Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1257572
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 JUNE 2020 NEWS Today 100 best recipes Today 100 best recipes FOOD Saying it aS it iS SAVIOUR BALZAN Volume I In volume 1 of 'Saying it as it is', Saviour Balzan tells the story of his journey from being an active environmentalist, to becoming a teacher, a politician, a journalist and finally, the owner of a media house. In his uncouth and abrasive style, he speaks frankly about the thankless job of being an investigative reporter and what running a media house truly entails. But perhaps more interesting, however, are the anecdotes and inside stories also embedded in the narrative, which pick up on key happenings over the past few years. The book also has a semi-autobiographical streak, as Balzan reminisces over the incidents that ended up having an effect on his writings. He uncovers the political networks and the friends and foes of the politicians who dominated the Maltese political scene for the past 35 years. Zoning in on events which he believes left a lasting impact on readers, Balzan expands on the background behind important news stories. In 'Saying it as it is', what emerges most clearly is that scandals have no political boundaries. Saviour Balzan takes us through a brief journey of his journalistic work. He also underscores the influence of politics and politicians in Malta, and the challenges of independent journalism. MediaToday Co. Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann. SGN 9016, Malta www.maltatoday.com.mt Saying it aS it iS Volume I SAVIOUR BALZAN SAVIOUR BALZAN was born in Birkirkara, Malta in 1963. He was a biology and environmental science teacher for eight years and a part-time journalist during that time. He was active in the environmental lobby and later co-founded the Green Party in 1989 but left politics altogether in 1997. He worked for the newspapers il-Fehma, Alternattiva, The People, and The Independent. He was appointed editor of MaltaToday in 1999 and today co-owns that same newspaper, as well as the independent media company MediaToday based in San Gwann. At MaltaToday he built a reputation for running the most daring, investigative and independent newsroom. He hosted the TV discussion programme Reporter for seven years on PBS until his programme was stopped in 2009. He now hosts the same daily discussion programme on Favourite Channel. He lives in Naxxar with his wife and two children. €30 ISBN 978-99957-0-427-8 20mm All round Bleed DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES OF THE MALTESE ISLANDS DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES OF THE MALTESE ISLANDS Charles Gauci Dragonflies are large, oen brightly coloured, insects which few people would not notice actively flying over water, whether it is while walking along water reservoirs in valleys or while visiting gardens where water features are present. However, these are only one stage in their life cycle aer having spent a much longer period living under water as larvae. Most species of dragonflies and damselflies are highly habitat specific in both their larval and adult stages. e Maltese Islands lack most types of riparian habitats and as a result the number of species found locally is very small. is is compensated for by the high concentration of these insects at most water bodies. is book describes each of the nineteen species recorded in the Maltese Islands and each species is amply illustrated by photographs which, for the commoner species, illustrate most or all the stages in their life cycle. It is hoped that besides being of help and interest to nature lovers, it will also raise a much needed awareness among the general public about biodiversity and nature conservation,. e author spent fourteen years teaching Integrated Science and Biology at secondary State schools before moving to the Għadira Nature Reserve where he was Managing Warden until his retirement twenty four years later. He has been interested in dragonflies for the last ten years. Having been an avid bird watcher since his early teens, he co-authored a number of ornithological books – Bird Studies on Filfla, L-Agħsafar, A Guide to the Birds of Malta, A New Guide to the Birds of Malta and e Breeding Birds of Malta. He also co-authored several ornithological papers and was the editor of BirdLife Malta's scientific journal 'il- Merill' from 1986 to 1994. Since his initial interest in dragonflies in 2008 he has been so fascinated by these wonderful insects to the extent that they now oen take precedence over birds. ISBN: 978-99957-894-0-4 CHURCHES IN MALTA maltatoday PART 1 TOWERS, FORTS & BATTERIES IN MALTA maltatoday MALTATODAY ©2017 in collaboration with the MTA TOWERS, FORTS & BATTERIES IN MALTA maltatoday CHURCHES PART 2 maltatoday MALTATODAY ©2019 in collaboration with the MTA IN GOZO maltatoday CHURCHES IN GOZO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 They have however been sub- contracted by Turkish company Nivas Construction. Fortina is currently in talks with Taca in attempt to resolve the issue, MaltaToday is in- formed. One worker in contact with MaltaToday insisted that the group has not been paid for any of their work for the past five months. Despite complaining to their TACA supervisors, the workers said that the situation has persisted. "They say they have no money. They are not in- terested in us," they said. Fortina Investments has insist- ed that all financial obligations to TACA had been honoured, and said that it was the Turk- ish company that had allegedly not paid its workers the wages due to them. "Fortina to date has paid TACA Construction over and above the fees for the certified works on site, at times even paying suppliers directly on their behalf in order for progress to keep on moving onsite," Forti- na Investments director Edward Zammit Tabona said in a previ- ous statement. "Fortina has made it clear with TACA that no form of compro- mise is acceptable with worker's rights, and that alleged issues should be resolved forthwith," Zammit Tabona said. The Department of Industrial and Employment Relations said it was investigating the matter. Tanju Baskurt, the owner of the company subcontracted by Taca Construction to do the civ- il works in the Fortina project, insisted that Taca had provided all workers "very decent accom- modation and three times a day food which specially prepared for the Turkish worker's taste." "I have paid all the salaries to my workers up until the last month. We have all the bank documentation proving that we have paid them. And Taca ful- filled its obligation to us as per our contract. As per the contract with our workers, we keep one month's salary to be paid at the end of the project. Once the dispute between Taca construction and Fortina resolves, they will start working again." Deha Turkel, a director of Taca Construction, told MaltaToday the workers were the responsi- bility of the subcontractor. "We have paid the subcontractor in full as per our contract. In any case, we are addressing this issue carefully and outmost impor- tance to resolve it in the shortest time possible. As per Fortina's statement, we duly reject the claims that they have paid us in full; let alone the statement of overpaying us. The dispute on the project has required us to take a drastic measures on pro- ject. Therefore we have agreed with the client to hire an inter- nationally acclaimed third-par- ty consultant to make an inde- pendent assessment and to await for the outcome." 'Workers are the responsibility of the suncontractor'