Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/265009
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 23 FEBRUARY 2014 8 MATTHEW VELLA THE National Book Council will be registering, for the first time in so many years, a €5,000 surplus which the council's new chairman says comes in the wake of repeated defi- cits. Mark Camilleri was for some time a household name when he was dragged into court, together with award-win- ning novelist Alex Vella Gera, to face criminal charges of obscenity for the now notorious 'Li Tkisser, Sewwi', a short story he published on univer- sity pamphlet Ir-Realtà. After his acquittal, he was subse- quently appointed chairman of the book council under the new Labour government. His role in the anti-cen- sorship campaign of the day earned him the national honour of the medal for service to the Republic. Now into his first year at the helm of the council, Camilleri is planning "radical reforms" to the annual book awards that are the highlight of the council's calendar. "It's a competitive event that has been controversial since its incep- tion," Camilleri says. "Personally, I sympathise with several authors who are sceptical about the awards, even though I might not agree with their respective positions. The problem has always been with the adjudicat- ing system." Adjudication for the national book awards has always been affected by the lack of lucid and well-defined ac- ademic and artistic criteria, Camilleri says, pointing to the last awards held under his chairmanship as a case in point. "The system we inherited could not be changed once the call for submis- sions had been made by the previous council. Now that we are in a posi- tion to organise from scratch and in detail all aspects of the awards, we are working on radical reforms to improve this prestigious event. We will not only revise the system of the book category entries but, more sig- nificantly, they will bring into play internationally-recognised literary criteria to be used by the various ad- judicating boards," Camilleri says. The annual book fair has been the most important book event in the Maltese calendar for more than 30 years, providing an opportunity for publishers and authors to showcase their new publications and local bookstores to sell their stocks to the public. But Camilleri complains that the national book council remains underfunded. "Public institutions cannot deliver their full potential unless they get their administration and finances right. An institution cannot, for ex- ample, guarantee the permanence of an initiative if this initiative is being News Police after online commenters following hunters' defamation report 'They kept banging on the car, one of them grabbed my sister by the arm' Council has its books in order, says new head Secure Investment Secure Investment Issue of Issue of €100,000,000 100,000,000 in Fixed Rate Malta Government Stocks in Fixed Rate Malta Government Stocks (subject to the over (subject to the over-allotment option of allotment option of an additional sum of an additional sum of €60,000,000 60,000,000 MALTA GOVERNMENT MALTA GOVERNMENT STOCKS STOCKS _______ _______ (i) 3.2% MGS (Fifth Issue) ) 3.2% MGS (Fifth Issue) – Fungibility Fungibility Issue Issue Maturing in 2019 Maturing in 2019 at at €105.50 with a YTM of 2.119% 105.50 with a YTM of 2.119% (which corresponds to an (which corresponds to an annualised annualised rate of 2.130%), rate of 2.130%), and and _______ (ii) 3.3% MGS First Issue (ii) 3.3% MGS First Issue Maturing in 2024 Maturing in 2024 at at €100.25 with a YTM of 3.272% 100.25 with a YTM of 3.272% (which corresponds to an (which corresponds to an annualised annualised rate of 3.299%), rate of 3.299%), and and (iii) 4.45% MGS (Second Issue) (iii) 4.45% MGS (Second Issue) Maturing in 2032 Maturing in 2032 The Accountant General announces that the price for each Fixed Rate Malta Government Stock offered for subscription by members of the public has been established as follows: Fixed Rate Malta Government Stocks Applications Applications open open on on Monday Monday 24 24 th th February, February, 2014 2014 at at 8.30 30a.m. and and close close on on the the time time and and dates dates as as hereunder, hereunder, or or earlier earlier at at the the discretion discretion of of the the Accountant Accountant General General: • at at 5.00 00 p.m. on on Wednesday Wednesday 26 26 th th February, February, 2014 2014 for for applications applications by by any any single single and/or and/or joint joint applicants applicants which which in in the the aggregate aggregate do do not not exceed exceed €100 100,000 000 per per person, person, and and • at at 12 12.00 00 (noon) (noon) on on Monday Monday 3 rd rd March, March, 2014 2014 for for applications applications in in the the form form of of sealed sealed bids bids (auction) (auction). MALTA GOVERNMENT STOCK FOR SAFE INVESTMENT AND LIQUIDITY WITH INTEREST PAID UP MALTA GOVERNMENT STOCK FOR SAFE INVESTMENT AND LIQUIDITY WITH INTEREST PAID UP TO THE DAY OF RE TO THE DAY OF RE-SALE OF STOCK. SALE OF STOCK. SECURITY SECURITY CONTINUOUS LIQUIDITY CONTINUOUS LIQUIDITY INTEREST EVERY SIX MONTHS INTEREST EVERY SIX MONTHS (The value of the investment may go up or down during the tenor of the Stock.) Treasury Department, The Mall Building, The Mall Treasury Department, The Mall Building, The Mall - Floriana, Malta. Floriana, Malta. (iv) Any combination of the above three (iv) Any combination of the above three Stocks which in the aggregate shall be Stocks which in the aggregate shall be €100,000,000 100,000,000 Application Application forms forms may may be be obtained obtained from, from, and and lodged lodged at, at, all all Members Members of of the the Malta Malta Stock Stock Exchange Exchange and and other other authorized authorized Investment Investment Service Service Providers Providers on on the the indicated indicated dates dates. The The Prospectus Prospectus and and the the application application forms forms may may also also be be downloaded downloaded from from the the Treasury's Treasury's website website at at www www.treasury treasury.gov gov.mt mt. Bids Bids on on the the prescribed prescribed forms forms are are to to be be deposited deposited in in the the Treasury Treasury Tender Tender Box Box or or transmitted transmitted by by fax fax on on 2596 2596 7210 7210 or or by by e-mail mail at at the the e-mail mail addresses addresses indicated indicated on on the the application application forms forms. Maturing in 2032 Maturing in 2032 at at €100.25 with a YTM of 4.430% 100.25 with a YTM of 4.430% (which corresponds to an (which corresponds to an annualised annualised rate of 4.479%), rate of 4.479%), or or Maltese singer recounts horrifying ordeal as two Turkish men tried to snatch them away TWO readers who posted com- ments on Timesofmalta.com have landed in hot water, after their comments were reported to the police by hunters' lobby FKNK for defamation – two years after the authors in question condemned hunters of "breaking the law." Despite being legally responsible for the newspaper, Timesofmalta. com editors have not been dragged into the criminal proceedings launched by the police. MaltaTo- day understands that Allied News- papers furnished the details of the two authors without much hin- drance. The two comments were posted in 2012 in response to the joint op- eration of the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS) and the MIRIAM DALLI "WE want them, we want them… tourists are good," two Turkish men told a taxi driver while trying to abduct two Maltese women in Istanbul, Turkey. Horrified and at a loss as to what to do, 21-year-old singer Davinia Pace and her sister Natasha, 22, fought back in an attempt to keep the doors of the taxi closed as the abductors tried to get hold of them. The taxi driver got punched in the process as he pleaded with the attackers to leave the girls alone. "They started shouting 'we want them' and the driver said that we were tourists, but they insisted that tourists 'were good'," Davinia told MaltaToday in a phone inter- view.