A gospel touch for Cyprus

During the past days Annet Artani, the Greek-American singer representing Cyprus at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, visited Malta as part of her promotour. From Esctoday.com:

..Thanks to the collaboration with Maltasong, local club members of OGAE Malta had the opportunity to meet the Greek-American singer representing Cyprus during her visit in Malta. During her chat with some members of the Maltese Eurovision fan club, the 26 year old singer said that although she was born and raised in America, she always felt close to her Greek roots. She also feels close to the sister island, Cyprus which she is representing at this year's Eurovision Song Contest. Her love for Reiki and Yoga keeps her down to earth and humble. Annet says that she is not after materialistic fame but after a research of the soul and touching the hearts of her audiences through her music..

Speaking about her favourites from this year's Eurovision Song Contest, Annet named the Greek, the Swedish and the Maltese entries as her current favourites. A repetition of Annet Artani's interview on Eurovision Fever will be repeated this Sunday on Super One Tv at 17:35CET. Click here for a live webcast.

Shocking conditions

MEPs to make proposals to help Malta with immigration problem, from EUObserver.com:

Members of the civil liberties committee in the European Parliament are to make proposals to amend an EU asylum law in a bid to relieve pressure on Malta, where they say refugee numbers are "overwhelming". The MEPs will present this proposal after having visited detention centres on the island last week. They were shocked by the conditions.

"I have never seen something comparable in my life" French socialist MEP Martine Roure told EUobserver. "The migrants are locked away in what could be described as cages. They have nearly no possibilities to get out." "I would not spend one minute in those conditions, let alone 18 months. So the government's detention policy is, in part, contributing to an escalation of the situation," said Italian leftist MEP Giusto Catania.

But the MEPs also noted that Malta, the smallest member of the union, is not getting enough help from the EU. "Malta is not helped enough by the EU. The number of immigrants arriving in comparison to its population is overwhelming, "said Ms Roure. The MEPs are going to suggest a change to EU law, so that illegal immigrants who stop in Malta, but then move to the continent, should have their refugee application processed in another country. This means that other member states should take refugees who have landed in Malta...

Timely EU entry

Malta backs Bulgaria's EU entry, from Sofia News Agency:

Bulgaria and Romania should join the European Union (EU) as planned on January 1, 2007, Malta's Foreign Minister Michael Frendo said. Frendo welcomed his Bulgarian counterpart Ivaylo Kalfin in Malta's capital La Valletta. Kalfin is on a historic visit to the small country - the first one of a Bulgarian minister in the history of the bilateral relations of Bulgaria and Malta.

Besides Bulgaria's EU futures the two foreign ministers have also discussed the trial against the five Bulgarian nurses in Libya. Kalfin was also welcomed by Malta's President Edward Fenech Adami, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice and Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg and other officials.

Gibraltar’s Maltese origins

The work of Maltese writer David Arrigo who has catalogued Gibraltar’s Maltese origins in a new book, is praised by the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana. The book will also be launched in Malta later this year. From Malaga's Euro Weekly:

..Caruana, himself of Maltese origin, complimented the work, undertaken by David Arrigo over two and a half years, at the launch of the book in the Garrison Library.
“His large amount of research shows the huge influence of the Maltese on our society and culture,” said Caruana. He recognised the similarities between Malta and Gibraltar saying the Rock is ‘a microcosm of the Maltese’ especially as both have strong British heritage and background.

Arrigo affirmed this link, stating that two-thirds of the Gibraltarian population have Maltese origins. “People in Gibralter do not know enough about their origins. They should use the tidbits of information in my book to follow up on their roots,” said Arrigo.

More from The Gibraltar News Online:

Despite the fact that the books had not arrived the launch went ahead amidst great expectation that their arrival would be imminent. Its author David Arrigo presented the Chief Minister with a copy of a large photograph of Malta from 1870, the original of which belonged to his grandfather whose name is rather familiar to those of us who read the Chronicle pages because his name was the same as that of Chronicle photographer Johnny Bugeja, who was present at the launch as were many well known personalities who share that common bond with Malta.

“The book tries to contain the Maltese element which is in Gibraltar and identify it,” he told everyone present, and hoped it would encourage Gibraltarians to trace some of their relatives in Malta. Mr Arrigo describes the book as first highlighting the 19th century Maltese migration to Gibraltar. The book written by David Arrigo from Malta is an updated version of a book originally published by Alister Macmillan in 1915 entitled Malta and Gibraltar Illustrated.

Chief Minister Peter Caruana said that one third of people in Gibraltar had a surname of Maltese origin or extraction – this he said “was a rough guide of the huge influence which Malta as a country of origin has had on the make-up of the people of Gibraltar”. Mr Caruana commented how David Arrigo had always been a huge fan of the link which has always existed between Gibraltar and Malta and had worked hard even before he started writing the book to update the 1915 book and effectively create a modern day record. Mr Caruana said he had never been to Malta before this year but it soon all became too familiar to him.

"Even before reaching Malta, I flew out on Air Malta, where I had a complimentary copy of the Times of Malta. I opened one page and there was an article about how badly the youth had behaved on Halloween, turning the page another article lambasted the government for giving too much development land to wealthy residents and not enough for affordable housing. When I got to the letters page I really could have been reading the The Gibraltar Chronicle any day of the week. So wherever we go we Maltese certainly know how to be polemic, and just by reading the newspaper I felt the community had to be a mirror image of our socio-logical and chemistry of a people."

