The travel guide you write

The story of Valletta in the wiki style travel guide World 66:

..Pope Pius V and Philip II of Spain showed interest in the project. They both promised financial aid and the Pope lent the Knights the services of Francesco Laparelli, a military engineer, who drew up the necessary plans for the new city and its defences. Work started in earnest in March 1566 – first on the bastions and, soon after, on the more important buildings. The new city was to be called Valletta in honour of its founder, Grand Master La Vallette.

La Vallette died in 1568, and his successor, Pietro del Monte continued with the work at the same step. By 1571, enough living-room was completed, and the Knights could transfer their quarters from Birgu to their new capital. Architect Laparelli left Malta in 1570. He was replaced by his assistant Gerolamo Cassar, who had spent some months in Rome, where he had observed the new style of buildings in that great city.

Cassar designed and supervised most of the early buildings, including the Sacra Infermeria, St. John’s Church, the Magisterial Palace and the seven Auberges, or Inns of Residence of the Knights. By the time of the 16th century, Valletta had grown to a sizeable city. People from all parts of the island flocked to live within its safe fortifications. Mdina, till then Malta’s capital, lost much of its.

In the ensuing years, the austere mannerist style of Cassar’s structures gave way to the more lavish palaces and churches with graceful facades and rich sculptural motifs. The new city, with its strong bastions and deep moats, became an impregnable bulwark of great strategic importance. The Knights gained the gratitude of Popes and foreign rulers for their achievement. Grand Master La Vallette christened his city The humble city of Valletta.

World War II brought havoc to Malta. Valletta was badly battered by thousands of bombs, but the city withstood the terrible blow and, within a few years, it rose again. During the post-war years, Valletta lost many of its citizens who had moved to more modern houses in other areas. Today, the city has about 9,000 inhabitants. However, Valletta continues to play a major role as a commercial and financial centre, as well as being the capital of the young Republic.

Privatising Maltapost

Malta privatises postal company, from Reuters:

The Maltese government said on Monday it was privatising Maltapost, the Maltese postal company, transferring the majority shareholding to Lombard Bank Malta and floating 40 percent of the shares on the Malta Stock Exchange. Public Investments Minister Austin Gatt said that the bank, which already has a 35 percent stake, will buy a further 25 per cent stake for 2.4 million euros. The remaining government shareholding will then be floated.

Maltapost currently enjoys a monopoly in addressed mail items of under 50 grams and is the biggest operator in the delivery of heavier postal articles. It has post offices all over Malta. Lombard Malta is Malta's third largest bank but accounts for only a tiny fraction of Maltese banking business with just four branch offices. The Maltese banking sector is dominated by HSBC (HSBA.L: Quote, Profile , Research) Malta and Bank of Valletta, but a Portuguese bank, the Banif (BNF.LS: Quote, Profile , Research) group, recently announced plans to involve itself heavily in Maltese retail banking...

'The conscience of Malta'

Oliver Friggieri discusses the state of Malta:

..The real turning point in Malta’s modern history was, to my mind, Napoleon’s plan of transforming the island into a dream of his own. He invaded the island only to update life in Malta, but he underestimated the fact that the tiny local community constituted one unique whole, a nation, however insignificant. I tried to interpret this in Rewwixta. Smallness can also be complete, and in no logical way inferior to any other. It of course means being weak. It is the weakness of countries, which have never been, and most likely will never be, in a position of wreaking havoc on the rest of the planet. That is up to the big ones to do..

..Modern Malta is dualistic. One cannot understand living in Malta, in all the aspects pertaining to individual, social and collective life if not in terms of everything being solely divisible into two. The Napoleonic era seems to have enforced the process of Maltese self-consciousness. At least some of the basic questions on the island’s perennial agenda seem to have been given shape since then. One of these conclusions is perhaps the idea that apart from one’s own, there only remains another idea. Our inalienable bipartisanship, which I believe precedes birth (as Fil-Parlament ma jikbrux fjuri amply shows), is not an end in itself. It is perhaps a subliminal reaction against finiteness, numerical, terrestrial and whatever..

Despite, or perhaps owing to, this duality, Malta is nevertheless a complete entity, a country with an unbroken historical tradition, a land where the present makes sense and can be perceived only in the light of the past, an ever unfolding truth islanders have to live by, embracing change, resisting change. In trying to recount all this through novels, I found it quite intriguing to learn how tradition, modernity, survival, renewal, absorption, adaptation, are somehow varied dimensions of one single reality. Rather than research, it was the effort to translate systematic conclusions into current situations, which made me believe that Malta’s future actually depends upon its past, on its fullest recognition of its past. Destroy the past of Malta, and Malta will disappear, today, tomorrow. I have tried to recall this in Gizimin li qatt ma jiftah..

When I wrote Fil-Parlament ma jikbrux fjuri I used to think that partisanship could be gradually eliminated. It may not be likeable, but it is inevitable. Today it is clearer to conclude that partisanship defines the community as a small and complex country, and the only option is to somehow civilize it, to reorganise it in terms of mutual respect. But, again, I think partisanship precedes birth. Outside partisanship there is nothingness. Most of the words uttered contextually in our language in Malta are loaded; they have a connotation added to their minimal denotation. This also happens with English. It is an added problem to the Church in the field of public communication..

We have basically overcome our congenital sense of inferiority and have discovered we are not alone. You cannot understand Malta without constant reference to the evolution of Europe. Maltese Studies are by definition international, even intercontinental, and cover quite a long span of time. Our historical tradition binds us continually with powers that were greater than us. The Maltese were called barbarians in the Acts of the Apostles, because as men of the sea they could not speak Greek. Malta’s history was written by simple people who remained uncelebrated; they spoke through their stones. We Maltese have built ourselves. In an unobtrusive way we have implemented all the changes that have taken place in Europe, and still retained a full democracy with very little shocks because we have a sense of moderation. Both the MLP and the PN, namely almost all of us, have constantly striven to build a nation State out of a colony, and that is to the credit of all of us. That is why, as I did in Fil-Parlament ma Jikbrux Fjuri, I would again like to propose the choice of a special, casual day to be proclaimed our one and only national one. The official ones, important and divisive, will be the constituent parts of this day. The day of Malta...

Sandals and scandals

Steve and Eileen head off on holiday to Malta together, writes Tony Stewart in The Daily Mirror:

Should you ever wonder what becomes of the broken hearted, then Steve and Eileen have the answer. They buy air tickets for Malta on t’internet for 14 quid (plus taxes), and four hours later set off on an adventure that turns out to be a cross between a Carry On and Confessions Of film. But leave the country they must. For Eileen discovers on Monday that there’s only one thing worse than going out with a ‘married man’. And that’s finding out that Pat isn’t married at all but uses it as a ruse to satisfy a sex drive that has more unbridled power than the car Formula One’s Lewis Hamilton races. So she punches his lights out.

