fbpx

MHRA raises concerns over new Sliema Seafront fuel station

MHRA raises concerns over new Sliema Seafront fuel station
Mar 9 2023 Share

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association issued a statement in reference to the news published yesterday stating that a Sliema kerbside fuel station has been slated for approval.

“MHRA questions the need of having a fuel station set just right at the Sliema seafront when this should be considered as one of Malta’s leading tourism destinations. Rather than going for such eyesore developments, MHRA states that the relevant authorities should be directing investment towards the improvement of the quality experience of the Sliema seafront and its surroundings.”

“Facilities such as fuel stations should be located outside the town cores for various reasons so MHRA cannot understand such contradictory decisions by the relevant authorities when all today agree that Sliema and other tourism destinations across Malta and Gozo should be embellished to promote a more authentic experience. MHRA states that such decisions contribute towards the depletion of the image of a destination and once lost it will be impossible to bring it back.”

“Indeed, MHRA asserts that it’s about time that a clear message is sent by the relevant authorities that they are working on the same wavelength in recognizing the importance of the holistic experience offered through critical tourism destinations such as that of Sliema seafront.”

“Unfortunately, from what we are seeing it doesn’t augur well for the future, however MHRA trusts that in such case logic will ultimately prevail.”

What do you make of this? 

#MaltaDaily

517 kids under 18 were homeless in Malta in past 10 years

517 kids under 18 were homeless in Malta in past 10 years
Mar 9 2023 Share

According to the new study ‘Homeless Human Evolution’ by YMCA, a total of 517 children under the age of 18 faced homelessness in Malta in the past 10 years. 

The most common age bracket from 2012 to 2022 was that of between 25 and 34 years old with a total of 762. This was followed by those aged between 18 and 24 at 683 and finally those between 35 and 44 at 593.

The study also revealed that, in 2022, the under-18 age bracket of 0 to 4 faced the highest risk of homelessness in 2022 with a total of 40, followed by 5 to 9 and 10 to 13. 

‘This indicates that families are increasingly becoming at risk of homelessness, this can also be attributed to the post-pandemic recession, whereby the cost of living and rise in rent and property costs accompanied by many people having lost their job during the pandemic resulting in families not being able to provide, losing housing, and becoming homeless or roofless’ the study explained.

Meanwhile, the majority of people who become homeless are young men between 18 and 34 years of age, with a total of 208 males in 2022 and 152 females in the same year. 

‘Gender distribution of people seeking shelter at YMCA is mostly male, standing at 63.4% between 2012 and 2022.’ 

In terms of nationality, 52.9% of people seeking shelter from 2012 to 2022 were Maltese whereas 47.1% were Non-Maltese. 

In 2022, 50.13% of 367 referrals seeking shelter were Maltese, with 46.59% being Non-Maltese and the remaining of unknown nationality. The study noted how the most common nationality amongst referrals were Somali, followed by Libyan, Eritrean, British and Sudanese.

33.0% of people seeking shelter from 2012 to 2022 were European whereas 67.0% were Non-European. For the full report, please report to the YMCA official page. 

#MaltaDaily 

Adidas might just literally burn $500 million Yeezy stock

Adidas might just literally burn $500 million Yeezy stock
Mar 9 2023 Share

Adidas is seriously considering the possibility of burning – literally setting fire to – its $500 million stock of Yeezy sneakers. 

The footwear giant, which dropped its partnership with rapper Kanye West following anti-semitic remarks, could face a significant loss if it cannot sell the stock of once highly sought after sneakers.

CEO Bjorn Gulden reported to The Washington Post that the company might not be able to sell its Yeezy inventory this month. The entire Yeezy sneaker collection is estimated to be around $300 million to $500 million.

Whether or not the footwear company rebrands the shoe, it will still be massively impacted by the current inability to sell them. Publishing its financial guidance for 2023, the company revealed that not selling the shoes might lower revenues by around $1.2 billion and operating profit by around $500 million. 

“Against this background, Adidas expects currency-neutral sales to decline at a high-single-digit rate in 2023. The company’s underlying operating profit is projected to be around the break-even level.”

The Washington Post went on to report that one of the options of getting rid of the remaining Yeezys was to literally burn them. However, the CEO still remained hopeful that the company could successfully rebrand them whilst becoming profitable once more. 

#MaltaDaily 

Women’s Day March in Valletta calls out inaction by Malta’s court

Women's Day March in Valletta calls out inaction by Malta's court
Mar 9 2023 Share

During yesterday’s demonstration in Valletta on International Women’s Day, various protestors lay down on the steps of Malta’s court building holding placards resembling tombstones to protest the lack of action against violence by authorities.

Behind them sat three masked figures, representing Justice Minister Jonathan Attard, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa and Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri.

The placards read ‘Delays in court killed me’, ‘pointless police station reports’, and ‘orders uselessly released’. 

The rest of the protest saw people carrying placards and banners commemorating victims of femicide, domestic violence and failed systemic assistance. Bernice Cassar, Rita Ellul, Sion Grech and Paulina Dembska were prominently commemorated during the protest as the most recent victims of male on female and/or gender based violence. 

The demonstration was backed by various NGOs and activist groups, including Moviment Graffiti, MGRM, Doctors for Choice Malta, Young Progressive Beings, Men Against Violence, Dance Beyond Borders and many more. 

#MaltaDaily