Fai la tua domanda 10:30 A come
Avventura 10:50 Mondiale Formula 1 2011 12:00 Pole Position 12:25
Mezzogiorno in famiglia 13:00 TG2 Giorno 13:30 TG2 Motori 13:40 Meteo 2 13:45 Quelli che... aspettano 15:40 Quelli che il calcio e... 17:05
Rai Sport Stadio Sprint 18:00 TG2 L.I.S. 18:03 Meteo 2 18:05 Rai Sport
90° Minuto 19:05 Mondiale Formula 1 2011 20:00 Crazy Parade 20:30
TG2 - 20.30 21:00 N.C.I.S. 21:45 Hawaii Five-0 22:35 Rai Sport La Domenica Sportiva 01:00 TG2
15:10 Border Force 16:00 Beyond Chance 16:50
Missing Persons Unit 17:40 Who Do You Think
You Are? 18:30 Real Strange 18:55 True Heroes
19:20 Exhibit A 19:45 Exhibit A 20:10 The Boy
Who Will Never Grow 21:00 Nightmare in Suburbia 21:50 Crime Stories 22:40 Crime and Justice
23:05 Street Court 23:30 Border Force
GRANADA TV 309
08:00 To Be Announced 12:00 To Be Announced
16:00 To Be Announced 20:00 To Be Announced
TCM 310
06:00 Separate Tables [PG] 07:55 Little Women
[U] 10:10 The Black Sleep 11:55 Follow That
Dream [U] 14:05 A Doll’s House [PG] 16:00 Bandido [U] 17:50 Exodus [PG] 22:00 A Man Called
Horse [15]
MGM CHANNEL 312
07:15 Book of Days 08:45 Chance of a Lifetime
10:20 Mystery Date [12] 11:55 Comes a Horseman [15] 13:50 The Group 16:20 Wuthering
Heights [PG] 18:05 Invasion of the Body Snatchers [15] 20:00 Carrie [15] 21:35 The Spring
23:05 Eureka [15]
HALLMARK 313
06:00 Dallas 07:00 Dallas 08:00 Suddenly Susan 08:30 Suddenly Susan 09:00 As Summers
Die 10:40 Great Women 10:45 Snowy River:
The McGregor Saga 11:42 Great Women 11:50
Alice 12:20 Alice 12:50 The Good Old Boys 15:00
Commander in Chief 16:00 Commander in Chief
17:00 All Around the Town [15] 18:45 Touch
19:00 Agatha Christie’s Marple 20:00 Wolff’s
Turf 21:00 Wolff’s Turf 22:00 Rex: A Cop’s Friend
23:00 Agatha Christie’s Poirot
THE STYLE NETWORK 352
06:00 Big Boutique 06:30 Big Boutique 07:00
Clean House 08:00 Giuliana and Bill 08:25 Top
10 08:55 Homes with Style 09:20 Homes with
Style 09:50 How Do I Look? 10:50 How Do I
Look? 11:50 Ruby 12:45 Ruby 13:45 Ruby 14:40
Ruby 15:35 Ruby 16:30 Ruby 18:25 Giuliana and
Bill 18:50 Giuliana and Bill 19:20 Fashion Police
19:45 Clean House Comes Clean 20:15 Ruby:
My Naked Truth 21:10 Bridalplasty 22:05 Clean
House 23:00 Fashion Police 23:30 Top 10
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives S7 [Culinary Show]
13:30 on Food Network HD (Channel 372)
RAI TRE
07:00 Galicia, a rentes do ceo 07:28 Europeos: destinos cruzados 07:59
Reporteiros 08:12 Pegadas na memoria 08:42 Zigzag Diario 09:02
Olladas 09:12 Zigzag Diario 09:27 Nacer de Novo 09:43 A Sentinela
10:00 Santa Misa 10:32 Parlamento 11:03 Zigzag Diario 11:19 En clave
natural 11:45 Vivir o mar 12:15 A Revista Fin de Semana 13:10 Axustes
Natureza 13:12 A Revista Fin de Semana 13:40 Aéreos 13:47 Labranza
14:17 Reportaxes 14:25 Telexornal fin de semana 15:16 Desde Galicia
para el mundo 16:15 Reporteiros 16:30 En xogo 19:00 Xa hai que foi
19:15 Reporteiros 19:28 Contacontos 19:38 Historias de Galicia 20:05
Botarse ao monte 20:30 De viaxe 20:53 Telexornal fin de semana 21:44
O Tempo 21:50 Criaturas 22:20 Libro de familia
FOOD NETWORK 353
06:00 Chopped 06:50 Guy’s Big Bite 07:15 Boy
Meets Grill 07:40 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 08:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 08:30 Paula’s Best
Dishes 08:55 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
09:20 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives 09:45 Throwdown with Bobby Flay 10:10 Unwrapped 10:35
Paula’s Party 11:25 Good Eats 11:50 Paula’s
Best Dishes 12:15 Throwdown with Bobby Flay
12:40 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 13:30 Diners,
Drive-Ins and Dives 13:55 Unwrapped 14:20 Boy
Meets Grill 14:45 Chopped 15:35 Paula’s Best
Dishes 16:00 Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
16:25 Good Deal with Dave Lieberman 16:50
Ten Dollar Dinners 17:15 Paula’s Party 18:05
Good Eats 18:30 Food Network Challenge 19:20
Unwrapped 19:45 Unwrapped 20:10 Candy Convention 21:00 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives 21:25
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives 21:50 Guy’s Big Bite
22:15 Guy’s Big Bite 22:40 Good Eats 23:05
Unwrapped 23:30 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
23:55 Unwrapped
DISCOVERY CHANNEL 400
06:00 Fifth Gear 06:25 How It’s Made 06:50
How Does it Work? 07:15 Through the Wormhole
with Morgan Freeman: What Happened Before
the Beginning? 08:10 Mythbusters: Green Hornet Special 09:05 Destroyed in Seconds 09:35
Destroyed in Seconds 10:00 Storm Chasers:
Dedication 10:55 Man vs. Fish with Matt Watson:
Dogtooth Tuna 11:50 Dual Survival: Failed Ascent 12:45 Extreme Fishing with Robson Green
13:40 Mythbusters: Green Hornet Special 14:35
Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman:
What Happened Before the Beginning? 15:30 Future Weapons: Hard Target 16:25 Battle Machine
Bros: Ripsaw Revolution 17:20 Top Trumps: Super
Yachts 17:50 Top Trumps 18:15 Fifth Gear 18:45
Fifth Gear 19:10 American Chopper: Senior vs
Junior: Lee Returns 20:05 Mythbusters: President’s Challenge 21:00 Ross Kemp on Gangs: El
Salvador 21:55 Behind Bars: Washington 22:50
The Future of...: Superhumans 23:45 Daredevils:
The Sky Walker
DISCOVERY WORLD 401
06:00 China’s Man Made Marvels 06:50 China’s
Man Made Marvels 07:45 China’s Man Made
Marvels 08:35 China’s Man Made Marvels 09:30
Prehistoric Disasters 10:20 Raging Planet 11:15
Engineering 12:10 Tsunami 13:00 Nature’s Power
Revealed 13:55 Bone Detectives 14:50 Atlas 4D
15:40 Last Mysteries of the Titanic 17:30 Quest
for Captain Kidd 18:20 Beyond Survival with Les
Stroud 19:10 Animal Gladiators 21:00 Into the
Unknown with Josh Bernstein 21:55 Atlas 4D
22:50 Undercover 23:45 The Loch Ness Monster
Revealed
DISCOVERY SCIENCE 402
06:00 How The Universe Works 06:55 Brainiac
07:48 Sci-Fi Science 08:15 Weird Connections
08:45 Catch It Keep It 09:35 Science of the Movies 10:25 Science of the Movies 11:15 Science of
the Movies 12:05 Science of the Movies 12:55
Science of the Movies 13:45 The Gadget Show
14:10 The Gadget Show 14:35 Patent Bending
15:03 Cool Stuff & How it Works 15:30 How Does
That Work? 16:00 The Future of... 16:50 2012
Apocalypse 17:40 Invisible Worlds 18:30 Mighty
Ships 19:20 The Gadget Show 19:45 The Gadget
Show 20:10 Through the Wormhole with Morgan
Freeman 21:00 Powering the Future 21:50 Discovery Project Earth 22:40 Mega World 23:30
The Future of...
DISCOVERY TRAVEL & LIVING 403
06:00 Take Home Nanny 06:55 Jon & Kate Plus 8
07:20 Little People, Big World 07:50 Say Yes to
the Dress 08:15 Cake Boss 08:45 Ultimate CakeOff 09:40 Take Home Chef 10:05 Take Home
Handyman 10:30 Jon & Kate Plus 8 10:55 Jon &
Kate Plus 8 11:25 I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant
11:50 Toddlers and Tiaras 12:40 Little People,
Big World 13:05 Say Yes to the Dress 13:30 Cake
Boss 13:55 My Greek Kitchen 14:20 Beach House
Down Under 15:10 Kate Plus 8 16:00 Toddlers
and Tiaras 16:50 What Not to Wear 17:40 Cake
Boss 18:05 Cake Boss 18:30 Ultimate Cake-Off
19:20 Jon & Kate Plus 8 19:45 Jon & Kate Plus
8 20:10 Toddlers and Tiaras 21:00 LA Ink 21:50
I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant 22:15 Family Fat
Surgeons 23:10 Ultimate Cake-Off
Bridalplasty: “Flower Power” [Reality Show]
21:10 on Style (Channel 352)
31
this week
TELEVISION
INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY 404
06:00 Forensic Detectives 06:50 Hot Art 07:40
Mystery Diagnosis 08:30 Real Emergency Calls
08:55 Real Emergency Calls 09:20 Fugitive
Strike Force 10:10 The FBI Files 11:00 Murder
Shift 11:50 Extreme Forensics 12:40 Mystery
Diagnosis 13:30 Real Emergency Calls 13:55
Real Emergency Calls 14:20 Fugitive Strike Force
15:10 Forensic Detectives 16:00 Hot Art 16:50
The FBI Files 17:40 Mystery Diagnosis 18:30
Real Emergency Calls 18:55 Real Emergency Calls
19:20 Murder Shift 20:10 Who on Earth Did I
Marry? 20:35 I Was Murdered 21:00 I Was Murdered 21:25 Deadly Women 21:50 On the Case
with Paula Zahn 22:40 I Almost Got Away With It
23:30 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed
ANIMAL PLANET 405
06:00 Meerkat Manor 06:25 Growing Up... 07:15
The Really Wild Show 07:40 Natural Born Hunters
08:10 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 09:05 Dogs
101 10:00 Animal Precinct 10:55 Wildlife SOS
11:20 E-Vets: The Interns 11:50 Swarm Chasers
12:45 Swarm Chasers 13:40 Extraordinary Dogs
14:05 Cats of Claw Hill 14:35 Natural Born Hunters 15:00 Natural Born Hunters 15:30 Dogs 101
16:25 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 17:20
The World Wild Vet 18:15 Mutant Planet 19:10
Dogs, Cats, Pets 101 20:05 Life in the Undergrowth 21:00 The Life of Mammals 21:55 The
Animals’ Guide to Survival 22:50 Most Extreme
23:45 Untamed and Uncut
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 406
06:00 Dog Whisperer: Chloe, Madison and Gotti
07:00 In the Womb: Extreme Animals 09:00
Earth Investigated: Tanks: Battlefield Warriors
10:00 Alaska State Troopers: Spring Break Madness 11:00 Dog Whisperer: Cesar Down Under
12:00 Dog Whisperer: Bear, Angel and Lorelai
13:00 Living Wild: Monster Lobster 14:00 Sumatra’s Last Tigers 15:00 Earth Investigated: Human Extinction 16:00 2012: The Final Prophecy
17:00 2210: The Collapse? 19:00 Megafactories:
Dodge Viper 20:00 Into Iceland Volcano 21:00
Earth Shocks: Mega Volcano 22:00 Earth Investigated: Vesuvius Time Bomb 23:00 Into Iceland
Volcano
NAT GEO WILD 407
06:00 Animal Inspectors 06:30 Insects from Hell
07:00 Crittercam: WildTech Adventures 07:30
Crittercam: WildTech Adventures 08:00 Ultimate
Africa: Game Rangers 09:00 Inside Hurricane
Katrina 10:00 Most Dangerous Encounters 11:00
Killer Dragons 12:00 Hunter Hunted 13:00 Tiger
Queen 14:00 World’s Deadliest Animals 15:00
King Cobra: Cannibal Snake 16:00 Sumatra’s
Last Tigers 17:00 Predator CSI 18:00 Zoo Confidential 19:00 Jurassic Csi 20:00 That Shouldn’t
Fly 21:00 My Dog Ate What? 22:00 Lion Ranger
23:00 Master of Disaster
NAT GEO ADVENTURE 409
06:25 Siva Pacifica: The Last Voices from Heaven
07:15 Bondi Rescue 07:45 Siva Pacifica: The Last
Voices from Heaven 08:35 Siva Pacifica: The Last
Voices from Heaven 09:25 Which Way To 10:20
Nomads 11:15 Word Travels 11:40 Word Travels
12:10 Cooking The World 13:05 Siva Pacifica:
The Last Voices from Heaven 14:00 Siva Pacifica:
The Last Voices from Heaven 14:55 Which Way To
15:50 Nomads 16:45 Word Travels 17:10 Word
Travels 17:40 Cooking The World 18:30 Bondi
Rescue 19:00 Finding Genghis 19:25 Finding
Genghis 19:55 Nomads 20:50 Which Way To
21:45 Treks in the Wild World 22:10 Treks in the
Wild World 22:40 Word Travels 23:05 Word Travels 23:35 Word of mouth
TRAVEL CHANNEL 410
06:00 Globe Trekker 07:00 World’s Greatest
Motorcycle Rides 08:00 The Thrillseekers Guide
08:30 Travel Oz 09:00 Tall Ship Explores 10:00
Exotic Lives 11:00 Globe Trekker 12:00 Indian
Times 13:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides
14:00 Word Travels 14:30 Wild at Heart 15:00
Globe Trekker 16:00 Travel 360 17:00 Culinary
Asia 18:00 Globe Trekker 19:00 Four Men and a
Lady 19:30 Sophie Grigson in the Home Counties
20:00 Travel Today 20:30 Glutton for Punishment
21:00 Megalopolis 22:00 Globe Trekker 23:00
Angry Planet 23:30 Glutton for Punishment
BIO 411
06:00 Bon Jovi: Live in Chicago 07:00 Bio: Kate
Winslet 08:00 Pictures of Status Quo 09:30 Bon
Jovi: Live in Chicago 10:30 Bio: Jon Bon Jovi
11:30 Bio: Alice Cooper 12:00 Steven Seagal:
Lawman: Killer Canines 12:30 Steven Seagal:
Lawman: Too Young to Die 13:00 Pictures of Status Quo 14:30 Bio: Alice Cooper 15:00 Bio: Kate
Winslet 16:00 Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills:
The Dinner Party From Hell 17:00 Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills: Payback’s A B... Just Ask
Your Husband 18:00 Steven Seagal: Lawman:
Killer Canines 18:30 Steven Seagal: Lawman:
Too Young to Die 19:00 The Role that Changed
My Life: I Was Called Into Action 19:30 Mad Mel:
The Rise and Fall of a Hollywood Icon 21:00 Bio:
Arnold Schwarzenegger 22:00 Bio: Steven Seagal
23:00 Bio: Christian Bale
HISTORY 412
06:00 Top Trumps: Superships and Fire Engines
07:00 The Universe: 7 Wonders Of The Solar System 08:00 The Universe: Mars: The New Evidence
09:00 The Universe: Magnetic Storm 10:00 The
Universe: Time Travel 11:00 The Universe: Secrets
Of The Space Probes 12:00 The Universe: Asteroid
Attack 13:00 The Universe: Total Eclipse 14:00
The Universe: 7 Wonders Of The Solar System
15:00 The Universe: Mars: The New Evidence
16:00 The Universe: Magnetic Storm 17:00 The
Universe: Time Travel 18:00 The Universe: Secrets