Mr Caruana spoke of the similarities he found in the make-up of the people in Malta, and of the huge cultural and historical links through Britain. He said he hoped the links with Malta would continue, and although 100 years later families, like his own with origins in Malta would trace their family members. Congratulating Mr Arrigo on his achievement he called the book “compulsive buying and reading” for all the many people who have the Maltese connection. The book is available locally at local bookshops. It will receive similar launches in London and Malta later this year.

More books on the Malta-Gibraltar connection

Pro-life monument

President of Malta unveils National Pro-Life Monument, from the American news agency LifeNews.com:

Eddie Fenech Adami, the president of Malta has unveiled a national pro-life monument commissioned by the national pro-life group Gift of Life. Malta, an overwhelmingly Catholic country, has long been considered one of the most pro-life nations in the world and abortion is illegal there. The ceremony marking the introduction of the memorial to unborn children took place on March 25, a symbolic date many Christians use to symbolize the day Mary conceived Jesus. In late 2004, the United Nations placed Malta on a "hit list" of pro-life nations to be pressured to change their laws. Maltese bishops criticized a document released by a UN committee urging the nation to consider allowing abortions in cases of rape or incest or to protect the health of the mother. In a statement, the bishops called the recommendation "objectionable" and "unacceptable" and urged Malta residents to continue protecting the right to life of unborn children from conception.

Poetry as entertainment

Maltese don't see poetry as 'entertaining', writes Giselle Borg Olivier:

On Saturday 25th March, the National Book Council (NBC) held a meeting for a substantial number of writers, poets, university lecturers, critics, publishers, librarians, broadcasters and organisers of literary evenings at the Coastline Hotel with the intention of producing a strategy about how poetry can be conveyed to the masses.

Chairman of the Council, Dr. Ġorġ Mallia, said that our problem as a nation is that we have a culture that does not see poetry as entertainment. He said that “the reading of poetry is not intrinsic to the reading habits of the Maltese people.” The problem begins from schools where poetry is not taught in a way that appeals to the senses and the emotions, but merely as part of the curriculum. He said that very often this teaching is lacking in the humane aspect which is dearest to poetry. In the small Maltese book market, poetry was on the lowest rung of sales...

Less Maltese passengers

According to the latest statistics, the number of Maltese people travelling abroad is decreasing:

L-Air Malta wriet it-thassib taghha dwar it-tnaqqis fin-numru ta’ passiggieri li jsiefru minn Malta kif tixhed l-istatistika ppubblikata mill-Uffic-cju Nazzjonali ta’ l-Istatistika. Waqt konferenza stampa organizzata mil-linja ta’ l-ajru nazzjonali biex tithabbar l-iskeda l-gdida ghas-sajf li gej, is-Sur Joe Cappello, kap ewlieni ta’ l-operat tal-linja ta’ l-ajru nazzjonali, qal li bilfors tithasseb bit-tnaqqis fin-numru ta’ passiggieri izda ma xtaqx jikkummenta aktar ghall-fatt li l-Air Malta m’ghamlitx ir-ricerka taghha dwar ir-ragunijiet ta’ dan it-tnaqqis.

Skond l-istatistika ufficjali, matul it-12 il-xahar li ghaddew in-numru ta’ passiggieri Maltin li siefru minn Malta kien 200,744, li jfisser tnaqqis ta’ 2,654 jew 1.3 fil-mija minn kemm kienu siefru matul is-sena 2004.

Sadanittant, l-iskeda l-gdida ta’ l-Air Malta ghal dan is-sajf se tibda tithaddem mis-26 ta’ Marzu u twasal sat-28 ta’ Ottubru. Din l-iskeda tinkludi mhux anqas minn 54 destinazzjoni differenti u 215-il titjira fil-gimgha. Is-Sur Joe Cappello qal li l-Air Malta qieghda tikkonferma l-impenn taghha kemm lejn il-Maltin, kif ukoll lejn it-turisti billi toffri l-ahjar network u l-ahjar servizz minn u lejn il-gzejjer Maltin...

Walk the line

MaltaGirl finds inspiration from the life story of Johnny Cash despite the interruptions at the cinema:

After looking up each and every film on imdb.com (and dismissing most of them in the process), the clear winner was Walk the Line. It's a biopic about the country singer Johnny Cash. I didn't know much about him but the main draw for me was the music, for the same reason that I wanted to watch Ray last year. Also, Reese Witherspoon is in it, and she is one of my favourite actors, so there you go, two very good reasons for us to go watch the film.

When we sat down in the cinema, the audience composition was very similar to that when we watched Memoirs of a Geisha, i.e. average age was 50 or so. I suppose most of them were there because they grew up listening to Johnny Cash. There was a party of five sitting behind us, and one of the people was a woman who just would not shut up. Michael identified her for me as a popular Country singer...Now, I don't object to her knowing all that trivia, really I don't. What I object to is the running commentary that she kept up throughout the movie. My goodness. She just would NOT shut up...

Johnny Cash Blues (3.5 Mb, .mp3) composed by MaltaGirl

ImpulseMalta

ImpulseMalta is one of the companies participating in this year's Young Enterprise. The aim of their computer based product is to promote information about Malta’s history and culture. MelITa is an interactive CD for children that connects Malta's past, present and future:

..When deciding this product, we also took into great consideration, tourists and the tourism industry, which is the largest targeted market around, making it a major source of income for the economy. Therefore, it was considered that, through promoting Malta’s heritage to foreigners, we would be increasing awareness outside of Malta, and encouraging tourists to return back to our islands..