Meanwhile, Steve has to reluctantly accept that girlfriend Michelle may have dumped him. 'When her phone rings,' mum Liz tells him, ‘it says “doormat” on the screen. I know you liked ’er, but wise up. It’s pretty clear she doesn’t feel the same.’ Played by the superb Simon Gregson and the excellent Sue Cleaver, Steve and Eileen are well on their way to being soap’s best comedy couple. But landing in the sunshine of the Med on Wednesday doesn’t stop them bickering like an old married couple. ‘I’m too hot,’ Eileen complains as they tramp the streets looking for somewhere to stay. ‘Oh, and that’s my fault as well, is it?’ Steve snaps. ‘Yer in Malta in August – hello? I’m on holiday with Victor Meldrew here.’

This is a fun frolic in the sun, even if any chances of romance are compromised because they have to sleep in a double bed together in the only room available. That doesn’t stop Eileen flirting outrageously with tour rep Aidan, played by the cheeky chappie of British films, Robin Askwith. ‘Gettin’ the urge to nibble a Malteser, are we?’ Steve teases her. By Friday, they are both enjoying Sex On The Beach – although that’s just what they’re drinking – and Steve is smitten with a dusky young person called Shania, who he serenades at karaoke night...

'Rare offering'

Toni Sant gives his verdict on Pierre Mejlak's Rih Isfel:

I don't usually read fiction. So the fact that I just finished reading Pierre J. Mejlak's Riħ Isfel means that there's more than what's between the covers of this book (masterfully designed by Pierre Portelli, who is also responsible for the image that accompanies my weekly music podcast) that attracts me to it. Now that's the worst thing I could say about my friend Pierre's new book. his is simply because I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.

One other thing I certainly didn't expect was the twist at the end of the story. The plot is constructed in a way that, to me, is just as surprising as that in some of the best thrillers I've come across. Other readers may have a different experience, but at least I can truthfully say that I didn't see the ending coming.

If I'm to be honest about my experience of reading Riħ Isfel, I'd say I could have done without some of the similes he employs in his writing; then again this book is meant for young adults who, we could argue at the risking of a gross generalization, need all the stimulation they can get for their risk-managed imagination. But enough of that, I don't want anyone to think I'm a sourpuss.

All in all I'd wholeheartedly recommend Riħ Isfel to anyone who can read Maltese. If for no other reason, just because it is a rare offering: a highly original carefully thought out piece of writing in the Maltese language. I sure don't have the time to write anything like this, but I'm mighty glad I found the time to read it.

Witty Oldies

Moored in Malta with the wise and witty Oldies, by Miles Kington:

Continuing my account of life aboard the Minerva 2, on a Swan Hellenic cruise, in October, in the year of our Lord 2006.Last Friday I told you a bit about how I had been trapped aboard a cruise liner with fellow Oldie writers such as Mavis Nicholson, Rosie Boycott and Richard Ingrams, and I find from reference to my journal that I spent part of every day at sea gazing at the horizon in search of land, where I might possibly escape to find normal people. "Every morning the captain of the ship, who is 40 years younger than almost all the passengers, strolls around the upper decks so we can ask him questions or ask for his autograph or just mother him..

Our first port of call was the town of Valletta on Malta. My intention here was to slip ashore and get lost in the gay colourful crowds for an hour or two. "Within a minute or two of landing, I am hailed by people I know well. They are Mavis Nicholson, Rosie Boycott and Richard Ingrams, as well as Colin Shindler and Maureen Lipman, who are guest speakers on the ship in their own right and have gravitated to the Oldie gang. This worries me, as I had always imagined writers to be surly lone wolves and not pack animals.

"Apparently, the Swan Hellenic guided walk of Valletta omits the Cathedral of St John, which is the thing most worth seeing in Valletta, so they have all broken away from the official walk and we proceed there. Outside it is as plain as a barracks. Inside it glitters madly with gold, in high baroque style. I have seen discos which were more restrained. The highpoint is the Caravaggio painting of The Execution of St John the Baptist, which we all admire hugely. This is compulsory. It would be criminal to come all this way and not admire it hugely. Everyone else says the composition and lighting are staggering. It reminds me of bloodthirsty Mel Gibson films, but I say nothing.

"On the way back to the ship, Maureen Lipman tells me a very funny joke about Judas Iscariot. The punchline depends on getting Jesus's intonation just right. Later I tell the joke to someone. He doesn't laugh. I think Maureen does a better Jesus than I do." It was at Malta that the most terrible rumour swept the ship. Our next two stops would be in Libya, and under Colonel Gaddafi's rule, no ship in Libyan ports or even in Libyan waters, could serve alcohol, and therefore the bars would all be closed for two days.

My journal records: "With little time left before departure from Malta, passengers have started flocking on shore looking for liquor stores. There is only one liquor store near the port. When it heard that hordes of Swan Hellenic oldies were coming with full wallets, it closed. On his next tour of the ship, Captain comforts weeping passengers and urges them to be brave.

Queen plans 60th anniversary return to Malta

The Queen and Prince Philip plan to celebrate their diamond wedding on a private holiday in Malta, where they enjoyed some of their happiest days as a young couple. From The Daily Telegraph:

..The royal couple will stop off at the island, for what has been described as a second honeymoon, on their way to Uganda for an official Commonwealth trip. Officials at Buckingham Palace would say only that it was a "private stay" at the invitation of the Maltese government. The Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, with Prince Philip in Malta. The Queen has spoken of her ‘deep affection’ for the island..

However, they confirmed that there were no official engagements during the break and that it would take place on the outward journey to East Africa. The Queen, 81, and Prince Philip, 86, are due to arrive at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Uganda on Nov 21. The 60th anniversary of their marriage falls on the previous day. The holiday abroad is unusual for the royal couple who, despite being among the world's greatest travellers for duties of state, rarely take vacations outside Britain.

It is said that they have made an exception because the island holds a special place in their hearts. They lived on Malta in the early days of their marriage when the Prince was on naval service. It is the only place outside Britain that they have lived together as a couple. As a young mother, Princess Elizabeth fulfilled her duties as a Royal Navy wife on Malta in the days before her accession to the throne. The couple spent several periods there between 1949 and 1951 while Prince Philip served on the destroyer Chequers with the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet...It is often thought that their time in Malta was as close as the couple ever got to the life of ordinary citizens...

Twisting roads

Angela and John have left New York to go on a round the world tour. They have posted their diary of their stay in Malta in the RealTravel site:

We decided to stay on Gozo because it is less crowded and less touristy than Malta. When we called to book a room, the lady at the hotel offered to arrange a pick-up from the airport to the hotel. Luckily, we accepted. When we arrived at the airport in Malta and found our driver, we drove for almost an hour clear across the island of Malta to the port city of Cirkewwa. From there, we embarked on a ferry to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the island of Gozo. We arrived at Gozo’s port city of Mgarr and found our second driver, who also had our room keys. He took us on a 20-minute ride to our hotel. It was around 11 pm by the time we made it to our hotel. Had we been left to our own devices, we probably would have arrived at the hotel in the wee hours of the morning and without a room key as the reception closes after 5 pm.

The Maltese currency is the Maltese lira (Lm) and $1 USD only gets you 0.32Lm. Malta is part of the EU and has plans to adopt the Euro in early 2008. Since joining the EU, Malta has seen the arrival of thousands of illegal immigrants from African countries, many from Libya. Driving around Malta, John and I saw a refugee camp—a fenced area with a sea of army green tents erected with people milling about. It was located in a sparsely populated interior portion of Malta and we stumbled upon by chance. There has been a backlash against immigration in Malta, and there have been instances of arson against those who help or support immigrants’ rights..