Of The Space Probes 19:00 The Universe: Asteroid
Attack 20:00 The Universe: Total Eclipse 21:00
The Universe: Dark Future Of The Sun 22:00 The
Kennedys: Part 1 23:00 The Kennedys: Part 2
NAT GEO HD 421
06:15 Wild Russia 07:05 Mad Labs 07:30 Wild
Russia 08:20 Bite Me 09:10 Bite Me 10:00 Bite
Me 10:50 Bite Me 11:40 Wild Russia 12:30
MegaStructures 13:20 Bite Me 14:10 Machines
of War 15:00 Machines of War 15:50 Mad Labs
16:15 Megacities 17:05 Banged up Abroad
17:55 MegaStructures 18:45 Wild Russia 19:35
Mad Labs 20:00 Search for the Amazon Headshrinkers 20:50 Headhunters of World War II
21:40 Situation Critical 22:30 Search for the
Amazon Headshrinkers 23:20 Headhunters of
World War II
DISNEY CHANNEL 450
06:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 06:35 Fish Hooks
07:00 Sonny with a Chance 07:25 Phineas and
Ferb 07:50 Have a Laugh 08:00 Dadnapped
09:30 Sonny with a Chance 09:55 Sonny with a
Chance 10:15 Shake it up 10:40 The Suite Life on
Deck 11:00 Fish Hooks 11:25 Wizards of Waverly
Place 11:50 Sonny with a Chance 12:10 Have a
Laugh 12:15 Hannah Montana Forever 12:40 The
Fairly Odd Parents 13:00 Jonas LA 13:25 The Replacements 13:45 Have a Laugh 13:50 Phineas
and Ferb 14:15 Jonas LA 14:35 The Fairly Odd
Parents 15:00 The Suite Life on Deck 15:25 Hannah Montana Forever 15:45 Wizards of Waverly
Place 16:10 Shake it up 16:30 Fish Hooks 16:55
Have a Laugh 17:00 Hannah Montana Forever
17:20 Sonny with a Chance 17:45 Sonny with
a Chance 18:10 Cadet Kelly [U] 19:40 Hannah
Montana Forever 19:55 Have a Laugh 20:00 Wizards of Waverly Place 20:25 Jonas LA 20:50 Good
Luck Charlie 21:15 Sonny with a Chance 21:40
Wizards of Waverly Place 22:05 Jonas 22:30
Hannah Montana 22:55 Kim Possible 23:20 The
Replacements 23:45 The Replacements
When
In Rome
[Film]
NICKELODEON 452
06:15 Ni Hao, Kai-Lan 06:40 Ni Hao, Kai-Lan
07:05 Go, Diego, Go! 07:30 Dora the Explorer
07:55 Dora the Explorer 08:20 Olivia 08:45
SpongeBob SquarePants 09:10 SpongeBob
SquarePants 09:35 The Fairly Odd Parents 10:00
The Fairly Odd Parents 10:25 Fanboy and Chum
Chum 10:50 CatDog 11:15 The Penguins of
Madagascar 11:40 Victorious 12:05 iCarly 12:30
iCarly 12:55 The Mighty B 13:20 Back to the
Barnyard 13:45 SpongeBob SquarePants 14:10
My Life as a Teenage Robot 14:40 Jimmy Neutron
15:05 Avatar: The Legend of Aang 15:30 The
Penguins of Madagascar 15:55 Victorious 16:20
Big Time Rush 16:45 True Jackson, VP 17:10 The
Elephant Princess 17:35 SpongeBob SquarePants
18:00 SpongeBob SquarePants 18:25 Fanboy
and Chum Chum 18:50 The Fairly Odd Parents
19:15 The Penguins of Madagascar 19:40 iCarly
20:05 Big Time Rush 20:30 True Jackson, VP
20:55 Unfabulous 21:20 Avatar: The Legend of
Aang 21:45 My Life as a Teenage Robot 22:10
Jimmy Neutron 22:35 CatDog 23:00 SpongeBob
SquarePants 23:25 The Fairly Odd Parents 23:50
The Mighty B
CARTOON NETWORK 453
06:00 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes
06:30 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes
07:00 The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
07:30 Angelo Rules 08:00 Chowder 08:30 Johnny Test 09:00 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 09:30
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 10:00 Ben 10: Ultimate
Alien 10:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 11:00 Ben 10:
Race Against Time 12:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien
13:00 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 13:30 Ben 10:
Ultimate Alien 14:00 Star Wars: The Clone Wars
14:30 Ben 10: Alien Force 15:00 Star Wars: The
Clone Wars 15:30 Ben 10: Alien Force 16:00 Star
Wars: The Clone Wars 16:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 17:00 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 17:30 Ben
10: Ultimate Alien 18:00 Ben 10: Secret of the
Omnitrix 19:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 20:00
Star Wars: The Clone Wars 20:30 Ben 10: Alien
Force 21:00 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 21:30
Ben 10: Alien Force 22:00 Fantastic Four: World’s
Greatest Heroes 22:30 Skatoony 23:00 Robotboy
An ambitious young New Yorker (Kristen Bell), disillusioned with romance, takes
a whirlwind trip to Rome where she defiantly plucks magic coins from a “foolish”
fountain of love, inexplicably igniting the passion of an odd group of suitors:
a sausage magnate (Danny Devito), a street magician (Jon Heder), an adoring
painter (Will Arnett) and a self-admiring model (Dax Shepard). But when a
charming reporter (Josh Duhamel) pursues her with equal zest, how will she know
if his love is the real thing?
21:00 on melita movies (Channel 801)
23:30 The Cramp Twins
JIM JAM 458
06:00 Barney and Friends 06:25 Tigga and Togga
06:30 Tigga and Togga 06:35 Igloo-Gloo 06:50
I Spy 07:05 Anthony Ant 07:20 Dorothy the Dinosaur 07:30 Barney and Friends 07:55 Tigga
and Togga 08:00 Jakers: The Adventures of Piggley Winks 08:25 See The Sea 08:30 James the
Cat 08:35 Fluffy Gardens 08:43 Fluffy Gardens
08:50 James the Cat 08:55 Connie the Cow
09:05 Wobblyland 09:10 Wobblyland 09:15 The
Mighty Jungle 09:30 Mio Mao 09:35 Mio Mao
09:40 P.B. Bear and Friends 09:45 P.B. Bear and
Friends 09:50 Connie the Cow 10:00 Igloo-Gloo
10:15 Igloo-Gloo 10:30 Igloo-Gloo 10:45 IglooGloo 11:00 Igloo-Gloo 11:15 Igloo-Gloo 11:30
Igloo-Gloo 11:45 Igloo-Gloo 12:00 Jakers: The
Adventures of Piggley Winks 12:25 Tigga and
Togga 12:30 Tigga and Togga 12:35 Rubbadubbers 12:45 Oswald 13:00 Barney and Friends
13:25 Dorothy the Dinosaur 13:35 Bob the
Builder 13:45 Thomas and Friends 13:53 Thomas
and Friends 14:00 Bob the Builder 14:10 I Spy
14:25 Igloo-Gloo 14:40 Rubbadubbers 14:50
Connie the Cow 15:00 Igloo-Gloo 15:15 IglooGloo 15:30 Igloo-Gloo 15:45 Igloo-Gloo 16:00
Igloo-Gloo 16:15 Igloo-Gloo 16:30 Igloo-Gloo
16:45 Igloo-Gloo 17:00 Bob the Builder 17:10
Bob the Builder 17:20 Thomas and Friends
17:28 Thomas and Friends 17:35 Jakers: The
Adventures of Piggley Winks 18:00 Rubbadubbers 18:10 Pingu 18:15 Tiny Planets 18:20
Pingu 18:25 Tiny Planets 18:30 The Hoobs 18:55
Gazoon 19:00 Little Fables 19:08 Little Fables
19:15 The Magic Key 19:25 Slim Pig 19:35 Angelina Ballerina 19:50 The Magic Key 20:00 The
Hoobs 20:25 Gazoon 20:30 Pingu 20:35 Tiny
Planets 20:40 Pingu 20:45 Tiny Planets 20:50
Slim Pig 21:00 Little Fables 21:08 Little Fables
21:15 Igloo-Gloo 21:30 Jakers: The Adventures
of Piggley Winks 21:55 Tigga and Togga 22:00
Rubbadubbers 22:10 Oswald 22:25 I Spy 22:40
Bob the Builder 22:50 Thomas and Friends 22:58
Thomas and Friends 23:05 Bob the Builder 23:15
Dorothy the Dinosaur 23:25 Barney and Friends
23:50 Anthony Ant
MTV 500
06:00 Breakfast Club 07:30 Moving In 08:00 Life
of Ryan 08:30 When I Was 17 09:00 The Buried
Life 09:30 The Buried Life 10:00 Hosted Top 20
12:00 The Hills 12:30 Moving In 13:00 Life of
Ryan 13:30 When I Was 17 14:00 The Buried Life
14:30 The Buried Life 15:00 Hosted Top 20 17:00
I Used to be Fat 18:00 Moving In 18:30 Plain Jane
19:30 If You Really Knew Me 20:30 When I Was
17 21:00 Jersey Shore 22:00 My Super Sweet
World Class 22:30 MTV at the Movies 23:00 A
Shot at Love with Tila Tequila
MEZZO 510
09:00 Michel Corboz dirige la Messe en si de Bach
à Lyon 10:50 La Petite Bande - Cantates de Bach
- Ambronay 2009 12:05 Clips musicaux 13:00
Dimitri Chostakovitch : Quatuors à cordes 14:20
Classic Archives 15:10 The Blues Greats 16:00
Clips musicaux 17:00 Don Giovanni de Mozart au
Festival de Glyndebourne 2010 19:50 Clips musicaux 20:30 Tricodex 21:35 D’eux sens d’Abou
Lagraa 22:30 Danyel Waro au festival ‘au fil des
voix’ 23:30 Clips musicaux
EUROSPORT 600
08:30 WATTS 08:45 Live: Paris Marathon [Live]
11:15 WTA Tennis 12:30 Live: Paris-Roubaix
Cycling: Introduction [Live] 17:00 European
Championship Artistic Gymnastics 19:00 Live:
WTA Tennis: Charleston: Final [Live] 20:45 World
IBF and WBA Championship Boxing 22:00 ParisRoubaix Cycling 23:15 European Championship
Artistic Gymnastics
EUROSPORT2 601
07:30 Eurosport 2 Morning News 09:00 Copa de
America U17 Football 10:00 WTA Tennis 11:00
EHF Women’s Champions League Handball 12:00
Copa de America U17 Football 13:00 Copa de
America U17 Football 14:00 WTA Tennis 15:00
Live: Italian League Volleyball: Quarter-finals,
Game 2 Men [Live] 17:00 Copa de America U17
Football 18:00 WTA Tennis 19:00 EuroLeague
Women’s Final Four Basketball: Final [Live] 20:45
Eurosport2 News 21:00 Copa de America U17
Football 22:00 Copa de America U17 Football
23:00 WTA Tennis
ESPN CLASSIC 1 603
06:00 The Dead Good Match 06:30 The Dead
Good Match 07:00 FIFA World Cup Classic Matches
08:00 UEFA Football Finals 09:00 The Dead Good
Match 09:30 The Dead Good Match 10:00 Hall of
Fame 11:00 Hall of Fame 12:00 Italian Football
13:00 UEFA Football Finals 14:00 UEFA Football
Finals 15:00 Prem Classics 15:30 Prem Classics
16:00 NHL Hockey 19:00 Hall of Fame 20:00 Hall
of Fame 21:00 UEFA Football Finals 22:00 30 for
30 23:00 Prem Classics 23:30 Prem Classics
ESPN AMERICA 605
06:30 Athletics: Men’s Swimming and Diving
08:00 Athletics: Women’s Swimming and Diving
09:30 NHL Hockey 11:30 NHL Hockey 13:30 NHL
on the Fly 14:30 NHL Hockey 17:00 NBA Tonight
17:30 Baseball Tonight 18:00 The Sports Reporters 18:30 NHL Hockey [Live] 21:00 NHL Hockey
[Live] 23:30 Baseball Tonight
YACHT&SAIL 611
06:00 Cruises to a World of Discovery 07:00 Hot
Water 08:00 Sea Peoples 08:15 Jetsprint 08:45
World Boat 09:45 Audi Med Cup Yachting 10:15
Extreme Sailing Series Europe 10:45 Sea Peoples
11:00 Jetsprint 11:30 Mediterranean Diving
12:00 Sailing Girls 12:30 Hot Water 13:30 Sea
Peoples 13:45 Jetsprint 14:15 The Seas of Buccaneers 14:45 My Sea Friends 15:15 Cruises to
a World of Discovery 16:15 Sea Peoples 16:30
Jetsprint 17:00 Ocean Survivor 17:30 Sea Men
18:00 Dive On 18:30 Around the World in 80 Islands 19:00 Sea Peoples 19:15 Jetsprint 19:45
Jetsprint 20:15 My Sea Friends 20:45 Sea Peoples 21:00 Life at the Extreme 21:30 Sea Men
22:00 Sea Peoples 22:15 Jetsprint 22:45 World
Boat 23:45 Sea Peoples
32
this week
FILM
IN CINEMAS TODAY
Embassy Cinemas
Valletta
Tel. 21 227436, 21245818
Battle: Los Angeles (PG)
10:20, 13:50, 16:10, 18:30, 20:50
The Adjustment Bureau (PG)
10:00, 12:10, 14:20, 16:30, 18:45,
21:05
The King’s Speech (PG)
16:00, 18:25, 20:50
Hop (PG)
10:00, 12:10, 14:05, 16:10, 18:15,
20:45
No Strings Attached (16)
10:15, 14:00, 18:35
The Rite (18)
16:15, 21:00
Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son
(PG)
10:00, 12:15, 14:30, 16:45, 19:00,
21:15
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ supernova
★ ★ ★ meteor shower
★ ★ ★ ★ time warp
★ ★ worm hole
★ black hole
Out of this world
but down to earth
Eden Cinemas
St Julians
Tel. 23 710 400
HOP (PG)
14:20, 16:20, 18:35, 20:45, 22:45
No Strings Attached (16)
14:10, 16:30, 18:50, 21:05, 23:20
The King’s Speech (PG)
14:00, 16:25, 18:50, 21:15, 23:40
14:05, 16:15, 18:30, 21:05, 23:20
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
(PG)
14:00, 16:15, 18:30, 20:55, 23:10
Drive Angry 3D (18)
14:10, 16:30, 18:45, 21:10, 23:30
Africa United (PG)
14:15, 16:10, 18:20, 20:50, 22:45
Let Me In (16)
14:15, 18:20, 20:50, 23:15
I Am Number Four (12)
14:15, 16:30, 18:45, 21:00, 23:15
Zvintura (14)
14:15, 17:40, 21:10
A Turtle’s Tale 3D (U)
14:20, 16:15, 18:15
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never 3D
(U)
21:00, 23:15
Just Go With It (12)
14:05, 16:25, 18:45, 21:10, 23:35
The Rite (18)
14:00, 16:20, 18:40, 21:00, 23:20
Paul (16)
14:05, 16:20, 18:35, 20:55, 23:10
Rango (U)
14:00, 16:15, 18:30, 20:45, 23:00
14:00, 16:25, 18:50, 21:15, 23:45
Faster
14:25, 16:35, 18:40, 21:15, 23:20
Empire Cinemas
Bugibba
Tel. 21 581 787, 21 581 909
A Turtle’s Tale (3D) (U)
11:00, 14:00, 16:05, 18:10
Rango (U)
20:55
Drive Angry (3D) (18)
13:45, 16:25, 18:45, 21:10
Faster (TBA)
11:30, 14:00, 16:15, 18:30, 21:05
11:15, 13:50, 16:20, 18:50, 21:20
Zvintura (14)
13:40, 17:15, 20:45
13:55, 16:20, 18:40, 21:00
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
(PG)
10:55, 13:40, 16:05, 18:30, 20:55
St. James Cavalier
Valletta
Tel. 356 21223200
Met HD Live - Lucia di Lammermoor
- Gaetano Donizetti
19:00
p a u l (1 6 )
★ ★ ★
Nick Frost (left) and Simon Pegg (right) as British nerds who make an interesting
new friend (Paul, centre, voiced by Seth Rogen) while on holiday in America
I
don’t know how common
this is, but when I was
a kid, ET scared the
living daylights out of me. It
wasn’t a fear of aggression
– I wasn’t that far gone into
hallucinatory childhood fear
that I would, with instinctive
paranoid fervour, recast the
lovable, bug-eyed alien in a
hostile role – but rather, an
uncomfortable feeling not
unlike the creeping sensation
of being watched, by the
unknown.
