The Voice of the Maltese No. 264

Issue 264

The Voice of the Maltese (We are for the Greater Malta) December 7, 2021

A fortnightly print and digital magazine

Amazing sunset over Malta’s popular fishing village, Marsaxlokk and the brightly coloured fishing boats (luzzus) Photo: Adrian Warren

2 The Voice of the Maltese

No need to love each other … but we must find ways of living together

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

I

EvaristBartolo

Malta’s Minister for Foreign and European Affairs

n his poem ‘Strange Meeting’ written in 1918, before being killed while fighting in World War I, Wilfred Owen seems to be saying that we live in a cruel and merciless world where forgiveness and recognising each other’s humanity is only possible after we have killed and destroyed each other.

The poem is about reconciliation.

Two soldiers meet up in a dark tunnel which they come to realise is Hell, the first having killed the second in battle.

Enemies in war, the two become reconciled only after death: “I am the enemy you killed, my friend,” the killed tells the killer.

Wilfred Owen took the title of his poem ‘Strange Meeting’ from Shelley’s poem ‘Revolt of Islam’ written a century earlier. Shelley’s poem is against organised religion and religious wars where two sides clash with each other in a war between good and evil with each side believing that God is on their side and that the other side is evil.

Shelley makes the point that good and evil reside within each and every side and within each and every one of us.

History has proved him right over and over again. The worst atrocities are committed in the name of religion and noble political causes.

Does it have to be this way? Should we be dismissed as naïve and believing in fairy tales when we demand that today’s priorities for humanity is to save the planet from global warming and save humanity from pandemics like Covid-19 and we should be spending money on climate action, health, education and fighting poverty instead of spending so much money on armaments and wars?

In his sculptures called ‘United

enemies’ Thomas Schutte puts together two pairs of men, who hate each other and want to get away from each other but cannot as they are bound to one another with rope.

In our small world connectivity has made us each other’s neighbours. We stress our differences and find it very difficult to get on with each other. But like Schutte’s ‘United Enemies we are bound to each other.

However much we hate each other and want to kill each other we have to find ways of living together if we are to save our planet and humanity.

We have serious conflicts and divisions not just between one country and another but also within countries.

Even where military conflicts do not exist, politics have become the continuation of war by other means.

Even religion is used to drive us apart, blinding us to our shared humanity.

If we want to slow down global warming to be able to survive on our planet, if we want to contain global pandemics, if we do not want to destroy the planet and humanity through wars, if we want to use our resources to provide a decent life where every person can live free from want and fear on this planet, we must practise our religions and political beliefs in ways that help us find ways of living together.

Living together in peace

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Q. I am single and have no children of my own. I would like to leave my superannuation benefit to my nephew and niece but I was told that I am not allowed to leave it to them, as they are not dependent on me. What can I do to ensure my superannuation goes to them and not to my siblings?

A. As your nephew and niece are not dependent on you, you cannot nominate them as your beneficiaries on your superannuation account. However you can state in your Will that you wish the proceeds from your superannuation to be paid to your nephew and niece. Superannuation does not form part of your Estate but by nominating the estate as your beneficiary the proceeds from super will go according to your wishes in your Will.

Q. . I am a pensioner and I have some shares that I wish to sell to simplify my affairs. They amount to approximately $40,000 once sold. I wish to give these funds to my children. Will this affect my age pension entitlement?

A. These shares should already be treated as your assets by Centrelink and therefore once sold you should inform Centrelink of this and tell them that you are gifting the proceeds. $10,000 of the $40,000 that is gifted will be deducted from your asset amount while the other $30,000 will continue to be treated as your assets by Centrelink for five years.

However, if Centrelink already know of these shares, then your age pension entitlement should not be affected but could go up slightly as $10,000 of your gift will be deducted of your asset amount.

The Voice of the Maltese 3

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his is a monthly service offered by The Voice of the Maltese in which Marie Louise Muscat from the Fiducian Financial Services helps our readers understand the complexities associated with financial planning. If you need more advice send an email to Marie Louise via: maltesevoice@gmail.com.

Q. I will be turning 67 in February 2022. I am planning to retire in December this year and want to ensure that my financial affairs are up-to-date. I have a large amount of money sitting in bank accounts. I wish to invest as much as I can in superannuation prior to retiring.

Can you please inform me of the amount that I can invest in super and what amount am I allowed to have in super once retired?

Q&A

A. While under 67 one could make a maximum non-concessional contribution of up to $330,000 by using the bring forward cap and then make no further contributions for three years. One could also make concessional contributions that include salary sacrifice as well as employer contributions of up to $27,500 p.a.

Once you retire you have the option of commencing an account-based pension with the funds in super in order to generate tax-free income in retirement.

Currently the limit on account based pensions is $1,700,000. If the balance of your superannuation is more than $1.7 million then the remaining amount will be left in superannuation in accumulation.

Q. My wife is in an aged care facility, as I cannot look after her myself. We paid a refundable accommodation deposit of $450,000. If she predeceases me this money will be paid to her estate and I am her sole beneficiary. This will make me lose my pension entitlement.

Can this sum of money be paid to our two children?

A. If your wife does not have dementia, she could alter her Will to state that the proceeds from the refundable accommodation deposit is to be left to your children.

In this way you will not be gifting the money but she will. You will be protecting your pension, but you need to make sure that in future you will not be needing these funds as it would be hard to ask your children to gift them back to you.

Q. I am a widow and have lost my only son two years ago. I wish to leave all my assets to charity. Will my siblings be able to contest the Will if I do this?

A. They probably could contest your Will, but it does not mean that they will win.

However, in order to avoid having your Will contested you could consider leaving them a small amount of money each. I would recommend you discuss this with your solicitor who is in a better position to advise you on this matter.

This document contains factual information only and is not intended to provide any recommendation or opinion in relation to the topic/s discussed.

Fiducian recommends that you seek advice from a professional to address any issues that may be raised by this article.

Fiducian accepts no liability for any loss suffered by anyone who has acted on any information in this document

4 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

My home village of Tarxien is a locality bursting with interesting spots and fascinating buildings. A walk through its streets will definitely be the focus of one of my articles in the near future. This time, however, I would like to take our readers back in time to prehistory, to learn more about a site of international significance:

The Neolithic Temples in Tarxien The central temple

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he Tarxien Neolithic Temples is a UNESCO World Heritage site with parts of it dating as far back as c.

3,800BC. A reVeronicaBARBARA cent project has seen the construction of a tent to cover the remains and protect them from the elements along with an elevated footpath that allows the appreciation of the site from different viewpoints.

Apse entrance, central temple

Until the beginning of the 20th century the site was hidden beneath a group of fields. It was discovered after workers complained about stones jutting out of the soil and hindering their farming activities.

It is a complex of four structures in the same layout seen in other similar prehistoric sites located around the Maltese Islands. In fact, one notices a series of characteristics that are common to all Maltese ‘temple’ structures, although the Tarxien site exhibits some intriguing modifications.

The most striking similarity between all temples is the plan of each structure, composed of round apses. The oldest structure at Tarxien, of which very little survives,

has a 5-apse plan. Later temples had the fifth apse suppressed into a niche to produce the so-called 4-apse temple.

The Tarxien site also presents a structure with a unique temple plan with six apses, which has intrigued researchers since its discovery.

Like many other ‘temple’ sites, the complex at Tarxien can boast various types of interior decoration, but, once again, this particular site seems to excel the others in animal carvings, spirals, as well as a colossal statue of what is often considered a representation of a fertility deity.

A decorated altar has also provided invaluable insights into what used to happen inside the temples, when a knife and charred animal bones where discovered inside it. Evidence of animal sacrifice has often been cited as part of local prehistoric rituals and this discovery supports such a theory.

We have always considered these structures as sacred sites due to the extensive effort in constructing them as well as by association of the kind of artefacts found within their walls, artefacts that are not associated with a domestic context.

And yet, recent reinterpretation leads us to believe that these buildings actually had a broader use, perhaps more akin to municipal or community centres, involved in the production and distribution of food, as well as providing spaces for the gathering of the community, not necessarily for religious purposes. *Continued on page 5

The Nolithic Temples in Tarxien

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

*Continued from page 4

This interesting suggestion opens up a myriad of possibilities and confirms that the society we are concerned with was very complex. There was definitely a hierarchical system composed of groups of people who took care of different tasks.

The construction of the buildings was a taxing job so we cannot help but believe that the construction workers where fo-

First eastern apse, South Temple

The Voice of the Maltese 5

cused solely on this task, leaving agricultural activities to another group of people.

The discovery of temple models also suggests the existence of some sort of architects while the hierarchical access theory, with spaces within the ‘temples’ seemingly not fully accessible to everyone, indicates some sort of religious administration that might have controlled much of the life of the community at the time.

A particular façade model discovered here also indicates that at least one of these temples had a second floor, a suggestion supported by the discovery of a flight of stairs in another part of the complex.

Parts of the site were also used by later communities in the Bronze Age, as well as during the Roman period, indicating that the locality of Tarxien was always recognised as an ideal place for a community to settle in. Archaeological monitoring carried out during private works is constantly uncovering new material, mostly funerary contexts.

This new material is adding more to our understanding of the early phases of the communities who inhabited this part of the island, allowing use to piece together the jigsaw puzzle of our interesting past.

Visiting information may be accessed through Heritage Malta website: https://heritagemalta.org/tarxien-temples/

Nirrispettaw iċ-ċokon u l-isbuħija tal-Gżejjer Maltin nteressati ħafna l-kitba fl-aħħar ħarġa Gżejjer tagħna kif kienu 50 sena ilu!

Festi Pubbliċi.

I“The(Nru 263) ta’ The Voice taġt it-titlu: Ħsieb ieħor hu dan: bosta jsemmu żMhux biss qed tinsteraq u tonqos l-art gems in Tower Road that made way żieda fil-popolazzjoni bħala r-raġuni għammiela, imma issa qed niġu miċħudin

for clusters of high-rise blocks of flats.”

Hija kitba li ġagħlitni naħseb mhux ftit.

Min jaf kemm għad hawn emigranti Maltin u Għawdxin li ilhom ma jersqu ’l hawn u għadhom bl-idea romantika tal-

għaliex żdied daqstant il-bini hawn Malta.

Jiena nistaqsi, bħalissa, fl-2021, kemm hawn djar u appartamenti vojta? Vojta jew għax min kien jgħix fihom m’għadux magħna, għax ma jistgħux jinbiegħu minħabba l-prezzijiet għoljin, jew għax għadhom ma tlestewx kompletament.

Naf li sa ftit tas-snin ilu diġà kien hawn eluf ta’ djar u appartamenti vojta, aħseb u ara llum li l-bini żdied drastikament.

Mistoqsijiet oħra li spiss nistaqsi huma dawn: X’jiġri jekk qatt dan il-bini kollu jimtela bin-nies, u kemm tikber il-popolazzjoni f’dawn il-Gżejjer ċkejknin tagħna? Xi tkun is-sitwazzjoni tat-traffiku jew tal-iġjene pubblika barra fit-toroq?

Argument ieħor huwa dak tal-iżvilupp kontinwu li qed joħloq problemi mhux biss f’Tas-Sliema imma f’bosta lokalitajiet Maltin u Għawdxin. L-istorbju sa minn kmieni filgħodu, it-trabijiet u d-diżordni fit-toroq ma jonqsux, inklużi Ħdud u

anki mis-sema, mid-dawl tax-xemx, millispazji miftuħa, mill-arja nadifa, u bil-mod il-mod se nispiċċaw ikollna nħallsu biex naraw il-baħar ladarba l-bini high-rise qed jogħla tant li f’ċerti postijiet qed jgħattuh ukoll. Tgħid qed nesaġera? Ejjew u taraw.

Punt ieħor hu dan: b’xi mod dawn il-mijiet ta’ blokkijiet tal-konkrit kollha bl-istess għamla qed jinfluwenzaw anki l-umanità tagħna: hemm fostna li saru inqas paċenzjużi, tilfu kull rażan fuq ilmod kif jitkellmu meta ma jaqblux ma’ ta’ madwarhom, saru jridu jieħdu tagħhom anki meta qed jiksru regoli – bħal dawk tat-traffiku – bażiċi.

Bosta qed iħossu dejjem iktar il-bżonn ta’ spazji miftuħin, spazji ħodor, fejn jistgħu jistrieħu fiżikament u mentalment. U dan iktar u iktar meta ħafna qed jgħixu ġo appartamenti gabubi u mdallma, ghettos moderni, minkejja l-prezzijiet li jkunu ħallsu għalihom.

Mill-bini qed indaħħlu ħafna introjtu.

