Celebrating Wally

Malta celebrates Wally Glynn, the world’s oldest international cricketer. From CricketEurope:

Wally celebrates 75 years with a bottle of champagne and a game of cricket Wally Glynn, or “The Legend” to those who know him, celebrated his 75th birthday with a splendid cricket match at The Marsa Sports Club, Malta, on Saturday November 25th. The game saw ''Wally Glynn’s XI'', captained by the 75 year old, take on ''Ernie Glynn's XI'', captained by Wally’s ‘younger’ brother Ernie, aged 73. The brothers are still playing regularly and Wally is also a full member of the ACU.

Wally made the Guiness Book or Records as the World's Oldest International Cricketer. Wally features in the 'Guiness Book of Records'' as 'The World's Oldest International Cricketer’ having played for Malta in a match against Greece at the age of 65 years and 289 days. The match was part of the European Cricket Federation Nations’ Championship hled Zuoz in Switzerland, on the 21st August 1997. Saturday's game, recorded for TV Malta, was a great success and a fantastic way to celebrate a true cricketing legend.

Poor marks on racism

A survey on racism in Europe, released by the Vienna based European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia, has been widely publicised in the international press. The report states that tracking the scope of the problem is difficult because a number of European nations fail to provide basic data on racial violence and other forms of discrimination. Malta is one of the countries mentioned amongst the culprits. From the International Herald Tribune:

Most European Union nations are doing little to report racist incidents or discrimination, particularly in the sectors of employment, housing and education, the EU's racism monitoring agency said Tuesday. The agency gave EU governments poor marks in its report for 2005 on the state of racism and xenophobia in the 25-nation bloc, concluding that the EU as a whole must increase efforts to fight to combat discrimination.

Beate Winkler, director of the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia, said most member states "still lack the necessary data to monitor how social and economic policies affect their ethnic communities." She told reporters that this lack of information "can result in ongoing discrimination in key areas remaining unnoticed."

"Unfortunately we cannot sit here ... and say that the situation has improved," said Anastasia Crickley, who chairs the EU agency's management board. She called on EU governments to adopt an approved EU law setting out a standard definition of racism. Once all member states can use a single definition, they will be able to collect information on racist attacks. The report said only Britain and Finland had "comprehensive" systems in place to report on racist violence, collecting details about victims and the locations of incidents.

It said no official data was available at all on racist violence and crime from Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Malta. "As a result, some ethnic minority groups may experience discrimination without adequate response from the state," Winkler said. The agency said statistics were essential in fighting the root causes of racism and xenophobia...

Download report here

Sampling the nights of Malta

Writing for Unison.ie, the largest Irish online news portal, Maeve Sheehan tells the story of a spa visit to Malta:

The hour was late in the trendy nightclub in St Julian's, the heart of downtown Malta. A woman famous for winning the second-biggest divorce settlement in the UK sat regally in a roped-off VIP area. A showbiz journalist lingered by her. Meanwhile, the club's suave owner recited a litany of reasons why the tiny island in the Med was the most laidback and cosmopolitan of tourist destinations - climate, siestas, diving, snorkelling. Not forgetting friendly locals.

On cue, a uniformed police officer darkened the door - but far from turfing us out of our disco heaven, he proffered handshakes and explained he'd dropped in to buy a couple of cokes. But we weren't in Malta for the friendly policemen. We were "spa tourists" who turned out to be staying at the same hotel as the wealthy divorcee and her girlfriends. The Fortina Spa Resort lays claim to offering the first "spa bedrooms" in the world - hence, the girlie appeal. According to the brochure, numerous female stars of Coronation Street have lolled in its mud baths..

So it was with some reluctance that we were dragged away from our private spas on a requisite sight-seeing tour. Malta has a curious mix of cultures, evidenced in its medieval dungeons, cobbled streets and grand palaces and churches. Its Arab conquerors were ousted and the famous Catholic Knights of St John installed. They fought off the Turks and enriched the island with bejewelled churches. Mdina, dubbed the silent city because of the absence of cars, is a walled citadel dating back to Arabic times, while the beautiful walled city of Valletta boasts two Caravaggios in St John's Cathedral. No surprise then that the island has more than 360 churches, and souvenir shops peddling chocolate Knights and Order of Malta biscuits.

Less pious pilgrims pay homage to Oliver Reed - who, true to form - died of a heart attack in a pub in Valletta where he was filming Gladiator. The bar stool from which he slugged his last grog is a shrine for fans who sit on it while raising an Ollie Reed commemorative mug to the late hell-raiser. Malta, of course, has built its reputation on movie sets thanks to the glorious scenery, its temperate climate that falls to about 12°C in winter, and a bevy of tax breaks. The most photographed locations are around the archipelago of islands that includes Gozo and Comino, with white sands and turquoise seas...

Swiss aid for newcomers

Swiss voters have backed a proposal for financial aid to Malta and the other new EU member states:

Swiss voters have narrowly approved a government proposal to give one billion Swiss francs (630m euros) in aid to the 10 new members of the European Union.
Switzerland opted out of joining the EU years ago - but agreed deals that keep its trade relations with Europe alive. The EU in return has asked for money. The Swiss government warned voters that saying no could damage the economy.

Correspondents say Swiss pragmatism has again beaten the instinctive desire to keep Brussels at arm's length. About 53% of voters supported the plan - already approved by the Swiss parliament - in Sunday's referendum. Opponents had argued Switzerland should not have to pay for EU expansion and warned that approval would set a dangerous precedent. The money will go to the EU's cohesion fund, which helps less-developed members of the bloc.

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Bern says this was one of the closest votes in Switzerland for years. At stake were Switzerland's bilateral trade agreements with the EU, painstakingly negotiated over 10 years, our correspondent says. Although Switzerland opted out of the EU, it is surrounded by member countries and almost 70% of its exports are sold in the bloc. Brussels has always made it clear that Switzerland cannot just cherry pick the advantages of the EU, our correspondent says, and so has insisted it pays up...