And when, not that much
later, I became obsessed with
alien conspiracy theories
(remember ‘X Factor’
magazine? Nothing to do
with Cowell’s empire, I assure
you…) it was less out of any
relish – perverse or otherwise
– than out of pre-emptive
terror: if I didn’t watch the
bug-eyed freaks, they would
be watching me.
It’s safe to say that
experience has obliterated
both fears as the years went
by: the hard fact of burgeoning
adulthood is, of course, that
there are far more pressing
(though, sadly, also far more
mundane) things to be scared
of in life than anonymous
bands of speculative space
aliens.
All of which made me
approach Paul with far less
By Teodor Reljic
enthusiasm than I would any
other Simon Pegg and Nick
Frost collaboration. I’ve been a
fan of the British geek comedy
duo ever since I watched
Shaun of the Dead… which in
turn led me to their fantastic
(but alas, all too brief)
Channel 4 sitcom Spaced, and
of course their superlative
cop film parody Hot Fuzz.
Like them, I’m partial to a bit
of geekdom too: I chuckle at
most of the references they
cram their features with…
so much so that it could be
considered a spectator sport.
But Paul draws heavily
from Steven Spielberg’s
alien canon… it’s not just ET
that’s referenced, but Close
Encounters of the Third Kind
too, as is evidenced in the
film’s opening.
It is a balmy night in a rural
patch of American country.
A girl hears noises and lights
from the sky, and her dog trots
out of the house, disturbed.
The girl calls out to ‘Paul’…
until the pooch appears to
engulfed by extraterrestrial
SFX.
Fast forward to the present
day. We meet Graeme Willy
(Pegg) and Clive Gollings
(Frost), two British fanboys
enjoying a pilgrimage to the
American home of geekdom:
the San Diego Comic Con. But
while the socially inept duo –
whose only true claim to any
sort of endeavour comes in
the form of an unpublished
manuscript about a threebreasted alien warrior queen –
revel in the geek Mecca, they
have bigger fish to fry: as part
of their giddy pilgrimage to
the States, they aim to visit all
the major UFO ‘hotspots’.
But just outside of the
infamous Area 51, the duo
end up with more than they
bargained for, when they
actually stumble upon an
alien from another planet.
Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen)
conforms to physical
stereotype in every way (a
fact amusingly exploited
later on), but his slacker ways
come as a surprise to the duo.
The otherwise amiable Paul,
however, has landed the duo –
which quickly becomes a trio
after they
end up saddled
with a one-eyed Creationist
Ruth (Kirsten Wiig) – into a
spot of serious trouble, with
FBI agents hot on their trail.
There’s no getting around
the fact that this is Pegg and
Frost’s ‘going to America’ film.
Which basically means that
they spend a good amount
of time ‘freeloading’ off of
American road-comedy
film conventions, so that a
lot of the idiosyncrasies we
know them for get muted
underneath the dazzle.
But to be fair, Paul should
be viewed as a collaboration.
Pegg and Frost only wrote
Paul, it was Greg Mottola
(Superbad, Adventureland)
who directed, and his deft
hand at noughties slacker
humour (of which, not-soincidentally, Rogen is a key
proponent), is definitely felt
here.
So while it feels like a slightly
compromised version of their
previous cinematic outings,
there is much to enjoy in Paul,
if taken as an adolescent romp.
Being charmed by the affable
Paul certainly made me feel
less apprehensive about my
ET phobia. Can’t say the same
if you were ever a true fan of
Spielberg’s saccharine opus
though.
33
maltatoday,
this week
What is the truth?
Teodor Reljic speaks to Marc Cabourdin (director) and Wesley Ellul (actor, producer) about the
newly-formed theatre company TAC theatre, who will be staging Is It Me? a striking new take
on the story of Jesus Christ at St James Cavalier over April 15, 16 and 17.
How does TAC differ from
other theatre companies
on the island? Is there any
particular approach to
theatrical practice that the
company pushes?
portraying his human side,
who had questions and
doubts and fears, but above
all was ready to fight the
good fight with the greatest
weapon he had to offer: love.
Marc: The idea behind TAC
Theatre is very simple idea,
one that we believe should be
the basis of all theatre. This
is an idea proposed by all
the great theatricians, from
Peter Brook to Grotoswki
to Uta Hagen. The Truth.
And what is the truth? It’s
what is right for any actor
to do at a specific time. The
form of theatre brings a
script alive the moment an
actor is not lead by a script
but instead becomes active
making choices, which could
change the whole idea of
the scene. Just as we used to
do back during my Drama
Training at East 15, we at
TAC Theatre explore the
various possibilities a scene
offers, allowing the actors
to play with the scene, and
make choices for themselves
allowing them to learn the
truth of what they are doing.
Wesley: One of the true
distinguishing features of
this piece – when compared
to other ‘Easter’ plays – is
that you won’t see a single
drop of blood. Beyond that,
you get to see different sides
to the other main players in
the Passion story, namely
Caiaphas, Judas and Pilate,
who are normally portrayed
as ‘evil’, two-dimensional
characters and who instead,
we find are leaders faced
with choices which could
mean the difference between
having their land overthrown
and causing thousands to be
killed, for little more then a
dream some ‘rebel terrorist’
is offering.
Wesley: I know it sounds a
bit weird, but we encourage
our actors to throw away
their lines. They’re not
important, it’s all about what
they’re doing, and what they
(the character) want out of a
scene is the most important.
The script is really just a sort
of map to get you there. And
when this sort of theatre
unfolds in front of you, you
feel completely immersed
in it, and truly feel as part
of the action. In this way,
each piece is always alive,
which is what makes theatre
interesting.
Why was the story of the
Passion chosen as your
first production, and what
innovations do you aim to
bring to the familiar tale,
if any?
Marc: Well first off I must
let you know… although the
play is about Jesus, it is not
a Passion play. An Easter
play, maybe. But it’s not
anything resembling the
Passion plays we’re familiar
with. In actual fact, it’s really
a political play, in which we
find two powers – the state
and the church – trying
to govern a land. Then,
a rebel comes along and
starts stirring up the people,
saying that a new kingdom
is coming. It’s a story of
people crying for freedom,
which really parallels with
what’s happening today
in North Africa. Beyond
this, it is a fantastic story
of the humanity of Jesus,
Do you think that modern
audiences are less
receptive, artistically, to
a story that is not only
The ensemble cast of Is it Me? will present a unique take on the story of Jesus Christ
familiar, but told in several
iterations of varying
quality and intention on
a clearly fixed date each
year? And on the flip side,
does the attempt to make
the story more accessible
and/or exciting run the risk
of offending a worryingly
large number of people?
The newly formed TAC Theatre place an emphasis
on the immediacy of the actor’s performance
Wesley: Well, the box office
will have to tell, at the end of
the day! To an extent, people
can be much less receptive
to a lot on offer when it
comes to Easter plays,
because normally they have
little to offer but pageantry.
Pageantry is boring. It’s
all about prancing and
showing off. Theatre,
instead, is dangerous and
alive. It incorporates life
and death; it makes people’s
hair stand on end. Could
we offend with this take on
the Passion? Possibly, if they
choose not to listen to what
the piece says. How will this
happen? Well, you’ll have to
come watch to find out!
What kind of preparation
did the actors involved in
the production undertake?
Did they treat it as a
regular performance? Or
does the Passion story
imply a different kind of
approach?
Marc: Our idea at TAC
is not to go about what is
considered the ‘normal’
approach to putting together
a piece; in that we first block
scenes, then learn lines, then
rehearse the same thing
again and again. Instead,
we like to workshop and
experiment, and allow the
actors to discover as much as
they can about the character
for themselves by doing. So
did this require a different
approach? Not at all.
The rest of the cast includes
Steffan Cheriet Busuttil,
Pierre Stafrace, Alexandra
Camilleri Warne, Claudio
Carta, David Chircop, Joseph
Zammit, Steve Hili, Nadia
Vella, Rachel Gatt, Victor
Bonanno, Hannah Schembri,
Stephanie Pullicino.
Tickets at €10 are available
from tactheatre.com and St
James Cavalier (21 223200,
info@sjcav.org).
34
maltatoday,
this week
culture
Swimming to safety?
The teaser trailer seems to be generating a healthy
amount of buzz online. Does this give you hope that
the film might get made sooner, rather than later?
The teaser trailer is part of the
development package of the film
and was intended for prospective producers and investors, not
a general audience.
Its release on the internet was
a happy accident. The fact that
people responded so well to it
encourages my team and I, as it
is certainly a sign that the work
we are doing is effective and will
pay off eventually.
Of course, being able to add
healthy viewings to the development package is in itself a plus
point for prospective producers
and investors. Now we hope that
their response will be as good as
that of the audience. So far, we
are hopeful.
Do you think that having a
grounding in (recent) historical reality helped to generate
interest in the film? Do you
think you would have managed
to get as far as you have if the
film was still set in Malta, but
didn’t have such a topical news
event attached to it?
I think that from the way the
teaser spread on the internet
it is clear that what people responded to first and foremost
was the overall artistic impression... the look, the feel, the music. Of course the content plays a
part, but in this case it certainly
wasn’t the only – or the most
prominent – element.
I think the fact that the piece is
set in Malta, and the majority of
the team is Maltese, had a lot to
do with the teaser going viral locally. I think Maltese audiences
are hungry to see local talent, as
well as local stories in local settings.
Since you are struggling to
get the very first local production that could generate
international interest off the
ground… what would you say
are the most pressing issues
that need to be addressed if
Malta ever hopes to become
a genuine film-producing nation? Would you say that some
serious infrastructural overhauls would be required?
246. HARE’S TAIL GRASS
When we think “flowers” we think colourful, often fragrant things,
buzzing with attendant insects. And so they are, but not for
grasses. Grasses too make flowers, but they have found other
ways of shedding their pollen and seed, and so they never made
any contract with insects. For this reason the flowers of grasses
are neither fragrant not colourful, they have nothing to advertise!
But this does not mean that they cannot be attractive. One of
these is the Hare’s Tail Grass (M: Denb il-Fenek). It is in full bloom
right now, and grows profusely, often on disturbed ground.
Although a modest greenish white in colour and with no petals
whatsoever, this mass of fluffy blooms bobbing in the breeze
catch the eye nonetheless.
Text and photo Victor Falzon
The only way to learn how to
make films is to make films! So
education and practice are key.
Unfortunately, despite the digital revolution, film is still an expensive artform.
Grants and training like that
provided by the Film Fund, and
the courses at University and
MCAST are a good start. Like
all new industries, it cannot be
built overnight and there are a
certain amount of growing pains
which – for the most part – are
inevitable.
Definitely, we need to learn
how to specialise in one area and
not try to do a multitude of roles
with limited knowledge. Attention to detail is crucial and there
is a reason why even a 40 year-old
recognised director is considered
young: it takes years to hone the
necessary knowledge and skills
to make a good film. If we want
to build something properly it’s
going to take time, dedication
and perseverance; from the part
of the educators, the filmmakers,
and the cultural bodies.
Out of the investors that have
already pledged their support
of the film, what were some of
the main selling points of the
production?
Definitely the story. Although
inspired by the Simshar incident
amongst others, the film is a fictional three-tiered story which
is ultimately about mankind’s
struggle for survival. It is the
combination of this universal
theme with a rich, not often seen
local setting, which repeatedly
attracts people to the film.
Of course the thorough development work the team has done
helps seal the deal; however, the
story is the fundamental element
which opens the door.
Do you think that Malta has
enough film-worthy stories in
it to sustain an entire, future
industry?
Malta has a very interesting
and eclectic culture and history,
from which innumerable stories
can be extracted. However, stories do not need to come from,
or be intrinsically tied to, a filmmaker’s place of origin. Furthermore, a good storyteller can spin
a story from anything... again,
we come back to the importance
of good theoretical and practical,
education and training.
For more information on the
film and to see the trailer, log on to
simsharthefilm.com.
Do GM crops reduce pesticide use?
The widespread
adoption of Roundup
Ready (glyphosatetolerant) crops in
the US has driven a
more than 15-fold
increase in the use
of glyphosate on
soybeans, maize and
cotton from 1994 to
2005. In 2006, the
last year for which
data are available,
glyphosate use on
soybeans jumped by a
substantial 28%.
Increasing glyphosate
use has driven
an epidemic of
glyphosate-resistant
weeds, which in turn
has led to rising use
of other herbicides to
control them.
For instance, the
amount of 2,4-D (a
component of Agent Orange)
applied to U.S. soybeans more
than doubled from 2002 to
2006. The use of atrazine
(banned in the EU due to links
to health problems) on
corn/maize increased by 12%
between 2002 and 2005.
Brazilian government
authorities have documented
an 80% increase in glyphosate
use from 2000 to 2005,
together with the rapid
emergence of weeds that are
resistant to the chemical. In
Green Idea of the week 146:
Shop from a list: Studies show
that 60% of the food we throw
away is binned without ever being
opened. Beat senseless food
waste by planning your meals and
making a shopping list before you
go shopping. It will help you avoid
impulse-buying food that will only go
rotten before it can be used.
India, a 2007 study concluded
that Bt cotton did not reduce
pesticide use.
Visit Friends of the Earth’s
website for more information
about our work, as well as for
information about how to join us
www.foemalta.org.
You can also support us by
sending a blank SMS donation
on 50618070 (€4.66) or
50619223 (€11.65).
maltatoday, Sunday, 10 APRIL 2011 35
36 maltatoday, Sunday, 10 APRIL 2011
37
information technology
HP holds seminar
in Malta for small
and medium
enterprises
HP and Kinetix, in collaboration
with Microsoft and QLogic, are
organising a seminar, entitled:
‘Tune Your IT Infrastructure
and Speed Up Innovation’ on
Thursday, 14 April 2011, at the
Spinola Suite, Hilton Malta
Conference Centre, St Julian’s.
The seminar is open for all
small and medium enterprises
(SMEs) in Malta, and aims to
give a competitive edge from
Information Technology (IT)
infrastructure.
Information, discussions and
technical advice will be dedicated on how SMEs can increase
competitive advantages through
better use of IT. SMEs will be
able to find out which IT solution is right for their business
and help in increasing performance and effectiveness through
better use of IT. Industry experts from Microsoft and HP
will be discussing how to transform, build, manage and make
the most of the infrastructure
in order to drive innovations
and obtain an edge on revenue
opportunities.
The seminar will kick off at
8.30am and progress through
the day with various presentations and discussions including
Microsoft and HP Infrastructure 2 Application, Hyper-V
Virtualisation with Microsoft
and HP, Microsoft Productivity Tools, HP and QLogic storage solutions, and Networking,
among others. HP Personal Systems Group will showcase how
HP is the world leader in personal computers, while HP Imaging and Printing Group will
focus on the new printing solutions and innovations available
in Malta. In the end, Kinetix
will wrap up the day on how the
presented technologies can be
implemented in Malta. In the
following gaming competition
on Microsoft Xboxes 360, fantastic prizes can be won.
Small and medium enterprises
are invited to attend the free
seminar and can register online
on: www.hp.com/mt/tuneyourinfrastructure.
Further information may be
obtained from Kinetix on tel 21
672007.
Megabyte and Oracle form partnership
Megabyte, together with
Oracle, organised the Oracle
Enterprise Performance Management Summit, which was
held on Wednesday, 23 March
at Le Méridien, St Julian’s, in
which the attendees had the opportunity to gain insight on the
Oracle Business Intelligence Solutions. The
event
was
inaugurated by Rainer van Beckum, CEO, Megabyte followed
by Yiannis Raptis representing
Oracle, who explained how one
may improve business insight
and agility with Oracle BI&EPM
Solutions. The newly released
Oracle Business Intelligence 11g
was presented. Encompassing
thousands of new features and
enhancements, the latest release
offers three key areas of innovations.
