€650,000 on Eurovision forces Malta to rethink its contest connection

May 27 2021

This morning multiple sources reported that the Maltese delegation for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 had spent over €650,000 (this has yet to be confirmed). This comes right after Minister Carmelo Abela ordered an audit into the budget for the contest following claims that part of the budget was used for betting to increase Destiny’s odds to win the contest.

One must acknowledge that participating in such a grand and renowned competition would necessarily entail the spending of large sums of money. Several other countries have spent as much, if not more, on attempting to win the prestigious contest, with some being successful. Therefore, should the Maltese public not wish to spend this large amount of money, participation in the Eurovision has to be ultimately ruled out.

The ensuing reactions were a mixed bag, with some expressing understanding whilst others condemning the money wasted which could have been used for other things. Some wanted the public to let singers, including 18-year-old Destiny, to simply enjoy the competition and called for support from the population. Others criticised the alleged findings by saying that other talents could have been discovered should the money have been spent differently and not ‘wasted’ on Eurovision.

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Photo Source: Eurovisionworld

Haley Bugeja voted best youth Serie A 2020/21 player

May 27 2021

Maltese international football star Haley Bugeja has been voted as the best youth player for the 2020/21 Serie A season. Despite having not participated in some matches, Bugeja finished her season with Sassuolo as the fourth best scorer in the Serie A. She was also Sassuolo’s best scorer for her first season away from Maltese shores.

Haley’s feats and accomplishments have only accumulated as she pushes forward in her football career which looks promising indeed. Well done Haley, you truly deserve it!

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Photo Source: FIGC Calcio Femminile

First GU clinic services launched in Gozo

May 27 2021

The Gozo General Hospital has launched the first genitourinary medicine clinic (GU) in Gozo. Operated by Steward Health Care Malta , the clinic will be operating on Friday afternoons on a fortnightly basis. Offering several services which aim at preventing and treating sexually transmitted disease and infection (STD’s and STIS’s), the new clinic will form part of the drive towards providing a wider range of services to Gozo and those visit the island, as pointed out by Gozo General Hospital Executive Director Joseph Fenech.

A professional staff will be able to provide testing services for diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, HPY, HIV, syphilis and hepatitis. Cryotherapy and other treatments will be available for patients of the GU clinic. All is done in strict confidence and in a non-judgmental environment. LGBTI+ Gozo Coordinator Eman Borg stated during the launch that the initiative taken by Steward Health Care Malta is one that will prioritise sexual health amongst Gozitans and promises great benefits to greater society.

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Photo Source: Steward Health Care Malta Communications

Malta deemed compliant as it passes Moneyval

May 27 2021

Times of Malta reported that an assessment by Moneyval has deemed Malta to have made significant progress in fighting money-laundering and terrorism financing. Malta was reported on Thursday to have succeeded in meeting expectations by The Council of Europe anti-money laundering body. After a set of deficiencies were highlighted back in 2019, the country has acquired full compliance with 12 of the 40 recommendations on how to improve the situation.

Still, Malta has minor deficiencies in the implementation of 28 other recommendations, in which the country has been deemed ‘largely compliant.’ Moneyval still kept Malta in the enhanced follow-up procedure which means authorities will have to report back on further progress. Despite this being a pass mark for Malta, the risk of grey listing still remains.

Grey-listing means the country will receive a strict reform procedure and ‘hand-holding’ by global authorities. This serves as a sign to global financial systems that the country in question poses heightened risks. The decision is up to the Assessors from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

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Photo Source: Health Europa