Arabella Dorman, internationally renowned war atist and one of Britain’s leading portrait painters, gave an outstanding and very moving talk about her exploration of the human face of conflict in the Middle East to a spell bound audience at the National Liberal Club in London’s Whitehall on 28^th January. Using her own paintings and sketches she took us on a journey from Iraq to Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza and most recently Syria, in her search for light in the darkest corners of existence.

One of Malta’s most-loved landmarks – the iconic tower of the Grade 1 listed St. Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral in Valletta – and Valletta’s skyline are about to be saved for posterity as a 3 million euro contract is signed between the Anglican Church authorities and a Maltese joint venture company made up of leading contractors, Vassallo Builders Ltd, Agius Stoneworks Ltd and Vaults Ltd .

The cost of saving the St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral structure and spire in Valletta has doubled to more than €7 million, the committee tasked with raising funds said as it announced that restoration works are expected to begin shortly.

A newly launched appeal for €3m (£2.6m) to restore St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral in Valetta, Malta has got off to an encouraging start. The appeal attracted wide attention with a headline in the Sunday Times “Queen’s Maltese Church is Crumbling” drawing attention to the fact that after World War II, the then Princess Elizabeth lived on the Mediterranean island while Prince Philip was stationed there as a Royal Naval officer.