INTERVIEW
Playing hardball

Fashion retailer Diane Izzo never thought she’d make it so big. After borrowing Lm40,000 from her dad nine years ago, she left her job as a receptionist and opened the first Terranova in Malta. She owns fourteen shops now, but it was hard work. Interview by David Darmanin >>

EDITORIAL
Waiting for dawn
The NSO yesterday published unemployment figures up to July 2009. It makes interesting reading for number-crunchers and bad news for all others. In the twelve months to July 2009 Malta saw a rise in unemployment of 1,488 and Gozo a further 75 bringing the number of registered unemployed up to 7521 - 6760 in Malta and 761 in Malta. >>

OPINION
George M. Mangion
Let the buyer beware
During a recession weird things happen. Particularly, heavy casualties are reported by the weakest players of the economy. Take the drop in tourism. We have been regaled by the media with news of a constant drop in tourist arrivals (a 20,000 drop in June).>>