Opinion
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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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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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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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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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That prehistoric Marija l-Għawdxija
I keep looking at the reconstruction of that 5,600-year-old Maltese woman and can’t get enough of her. She’s got this allure which is almost intimidating, even though she’s slightly cross-eyed. If I squint a lot while looking at her picture, I can...
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Fine-tuning the Piano...
“If they don’t want to use it for Parliament, what should they use it for?” “Don’t ask me, but surely it was designed as a Parliament building... so... ” “So... I’m asking, what else could it be used for?” “I dunno, it would certainly cost an arm...
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Reading all about it
This column started life, if my memory serves, dimmed as it is by advancing age and consequent decrepitude, as a commentary on the media, hence its original name Quote, Unquote. The name has gone into disuse and references to the media have been...
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Changing face of dementia
A recent study published in the Malta Medical Journal found that the number of individuals with dementia over the age of 60 years in the Maltese islands in 2010 was significantly higher than previously projected. About 2.3 per cent of the Maltese...
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Well-being of Libyans in Malta
The article entitled Call For Tighter Checks On Libyan Asylum Seekers (April 18) gave more prominence to Libyan chargé d’affaires Muhammad El-Ghirani’s reactions to a protest by a group of Libyan people calling for his removal rather than giving...
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A tribute to the human spirit
As members of the European Parliament, every year we are invited to nominate a candidate for the European Citizens Award, a highly valued prize organised by the European Parliament to recognise the exceptional achievements of European citizens in...
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We need a strategic plan
Since 2008, the General Workers’ Union has been advocating that the Government formulate a vision supported by a strategic plan for Malta. Unfortunately, this proposal was never taken seriously, with some unknown government elements even criticising...
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Winning back trust in the EU
A recent report published by Eurobarometer, the EU’s polling organisation, reveals alarming results as to the degree of confidence that citizent of the six largest member states, namely Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Spain and Poland, have in the...
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