..The next day we decided to rent a car as it was recommended in the travel book, the public transportation system did not seem very robust, and it was hot as hell. Again, the hotel helped with the arrangements and we were delivered a car with air-conditioning that afternoon. We spent the afternoon exploring Gozo. It is a very unique little island that is riddled with twisting and turning roads. Oftentimes it was hard to tell if we were on the right road or an endless driveway as many of the roads were no more than narrow dirt paths that turned and curved at its whim. Thankfully, there were decent signs directing travelers to various cities. In addition to the condition of the roads, cars are driven on the left side of the road. Given this, John did a great job driving (with my navigational skills) and I thoroughly enjoyed the twisting, turning roads that felt like we were discovering something new at every turn.

Still exploring Gozo, we happened upon a restaurant in the city of Ta’Cenc after passing a sign that said, “You are now entering private property. Hunting is prohibited.” (Apparently, bird hunting is a big pastime (and a problem) in Gozo). The restaurant was perched on a cliff overlooking the bay, had a thatched palm roof and no walls to obstruct the heavenly view. Further enhancing the ambiance was the setting sun and the live musicians playing softly in the background. We dined on shrimp, pasta and tuna as the sun set and the sea rolled below us...On Friday, we set out to explore the island of Malta, which entailed driving to Gozo’s port city of Mgarr...

Escaping arrest

Icelandic captain goes into hiding to escape arrest in Malta, from The Icelandic review:

..One morning in June, Ragnarsson woke up to find about 20 people sitting on the tuna pen he was transporting. He took the people aboard the Eyborg and brought them to Malta, as Fréttabladid reports. The people said they had been on a boat which overturned, and ten of their fellow travelers had drowned. They were from the African countries of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Nigeria.

Authorities in Malta were allegedly not pleased when Ragnarsson brought the stranded Africans to their country. Since their arrival in Malta, the individuals involved have been under Ragnarsson’s care. “He called me in shock, and I’m about to lose it, but I’m still trying to get it confirmed that a warrant was really issued for his arrest,” said Ragnarsson’s wife, Fanný Hjartardóttir, who has not seen her husband since April.

Birgir Sigurjónsson, the owner of the Eyborg, said he had not heard anything except that Ragnarsson had read that he was to be arrested for taking the individuals aboard the ship in a local newspaper. “He is just hiding now and has his phone turned off. I imagine that this must have been some nonsense the journalist cooked up,” Sigurjónsson said, adding he would contact the foreign ministry. “Malta accepted these people freely and I thought the case was closed.” Maltese authorities are apparently increasingly concerned about illegal immigrants who have ties with terrorism. Fréttabladid contacted a senior police officer in Malta, who said he had not heard about the alleged arrest warrant for Ragnarsson.

'The most successful American novelist America doesn't know'

Time magazine profiles Douglas Kennedy, a critically acclaimed American novelist who has a home in Gozo. The Woman in the Fifth is his latest novel:

Since its publication in France in May, Douglas Kennedy's The Woman in the Fifth has sold more than 200,000 copies and dominated best-seller lists. It will enjoy similar success when it appears in a dozen other countries over the next few months. That's an easy prediction to make because a) like the American author's six previous novels, this one is brisk and brainy and b) each of those has sold at least half a million copies.

Just don't look for The Woman in the Fifth here in the U.S.: it does not have a publisher. Kennedy, 52, is an international literary franchise, but he can't get shelf space in the land of his birth. He may be the most successful American novelist America doesn't know. Not that he minds. "Everyone should have my problems," says Kennedy, in the elegant 19th century London house he shares with his wife and their two children. They have other homes in Paris and Berlin and on the Maltese island of Gozo. "I'm published in every English-speaking country in the world except the U.S. I'm translated into 18 languages, including Romanian and Lithuanian. They love me in Vilnius."..

..Then, says Kennedy, came "my 15 minutes of fame." He got successive $1 million advances for his next two books and was heralded as the next John Grisham. But they weren't big hits. "I was 41," he says. "I decided I was going off to write what I wanted." That was The Pursuit of Happiness, a sweeping love story set in postwar New York City. No U.S. publisher would touch it, but it thrived overseas, selling 350,000 copies in the U.K. alone. Kennedy has the gift--or perhaps curse--of transcending genres. His thrillers are romantic, his romances thrilling, and all of them bristle with literary references and big questions about love and life.

Consider The Woman in the Fifth. Harry Ricks, an American academic, loses his job and his marriage over a disastrous fling with a student. He flees to Paris and ends up living and working illegally in a squalid corner of the immigrant-filled 10th arrondissement. He meets a beautiful woman, but she will see him only a few hours a week at her apartment in the tidier fifth arrondissement. Then people who have wronged him start having "accidents," and he begins to suspect that the woman he loves is not what she seems.

The setting is no coincidence. Kennedy's Paris flat is not far from the fifth, he is fluent in French, and last year he was made a chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. His novel tries "to look at Paris in a different way," he says, "through the eyes of immigrants who live there but seldom come in contact with white French natives." Kennedy's next novel returns him to the U.S., to Boston. He's going home only in his imagination, but hey, it's a start.

Review of Pursuit of Happiness

Happy Planet Index

Malta ranked highly in the Happy Planet Index, an index that combines ecological efficiency and human well-being, published by the London based think tank New Economics Foundation. From MaltaMedia News:

Malta ranked seventh, ahead of major European countries such as France, the UK and Germany and was praised for its ongoing initiatives to reduce carbon emissions as well as positive life satisfaction and expectancy. Overall, the country scored almost seven and a half out of a possible ten – nearly one point above average making it the ideal location for travellers hoping to enjoy a green holiday or short-break.

NEF's rating also praised the ongoing work of many of the Scandinavian countries, with Sweden, Norway and Iceland ranking high in the research. The report overall was negative on Europe's environmental record, arguing the continent was far behind in reaching its "desired location" in climate change policy, and significant cuts to emissions were still necessary.

The Happy Planet Index measures the carbon footprint of each country alongside life satisfaction and expectancy, calculating the efficiency with which resources are being distributed to achieve levels of happiness. Malta obtained a score of just under seven and a half out of a possible ten, close to one point above the European average.

The country's carbon footprint of two and a half was the average for European countries, but it achieves a high level of satisfaction and health for the amount of carbon used. According to Nick Marks of the NEF, countries with smaller populations tend to do best in happiness surveys: "Despite being big countries, Sweden and Norway are not so populated and that was another determining factor for their good placing," he said.

Into the club

The euro prepares to take in Malta, from The Economist:

"Ever since the 11th century, when the Arabs were ejected, Malta has looked to the north," says its central-bank governor, Michael Bonello. On July 10th the European Union's smallest member took its biggest step north since its entry three years ago. It received approval from EU finance ministers to join the euro next January, along with Cyprus, taking membership up to 15. "For a trading nation like ours, it is one headache less," says Mr Bonello. Malta does three-quarters of its trade with the EU. Membership of the euro eliminates the cost of swapping into and out of a currency used nowhere but a small Mediterranean island. It will help tourists from the euro area and the growing number of overseas firms drawn by Malta's sunny climate and well-educated, English-speaking workforce.

