The last couple of months have brought about substantial change within the inner workings of the MaltaMedia Online Network, which brings you aboutmalta.com. As the year draws to a close we hope that in the early part of 2005 we can use the new found circumstances in a beneficial way and bring you a better service through aboutmalta.com and the other websites on the MaltaMedia Online Network.

Although this is the last aboutmalta.com monthly newsletter for the year 2004 we will be sending you a special Christmas edition in a couple of weeks. We do this every year because we feel that it is too early to include Christmas material. We will also give you full details about our annual feature on the year in review. Look out for our seasonal newsletter in your mailbox, about two weeks from now.

Meanwhile enjoy this month's newsletter and feel free to send in your suggestions or comments via our online form.

Toni Sant
Consulting Editor, aboutmalta.com

P.S. To subscribe to this newsletter just contact us.

1. Last Month's Daily News from MaltaMedia
2. Top Picks:
     a. Malta Budget 2005 Special Feature
     b. The Sunday Homily
3. This Month in Maltese History
4. What's On This Month

01 Two elderly injured during robbery
02 Austin Gatt requests investigation at BOV on disclosing banking transactions
03 Bad weather in the Maltese islands
04 Man jailed for defiling two minors
05 Large amount of cannabis seized
06 Mater Dei Hospital to open in July 2007
07 Man loses life to drug overdose
08 Mater Dei Hospital to cost Lm139 million
09 Man arraigned over abduction of his son
10 Three years jail term over human trafficking
11 Tributes from Malta for Arafat
12 Forty protected bird species discovered in freezer
13 Lm15,270 presented to philanthropic organizations and associations
14 Huge tornado sighted near Nadur, Gozo
15 Malta has largest percentage of people who speak English
16 Customs seize fake ‘Nike’ clothes
17 Social Pact negotiations fail
18 Malta asked to detail abortion policies
19 Law student accused with drug trafficking granted house arrest
20 Malta ranked 28th best country to live in
21 Maltese-Pakistani resident charged with disappearance of 286 illegal immigrants
22 Rising oil prices affect Gross Domestic Product
23 Judge Carmel Agius chosen to serve UN war crimes tribunal
24 Several increases in service tariffs announced in Budget 2005
25 Youths charged with sexual offences re-arrested
26 Libyan guilty of complicity in Alfie Rizzo murder
27 Police uncover 2,000 ecstasy pills
28 Two men arraigned over find of 2,000 ecstasy pills
29 Young motorcyclist dies tragically in Ta' Qali
30 Two prisoners fail in attempted breakout

Read and/or listen to the latest daily news from MaltaMedia.com.

a. Malta Budget 2005 - Special Feature

An in-depth report by the MaltaMedia Online News Service on the budget presented in the house of representatives in November 2004 for the year 2005. Besides all the salient details of the measures and other important points, this feature includes an audio recording of the Budget speech given in parliament and a downloadable version of the full text for the Budget Speech. You can also post your comment's about this year's Budget on the MaltaMedia Forum. It's all available here.
 

b. The Sunday Homily

As we get closer to Christmas expect some of the most beautiful words to appear on aboutmalta.com Sunday Homily. However, what you should also see is a gradual shift from Br Hayden Williams to Br Ivan Scicluna as the person delivering the weekly homily. Br Ivan, who is also a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Order is taking over from Br Hayden who was recently assigned new duties at the Kalkara friary as well as undertaking further post-graduate studies. While thanking Br Hayden we welcome Br Ivan within the aboutmalta.com production team.

30 YEARS AGO (1 December 1974)
A new church designed by architect Richard England opens in Manikata.

20 YEARS AGO (29 December 1984)
Caravaggio's 'St Jerome' is stolen from St John's Co-Cathedral in a daring afternoon robbery; this painting by Michaelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1573-1610) was originally made for the chapel of St Catherine of the Langue of Italy in St John's Co-Cathedral.

10 YEARS AGO (20 December 1994)
The first set of Pelican crossing lights in Malta is inaugurated in Zabbar.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS
11 December 1951: Jane Marshall, Actress
21 December 1927: Charles Thake, Actor/Broadcaster
23 December 1951: Joe Dimech, Broadcaster/TV Newscaster
29 December 1947: Albert Marshall, Poet/Media Executive

DEATH ANNIVERSARIES
2 December 1952: Meme Scicluna, Soccer Impressario, dies at 65
16 December 1996: Cecil Satariano, Amateur Film-maker, dies at 66
20 December 1950: Nerik Mizzi, Prime Minister, dies at 65
21 December 1981: Hannibal P. Scicluna, Historian, dies at 101

See aboutmalta.com's daily full list of birthdays, deaths, and events in Maltese history.

Today in Maltese History is produced exclusively for aboutmalta.com by Mario Axiaq.

1 December 2004
World AIDS Awareness Day
THe Malta Medical Students’ Association leads a series of related activities that include a 'Have You Heard Me Today?' concert at Baystreet, public-awareness outreaches to Marsascala, Gzira, Valletta, the Hal Far Refugee Centre, University Campus, Junior College and Paceville (together with the Health Care Students’ Organisation), a candle vigil in Valletta in association with the Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM), a talk delivered to medical student freshers, and a debate entitled “The Female Face of AIDS”.

3 December 2004
The Celebs Night
Club Lounge in Paceville will feature top model and DJ Sassy, well known in the British R&B scene.

3-5 December 2004
A Christmas Carol at the Manoel Theatre
An adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol directed and co-written by Paul Stebbings of TNT Theatre.

7 December 2004
89.7 Bay Music Awards
Set as an annual event aiming to reward the Malta Music Industry - acknowledging their talent and their hard work - and to encourage the influx of more quality of local acts; all nominees of the BMAs will perform on the night starting at 9pm.

View aboutmalta.com's full calendar for this month's events in Malta and Gozo, or to submit a future event to our calendar.