Margarita Varvitsioti, also
representing Oracle, provided
insight into Hyperion Planning,
which is an application that sits
on top of the Essbase OLAP
server and is used by organisa-
tions to perform planning and
budgeting. Using this tool, companies can work with standard
dimensions such as period, year,
scenario, entity and accounts to
which they can add other custom dimensions such as product
and geography, with an Essbase
cube being built using these, into
which budgeting and planning
data can be added for a robust
view of the company’s budget.
Marija Attard from Megabyte related the vast projects of
Megabyte incorporating Oracle Solutions in the BI arena.
Megabyte has skilled staff that
help customers navigate the BI
space through assessments and
road mapping,
project management, and
sound project
methodology.
Megabyte’s expertise helps in
addressing data integration and
data quality issues, gain valuable
insight into the business data
across the enterprise, and formulate and execute a comprehensive training plan.
The seminar was wrapped
up by Michael J. Balzan, Business Development and Country
Leader, Oracle Malta.
38
AMITEX
ROCS Travel launches
‘Holidays 2011’ brochure
Following the successful
launch of the the ROCS Travel
Sale, ROCS Travel have now
launched their brochure Rocs
Holidays 2011.
This 300 page unique brochure
is a collection of fantastic worldwide holidays at the best prices on
the Maltese islands. An exciting
range of incredibly unique offers
included in 1 unique brochure
dedicated to Disneyland Paris,
Elite Club Vacanze, European and
worldwide family theme parks,
Bella Italia , Destination Europe,
Discover USA, Canada, Cyprus,
Dubai, Cruises, The Exotics and
the ROCS Travel renowned Value Tours and escorted journeys
collection.The latest Rocs Holidays brochure includes the most
affordable holidays ever, which
start from as little as €119 (Lm 51)
inc. of taxes (3 night break at Elite
Club Vacanze in Rome).
The Rocs Holidays brochure
promises to be an excellent opportunity for all Maltese travelers
who wish an unforgettable travel
experience at the best possible
prices.From Rome to Disneyland
Paris, from Cyprus to Orlando,
from Venice to Las Vegas, you
name it and the Rocs Holidays
2011 has it all. Worldwide destinations at the best prices on the
island.
“Our
Rachel
rector,
for the
travel division, led by
Vella, ROCS group Dihas been working hard
past six months to final-
ise exclusive agreements for the
Maltese islands with some of the
world’s leading airlines furthermore with some of the most exclusive properties in the world including all the official onsite and
offsite Disney hotels in Paris, the
official Hilton Orlando Resort,
the unique W resort and Spa in
the Maldives and many more”
stated, Colin Aquilina, Head of
Finance and Business Development, ROCS Group.
Family Fun Holidays will also
be featured in The Rocs Holidays
brochure including weekly family tours to Disneyland Paris, cultural breaks in Venice and Florence, Gardaland in Lake Garda;
Mirabilandia in Ravenna, Port
Aventura in Spain, exciting Ayia
Napa party experiences for our
younger generation with local re-
nowned DJ JJOY, exclusive packages for Tomorrowland 2011 of
worldwide fame with DJ Armani
in Belgium and many more.
If that is not enough, all ROCS
Travel clients will get a free set
of luggages from ROCS Travel,
when spending €1000 or more
during the ROCS travel sale. Offer is valid until stocks last and is
limited to one set of luggages per
room booked. Other terms and
conditions may apply.
Free entrance to AMITEX 2011
In an effort to offer more to all
the ROCS group clients, for 2011
and for the very first time in the
local travel industry the ROCS
Travel leaflet which has been
distributed in each and every
household in Malta and Gozo
will allow free entrance at the local revamped travel & leisure fair,
AMITEX 2011.
ROCS travel in collaboration
with MFCC are offering this unqiue opportunity to all the Maltese and Gozitan public.
Colin Aquilina – ROCS Group
Head of Finance & Business Development – explained “ The
ROCS Travel sale campaign
launched for the third year on
the night of the local Eurovision,
has received very positive feedback from the local market and
the ROCS HOLIDAYS brochure,
the above gifts in addition to the
free entrance at AMITEX 2011
are a sign of appreciation towards
all our loyal clients. The ROCS
group has today established itself as a household name in a
number of different divisions,
top of which is our travel retail
arm. Our concept has always
been simple, good quality at very
affordable prices. After all, who
does not like a good product at an
even better price!”
The ROCS Holidays brochure
will be available for collection,
from the ROCS group offices in
Floriana and Mellieha as from
Monday 11th April 2011, or
download a copy at www.rocsgrp.
com/travel. You can also reserve
a copy of the latest ROCS HOLIDAYS brochure on 20 15 15 15 ,
by email on travel@rocsgrp.com
or collect your own copy from
the ROCS travel stand at AMITEX 2011 to be held at MFCC Ta’
Qali between the 14 and 17 April
2011.
Two Air Malta tickets to
be won this month
Send us your best photographs
– subject matter strictly related
to travel – and we will give you
two Air Malta tickets! Closing
date is 22 April 2011!
Check out Clyde Triganza’s
fantastic shot of Vietnam’s
Halong Bay and its magnificent
emerald green karsts! He’s just
won two tickets courtesy of Air
Malta to any destination on the
airline’s network.
We’ve had loads of entries to
our competition in March... so
send us your best snaps now
and we will award the best photograph two Air Malta flights
to any European destination on
the Air Malta route network.
The next competition for April
2011 is as usual related to travel
photography: photos should
be clearly related to places you
visited. Give us something unexpected and you’ll be in with a
clear chance to win the two Air
Malta flights.
Entrants are kindly reminded
not to send in personal family pictures that might be unrelated to travel photography.
Photos must be a hi-res image
(one per entry) with a sentence
or two about what inspired you
to take your photo.
Send the photo to maltatoday@mediatoday.com.mt [SUBJECT HEADING: MaltaToday
photo competition] by noon on
Friday 22 April 2011.
Please supply a daytime telephone number, your name and
address.
Conditions apply:
1. Tickets can only be won by
one person who submits one
entry, high-res image with description. Entrants with more
than one entry WILL NOT be
considered. Entrants must send
a description of photo.
2. Winners will be announced
before the end of the month personally, and then announced on
maltatoday.com.mt.
3. By entering this offer, entrants consent to their photos
being published by MediaToday.
4. The entrant with the best
photograph will be awarded
two return economy flight tickets, valid for travel to any Air
Malta European destination on
the Air Malta scheduled route
network and Air Malta operated flights only. Mediatoday’s
decision is final.
5. Tickets are issued free of
charge, excluding taxes, €10
service charge and any other
applicable charges, and in accordance with Air Malta’s
rules and regulations. All taxes
and charges are to be paid accordingly by the
winning entrant
upon the issuance of tickets.
The winners are
to make use of
their tickets by
end of December
2011 and they can
also commence
from
overseas.
The tickets are to
be utilised on Air
Malta schedule
operated flights.
6. This offer
is closed to employees and contributors of Mediatoday Co. Ltd,
or their family
members.
The emerald green
karsts of Vietnam’s
Halong Bay by Clyde
Triganza
39
Events
Easter –
the grand
way!
Preparations are underway
for yet another Grand Easter
buffet lunch at the Excelsior.
The award winning team of
chefs will be cooking up a storm
in the form of Sushi, Far Eastern, Turkish, Mediterranean
and Indian cuisines. The guest
of honour, of course, remains
the Traditional Lamb Carvery.
A vast array of mouth watering
desserts, a chocolate fountain,
with all the trimmings, and a
selection of cheeses make for
the perfect ending. Keeping the
little ones in mind, a children’s
corner is also available.
Take home a little bit of luxury – home made chocolate
eggs and traditional figolli are
available to purchase from the
24 hour Harbour View Lounge
Bar.
The Excelsior team wishes
you and your loved ones a
very Happy Easter and looks
forward to hosting you and to
contributing towards a superb
Easter Sunday.
For more information and
bookings, contact the food and
beverage team on 21 250 520 or
food.beverage@excelsior.com.
mt. Visit the hotel’s website
www.excelsior.com.mt for a
sneak preview of the menu being served.
Hyundai – the real meaning of five-year triple care
The future holds no certainties. For no one. But with Hyundai, one certainty is there
and it’s clear. It is known as
the Five Year Triple Care, a
program initiated by Hyundai
in October 2010 and which
allows European motorists
who acquire a Hyundai model to benefit from a five-year
unlimited-mileage warranty,
five years’ roadside assistance
cover, and five years of vehicle
health checks.
Many are still unaware of
this package. Probably because people nowadays tend
to overlook the terms and
conditions which sometimes
feature conveniently in small
print and do not actually take
notice of the benefits and after sales services that a company is willing to offer. Indeed, when compared to other
packages, Hyundai’s Five Year
Triple Care remains unparalleled.
“Hyundai has achieved ample
success, especially throughout the past few years and one
of the main factors that led to
this was the fact that Hyundai
has had to face its customers
and centre their needs and
expectations within its core
strategies,” explains Francesca Mamo, Managing Director
of Meridian Enterprises Ltd,
importers and distributors of
Hyundai in Malta.
“One of the main efforts was
to initiate different strategies
and launch programs which
face the goal to get access to
potential customers and also
initiatives that strengthen
our relationship to current
customers, by changing our
image up to what we call “new
premium” and “care and relation. Hyundai wants to target
European leadership in the
field of customer satisfaction,
and offering service excellence across its dealer network is crucial to achieving
this. Hyundai also acknowledges the fact that supporting
its dealer network is crucial to
achieving its goals and this is
why as dealers, we are provided with exciting initiatives,
such as Five Year Triple Care
and Before Service,” Mamo
added.
40
Events
Free weekend calls are back for
GO mobile customers
GO, Malta’s leading quad-play
communications provider, is
again introducing the attractive
offer of free weekend calls from
the customer’s mobile. Any customer who spends €5 or more in
mobile usage between Monday
and Friday will get free weekend
mobile calls to any GO mobile
and GO fixed phone number.
The offer kicks off tomorrow
(11 April) and runs until 29 May
2011. It is available exclusively to
Pay As You GO mobile customers who can register to participate in the offer by sending an
SMS (free of charge) with the
word WEEKEND to 16410.
100 free weekend minutes will
be awarded to participating Pay
As You GO customers, valid towards all GO mobile and fixed
line numbers during Saturday
and Sunday of that same week
throughout the offer period.
As soon as participating customers reach the €5 spend
threshold, they will be notified
that they are eligible for the of-
fer. The last bundle of free minutes will be assigned by 10am on
Saturday morning. Customers
participating in this offer can
check their weekly mobile spend
at any point in time during the
week by sending a blank SMS to
50700246 free of charge.
Participting customers who
are assigned the free weekend
minutes may check the remaining minutes in their free bundle
at any point in time during the
weekend by simply sending a
blank SMS to 50700247 at a cost
of €0.05 per query.
The free talk-time assigned in
conjunction with the free weekend calls offer has to be utilised
during the weekend for which it
has been assigned and any free
unutilised talk-time will be lost.
Speaking about the offer of
free weekend calls on mobile
with great savings for the customer, Romina Zammit from
GO’s mobile residential segment
team said: “We are delighted to
be giving customers the chance
to make the most of their weekends and enjoy – yet again –
one of our most popular offers
ever. The offer of free weekend
calls was always a huge success
– customers benefit from being
part of Malta’s largest network
and enjoy the best service in the
market at unbeatable rates.”
“Thanks to GO, customers get
to talk more on mobile and pay
less so that their money actually
lasts even longer. The offer is in
line with GO’s continued drive
to show its appreciation to customers for their loyalty and support,” she said.
For more information on the
free weekend calls offer, customers can get in touch with
GO on 146 (free of charge) from
a GO mobile connection or they
can call customer care on Freephone 80072121. Alternatively,
they can drop in at any one of
GO’s retail outlets or authorised dealers in Malta and Gozo
or visit www.go.com.mt. Terms
and conditions apply.
Kidsmalta.com winners land €100 worth of goodies
Kidsmalta.com recently
organised a hugely successful Carnival Photo competition on Facebook. Over 100
photos of children in carnival costumes were submitted
and at the end the winning
photo was the one of Kayden
Xuereb with a whopping
1,206 votes.
The competition prize was
a shopping spree of €100 to
be spent at any establish-
ment listed on kidsmalta.
com’s Shopping Directory.
Kayden’s
family
chose
Kingsway Store in Valletta as
the venue for their fantastic
shopping spree. Kidsmalta.
com is the leading provider
of information for parents in
Malta. The site has an online
community that brings parents, families, and experts
together sharing fun, useful
and evergreen tools.
The site boasts a library of
information on all the ages
and stages of a growing family, discussion forums to
swap advice with other parents, competitions with great
prizes on offer and a comprehensive directory listing
of local resources. Averaging
150,000 pageviews a month,
kidsmalta.com is by far the
most popular resource for
Maltese parents.
Another player takes home
€640,000 Quaterno Jackpot
Another big Quaterno Jackpot was won last Saturday (2
April) when a Lotto player
guessed the four winning numbers 16 – 20 – 46 – 90, which
was purchased from a Maltco
Lotteries’ agent in St Paul’s Bay.
The winner of the €640,000
prize is Jesmond Grima from
Hamrun, who was presented
with the cheque by Iris Camilleri Mifsud, Maltco’s Corporate
Communications
Manager.
While receiving the cheque, he
said that he has been playing
these numbers for quite some
time on his mother’s insistence.
“Now I will buy a house for her
as she has been living in a rather
damp place. After my father’s
death, she has worked even harder to raise us up so she deserves
it,” continued explaining a rather
emotional Grima, who had tears
in his eyes. Amazingly, the winning numbers were drawn in the
same sequence as shown on the
ticket.
The ticket was bought in the
morning of the draw day.
Mario Cassar, Maltco Lotteries’ General Director said: “Since
the enhancements introduced
two years ago, the Quaterno
game has steadily increased in
popularity, which not only saw
the Jackpot increase to a minimum of €200,000 but gave players more chances to win with
three, as well as two, numbers.
Celebrate Hard Rock’s 40th
anniversary in London
The world’s first Hard Rock
Café opened in London 40 years
ago! Today, Hard Rock has 170
venues in 51 countries, including 133 cafés and 15 hotels/casinos.
In honour of this milestone,
Hard Rock Café Malta and
partner Pepsi are giving fans a
chance to win a trip to London
for one of the world’s most hotly
anticipated concert events –
Hard Rock Calling 2011! Do you
have what it takes to be the next
Ambassador of Rock?
Simply partner any Hard Rock
Legendary Burger with Pepsi
and leave your details. Weekly
drawn names to compete live
on Bay Radio. Applications start
on Monday, 28 March and the
finalists will be announced on
29 April, which will battle their
title in a RocKaraoke competition on 5 May.
Hard Rock Calling 2011 is
a three-day, musical celebration being held in London’s
Hyde Park from Friday, 24 June
through Sunday, 26 June. The
event features more than a dozen top bands, including headliners Bon Jovi. Past acts have included Aerosmith, Eric Clapton,
Neil Young, Paul McCartney,
Stevie Wonder, The
Who, Pearl Jam, Peter Gabriel,
Bruce Springsteen, The Killers
and The Police, who have created what is now identified as the
‘must see’ concert event on the
UK festival circuit. Additional
artists for the 2011 line-up will
be announced leading up to the
festival.
The VIP package includes
round-trip airfare for two; hotel accommodations for three
nights; $300 in spending cash
and two VIP concert tickets for
each of the three days of Hard
Rock Calling 2011.
This competition is sponsored
by: Pepsi, Budweiser, Havana
Club, Absolut Vodka, Bay Radio, P.Cutajar, Foodworks, IceWatch and Hamilton Travel.
For more information visit
www.hardrockcalling.co.uk.
Msida Flimkien 2011 helps
Puttinu Cares
Everybody
acknowledges
the sterling work which is being
done by Puttinu Cares.
But the representatives of the
Msida associations feel that they
can go a step further.
Thus they are inviting the
public, their families and their
friends to support the initiative
Msida Flimkien 2011 in aid of
Puttinu Cares. This will include
a Good Friday Exhibition at the
PL local club, in which visitors
will be able to admire the various works of art on display, as
well as donate money – on a voluntary basis – to Puttinu Cares.
