Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/783519
maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 8 FEBRUARY 2017 THE world-famous duo The Chainsmokers have been an- nounced as the first and head- line act to perform at this sum- mer's Isle of MTV festival at the Granaries in Floriana. The American electro-dance duo shot into the global charts with their debut single #Selfie in 2014 and later hit stratospheric status with their 2016 hit Closer, Billboard Hot 100's longest run- ning #1 single of 2016. The track held the top spot for 12 uninter- rupted weeks and recently broke the record for number of weeks at #1 on the Billboard Dance/ Mixshow chart, topping the chart for 17 weeks running. The music video has over 1 billion views on Youtube. The Chainsmokers announced last week that they will release their debut album later this year via Columbia/Disruptor Re- cords. "The Chainsmokers absolutely dominated 2016 and we couldn't be more excited to have them join us in Malta for Isle of MTV this year. It's going to be an amazing, must experience event," MTV's Bruce Gillmer said. The 11th edition of the Isle of MTV festival will be held on Tuesday 27 June, and further acts will be announced later. It will be filmed and edited in- to a 60-minute special that will broadcast across 20 MTV chan- nels throughout Europe. The Malta Tourism Authority said that since Isle of MTV has been held in Malta, the number of under-24 year old tourists to the island has shot up by 120% and now accounts for 20% of all tourists. News Chainsmokers to headline this summer's Isle of MTV Archbishop snubs the far-right after 'patriots' request meeting MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S far-right 'patri- ots' grouping – the Moviment Patrijotti Maltin – wanted the blessing of the Archbishop for a spiritual pastor. But Charles Scicluna snubbed the anti-immi- gration zealots, suggesting they can approach any priest for "the Church's teaching on social jus- tice". Now having registered them- selves as a political party, the MPM has complained that Sci- cluna's snub had "prevented" it from having an appointed spir- itual leader, after it requested a meeting to "discuss the coun- try's moral and social deficit". On his part, Archbishop Sci- cluna said the doors of the Church would remain open to anyone seeking guidance on the Church's teaching on social jus- tice, a subtle hint at the MPM to brush up on the Catholic Church's teaching on the treat- ment of others, such as refugees, migrants and the poor. "While encouraging Christian politicians to practise their faith, it is not the Church's remit to appoint spiritual directors for a political movement," the Maltese Curia said. The MPM were ready to take the sleight to hyperbolic pro- portions, complaining that their party was being 'interdicted' by the Church for "fighting against the invasion of illegal immi- grants", harking back to the 1961 interdiction of Labour politi- cians. Archbishop Scicluna had bless- ed the 'Phoenix' vessel used by the Migrant Offshore Aid Sta- tion (MOAS) in Marsa, where he met founders Christopher and Regina Catrambone, and the crew of the vessel and a number of volunteers. "I only have a few words to share, to leave this to the beauty of the liturgy, especially on this ship, which I baptised as a 'New Door of Mercy'. The Holy Father has proclaimed 'A Year of Mercy' and I strongly believe that this is the ship of mercy," Scicluna said during the service. "That is also a door of mercy, it is a door of life, and the Lord blesses that door and whatever you do in saving lives... This is a high point in being human, giv- ing our lives, what we have and who we are, to be companions to other people. May your exam- ple be a shining light to all," he added. Archbishop Charles Scicluna has refused to meet the far-right party which wants to discuss the 'moral deficit' in Malta 2,584 sign up as organ donors since enactment of new law A single person has so far expressly stated that s/he does not want to become an organ donor TIM DIACONO 2,584 people have registered themselves as organ donors since a new law regulating organ donation came into force last December. Data as at the end of January seen by Malta- Today shows that the vast ma- jority of these respondents have chosen to donate all of their organs and tissues upon their death. 2,561 people have chosen to donate their kidneys – more than any other organ or tissue. In contrast, corneas are the least popular organ or tissue on the list, with 2,541 choosing to do- nate them. 2,560 people have agreed to donate their small bowel, 2,558 their lungs, 2,555 their pan- creas, 2,559 their heart, 2,550 their cartilage, 2,557 their heart valve, 2,552 their ligaments, 2,550 their tendons, and 2,552 their bone tissues. A single per- son has so far expressed the wish not to be a donor upon death. Unlike the old donor card sys- tem, the new organ donor regis- try is legally binding and cannot be overruled by a person's next of kin. If a person does not fill up a form before dying, then the onus will be on his/her next of kin to decide whether to donate the organs or not. Launching the register in De- cember, health minister Chris Fearne said that 140 people are currently awaiting organ trans- plants, with the majority in need of a kidney or cornea, but that only 40 organ transplants were carried out in 2016. The Democratic Party (PD) has called for the system to be changed so that every Maltese citizen is automatically regis- tered as an organ donor unless they expressly opt out, a similar system as used in Spain, France, Austria and Belgium.