Voter pragmatism wins the day for Europe; More from Swissinfo

Malta according to Jaanus

Jaanus works for the Skype marketing team in Estonia and blogs here. In a blog entry about his recent visit to Malta he compared Estonian independence from the Soviets to the British withdrawal from Malta:

..I didn't expect to have 25C in the middle of October (back in Tallinn, it was something like 10C). Malta is a funny little country. It's one of those places where you go from Estonia and you feel that you're coming from a big place. All in all, some 300 sq km, or as much as one of Estonia's larger islands.

It's all British. They drive on the left and have 3-pin electrical sockets. I go to London often so no biggie there, but for people who have only seen the "continent", it was overwhelming. The last British troops left at the end of 1970s. We had great Estonian guides who told us a lot about not only the local customs, but how to relate to it. So the Brits leaving Malta was in a way like Soviets leaving Estonia, they got a lot of military junk and deserted buildings around and have no idea what to do with those.

It's one of the few places on Earth where I've been so far where tap water is genuinely not suitable for drinking. In many places, they tell you it's not good, but you drink anyway and nothing happens. Well, in Malta it just tastes so bad (it's desalinated sea water with lots of chemical traces left) that you don't want it and so you need to resort to cleaner bottled water..

It felt a bit like California, with the palm trees and nice maritime climate. (It actually is on the same latitude as southern California, so no wonder)...Culturally, the most interesting part by far were the prehistoric temples. I didn't know that these were to be expected, but turns out that Malta has some of the earliest man-built structures in the whole wide world, dating much earlier than Stonehenge, the Egyptian pyramids and all those other really old things. Mystery remains as to who, why and how built them..

There were cats lots and lots of cats in various sizes and colors all over the place. So if you're a cat person, Malta is definitely a destination...The buses in Malta are legendary. They come from the 60s or something. They have no doors, just holes in sides where you step in...

No balance

New Israeli ambassador says Malta does not practice its neutrality principles in relation to the Middle East conflict:

The new Israeli ambassador to Malta, who presented his credentials to President Edward Fenech Adami on Thursday, lost no time in saying what he feels about Malta. “I would like to see a more balanced policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Gideon Meir told me in an interview. “Malta is now in the EU and the EU wants to play a role in the Middle East,” he added.

Mr Meir is the successor to the widely-popular Ehud Gol. He has been in the Israeli foreign service for 37 years, starting at the lowest level possible – punching holes in the archives. Then he served in Washington, Ottawa and later in London, where he befriended a still young and relatively unknown MP, Tony Blair. They have remained good friends over the years..

Hamas has now been elected to the Palestinian government, but the Palestinians are now in the strange situation of having two heads: a president, Abu Mazan, who was democratically elected and with whom Israel feels it can negotiate, and a government which, although elected democratically, has not accepted the rules of democracy: there is no free press, no voice of the sand, no criticism of government.

As for Israeli relations with Malta, Mr Meir stressed that he would like to see economic and cultural relations enhanced. When peoples meet, he said, both sides can gain from the other.

History Blog

The World History Blog covers different aspects of history including discussions on teaching history. Malta in the World History Blog:

History of Malta. This short essay is a history of the European nation of Malta which may be most famous for the long rule of the Knights of St. John. The Encyclopædia Britannica notes, "Officially Republic of Malta , Maltese Malta , or Repubblika Ta' Malta country located in the central Mediterranean Sea. It is a small archipelago but a strategically important group of islands. Throughout a long and turbulent history, the archipelago has played a vital role in the struggles of a succession of powers for domination of the Mediterranean and in the interplay between emerging Europe and the older cultures of Africa and the Middle East. As a result, Maltese society was molded by centuries of foreign rule, with influences ranging from Arab to Norman to English."

From the site: Malta was an important cultic center for earth-mother worship in the 4th millennium B.C. Recent archeological work shows a developed religious center there long before those of Sumer and Egypt. Malta's written history began well before the Christian era. Originally the Phoenicians, and later the Carthaginians, established ports and trading settlements on the island. During the second Punic War (218 B.C.), Malta became part of the Roman Empire. During Roman rule, in A.D. 60, Saint Paul was shipwrecked on Malta at a place now called St. Paul's Bay.

In 533 A.D. Malta became part of the Byzantine Empire and in 870 came under Arab control. Arab occupation and rule left a strong imprint on Maltese life, customs, and language. The Arabs were driven out in 1090 by a band of Norman adventurers under Count Roger of Normandy, who had established a kingdom in southern Italy and Sicily. Malta thus became an appendage of Sicily for 440 years. During this period, Malta was sold and resold to various feudal lords and barons and was dominated successively by the rulers of Swabia, Aquitaine, Aragon, Castile, and Spain.In 1522 Suleiman II drove the Knights out of Rhodes. They dispersed to their commanderies in Europe and after repeated requests for territory to Charles V, in 1530 the Knights were given sovereignty of Malta under the suzerainty of the Kings of Sicily.

In 1523, a key date in Maltese history, the islands were ceded by Charles V of Spain to the Order of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. For the next 275 years, these famous "Knights of Malta" made the island their domain. They built towns, palaces, churches, gardens, and fortifications and embellished the island with numerous works of art and enhanced cultural heritage. In 1565 Suleiman the Magnificent laid siege to Malta. After several months the strength of the Knights and the Maltese population prevailed and the Turks were defeated. Over the years, the power of the Knights declined, however, and their rule of Malta ended with their peaceful surrender to Napoleon in 1798.

