The latest labour market data, provided by the Employment and Training Corporation (ETC), for the month of May 2008, shows that the labour supply increased by 2,271 persons over the same month in 2007. The full-time gainfully occupied population increased by 2,833 persons, whereas the registered unemployed decreased by 562 persons. In this way, the labour supply amounted to 150,034 persons. Of these, the full-time gainfully occupied population amounted to 144,016 persons, whilst the registered unemployed amounted to 6,018 persons. Full-time employment in the private sector increased by 3,278 persons, whereas full-time employment in the public sector dropped by 445 persons. In the twelve months to May 2008, the areas of the private sector which increased its full-time ... Read more...

Alternattiva Demokratika -The Green Party Chairperson Arnold Cassola said that Alternattiva Demokratika is delighted at the fact that the Ramla l-Hamra project has been shelved by the Maltese government. Prof. Cassola said, "On Tuesday the Petitions' Committee of the European Parliament met to examine three different petitions against the building proposal of villas and pools at Ramla l-Hamra in Gozo, two of which were sent in by Victor Galea, Alternattiva Demokratika Secretary General, and by AD's Munxar candidate and member on the AD Gozo Regional Committee, Michael Bajada." "At the hearing, the EU Commission announced that the Maltese government had stated that the project has been abandoned and MEP Simon Busuttil who sits on the Petitions Committee confirmed this. We are elated at ... Read more...

A tragedy was narrowly averted on Sunday the 5th of October in St.Paul's Bay after a ceiling cave-in had the owner clinging from a wall while falling slabs injured his wife who happened to be in the hallway below. The property next door was recently demolished and excavated, following which, damage was noted to the walls of the adjoining house where the roof later caved in. Although Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) is waiting for technical experts to submit their reports on this serious incident, the organisation comments, yet again, that it is unacceptable that notwithstanding past tragedies and several other cases where the contractors have been found fully liable and grossly negligent, MEPA still ... Read more...

Euro area (EA15) GDP declined by 0.2% and EU27 GDP was unchanged in the second quarter of 2008 compared with the previous quarter, according to second estimates from Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. In the first quarter of 2008, growth rates were +0.7% in the euro area and +0.6% in the EU27. In comparison with the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP grew in the second quarter of 2008 by 1.4% in the euro area and by 1.7% in the EU27, after +2.1% and +2.3% respectively in the previous quarter. In the second quarter of 2008 and among the Member States for which seasonally adjusted GDP data are available, Slovakia (+1.9%) recorded the highest ... Read more...

This year the liturgical feast of St Francis of Assisi fell on Saturday the 4th of October. Patri Mattew Sultana School, Xaghra, celebrated the day with their pets at school last Thursday. As part of Animal Awareness Day, an exhibition of paintings and posters raised by the schoolchildren was held in the School's foyer. In them the children expressed their thoughts on animal welfare and showed their love for animals. In the afternoon, parents brought the children's pets to school and handed them over to the pupils. There was a vast range of pets, from the bigger ones the dogs and the cats to the smaller ones tortoises and birds. School Assitant Head ... Read more...

Emma Borg, a mother from San Lawrenz, rediscovered her artistic flair through the peace and tranquility of Gozo, where she has been living for the past seven years. Her first personal exhibition entitled 'Dawn' was inaugurated at the Banca Giuratale in Victoria by the Minister for Gozo Giovanna Debono. The Minister augured that this exhibition would indeed be the 'dawn' of Ms Borg's artistic career with the future holding projects of more art from her brush and imagination. Emma is preparing to hold her second exhibition in the beginning of 2009.

The Malta Environment & Planning Authority (MEPA) determined 676 applications in September and received 495 new applications. The net pending caseload at the end of the month was 4,667. During September the Authority processed 74 notifications of development, which, according to the Development Notification Order 2001, do not require a formal application. During the same month, 93 Stop and Enforcement notices were issued, 64 in Malta and 29 in Gozo. In September 2008, 53 enforcement cases were closed, 26 in Malta and 27 in Gozo. 39 enforcement cases were sanctioned by the issue of a sanctionable permit. Another 10 cases were resolved since owners decided to remove illegal development and comply with enforcement notice.