Imma min qed igawdi l-iktar minn dħul bħal dan? U huwa veru li jekk jieqaf il-bini mmutu bil-ġuħ? Ma nistgħux naħsbu f’xogħlijiet alternattivi li jipprovdu l-ħobża ta’ kuljum lil min bħalissa hu involut f’attività bħal din? Biss biss l-attività ta’ manutenzjoni fuq il-bini li diġà hawn żgur li qatt mhi se tieqaf!

Nieqaf hawn. Ħajr tal-attenzjoni.

PatrickSAMMUT

The three cities of Malta

6 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

(part 1 of 2 )

A map of the three cities

he ‘Three Cities’ of Malta are known collectively as Cottonera’.

They are close neighbours located in the Grand Harbour area in the southern part of the Island. Individually they are called Vittoriosa (aka Birgu), Cospicua (aka Bormla) and Senglea (aka L-Isla).

The three cities are pieces of living history kept alive by hundreds of years of preservation, and the occasional miracle.

The fortified cities sit like a trio of villages in the heart of Malta's historic centre, directly across the Grand Harbour from Valletta.

And yet they are as fierce rivals as ever they can be, in football, in the boat races, particularly when competing in the 8th September Regatta and in the celebration of the festas of their respective Patron Saint.

Though living in Cospicua for over 40 years throughout his marriage life to my mother, my father remained steadfastly faithful to his native city of Vittoriosa. I remember him whistling or playing his mouth organ the marching tunes on the city’s feast day On the day of the feast of St. Lawrence my father would sometimes take me and my brother to Vittoriosa and, as the statue came close, he would instruct us to applaud as hard as we could promising to buy us an ice cream afterwards. And we, little as we were, would clap until our palms turned red!

Vittoriosa, the oldest of the Three Cities, was the location chosen by the Order of St. John to set up their headquarters when they arrived in Malta in 1530. They built high fortifications to defend themselves and the Maltese from the Saracens who were always threatening to annihilate them once and for all.

The Order also built several fine buildings in this City including the auberges, the palace of the infamous Inquisition and others, all of which are craftsmanship in stone that today attract the tourists and Maltese visitors interested in history.

Birgu is well known for its vital role in the famous Great Siege of 1565 when, to the joy and relief of Christian Europe the Knights of the Order of St. John, aided by the Maltese, finally repulsed the Ottoman invasion. After surviving the Great Siege, the Order dubbed Birgu La Citta Vittoriosa – the Victorious City This small city, with its quant narrow

LA IS L-

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JosephLANZON

BIRG U

BORMLA

winding streets and lanes, has developed a very long history with maritime, mercantile and military activities. In fact a marine museum is located there. The 16th century Fort St. Angelo, which was the scene of so many battles during the Siege, has been restored and is now open to visitors.

The fortified cities across Valletta’s Grand Harbour are a living history

The feast of its Patron Saint – St. Lawrence – is celebrated there on the 10th of August. The nickname of the residents of Vittoriosa is ‘Ġirbin’ derived from the very name of the city itself, Birgu.

Cospicua is the largest of the Three Cities. It is also the youngest. Its inlet of sea was taken over by the British to build a dock to repair their warships. It was to no avail that the residents protested incessantly because this inlet was the Cospicuans’ only access to the sea and therefore deprived them of most of their lively hoods.

It is for this reason that the residents of this city are nicknamed ‘Ta Baħarhom’ in order to mock them that they no longer had direct access to the sea.

When the British left Malta and the dock was no longer in use, the Maltese Govern-

ment turned it into a beautiful relaxing area that is popular with people from all over the Island.

The story goes that large marble slabs from the ruins of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – the Temple of Haricarnussis in Turkey – were used to form the floor of the dock.

The slabs were brought to Malta by a British merchant ship that had been sent by the British Museum in London to bring artifacts from the historical temple to exhibit them in the British Museum, stopped at Malta. When the Dockyard Admiral discovered what the cargo was, he impounded the ship, took over the marble slabs and used them to tile the floor of the new dock.

The city’s name in Maltese, Bormla, is derived from the world ‘Burmula’ which means ‘the well of the Lord’. It was inhabited since Neolithic times. Its maritime facilities started during ancient times, during the Phoenician era, about 600 BC. Cospicua’s football team St. George’s is one of the first to be formed in Malta. It was established in 1890 by the British soldiers stationed at Verdala Barracks.

Local children used to assist the soldiers by to retrieving their footballs during match practice. The children also used to watch them play with great interest and in return, the soldiers decided to coach them so they too could play game and participate in the world’s most popular sport. (*continued on page 7)

The Voice of the Maltese 7

Hello… hello… we have no connection!

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

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oving to a new subdivision in this modern era and then discovering that your phone reception is archaic is no joke. The people living in The Ponds, a suburb some 45 km from the BD, one of the fastest-growing metropolitan suburbs of Sydney are unable to communicate with the outside world due to very bad telephone reception that has hunted them since the suburb’s inception 15 years ago. There are many persons of Maltese descent living in these areas.

Tonia Borg-Bonello was born in Australia and with husband Charlie, and two

children, Ellena and Jacob have been living in the Ponds for five Years. Tonia’s father is from Birkirkara and her mother from Qormi.

Tonia told The Voice that she often sees her neighbour out in the front yard of his house to make a telephone call because there is no reception inside. “My son can only call on FaceTime. It’s the only way to have a conversation with him. He does not receive texts. NBN is also unreliable which adds to the frustration.”

The Federal Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowland told us that about 400 residents wrote to her to highlight the issue.

Through her intervention improved, and connectivity is insight.

The state’s top mobile carriers have all confirmed that the region had poor coverage promoting the Blacktown

Council to lodge three applications for new mobile tower infrastructure to be approved with the Office of Local Government.

It is a nuisance that the Government keeps releasing housing land but Michelle Rowland MP doesn’t invest in appropriate infrastructure. The department of planning, infrastructure, and environment said they expected the right infrastructure to be in place before selling plots for the communities. It is also the responsibility of the land developers to make sure telecommunication infrastructure is in place as part of their subdivision conditions.

The Voice contacted other Maltese residents living in the nearby suburb of Stanhope Gardens. They said they are not experiencing any communication difficulties.

t The Borg-Bonello family from left): Charlie, son Jacob (back), and Tonia and daughter Ellena (front)

The three cities of Malta

*Continued from page 6 The Verdala Barracks in Cospicua that previously hosted the British soldiers, were later used as a prison for German officials captured during World War I. Among them was Karl Doenitz then the Commander of a submarine. He was a loner and even disliked by his own fellow officials.

During the last days of World War II, in May 1945, after the death of Adolf Hitler, Doenitz, then a German admiral, briefly succeeded Hitler as head of state. He held the position until the dissolution of the Flensburg Government following Germany's unconditional surrender to the Allies days later. He signed the Surrender Document on behalf of the German people.

Bormla’s Patron Saint is The Immaculate Conception, better known among the Maltese as ‘Il-Kunċizzjoni’. It’ is celebrated with pomp on the 8h of December. It is very popular especially with the Bormliżi who had left their city during the war to find refuge in the north of the Island and stayed there. For them the feast was/is an opportunity for them to return to their roots.

My family lived in a 400-yearold building in a street named after a Knight of the Order by the name of ‘Buongiorno’ who live there. Funnily enough, the British renamed it ‘Good Day Street’ even though a surname cannot be translated literally. The British authorities did not care much about the historical connection, which they wiped out by the renaming of the street.

There are two narrow streets in Cospicua with a significant historical British connection. They are, Nelson Street named after Lord Horatio Nelson the Admiral of the British fleet whose flagship, HMS Victory, berthed in Cospicua’s waterfront in 1799, and Alexander Street named after Captain Alexander Ball who took up house in this street before going to Valletta to become the island’s first British Governor.

A magnificent and imposing mausoleum of Sir Alexander Ball is prominently located in Lower Barracca Gardens in Valletta overlooking the Three Cities.

Nazi Commander Karl Doenitz. He was a World War II prisoner at the Verdala Barracks

Have your say/Xi trid tghid?

8 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Your letters/ L-ittri tagħkom ...

Direzzjoni tajba: Apprezzament

The Voice of the Maltese

Print zine Print & & Digital Digital magazine maga magazine

is is a bi-lingual (in English and Maltese) fortnightly magazine that specifically targets all Maltese living abroad with emphasis on the Australian and Maltese scenes. e magazine can be read in flipbook or PDF format online. A pdf copy is sent via email on request.

Hard copy subscription is also available at a cost.

Editors: Malta: Joseph Cutajar Australia: Lawrence Dimech: MOM, OAM, JP Rt email address: maltesevoice@gmail.com Letters for publication in The Voice magazine, either in Maltese or English should include name, e-mail address and residence of the writer, and be emailed to: maltesevoice@gmail.com.

Now you can also join us on facebook: https://www.facebook. com/groups/thevoiceofthemaltese

– ittakiljati sitwazzjnijiet kurrenti

Norman D’Agostini minn Sans Souci NSW jikteb:

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emm se ndumu niffangaw fid-drawwiet antiki, storja li nirripetuha kull xahar meta l-komunitajiet tagħna jinħtieġu informazzjoni u gwida għall-ħajja ta’ kuljum?

Napprezza lilkom ta’ The Voice li tittakiljaw sitwazzjonijiet kurrenti bħar-radju bil-Malti, l-ewtanasja, l-abbort, il-lingwa, il-COVID, lAustralia Hall u l-ikbar problema li għandha fil-komunitá Maltija fl-Awstralja, jigifieri komunitá li xjaħet u tinħtieġ ferm iktar għajnuna.

L-avviżi mhux dejjem jinteressawni. Imma jidher li anke l-komunitá kummerċjali fl-Awstralja taf sewwa min hu l-aqwa biex iwassal

il-messaġġ. Dan hu plus ieħor għalikom għax in-negozjanti u l-politiċi jafu sewwa kif għandhom jilħqu lill-komunitá tagħna.

A despicable lie

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L.A.S. from Shellharbour NSW writes:

hank you for your article about Facebook (VOM Nov 23). I write this with a heavy heart. I have noticed absolute rubbish emanating from the Wollongong area.

The latest furphy was about The Maltese Herald. This iconic newspaper stopped publication on April 30, 2013. In total desperation, they tried to compare it and even suggest continuity with a cut & past newsletter, not even a newspaper.

The Maltese Herald served us so well for 53 years. When such a despicable lie has been perpetrated, the mind and the motive behind it must be seriously questioned.

The Voice is helping us stay in touch with Malta’s heritage Another interesting Marilyn Myer from the UK Writes: issue of The Voice razzi ħafna for The Voice of the Mal-

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tese magazine’s efforts in keeping many Maltese in touch with their heritage.

I loved visiting Malta and feel very privileged to have been able to visit.

When I visited Malta with my husband John in 2012 I was overwhelmed with emotion that I felt connected with Malta.

The beauty of the Island and how enriched in history Malta actually is. The Mediterranean is so blue.

I was born here. I loved being in Malta and hearing some people speak Malti. I have family in Malta.

I feel that over time the language and the customs will be lost, something that I hope does not occur.

Doris Cannataci from Rabat, Malta writes:

State Member for Prospect

Mario Calleja, mill-Imsida, Malta jikteb:

Dr Hugh McDermott MP For issues concerning:

Ageing and disability - community services -education - environment - health - housing - planning - Police - transport - water

P: (02) 9756 4766 E: prospect@parliament.nsw.gov.au

2/679 The Horsley Dr, Smithfield NSW 2164

hanks for the last issue of The Voice. I do agree with your article about Facebook.

I only use it out of necessity.

Many a time, I see it is a waste of time, and as you said, certain people use it to air their views and not always correctly.

The front page on Issue No. 262 is striking.

The image is beautiful, artistic and conveys a message in more ways than one..

Page 6, entitled ‘The gems in Tower Road that made way for clusters of high-rise blocks of flats’ touched one of my sore cords. This is how my children and I know Tower Road, Sliema. My grandchildren can only see it in photos.

Qerq bil-Facebook

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aqbel kompletament ma’ li qal Joseph Cutajar fl-artiklu dwar il-Facebook (The Voice of the Maltese Nru 263), jiġifieri li għalkemm din il-midja hija invezjoni tajba, hemm ħafna nies li jużawha ħażin.

Ma ninkwetax li tintuża biex wieħed jippumpja lilu infushom, imma nikkundanna lil min jużah biex jgħajjar lil ħaddieħor, xi drabi billi jinħeba taħt xi isem fittizju, ikella li jieħu gost jitfa’ ‘aħbarijiet’ foloz.