An even better reason for joining the euro is what Malta had to do to qualify. It is a textbook case of the beneficial effects of meeting the entry criteria. Three years ago, Malta's public debt was almost 75% of GDP and its budget deficit nearly 5%. To qualify for membership, Lawrence Gonzi's centre-right government imposed austerity measures that would have been unthinkable without the lure of euro entry. British colonial rule, which ended in 1964, left the islanders with a large public sector, a generous welfare state and a pervasive jobs-for-life, state-will-provide outlook. Yet in recent years the workforce at the Valletta docks, once the hub of Malta's economy, has been cut by 3,000. The island's loss-making national shipping line has been closed, and its telecoms firm and airport privatised. The government has frozen public employment and wrung from the unions a six-year deal on public-sector wages.

As the opposition Malta Labour Party (MLP) stresses, the government has also had to raise taxes. Alfred Sant, the MLP leader, has been iffy about joining the euro, as he was about the EU, and complains that "they promised the moon and stars. But it has been a hard slog." The ruling Nationalists are five points behind in the polls, and have lost every local election for four years. Yet Mr Gonzi is optimistic that his reforms will bear fruit before he faces re-election: "We are reaping the benefits and I believe people are seeing that." GDP growth in the first quarter was a perky 3.5% (at an annual rate). The government cut the tax burden in its 2007 budget. Unemployment is the lowest in 12 years. Still, it is with a rueful smile that Mr Gonzi quotes his Luxembourg counterpart, Jean-Claude Juncker: “Every finance minister knows what to do. But then no one knows how to win the next election.” Malta's is due next year.

Easier property: Eurozone fuels property purchases

An African view

Writing in Uganda's New Vision, Elisabeth Agiro says Malta is a country of 'no rivers, streams and lakes':

Over the centuries, Malta's strategic position fostered its development as an important trading post and it remains a leading centre for container and freight transshipment. Malta is a popular holiday destination and tourism is the nation's main source of income...There are no rivers, streams or lakes on Malta Island, which has an indented coast on the eastern side with several good natural harbours. Gozo has cliffs and flat-topped hills. Water is obtained from natural ground water resources..

Malta is home to what may be the oldest freestanding structure in the world: the oldest of all the megalithic temples on the islands is il-Ggantija, in Ghawdex dating back to before 3500 BC. One of the very earliest marks of civilisation on the islands is the temple of Hagar Qim, which dates from between 3200 and 2500 BC, stands on a hilltop on the southern edge of the island. Adjacent to Hagar Qim, lies another remarkable temple site, I-Imnajdra. Phoenicians colonised the islands around 700 BC, using them as an outpost from which they expanded sea explorations and trade in the Mediterranean.

Since becoming an EU member, the tiny island has reported an increasing problem with immigration from North Africa and has requested more help to deal with it. The United Nations refugee agency has criticised the island's policy of keeping asylum seekers in detention for 18 months.Lawrence Gonzi took office in March 2004, just before Malta entered the EU. He said Malta should seize the opportunities afforded by membership...

Servicing aircraft

Malta gets big in MRO, from FlightGlobal.com:

Politically, Malta might be a new member of the European Union, but geographically the island is further south than parts of Africa. The convenience of this access point, sited between the two continents as well as within reach of the Middle East, helped drive Lufthansa Technik's decision to establish a joint-venture maintenance operation on Malta in 2003.

Its faith in the potential demand appears to have been justified. Initially set up to perform C-checks on Airbus A320 aircraft, and later Boeing 737s, Lufthansa Technik Malta is to expand into widebody D-check servicing under an extensive investment programme. This entails constructing an entirely new maintenance station - with two widebody and two narrowbody bays - to accommodate all of the company's operations. On 5 July at Luqa, near Malta International Airport, work on the centre formally began.

Although the new complex will cover an area of 27,000m² (291,000ft²), and would be able to handle the ultra-large Airbus A380, Lufthansa Technik Malta chief executive Louis Giordimaina says that the numbers should not detract from the real focus of the facility - to specialise in servicing Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft. There is, he says, a need to ensure that Lufthansa Technik can provide resources within its network to deal with heavy maintenance on the types.

Lufthansa, which has 55 A330 and A340s, will be the single largest customer. But Giordimaina says the venture aims to replicate the 50:50 balance with external customers characteristic of its narrowbody business, whose clients include Alitalia, Eurocypria,Spanair, Travel Service and Windjet."When it comes to the widebodies it will be a similar scenario," he states. "There'll be one line dedicated to Lufthansa and one to third-party customers."

Giordimaina is a former chief engineer of Air Malta, Lufthansa Technik's partner in the company. Air Malta originally had a 49% share but has since allowed the German firm to take the lead on investment, with the result that the carrier's stake has been diluted. With the 55 million ($75.7million) development of the widebody facility, Lufthansa Technik will raise its stake in the Maltese venture to 92%...

Malta according to Edward Debono (3)

In the final part of an interview with Andrew Spooner of the UK Independent, lateral thinker Edward Debono describes Malta's special features:

Even these days, despite my constant travelling and apartment in London, Malta is still my official residence. My house on Malta captures much about the nature of the island. It was built in 1635 by a freed slave woman. Apparently, she was a bit of a racy character and managed to earn enough money to build the house. After she died, the Jesuits occupied the house until they were kicked out of Malta and it fell into private hands and was passed down the line to me.

The island is rightly noted for its great climate – ocean breezes keep it from getting too hot and you never need an overcoat in winter – and an easygoing, friendly population. When I'm on the island the people and sunshine always help me feel immediately relaxed. When I arrive on Malta, I don't make special plans: I just like to go and see friends, hang out and have dinner.

The island is well known for its great seafood and stuffat tal-fenek, a rabbit stew. It's supposed to be made with wild rabbit but there are very few of those on the island. Maltese wine is very good and I love Maltese bread; I think it is the best bread I've eaten anywhere. A tip: it's supposed to be good for freezing.

The landscape of the island, although not spectacular, has its own character and is filled with fields and tough stone walls. There are dramatic, high cliffs and a few decent beaches – the best can be found at Mellieha and Ghajn Tuffieha – but Malta's outstanding feature is its history. All of its sites are in such a small area. You can go from the Stone Age to the Greeks, Romans and onwards to the Knights and the Baroque period in just a few miles.

Stone Age temples were recently discovered at sea, demonstrating that the Mediterranean must have been much lower. Who knows? Maybe Malta was once a sacred mountain?

Malta according to Edward Debono (2)

Edward Debono takes a historical look on Malta and explains why the island is such a unique place for him:

..Another unique aspect of Maltese culture I hold close to my heart are the festas every summer. Each village has its patron saint and marching band, and on the feast day for the saint there are these huge celebrations with fireworks and processions. In some villages, there are two band clubs and they operate in competition with each other to see who can have the most outlandish firework display or feast.

Every weekend, from the end of May until about the beginning of October there are explosions from the fireworks all night. One theory is that the reason the Maltese coped so well with the bombing in the Second World War was that we were already used to all the noise. We also had considerable experience of sieges.