MelITa, represents the link our product has with Malta’s past. The product captures Malta’s history and culture with today’s technological interventions. The IT in MelITa represents two meanings. There is Information Technology, this is continuously advancing in our modern world, this idea links our product to the future. Also, the meaning of interactive teacher, were children are educated on Malta’s history and culture, through fun and interaction. The fact that it is an Interactive CD links our product to the present. MelITa is a link between the past, present and the future.

The Impulse Team

Rebecca's silver

Rebecca Madyson's silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne is a first for Malta. Most Maltese won't mind that she had hoped to represent Australia, where she has spent her life. Malta was her second choice but she was equally proud of her achievement. It's the flag that counts. Writing for Melbourne Herald Sun in Australia, Kelly Ryan tells the story of Rebecca's Malta connection:

Four years ago, a medical error that led to a pregnancy all but blasted trap shooter Rebecca Madyson's Commonwealth Games dream out of the sky. Yesterday, the Morwell mum finally realised it, potting a silver medal. But the career glitch motherhood entailed meant she was shooting not for Australia, but Malta -- and bizarrely, she was pregnant again...So, knowing she would not be in Australia's team at Melbourne 2006, she offered a year ago to shoot for Malta, from where her father and coach, Joe Attard, hailed..

Madyson agreed, and was proud to don Malta's red and white yesterday. "It makes no difference who I represent -- I love Australia and Malta equally, and it was the competition that was important," she said. But it wasn't easy. Heavy with baby, bullets in her pockets and a double-barrelled shotgun over her arm, she was forced to rush from the range in a waddle between rounds. "Out of the way, mate -- I am busting," she called as she headed for a toilet.

With a fervent crowd of Maltese Melburnians watching, Madyson said a silver medal felt good. A proud Mr Attard couldn't agree more. "Australians and Maltese have always enjoyed a warm friendship, so this will only make the bond stronger," he said...Husband Jamie, clutching their daughter yesterday, expects his wife will now be invited to Malta for a civic reception. "Malta never wins medals -- the country is too small," he said. "It's not like Australia, where medals are expected. She will be a hero there -- although she is that and more already to us, her family at home in Melbourne."

Spring poetry

Immanuel Mifsud celebrates Spring with poems by Adrian Grima and Daniel Massa:

Dalgħodu qomt kmieni apposta biex nitfa' r-Rit tar-Rebbiegħa ta' Igor Stravinski fl-istereo. Ritwal antik dan tiegħi, li jseħħ kull bidu tar-rebbiegħa. Meta kont għadni nippreżenta l-programm tiegħi ta' mużika klassika tas-seklu 20 fuq ir-Radju Bronja (Requiescant in Pacem) kont ninkludi mqar silta minn dan il-kapulavur kull 21 ta' Marzu: merħba tant poetika għall-istaġun tal-poeti.

La qed insemmi l-poeti forsi tajjeb li wieħed ifakkar li l-UNESCO tiċċelebra Jum il-Poeżija propju bħal-lum. Għaldaqstant xtaqt nagħti omaġġ lill-poeti... għax inħobbhom, għax inħobb dak li jagħmlu meta jkunu fil-vena li jaħlu l-ħin. U għażilt li ntella' żewġ poeżiji ta' kittieba li nistima ħafna propju biex niċċelebra jien ukoll dan Jum il-Poeżija fuq il-Blobb tas-Sibt Filgħaxija...

Oreste Kirkop

Inawgurat monument f’gieh Oreste Kirkop fit-Teatru Manoel, from L-Orizzont:

Monument tat-tenur Oreste Kirkop kien inawgurat fil-bitha tat-Teatru Manoel waqt attività kommemorattiva organizzata bhala parti mill-festival ta’ l-opra organizzat mill-Bank of Valletta. Din l-attività saret biex jinghata gieh Oreste Kirkop li kien maghruf bhala it-”tenur Malti” meta lahaq il-quccata tal-karriera internazzjonali tieghu fis-snin hamsin. Kirkop, li twieled il-Hamrun fis-26 ta’ Lulju 1923 u miet tmien snin ilu fl-età ta’ 74 sena, kiseb stima u fama kemm fl-Ewropa kif ukoll fl-Istati Uniti.

Oreste Kirkop ghamel id-debutt tieghu f’Malta fit-22 ta’Frar 1945 meta hadem il-parti ta’ Turiddu fil-Cavalleria Rusticana, l-opra ta’ Mascagni. Bice Ciappara kienet ghamlet il-parti ta’ Santuzza. Wara dan id-debutt, Kirkop hadem partijiet ewlenin f’opri bhal Madame Butterfly, Tosca u Faust.

Il-karriera ta’ Kirkop hadet zvolta qawwija permezz ta’ avveniment storiku li sehh fit-Teatru Manoel f’Dicembru 1948. Waqt li kien qieghed isegwi l-opra Rigoletto ta’ Verdi minn fost l-udjenza, it-tenur Taljan Vernardo Serafini inhanaq u ma setghax ikompli. Kirkop kien mitlub jiehu postu u b’wirja famuza minghajr preparazzjoni kompla l-parti b’success...

MEPs to visit detention centres

A European Parliament delegation will visit Malta next week to examine the conditions in which immigrants are being detained on the island. From EUObserver.com:

Some 19 members of the parliament’s civil liberties and justice committee will head to Malta on 23 and 24 March, led by the vice-president of the committee, Stefano Zappala. The MEPs are expected to visit the two detention centres sheltering immigrants and will also meet government ministers and NGOs.

"We are happy that a delegation from the European Parliament is coming to visit detention centres in Malta, because there is a need for more transparency. For example we don't agree with the decision that the press cannot go in the detention centres", said Fr Paul Pace, Assistant Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service in Malta. Last year around 1,800 illegal immigrants landed in Malta, the majority of them having left from Libya...