Ma dawn jien inżid ukoll lil f’kummenti fi tmiem xi artiklu fil-gazzetti jagħmluha ta’ xi esperti f’kollox u jitħallew mill-edituri jużaw lingwaġġ ġieli pastaż idejjqu lill-qarrejja.

The Voice of the Maltese 9

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

FMLS receives govt. grant offered study units by University of Malta Maltese Language Schools in Australia

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he Federation of Maltese Language Schools (FMLS) in Australia has just received a grant of €10,220 from the Maltese Education Department, and been offered two study units by the University of Malta for those who wish to Study the Maltese Language and need to communicate Maltese in their study and prospective work environment.

With regard to the grant, the federation said it was long awaited as the last one received from the Maltese Government was in 2015. This latest one has replenished the federation’s depleting funds that have been used every year mainly to subside schools costs and incentive scholarships to HSC/VCE students.

The FMLS said that this latest grant was obtained to be used as a subsidy for purchasing teaching resources from Malta, teacher stipend, website development, room hire, printing, stationery, and public liability, heating/cooling, and other overheads to maintain and improve class attendance.

The Federation has expressed its thanks especially to H.E. the Maltese High Commissioner for Malta in Australia, Mr Mario Farrugia Borg who, it said, has supported and assisted it and expedited the granting and receipt of the grant.

FMLS reports increase in junior and adult levels class attendances The Federation of Maltese Language Schools Inc. that was established in Canberra in 2008, recently held its annual general meeting, virtually durng which, representatives from its affiliated schools took part. No elections were due this year.

During the meeting schools tabled their reports and it was heartening to notice that the class attendances in the junior and adult levels are increasing . However, attendance in years 7-12 has dramatically decreased.

Edwidge Borg from Victoria has been leading the FMLS as President for the last nine years, while Patricia Grech from Queensland is the Secretary. Veteran Alfred Flask from ACT is serving as Treasurer.

The Federation’s Teacher Scholarship Subsidy Grant being offered to teachers who enrol and attend the online Maltese for Foreigners classes being offered by University of Malta.

A detailed application form is to be made available shortly. It is proposed that these grants will be offered only to FMLS financial affiliated schools and limited in numbers to not more than three teachers from major schools, and one teacher from small schools.

Classes in Malta offered by the University of Malta

The FMLS has published information about the study units offered by the University of Malta. The study-unit EPE2013 - It-Taħdit u

l-Kitba bil-Malti bħala Lingwa Barranija 1(Speaking and Writing in Maltese as a Foreign Language 1) Elementary Level A1 costs €45 (10 lessons equiv. €4.5 per lesson), and EPE2015 - It-Taħdit u l-Kitba bil-Malti bħala Lingwa Barranija 2 - (Speaking and Writing in Maltese as a Foreign Language 2) Pre-Intermediate Level A2- costs €90 (14 lessons equiv. €6.4 per lesson).

The classes will be held on Friday evenings around 7.00 pm (AEDT- Australian EDT). Those wishing to further their studies, students who join in February for EPE 2013 can enrol for EPE 2015 later in May. The FMLS encourages teachers and aides to enrol in at least one of the courses. If an applicant follows and successfully completes a fee-paying visiting study unit, s/he will be issued a detailed transcript free of charge.

The transcript is an official academic record printed on University headed paper and signed by the University's Ass/Registrar. The Zoom online lectures will be recorded so tudents may revise and practise. Unless otherwise indicated, the online application facility may remain open up to 31st January 2022.

Course descriptions can be found on: https://www.um.edu.mt/educ/study/visitingstudents Apply using this link as a New User: https://esims.um.edu.mt/esims/sits.urd/run/si w_ipp_lgn.login?process=siw_ipp_app&co de2=0007&co de1=VISEDU.

VCE/HSC The FMLS was highly involved in meetings with the Australian Education department to try and save the VCE/HSC. The MCCV and the MCC NSW as well as several organisations wrote several letters of support.

Unfortunately, the number of students wanting to undertake this exam fell short of the requirements. Therefore, from 2021 Maltese is not offered at Year 11. This is the last Year 12 enrolments and Year 12 examination for Maltese. One student from NSW applied for the HSC Maltese Language exam. Information received indicates that this student did not even sit for the exam.

In 2022 Maltese will not be available as a VCE/HSC study.

Students will not be able to repeat Maltese Year 12. Unfortunately, this makes the University of Malta transcript as the only academic qualification now available for students studying the Maltese Language in Australia.

Promotional video Meanwhile, Dr Ken Cruikshank Director of the Sydney Institute for Community

Language Education, who was the guest speaker at the recent FMLS AGM, stated that the University was ready to provide some promotional video for the Maltese language, similar to the one produced for the Turkish language.

A sample of one of the videos can be viewed on: https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Yg_8waaIrnA&t=1s Turkish language for older students.

The Sydney Institute for Community Language Education has the funds to produce these videos for the Maltese Community Schools and all that is needed is for the schools to provide students willing to participate in the making of these videos, with no cost to the FMLS. Sterling Service It has been announced that Maria de Carlo has retired as teacher and co-ordinator of the Maltese Language School of NSW. However, her interest in Maltese language teaching is still strong. She has been supporting the current administration and teachers quietly in the background throughout the years.

Maria had been teaching and coordinating the class for over 20 years and her active professional involvement in both the MLS of NSW and her support to the FMLS will be sorely missed.

At the end of this scholastic year Charles Galea, who is a founding member of the FMLS, is officially retiring from teaching.

He held the office of President of Akkademja Maltija ta’ NSW Inc., from 2007 2019, and has been an invaluable mentor and inspiration to many teachers, students, and families, ensuring their success and encouraging their full potential.

Teaching Maltese for over 20 years with the Saturday School of Community Languages is a testament to his steadfastness.

The FMLS can be contacted via the Secretary, FMLS INC. Email: patgrech@bigpond.com and cc to: The President: edwidgeborg@hotmail.com

Edwige Borg, president of FMLS for the past nine years (left) and Maria De Carlo

10 The Voice of the Maltese

Perspettiva

Suwiċidju 2

H

awn jien, erġajt qed nikteb dwar dan is-suġġett ta’ dieqa.

Kien hemm żewġ żviluppi riċenti f’dan il-qasam li wassluni naħseb dwar il-prinċipji involuti, u għaliex nieħu pożizzjoni mod f’wieħed u pożizzjoni opposta fl-ieħor.

L-ewwel żvilupp seħħ fl-Awstralja, fejn l-istat ta’ New South Wales għadu kif irrefera liġi dwar il-mewt volontarju assistit (voluntary assisted dying) lejn il-Kunsill Leġislattiv, il-kamra superjuri tal-parlament.1 Jekk din il-liġi tgħaddi, NSW tissieħeb ma’ Victoria li għaddiet liġi simili fl-2019 u Western Australia li għamlet l-istess f’Lulju ta’ din is-sena 2021.

Din il-liġi hija maħsuba għal persuni li għandhom xi marda li hija terminali u li tikkawżalhom tbatija li ma tistax tiġi mrażżna b’mod tollerabbli għalihom. Id-deċiżjoni tkun ta’ dik il-persuna li b’mod volontarju titlob ripetutament għal għajnuna medika sabiex ittemm ħajjitha.

Din it-talba tiġi mgħarbla fl-aħħar minn tal-inqas żewġ tobba li jkunu kwalifikati f’dan il-qasam qabel ma tista’ tkun aċċettata, bil-pazjent ikun jista’ jirtira t-talba sal-aħħar mument.

Dan il-proċess inqisu wieħed ta’ rispett lejn l-individwu, li qiegħed jgħix u jbati b’marda terminali, u li x-xewqat tiegħu jitqiesu iktar importanti mill-veduti morali ta’ dawk ta’ madwaru.

Jien ukoll ngħid li x-xewqat ta’ dan l-individwu huma iktar importanti minn tiegħi. Qed nitkellmu dwar ħajtu, mhux tiegħi.

It-tieni żvilupp kien inċident li seħh f’Malta f’Novembru ta’ din is-sena, fejn persuna raġel ġie nnutat fuq is-swar tal-Belt, qiegħed hemm bl-intenzjoni ċara li jaqbeż għal isfel u jtemm ħajtu.

Li kien tat-twerriċ għalija kien filmat li juri lil xi nies li nġabru jaraw x’kien għaddej u jittrattaw is-sitwazzjoni bħala xi spettaklu, u li kienu qed jipparteċipaw fih b’mod għal kollox nieqes mirrispett.

Stajt tisma’ kummenti jgħidulu biex iħaffef għax qed jaħlilhom il-ħin, inkoraġġiment biex jaqbeż ħalli jarawh jinfaqa’, akkużat li kien qiegħed hemm biex jiġbed l-attenzjoni, opinjoni li jekk ma jaqbiżx għandhom ituh xebgħa għall-mewt u kliem oħra simili li kieku ma’ nqabdux fuq vidjo probabbli lanqas temmnuni li ntqalu.2 Dawn il-kummenti saru waqt għajjat ta’ “aqbeż, aqbeż” u daħk kontinwu tal-folla titnejjek bih. Tabilħaqq waqt li kont qed nara l-vidjo, l-istonku aqta’ kemm kien qiegħed idur! Ħafna mir-rapporti tal-inċident li rajt kellhom rabja għal din lattitudni li ntweriet lejn dan l-imsejken. Jien ngħidilkom il-verità, iktar ħassejt dieqa. Imma possibbli li hemm min ma jkollux lanqas nitfa empatija ma’ persuna li qiegħed f’tant turment u f’salib it-toroq ta’ ħajtu?

Apparti minn hekk, psikjatra li kien fuq il-post ma’ oħrajn biex jippruvaw jikkalmawh stqarr li dan il-pandemonju kollu kien qed jinstema sew u kien qed itellef il-ħidma tagħhom.

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

A version of this series in English may be found in the author's blog at: https://ivancauchi. blogspot.com

kitba ta’

IVAN CAUCHI

Għall-grazzja t’Alla, kollox spiċċa b’wiċċ ilġid, għax ir-raġel imsemmi ikkalma u niżel minn fuq issur.

Issa niġu għall-punt ta’ dan l-artiklu.

Għaliex l-ewwel każ (ta’ mewt assistit) narah aċċettabbli li lpersuna jiġi mgħejjun jagħmel dak li jixtieq, u t-tieni le?

Id-differenza lkbira hi li fl-ewwel każ, il-persuna jkollha marda terminali li minnha jkun jidher li m’hemmx fejqan u tkun qed Raġel jikkontempla suwiċidju u nies irresponsabbli jħeġġuh jaqbeż ħalli jarawh tgħaddi tbatija li ma tkunx tista’ tiġi mxejna b’mod aċċettabbli għaliha.

Fit-tieni każ, il-persuna tkun għaddejja minn problemi ta’ saħħa mentali, fejn ma tkunx taf kif se tittratta xi sitwazzjoni personali li tkun inqalgħet. Eżempji li smajt jinkludu t-tmiem ta’ xi relazzjoni romantika, il-mewt ta’ persuna fil-familja, problemi finanzjarji, sanzjonijiet kriminali li jkunu qed joqorbu eċċ.

Ma ninsa’ qatt każ li messni fil-qrib, meta ħabib fil-grupp tiegħi tal-università ta’ Malta kien ħa ħajtu għax ħass li ma kienx qed ilaħħaq max-xogħol.

Dawn il-każijiet ma jkunux ta’ theddida għall-ħajja fiżika talpersuna involuta. Wieħed jifhem li hemm modi kif taffronta ssitwazzjoni li hemm fiha.

Għalhekk, fil-fatt hemm tama li s-sitwazzjoni tista’ biż-żmien tegħlibha u tgħix ħajja twila, sinjifikanti u kuntenta, u hemm professjonisti li jistgħu jgħinuk tilħaq dan l-għan. Dan ma jistax jingħad fil-każ ta’ persuna b’marda terminali.

(Il-pulizija se tressaq erbgħa minn dawk li għaddew il-kummenti l-Qorti. (Ara aktar kummenti f’paġna 15)

Referenzi 1. https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/bills/Pages/bill-details.aspx?pk=3891, retrieved 1/12/2021 2. https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/police-to-investigate-amid-angerover-taunts-for-man-to-jump-off.916134, retrieved 1/12/2021

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Breakaway Travel 94 corner of Main & Campbell Streets, Blacktown NSW ..... Will be back soon.....watch this space

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The Voice of the Maltese 11

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Continuing our series in which we highlight the various projects, infrastructure and/or otherwise, that are changing the face of the Malta that many of the Maltese currently living abroad, particularly those who emigrated decades ago, don’t know much about.