The Great Siege of 1565, when the Ottoman empire attacked the Knights of Malta failed and they were repulsed by a much smaller force. That also led to the building of Valletta by the Knights. I think Walter Scott referred to Valletta as "a city built by gentlemen for gentlemen". The Knights constructed a citadel with huge bastions and ramparts, calling in Italian engineers, I believe.

The Knights were also split into language groups or langues; there were French, Bavarians, Castilians and English-speaking Knights. Each langue also had its own club house where each nationality of Knight could meet. These were grandiose buildings that still exist: some have been transformed into state palaces and museums.

But the crowning glory of Valletta is St John's Cathedral. This is an enormous Baroque building, with inlaid marble floors, extravagant tombs for the Knights and striking ceiling paintings. The Knights became great builders and much of their efforts survive. The Knights' rule lasted for several hundred years but ended in 1798 when they surrendered to Napoleon after he passed through Malta en route to Egypt with his expeditionary force.

He stole lots of stuff from the churches – some of which is still in the Louvre – and moved on, leaving behind his administrators and a garrison. Eventually, the Maltese revolted – the only major resistance to Napoleon by an occupied country in Europe – locked up the French and asked the British for aid. In effect, we were never actually conquered or colonised by the British; we actually invited them in and they installed a good legal and education system...

Malta according to Edward Debono (1)

Malta according to Edward Debono (1)

Lateral thinker Edward Debono takes Andrew Spooner of The UK Independent on 'a journey to the birthplace of the civilised world' and tells him that Malta, with which he maintains a strong bond, is like a giant museum:

..To me, Malta is home. I went to school and university there, qualified as a doctor and left for Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship. My early years were dominated by the Second World War; we used to have up to 10 air raids a night. At one point, my family, like many on Malta, dug our own air raid shelter in the back garden. For us, it was an amazing experience because it turned into something of an archaeological dig because we discovered the burial chamber of a noble Roman lady, complete with jewels and other artefacts.

That tells you much about Malta: you dig and you find history. The whole island is like a giant museum, filled with remnants of ancient cultures, and its history is complex. We were occupied by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Normans, Arabs and the Spanish. Then came the the Knights of Malta who ran the island until the British arrived in the 19th century. It's a long, long history because of our position at the centre of the Mediterranean.

My wartime education was mostly at a boarding school that had to be moved from the often-bombed naval dockyards to the old Arab capital of Mdina. The temporary school we were based at is now a museum attached to a church. Under the school there were air-raid shelters and passages that connected the boys' and girls' schools. I crafted skeleton keys for each interconnecting door. The older boys who wanted to visit the girls were in hock to me and it obviously gave me a lot of power. It's interesting to look back and think of my undiscovered subterranean "tunnel" now becoming part of the history of Mdina.

One thing I didn't realise when I was younger is that Malta is officially the oldest civilisation in the world. Why? Well, the oldest structure in the world is the Ggantija Temple, a substantial Stone Age construction built more than 5,500 years ago on the island of Gozo. "Ggantija" in Maltese means "giant" and the locals called the temple this because they thought only giants could have built it. There are older traces of human activity in the world, such as cave drawings, but a temple signified 10 minutes or so sitting there, absorbing the wisdom of ages.

It is an ancient and very special place. Everyone should travel to Ggantija at least once and spend 10 minutes or so sitting there, absorbing the wisdom of ages. The underground temple of Hypogeum, on the main island, is also astonishing. It was discovered by accident at the beginning of the 20th century by a farmer digging a well. The site is a cavernous structure, with many different parts, including various religious buildings. One of the most interesting features is the "oracle", a giant hole cut into the rock probably about 5,000 years ago.

When a man talks into the hole it reverberates with a powerful echo; when a woman talks into the oracle there isn't any echo. The theory is that it was used to tell when a boy became a man. You can go there now and have a go yourself and apparently it works perfectly. There's even a story that when Margaret Thatcher visited Malta she was taken to the Hypogeum and spoke into the oracle. Everyone stood around waiting expectantly for the echo but it never materialised, "proving" she was a woman...

MaltaDailyPhoto

Dina from Birzebbugia has a photo blog at MaltaDailyPhoto. In this post she follows a parade of the Malta Police Force in Valletta:

Yesterday my daughter and I went on a little adventure, we took a bus ride to Valletta. I say adventure because taking a Maltese bus ride can be an experience one does not forget !! . Anyway we entered Valletta and there they where from the past to the present showing all the gismos and gadgets the had and they have now. I am talking about the Malta police force. I know it is a photo a day but I took so many that I had to show you more than just one and tomorrow if I manage to download from my camera a video clip I took you will also see and hear the Maltese police force band too...

New kids on the Euro block

Malta and Cyprus: New Kids On The Euro Block, Vidya Ram writes in Forbes.com:

Who says hard work doesn’t pay off? The European Union has given the island states of Cyprus and Malta approval to adopt the euro at the start of next year, giving the two governments the space to loosen their fiscal belts following painful efforts to meet stringent EU fiscal targets.

Finance ministers of the 27 members of the EU voted to allow the two countries to join the euro zone on Jan. 1, 2008, raising the number of countries using the currency to 15. The EU also fixed the euro's rate against their current currencies at 0.5853 Cypriot pounds and 0.4293 Maltese lira. The euro is currently trading at $1.3712, up from $1.3626. Of the 10 countries that joined the European Union in May 2004, so far only Slovenia has adopted the euro after reducing inflation to 1.9%, just below the zone’s target of 2.0%..

..In addition to ensuring that they continue to meet EU targets on inflation, budgets and public deficits, which even some of the zone's vetarans, such as Italy, find a challenge, the countries will also have to help the country and its business fully prepare. Key to the success of Slovenia’s move into the euro zone was a concerted public information campaign by the government, and a dual price scheme while the new currency is being phased in. The measures have helped keep price inflation in check, despite widespread public skepticism.

More about the Euro in Malta here

'Show of support'

Patrol vessel P-61 cuts through the waves off the Maltese coast, while overhead a helicopter from the German federal police flies past, writes BBC's Alix Kroeger in his analysis of 'Malta's struggle with migrants':

..But this is not a real border patrol of Malta's territorial waters: instead, it is a show of political support for the tiny island state...On board P-61 are EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini, the director of the EU external border agency Frontex, Ilkka Laitinen, and Maltese Justice Minister Tonio Borg. The patrol goes no further than Valletta harbour. It would take too long, around five hours, to get out to the real patrol zone, and anyway the seas are too rough: it is unlikely any migrants will be risking the crossing today.

Malta has been appealing for help: more ships, helicopters and equipment to increase border patrols. It also wants "burden-sharing": that is, EU countries less exposed by geography taking in a share of the migrants. The patrol around Valletta demonstrates the limitations of EU solidarity. Frontex has just six assets - three Maltese patrol boats, two German helicopters and a launch - to patrol a sea area the size of Britain. Greece and Spain have promised contributions. Italy, Malta's nearest neighbour, has stayed silent. "The point is very clear: Malta cannot patrol alone a very broad area of search and rescue," says Mr Frattini..