Malta Calling

Michael at Malta Calling is inviting reader feedback for his draft pitch of his book about Malta. '101 Things the Malta Tourist Authority Doesn't Want You to Know' could very well be one of the highlights of his book. Read some of his old blog posts as you go along. From Notes of a Tiny Island:

..After selling his house, his car and his bubble coat and moving to Malta for a year to write a book about the mysterious and absorbingly beautiful island nation, American author [my name here] and his family of seven can’t seem to stay out of the way of remarkable occurrences. First, it’s just fights at restaurants, festival brawling, and automobile accidents; but then, like Forrest Gump, they always seem to be present wherever the remarkable happens: a fatal plane crash, an oil bunkering vessel run aground, the arrival of a shipwrecked group of African refugees.

Having arrived during high tourist season, no one really seems to take much notice of the American family. In fact, they feel studiously ignored. But when the tourist season ends and they’re still padding around, frequenting the shops, attending a neighborhood church and school, riding the buses and beating a worn path to the seaside promenade, things change. As the weeks wear on, more and more locals seem to know their business, sometimes even before they do. Although the family is formally introduced to very few Maltese people, the neighbors, shopkeepers and even the crazy bus drivers seem to know their names and often where they’re going and what they’re looking for on any particular day.

A remarkable series of occurrences leads the author to wonder if he’s not being followed around the island. You see, some of his writings on an internet travel-blog are rather critical of modern Maltese life – the drivers are nuts, the sidewalks want fixing, the food is grade D but edible, the elevators are unreliable, the dogs leave their marks, and the beaches are butt-strewn...

Aid for air routes

The European Commission allows Malta to aid the creation of new air routes, from the Europa site:

The European Commission has decided today to allow Malta to grant start-up aid for new air routes from Malta International Airport. The measure will last until September 2011 and provides for a total of Lm25 million (€58 million) to airlines in order to finance new routes. The primary objective of the aid is to improve connectivity by enhancing access to air transport services which are of basic importance for the economic and social development of Malta. The measure approved by the Commission provides for public funding of new services departing from Malta International Airport. The aid is designed to help airlines wishing to establish new routes to/from the airport by meeting part of their start-up costs and route specific marketing aid.

The Commission found that the proposed scheme is in line with the Community rules adopted in 2005 in order to favour the development of regional airports and the mobility of EU citizens, as the aid is available to all operators in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner; it is limited to five years for each new route; the aid is limited, in average, to 40% of start-up costs (including specific marketing costs) ; the aid has to be paid out on the basis of a business plan. The measure is designed to encourage the private sector to invest in new air services by sharing the risk between the airlines and the public authorities.

Marine Park

Dive Magazine reports on plans for a marine park in the North coast supported by the Malta Marine Foundation:

An underwater marine park for divers, enclosed in a netted area the size of a football pitch, may be constructed off the coast of Malta if plans are given the go-ahead by the country's government. A group of investors who include a fish farm operator, a hotelier and members of the diving community, said the proposed Marine Adventure Park would include two fish-farm-style netted enclosures, one 30m deep and one at 8m.

Situated 1km off Ras il-Griebeg, outside Mellieha Bay, the park would feature a selection of captive marine life and artificial reef structures, including a copy of a Roman shipwreck and a megalithic temple. Fish will either be hand-fed or fed from permanent feeding stations, according to a Marine Adventure Park project spokesperson.

'Coming face to face with these creatures of the deep is becoming a very rare encounter,' said a Marine Adventure Park project spokesperson. 'In the Atlantis enclosure, sunfish, rays, groupers, sea hounds, dogfish, angel shark, tuna and other pelagic and bottom-dwelling fish will be in the list of attractions.' A sandy area with isolated patches of seagrass has been chosen as a possible location for the large netted enclosures...

Nostalgias of Malta

Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti has launched a photographic record of Malta called Nostalgias of Malta – Images by Geo Fürst from the 1930s edited by Giovanni Bonello:

..The book was launched at The Knight’s Room, Le Meridien Phoenicia, Floriana in the presence of Judge Giovanni Bonello, the author, Marquis de Piro, the guest speaker, Maurice de Giorgio, the chairman of Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti and Dr Paul Xuereb, the General Editor of Patrimonju Publishing. This latest work is a testimony to the variety of Patrimonju publications now on offer. From those which detail the work carried out in its now renowned exhibitions, to original works of scholarly research, from Giovanni Bonello’s own inimitable series of essays, to unusual works which like this one focus on images of our history.

Speaking at the launch, the chairman of Patrimonju thanked Judge Bonello for bringing this important collection of Geo Fürst’s work to light. “Up till now, his work was really only very well known to postcard collectors, and now the large and growing numbers of the public that appreciates Malta’s artistic heritage will also have the opportunity both to enjoy these images, as well as to appreciate how Malta really looked around 70 years ago.”

Launching the book, Marquis de Piro thanked Patrimonju for the sheer breadth and scope of the publications now on offer. He also praised Judge Bonello, who is both the author and editor of the publication, for all the work involved in bringing this immensely important collection to light which also includes important images of Gozo. Geo Fürst died in Munich just over 40 years ago and it is opportune that we can now start to enjoy his legacy to us Maltese, a legacy of images from Malta’s past.

Judge Bonello stated that, in his view, no one compares to Geo Furst in terms of pre-WW2 photography of Malta. “His work had everything going for it: creativity, impact and impeccable technical standards.” Giovanni Bonello also spoke of two strokes of fortune which contributed to the success of this publication. One was a gracious donation from a family member, his niece, Cynthia Caruana Turner, and the other was Wilfred Pirotta’s acquisition of a large number of the images included in this comprehensive publication.

Not Sinn Fein

Elaib in Brussels blogging at England Expects had a 'momentary loss of composure 'earlier this week:

Momentary loss of composure yesterday when I over heard a discussion in the office. Two Maltese types were discussing a press conference an who would be coming. I swear I heard the words Sinn Fein. After spluttering at them with comments along the lines of, "Over my dead body" are we inviting those bastards, I was corrected, what had been said was, X'hin Feyn, something altogether different, but strangely apt. It means, "What time, and where?"