Modern concepts on road and promenade that replaced Għeriexem road in Rabat

e changing face of Malta - 9

Għeriexem Road at night (now) and the belvedere on right of picture Photo by Jason Borg (The Times)

I

f there ever was a road that needed to be reconstructed in Malta, that was Gheriexem in Rabat, some 2,760 sq metres long going downhill just past the Roman Villa, overlooking the beautiful scenery of the Rabat countryside overlooking Mtarfa. It needed resurfacing almost every year; it never held up and rarely resisted the rainwater that flowed down through it every winter.

The road had become bumpy and dangerous for motorists and pedestrians. After engineers noted that the road, which was built on layers of weak rock was gradually sinking and at risk of collapse, they decided it was in dire need of reconstruction.

Therefore when, through the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Ian Borg the government announced it wanted to provide safe infrastructure for the Rabat residents by reconstructing Għeriexem so it could stop decades of subsidence damage to its structure and to nearby buildings, and to improve its pedestrian access with a new

belvedere, it came as a welcome relief, especially for the residents of this road who for years had

Malta’s first solar panel footpaths

The new belvedere at Għeriexem in Rabat feared the worst.

Seventeen months later, and an investment of €4milion, Infrastructure Malta managed to deliver and Għeriexem is now benefitting from the highest quality of modern infrastructure and an electric upgrade with new electric car charging stations and Malta’s first solar panel footpaths Workers embedded concrete pillars reaching up to 15m BEFORE: part of a building at risk of collapse, in height into and (right) part of the surface of the road the ground, to serve as a new foundation for the road. Add to

that a solar pavement that powers a new lighting system, that has created a safer pedestrian route and promenade, includes around 90 additional car parking spaces, an electric car charging station, the first solar footpaths in Malta, and greener infrastructure through 40 new trees and plants. Minister Ian Borg inaugurated it recently.

The energy generated from these newly installed panels will be used to power 40 per cent of the lighting on the whole promenade. The 36 photovoltaic panels now cover the 40-m2 promenade. The footpaths generate a whopping 4,600kWh of electricity annually, reducing an estimated 21 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The digital display next to the walkway will give pedestrians live updates on the amount of energy generated by the panels and the carbon dioxide emission savings.

The road just reopened has changed the face of this area in Rabat, and certain concepts that were incorporated, such as the solar footpaths in order to maintain sustainability, could prove to be a mere test to determine whether this system can be implemented in smaller public spaces around the islands in the future.

12 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Roundup of News About Malta

Evarist Bartolo says sound leadership is needed to calm political climate

M

inister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo has called for sound political leadership to calm the current turbulent political climate and said that we again need détente in Europe and in the Mediterranean. Adding that Malta attaches a lot of importance to the Mediterranean dimension.

Addressing the 28th Ministerial Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Stockholm, Bartolo said that European security is inextricably linked with that of the Mediterranean, a partnership that must go beyond mere lip service and become more meaningful, focusing on real concrete cooperation to benefit all sides. He maintained that, “Dialogue and negotiation are mostly needed with those with whom we least agree”.

The OSCE meeting, held annually, provides the Foreign Ministers of the 57 OSCE participating States an opportunity to review and assess the Organization’s activities and strengthen the dialogue on security issues in the OSCE area.

Minister Bartolo argued that multilateralism cannot be weakened first and in turn be considered as dysfunctional. With reference to the military industrial complex, he asserted such industry has become an integral part of the export sector within the economy of different countries, as military powers continue to win wars and lose peace.

He concluded that dialogue and regional cooperation should prevail if we intend to secure a peaceful coexistence, as the only alternative to that would be catastrophe.

Earlier, Minister Bartolo also participated in the 2021 Mediterranean Dialogues in Rome where he pointed out that Malta was carrying a disproportionate burden, being at the forefront of managing irregular migration along the Central Mediterranean.

During the session titled 'Dealing with migration: Revitalising partnerships in a postpandemic world', he said that not managing migration well, attitudes towards people on the move would continue to harden leading to more restrictive migration policies. He also reiterated the need to have secure borders and to fight human traffickers in sending, transit and destination countries.

The minister stressed upon the need for

Europe and Africa to work together as equal partners to create a better life for the young people of the Southern shores of the Mediterranean, stating that, “A win-win approach to changing this structural imbalance and dependency would be if Europe and Africa both take near shoring seriously and bring supply chains to the region and create Euro-African regional value chains to the benefit of both continents".

He said that this would entail the transferring of business operations closer to the Mediterranean, making supply chains more responsive and efficient, and in the process creating more jobs in the region.

The session on migration focused on the need to have better migration governance, in the past 12 monthsat least 130,000 irregular migrants have attempted to reach the Northern shore of the Mediterranean .

alta and the United Arab Emirates have agreed that cooperation between the two countries must continue with the implementation of projects of common interest, primarily those within the digital economy, in the blockchain, gaming and family business sectors.

This was the outcome of a recent meeting that followed a similar one last May between Malta’s Minister for the Economy

and Industry Silvio Schembri and the UAE Minister for the Economy Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri who was leading a delegation for talks, that would even continue to be held with Maltese government entities, aimed at leading this cooperation to continue materialising in tangible projects.

During his visit to the UAE, at the invitation of Touq Al Marri, Minister Schembri attended and addressed the fintech conference and had a meeting with the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi. The possibility of setting up an investment fund for innovative start-ups was discussed aimed at funding and developing their projects into commercial products or services. This, in turn, will continue to attract more investment to Malta and create new opportunities between the two countries.

Maltese Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Maria Camilleri Calleja accompanied Minister Silvio Schembri

Malta and UAE strengthen cooperation

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The Voice of the Maltese 13

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Roundup of News About Malta

Med region warming 20% faster than global average

A

ccording to the UN Environment Programme, the Mediterranean region is warming 20% faster than the global average, and coastal zones face heightened disaster risks, including flooding and erosion, and the salinisation of river deltas and aquifers that sustain food security and livelihoods.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Anġlu Farrugia stated this during his remote participation in the Speakers’ Summit of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean in Brussels.

He added that by 2050, water demand is projected to double or even triple, but that 2°C of global warming would reduce precipitation by ~10 to 15%.

An increase of 2°C to 4°C would reduce precipitation by up to 30% in Southern Europe, while water temperature is expected to rise by between 1.8°C and 3.5°C by 2100 with hotspots in Spain and in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Speaker Farrugia said that climate change is the most enduring threat to our future and thus it is up to the national parliaments to monitor the COP26 climate change targets and maintain oversight on governments and their polices.

The Speaker (right) said that Malta is leading by example as it has updated the Climate Change Act

Fuel tax subsidies to cost €2.5m. a month

ensure that local prices remain Iingatnlessorder current levels, Government is collecttax on fuel products, with Finance

Minister Clyde Caruana rvealing in Parliament that fuel tax subsidies are to cost €2.5 million a month, He said that to protect local fuel stations from rising prices abroad, Government will subsidise taxes on petrol and diesel.

For this reason a legal notice has been published whereby government has low-

ered the duty to be paid on petrol and diesel to the lowest possible level as permitted under EU regulation.

While pointing out that in the EU, fuel prices have increased by some 20-30% the government is prepared to continue with this measure until the end of next year.

He remarked that prices are expected to fall in April or May as production levels start to catch up with the heightened demand.

Commemorating 32nd Anniv. of Bush-Gorbachev Malta Summit O

n the occasion of the 32nd anniversary of the summit held in Malta between US President George Bush, and Mikhail Gorbachev, the Leader of the former Soviet Union, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Evarist Bartolo unveiled a sculpture by the international contemporary prolific Russian sculptor Gregory Pototsky at the Gardjola Gardens at the Senglea bastions.

During the ceremony Minister Bartolo spoke about the importance of a more stable, predictable relationship between the US and Russia.

He said that the return to quiet diplomacy to US-Russia relations, even with a limited agenda, is welcome news, and that learning to live with each other, if successful, would not N Euro Parliamentarian Roberta Metsola (right) is to contest the position of EU Parliament President on 17th January in the name of the Popular European Party, PPE, with which the PN is affiliated.

She won the contest in a race with two others by acquiring 112 (64%) of the votes cast by fellow PPE Members and was eventually declared as the group’s candidate for the EU Parliamentary President.

In her reaction Metsola said she felt honoured to be chosen as the PPE’s candidate and said she would work for an alliance within the EU Parliament and make communities believe in the European Union.

PN MEP to contest EU President’s post

P

only introduce more predictability and stability in the international system, but also help the rest of the world to breathe a little easy amid the chaotic turbulence ongoing in the global order.

The sculpture repreGregory Pototsky’s sculpture sents, not only the Iron Curtain which once divided Europe and the World but also symbolizes the fragility of peace which can be lost at any time.

American Chargé d’Affairs Mrs Gwendolyn S. Green, Aleksei Dedenkulov, Russian Chargé d’Affairs and Fr Dionysius Mintoff, founder of the Peace Laboratory were among the attendees.

14 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Issa tista’ tagħmel ir-riċerka li tinħtieġ minn darek stess G

ħal dawk li jgħixu barra minn Malta hu diffiċli ħafna li jagħmlu ċerta riċerka dwar l-istorja ta’ Malta u kultant anke dwar l-istorja tal-familja tagħhom billi ħafna mid-dokumenti dwar dak li seħħ fl-imgħoddi f’Malta u ġieli dawk li jolqtu l-familji, bħal ngħidu aħna ħruġ ta’ passaporti, jinsabu fid-diversi arkivji Maltin. Allura dak li jkun ikollu jew jiġi Malta jew iqabbad lil xi ħadd li jgħix Malta biex jagħmillu r-riċerka.

Imm’issa dan qed jinbidel u se jkun aktar faċli li mill-kumditá ta’ daru jkun jista’ jsir jaf aktar dwar l-istorja ta’ pajjiżu u saħansitra ċertu tagħrif dwar il-familja tiegħu.

Dan issa jista’ jsir billi l-Arkivju Nazzjonali ta’ Malta inawguraw proġett ġdid permezz tal-portal elettroniku <www.memorja.com.

Dan hu pass importanti fl-iżvilupp tal-

arkivju orali u awdjoviżiv tal-Arkivji li issa ġie żviluppat fuq bażi professjonali li jagħmel unur mhux biss lill-Arkivji Nazzjonali, imma wkoll lis-settur tal-istorja ta’ pajjiżna. Fih jiġbor, jippreserva u jagħmel aċċessibbli għarfien sħiħ ta’ Malta u lMaltin.

F’dan l-arkivju nsibu intervisti ma’ nies komuni u dokumenti li jirriflettu l-ħajja, is-sengħa u x-xogħol tagħhom, kif ukoll il-kontribut tagħhom.

Il-proġett hu mibni fuq il-koperazzjoni u

i wieħed kellu jagħti daqqa t’għajn lejn il-midja stampata jew dik mitkellma internazzjonali, malajr jintebaħ kemm mhux kulħadd qed jaċċetta li jieħu l-vaċċin kontra l-pandemija tal-Covid19. Anzi hemm min mhux biss jirrifjuta, imma wkoll joħroġ jipprotesta, bħal mhu qed isir f’għadd ta’ pajjiżi.. kultant saħansitra bl-użu tal-vjolenza.

Mhux se noqgħod nidħol fid-diversi raġunijiet li jsemmu dawk li qed jipprotestaw kontra l-vaċċin jew dawk li huma favur ħlief fatt wieħed, l-imwiet.

Kulħadd jaf bl-eluf kbar li mietu u l-għadd dejjem jiżdied ta’ mwiet f’diversi pajjiżi kbar. Sfortunatament Malta rajna ukoll limwiet ta’ 468 persuna li meta mietu kienu pożittivi għall-Covid-19. Għidna kienu pożittivi għax hawn min isostni li dawk li mietu mhux kollha attwalment mietu bilCovid-19, iżda setgħu mietu b’mard ieħor għalkemm il-Covid-19 seta’ ikkontribwixxa għal mewthom.

Il-figura ta’ 486 mewt mhix ċajta, l-aktar għall-familjari tagħhom. Imm’issa l-esperti qed jgħidulna li s-sitwazzjoni setgħet kienet ferm agħar. Infatti, skont studju tal-Għaqda Dinjija tas-Saħħa (WHO) nstab li ma kienx għall-intervent qawwi min-naħa tal-Awtoritajiet tas-Saħħa li rnexxielhom ilaqqmu għadd kbir ta’ Maltin f’qasir żmien, kieku s’issa b’din il-marda kienu jmutu 860 persuni oħra ta’ fuq minn 60 sena.

F’dan l-istudju ħareġ ukoll kif mindu bdiet

il-pandemija s-sena li għaddiet, aktar minn miljun u nofs persuna madwar lEwropa tilfu ħajjithom bilCovid-19.