..Those who make it to Malta face an uncertain future. They are held in closed detention centres for up to 18 months while their claims are processed. If they are granted refugee status or humanitarian protection, they are released to live in open centres. "(The migrants) get very, very disappointed because this is Europe," says Cristina Zammit of the Jesuit Refugee Service. She is the only professional social worker in the closed detention centres. "For them, going to Europe is a new life, after all those months or even years of fleeing persecution."..

Malta is hamstrung by an EU regulation which says asylum seekers must make their claim in the first EU country they enter. By an accident of geography, Malta receives a disproportionate number. "We are moving towards a crisis if the present trend continues," Mr Borg warns. "It has created some right-wing opinions which before were hidden in the two mainstream parties. Now they have separated from the mainstream and formed their own party."...The backlash is not just political. There were arson attacks last year against church groups and journalists who publicly supported the migrants..

..There have been no attacks for several months now, but no one has been arrested or charged. The editor of Malta Today, Saviour Balzan, was asleep in bed when his home, opposite a police station, was attacked last year. His newspaper had just published an article supportive of the migrants. They put tyres and petrol on the door but his dogs woke him up. "The fact that they had the gall to attack my house in front of a police station shows their intentions are clear," he says.

..There are migrants from as far away as West Africa at Hal-Far, but most come from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan. Most move on as soon as they can. Their aim is to make enough money to get to Italy. Extra border patrols at sea may turn some of them away, but as long as conflict, poverty and, possibly, climate change impel them to move, the migrant flows will continue. The pressure on Malta will only increase.

Blue sea and dark coffee

Lisa and Josh visit Malta at the end of their Mediterranean tour:

..Scandalous this St. John story is -- a biblical soap opera. He let King Herod know that he did not approve of his marriage to Herodias, his very own sister-in-law! Damn! Herodias, she was head-bobbin mad about this, and wanted St. John killed. Her chance came when her daughter Salome's dancing so pleased Herod and aroused such irrational lust in him that he promised her anything she desired. Herodias prompted her daughter to ask for the death of John the Baptist. Herod granted her wish and John was killed.

We spent the rest of the day walking around the cobbled streets of Valetta, the country capital, taking in a few beers, a decent meal and lots of views of the Sea. You can see the Sea from virtually every street corner, and the waters are a pristine blue. We took a ferry out to Comino, the smallest of the Maltese Islands and lounged on a somewhat hidden beach and swam in the warmth of the sea. It was much needed and much relaxing. Later that night we ran into one of the guests at the B&B, Rex, at a pub in the middle of Valetta. He had alerted us to this place at breakfast earlier in the morning. What happened next was surreal.

Over three rather potent pints of Malta's local brew, Josh and I got a quick schooling on English royalty and English history. Josh wanted to hear the historical context of the royal family, whereas I was much more interested in what the Brits thought of William's ex-girlfriend, Kate. He talked and talked and talked and drank and drank and drank. I think we earned 3 semester credits during our 2 hours in the pub. We enjoyed it immensely, and walked back to the bed and breakfast listening to him rail on Tony Blair and Madeline's parents. He was an English Andy Rooney, except he looked like Nigel Tuffnel from Spinal Tap. Today we walked through some other towns in Malta and will fly to London tonight. We'll be staying with Josh's friend for 3 nights and then head to Morocco.

Reinventing Malta

Malta has had a makeover thanks to competition from rival destinations, says James Jackson, author of "Blood Rock", a historical thriller based around the siege of Malta in 1565. From The Daily Telegraph:

One of my abiding memories of holidaying in Malta as a child during the 1960s was the view over Marsamuscetto harbour from the poolside of the Phoenicia hotel. The harbour promenade is lined with restaurants and bars able to mix with the salubrious best Back then, the island was a proud - if forgotten -Mediterranean backwater, a place of barren beauty and prickly-pear, of Catholic churches and old ladies dressed in black, of abandoned wartime gun-emplacements, of occasional polo on the Marsa, of gently inebriated expats.

Travel to this limestone speck, if not exactly frowned upon, was usually enough to provoke a raised eyebrow and the question "Why?" It was a happy and often rejected destination. History moved on, developers moved in, and while that view from the pool of what is now the Méridien Phoenicia remains unblemished, a lot has changed. Not always for the better. From the 1970s, and accelerating through the following decades, the blight of cheap and cheerless apartment blocks spread as cancerously as cut-price flights and nylon-singlet package operators allowed. Even today, head up the east coast towards St Paul's Bay and you begin to pray for a return of the Luftwaffe to raze the ugly concrete sprawl to the ground.

Somehow, the spirit of the island survived, the century changed, and inexpensive air travel ensured the lagered-up and clinically obese could reach every other inch of our threatened planet. Malta was faced with a pressing challenge: to reinvent and rebrand itself or die. It chose the former. Visit Valletta, that baroque gem of a capital perched above one of the greatest natural harbours on earth, today, and you will find a manic pedestrianisation and congestion-charge programme under way. Gone are the tawdry shops and fly-blown cafés; vanished are the derelict wharves and vacant warehouses. In their place is a harbour promenade lined with bars and restaurants able to mix with the salubrious best. There are super-yachts in the marina (Roman Abramovich's vessel has been here) while the rich and famous are snapping up holiday bolt-holes on the neighbouring island of Gozo; international artistes, from Sting and Elton John to José Carreras and Andrea Bocelli, are content to fly in and perform..

..Like anywhere in the Mediterranean, mistakes have been made and the carbuncles and linear developments of former years will take time and effort to expunge. To the south-west is old Malta, with its unspoilt clifftops and dry-stone walls. To the north-east is hideous Malta, with its squalid concrete and featureless sprawl. But as rare and colourful plants may bloom on blitzed and derelict wasteland, so the rock outcrop of Malta is transforming into something more appealing to the sophisticated traveller. For sure, the downmarket will remain - witness The Pub on Archbishop Street, Valletta, in which the late and great Oliver Reed enjoyed his last beverages. Malta has a way to go - but it's getting there quickly.

Corrie Holiday in Malta

The Corrie Blog discusses the forthcoming Malta filming of UK soap opera Coronation Street:

I'm quite looking forward to the upcoming summer Coronation Street storyline set in Malta when Steve and Eileen go on their hols. Not only will Eileen be leered at and leched over by this famous actor in what sounds like a good comedy role, but Steve will fall for a woman who's not all that she seems. Steve will meet a woman called Shania in Malta who is really a man. And actor Antony Berry, who plays Shania, revealed to the official Corrie site about being a Malta teaser. He said that Steve and Shania: "... get drinking in a bar one night and there’s a bit of a spark there, but nothing too explicit. There’s a lot of flirting and harmless banter. They have a few drinks and do some karaoke. It’s all very light hearted but then Shania tells him that things can’t go any further and she tells him the truth.” So it all sounds lightly funny in a frothy sort of way, but...

'Large scale Detention Centre'

Malta turning into 'detention centre', Social Affairs Minister tells EUObserver's Lucia Kubosova:

Maltese authorities say they face an increase in racist sentiment among the country's population, with inflows of illegal immigrants turning the island into a large-scale "detention centre." According to the Maltese government, the island of 400,000 inhabitants and 316 square km - the highest population density in the EU - received 1,800 immigrants last year. With 750 more arrivals this year, the immigrant community now numbers around 3,000.

