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TRUTH IS OF NO COLOUR WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT PAGE 8 EXAM HELP SUNDAY • 15 MAY 2022 • ISSUE 1176 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY maltatoday The Deiulemar settlement by BOV puts yet more salt on an open wound PAGES 12-13 €1.95 More pupils are requesting aids for learning difficulties in O-levels PAGE 3 Demand for abortion pills doubles during pandemic BY LAURA CALLEJA THE demand for abortion pills has doubled over the last two years due to travel restrictions brought about by the COV- ID-19 pandemic, pro-choice doctors said in data shared with MaltaToday. International online abortion sevice Women on Web pro- vided the data to Doctors for Choice representative Prof. Isa- bel Stabile and Women's Rights Foundation's Andrea Dibben, who revealed that over the last five years, 632 abortion pills were shipped to Malta. In 2021 alone, 248 pills were shipped to Malta, compared to 173 in 2020. The constituency with the highest number of purchases in 2021 the 10th district – Gzira, Naxxar, Bahar ic-Caghaq, Pem- broke, St Julian's, and Paceville Sliema with 34, followed by the 12th district, which consists of Mellieha, part of Naxxar, with 30 pills in 2021. PAGES 2-3 into... present JAMES DEBONO THE Maltese authorities have started talks with another EU member state to enable them to test the chemical composi- tion of pesticides found in the local market in a foreign lab, after a European Commission audit found that no such test- ing has been taking place since at least 2005. "We have established com- munication with another EU member state to be in a posi- tion to utilise their laboratory to for the execution of formu- lation analysis," a spokesperson for the Malta Competition and Consumers Affairs Authority (MCCAA) told MaltaToday. NATIONAL BANK SAGA Ride-hailing platforms and gig workers: a new battle for rights PAGE 10 FOOD SAFETY Malta in talks to test pesticide products abroad Over the last five years, 632 abortion pills were shipped to Malta by one abortion rights charity alone. "In reality, the number is greater," says gynaecologist Isabel Stabile metaverse say Maltese start-ups in brave world PAGES 14-15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 FEBRUARY 2022 COMMENT What are we skinning? The relative qualities of Robert Abela vs Bernard Grech, ahead of the newly announced 26 March general election date. Why are we skinning it? Because it's the one thing on everyone's mind… at least it was until Russia decided to invade Ukraine. But I still think it's a topic worth considering, albeit with, perhaps, an adjustment to reflect (and perhaps as- suage) our global anxiety at the present moment. What would that adjustment be? I think we should dedi- cate some time to consider- ing which of the two leaders is more sexually attractive than the other. The maturity that underlies your political analysis never ceases to astound me. Thank you, and I certainly don't intend to hold back on my thrusting rigour at such a climactic moment in our democracy. But I'm afraid it's all a bit of a non-starter, really. Why do you say that? I mean, Robert Abela was a bodybuilder, and he's like a decade younger than Grech. Again, this is where a near-lascivious attention to detail and an ever-pene- trating analytical spirit can swoop in to offer some grace. me, darling. Well, I not write if you squint hard enough. Exactly! And with the screen- time we've all been allowing ourselves to indulge in over the past few days, given the small matter of a large-scale European conflict threaten- ing to erupt just like that, we're all squinting anyway… Yeah okay, but that's a bit of a low bar. But I don't think that's the only thing Grech has up his sleeve. Nevermind the indelible charms of his Clooney hairdo, his squat physique could be the most subtle asset in his erotic arsenal. How so? Think about it. Abela towers over most of us Maltese, while Grech is at level with us. I imagine Abela would never be terribly comfortable seated… Yes, it must take some effort to fold those aching muscles to sit for a prolonged period of time. So you get my point. Now… just picture Bernard Grech wrapped nice and squat on a leather armchair, clutching a glass of whiskey and looking at you with his half-a-foot stare… I'm scared of where this is going. And as we're re-learn- ing over this past week, fear gets you places. Do say: "Rating political leaders by sexual allure should never become the norm. Mainly because said candidates are likely to have better access to cosmetics, putting us all at an unfair advantage and scuppering chances at electoral What Vladimir Putin has learnt from the West PAGE 15 The Skinny Malta, shrunk down MICHAEL FALZON Off with a whimper PAGE 7 No 128 | Abela vs Grech: Who's Hotter? JOSANNE CASSAR Hallelujah it's raining cash PAGE 6 EDITORIAL The environment is not just for the elections PAGE 2 SAVIOUR BALZAN The survey tells a political story PAGE 5 Putin clearly considered western sanctions to be a price worth paying, and calculated that western support for Ukraine would not extend to direct military intervention maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 MAY 2022 CLASSIFIEDS & COMMERCIALS ARTS • TV • WHAT'S ON JAMES BIANCHI Mario Micallef "Guiltiest pleasure? Secretly eating sweets while watching evening TV!" maltatoday Get the critical perspective on politics, culture and society Be the first to enjoy our print newspaper with a subscription When you need to decode what politicians are saying, when you want to understand why Malta's crazy construction industry is impacting upon your life, when you need to step out of the social media and understand the world from a different perspective, our journalists and columnists will provide you with expert reporting, analysis and commentary. Order now at maltatoday.uberflip.com