Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/863487
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 20 AUGUST 2017 7 News MediaToday as an independent publishing house is seeking the services of an experienced Maltese speaking videographer and editor with passion, drive and initiative to work on a full-time or part-time basis on the production of TV programs and audiovisual features. Duties will include coordinating with guests, research, scripting, editing and to ensure the smooth running of the production. Preference will be given to those applicants who have had experience working on TV productions. The applicant must be in a possession of a car licence and a car. Interested candidates are kindly requested to send their CV along with a covering letter to: The Managing Editor MediaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN9016 Or email: info@mediatoday.com.mt Closing date: 27/09/2017 ASSISTANT VIDEOGRAPHER & EDITOR YANNICK PACE AN application has been submit- ted to the Planning Authority for the construction of a Russian Or- thodox Church on a site in Triq Wied Ghollieqa, adjacent to Wied Ghollieqa Nature Reserve in Kap- para. The proposed development includes the construction of the actual church, one level of basement parking for 14 cars, as well as "ancillary facilities to the church, including stores and living quarters and multi-purpose rooms". Back in 2004, Alexandre Kury- shev, the head of Malta's St Paul's Orthodox parish, had submitted a similar application for the same site. Despite being recommended for refusal, an outline permit had been granted, however the devel- opment never took place. Kurt Guillaumier, San Gwann local council executive secretary, said when contacted by Malta- Today that the council had yet to discuss the matter, first at com- mittee stage and then at council stage. The council meets in two weeks' time to discuss whether or not to file an objection to the proposal. The public can submit objec- tions to the development, how- ever Guillaumier said the council had so far not received any objec- tions. "In reality, any development will bother some people, irre- spective of whether it's a shop or office block, or a church," he said. Guillaumier said that while he was unware any objections, he could not exclude the possibility of residents having voiced con- cerns with individual councillors. "We will be meeting next Tuesday and I'm sure that if there have been any complaints, they will be put forward," he said, adding however that the council could not simply object to the develop- ment on the basis of residents' complaints. He said the council must repre- sent residents in the area, but also stand for a common-sense ap- proach, with any objection being based on a "reasoned argument". Guillaumier said while people would tend to be against develop- ments "next door" to them, the church would not cause enough of a disruption to the area to merit an objection. One such example, said Guil- laumier was the proposed old people's home development in Wied Ghomor. "We met with Swieqi and St Julian's councils and decided we would object to any proposed developments be- cause it is a green area and a lung to the community and we feel it must be protected," he said. Plans for Russian Orthodox church in Kappara revived MATTHEW AGIUS & DENISE GRECH MALTESE human rights NGOs yesterday praised the government's decision to refuse port entry to a ship run by European far- rightists. The C-Star, a ship chartered by so-called 'identitarians' Defend Europe, had asked the Maltese authorities about procedures should they need services, but were refused entry earlier this week. "We would like to commend the govern- ment of Malta's stand against the far-right group Defend Europe in refusing to allow the C-Star to enter Malta," NGOs Aditus Foundation, Graffitti, Integra Foundation and the Jesuit Refugee Service (Malta), Ko- pin and The Critical Institute said in a joint statement. "Under the deceptive premise of 'saving lives', the mission of the vessel C-Star claims to 'defend Europe' by disrupting humani- tarian vessels and by returning refugees to the coast of Libya. The scope and actions of Defend Europe must not be underestimated, their political ideology is dangerous and ex- treme. The stance adopted by the govern- ment of Malta sends out a clear message against the politics of hate and extremism." While the ship's crew was scheduled to land in Lyon for a press conference this week, the C-Star appears to have stopped outside Maltese territorial waters while pur- porting to chart a course from Tunisia to Kalecik, Cyprus. As soon as it started its campaign, the boat was denied entry to Catania as a wave of protest escalated against the group's mission to prevent the rescue of asylum seekers and refugees at sea. Having left Cyprus on 1 August and being advised not to dock in Greece or Sicily for fear of protests, the C-Star briefly tracked the Aquarius, a search and rescue boat oper- ated by the NGO SOS Mediterranée, off the coast of Libya at the weekend. But on 7 August, Tunisian fishermen also prevented the 40m C-Star from entering the Zarzis harbour, forcing the vessel to head further along the north African country's coast in search of supplies. Earlier this week, three rescue missions led by Médècins Sans Frontieres, Save the Children, and Sea-Watch, had to dock their vessels on advice that they could be at the receiving end of violent retribution from the Libyan Navy, which is now intercepting departing boats of migrants and returning them to Libyan shores. Maltese NGO Aditus launched an appeal on Facebook calling on the Maltese authori- ties not to allow the vessel to dock in Malta, and not to cooperate with "an organisation that has demonstrated itself to be racist, and with a mission that clearly aims to violate basic human rights." 'Defend Europe' was set up to collect funds in a bid to a campaign at sea to ward off res- cue missions from bringing in asylum seek- ers and migrants fleeing African shores. The far-Right and anti-Muslim group is made up of young people from France, Germany, Italy and Austria, inspired by the 'Generation Identitaire' movement – some- what associated with the American alt-right movement. The group claims the rescuing of refugees from the Mediterranean Sea, where more than 2,400 men, women and children have drowned so far this year, is part of an "inva- sion" endangering the continent. It supporters chartered the C-Star to launch a vigilante-style mission and take on the dozen or so humanitarian organisations who pluck refugees and migrants from sinking boats and dinghies. Yesterday, a Facebook group calling itself 'Defend Malta' launched an online petition calling on the Maltese government to allow the boat to dock. But while no request has been made, a government source told The Times of Malta that "all we can say is they are not welcome." After developing engine trouble at sea, the group was forced to issue a distress call. The European Union Naval Force Mediter- ranean said the distress call was flagged to Sea Eye, a German migrant rescue organisa- tion. "As our Sea Eye cutter is closest to the C-Star, we were commissioned by MRCC Rome (the sea tributary centre for the western Mediterranean) to help the ship," Michael Buschheuer, chairman of Sea Eye, said: "To help in distressed persons is the duty of everyone who is at sea - indiffer- ent to their origin, skin colour, religion or spirit." 'Defend Europe' anti-refugee mission is undisputed failure 'Defend Europe' crewmembers harassing a migrant rescue NGO from miles away with a megaphone. The ship was denied access to various ports for purposes of stocking up, effectively rendering its anti-refugee mission an undisputed failure