B’aktar minn 90% minnhom jkollhom aktar minn 60 sena. Dan ħareġ minn studju tal-WHO, fejn intqal li madwar l-Ewropa bil-vaċċin ġew salvati lħajjiet ta’ 470,000 persuna.

Jidher li dan it-tilqim qed iħalli l-effett tiegħu wkoll issa, meta jidher li l-għadd ta’ dawk infettati reġa’ tiela’ tant li kellna jiem fejn il-każi rraportati qabżu il-mija. Dan billi kif għidna għalkemm in-numru tal-infettati żdied, imma kienu biss il-ftit li ddaħħlu lisptar (meta qed nikteb hemm ħdax li tnejn minnhom qegħdin fl-ITU (Intensive Therapy Unit), biex Malta qegħdin aħjar inn diversi pajjiżi Ewropej.

Mhux ta’ b’xejn li l-WHO qed jappellaw lin-nies biex dawk li ma tlaqqmux imorru jieħdu t-tilqim u dawk li tlaqqmu jieħdu wkoll il-booster.

Dan hu importanti, aktar u aktar għax issa qed joqorbu l-festi tal-Milied u l-Ewwel tasSena fejn it-taħlit u l-ġabra ta’ nies f’post wieħed ikompli jkabbar il-periklu li l-Covid19 jissokta jinxtered.

Il-vaċċin tal-Covid-19

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fuq il-kontribut ta’ persuni u entitajiet barra l-Arkivji Nazzjonali, u hu riżultat ta’ ħafna xogħol professjonali minn wara lkwinti. Fil-fatt, kienu żviluppati proċeduri u protokolli kif jinġabar il-materjal u, meta jinġabar, dan jiġi kkatalogat u ppreservat b’mod li jkun aċċessibbli.

Ta’ min wieħed jagħti daqqa t’għajn lejn dan il-portal... u naħseb li mid-daqqa t’għajn wieħed jispiċċa jgħaddi s-siegħat jammira l-materjal tassew interessanti li hemm fih.

Sodisfatti ... imma stressati

’inhi s-sitwazzjoni tal-ħaddiem Malti X fuq il-post tax-xogħol? Il-ħaddiema huma sodisfatti b’ħajjithom?

Dawn kienu l-mistoqsijiet ewlenin li għamlet il-kumpanija Novargo b’kollaborazzjoni mad-Dipartiment tar-Relazzjonijiet Industrijali u tal-Impjiegi lill-għadd ta’ ħaddiema. Għall-mistoqsijiet wieġbu 3,500 ħaddiem.

Mit-tweġibiet tagħhom ħareġ li ’l fuq minn 70% huma sodisfatti bil-ħajja li għandhom u ‘l fuq minn 45% qalu li għandhom livell ta’ sodisfazzjon fuq xogħolhom (Job Satisfaction) għoli ħafna.

Apparti dan, l-istudju wera li 77% talħaddiema għandhom stat tajjeb ta’ saħħa mentali bi 11% imbagħad jgħidu li għandhom stat ħażin ta’ saħħa mentali.

Filwaqt li fejn tidħol id-dipressjoni, 48% jaqgħu taħt in-norma,13% wrew xi sintomi ta’ din il-problema, u 7% qalu li fittxew lgħajnuna m’għand nies professjonali.

Biss dak li jaffettwa lill-ħaddiema huwa l-istress u l-ansjetá, tant li 23% ta’ dawk li wieġbu saħansitra kellhom jirrikorru għand it-tobba minħabba f’hekk. Sintendi parti mill-istress ġej minħabba l-Covid19.

Probabbli l-istress fost il-ħaddiema kien ikun akbar li kieku ma ttieħdux dawk ilmiżuri li għenu biex ħafna nies ma jitilfux ix-xogħol, għalkemm mhux dejjem iddħul ta’ ċertu ħaddiema baqa’ dak li kien.

The Voice of the Maltese 15

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

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ewt li seħħet ftit tal-jiem ilu u li ġiet irrappurtata f’The Times ġabet lura l-memorja tas-snin 70. Ma kienetx il-mewt ta’ xi ħadd politiku jew reliġjuż, imma ta’ mara li għal xi żmien kienet fisshow business.

Fis-sebgħinijiet, minkejja li l-mentalita’ talMaltin kienet inbidlet mhux ħażin, l-aktar bid-dħul tat-televiżjoni u aktar kuntatti ma’ barra, xorta kien hemm ċerti attivitajiet, films eċċ li kienu tabú.

Iċ-ċensura fuq ċerti rivisti, fosthom Il-Playboy, rivista li minħabba r-ritratti ta’ tfajliet u nisa b’nofs ilbies jew għera għal kollox kienet mequsa bħala pornografika . Anzi dawn it-tip ta’ rivisti ma kienux jitħallew jidħlu Malta.

Għalkemm kien hemm min jissogra u jdaħħal xi kopja, għax allaħares tad-dwana kienu jiftħulek il-bagalja u jsibulek xi kopja.

Għalhekk tistgħu taħsbu x’għagħa nqagħlet meta b’xi mod sar magħruf tewmin Maltin mhux biss dehru bla ħwejjeġ, imma saħansitra rnexxielhom ikunu fuq il-qoxra tal-ħarġa ta’ Ottubru1970 tal-Playboy.

It-tewmin kienu Mary u Madelaine Collinson ta’ 18-il sena minn tas-Sliema. Kienu ġejjin minn familja fqira. Minħabba f’hekk ta’ 16-il kienu telqu minn Malta u marru jgħixu Londra bit-tama li jtejjbu l-qagħda tagħhom.

B’xi mod irnexxielhom, għaliex waqt party ltaqgħu ma’ aġent tal-Playboy li baqa’ mpressjonat b’persunithom u mill-ewwel irranġalhom li morru l-Istati Uniti għal awdizzjoni

Għamlu isem

ma’ sid il-Playboy, Hugh Hefner, .

Dan mhux biss iddeċieda li jużahom fir-rivista imma saħansitra iddedika lfaċċata ta’ quddiem għal ritratt tagħhom u saru l-ewwel tewmin li ngħataw din l-importanza.

Dan fetħilhom il-bieb għal karriera fl-immudellar u aktar tard tal-films, li ħafna minnhom żgur li ma kellhom lIt-tewmin Collinson fuq il-faċċata tal-Playboy ebda ċans li jidħlu Malta għall-wiri.

L-aqwa film li ħadu sehem fih it-tewmin meta kienet taħdem fil-qasam tal-immudellar, kien tal-biża’, Twins of Evil ma’ wieħed mill- għalkemm kienet ta’ sikwit tiġi Malta tiltaqa’ aqwa artisti tal-films tal-biża’ Peter Cushing. mal-familja tagħha fosthom oħtha MadelieKienu ngħataw rwol importanti tant li dehru ne, li kienet iżżewġet u ġiet toqgħod f’San Gwann, Malta. Madleine mietet fl-2014 fil-posters tal-film.

Għalkemm it-tewmin għamlu isem barra minn Malta, u isimhom kien jidher ta’ sikwit fuq ċerti ġurnali barranin, f’Malta bilkemm kienu jissemmew, għalkemm kellhom xi ftit fans, fosthom, kif ikkonfermat ma The Times -effetti ekonomiċi gravi li kkaġunat il bint waħda mit-tewmin, Natasha Manfredini, fosthom Lino Cassar li kien magħruf ħafna pandemija tal-Covid-19 sa minn fil-qasam tal-films u tal-midja.

Marzu tas-sena l-oħra ma naffritx l-invesKienet Manfredini li ħabbret il-mewt timent li sar fis-settur tal-proprjetà f’Malta t’ommha Mary f’Milan fejn kienet qed tgħix tant li fi 22 xahar, bejn Jannar 2020 u Ottubru ta’ dis-sena kien hemm madwar 29,074 konvenji u 37,462 kuntratti ta’ bejgħ ta’ proprjetà.

Il-Ministru għall-Finanzi u x-Xogħol, Clyde Caruana għarraf lill-Parlament li rtal-Oppożizzjoni wkoll ikkundanna dak li riżultat kien frott il-miżura li kienet tħabseħħ. bret mill-Gvern fil-Pjan ta’ Riġenerazzjoni Issa sar magħruf li wara stħarriġ, dwar l-in- Ekonomika. Din se tintemm kif stipulat, ċident il Pulizija identifikat erba’ persuni u se għall-konvenji sa l-aħħar ta’ din is-sena, u tressaqhom il-Qorti f’konnessjoni għall-kuntratti sa Ġunju 2022.

Jalla min jinstab ħati jingħata dak li ħaqqu, Statistika ppreżentata fil-Parlament millgħax bniedem f’diffikulta’ għandna nippru- Ministru tal-Finanzi Clyde Caruana turi li vaw ngħinuh u mhux inkomplu ngħarrquh.

Marzu dis-sena kien l-iktar xahar li fih saru (Ara wkoll il-kummentarju konvenji, 2,108 filwaqt li l-inqas saru f’Apta’ Ivan Cauchi f’paġna 10) ril 2020, b’417, fl-eqqel tal-pandemija.

Minkejja l-pandemija l-bejgħ tad-djar sploda

Ħaqqhom kundanna A

ffarijiet li ma jitwemmnux u li sa ftit żmien ilu ħadd ma kien joħlom bihom. Imma jidher li l-mezzi soċjali ta’ kommunikazzjoni u kultant il-ħerqa biex noħorġu filmati u kummenti fuq l-midja soċjali tellfit lil uħud kull sens ta’ prudenza.

Dan ħareġ ċar dan l-aħħar meta persuna dehret fix-xifer tas-sur ħdejn il-Bieb ewlieni tal-Belt, u deher li kien qed jaħsibha jtemmx ħajtu billi jaqbeż minn għal ġol-foss.

Fejn qabel, quddiem xena bħal din ħafna, kienu jidħlu f’qoxorthom, ikun hemm min jgħid xi talba u oħrajn iċemplu lill-pulizija biex jaraw x’jistgħu jagħmlu biex jikkonvinċu lil din il-persuna biex terġa taħsiba, din id-darba rajna xena differenti.

Wieħed seta’ jara għadd ta’ nies lesti bil-mobile biex jiġbdu din ix-xena makabra. Mhux biss, anzi kien hemm min bi kliemu beda jħajjru biex jaqbeż bi kliem bħal: ”Ejja ħaffef biex immorru x-xogħol”, “issa jkun taċ-ċajt jekk ma taqbiżx.” Saħansitra kien hemm min beda jiffilmja kollox u jgħaddih lil ħaddieħor u jlissen “Ara ftit din is-show” Fortunatament tim magħmul minn psikjatra, għadd ta’ pulizija u membri tal-protezzjoni Ċivili rnexxielhom jikkonvinċu lil din il-persuna biex terġa’ lura mill-ħsieb tiegħha.

L-aġir ġab l-istmerrija u kundanni ta’ ħafna bil-Prim Ministru, filwaqt li jikkundanna dak li ġara, iżid li dan ma jirriflettix dak li jħoss u kif jaġixxi l-poplu Malti f’każi simili. Il-Kap

Richard Spiteri 0407 202 167 (02) 9659 0900

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Castle Hill Seven Hills Windsor and all suburbs

“Let Our Family Help You Through”

–

Ħalli l-familja tagħna tgħin lillfamilja tiegħek

16 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Australia is prepared for the new variant

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War on Taiwan?

– a dangerous election tactic

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abor Party’s foreign affairs spokesperson Penny Wong (pictued above) has accused Defence Minister Peter Dutton of "amping up" the threat of war in a “dangerous” effort to improve the Coalition’s election chances.

Senator Wong’s concerns centre on Mr. Dutton’s recent declaration that it would be “inconceivable” that Australia would not join the United States in a war to defend Taiwan against China. She delivered the scathing criticism of his approach to handling the sensitive foreign policy matter at a speech to the ANU National Security College in Canberra.

Senator Wong asserted that the comments are "wildly out of step" with the policy of strategic ambiguity typically embraced by Australia and successive US governments.

“Amping up the prospect of war against a superpower is the most dangerous election tactic in Australian history. Mr. Dutton does Australians and the Taiwanese no favours by amplifying Beijing’s fatalism. “This is the worst in a litany of cases of the Morrison-Joyce Government seeking to use foreign policy and national security for political advantage” Senator Wong said.

Australia doesn't formally recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state, but it does support unofficial ties with the island.

he federal health minister Greg Hunt insists Australia is well prepared for new COVID-19 variant, which has experts alarmed. South African scientists have detected a new variant in the country, dubbed Omicron which has double the number of mutations of the Delta variant.