"We have always prided ourselves on being a very hospitable nation, but unfortunately we have seen the beginning of racism over the past three years or so," Cristina Dolores, the country's family and social affairs minister, told EUobserver. She said the Maltese government is struggling to send a message of tolerance to their citizens but she admitted she herself felt "sympathy" for some of their concerns.

"It is the growing numbers of people in one area that is worrying. In a small country like Malta this leads to fears that there is not enough housing - which is true - or that we don't have enough jobs and that people coming from outside will encroach on something seen as belonging to the locals." "Moreover, most of these people don't want to stay in Malta. They just wait to proceed further in Europe so it is hard for us to do something for them and integrate them in our country."

The Maltese government is angry that it is forced to deal with what it considers an EU-wide problem. "We're being left on our own for far too long. I'm not talking only about funds but resettlement – family reunification," said Mrs Dolores criticising the lack of EU help. Under current EU rules, the country that takes in the migrants has to take care of them and prevent them moving elsewhere in the EU. Mrs Dolores
claims these rules are slowly turning Malta into "a macro closed detention centre where people are being obliged to stay even if they don't want to."..

During his visit to Malta this week, Frattini took part in a regular EU boat patrol around the island which is part of an operation called "Nautilus". He said there is evidence to suggest would-be immigrant smugglers "took note of the announced beginning of the operations [set to last for several weeks] and concentrated their activities towards the end of the missions." The market price for smuggling a person dropped from $1000 to $250 just days before Nautilus kicked off. Preparing for a temporary cessation of their activities the priced dropped to increase customers before activities had to come to a halt. Because of helicopter patrols, smugglers have also changed the colour of boats from red to blue and grey, in a bid to be less easily spotted, Mr Frattini pointed out...

From UPI: Malta becoming more racist

Scopriamo i cuochi Maltesi

Gabriele Zannatta discovers Maltese chefs in Italy's Il Giornale:

A Malta è tutta una questione di ombre. Ci sono quelle, immaginifiche, pennellate dal Caravaggio nella Decollazione del Battista, il dipinto acchiappa-turisti dell'arcipelago. Poi ci sono quelle su cui, specie ora, gli isolani si fiondano per cercar sollievo, automobilisti compresi, che invadono anche il senso di marcia opposto, e se poi fanno il frontale pazienza. Ma soprattutto c'è l'ombra da cui cuochi, vignaioli e artigiani del gusto vogliono sottrarsi per scintillare in Europa (ingresso a gennaio 2008) e far dimenticare quelli che per troppo tempo hanno pensato solo a fast-food o a pappette che non intralciassero le masticazioni degli anziani.

Ecco allora la ritirata progressiva di salse burrose e fish & chips, eredità di quasi due secoli di dominio inglese, a favore di olio d'oliva (importato ma si iniziano a piantare ulivi) e snack della tradizione più autentica comela ftira, pane da guarnire a piacere con patate, acciughe, pomodorini o il pastizzi, pasta sfoglia con ricotta di capra oppure puré di piselli locali. Per non dire di quella serie di dolci che scatenano le stesse acquoline di quando si cammina in un suk: ciambelle al miele qaqqa tal ghasel, kannoli con la kappa e gli imqaret, biscotti di datteri e spezie macinate che fanno gridare allo slurp. Il posto giusto per divorarli è l'aristocratico Caffè Cordina della capitale Valletta, in piazza Regina a un passo dalla cattedrale di San Giovanni: qui la gola è felice, come l'occhio che si posa sugli affreschi di quella che era la tesoreria dei Cavalieri di Malta...

Maritime Policy

BYM Marine and Maritime News reports a speech in Malta by Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg in which he explains the new EU Maritime policy:

A Maritime Policy can ensure that this European leadership in maritime technologies is strengthened, and that all the sea-based energy challenges discussed above are dealt with in a wide policy framework that takes into account the impacts that energy may have on other sectors and vice versa. In delivering a marine and maritime research strategy it will focus research on gaps in our knowledge that can lead to applications of great value to the energy sector in everything from new technologies, improved weather forecasting and impact mitigation.

Increased interaction of stakeholders and authorities should lead to new synergies being discovered, and to the sharing of technologies and best practices. At the same time, improved frameworks for maritime spatial planning, the development of seabed mapping and Integrated Coastal Zone Management will allow for the avoidance or resolution of conflicts with other sectors.

Ladies and Gentlemen, We all agree that the Union should continue in its quest to guarantee secure and stable supplies of energy for Europe. We have in Europe some of the world leaders in energy efficient and energy-intelligent technologies. We must ensure that our policies allow us to make the most of this.

While the consultation period is now formally over, I would like to stress that this is just the beginning of a process that will improve the way that Europeans interact with our seas. It is a process in which stakeholders have already played an enormously important role. I know they will continue to do so.

For this reason, allow me to highlight once again the importance of the guidance provided by the European Parliament and its respective political groups in this process, and the key role they will play in the implementation of the policy after its presentation in October...

The last word

Akli Hadid discusses Malta's adoption of the Euro in CafeBabel:

..Three years later, and the two Mediterranean island nations have quickly adapted to Europe’s economic criteria, with no major setbacks. But they await endorsement from European finance ministers on 10 July, in a meeting which will also fix the final conversion rates for their respective currencies. What exactly is this criteria; will their Eurozone entry impact on the EU’s economy - and do the Maltese and Cypriots get the last word?

In order for states to adopt the Euro, they have to meet the 'Convergence Criteria' - also known as the 'Maastricht Criteria'. Technically, it means that EU member states enter the third stage of the European Economic and Monetary Union to adopt the Euro. There are four main criteria: an inflation rate that should not exceed 1.5% of the three best performing states in the EU, government debt to GDP that must not exceed 60%, stable exchange rates and finally, long-term interest rates that should not exceed the three best performing states by 2%.

There was one requirement that Malta and Cyprus did not meet however - the public deficit rate. Malta’s government debt to GDP ratio is beyond 60%, standing at 66.5% last year, as well as Cyprus who had a ratio of 65.3%. In Cyprus’ case, the ratio is expected to fall at 61.5% this year, and Malta at 65.9%. There are some who are against giving up their old currencies however. Charles Mangion, Malta's Labour party deputy leader for parliamentary affairs, said that the convergence report 'means that there was no progress in the social situation of Maltese families since the year 2000....

Pleas for help

Writing in The Financial Times, Fidelius Schmid in Valetta and Sarah Laitner in Brussels discuss Malta's pleas for help:

..Although only 1,800 immigrants came from Africa last year, the government in Valetta argues that, relative to the country's size and population, this is an enormous number. "It is as if 280,000 people had landed in Germany last year", Mr Gonzi said. Malta is slightly less than twice the size of Washington DC and its population is 400,000. So far this year more than 750 immigrants have arrived, according to the government. More are expected as the summer progresses.