They may also enroll as members of the Transplant Support
Group and become an organ
donor. The exhibition will be
open as from Friday, 15 April to
Saturday, 210 APRIL. Entrance
is free.
On Monday 18 April Msida
Flimkien will be organising a
walk of Hope and Solidarity.
During this event, all the Msida Associations (PL, PN, Local
Council, Band Club, the football
club and all religious associations) will march together from
the Gibjun area at 6.00pm to the
Msida Parish church, where a
special mass will be held. All associations taking part and those
present will be invited to make a
donation to Puttinu Cares.
Puttinu Cares requires immediate financial help. Those who
cannot participate in the above
mentioned events are kindly
invited to support the organisation by either crediting Msida
Flimkien bank account number
40018009574 (BOV) or by sending an SMS donation of €4.66 on
5061 8066.
€35,000 raised by Rotary
Club Malta for Dar
il-Kaptan
Players are realising that they
have good chances of winning
and the myth that the Quaterno
is not winnable has been proven
wrong!”
In fact there are 11 different chances of winning in the
Quaterno game, with one ticket
costing €2. With every Quaterno
ticket a player has:
• One chance of winning the
Jackpot with a minimum prize
of €200,000 by matching four
out of the five numbers drawn.
• Four chances of winning €500
by guessing three numbers out
of five numbers drawn.
• Six chances of winning €30 by
guessing two numbers out of five
numbers drawn.
Moreover, players may opt to
play combinations by choosing
more than four numbers which
would result in the player participating through a higher number
of tickets thus increasing even
further the chances of winning.
The Lotto draw is transmitted
live every Saturday on Melita’
Weather and Information Channel, One TV and Net TV.
For further information about
the Quaterno Game, one may
visit Maltco Lotteries’ website
on www.maltco.com or contact
Maltco Lotteries’ HelpLine centre on 2388 3333 as well as by
visiting one of Maltco Lotteries’
authorised agents.
Rotary Club Malta held its annual fund raising dinner on
Friday, 25 March at the Bay
Arena, InterContinental Malta. This very successful event
was supported by three hundred and forty Rotarians and
friends who were treated to a
champagne reception on arrival, followed by a delicious
four-course meal. The purpose of this event was to purchase a 17-seater van for Dar
il-Kaptan, a Respite home in
Mtarfa.
18 classic cars ranging from
a 1932 Austin two-seater
sports convertible to a 1962
Chevrolet Corvette were
brought in by some of Malta’s
passionate car enthusiasts and
collectors and were placed in
the dining area around the 31
tables. During the evening,
the club auctioned 13 paintings generously donated by
Malta’s leading artists. After
the auction, Ian De Cesare,
president of the Rotary Club
Malta, thanked the artists,
sponsors, donors and all those
attending and announced
that the event had reached its
challenging target and raised
€35,250. At that moment, the
17-seater van was driven into
the Bay Arena with 17 Rotarians inside. The evening
continued till the early hours
with dancing to an amazing
nine piece band.
The presentation of the van
to Dar il-Kaptan will be held
shortly.
41
Events
Melita launches TV and internet bundle
Melita, the leader in home
entertainment, has launched
the Entertainment Pack – a new
bundle including interactive TV
services and high-speed cable
internet. This pack includes the
Melita Netbox HD, which allows customers to take control of
their TV with pause, rewind and
record buttons on live TV. This
new bundle also includes Melita’s reliable 10-Megabit cableinternet service that comes complete with a free Wi-Fi integrated
modem which takes the internet
experience to a whole new level.
Bundles start from just €32 per
month and include Melita’s TV
service starting from 38 digital
TV channels up to a whopping
155 digital and High Definition
TV channels. The Pack
also provides access to
60 digital music channels including local
and thematic advertfree channels.
Commenting
on
the launch of this
new bundle, Michael
Darmanin – Director of Marketing and
Businesses
services
at Melita said, “The
Entertainment Pack
allows customers to
interact with their
TV using the Personal Video Recorder
service. Clients are able to pause
live TV, or rewind back if they
missed a particular moment of
Solid performance by
Peugeot in first quarter 2011
On a sector which witnessed
record volumes in Q1 2011, Peugeot has increased its market
share thanks to strong showings by all of its products: those
at the heart of the range, those
which fervently embody the
pleasure of motoring, and those
which serve Peugeot’s family
vocation.
In Q1, Peugeot achieved a
market share of 18.49% for passenger cars, up 0.34 points on
last year.
This upturn is founded on the
Peugeot offering across all segments.
• On the B segment, the 206+
and 207 remain out in front on
the market with an 8.6% market
share.
• A success which will be bolstered by the Attractive special
series not to mention the new
207 CC series 64 and the new
207 CC Roland Garros.
• The 3008 / 5008 tandem
holds onto first place on the
compact MPV segment with
over 20,000 vehicles registered
year to date.
• Registrations of pleasure vehicles saw growth of over 40%
compared to Q1 2010 with a
strong performance by the 308
CC (up 11% on 2010) and the
RCZ, in line with targets with
over 1,660 registrations in 2011.
• Finally, Peugeot confirms the
family vocation of its range with
upward momentum across the
entire Tepee and 807 offering.
Successful sales launch of the
508
Marketed in a saloon body
style on 3 February and in a
SW version on 10 March, the
508 is enjoying significant success with 5,000 cars registered
in Q1 2011, over 4,000 orders in
March, an excellent entry onto
the market for corporate sales
and a high mix. Indeed, 80% of
sales concerned GT and Feline
finishes.
their favourite show. Moreover
to make sure they don’t miss any
of their favourite TV content,
record programmes at the click
of a button, simply by
browsing through the
advanced electronic
programme guide. The
Netbox HD included
in the Entertainment
Pack comes complete
with a massive 320Gigabyte
hard-disk
allowing you to record
up to 100 hours of TV
shows.”
For customers with a
rich collection of personal music, videos
and photos, the Entertainment Pack allows
them to use their TV as
a Media-Centre, playing videos,
music and photos directly from
their personal computer wire-
lessly, or by connecting a USB or
external drive.
This new home entertainment
bundle also includes a top-brand
latest-generation integrated modem and Wi-Fi router which
allows multiple users to be connected at the same time, as well
as use the modem for Melita’s
cheap fixed telephony service.
Clients do not need to worry
about complex installations or
confusing cables. All Entertainment Pack installations are done
by Melita’s professional staff for a
one-time fee of only €15.
For more information on the Entertainment Pack visit www.melita.com or call Melita’s customer
contact centre on 27270270.
Great offers at R Living today
Once again, R Living is giving
their customers the chance to
take advantage of great offers
on top quality furniture during
their much-anticipated open
week. Today (April 10) is your
last chance to benefit from 50%
off on showroom items, with a
vast selection of kitchens, bedrooms and parquet spread out
over 2,000 sq/m of showroom
space.
It’s the open day you look forward to most... open all day until 8.00pm.
R Living can be found at Mriehel By-pass, Qormi. For more
information, call 21 499699 or
email info@rliving.com.mt.
www.rliving.com.mt
Vodafone launches new data roaming plan
Malta’s market leader in mobile communication services –
has rolled out its latest offer enabling customers to send emails,
browse the internet and keep in
touch with their friends while
abroad, for just €3 a day.
Vodafone’s Passport Data offers the lowest plan on the market for data roaming and can be
used both from smartphones
and Vodafone’s internet key.
With €3 a day, customers receive 30MB internet-on-yourmobile or on your internet key
whenever they are in the EU.
The offer is available when
roaming on the Vodafone networks in Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland,
Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and United King-
dom. The offer is also available
while roaming in Austria on
Mobilkom, Belgium on Belgacom, France on SFR and Switzerland on Swisscom. Outside
the 30MB bundle, the rate is
fixed at €1.75 per MB on all Vodafone preferred networks.
“As part of our drive to constantly enhance what we offer,
the team at Vodafone Malta has
come up with a groundbreaking product that gives travellers
the lowest data roaming rates
on the local market,” said Alexandre Froment-Curtil, Head of
Marketing at Vodafone Malta.
“Since we know that our customers are avid users of data
on their mobile we wanted to
come up with an offer that enables them to stay in touch with
what’s going on, wherever they
are. They can browse the web,
send emails, access social networking sites and ensure business continuity without running the risk of being faced with
hefty bills.”
To benefit from this offer, customers must be subscribed to
a smartphone plan or Liberty
plan. Subscribing to this offer
is easy and can be done by calling 247 or by visiting any one of
Vodafone’s stores around Malta
and Gozo. Alternatively, customers can directly contact your
Vodafone Account Executive.
More information can be obtained by calling 247 for free from
a Vodafone line or 20 990247
from any other line, or by visiting
vodafone.com.mt/passportdata.
42
Events
43
Business
Henley Business School loses a friend
Prof Emilio Herbolzheimer,
a recently retired veteran of
Henley Business School, died
of a heart attack on 30 March.
His wife Jane is taking some
comfort in the fact that he died
doing something he loved – skiing in the Pyrenees with his
brother. A Spanish and German
national, he was buried in Spain
as per his wishes.
Prof Herbolzheimer worked at
Henley Business School – and
formerly HMC – for over 13
years, and retired in September last year. During his career
with Henley Business School,
he had been a vibrant Faculty
Member, making valuable contributions within his roles, such
as, Professor of Strategy, Dean
of South Africa, Director of
International Studies, Director
of the Advanced Management
Programme, and Director of
Studies for Executive Development Programmes. He was
recently continuing his links
with Henley Business School as
a Lecturer. Emilio contributed
greatly to Henley’s Academic
standing and he will be greatly
missed by his many friends and
colleagues.
Prof Herbolzheimer has helped
many Maltese programme
members in their studies, also
enjoying the Maltese hospitality
while delivering a workshop of
Global Business Environment
for the Henley MBA last year.
The Henley Malta office have
sent their condolences to his
family and would forward any
sympathy notes sent by his
former students and acquaintances at info@henleymalta.
com, fax 21315800 or Henley
Business School in Malta, Teomangeo, Triq tal-Hriereb, Msida MSD 1671.
Prof Emilio
Herbolzheimer
New Head for Commercial Banking at HSBC
Michel Cordina has been appointed Head of Commercial
Banking at HSBC Bank Malta
plc. Cordina takes over from
Richard J. Cottell, who has
been appointed Senior Vice
President and Head of Corporate Banking, British Colombia, Canada with effect from 1
June 2011.
Cordina was Deputy Head of
Commercial Banking at HSBC
Malta. He was recently seconded to HSBC UK as Head
of Sales Performance in Commercial Banking at the Bank’s
Headquarters
in
Canary
Wharf, London.
Cordina, an Associate of the
Chartered Institute of Bankers (ACIB), has over 29 years of
banking experience. He started
his career in the branch network, working in both the personal and commercial areas of
the bank. He later moved to work
in other head office and support
departments. In 2006, he was
appointed Deputy Head of Operations and shortly afterwards
he was appointed Head of Business Transformation for HSBC
Malta. Cordina was also the
Programme Manager responsible for bringing the HSBC Contact Centre operation to Malta,
which today
employs over
Michel Cordina is HSBC
500 staff.
Malta’s new Head of
Alan RiCommercial Banking
chards,
Director and Chief Executive
Officer of HSBC Bank Malta
p.l.c. thanked Richard Cottell
for his three years of service
in Malta and wished him the
best of luck in his new role
in Canada. Mr Richards also
congratulated Cordina on his
appointment as Head of Commercial Banking at HSBC
Bank Malta.
Michel is married to Simone
and has two children, Matthew and Lisa.
Corinthia Palace Hotel welcomes London
Mayors’ Association
The London Mayors’ Association recently chose Malta and
the Corinthia Palace Hotel &
Spa as the destination for its
annual meeting and civic visit.
During their four day visit, the
delegation undertook an eventful programme of meetings,
engagements with key Maltese
dignitaries, as well as visits to
many cultural sights on the island.
In between meetings with local public figures including
Parliamentary Secretary for
Tourism, Culture and Environment Mario De Marco, the Acting President of Malta Anton
Tabone and the British High
Commissioner, Louise Stanton, the group was treated by
the Corinthia Palace Hotel to a
showcase of Malta with a series
of interesting cultural trips to
Valletta, Mdina and the Three
Cities.
Following a very successful
visit, and in appreciation of the
hospitality shown by the hotel,
the London Mayors’ Association presented General Manager, Italico Rota, with a commemorative silver plate with the
following inscription:
‘Presented to management
and staff of the Corinthia Palace
Hotel & Spa Malta in grateful
appreciation of the exceptional
hospitality and service extended
to the delegation from the London Mayors’ Association during
their civic visit to Malta 24th –
27th March 2011.’
The event organiser added:
“Every member of our delegation has returned to London
with extremely positive memories, both of Malta, and the hotel. Without a shadow of a doubt
the services provided to us by
the Corinthia Palace Hotel &
Spa were the best that I have
experienced on any of the visits
that I have organised.”
About Corinthia Hotels
Corinthia Hotels is a collection of five-star hotels founded
by the Pisani family of Malta.
The Corinthia brand remains
true to its roots as a family
business, fired by a passion for
craftsmanship of care, devotion
to detail and intuitive, warm
services. Each of our luxury hotels and resorts created in some
of the most intriguing areas of
the world is a unique tribute to
local architecture and cultural
traditions. Members of Corinthia’s extended family are committed to the values of honest
and discreet service. Corinthia
Hotels’ portfolio includes the
award-winning Corinthia Hotel
The London Mayors’ Association
presents a commemorative silver
plate to Corinthia Palace Hotel General
Manager Italico Rota (left)
Budapest in Hungary, Corinthia
Hotel Prague in the Czech Republic, Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg in Russia and Corinthia
Palace Hotel & Spa in Malta.
The portfolio also features Cor-
inthia Hotel St George’s
Bay in Malta, the superior five-star Corinthia
Hotel Tripoli in Libya, and the
modern Corinthia Hotel Lisbon
in Portugal.
For more information, visit:
www.corinthia.com
44
Classifieds
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 10 APRIL 2011
ANTIQUES
GARAGE SALE - at 33, F. Vidal Street,
L-Ibrag, on the 9th and 10th of April
from 10am till 6pm, furniture, antiques,
vinyl records and household goods.
Everything must go.
BOATS
BOERO - Are you getting your boat
ready for the season? Do you want
a clean bottom? Why not try BOERO
antifouling and paints? BOERO specialise in primers and antifouling made
specially for hot and warm waters.
Ideal for Hulls, Z Drives, Shafts and
Props. Call 21345139 or visit nautica.
com.mt
FOR SALE
Brass deer ornament. Very heavy
and in excellent quality, measures 21
inches by 18 inches. Price €70 o.n.o
Call 99036762
Chandelier brand new - (Can take
five saver lamps or ordinary bulbs) has
roses and leaves intertwined. Price
€110 o.n.o. Call 99036762. Crystal
decanters (four different shapes - all
as new). Call 99036762
Dell laptop brand new unused with
protective carrying case. Price €1090,
will accept €800. Call 99036762
FLAGS - Five flags for mast (tal-festa)
consist of National Maltese flag Pinto
cote of arms and three religious flags.
Call 79478482
FURNITURE - Office furniture all of
sheet metal colour gold consist of (filling cabinet with three large side drawers). Executive desk, three side large
drawers and medium front drawer.
Correspondence three shelf tray, two
door cabinet 6x3 feet. Price €235.
Call 79478482
able. Call 99434034
MAST - Forty feet roof iron mast (arblu
tal- festa) complete with wrench. Price
€155. Call 79478482
New and used 380/3/50 electric
motors from 0125kw to 15kw below
half price. Also 3x3 metal clad boxes
and cable glands. Call 99434043
Reverse osmosis (portable – can be
used free standing in kitchen or taken
on holiday/ camping – etc) Has brand
new unused filters in it. German technology. Price €210. Will accept half.
Call 99036762.
Stereo Silver crest complete with
speakers (brand new and still boxed).
CD/MP3/Radio/Tape/USB. Samsung
Blu Ray DVD player – (brand new and
still boxed). Samsung complete surround system. Original DVDs – used
once. Original CD’s – used once. Call
99232016
Wedding Dress – Ivory Colour, in
prime condition, latest collection size
10/12 to be sold with head dress,
imported from France. Please call
79942933
GENERAL
Charity Lunch – The sisters of
St. Dorothy are organising a buffet
lunch at the Dolmen Hotel, Sunday
10th April, time 12:00 noon, in aid
of the missions in the Philippines.