Overseas health officials have warned the Omicron variant is likely to evade the immune response from vaccinations. Malta, UK, Israel and even Australia have moved to impose travel restrictions in a bid to contain any risk of transmission.

Australia has shut its borders to nine southern African countries and NSW, Victoria and the ACT have brought in new rules for all international arrivals amid concern over the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

“We've always been flexible, and if the medical advice is that we need to change, we won't hesitate,” Mr. Hunt told reporters in Sydney.

Mr. Hunt said Australia's high vaccination levels had put Australia in a much better position to handle new variants than when Delta emerged earlier this year.

“Australians do trust the vaccination programme. Yes, there's been the noise of a fringe, but they're losing the battle. The vaccinators are winning the battle, and I am very hopeful that this early high level of booster acceptance will continue right through the programme” he said.

The classification by World Health Organisation puts Omicron into the most-troubling category of COVID-19 variants, along with the globallydominant Delta, plus its weaker rivals Alpha, Beta and Gamma. It was named after the letter ‘O’ in the Greek alphabet.

Shortage of affordable housing

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hink tanks, universities and the social services sector have warned that Australia’s lowest income earners face a shortage of affordable housing for decades unless governments work together on major investment in social housing.

Two separate reports from the Grattan Institute and the Australian Council of Social Service and the University of NSW said up to $20 billion needed to be sunk into lowcost housing to make up for a twodecade shortfall that is now being exacerbated by a huge increase in property prices.

The independent Grattan Institute said there were about 430,000 social housing properties – where the rent is capped at 25 percent of an occupant’s income – with no change in the number over the past 20 years. Over that same period, Australia’s population has grown by a third.

It believes a $20 billion social housing fund, overseen by the Future Fund, could provide a revenue stream from its investment earnings that would provide the revenue to build an extra 3000 social housing units a year in perpetuity.

Support for religious discrimination laws A

fter swings against Labor in western Sydney at the 2019 election, linked with its failure to strongly back religious protections following the same-sex marriage plebiscite, the ALP national platform this year pledged to “ensure that Australia’s anti-vilification laws are fit for purpose”.

In a statement released by 25 faith leaders, Christian, Jewish and Islamic groups called for “bipartisan support” on the religious discrimination bill,

given controversial elements had been removed.

Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese (right) said he had spoken with faith leaders who had “expressed to me a great deal of disappointment that there hasn’t been a reaching out across the aisle”.

MP Joel Fitzgibbon said it was important to ensure that “people of faith-based institutions don’t feel threatened by an excessively progressive agenda”.

The Voice of the Maltese 17

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Federal Integrity Commission …not yet

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ritics have complained that the federal government’s proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission (CIC) would not go far enough towards addressing accountability concerns. But Prime Minister Scott Morrison told parliament he would reject pressure from Labor to make major changes to the model.

“Those opposite want to support the sort of show which has seen the most shameful attacks on the former premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian,” he said.

“What was done to Gladys Berejiklian, the people of NSW know was an absolute disgrace. “I’m not going to have a kangaroo court taken into this Parliament. These matters should be looking at criminal conduct, not who your boyfriend is.”

Mr. Morrison attempted to deflect the attack towards his concerns about the inves-

tigation into Ms. Berejiklian by NSW's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

Labor leader Anthony Albanese had questioned Mr. Morrison why the government had failed to implement its proposed model, almost three years after it was promised.

Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer had embarrassed the federal government, crossing the floor in an attempt to bring on a debate about introducing a corruption watchdog.

She supported a motion from independent MP Helen Haines (right) who called for an urgent debate on the matter in the House of Representatives. Ms Archer was described as the "lioness of the 46th parliament" and a "hero" by independent MPs for her decision.

Social media anti-bullying laws rime Minister Scott Morrison anP nounced the federal government will introduce new laws to parliament that will

Janet Grima

Religious discrimination “live and let live”

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he principle that Australia is a pluralist society – allowing everyone to “live and let live” – has taken a bit of a battering with the introduction of the religious discrimination bill, according to Jacinta Collins the executive director of the National Catholic Education Commission and a former Labor senator from Victoria.

Across Australia, we have protections in anti-discrimination law for race, age, disability, freedom of association, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, marital status, pregnancy, and breastfeeding, among other rights.

So it is despairing to see opposition to the proposed legislation from Equality Australia, the Greens, and Australian Council of Trade Unions, who seem unwilling to support the protection of religious rights.

The proposed legislation simply enables Catholic schools to preference the employment or enrolment of people of the Catholic faith, and those willing to support the ethos and values of the school. This is reasonable and fair in a free, pluralist society.

force social media platforms to expose the anonymity of users who post abusive, defamatory, or offensive information online.

“The online world should not be a Wild West where bots and bigots and trolls and others are anonymously going around and can harm people and hurt people, harass them and bully them and sledge them,” the prime minister said.

The social media platform will first be required to ask the user to delete the content.

If the user refuses to do so, their identity can be revealed through a court order, and they risk being sued for defamation.

While the majority of Australians are in support of a crackdown on bullying and

abuse on social media, the federal government's proposed laws have been criticised as unrealistic and unachievable by Internet experts.

University of Sydney associate professor of online and convergent media, Fiona Martin, said Australia is unlikely to overcome the hurdles needed to achieve the sweeping reforms it has promised.

‘We've been fighting ... to bring these anonymous trolls and bullies to the surface and to try and give those victims of bullying or trolling an option to seek recourse ... and ultimately, to save a life,” Bully Zero CEO Janet Grima told SBS News.

Ms Grima said the bill comes at a critical time after COVID-19 "created the perfect storm" and forced more people to access the digital world, with many subsequently experiencing online abuse.

Michelle Rowland MP Shadow Minister for Communications Federal Member for Greenway

Level 1. Suite 101C, 130 Main Street, Blacktown PO Box 8525, Blacktown NSW 2148 Michelle.Rowland.MP@ aph.gov.au (02) 9671 4780 www.michellerowland. com.au MRowlandMP

18 The Voice of the Maltese

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‘Poeżiji mir-Rabat tal-Imdina’

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

an l-aħħar Josette, bint il-Perit Ġużè Agius Bonello (1934 – 2018) li r-Rabtin jafuh sewwa, tatni ktieb ta’ poeżiji ta’ missierha u qaltli: “Dan għalik, għax inti kont wieħed minn dawk li wara mewtu kont titlobni poeżiji ta’ missieri biex tinkludihom fil-programmi radjofoniċi tiegħek.”

Kitba ta’ PeterPaulCIANTAR

Josette spjegatli li issa, bħala familja, ġabru l-poeżiji ta’ missierha u ppubblikathom fi ktieb bl-isem ‘Poeżiji mir-Rabat tal-Imdina’.” (Il-Perit Agius Bonello kien minn dik in-naħa l-antika tar-Rabat li fil-qedem kienet tagħmel parti mill-Imdina.) Ħafna snin ilu fil-programmi tiegħi ta’ nhar San Ġużepp, (19 ta’ Marzu,) u dawk tal-Ġimgħa l-Kbira kont inxandar xi poeżija ta’ Agius Bonello li kienu sbieħ ħafna, sinċieri; reliġjużi, kif kienet titlob lokkażjoni; kif ukoll għax naf li l-perit kien jieħu pjaċir jismagħhom.

Bħala karattru, għalkemm kien bravu ħafna, ta’ bniedem umli li kien, il-perit Rabti kien joqgħod ħafna lura mill-pubbliċità.

Il-Perit Ġużè (jew kif jafuh ħafna Joe) kien devot kbir ta’ San Ġużepp u tal-Ġimgħa l-Kbira. Fil-fatt, għamel snin twal li fil-purċissjoni tal-Ġimgħa l-Kbira jidderieġi l-monument sabiħ tal-purċissjoni li toħroġ mill-Knisja Ta’ Ġieżu fir-Rabat, u waqaf biss meta saħħtu ma ppermettitlux aktar.

Kien jgħidli li ta’ kull sena, għall-festa ta’ San Ġużepp fir-Rabat, kien jikteb poeżija ddedikata lil dan il-qaddis li tiegħu kien devot kbir, u kienet tiġi ppubblikata fil-kotba talfesta li toħroġ l-Arċikonfraternità ta’ San Ġużepp li tagħha kien membru. Din il-poeżija kien ukoll jgħaddihieli għall-programm mużikali ta’ dak iż-żmien, ‘Siesta’ li kont nippreżenta fuq l-istazzjon radjufoniku F.M. Bronja.

Mhux biss, imma bħala turija ta’ apprezzament għal dan, il-Perit Agius Bonello kien saħansitra ddedikali waħda minn dawn ilpoeżiji tiegħu, li tinsab ukoll filktieb. Kienet sorpriża għalija. Kont ħadt gost ħafna biha u ħassejtni wkoll onorat.

Xħin ftaħt il-ktieb sibt aktar poeżiji, mhux biss dawk iddedikati lil San Ġużepp u oħrajn marbuta mal-Ġimgħa l-Kbira, iżda wkoll oħrajn li kiteb għal qaddisin oħra li b’xi mod għandhom ukoll

rabta mar-Rabat, fejn twieled, għex u rabba wkoll familja ma’ martu Joan.

Fost il-ħafna poeżiji ppubblikati, laqtitni poeżija bit-titlu ‘Lil Karmenu Vassallo’. Fiha l-perit wera kemm kien jammira lil dan il-poeta, tant li qal dwaru, “Inti xemx ta’ filgħodu. Int qamar ta’ billejl. Kemm hi għolja kitbitek, ma tqisha bl-ebda kejl”.

F’din il-ġabra ta’ poeżiji hemm stampati wkoll oħrajn li jirriflettu żgħożitu u l-imħabba kbira li kellu wkoll lejn ommu. Imma fuq kollox, id-devozzjoni spiritwali kbira, marbuta mal-karattru tiegħu ta’ bniedem reliġjuż, umli u sentimentali li jogħlew fuq kull aspett ieħor f’ħajtu, u għaldaqstant jirriflettu rwieħhom fil-ġabra ta’ poeżiji tiegħu.

Wieħed jieħu pjaċir immens jaqra dawn il-poeżiji għax miktuba b’mod li wieħed jifhimhom bla ebda filosofija żejda li tkun trid tagħarbel sewwa l-ħsieb tagħhom.

Tal-Perit Agius Bonello huma poeżiji sinċieri li jpoġġu quddiem għajnejk dan il-karattru sempliċi ta’ perit, idur mat-toroq tar-Rabat, lest biex jagħti pariri lil min jistaqsih l-aktar dwar diffikultajiet strutturali Prezzee www.prezzee.com.au is fid-djar antiki tagħhom. an online greeting cards and gift Kien ukoll jagħti għajnuna lil diversi kunventi u cards platform that makes gifting każini, l-aktar dak ta’ L’Isle Adam li tiegħu kien ukoll easy, with its website and app President. that is connecting people around Jiena niftakru sewwa wkoll nieżel minn fuq il-palk the world in Australia, New tat-teatru tal-Kulleġġ Sant’Agata waqt li jiena kont Zealand, United States and the qed nippreżenta s-serata, bid-dmugħ f’għajnejh meta United Kingdom. dakinhar kien ingħata ġieħ mistħoqq mill-Kunsill tarThe Prezzee Smart eGift Card Rabat. gift card can be redeemed at Apple, Amazon, Woolworths, Uber Tajjeb ukoll ngħid li l-qligħ li jista’ jsir minn dan ilEats, David Jones, Rebel, JB Hi-Fi and 600 plus more retail stores. ktieb tal-ġabra ta’ poeżiji ta’ Ġużè Agius Bonello se It’s the ultimate shopping spree wrapped up in one great gift card! jmur għall-Arċikonfraternità ta’ San Ġużepp, Radju We recommend this card to our readers.

Marija u istituzzjonijiet tal-karità.

Ktieb ta’ poeżiji tal-Perit Rabti Ġużè Agius Bonello

Card that makes gifting easy

The Voice of the Maltese 19

Christmas lights switched on in Valletta Tuesday, December 7, 2021

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e are still in the pandemic, however, people in Malta are being given the chance to enjoy Christmas while keeping to the protocols of safety. The Christmas spirit is definitely on especially in Malta’s capital, Valletta thanks to the Valletta Cultural Agency’s efforts, not only to decorate the city for the festive season, but also by organising a programme of diverse activities aimed at creating the atmosphere one normally expect during yuletide.

VCA has prepared a programme (November 22 through to 24th December) titled Christmas in the City made up of a wide range of activities, including Christmas projections on the facade of the Grandmasters Palace, theatrical and joyful events intended to put the audience in the Christmas spirit.