Xenophobia was rising in Malta as a result of the influx, Mr Gonzi warned. "Integrating them [the immigrants] in the community is impossible. It is impossible to provide housing and schooling for them. The pressure on our system is enormous." Valetta lobbied last month for the EU's other 26 members to share the burden but some member states are wary of taking in those who are picked up at sea. Countries such as Germany fear that if they accept illegal immigrants that arrive in Malta or elsewhere it could give others an incentive to make the journey to Malta as a way of getting to northern Europe.

Mr Gonzi said he was confident that Portugal, which took over the EU's rotating presidency on Sunday, would push for an immigration policy that would relieve Malta of some of the burden it felt it had to deal with. "There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for anyone to refuse to provide solutions on a concept we are discussing which is burden-sharing," he told Financial Times Deutschland. "The history of the European Union is about solidarity. This is a particular moment when the EU needs to continue to give life to this value. "This is a massive problem and it is not about Malta – it is about the future of the the European Union."...

Mejlak's 'Rih Isfel'

Jacque Rene' Zammit previews 'Rih Isfel' a new novel by Pierre Mejlak published this Friday by Merlin Books:

You’re hearing it first on J’accuse and trust me I’m honoured by the author’s choice. Pierre mailed me last night to ask me if I could plug his new book that will be hitting the bookstands near you on the 6th of July. How could I say no? The fact that J’accuse would be getting the exclusive first for the announcement was a trivial matter compared to the fact that “Pierre’s first foray into teenage literature” was finally round the corner.

But now I’m in a bit of a twist. What do I really know about the book? I know the title: “Rih Isfel”. It can be very loosely translated as Southerly Wind but involves many more cultural/climatic connotations including humid, sticky weather that is so typical of our summers. From the accompanying poster that Pierre sent me I can tell that we have a teen-thriller on our hands. Where is Jonathan? Has he been kidnapped? The beaming young boy’s face on the poster must be a younger Pierre (though I am guessing here) - and I am quite sure the author does not feature in the story - but apart from that I cannot tell you much about it.

Pierre, the weaver of those lovely web stories we have got used to, is writing it. He’s Gozitan, he’s handsome (that goes with being Gozitan) and he’s mastered the language and storywriting like no one else of his generation. Do you really need to know more? What would be the point of my summarising the rest of the storyline anyway? It’s all there for you to discover. As for the poster. I just love it. Never judge a book by it’s cover they say but in this day and age the packaging is also part and parcel of the deal. I do not remember the name of Trevor Zahra’s latest book but I do recall a corny cover reminescent of Malta book covers in the eighties. In other words, notwithstanding all the respect and admiration I have for Trevor and his works I cannot fathom how they would choose such a cover. Pierre has invested some time in prepping up for the launch. He has to appeal to the teen audience after all.

The poster reminds anyone who has visited Brussels of the hundreds of Missing Children posters that one can see around train stations. Then there is the little trick of word play: (Q)Rajtu? implies two questions in one: Have you seen it? and Have you read it? The phone number to call is actually the launch date of the book… 6th July (in case you forgot). Order your copy now… I am sure you won’t regret it. Tell you what… if you do read the book and you do not like it I’ll buy the copy off you. How’s that for a guarantee?

Rih Isfel on You Tube

'The magic that is Malta'

Former ambassador Michael Bartolo takes a cue from Sarkozy's reflection visit to Malta following the French presidential elections to discuss the global attraction of Malta:

..Whether he chose Malta to make up for the faux pas of originally omitting Malta from the countries to be involved in his Mediterranean strategy (as the French media seemed to imply) or for any other reason, his choice should not have surprised anyone. As I found out while at the United Nations, and later as a representative of Malta to the UN, Malta always fascinated people whenever it was proposed as a host for regional or international meetings, or simply as a venue for some historical meeting like the Bush/Gorbachev encounter.

Malta's magic and the sense of history and mystery it invokes is due primarily to the impact left by its past civilizations and its being in the centre of the clear, blue Mediterranean sought after by many adventurers going back in history, even, as some believe, to the time of Ulysses. I am sure it is also due to its reputation of always contributing to international affairs (as we saw by its contributions to the UN, for example) beyond what is expected of it, considering its size and resources. Malta's weather and the friendliness of its people and certainly its history of democracy and the climate of calm and normally level-headedness, even in times of crisis, adds appeal and charm to the islands of Malta and Gozo. So it should not be surprising when personalities come to Malta to relax and recharge their batteries or for some other reason.

The Bush/Gorbachev historical meeting in Malta some years ago formally marked the end of the dangerous period of the Cold War between the two superpowers, the US and the USSR, that more than once put the rest of the world on the brink of another global confrontation. Malta supplied the venue in spite of one of the most severe storms in recent memory. Delimara bay was calmer and more welcoming to Sarko.

A few years ago when the former President of Ireland, Mrs Mary Robinson, was appointed UN Commissioner of Human Rights she told me that it was a difficult decision for her whether to accept Kofi Annan's offer at the end of her presidency of Ireland. As it is well known, she accepted to become Commissioner of Human Rights, but only after spending a few days "reflecting on the offer" in Malta.

While the mention of Malta abroad elicits curiosity and fascination, and while Malta's international proposals in fora like the UN General Assembly have generally always found support, Malta's magic has not worked so well in one area - namely in the area of nominations and appointments of Maltese candidates to senior international positions...

'Aussie or wog'

'Aussie or a wog, you can't be both': new citizenship laws say you can, writes James Button in The Sydney Morning Herald:

Sandra Desira left Australia with her family when she was eight. Her parents had migrated to Melbourne but changed their minds after they missed their home in Malta. Their daughter grew up in Malta missing Melbourne. One day, she thought, perhaps she would return. However, in 1994, just before Ms Desira's 19th birthday, the Maltese government instructed her employer to sack her unless she renounced her Australian citizenship. Until then she had been Australian by birth and Maltese by descent. But the Maltese law barred adults from holding dual citizenship. If she wanted to keep her job, she could be only Maltese.

Even so, Ms Desira went to the Australian high commission to see if there was a way she could stay Australian. "No, mate, you've got to decide," said the front-desk officer, a Maltese. "You can be an Aussie or a wog, but you can't be both." The news devastated Ms Desira but she had no choice. She signed the form and renounced her Australian citizenship.

Tomorrow, though, when the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 comes into force, Sandra Portelli (her married name) can apply to resume her citizenship, while also staying Maltese. The change is a joy for Ms Portelli, 32, a mint worker who makes bank notes. It is also a triumph for the Southern Cross Group, which represents expatriates and has campaigned since 2000 to allow Australians to be citizens of two countries.

For Ms Portelli, who plans to obtain the necessary forms from the Australian high commission next week, a long battle is ending. At 21 she went back to Melbourne for the first time, on a holiday. "In Australia I'm a different person," she said. "The smell, the food, the people, my childhood memories - I like everything about it." In Malta "I bawl my eyes out", she said, watching documentaries about Australia. While in Melbourne she applied to resume citizenship but after a long fight the Immigration Department refused her application. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal endorsed the decision.

As elated as Ms Portelli is this weekend, her daughter, Jamie Lee, 2, is not eligible to become Australian, since the act does not extend that right to children born outside Australia to parents who have formally renounced their citizenship. Labor has promised to amend this if it wins power. Ms Portelli is looking forward to her next trip to Australia - on an Australian passport...