Arnold Cassola, Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party Chairperson, has expressed the concerns of his party regarding excessive interference by the government in the public administration. "The government is continuously affirming that it is divesting itself of various powers, but at the same time always finds ways and means of creating a loophole whereby the government could still influence enormously the decisions of independent minded Civil Servants," concluded Prof. Cassola. Stephen Cachia, Alternattiva Demokratika spokesperson on Democracy and Civil Rights, added "A case in point is the Public Administration Bill currently being discussed at committee stage in Parliament. The Bill has its positve points but then also includes article ... Read more...

Gozo's Heritage Society Wirt Ghawdex has aired its concern about a public consultation launched by Victoria Local Council whose proposals include the responsibility for the Cittadella passing under the responsibility of the Local Council. Wirt Ghawdex strongly believes that national monuments should remain under the responsibility of central Government. The Cittadella is in Victoria but belongs to the whole nation just as the Ggantija Temples do not belong only to Xaghra or the Hypogeum only to Paola. Local authorities do not have the necessary funding and expertise required for the restoration, presentation and management of such monuments and being national monuments should remain above local interests.

Vodafone Malta Limited and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) recently announced the launch of the BlackBerry® solution in Malta. The BlackBerry solution brings together industry leading smartphones, software and services to allow easy wireless access to email, phone, calendar, web, multimedia and other business and lifestyle applications. Vodafone customers in Malta will now be able to enjoy the freedom and productivity benefits of using BlackBerry® smartphones to stay connected on the go. "By working with RIM to introduce the BlackBerry solution in Malta, Vodafone is once again leading innovation in the Maltese market," said Inaki Berroeta, CEO of Vodafone Malta. "We are confident ... Read more...

In a press conference after an underwater clean-up event in Qawra, Alternattiva Demokratika-The Green Party reiterated its commitment to give tourism a boost through working for a greater protection of Malta's historical and natural heritage. AD's Chairperson said: "Around 60,000 divers visit Malta and Gozo for a diving holiday each year. This fact alone should make taking care of our sea and making sure it is fit for recreational use and that its biodiversity a priority policy area. The coast is already overdeveloped; we must make sure that what remains is protected for the benefit of us all." Today's activity was organised by Alternattiva Demokratika - The ... Read more...

Nature Trust (Malta) welcomes the initiatives being taken by the Parliamentary Secretary Jason Azzopardi to claim back public land that has been taken over illegally for commercial purposes or squatters on site. Nature Trust together with other NGOs has in the past been asking the authorities for action since public land was being taken over and access to the public was being denied by a few. The NGO feels that finally this is a positive long await move by authorities who have the guts to claim back what by right is public domain. Nature Trust urges that once such land is taken over ... Read more...

Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 3.6% in September 2008 according to a flash estimate issued by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. It was 3.8% in August. Computation of flash estimates Euro area inflation is measured by the Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices (MUICP). To compute the MUICP flash estimates, Eurostat uses early price information relating to the reference month from Member States for which data are available4 as well as early information about energy prices. The flash estimation procedure for the MUICP combines historical information with partial information on price developments in the most recent months to give a total index for the euro area. No detailed breakdown is available. Experience has shown the procedure to be reliable ... Read more...

One of the highlights of this year's edition of the Festival Mediterranea will be two performances of Turandot by Giacomo Puccini which will be performed at the Astra Theatre in Victoria on the 23rd and 25th of October. For the leading role, the Astra Theatre has managed to once again engage the services of renowned Italian soprano Francesca Patane who sang such an astounding Lady Macbeth in Verdi's Macbeth at the Astra Theatre last year. Gozitan soprano Miriam Cauchi, no newcomer to the Astra Theatre, will appear as Liu' while Italian tenor Antonino Interisano will be Calaf. Ping, Pong and Pang will be presented by Marco Chingari, Giovanni Maini and Davide Malandra respectively. ... Read more...