The programme kicked off in Freedom Square on November 22 with activities in the main squares, strategic locations and the quaint streets of Valletta. The Christmas lights and decorations can continue to be enjoyed till the first week of January.

A huge Christmas Tree has been installed in front of the Parliament building and Christmas lights were switched on in Republic Street, Merchants Street, Archbishop Street and Strait Street.

The programme has even involved the participation of children with kids’ choirs entertaining the crowds as they enter Valletta from City Gate. As from last Friday, passers-by in St George’s Square, Valletta are being greeted with a magical atmosphere full of colourful projections and music.

The Christmas in the City programme culminates with a grand finale on New Year’s Eve with popular British singer John Newman performing in Valletta alongside a variety of local artists.

Distance

Wear

As we enjoy getting out and about, let’s stay COVID safe.

> Meet outdoors, and physically distance when you can > Wear a mask indoors, and if you can’t physically distance outdoors > Wash or sanitise your hands regularly

Get tested immediately if you have even mild symptoms, and self-isolate until you get a negative test result. If you’re planning to travel within NSW or interstate, you’ll need to be fully vaccinated. Not vaccinated yet? Book an appointment or find your nearest walk-in clinic today. For assistance, call the COVID-19 vaccine helpline on 1800 020 080. If you require a free telephone interpreter, call 131 450, say the language you need in English and ask the interpreter to connect you to the COVID-19 vaccine helpline.

Wash

20 The Voice of the Maltese

It-tenur Anġelo Muscat jirbaħ Borża ta’ studju fil-Konservatorju Santa Ċeċilja Tuesday, December 7, 2021

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Il-kantanti li ħadu sehem fil-Masterclasses kienu akkumpanjati fuq ilpjanu minn Dr John Galea, is-surmast direttur tal-Chorus Urbanus u direttur artistiku ta’ Feel the Magic. Il-kor kanta wkoll żewġ siltiet korali mir-repertorju operistiku, filwaqt li fl-aħħar, is-Sopran Sasso interpretat b’mod tassew professjonali u b’vuċi li Il-Ministru Camilleri ssaħħrek, erba’ arji fil-preżentazzjoni lil li stħoqqew l-apAnġelo Muscat plaws qawwi talplatea flimkien ma’ standing ovation.

Għal din l-ewwel edizzjoni ta’ Feel the Magic of Vocal Masterclasses il-partecipanti kollha ġew ipprezentati b’diploma tal-attendenza, u fit-tmiem, f’kelmtejn ta’ awguri lillparteċipanti kollha, Clint Camillleri, il-Ministru g ħ a l Għawdex, feraħ lillChorus Urbanus Productions għal din l-inizjattiva ta’ tagħlim li, qal, tkompli tperreċ it-talent

Maltin barra minn xtutna.

Ta’ min jgħid ukoll li lejlet dan il-kunċert, għadd ta’ kantanti Maltin li jagħtu sehem regolari fl-istaġun tal-Opra fit-Teatru Astra ngħaqdu flimkien mal-Chorus Urbanus f’sessjoni ta’ taħrig vokali mogħti mill-Professoressa Claudia Sasso.

Feel the Magic 2019-21 kien sponsorjat mill-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti u l-Gozo Cultural Support Programme fi ħdan il-Ministeru għal Għawdex. Ta’ min ukoll jagħti ħajr specjali lid-direzzjoni tat-Teatru Astra, fejn matul gimgħa sħiħa sar dan it-taħrig.

fost l-oħrajn inkludew. Marcia Sinfonica ta Orsomando, dwett għal żewġ trumpets (Jason Camilleri u Nevan Vella), Overture ‘Tancred’ tal-kompozitur famuz Gioachino Rossini, Overture 'Invicta', dwett għal trumpet (Jason Camilleri) u ewfonju (George Camilleri) bl-isem ta’ 'Mystic Waters', trio għal klarinett (Marvin Grech), trumpet (Jason Camilleri) u trumbun (Josef Attard) fost l-oħrajn.

Jason Camilleri Is-solisti Jason Camilleri

Is-Soċjetá Filarmonka Mnarja waqt ilkunċert ta’ kull sena l-Best of winds fuq il-kurunetta, u l-klarinettist Marvin Grech esegwew siltiet solo flimkien malbanda li komplew iżewqu dan il-kunċert uniku fil-gzira Għawdxija.

Il-banda kienet taħt id-direzzjoni mużikali tal-Kaptan Jonathan Borg, surmast tal-banda tal-Forzi Armati ta’ Malta.

Fost il-preżenti kien hemm ukoll il-Ministru għal Għawdex Clint Camilleri li wiegħed li l-Ministeru se jibqa’ ikun ta’ sostenn għall-attivitajiet kulturali anke f’dan il-perjodu ta’ sfida. (* Ara wkoll paġna 21)

aqt il-kuncert finali tant mistenni tal-Vocal Masterclasses fis-sensiela Feel the Magic, bħala rebbieħ ta’ din il-lejla, l-eks-membru tal-Chorus Urbanus, il-kantant liriku t-tenur Anġelo Muscat ingħata borża ta’ studju fil-Konservatorju Santa Ċeċilja ta’ Ruma abbinata malproġett ta’ tagħlim ma’ Feel the Magic of Vocal Masterclasses.

Din tal-borża ta’ studju hija inizjattiva innovattiva. Hi l-ewwel darba li premju bħal dan qed jigi offrut minn organizzazzjoni korali bħala parti mit-tagħlim li llum huwa sinonimu mal-Chorus Urbanus. L-għazla tar-rebbieħ ġiet imħabbra lill-udjenza misSopran ċelebri l-Professoressa Claudia Sasso li nġabet apposta mill-Italja u mexxiet il-Masterclasses li fihom ħadu sehem tnax il-kantanti.

Il-lejla fit-Teatru Astra fil-belt Victoria saret bis-sehem ta’ kantanti lirici taħt id-direzzjoni tal-Professoressa Claudia Sasso li min-naħa tagħha paxxiet mhux ftit lill-udjenza matura b’eżekuzzjoni mill-aktar pjaċevoli ta’ siltiet operistiċi u profani wara jiem ta’ tagħlim millistess Professoressa Sasso.

Sopran Claudia Sasso

Is-Soċjetá Filarmonka Mnarja fil-kunċert annwali Best of Winds

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uddiem attendenza numeruża fitTeatru MBC fin-Nadur Għawdex, is-Soċjetá Filarmonika Mnarja tanNadur tellgħet il-kunċert bl-isem Best of Winds mis-solisti tal-banda. Dan il-kunċert ta’ kull sena, sar bil-għajnuna finanzjarja taħt l-Iskema ta' Assistenza NGO tal-Ministeru għal Għawdex.

Is-siltiet mużikali li ndaqqu f’dan il-kuncert

Marvin Grech

Mill-Gżira Għawdxija

Charles Spiteri

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Grandmaster bid farewell at St John’s Co-Cathedral

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ra Matthew Festing , the 79th Grandmaster of the Sovereign Order of Malta, was given a final farewell in St John’s Co-Cathedral during a funeral organised by the Order with the collaboration of the Government of Malta.

Fra Festing who died in Malta three weeks earlier, also became the 13th Grandmaster to be interred in the crypt of the Chapel of San Carlo Borromeo almost 250 years after the last Grandmaster, Francisco Ximenez, was interred there in 1775 The Funeral Mass at the CoCathedral was conducted by Cardinal Silvano Maria Tomasi, the Pope’s Special Delegate for the Order who described Fra Matthew Festing as a person with profound Christian roots and a man dedicated to the Order.

He said that Festing had promoted the Order’s vocation of being Knights for Justice and that he has left behind him a strong legacy of the spirit of union. He said that today the Order’s fight is not by using swords but to fight against poverty and helping the sick.

“To the choice of becoming a Knight of Justice, Fra Matthew dedicated his life to the mission of the Order, a mission that remains constantly through the centuries in the service of the poor,” the Cardinal said.

Born in 1949 Northumberland in England, Fra Matthew Festing served as the Order’s Grandmaster from 2008 until his resignation in 2017.

After the Mass, the coffin was carried in procession to the nave on the left, the Chapel of San Carlo Borromeo. Final prayers were recited as the coffin was lowered into the crypt. This part of the funeral was held in private.

The Voice of the Maltese 21

NSW Consul General at the FOMA event T

he Consulate General of Malta in Sydney, Mr Lawrence Buhagiar participated in FOMA 2021 Fabrics Of Multicultural Australia, the sought-after event held at Sydney’s Australian National Maritime Mr Lawrence Buhagiar (right) and helpers Museum.

He showcased Malta's tour- the arrangements attached to ism in a half-day multicultural this exhibition and for promotexhibition promoting #malta, ing Malta together with Mr its beauty, culturally-rich his- Emmanuel Camilleri, a NSW tory and diverse industries in- member on the Council of the Maltese Living Abroad. cluding film production.

He acknowledged Mrs Grace During the exhibition, he also visited the other stands on dis- Schembri and husband Joe for play showing the colours of Is- providing the Għonnella and rael, Ireland, Jordan, Afghan- several other accessories that istan, China, Korea, Chile and coloured the Malta stand, and others. The centrepiece attrac- thanked the Malta High Comtion was the Għonnella, (fal- missioner, H.E. Mario Farrugia detta) a traditional garment used Borg and the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs. predominantly before WWII. The event was organised by In 2015 the Għonnella was worn by Meghan Markle, (cur- Gandhi Promotions Sonia Sadrently married to England’s iq Gandhi who managed to get Prince Harry) during her visit multicultural Australia under to Malta, her grandmother's one roof. The Fashion Show in which his supporting wife place of birth.

Mr Bahagiar thanked the Con- Rosieanne accompanied the sulate's staff in particular Mrs Consul General later followed Rita O'Dwyer for assisting in the exhibition.

Maltese Welfare (NSW) committee for 2022

uring the last AGM of he D Maltese Welfare (NSW) the following were elected to

form the committee for the next 12 months: President: Nathalie Gatt; V/President: Lawrence Dimech; Secretary: Frances Montesin; Treasurer: Lawrence Gatt; Ass. Secretary: Sandra Grech.

Maltese Welfare can be contacted via email: secretarymaltesewelfarensw@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/grou ps/www.maltesewelfare.com.au, or P.O.Box 5332 Greystanes NSW 2145.

Kontejner bi ħwejjeġ utli minn Għawdex jintbagħat lill-missjoni fil-Gwatemala

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*Minn paġna 20 l-Parroċċa tal-Katidral flimkien mas-Soċjeta’ Filarmonika Leone tar-Rabat Għawdex dan laħħar bagħtet kontejner b’materjal utli lill-missjunarju Għawdxi fi Gwatemala, l-Amerika Ċentrali, DunAnton Grech Dan seħħ wara li f l-aħħar ġimgħat saret ħidma

ntensiva minn diversi voluntiera, fosthom għadd ta’ żgħażagħ fi ħdan il-parroċċa u s-Soċjeta’ biex biex jinġabar dak meħtieġ u li huma stess imbagħad għabbew.

Inġabru wkoll donazzjonijiet finanzjari biex jagħmlu tajjeb għat-trasport tal-kontejner li mistenni jasal il-Gwatemala qabel il-Milied.

22 The Voice of the Maltese

The fight for more airtime:

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

The community confronts SBS radio

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fter various virtual meetings with those concerned, it was decided that there will be an Australian-wide effort by the Maltese community to raise awareness about the online survey about Radio that was launched by SBS and to convince as many as possible to participate. (See TVOM Oct 12 and Oct 26) It was also decided that a delegation from the Maltese community confronts the top official of SBS Radio.

A delegation from the Maltese community headed by the High Commissioner for Malta and NZ H.E Mario Borg Farrugia, together with Miriam Friggieri and Antoine Mangion from the MCC NSW, and Marlene Ebejer and Edwidge Borg from MCCV, on the 25th November 25 met SBS Radio.

According to the High Commissioner, the meeting went well. The delegation was informed that the Maltese participation in the online survey was very high and in fact, the Maltese community placed second only to the Cantonese language participation. This was a direct result of a co-ordinated appeal by the community working as a team.

According to the delegation, going by this result, this reflects that the campaign which they co-ordinated has been a huge success.

The delegation explained to SBS about the particular circumstances and needs faced by the Maltese community including a resurgence in the learning of Maltese, issues with an ageing community, and the census numbers that do not necessarily reflect reality when it comes to the actual numbers of Maltese living in Australia.

SBS Radio informed the delegation that over the coming months it would examine the survey and the census results. However, as expected at this stage SBS did not commit to any changes in hours for the Maltese. They also announced a new free-to-air station and news service at SBS starting in the first quarter of 2022.

