Maltese Maria Farrugia Awarded Barclays Women’s Champion Player for March

Apr 19 2024

Maria Farrugia has clinched the title of Barclays Women’s Championship Player of the Month for March, thanks to her stellar performances for Lewes FC. The Malta international proved instrumental, netting two goals and providing two assists in victories against Sheffield United (2-1) and Watford (2-1).

Farrugia also played a crucial role for the Malta national team in their UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualification campaign in League B, facing off against Northern Ireland and Portugal.

With 42 caps and seven goals to her name for Malta, the former Sunderland player continues to make her mark both domestically and internationally.

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Maltese Ian Borg & Vanessa Frazier Praised By World Leaders

Apr 19 2024

Minister for Foreign Affairs, EU Affairs & Trade Ian Borg along with Maltese diplomat Vanessa Frazier, currently serving as the Permanent Representative for the United Nations, were praised for their work by world leaders.

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This comes as Malta hosted a vote as it assumes the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the month of April.

The vote saw the United States blocking a resolution which would have recognised a Palestinian state. 12 members of the council voted in favour, with the UK and Switzerland abstaining.

The US veto was crucified by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, saying the act was ‘unfair, immoral and unjustified’ as it ‘defies the will of the international community’.

Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised the US veto, calling the proposal ‘shameful’.

During his address, Malta’s Foreign Minister highlighted 11 key points from his address, urging for de-escalation as well as the condemnation of killing abduction of over 1,450 Israelis on October 7th and the killing of 33,200 Palestinians in the reprisal.

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K9 Officer Sophie Retiring After 6 Years Of Service

Apr 19 2024

One of the esteemed canine officers with the Malta Tax and Customs Administration, K9 Sophie, a loyal Labrador Retriever, has retired after joining in 2018.

Sophie was known for swiftly transitioning into “customs officer mode” with exceptional olfactory skills, obedience, and determination.

She made 106 positive detections, including seizing almost €1 million in undeclared cash, with her largest find being €165,318 at Malta International Airport. Sophie also detected 15,600 cigarettes in 28 tobacco seizure cases.

Last year, she received the Best Animal in Uniform award at Malta’s Animal Honours Award ceremony.

Sophie’s accomplishments mirror the success of the Customs unit, which seized 600kgs of cocaine and 35kgs of cannabis in the first three months of 2024 across seaports and the airport.

They also confiscated 72,000 counterfeit items, detected 24 stolen vehicles, and found over €60,000 in undeclared cash at the airport.

Sophie has retired and been adopted by her dog handler, marking the end of her dedicated service. Her impressive track record underscores the vital role of canine units in Customs operations, enhancing detection capabilities and contributing significantly to border security.

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Randolph Debattista Addresses EU Council On LGBTIQ+ Rights

Apr 19 2024

Speaking at the Plenary of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg for the first time, Maltese Labour MP Randolph Debattista outlined various instances around the world wherein LGBTIQ+ people are being targeted for who they are.

Proudly wearing a rainbow bracelet, Randolph asked the council how hatred is allowed to win over a message of love and hope.

‘As we speak, there’s a Bill before the Parliament of Georgia which bans gender affirmation for trans people. It bans adoption for same sex couples and bans LGBTIQ+ people from gathering in the streets’.

Apart from public attacks and posters against individuals from civil society, Russia too, Randolph said, is making it so that someone like him is considered a terrorist.

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‘Yes I am a fighter against bigotry. And this #rainbow band is my weapon! I wear this because I’m privileged. I wear it for those who cannot wear it.’

He went on to urge the dismantling of barriers that stand in the way of equality and the challenging of the status quo.

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