Media survey

Fost il-fatturi ewlenin li johorgu minn stharrig indipendenti dwar il-qasam awdjo-viziv f’Malta nsibu li l-pubbliku Malti mhux kuntent bil-kwalita’ ta’ programmi lokali li jixxandru fuq l-istazzjonijiet Maltin tat-televizjoni. Mill-Orizzont:

Din il-fehma negattiva tal-pubbliku Malti tinhass l-iktar fir-rigward ta’ programmi sportivi, programmi ghat-tfal u ‘reality shows’ li jixxandru fuq stazzjonijiet tat-televizjoni. Parti sostanzjali minn dawk li hadu sehem fl-istharrig jghidu li ma jixxandar ebda programm ta’ kwalità fuq l-istazzjonijiet televizivi Maltin.

L-istharrig sar mill-kumpanija Ernst & Young li kienet kkummissjonata mill-Ministeru ghat-Turizmu u Kultura. Ir-rizultati ta’ dan l-istharrig kienu mhabbra mill-Ministru Francis Zammit Dimech f’konferenza ta’ l-ahbarijiet fil-kavallier ta’ San Gakbu. Huwa spjega li bhala Ministru responsabbli mix-xandir, irid li l-politika adottata minn zmien ghal zmien mill-Ministeru tieghu, tkun imdawwla minn ricerka professjonali.

L-istharrig ta’ Ernst & Young sar permezz tat-telefon b’kampjun ta’ 1,050 persuna bl-ghan li jistharreg kif jahsbuha il-Maltin dwar programmi televizivi ta’ kwalità, dwar programmi barranin u dwar il-preferenzi tal-Maltin rigward programmi tar-radju u tat-televizjoni.

Minn dawk li hadu sehem fl-istharrig kienu 19 fil-mija biss li jahsbu li l-programmi tat-tfal fuq l-istazzjonijiet televizivi lokali huma ta’ kwalita tajba. Dwar ir-‘reality shows’, kienu 28 fil-mija li qalu li dawn it-tip ta’ programmi huma tajbin bhala kwalità. Ir-rizultati dwar drammi Maltin u programmi ta’ diskussjoni kienu aktar pozittivi b’madwar 60 fil-mija jghidu li huma ta’ kwalita’ tajba...

The true pit bull of journalism

The blogosphere's ability to include the whole planet in an immediate dialogue makes it the US's most vital news source, writes Arianna Huffington for the Guardian:

I am frequently asked if the rise of the blogosphere is the death knell for Big Media. My answer is that Big Media isn't dead; it's critically ill but will actually be saved by the transfusion of passion and immediacy of the blogging revolution. Blogging and the new media are transforming the way news and information are disseminated, as evidenced by the number of traditional media outlets, like this one, dipping their collective toe into the blog pond.

Blogs are by nature very personal - an intimate, often ferocious expression of the blogger's passions. You're much more intimate when you're writing a blog than when you're writing a column, let alone a book: the conversational nature of it; the way that it draws people in and includes them in the dialogue. You may set out to write about politics but, in the end, you write about yourself; about the things you care about beyond politics. And this creates a close bond between blogger and audience...

Maltese drama in Latvia

A group of students from the Malta Drama Centre led by Mario Azzoppardi will be performing in Latvia as part of an EU financed Community Theatre programme. From The Independent:

The project was launched at the Malta Drama Centre last November, when participants from the respective countries met to explore how to create and present theatre that promotes active audience response and participation. Partners from Austria, Finland, Italy, Greece and Latvia are currently researching how knowledge about political systems, the media, social rituals, gender issues and leisure could contribute towards the creation of community drama in a “destination” country.

The group of student-performers, accompanied by Mario Azzopardi, principal at the Malta Drama Centre, will be working with their Latvian theatre counterparts in Akniste, which promotes regional Community Theatre through its resident group of actors attached to the municipality. Each country taking part in the project will suggest a relevant issue to be explored and concretised in dramatic form by the visiting troupe. All countries will then present their performances in a joint festival next year, to be held in Vienna.

In the case of Latvia, the Maltese actors have been asked to research the phenomenon of gender imbalance, where women are emerging as the stronger sex when it comes to the assumption of domestic and social responsibility. According to Mario Azzopardi, the Malta Drama Centre is a key protagonist in similar projects. When it comes to researching, devising and presenting issue-based theatre, “the effectiveness of theatre work in a social context is being highlighted in many countries and Malta is often taking a leading role in this respect”, explains Mr Azzopardi..

Meanwhile, a group of six theatre researchers from Austria left Malta earlier this week. They spent time looking into issues such as illegal immigration, minority groups, hunting and trapping as well young people’s views on religion. The group, led by Ingrid Wagenhofen, will also transform the Maltese experience into “active, social drama”.

Fishing visit

Maltese national Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, is visiting Malta for a few days for a series of meetings with political leaders and representatives of the Maltese fishing industry. From FishUpdate.com:

..The discussions will focus on the Green Paper on a future Maritime Policy for the European Union, which is one of the strategic objectives of the Barroso Commission. This Green Paper, currently being prepared by a Steering Group of Commissioners, chaired by Commissioner Borg, will be published at the end of May 2006. Its publication will launch an EU-wide consultation of all stakeholders on the economic, social and environmental benefits to be derived from greater integration of our maritime activities. As a maritime nation, Malta has an important role to play in this process..