The High Commissioner told The Voice of the Maltese he wished to thank all those that participated in this campaign and appealed for this trend of co-operation between all sections of the Maltese community in Australia to continue.

The Voice of the Maltese whole-heartedly supported this campaign all along and provided the delegation with vital information regarding previous encounters with Station SBS.

H.E Mario Borg Farrugia. Malta’s High Commissioner to Australia and NZ. He led a delegation from the Maltese community (below) made up of (from left) Miriam Friggieri, Antoine Mangion, Marlene Ebejer and Edwidge Borg to SBS RAdio

Frequency converter station for Grand Harbour I

nfrastructure Malta is buiding the first frequency converter station of the Grand Harbour Clean Air Project that will reduce more than 90% of air pollution by cruise liners and Ro-Ro ships at Malta’s principal port.

The Grand Harbour Clean Air Project (GHCAP) includes the development of the electricity infrastructure for these vessels to switch off their gasoil- or heavy-fuel-oilfired engines and plug in to shoreside electricity to power their onboard systems, whilst they are berthed at port.

Through this €49.9 million EU-funded investment, Infrastructure Malta is contributing to an improved environment for 17,000

families living in the Grand Harbour area.

The new frequency converter station, a first for Malta and one of the first of its kind in the world, will include nine transformers ranging from 16 MVA to 21 MVA, three frequency converters and 53 switchgear units to convert electricity to the frequencies required by cruise liners and other ships visiting the Grand Harbour.

Electrical engineers and technicians are currently installing some 5.5 km of power cables in this building to connect and operate the frequency conversion system. The structure will also house chillers, backup power systems, fire safety equipment and other control and protection technologies.

The construction of this frequency converter station started in Marsa, next to the Deep Water Quay, earlier this year. It consists of one-metre-wide concrete piles embedded down 11 storeys (34 metres) into the deep layers of clay and other similar materials in the reclaimed land in this area of the Grand Harbour.

These piles will support the new building and the equipment it will contain, including transformers weighing more than 37 tonnes. The structure was designed in consultation with the heritage authorities, to fit in with the Grand Harbour’s historical environment. Parts of the facades are being built in Maltese stone.

The Voice of the Maltese 23

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

C Co om mm mu un ni it ty y N Ne ew ws s

MALTESE LANGUAGE SCHOOL OF NSW A division of the Maltese Community Council of NSW Inc. Established in 1999

Learn Maltese

Due to the covid restrictions, we are only conducting lessons online.

Applications are also welcome for paid positions from people to assist in language teaching and/or administration. For more information, call 0419 476 924. Email: malteselanguageschoolnsw@hotmail.com

La Valette Social Centre

La Valette Social Centre is open on Thursdays and Saturdays. Patrons need to prove their vaccination status or an official expemption upon entry, and to wear masks indoors until such restriction is lifted by the NSW government.

UPCOMING EVENTS: (1) Tech-Skill Football Coaching tour to Japan - fund-raiser on Sunday 12 December (124pm). Tickets $45 pp, includes buffet lunch, dessert, tea &

Tu n e i n t o Ra d i o a n d Te l e v i s i o n

MELBOURNE: on 3ZZZ 92.3FM or on www.3zzz.com.au. Mondays 5-6 pm, Fridays 5-6 pm and Saturdays 10-11am.

MELBOURNE: on 98.9 North West FM, every Friday 6.00 - 7.00p.m. and Mondays 7.00 to 8.00pm. Presenter: Emmanuel Brincat.

On SBS Radio Day Time Analogue and Digital Tuesdays and Fridays: 12:00-13:00 97.7fm SBS 2.

(To tune into digital radio you need a receiver or device with a DAB+ chip.

Tuning in is by station name not frequency. Digital radio can also be heard via digital TV..)

SYDNEY: listen to the MCC radio programmes on 2GLF FM 89.3.

Isma’ l-programm tar-radju bil-Malti

We offer legal services in Melbourne (Lt Collins Street) and Werribee.

Family law is our specialty.

• wills, powers of attorney, • manage deceased estates, and provide • purchase and sell property • purchase and sell businesses.

• divorce, children, property, • child support, intervention orders.

• Maltese Wills, Powers of Attorney • Maltese Property matters.

Marlene Ebejer (speaks Maltese)is an accredited family law specialist Phone: 03 9741 1722 www.ebejerlawyers.com.au) email reception@ebejerlawyers.com.au We get to the point, provide the right advice and get the work done at a reasonable price.

La Valette Social Centre Inc. 175 Walters Road, Blacktown Tel. 96225847 coffee. Entertainment by Marimba Band and "guest".

Phone Paul 0411844279 or Rita 0421452939.

(2) New Year's Eve dinner on Friday 31 December from 7.30pm. Tickets $60 for members, $65 non-members, includes 3-course meal, wine & soft drinks. Entertainment by Charlie Camilleri. Phone Frances 0412320432, Antoinette 96712992 or the centre.

nel 32 every Sunday at 8.00 a.m. and on Thursday at 8.00 a.m.

BRISBANE listen to the Maltese Programme on 4EB on Tuesdays 6.00 8.15am; Sundays 4.15pm to 5.15pm.

mill-Kunsill Malti ta’ NSW minn fuq l-istazzjon 2GLF 89.3FM. Also On Demand on l-Internet: www.893fm.com.au) On Demand: Ethnic Maltese Council 11am) Il-Ħadd 11.00 am: l-aħħar aħbarijiet minn Malta, mużika, tagħrif, kultura, avviżi u suġġetti ta’ interess.

SBS Radio 2 on Channel 38. Programmes can be accessed online (live/catch up) at: sbs.com.au/maltese (mobile), using the SBS Radio app.

For television news from Malta SBS2 TV 32 ( (Viceland) on Thursdays and Sundays at 8am.

SBS MALTESE NEWS: L-Aħbarijiet are now on SBSTV Viceland HD Chan-

Maltese Community Radio Adelaide: Maltese Programmes on 5EBI 103.1fm: Sunday: 7.30am; Monday: 8.00 am; Monday: 6.00pm.

Contact: Bernadette Buhagiar: 0420 944 205. Email bernadettebuhagiar@gmail.com Ron Borg: 0418 843 850. Email ronborg@mac.com

97.9 FM Melton Tuesday Maltese Programme: 6.00 To 8.00 pm Presenter Miriam Vella

Programmes on 89.3 Fm 2GLF Maltese voices: One hour of Maltese talent, songs from Maltese artists.

Sundays @ 10.00 am to 11.00 am.

Marthese Caruana: 11.00 a.m.: MCC programme These programmes are also on Demand for 4 weeks from the website of 2GLF 89.3 FM - follow - Ethnic - Sunday 10.00am and 11.00 am

24 The Voice of the Maltese

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Sports Hibernians sweat it out to retain top spot

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y the way results are going, this could be Hibernians’ season in the Malta Premier League. Following their victory over Balzan on Day 10 and on Day 11 on Sunday they managed to get a point from a draw against Floriana that they did not deserve. It enabled

Two defeats for Malta Women’s team in 2023 World Cup qualifiers

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alta women's national team came very close to earning a draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the 2023 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers match that was played at the BH Training Centre in Ta’ Qali but eventualy the young team succumbed to a first half goal scored by Maja Jelcic.

Both teams created goal-scoring opportunities with Malta especially, failing to capitalise on at least three major chances in the first 45 minutes that could have turned the tides of the game to their favour.

Following their win Bosnia have now joined Malta on four points after six games.

A few days earlier Malta dominated Montenegro in the same competition but failed to make the pressure count as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at the Centenary Stadium.

them to retain their five points lead at the top of the league ladder over new runners up Valletta who have shown an improvement after a disappointing start. After overturning their loss against Sliema on the table when they won a protest they shared the spoils against Birkirkara.

In comparison, Birkirkara and Floriana who at one time occupied the runner spot, lost precious points and slipped lost positions.

Hibernians’ have been doing well and after a narrow 2-1 victory over Balzan in Round 10, in which their opponents gave them a good run for their money, they also gained an important point against Floriana.

The latter match was the match of the round, but the Valletta vs.

Birkirkara tie comes a close second,. Despite being scoreless, it provided good entertainment. For Valletta it came on top of their loss the previous week against Sliema.

DAY 11 RESULTS However after a successful protest the MFA Protests Board gave Hibernians v Floriana 0-0 Valletta v Birkirkara 0-0 them the three points.

3-3 Balzan v Sta Lucia That outing and victory after 90 Hamrun S v Sliema W 2-0 3-1 Gzira Utd v Sirens minutes against Valletta had Gudja 3-0 Utd v Mosta given Sliema the victory they had DAY 10 RESULTS been after since the start of the 2-1 season. However, a wrong deci- Hibernians v Balzan 2-1 v Floriana sion by the club proved their Sirens 3-1 Valletta v Mosta downfall when the MFA upheld Birkirkara v Sliema W 2-0 3-2 Gzira U v Gudja U the protest filed by Valletta who Hamrun v Sta Lucia 3-0 were given a 30 win.

STANDINGS Valletta based their protest on P W Pts the fact that the Blues used War- Teams sama Hassan in the game when Hibernians 11 7 25 11 6 20 he was played while under the Valletta obligation to self-isolate follow- Birkirkara 11 5 19 ing his appearance in his country, Ħamrun 11 6 18 11 4 17 Djibouti’s World Cup qualifier Floriana Balzan 11 5 16 against Algeria, in Egypt which is Gzira U 11 4 16 currently considered as a Co-vid- Sirens 11 4 14 19 red-listed country.

Gudja U 11 3 10 Sliema are still in search of their Sta Lucia 11 1 10 first win after losing again on Mosta 11 2 10 Sliema W. 11 0 4 Sunday against Ħamrun.

Legendary F1 team boss Sir Frank Williams dies

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he Formula 1 world is filled with the most immense and deep sadness at the passing of Sir Frank Williams – the longest-serving Team Principal Formula 1 has ever seen. His was a life driven by passion for motorsport.

Sir Frank marked 50 years as an F1 team boss in 2019, having run two teams in that time, the latter of which went on to win seven drivers’ titles and nine constructors’ championships.

His legacy will be forever part of Formula 1.

In 1986 Sir Frank sustained a spinal cord injury in a car crash that rendered him unable to walk.

He reduced his workload in F1 in 2012, when he stepped down from the Williams board.

He and his family, including daughter Claire who had run the team on a day-to-day basis since 2013, left F1 earlier this year after they sold the team to investment firm.

Lionel Messi claims 7th Ballon d’Or award P

aris Saint-Germain forward and Argentine national team captain Lionel Messi, formerly of Barcelona and now playing for Paris St Germain, has won the Ballon d'Or for a record-extending 7th time edging out Poland and Bayern Munich’s prolific scorer Robert Lewandowski. Chelsea’s Italian international, Jorginho came in third.

Messi has therefore added to the record he broke in 2019 when he claimed his sixth trophy of this prestigious annual soccer award that is given out by the French magazine France Football. Last year’s awards were cancelled due to the pandemic. He previously also won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and in 2015.

Earlier this year Messi also took Argentina’s national team to its Copa America victory since 1993, leading the tournament in both goals (4 tied with Colombia’s Luis Diaz) and five assists. Last season the 34year-old scored 38 goals in 48 games for Barcelona and also won the Copa del Rey. In his acceptance speech, Messi said that the runner-up, Lewandowski should have been given the 2020 award, which had no winner due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I think that you deserved to win the award last year,” he said to Lewandowski in the audience at the award winning ceremony in Paris.

Earlier this year Messi stunned the football world when he left Barcelona after spending 21 years with the Spanish club signing a three-year contract with PSG. Messi left the club as its all-time leader in goals scored (672) and assists (305). Last season the 34year-old scored 38 goals in 48 games for Barcelona and won the Copa del Rey Robert Lewandowski won the “Striker of the year” while Italy stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma clinched the best goalkeeper award. The Kopa trophy for best young player went to Barcelona’s Pedri. Chelsea, meanwhile, won the best club award.

The women’s Ballon d’Or 2021 winner was 27-year-old midfielder Alexia Putellas who plays for Barcelona’s women’s team.

She was adjudged by journalists to have been the best women’s player this year. She helped Barca win the treble and scored 26 goals in 42 games overall. In August she was named UEFA women’s player of the year.

Lionel Messi

“I’m very emotional, it’s a very special moment,” she said at the Paris ceremony. “I would like to start by thanking all my teammates, especially my current (Barcelona) teammates. For me it’s a collective success.”

The only previous women’s award winners are Norway striker Ada Hegerberg in 2018, and US forward Megan Rapinoe in 2019.