Forgetting the Goddess Theory

In a lecture “Ritual, Space and Structure in Prehistoric Malta and Gozo: New Observations on Old Matters”, Caroline Malone spoke of the 'faulty' goddess theory that 'may not have been adequately investigated and structured from the many archaeological remains in Malta'. Malone is the director of the Templeton Project “Spiritual creativity in prehistoric Malta” at the University of Cambridge. Noel Grima reports in TMIS:

Forget the goddess theory, which you hear every tourist guide trying to explain the huge statues at the National Museum of Archaeology or while touring Hagar Qim. That may not have been the original religion of Malta..

All human societies are based on structured ritual and deal with such themes as life and death, male and female, right and left, good and bad, clean, and polluted. The human body is very important in that it constitutes a universal cipher for these themes. The temples were for ritual, “the goddess”, fertility, sunrise, priests. Hypogea were for burial and also for the cult of ancestors.

Cult places in general are very special places, for the most part man-made, but possibly also using natural locations. They were mostly enclosed spaces, with controlled access. They were directional – orientated towards the sunrise. The presence of altars and libation holes in the temples in Malta shows this was a highly organised and repetitive religion with ritualistic symbols, participation in offering, with priests and a hierarchy.

The Maltese prehistoric society was a relatively stable, agricultural community, an intense and densely populated island, celebrating cyclical cycles of life, rites of passage, transitions between different stages of life, from separation to reintegration, fertility, ancestors, good spirits welcomed, bad spirits avoided, all in a cosmological context..

Dr Malone obviously based her observations and conclusions on the recent excavations of the Xaghra Circle. Dr Simon Stoddart, the co-director of the Xaghra Stone Circle excavation, submitted a fuller explanation. Dr Stoddart has held posts in Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol and York and recently retired as editor of Antiquity. He has also directed several fieldwork projects in Malta, central Italy and Scotland. The full analysis of the circle’s bones has shown there are 220,000 body parts buried there, mostly small bits of bone..

Professor Anthony Bonanno also seemed to agree that Malta’s original religion was more an ancestral cult than a mother goddess one. Ancestor memory provided social cohesion in times of stress. Like Prof. Bonanno, Professor David Trump said the closest to the Maltese prehistoric temples seem to be the nuraghi, the massive stone monuments in Sardinia. The location of the prehistoric sites can also shed information about population movements and events in those very distant times...

When will Heritage Malta start updating the news section?

Online campaigning

Desmond Zammit Marmara' looks forward to a high degree of online campaigning at the next general elections scheduled for 2008:

An innovative aspect of Maltese politics during the last few years has been the increasing use of the Internet. This is not only by the main political parties, their officials and candidates; but also by ordinary citizens. All are eager to disseminate their personal views on all aspects of politics in Malta.

Online political fora, politically-oriented websites and blogs, political propaganda, e-mails, electronic journals such as maltastar.com, are on the increase. I once wrote an article online asking what had happened to Malta’s political intellectuals since they appeared to have vanished from circulation. Today, I realize that I was not incisive enough in my analysis of the political situation in Malta since the contributions of many of them can be found online.

In fact, I would also venture to make the perhaps debatable statement that the majority of Malta’s finest young political intellectuals use the Internet for their contributions to the current political debate in the Maltese Islands. Which brings me to the question: “How effective is the Internet as a political tool in the Maltese context?”..

Since use of the Internet requires a certain level of education, it goes without saying that, notwithstanding all that I have stated above, the Internet remains an effective but a limited political tool since it does not reach the less educated part of the population (22.8 per cent of respondents, according to the same NSO data quoted above) which does not have access to the Internet as it lacks the necessary skills. As such, the next General Election campaign will still resemble electoral campaigns of the past but with the addition of online campaigning on a far greater scale than the Maltese Islands have experienced to date.

Internet use

According to a new report by the National Statistics Office, 58% of Maltese individuals never use the internet:

..The National Statistics Office (NSO) reported that the use of television remained predominant in Maltese households, with a notable shift away from the use of Cable TV towards Satellite dishes and digital TV. Desktop or portable computers are the predominant tool used, with a shift away from Narrowband towards Broadband. Households not using the Internet cited the lack of need and of skills as the primary reason for their behaviour in this regard.

The proportion of individuals who never use the Internet remained stable at around 58%. Out of those who use Internet, the proportion of individuals using this medium every day rose from 61.7% in 2005 to 67.6% in 2006. With regards to the location of Internet use, the predominant response was from one’s own home, although there was in 2006 an increase in use from places of education.

The use of e-commerce remained stable between 2005 and 2006, with around 60% of persons using the Internet responding that they have never made use of this service. Among the persons using e-commerce, there was in 2006 a shift towards buying from retailers known over the Internet and for the purposes of acquiring music and DVDs.

ICT usage in households - The full report

'Malta in Age'

Natalia Gubareva travels the world taking photographs of different cultures. Her work has been published in Russian magazines and some of her photos are displayed in her journal. Have a look at her photos of 'laid back' Maltese individuals here:

What first come to your mind when you think of Malta? Malta is a very old country with lots of history. Its citizens in age are so alike this mature country with its historical achitecture. They are calm, laidback, and have very relaxed attitude towards life. These characteristics describe at best the life style of Maltese inhabitants...

Heavyweights of Europe

The news of Europe's obesity crisis, that emerged from a new Eurobarometer report has continued to capture the attention of journalists and bloggers over the last days. According to the report, Maltese people have the highest 'Body Mass Index' in the European Union with an average BMI at 26.6, the Italians being the lowest, at 24.3. BBC News called the Maltese 'the heavyweights of Europe:

The Maltese and the Greeks are the heavyweights of Europe, figures from the European Commission reveal. The Italians and French the most trim, while the average Briton - like the average European - is slightly over the ideal weight. Obesity, which is linked to a range of health problems, including heart disease, is a growing problem across much of the developed world. The Commission plans to launch a strategy to tackle obesity next year.