Price adults €18, children €9. Call
99063820, 21431367
Computers P3, Price €15. CRT
Monitors 17”, Price €10, Keyboards,
mice, Price €1. Call 99434034
Flexible ducting un/insulated from
100mm up to 400mm diameter at
half price. Also Jubilee clips for above
oval insulated duct access doors. Call
99434034
Kity woodworking machine 8” still in
a very good working condition, having
planer, saw motiseur, spindle moulder. Price €640 or nearest offer. Call
99857774
Lever Arch files in various colours,
bargain prices for fifty and over also
various, desk top organisers are avail-
MEPAwatch
Garage door, sign in stencil. Just
tape to door and paint the lettering.
New and unused. Reads: Garage in
use 24 hours - Tow zone. Without this
sign police cannot tow offenders. Size
21” x 11. Price €25. Call 99036762.
Centru Nazzjonali Laburista
An application to carry out
structural alterations at the
Labour Party Headquarters in
Hamrun with a view to introduce a balcony on the façade
fronting Triq Mile End was referred to the Commission for a
final decision. Indeed, the current Labour premises do not
feature any balcony at present.
The case officer remarked that
the said alterations complement
with the architectural context.
The Commission approved the
permit.
Architect requested to amend
plans
A development application to
carry out alterations to a boundary wall bordering a field and
sanction two greenhouses was
discussed by the Commission
Paraffin storage tank, size 2x1500
Ltr. What offers? Call 79048500
Rock wool pipe insulation in various
diameters and thickness at prices
below 50%. Call 99434034
Shelving for Euro pallets, each bay
three pallets wide by 3 metres high.
Also shelving with demountable steel
shelves, 2.4m wide by 3metres high.
Call 99434034
Surplus new double regulating valves, crane model D930 sizes
150mm and 200mm. Bargain price for
the lot. Call 99434034
LETTING
BALZAN - Fully furnished flat, three
bedrooms, long let. Call owner on
21442677
FGURA - To Let or For Sale warehouse, offices, off Fgura centre. Call
owner on 99226842,99496538
MOSTA - garage ideal for store on two
floors, electricity, water ceramic tiles.
Call 99468118
XLENDI - Gozo holiday flats, sleep six.
Call 21551979,99493298
PROPERTY FOR SALE
BALZAN – Old Railway Track, three
bedroom apartments, open plan, front
balconies – semi finished, with lift. Price
€128,155 (Lm55,000). Two bedroom
penthouse, open plan. Price €163,056
(Lm 70,000) Call 99056212
B’KARA – Located on the outskirts of
this town, but close to all amenities, a
truly imposing well maintained townhouse. Enjoying spacious accommodation, with a well planned layout. This fine
property comprises a wide entrance
hall leading to a large kitchen, dining,
pantry. On the left leads to a spacious
living room, kids’ playroom, study.
Upstairs in the sleeping quarters you
find four sizable bedrooms, of which
the main bedroom measures approximately 6x7 meters, with en suite facilities and with a large Maltese balcony.
Main bathroom, guest bathroom, wash
room, box room. Complimenting this
property is a mature back garden with
fruit trees and measures approximately 450 square meters, having ample
space for pool and plenty of entertainment area. A special added extra
feature to this family home is a lived,
and in use are five rooms in the cellar
(old shelter). Full air conditioning, solar
panels, solar heating and a rented lock
up one car garage. Price €739,000.
Call 99476949
BLATA-L-BAJDA – Spacious, bright
and airy corner, third floor apartment
consisting of big entrance hall, three
bedrooms, sitting/dining room, kitchen, bathroom, big balcony, use of roof.
Price €67,000 freehold. Real bargain.
Call owner 99214321 or 21412287
BUGIBBA – Seafront, best part of
Buigibba. Plot with permit 3mx21m for
semi-basement and three duplex flats.
Price €490,000 (Lm210,000) o.n.o.
Viewing Sundays 10am to 4pm or by
appointment. Call 99463045
Circa five tumolo with three small
rooms plus girna and many mature
trees with water reservoirs and vertical
well (spiera) l/0 Rabat Dingli accessible through lane. Freehold. Call owner
99492448
COSPICUA – Three room house, residential or office/s, situated at the end
of the street, in a central position.
Enjoying harbour views from first floor,
balcony, sufficient parking space in the
vicinity. Price negotiable. Direct from
owner. No agents. Call 99424176
IBRAGG – A luxuriously finished 26ft
frontage elevated ground floor maisonette situated in a very good and
residential area in this village enjoying
unobstructed country views. Layout
comprises an entrance into a very
large kitchen, sitting, dining, a washroom which leads to the interconnecting four car garage, spare toilet, an
elegant internal yard enhancing this
property with more natural light, a
master bathroom with a nice corner
Jacuzzi bath, three double bedrooms
and a well sized back yard measuring approx 260sq. Finishing includes
ceramic flooring with ceramic skirting,
gypsum finishing, gypsum flat ceilings,
five feet wide corridors, solid internal
walnut doors, aluminium throughout
and a fitted solid walnut imported
kitchen. A genuine family home –
must be seen. Price €320,000. Call
99476949
IKLIN – Two bedroom penthouse
(close to Scan computers) kitchen/
dining/living, bathroom and terrace.
Price €111,670 (Lm47,940), semifinished, no bathroom and internal
doors. Price €118,800 (Lm 51,000 )
with bathroom and internal doors. Call
99056212
KAPPARA – An elegant, highly elevated ground floor maisonette in a block
of only two units. This highly finished
wide fronted family home offers an
attractive bright and airy square layout
with split level leading to a living/dining
room laid with parquet flooring, fully fitted kitchen/breakfast with appliances,
main bedroom with en suite, second
bedroom, main bathroom, box room,
third bedroom turned into a secondary
living/playroom/study, with a closed
back balcony, washroom, box room
and with easy parking facilities. Some
extras included. Price €209,600. Call
99476949.
KAPPARA – L/O St. Julians/Sliema,
ideal for garden lovers or pet owners,
large three bedroom apartment having
large garden, includes fitted kitchen
and spare bedroom. Price €215,000.
Call owner 99429836, 21421723
L/O Mgarr – One tumolo having large
reservoir with running water. Also having room with permit and electricity nearby. Land is surrounded with
high walls, closed by gate. Area has
Robert Musumeci’s Weekly landmark decisions
earlier this week. The case officer recommended an outright
refusal, stating amongst other
reasons that the design of the
boundary wall was not in line
with Legal Notice 160 of 1997,
which essentially regulates the
construction methodology as
to how rubble walls should be
built. Following an intense discussion, the Board requested
the architect defending the application to amend the size of
the entrance gate in order to
provide a three metre access.
The Commission further suggested that the greenhouses
(which architect is in effect
requesting their sanctioning)
should be orientated in a different fashion with a view to limit
the resulting visual impact. The
architect was also requested to
amend the drawings, indicat-
Following
an intense
discussion, the
Board requested
the architect
defending the
application to
amend the size of
the entrance gate
ing that existing rubble walls
are to be in line with the active
Legal Notice (LN 160 of 1997),
in which case it is understood
that a condition to this effect
shall be included in the permit.
On closer observation, it is clear
that the Commission made an
effort not to issue an outright
refusal on the pretext that nowhere in the proposal description was it suggested to carry
out modifications as suggested
by the Commission. Instead,
the Commission has deliberately opted to guide the architect
and provide him with alternative solutions aimed at improving the current situation on site.
In the circumstances, this was
certainly the most practical,
and certainly correct, approach.
In the said circumstances, the
Commission should be lauded.
A change of use in Qormi
A request to sanction the
change of use from a former day
care centre to a retail shop in
Qormi was referred to MEPA
for consideration. The case of-
ficer observed that the proposal
was not acceptable in principle.
When the case was referred to
the Commission for onward
consideration, the members
suggested that architect should
include a garage adjacent to the
proposed retail shop, highlighting further to “provide a 3m
recess between garage / shop
entrance and building alignment” In that way, the facade of
the shop and garage are both recessed 3 metres from the alignment with a view to enable safe
vehicle maneuvering and pedestrian access. Moreover, this
solution is technically possible
since the frontal opening (leading to the shop and adjacent
garage) is considerably larger
than what is typically allowed
by policy. The case was put off
until May.
45
Classifieds
an easy access and fantastic views.
Being sold freehold for €105,000
o.n.o. Phone owner on 99492448
LUQA – Large field in Luqa, near Lidl
supermarket. Please call owner on
99490264
MOSTA – Corner maisonette with airspace three bedrooms with ensuite.
Price €200,000. Call owner on
21411598, 99242312, 77872441
MOSTA – Three bedroom apartment,
unfinished (kitchen available), two
bathrooms (one ensuite), front and
back balconies, own roof space and
washroom. Garage available. Close
to all amenities. Price €147,915
(Lm63,500). Call 99056212
MSIDA – Three bedroom ground
floor corner apartment furnished. Two
entrances. Front patio, part of roof.
Close to Msida Circus. Price €149,000
(Lm64,000). Call 99056212
NAXXAR - Three bedroom unfurnished
apartment, close to GS Supermarket.
Hall, living/dining, kitchen/breakfast,
front veranda with lift, size 126 sqm.
Price €153,738 (Lm66,000). Call
99056212
One tumolo situated on high grounds
surrounded by rubble wall and gate
having best views ever at Nadur Malta.
Having easy access from main road
and water available, being sold freehold for LM25,000. Call owner on
99492448
PEMBROKE - Semi-detached, two
bedroom bungalow, drive-in and
garage. Hall, separate kitchen/dining,
back garden and well. Large roof
and washroom, own airspace, free-
hold. Price €461,215 (Lm198,000)
Call 99056212
QAWRA - A fully detached, top floor
apartment located in a private complex, part of a smart block. Property
comprises hall, separate kitchen, open
plan living/dining room with a sunny veranda, three double bedrooms,
guest bathroom and use of communal
pool, with pool deck and surrounding mature garden. Optional garage
available. Excellent investment with
high rental return. Recommended
lovely property! Price €199,000. Call
99476949
QAWRA - Flat consisting of a kitchen/
living with fireplace, two bedrooms
fully furnished. Two balconies, fireplace, bathroom and separate shower.
Second floor with lift. Price €95,000.
Call owner 99468110
QAWRA - Large ground floor, three
bedroom apartment, two bathrooms. Internal yard area 195 sqm.
Price €158,397 (Lm68,000). Call
99056212
QAWRA - Seafront apartment with lift,
three bedrooms. Price €122,000. Call
owner 99242312,21411598.
QORMI - Victory Street, block of two
flats, fully furnished with two bedrooms, well sized sitting room and dining room combined and equipped bathroom. Access to roof and washroom.
No rent. Doors included. Direct from
owner. Price €110,000 negotiable.
Call 99469591
San Gwann - Opposite Ultimate
Showroom - Apartments, semi-finished. Three bedrooms €139,762
(Lm60,000). Two bedrooms €116,468
(Lm 50,000) Penthouse one bedroom with two terraces €123,456
(Lm53,000) Maisonette - two/three
bedrooms €139,762. Call 99056212
SAN GWANN - Three bedroom duplex
apartment, unfurnished, hall, large
living area, Fino kitchen/dining, two
front balconies and back porch. Large
roof and washroom, size 200sqm.
Price €199,976(Lm85,850). Call
99056212
SLIEMA - A brand new apartment,
located only a few minutes walk away
from the seafront measuring almost
160sqm. Having an excellent finish
throughout and comprises an open
plan kitchen/living/dining, three double bedrooms, main bedroom with en
suite facilities, main bathroom, wash
room, two balconies and with optional
lock-up garages. Must be seen. Price
€214,300. Call 99476949
SLIEMA - A spacious modern apartment situated in small smart block
just off Balluta Bay. Comprising an
ideal layout without any dark corridors,
absorbing loads of natural sunlight
from three sunny balconies. Enjoying
an open plan fitted kitchen, living, dining room overlooking private gardens,
guest bathroom, three bedrooms
(main with shower en suite) and complimented with an underlining car space
which is included in excellent price.
Many extras included. Recommended,
must be seen! Price €210,000. Call
99476949
SLIEMA - Located in this highly sought
after area, a stone throw away from
amenities, seconds away from the
promenade, and the beach, this ideal
and convenient ground floor apartment
comprises entrance hallway, kitchen,
breakfast, combined dining, living area,
main bedroom, spare bedroom, guest
toilet, laundry, main bathroom and a
well sized back yard with shed, ideal
for storage. Also complimenting this
apartment is an optional car space.
Price €220,000. Call 99476949
SLIEMA - One bedroom apartment,
furnished, A/C and TV. Garage space
available at €44 monthly. Price
€135,700 (Lm58,256) negotiable.
Call 99056212
SLIEMA - Unfurnished two bedroom
apartment, two bathrooms (one
ensuite) - two minutes away from
Stella Maris Church and five minutes
from Ghar id-Dud. Close to all amenities 80sqm - with lift. Price €174,703
(Lm75,000). Call 99056212
SLIEMA - Walking distance to the
seafront. Brand new and never lived
in. An enormous ground floor maisonette, one of only few available this
size in this area. Having two entrances
and comprises wide hall, sitting/dining room, separate kitchen/breakfast,
three bedrooms, bathroom, en suite,
guest toilet and front patio. Optional
interconnecting lock up garages available. Good value. Freehold. Price
€210,000. Call 99476949
SLIEMA TIGNE - Truly a one off, hard
to find, this highly finished and maintained to perfection, very spacious corner 275sqm apartment, offering excellent sea-views and just seconds away
from the new gardens, the promenade
and the sea. With rear terraces and
five balconies, this delightful corner
property comprises of a welcoming
entrance foyer, four double bedrooms
(main with full bathroom en-suite), separate sitting room opening onto a 14.5
sqm terrace with views, fully fitted
kitchen/breakfast, formal dining room,
study, full size family bathroom, large
utility/washroom with own drying terrace. Complimenting this property are
two interconnected car spaces, and
many extras. Not to be missed. Price
€489,170. Call 99476949
ST. JULIANS - Two bedroom apartment,
lovely terrace overlooking Spinola Bay,
TV. Price €363,600 (Lm156,093)
Negotiable. Call 99056212
SWATAR - Bargain large garage. Call
owner 99496758
SWATAR - Nicely finished, recently
refurbished terraced house with basement garage with remote garage door
situated in a quiet area, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, large kitchen/sitting area, with fireplace. Price
€295,000(Lm126,643). Freehold. Call
owner 79666095. No agents.
TA’XBIEX - Lavish penthouse forming
part of a prestigious new development
presently undergoing construction.
This impressive property enjoys a total
floor area of 290 square meters and is
being offered finished to luxury standards. Accommodation consists a wide,
bright entrance leading to an enormous living, dining and separate open
plan kitchen/breakfast both facing a
fantastic 120 square meter front terrace. Sleeping quarters include a master bedroom with en-suite bath, two
guest bedrooms and a main bathroom.
This lovely property comes with ownership of airspace and optional interconnecting lock up garage. Internal
doors and bathrooms not included for
a better choice. Price €585,000. Call
99476949
46
Classifieds
TA’XBIEX - New on the market, a
lavish penthouse forming part of a
prestigious new development presently undergoing finishing. This impressive property enjoys a total floor area
of 275sqm and is being offered finished to very high standards, and with
a choice of bathrooms and internal
doors. Accommodation consists of a
bright entrance leading onto a large
living/dining and with separate open
plan kitchen/breakfast leading on to
a fantastic 121sqm front terrace, with
excellent direct sea views, yacht marina views, and more. Sleeping quarters
include a master bedroom with en-suite
bathroom, two guest bedrooms and a
main bathroom. This lovely property
comes with ownership of airspace and
optional interconnecting lock up garag-
es. Highly recommended. All round
good value property. Price €585,000.
Call 99476949
Two bedroom, third floor apartment
in prime location. Highly finished and
fully furnished including 40” Plasma.
