Comment
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Miraculous Spitfire crash
The crash of a Spitfire in Lija was featured in an article paying tribute to an Australian pilot officer who defended Malta during World War II (April 24). From the flimsy details presented, but much more from what I experienced as an eye-witness...
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Horse racing on deck
It is well documented that sailors of the Royal Navy often found themselves pastimes to avoid boredom while at sea for months on end. Games such as ludo and tombola were very much in vogue. Just by chance, I discovered another very popular game that...
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Following up the ‘sorry’ bit
If imitation is really the sincerest form of flattery then Simon Busuttil, the new Nationalist Party leader, must admire the Labour Party and Joseph Muscat, its leader, beyond all bounds. Busuttil’s first action as the fresh man at the PN top was...
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Freedom to believe... but not to abort
John Craske, in his letter Non-Believer’s Plea For Freedom, said he lacked the freedom not to believe. I see in this the hissing of a ‘heads I win tales you lose’ suggestion – now a common denominator for those anti-religion. I am convinced that our...
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Internet porn and youth
Two years ago I wrote an article, titled Porn As Sex Education (www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100208/opinion/porn-as-sex-education.293228). It came to mind as I followed the reactions to the recent gang rape verdict. Marceline Naudi, former...
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What about teachers of Valletta?
As head of St Elmo Primary School, I would like to thank my staff for their commitment and dedication to the Valletta community and, in particular, to the children of our capital city. The introduction of CVA meant they have had to put up with daily...
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Complex constitutional task
Desmond Zammit Marmarà (The Times, April 24) periodically contributes useful knowledge of Maltese history. However, one statement – “We got our autonomy in 1921” – demands vast amplification. The constitutional machinery of Malta’s dyarchic system...
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Valid passport, invalid ID card
A few days ago, I had reason to call at the Passport Office, Valletta to apply for a new document. Although my current passport was still valid, it would have expired while I was abroad. When I called at the office with my valid passport, I was...
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Transparent overseas development aid
The latest report by Kopin (Koperazzjoni Internazzjonali, Malta), a non-governmental organisation working on north-south cooperation whose mission is “to contribute actively to the alleviation of global poverty and social injustice”, should give the...
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Hollande’s difficult first year
François Hollande has had a terrible first year in office. Elected President of France on May 6 last year, he took office on May 15, 2012 and is today the most unpopular President on record, with a disapproval rating of 75 per cent. Hollande became...
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And God created woman
“We come closest to the early Maltese when we contemplate their mortal remains, but dry bones are still depressingly impersonal. Progress is being made, however, in methods for reconstructing the living appearance of long dead persons ...” (David H.
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Reflections on a hunting season
I have just experienced my first spring hunting season as director of Birdlife Malta, and although I had been warned about what to expect, nothing could have prepared me for the experience. On just one day alone, I witnessed no fewer than six...
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Simon depends on Joseph
One might say that Simon Busuttil is either very brave or foolhardy. To compete to take over the leadership of the Nationalist Party at this stage of its being is not like seeking an invitation to a celebration. The PN is in the doldrums. It has...
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There but for the grace of God
I was not shocked by news that former judge Raymond Pace – RCP as he was fondly known in our circle – had passed away. Our politicians claim to have been shocked, or maybe that is just something you have to say in situations like these. But then, I...
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Start as you mean to go on
Foreign Minister George Vella is irritated by the media’s looking into the matter of whether he’s seeing private patients or not. When asked about it, you could sense he felt that the members of the press were coming down hard on him, simply because...
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Have I tweeted lately that I love you?
It had to happen one day, and it did. ‘It’ refers to a marriage proposal through Twitter. Stephanie Sullivan is probably the first woman to accept a Twitter marriage proposal. Just before midnight on March 2, Greg Rewis, her fiancé, sent Stephanie...
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The Constitutional Court and the invalidity of laws
During the recently held President’s Forum, which has been extensively reported both in this newspaper and in other media, Giovanni Bonello considered it opportune to embark on an address which did not amount to much more than an attempt at...
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Out of the box
So the search for the ultimate horror ‘reality’ continued after my not-too-terrible experience with The Blair Witch Project last week. Because I’m the kind of nerd who, after watching a film, will actually go on IMDB and all the ancillary websites...
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Ministers’ Code of Ethics
The much discussed case of ophthalmologist Franco Mercieca has compelled me to take a cursory look at the Code of Ethics of Ministers. My first impression was that there are more than a couple of the 60 articles of this Code that, in the common...
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‘Time to stop looking back’
New Nationalist leader Simon Busuttil tells Herman Grech he wants to turn the PN into a winning party as soon as possible. You’ve been in the job for two days. What’s going through your head? It is a very big and exciting challenge. I’m enthused...
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