EUROPE'S HEAVYWEIGHTS
Malta - 26.6
Greece - 25.9
Finland - 25.8
Luxembourg - 25.7
Hungary - 25.6
Cyprus - 25.6
Lithuania - 25.5
Slovenia - 25.5
Denmark - 25.5
UK - 25.4
Body Mass Index figures


SLIMMEST COUNTRIES
Italy - 24.3
France - 24.5
Austria - 24.8
Poland - 24.8
Netherlands - 24.9
Slovakia - 25.0
Belgium - 25.1
Latvia - 25.1
Estonia - 25.2
Czech Rep - 25.2
Body Mass Index figures

The full Eurobarometer report (pdf); The Obesity Blog; From The Irish Independent, Maltese top of Euro fat table.

The rise of citizen journalism

In a feature for today's Times IT supplement, Martin Debattista discusses blogging and writes about the rise of Maltese blogs. Writing a few days after the Malta Journalism Awards in which MaltaMedia placed first in the e-journalism category, his article includes interviews and comments by bloggers Toni Sant, MaltaGirl, Sabine Cassar-Alpert and yours truly. You can read my interview in its entirety in Martin's blog. From The Times:

Blogs, or personal journals published on internet, made history last week in two different and very distant parts of the world. While blogs in the US were shaping the mid-term elections with all its effects on world politics, a Maltese blog was awarded a Malta Journalism Award in the e-journalism category...While blogs are fast becoming part of the media landscape abroad, in Malta last week we had the first tangible sign that they are also rising in status locally. Robert Micallef won the e-journalism category, sponsored by Hewlett Packard, of the Malta Journalism Awards organised by the Institute of Maltese Journalists..

"When I started my blog in 2004, I had no idea where it would take me but I used it to express my own opinions about a number of issues and events," Mr Micallef told i-Tech after the awards ceremony. "I also established my blog as a channel to promote other Maltese blogs and contribute to the development of a Maltese blogging space. Later, I started using it as a platform for Malta references on the blogosphere, in cyberspace and the online international media so, in a way, it is partly a kind of online depository of views about Malta as seen by others."

Mr Micallef's success comes as no surprise to other Maltese bloggers. "I didn't use to take any interest in politics but thanks to Robert Micallef I now know more about Maltese and EU affairs," commented Maltagirl, who has been blogging for over four years and is thus one of Malta's pioneers. Although there are no official statistics or surveys on blogging in Malta, the Maltese blogosphere is thriving. "Given the size of the Maltese population, I'd say that blogging is quite popular in Malta,"

Toni Sant, lecturer at the University of Hull (Scarborough campus) and co-founder of http://www.maltamedia.com, told i-Tech. "Keeping a blog is not for everyone but I can safely say that some personal Maltese blogs are more interesting and better written than some opinion columns in the local newspapers." The comparison between blogs and traditional news media outlets is inevitable. After all, Mr Micallef won the e-journalism award and not a blogging award. MaltaMedia.com is the only Maltese online news service that provides blogs side-by-side with its traditional daily news coverage offered by the mainstream news media..

Mr Micallef shares the view that new media are here to stay and become an established part of the media landscape. "The mainstream media have been slow to acknowledge the rise of new media but they will eventually embrace it, once they see more evidence of its growing popularity." In the meantime blogs remain one of the ways to make your voice heard in cyberspace...

The full article by Martin Debattista in The Times; Taking notice of Maltese blogs - from Martin's blog.

Bygones

As first European stop for many African immigrants, Malta risks being overwhelmed, writes Roland Flamini in a World Politics Watch Exclusive:

..Despite its size, the island looms large in European history because of its strategic position in the center of the Mediterranean. From Malta, a maritime power could dominate the whole expanse of water stretching from Gibraltar to Lebanon -- and a succession of such powers, including Britain and France, did.

Today, the geographic advantage has become something of a drawback. Malta has become the advance post of a major European problem: illegal immigration. Boat people from North Africa wash up on Malta's coastline at an alarming rate, some dead, some alive. A wave of desperate humanity from the Horn of Africa, Chad, Libya, Tunisia, and elsewhere find their way to the North African coast hoping to make the crossing to Europe in search of an often-mythical better life..

Of course, the immigrant problem would beset Malta whether it was an EU member or not. In other respects, Malta's membership has a logic all of its own. Strategically, having Malta as an EU member closes a window of vulnerability on the southern edge of Europe. If -- or perhaps when -- the European Union consolidates the idea of an independent security structure, the island could play a major role as a jumping off point for the planned rapid deployment force. (One snag: Malta currently declares itself strategically neutral.)

A small island that depends on tourism and some hi-tech industry as its economic mainstays is not likely to make a substantive material contribution to the European Union, but unlike some other newcomers -- for example, the divided island of Cyprus -- it doesn't come with any adverse baggage of problems. It also justifies itself with a European history going back to the Phoenicians and the Romans.

Ironically, a large part of that history was as the island fortress home of the Knights of Malta, a.k.a. the crusading Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. The knights ruled Malta for nearly three centuries, until 1798. Their main reason for existence was, of course, to foil attempts to dominate the Mediterranean by their mortal enemies, the Turks. Malta, however, has been quite polite about Turkey's bid to join the European union. Again, bygones are bygones.

More articles by Roland Flamini, a former TIME magazine correspondent

Matt's Lagoon

Vienna based Matthew Gottsch, author of Welcome to the Movie Life, blogs about his honeymoon trip to Malta with his wife Kathi:

We arrived back to Vienna last night from our holiday in Malta (just in time to watch Auburn take a good beating). The island has a beautiful natural setting along with a great history so we really enjoyed our week there. We stayed in a small, quiet city on the north side of the island named Mellieha and we spent several days there just enjoying the sea, clear skies, and good books. I took a few good pictures during our stay so most of this next week will probably be posts about Malta (possibly including little history lessons along with my snapshots)..