He will also meet the President of Malta, Mr Eddie Fenech Adami, and Mr Alfred Sant, Leader of the Opposition. In his meeting with fisheries stakeholders, Commissioner Borg will listen to their concerns and suggestions and discuss issues of importance to them. He will also encourage them to take part fully in the creation of the Mediterranean RAC which will facilitate their involvement in fisheries management...

Getting closer

Spring Day 2006 is a blog that encourages discussion between young Europeans and decision-makers. In these entries, students from the Liceo M.A.Vassalli in Qormi have their say:

Aħna ngħixu fl-Ewropa imma ħafna żgħażagħ iħossu li l-Ewropa qegħda l-bogħod mill-ħajja tagħhom ta' kuljum. F'dan il-Blog, aħna qegħdin nagħtu spazju liż-żgħażagħ Ewropej biex jesprimu l-ħsibijiet tagħom, il-preokkupazzjonijiet, l-emozjonijiet u t-tamiet tagħhom għall-futur ta' l-Ewropa. Huma jistgħu jistaqsu mistoqsijiet konkreti fuq temi Ewropej. Huma jistgħu jagħmlu wkoll suġġerimenti dwar kif iħossu li l-Ewropa tista tersaq aktar viċin taċ-ċittadini tagħha. Aħna ser nistiednu esperti mill-istituzzjonijiet kollha ta' l-Unjoni Ewropea biex jikkumentaw u jirrispondu l-mistoqsijiet taż-żgħażagħ...

L-enerġija alternattiva; Dwar l-immigrazjoni

English as a second language

English is considered a second language by the majority of Maltese, according to a special EuroBarometer survey:

The number of European Union citizens who can speak at least one foreign language has increased from 47% in 2001 to 56% in 2005, according to a special Eurobarometer poll on Europeans and their languages. In the case of Malta, 88% of respondents said they consider English as their second language, followed by Italian (66%) and French (17%). In 16 EU Member States, EU citizens cited English as their first foreign language. Only three Member States referred to French as their first foreign language. The poll also showed that half of Europeans agree with the EU's political target that everyone in the EU should be able to speak two languages in addition to their mother tongue. There were 44% of respondents who opposed this objective...

ECML bloggers

The following are all young Maltese bloggers using the ECML platform: Amanda; Abigail Spiteri & Claire Caruana ; Anthea; Christine; Claire,Diane,Steph; Daniela & Yanica; Dawn Grech ; Esther&Antonella; Fabby/Sheva; Ioni,Rebekah,Daniela; Justine&Madeline; Justine,Sarah,Charle; Kat; Liandra; Ludmilla Gatt & Lynn Spiteri; Maria Victoria Schiavone; Marie Claire; Marie Soler; Melissa; Rachel*2; Sara Baldwin; Shirley Mallia/Cristina Dalli/Lorella; Stefanie&Lara; Svetlana Saffrett&BerniceM; Taduska Schembri&MariaGrech; Vanessa; Viki; Sarah

Rock Climbing in Malta

The Malta Tourism Authority and the Malta Rock Climbing Club have embarked upon an ambitious project to install climbing equipment on various cliffs around Malta and Gozo to enable the sport of rock-climbing. From SuperClimb:

..Andrew Warrington, president of the Malta Rock Climbing Club (MRCC), said that “Malta and Gozo are particularly attractive to rock climbers from Europe and other northern countries. We have year-round weather that is ideal for climbing with warm days in winter and breezy sea-cliffs in summer. The islands have been extensively faulted, exposing mile upon mile of cliffs. Where the rock is sound and the cliffs stable, rock climbers delight in their sport, using natural features in the rock such as cracks, pockets, edges and wrinkles to pull themselves up the cliff face to the top. The thrill of exposure is tempered by the expert use of safety gear to protect the climber.”

Recently, MRCC president Andrew Warrington and MTA executive chairman, Romwald Lungaro-Mifsud, came to an agreement that the rock-climbing sites would be identified, equipped and managed by the MRCC, while the MTA will provide the funding and other material support, both in completing the work and in promoting Malta among the more than 1,000,000 climbers in Europe and worldwide...

About Malta Rock Climbing

Internet Chess

The two islands are 8,600 km apart, and normally a match between eight-board national selections from both places would be exorbitantly expensive to arrange...Unless of course you use the Internet based Playchess server and webcams to stage the event, write Ger Jan Meijer and Duncan Vella about today's Exhibition match Curaçao – Malta. From ChessBase News:

On Saturday March 11th 2006, the two islands of Curaçao and Malta will play a very important exhibition match against each other via the Playchess Server courtesy of ChessBase. There is a huge geographical distance of around 8,600 kilometres between both islands, Curaçao in the Caribbean and Malta in the Mediterranean...A national selection from both islands will play each other over eight boards. Both teams will come together in their Chessboard Rooms that will be equipped also with Webcams. Emily de Jong-Elhage, Prime minister of the Netherlands Antilles, will open the sportive encounter between the two islands.

After the match with Malta, Curaçao will also play several Rapid matches against teams of the city of Utrecht (Netherlands). The matches are an initiative of the Right Move Campaign ("For a Bona FIDE"). The team wants to establish an international team competition over the internet. This will allow countries, which suffer from isolated locations, to participate in meaningful international competitions without suffering from mega air transfer and hotel costs...

Ye ancient Dogge of Malta

From the Westminister Kennel Club:

"Ye ancient Dogge of Malta" as they were called many centuries ago, Maltese through the years have been gifts for royalty, lap companions, and comforters, and sought after for their owners' pleasure and amusement. They enjoyed tremendous popularity by the aristocracy because of their elegance and beauty. Many people long ago thought that they could put the little dogs right next to them at the end of their beds when they were ill, and the Maltese would have healing and comforting qualities. They are still today prized as small companion animals, best friends and comforters, always gentle-mannered, affectionate, and amusing!

