Average of 3,428 passengers per cruise liner berthing in Malta in 2023

May 2 2023

In the first quarter of 2023, the total cruise passenger traffic amounted to 71,986, the National Statistics Office revealed.

There were 21 cruise liner calls during the first quarter of 2023, which is a decrease of just 2 when compared to the corresponding quarter of 2022.

Transit passengers accounted for the absolute majority of total traffic, reaching 68,562. ‘On average, every vessel that berthed in Malta carried 3,428 passengers’. This is 2,332 more than the previous year.

Female passengers amounted to 53.2% of the total traffic, at 38,304 passengers. Meanwhile, the largest share of passengers, or 34.1%, fell within the 40 to 59 age bracket.

Italy and Germany dominated the top two markets for this quarter, with passengers from EU member states comprising 72.6% of total traffic.

Italy accounted for 24.1% of total traffic, followed by Germany with 18.4%. The total number of passengers from non-EU countries stood at 19,744.

32.1% of these came from the UK and 13.9% came from the USA.

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Popular YouTubers Sidemen react to viral Maltese video

May 2 2023

In one of their most recent uploads to YouTube, three of the popular platform’s stars from the Sidemen reacted to an iconic Maltese meme.

The clip was uploaded to the video ‘People having a worse day than you!’, as the three sidemen reacted to a bread distributor being scared by tray being slammed onto the road.

‘That’s quite funny’, Ethan Payne, known in the group as Behzinga, said as the other two laughed at the iconic meme popular on the island.

For those of you unfamiliar with YouTube stardom, the Sidemen is a British YouTube group who produce various challenges, sketches and game commentaries.

They amassed a combined total of over 138 million subscribers as of October 2022 and consisted of stars like KSI among their ranks.

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Winners of Malta Football Players Association announced

May 2 2023

The Malta Football Players Association announced on the 1st of May the most outstanding performers during the 2022-23 season.

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A total of 35 awards were up for grabs during the gala night, including the 11 players king up the MFPA Best XI for both men and women, and the Merit Award for outstanding contribution to Maltese football.

The MFPA Men’s and Women’s best Player titles were claimed by Matthew Guillaumier and Jade Flask respectively, followed by Shaun Dimech and Sara Saliba who took the Men’s and Women’s Best Young Player titles.

Michael Spiteri bagged the Assikura Merit Award, with Branko Nisevic winning the MFPA Best Coach award after winning the league with Ħamrun.

Lydon Micallef won the MFPA Best Challenge League Player for the second consecutive year, who was also part of the MFFPA Best Challenge League Players category being dominated by Sliema Wanderers.

Timothy Thomas took the 2023 MFPA Best Amateur League Player and Trustin Farrugia Cann landed the Best Referee award.

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Abela announces refund checks; Grech slams low salaries

May 2 2023

Addressing his Worker’s Day mass meeting speech yesterday, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced a new round of tax refund cheques for around 250,000 workers.

The cheques are set to be issued starting Monday 8th May and will be costing the government €26 million. Abela highlighted how this figure is double the €12 million spent on the first round.

Abela also addressed criticisms of the cheque round practice, with this being the sixth round, by saying that the Opposition does not want people to enjoy the wealth being created.

On his part, Opposition leader Bernard Grech also addressed a Guardamangia audience during a protest in front of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and St Luke’s Hospital, saying that workers are being overworked and underpaid.

He slammed the government for ‘trying to hide these injustices and not improving worker conditions.’ He also slammed Abela for not mentioning the 19 year anniversary of Malta entering the EU.

Grech also stood by his claim that it was the police commissioner who ordered Jean Paul Sofia’s friend to be arrested for putting up a banner in front of parliament.

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