I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful setting then the Blue Lagoon. The water is so clear there that you can see straight to the bottom (probably 20 to 30 feet down), and we were able to watch the fish and jellyfish live their lives for a short time. I want a currently undiscovered lagoon of my own that can only be reached by boat that I can share with my wife and occasionally family and friends (maybe I will ask for one Cheesy Gordita Crunch per admittance). I will begin my sure to be long search for "Matt's Lagoon" immediately. Good day, and I will share more of Malta with you throughout the week...

The Silent City

Malta Book Fair

The 22nd edition of the Malta Book Fair will be held between tomorrow 15th and the 19th of November at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. Annie Dalton will be the special guest at this year's Book Fair convened by the National Book Council ( why is the info on the Education Ministry website so out of date? ) chaired by Dr Ġorġ Mallia:

..Wednesday will see the launch of Trevor Zahra’s latest book ‘Sħab’ at 1800CET. In turn, Karl Schembri will launch his novel ‘Il-Manifest tal-Killer’ on Saturday also at 1800CET. The launch will be followed by a recital by PoeżijaPlus at 1930CET. The National Book Prize Ceremony will take place on Friday, starting at 0730CET..

The Fair will wrap up with the presence of famed authoress Annie Dalton. Annie Dalton was born in Dorset and grew up in the country during the fifties. She claims she didn't intend to be a writer when she was young, but the discovery of a local library nourished her love of books from an early age.

Annie Dalton has worked as a waitress, a cleaner, a factory worker and as a Writer in Residence in a prison, an experience she claims changed her life: "I was there for three years, on and off, and it changed me completely". She now lives in Suffolk and her reputation as a successful children's author continues to grow. Annie's writing is lively, contemporary and witty; she tackles very real subjects with both humour and sensitivity.

Exhibitors at the Book Fair include Sensiela Kotba Socjalisti (SKS), Franny Jo Publications, Book Distributors Ltd (BDL),Klabb Kotba Maltin, Midsea PuBLISHERS, Pubblikazzjonijiet Indipendenza (PIN),HorizonsPublishers Enterprises Group (PEG),Wise Owl Publications, Department Of Libraries,Istituto Italiano Di Cultura, Uptrend Publishing, Allied Retail & Commercial Co. Ltd, Merlin Library, Islamic Call Society, Aquilina Bookshop, Wise Owl Bookshop, Sierra Distributors Ltd, Wise Owl Bookshop, Preca Library, Ghaqda tal-Muzika San Gejtanu, Audio Visual Centre, Spiritual Assembly Of The Baha'is Of Malta and The Scorpion.

Cervantes discussion

Dubai row

The row over the MLP visit to Dubai last Summer has reached the media in the UAE. Reporting for GulfNews, Daniel Bardsley quotes an unnamed Maltese journalist saying that the row had created "uncertainty" about the proposed Tecom Investment in the Smart City centre in Malta. From Gulf News:

A trip to Dubai by a group of politicians and businessmen from the Mediterranean island nation of Malta has created a major political row and calls for leading figures to resign...The issue has blown up at a sensitive time, following as it does the announcement earlier this year that Dubai's Tecom Investments would invest more than $300 million (Dh1,102 million) in the development of a media and internet hub in Malta modelled on Dubai's Media City and Internet City..

"The government has seized on this trip as the party taking its friends over to take exclusive contracts in Dubai," a journalist in a leading Maltese newspaper told Gulf News, adding that there had been calls for MLP officials to resign from their positions. "This week there was a meeting at the Labour headquarters with these contractors and people from the ruling Nationalist Party were filming them - it's become a very big issue in Malta.

"The whole issue is whether the MLP funded the trip and they say that they didn't, they say it was self-funded." He added that the row had created "uncertainty" about whether Tecom Investment's planned involvement in the Smart City internet and media centre on the island could be affected, although the four firms involved are not linked to the project.

Smart City fi krizi - Aleks Farrugia

Chasing Michael Mifsud

A number of European sports media reports are linking Malta international footballer Michael Mifsud with top English football clubs. From Eurosport:

Several English clubs have been tracking Lillestrom's Maltese international Michael Mifsud. The striker has turned down the Norwegian club's offer of a new contract, amid claims from his agent that he hopes to move within weeks. "This [contract] offer was better than the last one, and they gave me ten days to consider it, but there's not really much to think about," the 25-year-old told Norway's TV2.

Scouts from Bolton, Reading, Sheffield United, Norwich and Crystal Palace were all reportedly in attendance at Lillestrom's final game of the season against Lyn last Sunday. "Now the season is over, we're hoping for something to happen within the next few weeks," said Mifsud's agent Mark Taylor. The former Kaiserslautern and Sliema Wanderers man does not exactly fit the profile of a typical English centre forward, standing just 1.64m in height.

Maltese fat con

London based Dan Wilson, the Randomaniac, takes a jibe at overweight Maltese "roly poly med islanders":

It's fast becoming established fact that us wobbly Brits are the fattest or most obese people in Europe. Acres of news print have been dedicated to the uncomfortable fact that the residents of these islands are generally more overweight than those svelte Germans, the skinny French or the positively emaciated Italians.Thing is, it's not true. Sorry, my dear lovely people, we're not the fattest population in Europe. According to the World Health Organisation the honour falls to the Maltese, those roly-poly med Islanders.

Perhaps not surprising for a country where the national dish is spaghetti, casseroled rabbit and spuds.But could it just be their glands? (My glands ordered 12 cream cakes and made me eat them!) Maybe the Maltese are just big boned by nature?Malta has an amazing prehistory: including some of the world's first free-standing buildings. But it also has some unusual female figures crafted in the mists of prehistory: a bbw by any stretch of the imagination.