American Maltese Association

Europe's secret islands

The UK's Observer lists Comino as one of Europe's secret islands:

Which is the Greek island the Athenians would rather keep to themselves? Where do Swedes go to unwind? What's the German answer to Martha's Vineyard? Sarah Turner reveals the offshore gems that only the locals know about..

..Comino, Malta: Gozo's smaller sibling. So small, in fact, that there are only four permanent residents and a hotel that is only open between April and October. However, what Comino lacks in human interface, it makes up for in nature reserves, a bird sanctuary, beaches and the much-feted Blue Lagoon. Limited sights include the old isolation hospital, a tower, and a chapel dating back to the 14th century.

Who goes: Madonna (the execrable Swept Away was partly filmed in Comino) ...

Michael Connolly’s Maltese journey

Michael Connolly performed didgeridoo in Malta with the National Orchestra in Malta for the Independence Day Anniversary, reports Australia's Indigenous Times:

..The concert was held in September at the Grand Palace in Valletta, the capital of Malta, before HRH Princess Anne, the President of Malta, Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Diplomatic Corps and the “gliteratti” of Malta. It was telecast live throughout Europe. The director for the orchestra, Jesmond Grixti, is currently studying music in Melbourne and scored a piece for the concert that included a didgeridoo that created an exotic touch.

The invitation was extended to Michael on the Friday and he was on a flight the following Wednesday.Artworks included canvases, didgeridoos, handpainted gumleaves and kangaroo skins. Guests were invited to go on “walkabout” with Michael as he explained the Dreamtime stories depicted in his artworks and demonstrated his skills with the oldest instrument known to man - the didgeridoo. Over 100 people attended this exhibition with quite a number of his artworks remaining to adorn the walls of Maltese households, including those of the High Commissioner himself.

During his stay Michael also conducted a cultural workshop at the Verdala International School, explaining the art, the music, the song and dance and the stories of the Aboriginal culture the international and local students. Malta has a strong affiliation with Australia, with many citizens immigrating to Australia back in the 1950s, so it was good that they knew at least where Australia was...

Spelling stir

Maltese create stir about euro spelling, reports Brussels based EUObserver:

The European Commission has rejected suggestions from Malta that Europe’s common currency should be spelt 'ewro' and not euro. Monetary affairs commissioner Joachim Almunia confirmed the commission’s stance in response to a question by Maltese Labour MEP Joseph Muscat. Mr Muscat argued "that since EU institutions websites refer to the single currency in Maltese as Ewro it should not be a problem to adopt this formulation". He also insisted "that this must be a secondary issue when compared to more important economic convergence problems."

But as reported in the Times of Malta, Mr Almunia that EU leaders in December 1995 agreed that the currency should be named euro in all official languages of the EU, and in spite of different alphabets. He also said that this decision was also reflected in the amendments to these regulations in 2005. The issue has created a lot of controversy in Malta during the last months with both the Maltese language council and the academy for the Maltese language insisting that Maltese orthographical rules should be respected. Both these bodies are insisting that the word "ewro" must be used and are encouraging Maltese people to support their campaign. The Maltese government, however, decided that officially the word euro will be used...

Ancient and modern

Malta is a melting pot for ancient history and modern amenities, writes David Bear for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, following a visit to Malta with his wife Sari:

..As my wife, Sari, and I discovered during a too-brief visit at the completion of a late-September cruise, the Maltese islands may be small, but they are remarkably well endowed with ancient history as well as modern amenities. The vast majority of the country's 400,000 inhabitants live on Malta's northwest corner in the walled city of Valletta and the ring of satellite towns that blend seamlessly around it. Called "a city for gentlemen built by gentlemen," the whole of baroque Valletta has been declared a World Heritage City.

Settlements to the east across the harbor — Vittorioso, Senglia and Cospicua — are more working-class, while Gwardamangia, Ta' Xbiex, Gezira and Sliema to the west are a more fashionable district.Farther west, the former fishing villages of St. Julian's and Paceville have become tourism centers, with high hotels, restaurants and lots of other leisure amenities fitted in tight ranks along the slopes and shoreline of the small bays.

Because we had only two days to explore, we decided to rent a car. Based on the 20-minute, early Sunday-morning cab ride from the ship's pier in the city of Valletta to the small hotel by the bay in the village of St. Julian's, we realized that taxis can be expensive. And although public buses on Malta are cheap, colorful and relatively convenient, we knew they wouldn't be the most efficient way to make the most of our Sunday and Monday..

And although compact, the islands are not simple to negotiate. Driving on Malta is a challenge because of the left-hand drive roads, standard-transmission cars, difficult-to-read directional signs and tangle of narrow, poorly maintained roads. Don't forget the high stone walls that line every back lane, making it impossible to see around the next corner, or Maltese drivers who also seem to be very aggressive. Judging by the care the young man who delivered the vehicle took in cataloging the dents and dings, minor damage is a familiar factor. Fortunately, in a perverse way, driving challenges such as these only added to my enjoyment...

Art and architecture in late medieval Malta

'The Late Medieval Art and Architecture of the Maltese Islands' is the latest book published by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti. The book, according to Noel Grima, is an honest account of "how Malta in late medieval times was far removed from the ongoing processes of European civilisation":

..Commenting on the importance of this study, Patrimonju’s general editor said: “Once again Patrimonju was very pleased to have been entrusted with this exceptional work, which is essentially the result of a whole academic career devoted to this area.” This will be the standard reference book for the next 20 years or so, Dr Xuereb added. With his 1987 book, The Iconography of the Maltese Islands, Prof. Buhagiar had broken new ground. The new volume is more limited in scope and explains Maltese progress within the context of what was happening in southern Italy and Sicily.

