Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ in Top 10 charts thanks to Stranger Things

Jun 4 2022

Musical sensation Kate Bush has climbed back in the Top 10 of the UK singles chart for the third time since the 1980s after Netflix show Stranger Things used one of her tracks in the new fourth season.

‘Running Up That Hill’, which had reached No. 3 following the initial release in 1985, reached number 8 this week based on streams and downloads.

After a slow start at the beginning of the week, when the song was still outside the Top 100, the popularity exploded after fans of the mystery drama watched THAT scene and recognised Bush’s genius.

The song plays a key part in the series (without spoiling too much) and it has now gone on to be streamed each day on Spotify in the US and UK. It is even in the same number 2 position as Harry Styles’ ‘As It Was’ on Apple Music.

The song also shows the cultural power Stranger Things has on the zeitgeist. The season 4 premier registered the biggest one ever on Netflix, with viewers spending 287m hours watching the first seven episodes.

#MaltaDaily

Man injured after gas cylinder explodes in Valletta

Man injures after gas cylinder explodes in Valletta

Jun 4 2022

Police were informed yesterday at around 2200hrs that an explosion was heard coming from an establishment in Triq l-Ordinanza, Valletta.

After convening on site, preliminary investigations found that a gas cylinder had exploded, inuring a 44-year-old man.

Civil Protection and a medical team were called on site, with an ambulance taking the man to Mater Dei Hospital for further medical attention. He was later certified as having suffered grievous injuries.

Investigations are ongoing.

#MaltaDaily

Malta is getting hotter, less humid and declining winds

Jun 4 2022

A study published by the National Statistics Office reveals that Malta’s annual mean temperature has risen by around 1.5 degrees Celsius since 1952.

With air and sea temperatures climbing steadily over the years, humidity and rainfall became more of a rare occurrence on the island. Here is everything the report by UOM associate professor Charles Galdies found.

Sunshine duration increased: 6 minutes more sunshine every 10 years, with the report finding that winter months showed the sharpest rise in sunshine since 1961.

Less cloudy: decrease of 0.1 oktas per decade, with an okta being a unit of measurement describing the amount of cloud cover at any location.

Air getting warmer: highest maximum temperature increasing by 1.2°C since 1952. The annual mean, maximum, and minimum air temperatures show a clear upward trend starting from 1952.

2016 saw the highest annual mean ambient air temperature at 20.1 degrees Celsius since 1952. This is just above that of 2001 at 19.9 degrees Celsius.

The highest maximum ambient temperature has increased by 1.2°C since 1952.

Less rain: 24 hour rainfall decreased by 0.3mm per decade since 1952. 2016 had the least rainfall, followed by 2001 and 2020. Between 1952 and 2020, rainfalls decreased by 10.3mm per decade.

More thunderstorms: Days with thunderstorms increased between 1952-2020. Autumn is Malta’s most thundery period, whereas the month of November saw the biggest increase of thunderstorms.

Less wind: Wind speed declining at 0.8 knots over past 60 years. The winter season saw the steepest overall wind speed reduction, with north-westerly winds being the most common across all seasons.

Hot water: highest mean sea temperature in August 2020 at 28.0 °C, which was also resisted in August 2003. Around 60% of all 20 maximum sea temperatures happened n the last 20 years. Malta is also getting less humid, with a negative trend being noted. A declining trend of around 0.8 percentage points per decade.

#MaltaDaily

Photo Source: Mercury Holidays

Russian lobbyists banned from EP premises 100 days since war began

Jun 3 2022

The European Parliament has effective immediately banned all Russian lobbyists and company representatives from its premises.

EP President Roberta Metsola said that Europe had to protect itself from the Kremlin’s influence and propaganda over the Ukrainian war.

100 days ago the world changed.#Europe’s response has been unprecedented. We must remain united & resolute.

Next week @Europarl_EN welcomes 🇺🇦 Speaker @r_stefanchuk in #Strasbourg to discuss our continued support.

Europe must lead.
Europe must offer hope.#StandWithUkraine

— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) June 3, 2022

With the war in Russia’s neighbouring country reaching the 100th day of bloodshed, the EU has since responded with a number of sanctions on Moscow. Metsola unveiled the latest hit to Russian forces from the West, tweeting out;

‘Effective immediately, Russian company representatives are no longer allowed to enter. We must not allow them any space to spread their propaganda & false, toxic narratives about the invasion of Ukraine. We will remain united & strong against autocrats.’

Effective immediately, Russian company representatives are no longer allowed to enter @Europarl_EN premises.

We must not allow them any space to spread their propaganda & false, toxic narratives about the invasion of #Ukraine.

We will remain united & strong against autocrats.

— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) June 2, 2022

The European Parliament has various faced criticism, being accused of having evaded discussions about barring Russian lobbyists. Metsola herself had issued a proposal to create the ban which comes into effect today.

#MaltaDaily