Obesity crises

Hailing retailers who commit to healthier products, the EU has warned of an obesity crisis across Europe. According to a new Eurobarometer report, most Europeans consider themselves to be in good health, but that 38 percent feel they are overweight. From the IHT:

..Obesity is more prevalent in southern Europe, where traditional Mediterranean diets are giving way to more processed foods rich in fat, sugar and salt. The WHO estimates that in Spain, Italy, Portugal and Malta more than 30 percent of children aged 7 to 11 are obese, compared to over 20 percent in Britain, Ireland, Cyprus and Sweden and between 10 to 20 percent in France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Bulgaria.

The European Commission released the findings of a Eurobarometer survey that said most Europeans consider themselves to be in good health, but that 38 percent feel they are overweight. It said the vast majority believe "obesity in children has increased over the last five years" and that food advertising and promotion influences children's eating habits...

EU Public Health; Former EU Commissioner says obesity is not the business of the EU

Research opportunities

The EU CORDIS news website features an article published in the Sunday Times of Malta by the European Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potocnik, in which he urges Malta to seize the opportunities for cooperation offered by EU research projects. In his article, the Commissioner called on the Maltese Government to honour its commitment to raise R&D spending from 0.29 to 0.75 per cent of GDP by 2010, "so as to create the favourable conditions that then encourage greater private sector investment". From Cordis News:

..He said: 'public spending is extremely important - it can have a leverage effect on private spending, address market failure, and ensure that R&D is aligned with political priorities such as alternative energy sources, better provision of health services or developing entrepreneurship'..

He cited the European Technology Platforms (ETPs) as an example of a real driver of innovation, where a whole sector is brought together to establish a vision of where it would like to go. They also allow companies, universities, research institutes, financial organisations and consumers to identify the research needed to get there. The success of the European mobile communications industry was held up as a case in point.

As for FP7, the Commissioner highlighted possibilities for the involvement of companies in research projects and how the programme would particularly look into increasing the participation of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in cooperative projects. He said: 'I see great potential for Maltese companies to take advantage of both these aspects of the programme - because for a small country like Malta, European cooperation is vital. It can give Maltese scientists and companies access to facilities and infrastructure that are just not viable at national level.'

Mobility was held up as another advantage of EU membership. Almost 5 billion will be available under the mobility section of the programme to support researchers wishing to carry out their research in another Member State, or for university researchers interested in spending time working in industry. The European Commissioner concluded by saying that 'by engaging with European partners, Maltese companies, your university and your people will benefit directly. I very much hope that Malta will seize the opportunities offered by the new European programme, and get involved.'

Potocnik's article; The Malta Cordis site

Sights, sounds and thoughts

Mtarfa based writer/photographer Mary Attard has set up a blog to 'delve in past sights, sounds and thoughts about Maltese culture'. She aims to establish her blog as a portal of old Maltese scenery and photography that reveals how Malta has been transformed in modern times. In her latest post she writes about a discovery she made in the Mtarfa cemetery:

Mention Enid Blyton to a bunch of people of my age and they are taken back in time to adventure stories that have coloured many a youngster back in the 60s and 70s. The Famous Five adventures were to us in those days what Harry Potter is to today's generation. But did you know that in Malta we have the remains of her first husband Hugh Pollock? I came across his burial place in the Military Cemetery in Mtarfa by coincidence while doing some research on Mtarfa on moving to the area some five years ago.

Pollock had eloped (at 50) to Malta with his secretary Ida Crowe who was 25 at the time - and who now is in her 80s - and is writing Enid Blyton's memoirs. He spent his last few days in the Mtarfa Military Hospital (now a Boys' Secondary School) and was buried in 1971 in the cemetery nearby.

Blast those blocks - for writers desperate for ideas.

Mobile roaming

High roaming charges are deterring Europeans from using their mobile phones abroad, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey. The Maltese people rank first in their insistence that they would significantly increase mobile roaming if prices were lowered:

Mobile roaming charges continue to be very high in Europe. This is shown by a Europe-wide survey, published by Eurobarometer today, and by the recent evolution of international mobile roaming prices. An overwhelming majority of EU citizens believe the EU should step in to make sure that prices for making and receiving calls on mobile phones when travelling in other EU countries are not substantially higher than those at home. European mobile phone users continue to pay between €4 and €6 for a four minute roamed call abroad, as shown by the European Commission’s website on roaming prices, updated today. In some cases, roaming prices for such a call can exceed €12..

The new findings on international mobile roaming charges have emerged from a special Eurobarometer report published today. An overwhelming majority (70%) of respondents to the survey support the need for EU intervention to lower roaming costs across the EU (see IP/06/978) to the benefit of ordinary citizens. 68% would even support EU intervention to bring down roaming charges for SMS, a view shared by 78% of mobile phone users aged 15-24..

A clear majority of mobile phone users surveyed make use of their phone substantially less when travelling abroad; this attitude is particularly strong among younger mobile phone users (68% of those aged 15-24) and among students (70%). 81% of them point to high costs as the biggest deterrent – a factor especially discouraging for those from Spain (82%), Malta (85%), Austria (87%), Germany (87%), Slovakia (88%), Hungary (89%), Lithuania (89%), Portugal (90%), the Czech Republic (90%), Slovenia (94%) and Poland (94%).

15% of mobile users surveyed either choose not to take their phones on holiday at all or to switch them off completely. 21% use only text messages (SMS) while abroad. 59% say they would use their phones more when abroad if charges were lower, a view which is widespread in e.g. Finland (60%), France (61%), Denmark (63%), the United Kingdom (64%), Belgium (66%), Cyprus (67%), Poland (72%), Latvia (73%), Greece (74%), Luxembourg (75%) and Malta (78%)...

The EC's roaming website; The Eurobarometer page.

From ticketing clerk to terrorist

The Daily Mirror correspondents Jeff Edwards and Tom Parry report that the boss of a British al-Qaeda cell who plotted to kill thousands was formerly employed by Air Malta in London. From The Daily Mirror:

Dhiren Barot, 34, planned back-to-back attacks to bring maximum death and destruction. His aim was to wipe out hundreds of people in London with a radioactive blast then watch thousands more die from cancer due to the fallout....Barot, a chief planner for Osama bin Laden who answered to terrorist masters in Pakistan, also plotted to detonate limos packed with gas cylinders and explosives parked under top London hotels, including the Savoy and the Berkeley..