Kindly call on 99044444,79440698
WANTED - Development sites with full
permits if possible, but not a must,
ideally centrally located and preferably in Sliema, St. Julian’s, Swieqi and
Ta-L’Ibrag area. Other attractive and
well priced sites will be considered. No
agents please. Call 99476949
XAGHRA GOZO - Large plot of land
with permit of a farmhouse measuring 42” front and 70” depth. Price
Lm110,000 or nearest offer. Call
99227722
ZEJTUN - Large garage in Zejtun.
Price Lm50,000. Call 99227722
ZEJTUN - Large house in Zejtun with
large garden. A very quiet area. Price
Lm115,000 or nearest offer. Call
99227722
SERVICE
Relax and unwind with a full body
massage done by David, ITEC qualified therapist satisfaction guaranteed.
SMS only on 99809351
SITUATIONS VACANT
I am in search of a young man who is
very computer literate and knows online
marketing terminology and skills. Has
to know how to manage websites and
blogs. No payment offered but I am
ready to share profits of several money making systems which I bought and
which are genuine and have a good
income potential. Once we meet, we
will discuss and agree about the whole
deal. No fixed time, can work when he
wants. If you are interested, please e
mail on danben@maltanet.net
SITUATIONS WANTED
HOME CARE - mature experienced
lady seeking care work or home care.
Call 77474602,27472978
TO LET
MARSALFORN - Gozo, long let, two
bedroom maisonette, ground floor with
80 foot garden. Fully furnished in oak
with views. Call 21445511,99468118
MOSTA - Garage, ideal as store, with
ceramic tiles, water and electricity
(near World Bargains) Call 99468118
TUITION
English, French, Italian, Maltese,
Form 1 to Form 5. Improve now to do
well in your annual exam! Lessons in
Paola. Individual attention. Experienced
teacher. Also primary year 4,5,6. Call
21697187,99804695
Oral and listening comprehension
practice for Italian, English Matsec
exam. Individual attention. Last revision lessons French, English, Maltese,
Italian Matsec 2011. Lessons
in Paola. Experienced tutor. Call
21697187,99804695
VEHICLES/PARTS
EVO VIII - Mitsubishi EVO VII (2001)
Full Extras + Turbo upgrade TD06
20g (400+BHP), ECU Re-map (Kyokudo
Racing), Blitz Electronic Boost Controller
& Turbo Timer, ULTRA Leads, SARD
Fuel Regulator, BOSCH Uprated Fuel
Pump, S/Steel Manifold, 3.5” Exhaust
+ APEX Muffler, 17” ADVAN Racing
Bronze Wheels, New KUMHO Ecsta
Tyres, TAKATA Harnesses, FERODO
DS2500 pads front and back, Custom
Signhaus Vinyl Stickers. Price: €26,000
o.n.o. Call 99283760.
MINI - Van Peroduo Rusa, good condition and valid VRT. Price €3,200 Call
99434034
OPEL - Record Olimpia 1962 engine,
always garaged. Price €2,500. Call
21661531,99231957
WANTED
TO RENT - One car garage,
Gillieru area, St. Pauls Bay. Call
27015405,99290443
47
Sport
maltatoday, Sunday, 10 April 2011
SPORTTODAY
Overseas.................. 19
Kavallieri................. 20
Mike Turner
Kavallieri clinched the Cisk Lager
League title with this narrow win but
spoiled their triumph with a disappointingly aggressive style, after an experienced
international player had thrown a nasty
punch and should have been taken off
the field. a weird lack of communication
between referee and touch judge resulted
in him continuing; it could be said to have
swung the result.
Kavallieri started slowly and for the first
quarter overseas were much more incisive,
Cassar having a rampaging game to score
the first try after a tap penalty, ruck and
flip pass released him to swerve and charge
past three players; wright converted.
The territorial advantage stayed with
Overseas , despite the experienced Kavallieri front row having the edge on their
opponents.
Overseas Boland scored again after
bursting through the Kavallieri back line
with a lovely timed, angled run and again
Wright converted.
Overseas Sammut recovered from a nasty
kick on the head but just as overseas were
looking comfortable Kavallieri stepped up
a gear, winning loose ball again and again,
resulting in a fine try by Allegruci with a
two man overlap. Welsh newcomer Edmunds converted with a fine kick.
Under pressure overseas began to flap.
Captain gave a way a silly penalty by refusing to retreat after a kick, and then tried
to run out after another penalty instead
of relieving the pressure by a touch kick.
Kavallieri tails were up, with the wind behind them, Kavallieri took more and more
territory with another good driving maul,
but Cassar led Overseas back, only for
wild passing to allow the attack to break
against the renowned Kavallieri defence.
Kavallieri scored again to bring the score
closer after the punch incident. half time
was 14-12.
Sadly, the game lost any style and discipline the second half with Overseas losing their pattern and playing “headless
chicken” rugby, all effort and no direction.
They really need more discipline and sensible leadership. An injury to Wright may
have influenced the decision not to kick at
goal for several penalties – that extra three
points would have won the match.
In response many of the Kavallieri resorted to the needless aggression, which
stained their overall performance. The
next score came from yet another big
driving maul by Kavallieri to take the lead.
Cutajar was yellow carded for Kavallieri.
Rugby results
Ladies: Ben Bennett’s Cup
Valletta 0 - Falcons 12
Valletta 0- Kavallieri 36
Overseas 0 - Falcons 9
Senior Men’s Cisk Lager League
Overseas 19 - Kavallieri 20
Malta 10’s Challenge Cup
Overseas 35 - Kavallieri 25
The game became littered with mistakes
by both sides, but Overseas were determined if not disciplined, and a series of attacks resulted in a good try by Eright after
quick ball was won from a ruck near the
line. He missed the comparatively easy
kick. Overseas west then committed a
stupid trip foul which resulted in a yellow
card and time in the sin bin which enabled
Kavallieri to build strong territorial pressure and Edmunds kicked them into the
lead with a penalty.
Overseas raised their frenetic work rate,
wasted two kickable penalties, and pressed
territorially against a gallant and desperate Kavallieri defence, who were lucky not
to give away a penalty try for persistent
offside. Wright gave away a silly penalty by
talking back to the referee and the game
ended with Kavallieri hanging on desperately against a serious but inconclusive
battering.
Photo: Ray Attard
Aggressive
Kavallieri edge
past Overseas
48
Classifieds
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 27 MARCH 2011
ANTIQUES
GARAGE SALE - at 33, F. Vidal Street,
L-Ibrag, on the 9th and 10th of April from
10am till 6pm, furniture, antiques, vinyl
records and household goods. Everything
must go.
BOATS
Are you getting your boat ready for the
season? Do you want a clean bottom?
Why not try BOERO antifouling and paints?
BOERO specialize in primers and antifouling made especially for hot and warm
waters. Ideal for Hulls, Z Drives, Shafts
and Props. Call 21345139 or visit nautica.com.mt
CHRISCRAFT - 27 foot boat with trailer,
twin diesel marine 4236 engines, electric
winch. Sleeps four. Phone 21558975,
99460726
FOR SALE
BIRKIRKARA - Office 113m, main location, open plan, bright and airy, excellent
finish, kitchenette, large yard, for sale
€181,500(Lm77,918). Freehold, or to let
€700 (Lm300) monthly. Contact owner
21375189,99867874
BOAT - Ten feet fiber boat SEAGULL outboard, oars, trailer cover. Price €750. Call
21579054,79904109
BURGLAR ALARM - new still boxed. English
make. Two sensors, digital keypad control box, outside alarm box, very easily
fitted, no engineer required. Price €450
- will accept €220 or nearest offer. Call
99036762
CARPET - Persian brand new and unused.
Red and cream. Room size (10 ½ feet x
12 feet). Price €650 – will accept €400 or
nearest offer. Call 99036762
CCTV for in car use with built in recorder
with remote control. Has stand and in car
charger. Small and discreet. Brand new still
boxed. Has an extra 4 Gig memory. Price
€110 or nearest offer. Call 99036762
FURNITURE - Office furniture all of sheet
metal color gold consist of (filling cabinet
with three large side drawers). Executive
desk, three side large drawers and medium front drawer. Correspondence three
shelf tray, two door cabinet 6x3 feet. Price
€235. Call 79478482
MAST - Forty feet roof iron mast (arblu talfesta) complete with wrench. Price €155.
Call 79478482
Paradise Bay Hotel for two persons in
a sea view room on a Bed & Breakfast
basis. Must be used by end of March. Call
99036762
WEDDING DRESS - Ivory Colour, in prime
condition, latest collection size 10/12 to
be sold with head dress, imported from
France. Please call 79942933
FURNITURE
DESK - Solid pine 2 feet by 3 feet, could
be used as a computer desk. Price €40.
Call 99233516
SOFA - Three seater, two one seater sofas.
Price €500. Call 79708282
GENERAL
80’s DISCO NIGHT - with dinner consisting of penne pasta with four different
types of sauces and Freddie Portelli LIVE.
Also a free glass of wine or soft drink.
Price is €15 at Nigret Night Club - Rabat.
Date 30/03/11 eve of a public holiday.
Buy your ticket now. Only 300 seats left.
Guaranteed fun!!! Tickets out now. Call
Charlie on 99465867 or 21242551, the
Catholic Institute Bar for bookings.
ORNAMENTS - Very large quantity of new
ornaments, still in boxes. Unwanted gifts.
Price €1 each or fixed price for the whole
lot. Call 99873165
PAINO - Kohler & Campbell, polished
mahogany, asking price €2,200, hardly
used or nearest offer. Call 79261949 or e
mail flamenco@onvol.net
MEPAwatch
Diamond studded bracelet (62 diamonds
in all). Price €600 or nearest offer. Call
99036762
FLAGS - Five flags for mast (tal-festa) consist of National Maltese flag Pinto cote of
arms and three religious flags
Billboard next to a Church
An application to erect a temporary billboard in the vicinity
of the Cospicua parish church
was submitted to MEPA for
onward consideration. The application was indeed submitted
by the Cospicua parish priest,
specifically intended “to advertise the EU projects currently
being executed at the church.”
When earlier this week, the
case was referred before the
Commission, it was refused on
the pretext that the a billboard
would have a negative impact
with respect to the Church and
the surrounding urban context.
Having said this, it is significant
to recall that political billboards
may be legally installed without
the need of a formal permit at
LETTING
BALZAN - Fully furnished flat, three bedrooms, long let. Call owner on 21442677
FGURA - To let or for sale warehouse,
offices, off Fgura centre. Call owner on
99226842,99496538
GHARB - Gozo, long let, quaint new furnished one/two bedroom house with
garage, kitchen, living and dining combined, roof terrace. Situated in a quiet alley
close to village centre, ideal as a weekend
holiday property. Call 79594524
MARSALFORN - Gozo, long let, sea view
three bedroom apartment with large kitchen, dining, living rooms combined, large
spacious bright rooms in a block of five,
serviced with lift. Finished to high standards. Call 79594524,79560041
MOSTA - garage ideal for store on two
floors, electricity, water ceramic tiles. Call
99468118
NAXXAR - One car garage in Marguerite,
Murray Street, Naxxar. Call 21375728
NAXXAR - Six car garage in Mnara Street,
corner with Marguerite, Murry Street. Call
21375728
SWIEQI - One bedroom flat, excellent condition with all amenities, available from the
end of March. Price €400 per month. Call
owner 99233516.
XLENDI - Gozo holiday flats, sleep six. Call
21551979,99493298
ZABBAR - second floor, large apartment
in a block of two/three double bedrooms,
large kitchen/living, bathroom, terrace,
roof in a quiet area, country views. Price
€270. Call 79592825
ZEBBUG - Large modern ground floor maisonette, three bedrooms, two bathrooms,
three yards. Price €350 bargains. Call
79592925
PROPERTY FOR SALE
BALZAN - Old Railway Track, three bedroom apartments, open plan, front balconies - semi finished, with lift. Price
€128,155 (Lm55,000). Two bedroom
penthouse, open plan. Price €163,056
(Lm 70,000) Call 99056212
BIRKIRKARA - (Old Church), charming,
well-finished ground floor maisonette in
a quaint, old cul-de-sac in an urban conservation area. Property comprises two
bedrooms with possibility of third, bathroom, en-suite shower, solid maple kitchen
and spacious air-conditioned open-plan
living, dining and study. This bright, well-lit
property includes back garden (7mx3m),
external laundry room, well, and box room.
Close to all amenities, easy parking and
ready to move into. Property is a must see!
Freehold. Price €157,000. (LM67,400).
Call 99452436, 99467920
B’KARA - Located on the outskirts of this
town, but close to all amenities, a truly imposing well maintained townhouse.
Enjoying spacious accommodation, with
a well planned layout. This fine property
comprises a wide entrance hall leading to
a large kitchen, dining, and pantry. On the
left leads to a spacious living room, kid’s
playroom, study. Upstairs in the sleeping
quarters you find four sizable bedrooms,
of which the main bedroom measures
approximately 6 X 7 meters, with en suite
facilities and with a large Maltese balcony.
Main bathrooms, guest bathroom, wash
room, box room. Complimenting this property is a mature back garden with fruit
trees and measures approximately 450
square meters, having ample space for
pool and plenty of entertainment area. A
special added extra feature to this family
home is a lived, and in use are 5 rooms
in the cellar (old shelter). Full air conditioning, solar panels, solar heating and a
rented lock up one car garage. PRICE:
Euro739,000 – Call 99476949
BLATA-L-BAJDA - Spacious, bright and airy
corner, third floor apartment consisting of
big entrance hall, three bedrooms, sitting/
dining room, kitchen, bathroom, big balcony, use of roof. Price €67,000 freehold.
Real bargain. Call owner on 99214321 or
21412287
BUGIBBA - Sea front, best part of Bugibba.
Plot with permit 3mx21m for semi-
basement and three duplex flats. Price
LM210,000 (€490,000) o.n.o. Viewing
Sundays 10am - 4pm or by appointment.
Call 79392322,99463045
Circa 5 tumolo with 3 small rooms plus girna and many mature trees with water reservoirs and vertical well (spiera) L/0 Rabat
Dingli, accessible through lane. Freehold
phone owner 99492448
COTTONERA - St. Angelo mansions,
unique three bedroom apartment, corner
with superb views from all five balconies,
each room with views of grand harbour,
Valletta, Kalkara open sea, situated on
water’s edge. Two lock up garages. Price
€580,000. Call 21370976,99242648
GOZO VICTORIA - A terraced house, three
large bedrooms, two bathrooms, bright
open plan kitchen, dining and sitting area,
overlooking garden, room for pool and barbeque area. Quiet residential area. Price
€280,000. Optional street level and two
car garage. Call owner 99420982.
HAMRUN - Shop for rent suitable as office central area. Class 4. Call 99475396
HAMRUN - One bedroom ground floor
house. Call 79708282
IBRAGG - A luxuriously finished 26ft frontage elevated ground floor maisonette situated in a very good and residential area in
this village enjoying unobstructed country
views. Layout comprises an entrance into
a very large kitchen, sitting, dining, a washroom which leads to the interconnecting
four car garage, spare toilet, an elegant
internal yard enhancing this property with
more natural light, a master bathroom
with a nice corner Jacuzzi bath, three
double bedrooms and a well sized back
yard measuring approx 260sq. Finishing
includes ceramic flooring with ceramic
skirting, gypsum finishing, gypsum flat ceilings, five feet wide corridors, solid internal
walnut doors, aluminum throughout and
a fitted solid walnut imported kitchen. A
genuine family home - Must be seen. Price
€320,000. Call 99476949
IKLIN - Garden. Call owner 99440293
IKLIN - Two bedroom penthouse (close
to Scan computers) kitchen/dining/living,
Robert Musumeci’s Weekly landmark decisions
any time once a general elections writ is issued. As the law
stands, Church Authorities may
not benefit from any exception.
