Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542236
GozoToday is a weekly newspaper focused primarily on Gozo. It hopes to serve as a source of information on business, culture, entertainment and of course current affairs. Gozo has a special charm about it but it is also a bustling Island with an identity of its own. GozoToday is published every Friday and is available to numerous outlets in Gozo and on the ferries that carry so many visitors to Gozo from Malta and beyond. GozoToday MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan San Gwann SGN 9016 ASSISTANT EDITOR: LAURA CALLEJA Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt 3 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 24 DECEMBER 2025 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 As a result, several sched- uled crossings will not oper- ate. From Mġarr to Ċirkewwa, the 12pm, 12:30pm, 12:45pm, 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:15pm and 2:30pm trips have been can- celled. From Ċirkewwa to Mġarr, the 12:15pm, 12:45pm, 1:15pm, 1:30pm, 1:45pm, 2:15pm, 2:45pm, 3pm sailings will also not take place. This means that the last ferry from Mġarr before the suspen- sion will depart at 11:30am, while the last crossing from Ċirkewwa will leave at noon. Services will resume in the afternoon with a 3pm departure from Mġarr to Ċirkewwa, followed by a 3:15pm crossing from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr. Gozo Channel urged passen- gers to take note of the tempo- rary suspension and plan their travel accordingly. The company's board said the decision was taken as a gesture of appreciation towards employees who are required to work long shifts, often in difficult weather conditions. It thanked staff for their continued commitment and for providing what it de- scribed as a reliable service to passengers throughout the year. Gozo Channel urges passengers to take note of the temporary suspension and plan travel accordingly Gozo Ferry MV Nikolaus (Photo: MaltaToday/James Bianchi) CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 At present, more than 850 students benefit from the stu- dent assistance scheme, re- ceiving €166.66 per month. Of these, around 150 students also qualify for the accommodation subsidy, which provides up to an additional €100 per month for students renting accommo- dation shared by three individ- uals. The minister said the accom- modation scheme will contin- ue unchanged until the end of 2025, ensuring continuity for current beneficiaries before the transition to a single payment system. The planned reform is in- tended to streamline student support measures by replac- ing multiple schemes with one unified monthly grant, applica- ble to all eligible students from 2026 onwards. More than 850 students benefit from the student assistance scheme WIRT Għawdex has organised the first in a series of lectures for the 2025-2026 programme on Friday 19 December 2025 at 6.30pm at St Cecilia Chapel, Għajnsielem. The lecture entitled "Id-Dritt li Tgħawweġ" ("The right to speak in dialect"), was de- livered in Maltese and focused on Gozitan dialects. The speakers looked at the ways in which Gozitans speak differ- ently from Maltese by analysing the phonology and grammar of the dialects. They also looked at the Gozitan vocabulary and how the composition and meaning of words morph once they cross the Channel. Moreover, the speakers investigated the different forms of the Gozitan dialect and how these change from village to vil- lage. Prof. Michael Spagnol teaches Maltese Linguistics at the Uni- versity of Malta. His research interests include terminology, di- alects, and Maltese grammar. He participates in international con- ferences and writes in academic publications and journals. Prof. Spagnol was the Head of the Mal- tese Department and the Head of the Committee for Terminology within the National Council for the Maltese Language. He is al- so the editor of Riċerkaturi, and a co-editor of Qabelxejn and the series Dizzjunarji Speċjalizzati. He manages the website Kelma Kelma and is one of the organ- isers behind Kelma Kelma Nota Nota. Keith Attard teaches Maltese as Saint Elias College. He has published two editions of the publication Ballun Pinġut (2012, 2014). He is also a proofread- er at Proofreading Malta and Merlin Publishers, as well as a scriptwriter for the programme Etimoloġija. Attard was the Pres- ident of the Għaqda tal-Malti, the University of Malta Maltese students' association. He also was the editor of issues 41 and 42 of the journal Leħen il-Malti. He has taught the orthography cours- es "Tisħiħ fil-Kitba tal-Malti 1", "Tisħiħ fil-Kitba tal-Malti 2", and "Il-Malti Pass Pass: L-Ortografi- ja", which were organised by the University of Malta and the De- partment of Maltese at the same University. The talk took its shape with the participation of the audience who stayed for a glass and some nibbles. Thanks to APS Bank for sponsoring this series of talks and to Delicata Winery for sponsor- ing the wine for this event. More information about forth- coming events can be accessed on www.wirtghawdex.org or www.facebook.com/WirtGhaw- dexNGO. The right to speak in dialect The speakers looked at the ways in which Gozitans speak differently from Maltese by analysing the phonology and grammar of the dialects 150 students qualify for the accommodation subsidy, which provides up to an additional €100 per month for students renting accommodation shared by three