The one-time Air Malta ticketing clerk wrote of the Thames' plot: "Imagine the chaos that would be caused if a powerful explosion were to rip through here and actually rupture the river itself. "It would cause pandemonium what with the explosions, flooding, drowning, etc. that would occur." He had similar plans for high-profile buildings in New York, Washington DC and Newark in New Jersey. Barot had admitted conspiracy to cause mass murder and appeared before a sentencing hearing at Woolwich crown court, South East London, yesterday..

He got a job with Air Malta in London and in 1992, aged 20, he converted to Islam. By 1995 he was becoming a militant and spent months at a terrorist training camp in Kashmir, India, and kept a diary of his experiences, the court heard. Mr Lawson said: "The book revealed he had undertaken intensive training in the use of weapons like the Kalashnikov AK47 and grenades and had received detailed advice in the use of poisons." His plan was to create "another black day for the enemies of Islam and a victory for the Muslims". He travelled to Pakistan in early 2004 to get approval and cash for his plots. He was an expert in counter surveillance and knew police were watching him. He once drove from London to South Wales to use a internet cafe. In London, he moved address every few weeks to avoid detection. Barot used false identities and posed as a student to use university libraries which held architects' plans of key buildings and to download information on chemicals...

Update: Air Malta's response; The Guardian says that Barot had not worked properly since he left his job at Air Malta in 1995, apart from a brief period of employment as a night porter in London.

The voice of small EU states

Two small Mediterranean EU members want their voices heard, from the Cyprus Observer:

Speaker of the Maltese House of Representatives, Anton Tabone, said on Monday that Malta and South Cyprus, as Mediterranean countries, have a common ideal to follow and would like to take new initiatives to put the Mediterranean on the agenda of the European Union. Speaking after a meeting with Greek Cypriot House of Representatives President, Demetris Christofias, Tabone confirmed that Malta has always abided by UN resolutions concerning Cyprus and congratulated Christofias on the initiatives he has taken.

Christofias said this was “an official visit of very good friends” and noted that Malta and the South are coordinating their moves as neighbouring Mediterranean countries as regards our efforts to promote the cooperation of Mediterranean EU member states and even broader with North Africa and the Middle East.” “Beyond this, we are among the smallest EU member states, new members, and as you understand there is a great need to coordinate our efforts so that our voice will be heard within the EU, so that the large EU countries hear the voice of the smaller ones, and in this direction we have discussed certain initiatives which could be taken so that we can coordinate ourselves better,” Christofias said.

More from MaltaMedia

Fresh attempts at Eurovision success

William Mangion is the latest former winner to stage a comeback for the 2007 Malta Song For Europe, Cyrus Engerer reports:

William Mangion who represented Malta in the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest in Ireland has this week recorded two songs which will be submitted in the Malta Song For Europe, according to our reliable sources. William Mangion is one of the mainstays of Malta’ rock and blues scene. With a career spanning several decades Mangion has entertained crowds leading a number of bands and like many rock singers cannot sit still. He has had his ups and downs, lead several bands and cavorted with the famous.

This year it seems that many singers who have already represented Malta in the past are once again recording songs to be submitted in the festival. Already confirmed, Mary Spiteri (1992) recorded three songs whilst Ludwig Galea (2004) has also recorded some songs. During the past two editions, Malta was represented by two singers who had already been to eurovision: Chiara (1998, 2005) and Fabrizio Faniello (2001, 2006). William Mangion (born on August 24, 1958 in Malta) is a Maltese singer, best known for presenting Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest 1993 and placing 8th out of 25 countries with This Time. He is one of Malta's leading vocalist musician.

eurovisionmalta.com

The creator of Corto Maltese

Comics historian Paul Gravett looks at the life and art of Corto Maltese creator Hugo Pratt:

The famous author of The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco said it all: "When I want to relax I read essays by Engels. When I want something more serious, I read Corto Maltese."

Our first sighting of him is through the telescope of the pirate Rasputin. He spies Corto, tied spreadeagled and half-naked to a raft, left to the mercy of the Pacific ocean. Corto is rescued by the Russian rogue, whose crew have also picked up two teenage cousins lost at sea, Cain and Pandora Groovesnore. The Ballad Of The Salt Sea, serialized from 1967 in Italian magazine Sgt Kirk, relates their encounters in the South Seas with pirates, natives, and opposing navies around the time of the outbreak of the First World War. From then on, wherever, whenever, the globetrotting free spirit washes up, Corto Maltese is bound to become a part of history in the making.

It seems Corto was born in 1887 in La Valletta in Malta, which gave him his name (Frank Miller named a country after him in Dark Knight Returns as a tribute). The illegitimate son of a gypsy woman from Seville and a British sailor from Tintagel, his choice of a seafaring life was inevitable. The life of his Italian creator Hugo Pratt was almost as adventurous. Living in a variety of countries, multi-lingual and widely read, he was fascinated by the cultures of the world. Hugo Pratt was also a relative William Pratt, better known as Boris Karloff.

Pratt himself has seen his share of scrapes, at one point in 1964 becoming lost, presumed dead, in the Amazon rainforest until he was rescued by Indian tribesmen. His crisscrossing of the globe was a constant source of ideas for his comics. Other huge influences were Milton Caniff's chiaroscuro or light-and-dark graphic approach on the newspaper adventure strip Terry & The Pirates and Caniff's enthusiasm for research and authenticity. Out of these ingredients Pratt imagined the rugged, enigmatic adventurer Corto, in his cap, earring and bellbottoms, whom he could involve with the real events, places and people of early 20th century history...

More from Wired Temples; Corto Maltese Tribute site; The original version of this article appeared in 2005 in the magazine Comics International.