Prof. Reece, who came over from the UK specifically for this book launch also commended the work, and its “importance in conceptualising Malta’s medieval artistic heritage, and putting it in its rightful Mediterranean context”. Prof. Reece took a rather different viewpoint. “This is a very comprehensive study,” he said, “which includes virtually everything that can even remotely be connected to art and architecture, including caves and stones.” It is a very honest book, which not everyone will appreciate, for it shows how Malta in late medieval times was far removed from the ongoing processes of European civilisation, being as it was the farthest bastion of Christianity in the Mediterranean.

Prof. Reece praised Prof. Buhagiar for being very honest with his readers: he distinguishes between facts and opinions and presents his opinions as tentative, acknowledging that some people may reason otherwise. He is also very generous with his attributions in the footnotes and even acknowledges contributions from his own students...Basically, the book looks at Malta in an era when it was still on the outside edge of Christendom, when ideas did start to filter south but in a glorious jumble, successive waves all lying side by side.

Dun Gwann, St Paul, Rabat and Art

Dun Gwann Azzopardi, the Wignacourt museum’s curator, talks to MaltaToday's Gilbert Calleja about the Museum, art and history. The Wignacourt Museum is this year celebrating its 25th anniversary:

..Standing right by St Paul’s grotto and the adjoined chapel, it was first intended as a pilgrims’ and cult centre and as the residence of the chaplains of the Order officiating St Paul’s grotto. There are three subjects which assure you Dun Gwann’s attention: St Paul, Rabat, and art, but there is much more to this humble priest than meets the eye. An art historian of international repute, he has contributed extensively to Caravaggio studies, particularly on the artist’s stay in Malta. For many years he served as curator to both the Wignacourt museum and the better known Cathedral Museums in Mdina and their priceless archives..

The museum has also a Baroque chapel, an 18th century organ and many miscellanea. Finally there is also the Lorenzo Gafa underground passage linking the ‘college’ to St Paul’s Grotto.” The Wignacourt also welcomes scholars and university students who want to research in its archives. Also available on demand is a library with rare editions, including the official records of the chaplains of the Order and their detailed accounts, drawings and a prints collection. This abundance of documents and artefacts is usually completed by the ever useful advice and insights of Dun Gwann..

“The highlight for the anniversary celebrations will be an international symposium on the cult of St Paul in the Christian churches with particular reference to Malta,” he says. “We have invited a variety of foreign participants ranging from archaeologists, historians, art historians and other scholars. Other activities include an exhibition organised in conjunction with Din l-Art Helwa, one by contemporary artists and another showing a selection of drawings for works in Maltese churches by the late Chevalier Vincent Bonello. We will also host a lecture on the Baroque concept of ‘the triumph of death’.”...

Endemic torture

Most bodies in Baghdad morgue show signs of torture and execution according to Maltese UN human rights official. Angela A. Onikepe writes in The Jurist Paper Chase weblog:

The former head of the Human Rights Office [official website] at the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq [official website] has told the BBC that extra-judicial killings and torture have become "endemic" in Iraq, and that up to 75% of bodies in the Baghdad morgue show signs of torture or execution. John Pace, a diplomat from Malta, said that most of the killings were connected to Shiite militias directed by Bayan Jabr, a prominent member of the the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq [FAS backgrounder].

Pace also said that staff at the Baghdad mortuary face regular threats aimed at stopping autopsies and suppressing evidence, and that morgue director Faik Amin Bakir had fled the country after submitting a report identifying more than 7,000 killings caused by death squads, some of which operate within the Iraqi police. BBC News has more. The Guardian has additional coverage. In an interview with the Times of Malta last week, Pace said the US was "aware" of torture taking place in Iraq prisons, estimated that in December 400 of 780 bodies brought into the Baghdad morgue had gunshot wounds or wounds caused by electric drills, and said that non-existence of law and order has left Iraqi society without any protection.

Mediterranean colours

Flaminia Giurato describes the Maltese carnival for Stile magazine:

Come a Rio de Janeiro e Venezia, anche a Malta la festa più variopinta dell’anno ha una lunga storia alle spalle. Da Gozo a Nadur, lo spettacolo è assicurato. Quando arriva questo periodo dell’anno si parla di Carnevale e, oltre a pensare a Rio de Janeiro e Venezia, la mente va anche a quelli storici di Viareggio e Cento. Pochi sanno però che anche la splendida isola di Malta possiede una lunga e bella tradizione carnevalesca, che vale la pena raccontare.

L'Ordine di Malta introdusse questa festa al suo arrivo, nell'anno 1535, e da allora soprattutto le grandi città come Rabat e La Valletta sono un punto di incontro per chi vuole festeggiare. Ma la prima volta che si istituì una vera e propria celebrazione fu probabilmente in occasione del Carnevale del 1560, quando un’Armata Cristiana attraccò a Malta e agli uomini che si recarono sulla terraferma fu consentito di indossare delle maschere in pubblico...

