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Newspaper post YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT SUNDAY • 13 DECEMBER 2015 • ISSUE 840 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY 15 14 Barts will eat into Mater Dei resources, PM told WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT Bona murder Trial by jury continues See page VII of the Christmas supplement MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S medical students and the dean of the University of Malta's faculty of medicine have raised a red flag over the deal inked with Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) to launch its €175,000 degree course in Malta, because it will involve "sharing" teaching re- sources at the medical school with student- doctors following the Barts Medical School degree. Questions are being raised by students and doctors as to whether there are enough con- sultants to tutor up to 180 paying students from Barts at Mater Dei Hospital (MDH), and whether the gov- ernment will increase the staff complement. Replies given to Malta- Today suggest the gov- ernment will remuner- ate existing staff for the extra time dedicated to Barts students. Eyebrows were raised when Mater Dei's department heads were recently informed in a letter from QMUL dean Prof. Anthony Warrens that clinical resources at Mater Dei will have to be accorded to Barts students. The arrangement would mean sharing consultants at Mater Dei Hospital, already occupied with some 450 University of Malta students, with those following the expensive QMUL and Barts degree. It was through Warrens's letter that the dean of the University of Malta's faculty of medicine, Prof. Godfrey LaFerla, learnt that the government had entered into a contrac- tual obligation to have Barts students granted clinical space at Mater Dei Hospital. "We are aware that Barts Medical School operate on a very tight and strict tutor-student ratio," Prof. LaFerla told Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his ministers of education and health, and the university's rector, in a letter warning that this will create "an unfavourable situation for our local medical students with first prefer- ence being given to the parties of the contrac- tual agreement". PAGE 10 'Barts students will pay €35,000 each year but train at Mater Dei, whose consultants must also tutor 500 Maltese students' THE presidents of Libya's two parlia- ments - the internationally-recognised government in Tobruk, and its rival Is- lamist faction Libya Dawn in Tripoli - were scheduled to meet in Malta yester- day. Late on Friday night, both the Tobruk and Tripoli authorities made known their wish to the Maltese government that the presidents of the two parliaments wanted to meet in Malta the following day. The Maltese government accepted to provide logistical support for the meet- ing to take place. Following the confirmation of flights from delegations of both sides, a delega- tion led by the president of the Tripoli General National Congress, Nouri Abusahmein landed in Malta late yester- day afternoon. But the Tobruk delega- tion cancelled their participation. Libya's rival factions have given them- selves just four days to reach a UN-backed national unity government agreement designed to end their conflict. The target date was agreed on under the auspices of UN envoy Martin Kobler, who has met with representatives of the two rival parliaments of Tobruk and Tripoli. A deal was close several times over the past year of UN-brokered talks but has always fallen at the final hurdle. The UN says forming a unified Libyan government is a precondition for tack- ling the Libyan branch of ISIS, which has profited from the chaos in Libya to build a position there. mt survey 60% WANT TUNNEL MaltaToday polls Gozo: Chris Said and Anton Refalo most popular MPs JAMES DEBONO A MaltaToday survey among 400 Gozitan re- spondents confirms strong support for the submarine tunnel linking the two islands, with 60% favouring its construction. But a comparison with a similar survey in 2011 suggests a 5-point drop in agreement with the tunnel, mainly among PN-leaning voters. The survey shows 14% of those who voted Labour in 2013 will abstain in a forthcoming election, compared to just 2% of PN voters. But the survey also shows the PN losing 3% of its 2013 voters to Labour while gaining only 2% of PL voters. And 35% of Gozitan switchers – PN voters who voted Labour in 2013 – now intend not voting. When these shifts are taken into account, the PN gains two points in Gozo compared to its 2013 performance, possible the result of a higher abstention rate among PL voters rather than any gains the PN has won. Labourites are more likely to support the Gozo tunnel, as are respondents who have relatives working in Malta and the younger generation. But support is lower among PN voters, those aged over 55, and those who don't have relatives working in Malta. PGS 6-7 Tobruk cancels planned Malta meet between Libyan rivals 4 Hard-man 'Bona' kidnapped woman who had reported him to police Two weights, two measures in Ian Borg planning case 13 12 ANALYSIS by James Debono into how MEPA reached controversial decision for junior minister's Rabat home Are poverty and social exclusion among the elderly on the increase? YOUR FIRST READ AND FIRST CLICK OF THE DAY SUNDAY • 15 14 €1.40 maltatoday