Subdivision of units in
Kappara
STAMPS - Large quantity of Malta Mint
Stamps in sheets. Call 99873165
A development application
to carry out alterations in an
existing Kappara development
with a view to enable the subdivision of four large apartments
into six independent units was
referred to the Environment
and Planning Commission for
consideration. This application
had already been refused by
the former Development Control Commission, even though
an outline application had approved the said development
in principle. The former Com-
mission had reasoned out that
the proposed development was
not consistent with current
policies, even though an outline
permit was issued on the same
site. Indeed, the previous Commission had strongly contested
the outline permit, underlining
that it was issued against planning policies. When the file
was once again referred before
the incumbent Commission
for reconsideration earlier this
week, the members concluded
that the matter should be redirected to MEPA’s legal counsel, requesting his advice as to
whether an outline permit carries any vested rights in such
cases, indicating further that
the given outline permit had
decided that matters relating to
siting, design, means of access
and external appearance were
to be considered as reserved
matters and addressed once a
full development application is
submitted. This case was put
off for 19 April. It is very unlikely that MEPA’s legal counsel
would suggest that an outline
permit can be disregarded at
this stage.
Timber apertures in St Paul’s
Bay
An application to install aluminium apertures in lieu of
timber ones in a recently constructed multi storey block at
St Paul’s Bay was referred to the
Commission for a decision. The
Planning Directorate argued
that this proposal should be
refused on the pretext that the
location lies in an Urban Conservation Area, without considering the aesthetic merits of
the surrounding development.
When the case was discussed
by the Commission, it was decided to refer the case back to
the Directorate requesting the
latter to state whether the development adjacent to the site
in question had been previously
approved having aluminium
apertures. Should there be a
positive result, there would be
no reason to refuse this application. It is unlikely to remove the
aluminium apertures of existing
neighbouring tenements if these
same apertures are covered by
permits. A decision should be
delivered in the coming month.
49
Sport
football
Floriana and
Marsaxlokk
share the spoils
Inter 2010 Treble cups and
World Club Cup coming to Malta
Inter Club Malta president John
Zammit and Lawrence Cutajar during
yesterday’s press conference
Photo: Ray Attard
The Treble Cups, the Champions Cup, the Scudetto and
the Italian Cup which Inter
won during last season, together with the World Club
Cup will be coming to Malta
for our Club Members to see
and enjoy.
The trophies will arrive in
Malta together with delegates
from Inter after a strong initiative made by Inter Club
Malta delegates during a visit
which the later have made in
Milano. This dream was also
realized thanks to the personal intervention of Inter
President Massimo Moratti
who gave an exceptional permission to our Club in order
for these trophies to come to
Malta altogether, an exception which wasn’t given to any
Inter Supporters’ Club branch
in Italy.
This activity will be held
with a just cause. In fact, one
of the conditions which was
made in order for the cups to
come to Malta was that half of
payment made for pictures to
be taken with the cup must be
given to UNICEF. In fact, Inter delegates will be collecting
the payments themselves to
Floriana...................1
Marsaxlokk..............1
Floriana and Marsaxlokk
played to a 1-1 draw yesterday
afternoon. This result leaves
Valletta with a 12 point lead over
Floriana. A draw in Valletta’s
next match against Marsaxlokk
would be enough for them to be
crowned BOV Premier League
Champions next Sunday.
Marsaxlokk went ahead on the
43rd minute. A lucky deflection
by Ryan Darmanin, ended at the
back of the net after a sloppy
clearance by the Floriana defence.
Floriana scored the equaliser
on the 76th minute. Christian
Cassar made no mistake with his
precise shot.
rugia, Doffo, Paris, Micallef,
Borg (J. Borg 55), Cassar, El Yamani (Draganov 60) (S. Borg 89),
Woods, Nwoke
Marsaxlokk – Gauci, Mamo,
Raimy, Darmanin (Brincat 70),
Sciberras, Effiong, Licari (Pullicino 81), Templeman, Deanov,
Yanchev, Galabov
Floriana – Saidii, Pisani, Far-
Referee – Adrian Azzopardi
ensure that this will be done.
All the Cups will be exhibited on Sunday 17th April 2011
between 10:00 and 18:00 at
Cavalieri Hotel, St. Julian’s
No one can take pictures with
their own personal cameras
but there will be a professional photographer which will be
in charge to do so. Payment
will be as follows: Members –
10 Euros, Non Members – 15
Euros, Family Picture/Group
of 4 Persons – 20 Euros
Half of the money collected
will go for the UNICEF foundation while the other half
will help the club recover
from the expenses which it
will encounter in order for the
members to have the honour
to have a picture which will
remind them of the season
2009-2010, a season which
every Inter supporter will
treasure forever.
Whoever would like to have
a picture with the trophies
can come and pay at the Club
between Friday 8 April and
Friday 15 April at the club’s
opening hours, (including on
Monday and on Thursday).
On the day, the receipt must
be presented when required.
50
Sport
sport discussion
Crucial encounters
up for grabs
Sarah Agius and Christian Micallef
Two key encounters grab most
attention this weekend. Both were
played yesterday. Both have huge
significance at opposite ends of
the Premier League table. NET
TV’s Replay will mainly focus on
Qormi vs Vittoriosa and Floriana
vs Marsaxlokk. The relegation
battle could be over if Vittoriosa
fail to win, if not, it will go to wire
in the final round of matches. In
the day’s other intriguing clash,
a win for Floriana against thirdplaced Marsaxlokk could give
them a four-point cushion in their
quest for second place.
Meanwhile, leaders Valletta
should close in on their twentieth league title when they take
on rivals Hamrun Spartans. Paul
Zammit’s troops, B’Kara, entertain Tarxien Rainbows on Sunday
as they seek to recover from last
week’s debacle against Floriana
and get back on course for a second place spot which would assure them of a European slot next
season.
Christian Micallef and Sarah
Agius host Sunday evening’s show,
broadcast live at 21:10. Alongside
regular pundits Hugh Caruana
and Konrad Sultana, special
guests will be, Qormi and Vittoriosa Stars coaches, Stephen Azzopardi and Winston Azzopardi.
This Sunday, Replay will also
dwell on the fierce battle for Premier League promotion. So far,
Balzan Youths are the only team
to secure a place in next season’s
12-team Premier tier. Melita,
Mosta and Mqabba are keenly vying for the remaining two spots
up for the grabs. One of them
will remain in Division One.
This Saturday Mosta face Melita
in what could be a crucial match
to decide the ultimate fate. Paul
Zammit (Melita president), Oliver
Spiteri (Mosta coach) and Clive
Mizzi (Mqabba coach) will all be
in studio to analyse this final run
towards promotion.
Viewers are encouraged to
check out Replay’s website www.
replayonline.tv and share their
views about various issues and
other related matters through
email on replay@nettv.com.mt.
Alternatively, they can voice their
opinion through text messages on
50617092 live during the show. By
doing so, they can win one of several weekly prizes. Also by logging
on Replay’s facebook group, viewers can interact with other football
fans watching the show. If you are
not a member of this group then
do join now and keep yourself
abreast with the latest information and news unfolding. Football
enthusiasts are also encouraged to
tune in on Radio 101 on Monday
at 18:45 for another edition of Replay Ikompli. This 70-minute discussion programme has become
hugely popular amongst local
football listeners.
Replay is co-produced by Christian and Ġorġ Micallef. Visual
editors are Vannesa Mizzi and
Stephen Chircop while Jeremy
Dalli is responsible for direction.
Kris Scicluna, Roderick Vella and
Simon Borda assist the production team.
Formula One
Vettel beats
Hamilton to
Malaysian pole
Sebastian Vettel and
Red Bull have claimed
their second pole position
from as many qualifying
sessions so far in 2011, narrowly beating McLaren’s
Lewis Hamilton to the top
spot at Sepang.
After a titanic battle between the teams’ four drivers, Mark Webber and Jenson Button line up on the
second row.
However, quickest Ferrari
driver Fernando Alonso is
almost one full second off
the leading pace.
51
Sport
sport discussion
Valletta closer to the title
The twenty sixth programme
of this series of the popular
sports programme Kontrattakk is on air this evening at
9.45pm pn TVM.
Kontrattakk hosts Sandro Micallef and Caroline Attard welcome various guests to discuss
the weekend’s encounters while
televiewers can enjoy the goals
and highlights from the comfort of their home. Another five
matches were played throughout
the weekend making Valletta always closer to the title: Hamrun
vs Valletta, Qormi vs Vittoriosa,
Floriana vs Marsaxlokk, Hibernians vs Sliema and Birkirkara
vs Tarxien R,
Sports correspondent Charmaine Pace interviewed two
brothers in her Double Marking weekly interview – one is a
football player and his brother
is in the administration team
of the same club …Televiewers are encouraged to seat back
and enjoy a 90 minute football show tonight on TVM at
9.45pm.
All televiewers are also encouraged to participate during the programme by texting
their views on SMS number
50614914 or email address
kontrattakk@gmail.com. All
facebook users are also welcome to post their comments
on Kontrattakk’s facebook
page. Kontrattakk is another
production of Events Services
and Where’s Everybody? The
programme is produced by
Sandro Micallef, Joshua Cacciattolo, Caroline Attard, Charmaine Pace and Alan Cutajar
on behalf of Events Services.
The programme is directed by
Victor Vella.
Sandro Micallef
Weather & Crosswords
WEATHER: Sunny
VISIBILITY: Good
WIND: Northwest force 3 becoming Westerly force 3 to 4
SEA: Slight
SWELL: Low Northwest becoming negligible
210/110
Sunny
220/11 0
partly
cloudy
UV: 7
UV: 7
TODAY
tomorrow
Gozo Ferries
daily operation times
Useful telephone
numbers
Valletta: Chemimart Ltd, 20/21, Triq ir-Republika
Marsa: Trinity Pharamcy, 32, Triq il-Marsa
Qormi: Spiteri’s Pharmacy, 82, Triq il-Vitorja
Fleur-de-lys: Marrit Pharmacy, Triq l-1 ta’
Mejju
Pietà:St Anthony Pharmacy, 56, Triq San
Guzepp
Swieqi: Penny Lane Pharmacy, Triq is-Sejjieh
Sliema: Wales Pharmacy, 183, Triq Manwel
Dimech
Attard: Kola Pharmacy, Triq il-Pitkali
Naxxar: Brown’s Chemists, Triq San Pawl
Answers to the MaltaToday crossword will be published next Sunday
Qawra: Qawra Pharmacy, Earl’s Court/1, Triq
l-Imhar
Across
Santa Lucija: Sta Lucia Pharmacy, 1, Misrah
6. Corridor (7)
Dorell
7. Poison produced by an organism
Kalkara: Kalkara Pharmacy, 8, Misrah l-Ar(5)
cisqof Gonzi
Zabbar: Felice Dispensary, 95, Triq is-Santwarju
8. Defeats (5)
Marsaxlokk: Pompei Pharmacy, 28, Xatt is10. Noisiest (7)
Sajjieda
12. Resembling wool (6)
Luqa: Central Pharmacy, 6, Triq San Guzepp
13. Swindle (6)
Zebbug: Tal-Grazzja Pharmacy, Triq Frangisk
15. Consisting of earth (6)
Farrugia
17. Rise (6)
Mtarfa: Mtarfa Pharmacy, Triq San David
20. Soon (7)
Rabat (Gozo): Abela’s Pharmacy, 42, Triq G.P.F.
Agius De Soldanis
22. Shyly (5)
Xewkija: St John’s Pharmacy, 85, Triq l-In24. Experiment (5)
Solution to last week’s crossword
dipendenza
25. Midpoint (7)
From 8th November till 22nd May 2010
Emergency,Police,Fire,
Ambulance....................... 119
Appogg 24hrs Supportline..179
Sedqa 24hrs Helpline..........151
Social policy info centre..... 159
Malta Red Cross ....... 21922645
St John Ambulance... 21945740
Maltacom enquiries..........1182
Go Mobile enquiries.......... 1187
Vodafone enquiries..........1189
Government info service.....153
Telephone faults.................133
Gozo ferry
schedule...................21915111
MEPA..................... 22900000
MIA flight
enquiries................. 21697800
MIA Weather
forecast.................. 50043333
Enemalta faults
report.......................21923601
Water Services Corporation
Freephone............... 80072222
www.gozochannel.com
Chess
Pharmacies open today
Malta & Gozo: 9 a.m. – noon
Solution to last week’s problem
8
Sudoku
8
7
7
6
6
5
4
5
3
4
2
3
1
A
2
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
White had to to play and mate in four moves
1
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
White to play and mate in
four moves
H
1. Bh3+ Kg5
2. Kxg3 Nd6
3. Rd5+ Nf5+
4. Rxf5#
Last week’s solution
Sudoku rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the
numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 9x9 box.
Down
1. Swell (4)
2. Maiden (6)
3. Boat spines (5)
4. Breed of dog (6)
5. Triumphs (4)
8. Curvature of the legs (3,4)
9. Purge (5)
11. Third day of the week (7)
14. Very hard mineral (5)
16. Muslim headdress (6)
18. Unhealthy (6)
19. Kent coastal town (5)
21. German Mister (4)
23. Idle away time (4)
News
Karl Schembri in Gaza
Death looms ominously once
again over the blockaded Gaza
Strip. The sound of Israeli
drones buzzing high above 24
hours a day set the scene the
tremors every 30 minutes or so.
Since Palestinian militants
struck an Israeli school bus on
Thursday afternoon, injuring
critically a child and the driver, the spectre of another war
on Gaza became frighteningly
real again, just over two years
since Israel’s aggression that
left 1,400 Palestinians dead. In
just two days, at least 18 Palestinians have been killed, 10 of
them civilians – women, elderly
and children, and more than 50
injured.
The numbers are rising by the
minute. Until early Saturday
afternoon we have witnessed
the launching of 56 home-made
rockets into Israel, another 17
longer-range Grad missiles and
two type 107mm rockets and
66 mortars. Israel responded
with 36 air-to-ground missiles,
57 mortars and tank shells and
repeated naval fire.
But it is the clanking sound of
Al Shifa Hospital morgue’s iron
door, on Friday around midnight, that brought me to my
senses.
“We’ve got two martyrs,” the
watchman told me. “Why did
you come so late? We had another two earlier from Beach
Camp. These two are from
Shajaiya.”
Civilians?
“A 12-year-old and a 22-yearold student,” he tells me as
he opens the first compartment. The corpse is completely
rapped around a shroud full of
blood. As the watchman moves
forward to uncover him, he
makes a sign to me to tell me he
is headless.
Hell no, I scream. Leave him
covered. I take a shot. Just one.
His name is Bilel Al Areir, he
was walking down the street
when the F-16 dropped the missile.
“And this one was playing
football in the same street,” the
watchman tells me, opening the
next cold steel container.
His chest and face scarred by
the deadly shrapnel, Mahmoud
Al Jerou was, until Friday night,
the latest civilian victim of Israel’s military assault. These
are not victims of human error
or collateral damage. Israel’s
highly sophisticated weaponry
makes its killings religiously accurate, whether they’re targeting a militant on a motorbike,
an operative in Sudan or an underground fuel pipe in Rafah.
“I’m not afraid to die, I’m just
worried for my children,” Mohammed Khdeir, a gardener
selling plants in Gaza City, told
me today. “Whenever they hear
the drones and the fighter jets
they just panic. I don’t know
what to do to protect them.”
Hamas has meanwhile called
for a ceasefire, convening all
factions and asking for restraint. But the Islamist movement’s own military wing, the
Al Qassam Brigades, was lobbing more of its rockets towards
Israel, saying it could not let its
enemy’s assault go unpunished.
Netanyahu replied Israel would
“step up” its attacks.
“Have they ever stepped down
their attacks,” my grocer, a
refugee from Beersheba where
some of the rockets tend to
land nowadays, told me. “Have
we ever stopped dying in vain
since we’ve been chucked out of
our land?”
As the escalation enters its
fourth day, desperation, cynicism and the terrifying feeling
that ordinary civilians have nowhere to hide are slowly sinking in. Cast Lead II is in the
making.
www.journeytogaza.blogspot.com
PHOTO BY karl schembri
Israeli escalation against Gaza

Maltatoday - 10th Apr 2011

Transcription

Similar documents

10-11 March 2016 - Performigrations

Funding 59 - Enterprise Europe Network

Read the full article in pdf

Brian J. Dendle - Scripta Mediterranea

WP/03/2016 - Property price misalignment with fundamentals in Malta

Borg Olivier to face criminal charges on VAT irregularity

Sunday Paper $1

The beginning of our trip - Coopzeitung - Die grösste

ELECTRIC VIBES FOR CHEMICAL BROTHERS IN MALTA

The glocal news magazine on France