Rising female unemployment

The European Union is alarmed at rising female unemployment indicated by the latest statistics. Il Denaro reports on the Maltese situation:

Continua a salire il tasso di disoccupazione a Malta, e in particolare di quella di femminile, pur rimanendo comunque al di sotto di quella media europea. E' quanto emerge dagli ultimi dati di Eurostat sulla disoccupazione nell'Unione europea. L'ufficio statistico dell'Ue segnala che nel gennaio 2006 il numero di disoccupati maltesi è salito al 7,8 per cento, dal 7,1 per cento registrato all'inizio del 2005, segnando uno dei principali incrementi in Europa, dopo quelli di Lussemburgo e Ungheria. Nell'Ue-25 il tasso di disoccupazione a gennaio su base annuale è rimasto invece stabile all'8,5 per cento. Come al solito nell'isola la situazione è molto più difficile per le donne piuttosto che per gli uomini: il tasso di disoccupazione maschile è salito al 6,9 per cento, dal 6,3 per cento registrato nel gennaio 2005, con aumento del 9,5 per cento.

Miscellaneous blogs (9)

Kinnie & Twistees

Robert Galea's Blog

Malta Forums

Following Adam

Kephisos recommends Malta

Cesky Krumlov reminds Christina of Malta

An intern hanging out with the PM

Charlie "The Mad Malta Man" Brinkat

Three minutes of sun

Broadband wireless

Mark Baker

Mark Baker from Knoxville, Tennessee in the United States has set up a blog to record his activities and events in Malta. He has posted about The Bizarre Things of Malta; From Malta with Love; hiking; Lemon Picking and Answered Prayers; The University; St. Paul's Day Parade; Marfa Ridge; Mdina and more.

New breeding species

According to this report on Birdlife International, BirdLife Malta has confirmed the first record in Malta of a new breeding species. The nest was discovered on 10 February at Simar Nature Reserve by Raymond Galea:

..The news was not entirely unexpected, as a pair of Little Grebes had been observed displaying courtship behaviour and carrying nest material at the site for a number of weeks. The nest itself is situated in the reserve's dense reedbed, making it difficult to observe. However, three chicks were seen climbing onto the nest soon after its discovery.

Little Grebe is an annual winter visitor to the Maltese Islands and frequents both nature reserves managed by BirdLife Malta - Ghadira and Simar. It is a secretive and shy bird and rarely ventures out on open water. This breeding record is another success for BirdLife Malta, who started works on Simar in 1992. The site was abandoned and used as a rubbish tip and sewage outflow, and initially there was opposition to the project by locals.

However, the new breeding species is further evidence that degraded land can be rehabilitated back to a rich natural state. Since BirdLife Malta started managing the site, Little Bittern, Reed Warbler and Moorhen have also bred in the area, and at Ghadira, Little Ringed Plover has also established itself as a regular breeding bird.

The merits of Maltese

Inspired by India and its literature, Sharon Spiteri discusses Maltese identity, language and literature. She wonders if there is a place for Maltese literature in English. From The Times (First part-Feb 11):

..Then I read Scott's The Jewel in the Crown (the first book of The Raj Quartet) and everything changed. Reading about the love affair between Daphne Manners and Hari Kumar and its consequences, I began to recognise that there was a post-colonial pattern, from my family's stories of the British in Malta, to the division of history lessons at school into Maltese and English history, to the never-ending and extremely tiring discussions of the ascendancy of Maltese over English or vice-versa. The Jewel opened my eyes to the question of Maltese identity in a way no other text before it had, something of an epiphany for me seeing that I have made the question of identity the focus of all my research.

The irony of reading about India through British authors did not escape me, not least because I later read for a degree in English literature and came in contact with the essays of Salman Rushdie, which are as pithy as his books are convoluted. For all those readers still caught up in the "euro vs ewro" debate, I highly recommend the essay 'Commonwealth Literature' Does Not Exist and especially its parting shot: "The English language ceased to be the sole possession of the English some time ago". With the discovery of Anglo-Indian literature came the realisation that a people should tell their story through their literature, and I started scrabbling around for Maltese literature. And found... very little.

At least, before I'm attacked for damning all Maltese literature with one stroke of the pen, I should qualify that last statement by saying I found little which appealed to me. It is not my intention, however, to discuss the merits or demerits of Maltese literature; that can best be left to the experts. I am lucky enough to have a good grounding in Maltese given the circumstances of my education but my command of the language remains pitiful and it is meant to be my native language, my mother tongue...

The language double standard: In the second part ( feb 25) of the article, Spiteri calls for a celebration of Maltese 'melange'. She states that the "idea of authenticity (the authentic Maltese voice) and purity (of language) is a fantasy, a myth".

Easter moon

Today is the first day of the Sacred Lent. In this section of a MaltaMedia special Easter feature, Martin Galea De Giovanni & Alexei Pace explain how the date for Easter is determined:

Christians celebrate two major feasts that symbolise the birth and death of Christ. Unlike Christmas, which as we all know is always on the 25th of December, Easter Sunday does not fall on a same day every year. The date of Easter is primarily used for liturgical purposes. Up to the eighth century there was no uniform method for determining the date of Easter but the method favoured by the Council of Nicaea in AD 325 gradually became the accepted method. The adoption of the Gregorian calendar necessitated some modifications to this scheme but it is still basically the same.

The "popular" rule (for Roman Catholics and most Protestant denominations) is that Easter is on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the March equinox. The actual rule is similar, except that the astronomical equinox is not used; the date is fixed at March 21. And the astronomical full moon is not used; an "ecclesiastical" new moon is determined by adopted tables based on the Metonic cycle, and "full" is taken as the 14th day of that lunation. There are auxiliary rules that make March 22 the earliest possible date for Easter and April 25 the latest. The reasons for this are that the method is then independent of longitude on the Earth and is thus independent of Time Zone. It also allows the date of Easter to be calculated in advance regardless of the actual motion of the Earth around the Sun...

MaltaMedia feature:Holy Week and Easter in Malta and Gozo.