MEP Cyrus Engerer Praises 2 PN MPs In 1st Malta Parliament Speech

Sep 20 2023

Giving his first ever speech in the Maltese Parliament, MEP Cyrus Engerer took the opportunity to thank and praise PN MPs Claudette Buttigieg and Graziella Attard Previ for their work with the LGBTIQ+ community.

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The two PN MPs had been called ‘irrelevant’ for joining the EuroPride March last weekend, but Engerer used his speech to say that they were not irrelevant due to their contributions.

‘I hate the Maltese partisan political sphere’, wrote Engerer. ‘I do sometimes fall in the trap too, although I fight it as much as possible.’

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‘In my first ever speech in the Maltese parliament I thanked and praised PN MPs Claudette Buttigieg and Graziella Attard Previ for their important contribution to equality.’

He went on to explain how the two MPs were attacked and ridiculed for their participation, going on to say that he ‘salutes them for having always been there – sometimes behind the scenes others upfront. They have a very important role to play – we need to get in our side all of those that they could easily convince.’

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Kruiven Breaks Record For Longest Distance By Youngest Boy

Sep 20 2023

Kruiven Farrugia, the 9 year old boy who ran to raise awareness for Dar Bjorn, was awarded by The Malta Records for being the youngest boy to run the longest distance in Malta.

Kruiven ran 6 kilometres in 23 minutes and 20 seconds at the age of nine and 102 days in a fundraising run on the 7th of June 2023.

The record was awarded to the young runner at Dar Bjorn in the presence of ALS activist Bjorn Formosa himself, who was always there to support Kruiven and thank him for his dedication.

This comes ahead of the fundraising marathon on the 24th of September, which will continue to raise money for those suffering with ALS and other diseases so that they can have the support they need at Dar Bjorn’s homes.

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46% Of Maltese Believe They Will Go To Heaven When They Die

Sep 20 2023

New research indicates that a significant portion of the Maltese population perceives death as a release from suffering, and nearly half believe in an afterlife.

Among 400 surveyed individuals, 46% expressed some level of agreement with the statement “I will be in heaven after I die,” while 31% disagreed and 23% remained undecided.

The study, conducted by the University of Malta’s Faculty for Social Wellbeing during the summer and as shared by Times of Malta, revealed that those aged over 65 exhibited the strongest belief in heaven and an afterlife.

About 32% of this demographic strongly anticipated reuniting with loved ones post-mortem. Additionally, 78% concurred with the notion that death serves as a liberation from pain and suffering, a sentiment more prevalent among older age groups.

The research also suggested that Maltese culture tends to avoid discussing death, with 47% disagreeing to some extent and 21% adopting a neutral stance on the statement “Maltese culture and society are open to discussing death.”

Data collection was facilitated by research company Sagalytics, which conducted telephone interviews with 400 individuals aged over 18 during the summer. The Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R), a psychological assessment tool, gauged attitudes and beliefs about death and dying.

Respondents rated statements on a Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Results revealed that 69% strongly agreed that “death is no doubt a grim experience,” averaging a score of 6.26 out of 7. While 67% acknowledged death’s inevitability as a natural, undeniable event, a sense of fear persisted.

More than half (59%) admitted that the thought of their own death induces anxiety, and 51% stated that they actively avoid contemplating death. Interestingly, only 46% reported an intense fear of death, while 13% remained undecided.

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Malta Had Highest Bus Use Across The EU

Sep 19 2023

In 2021, Maltese citizens demonstrated the highest bus usage in the European Union, with 13.3% of total transport performance attributed to coaches, buses, and trolley buses, according to Eurostat.

Following closely were Hungary (12.8%) and Ireland (12.4%). Malta also had a relatively high car usage at 81.4%, surpassing the EU average of 79.7%. This figure is notably influenced by the limited availability of alternative mass transportation methods like trains and metros in Malta.

Cyprus, another EU nation lacking registered train usage, also exhibited above-average bus utilisation. On average, train usage across EU member states stood at 5.6%. Malta introduced free public bus rides for residents in October 2022. Eurostat’s data was based on passenger-kilometres, representing one passenger traveling one kilometre.

Regarding other modes of transport, Croatia led in air passenger-kilometres at 25.4%, followed by Bulgaria (16.3%) and Spain (13.1%). Austria retained the highest share (8.6%) of rail passenger-kilometres, trailed by France (8.3%) and the Netherlands (8%).

In sea transport, Croatia led with 2.7% of passenger-kilometres, followed by Greece (1.6%) and Estonia (1.5%). Despite shifts in transport patterns over the past decade, cars continued to dominate, accounting for 79.7% of passenger-kilometres in the EU in 2021.

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