May 2010
Newsletter Number 128
Facebook has considerably changed the way most people use the Internet. However, at the heart of this most popular online social media network is an idea that many Maltese people have been familiar with for close to a decade. Way back in 2001, SkolaĦbieb started offering internet users a way to reconnect and stay in touch with their old school mates. That service is still alive and kicking as part of the MaltaMedia Online Network (MMON).
Two other MMON sites — MaltaMedia.com and maltafootall.com — are now also embedded in the Facebook structure, as are my weekly Mużika Mod Ieħor podcasts. We’ve been considering a presence for AboutMalta.com on Facebook too, but don’t really see the purpose for it. We don’t really want to create more clutter – and Facebook sure is full of it! Still, we’d love to hear your feedback on this. Just leave a comment on the website, particularly if you can see a good reason for AboutMalta.com to have its own page on Facebook. Perhaps you can think of a useful idea that has eluded us.
Toni Sant
Consulting Editor
1. MaltaMedia.com Daily News from April 2010
01 Sex abuse victims “do not want police involvement”
02 Video: Delimara power station fault leaves country in the dark
03 Video: New Valletta city-gate in the making
04 Video: Risen Christ celebrated
05 A broken foot, a stolen laptop and a wrong-way
06 Video: Unexpected spike causes power blackout
07 Video: Tens of teens charged in court
08 Man accused of raping his three daughters
09 Indian food restaurant ordered to close down
10 Spring hunting decision a farce – Birdlife
11 EU still scrutinising new car registration tax
12 Partners of seperated MPs not invited to Papal Mass
13 Removal of monument grabs international headlines
14 Video: Indonesian man found drowned at Marsaxlokk
15 Video: Another fireworks factory explosion
16 Video: Volcanic ash causes huge disruptions in flights
17 Malta doing its best to help stranded tourists
18 Video: Pope meets victims abused by Maltese priests
19 Pope Benedict XVI ends visit to Malta
20 Man found not guilty of attempted murder of PC
21 Video: Migrants barricade Hal Far open centre entrance
22 EU does not accept 3-week spring hunting season
23 Video:Two more men claim abuse by clergymen
24 Maltese woman wounded in Gaza during protest
25 Video: 88 children adopted in past two years
26 Hunter charged with attempted murder
27 Perceived corruption increases in Malta
28 Archbishop Cremona visiting Maltese emigrants
29 Michael Frendo unanimously elected Speaker
30 President Abela sustains injury in China
2. Top Web Picks
a. Skola Ħbieb
Years before Facebook conquered the online world, Maltese Internet users had their very own way to reconnect and keep in touch with their old school mates. Since 2001 Skola Ħbieb has registered 11,134 members and the number keeps on growing on a regular basis. While Facebook and other popular global social media networks offer wonderful opportunities to get develop all sorts of friendships, Skola Ħbieb is geared mainly towards enabling you to stay in touch with your old classmates. Some of these friendships span decades and they’re all based on face-to-face interactions over an extended number of years. If you went to school in Malta it’s almost impossible not to find someone you know on the Skola Ħbieb website.
b. MaltaMedia.com News on Facebook
As it prepares for its 11th year online, the MaltaMedia.com New Service is now also available on Facebook. You can easily add the latest news and information updates from Malta to your Facebook livestream just by adding yourself to the websites followers on Facebook. It’s a great way to keep tabs on the longest standing online live information service from the Maltese Islands. You can read all the headlines and summaries on Facebook itself and you can get the full details on the latest update with one simple click.
3. This Month in Maltese History
30 YEARS AGO ( 29 May 1980 )
Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici is elected Deputy Leader for Party Affairs of the Malta Labour Party.
20 YEARS AGO ( 25 May 1985 )
Pope John Paul II arrives in Malta for the first ever potifical visit.
10 YEARS AGO ( 16 May 2000 )
Maltacom launches go mobile, Malta’s second mobile telephony operator.
FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS
6 May 1949: Ninette Micallef, Actress/Educator
18 May 1949: Vanni Pule, Magician/Entertainer
21 May 1961: Ray Mercieca, Singer/Musician
25 May 1933: Joe Micallef Stafrace, Lawyer/Politician
DEATH ANNIVERSARIES
10 May 1998: Oreste Kirkop, Tenor, dies at 75
13 May 1987: Mons. Mikiel Azzopardi, Founder “Dar tal-Providenza”, dies at 77
19 May 1967: Frenc Mercieca (Frenc ta’l-Gharb), Faith Healer, dies at 75
25 May 1922: Karmni Grima, Saintly Woman associated with Ta’ Pinu, dies at 84
Today in Maltese History is produced exclusively for aboutmalta.com by Mario Axiaq.
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Victor Lia
Is there a site where I can view the country and landscapes of Malta.
Inquisitive Australian of Maltese birth
Toni Sant
Victor, if it’s images of Malta you’re after, you can find several from the top of the page on AboutMalta.com, which are linked to albums on the popular website Flickr. That’s a good place to start.
If you’d like to see a comprehensive set of images from Gozo, I recommend you take a look at ImagineGozo.com at http://www.imaginegozo.com
Penny
Hi, How can I go about finding relatives (living!) in Malta. My grandfather came from Gozo and I have details of his family including his brothers and sisters) and I know we have living relatives still on Gozo and I would like to make contact but don’t know their names. Our family name is Mercieca and our family nickname is Tal Mowta (no idea how to spell that sorry!!)