National record broken twice in one day by Maltese female relay team

Apr 25 2022

As they engaged in a training camp in Italy, Malta’s national female relay team not only crushed the national record, but went on to do it a second time in the same day.

The team was comprised of star athletes Claire Azzopardi, Charlotte Wingfield, Carla Scicluna and Janet Richard. The four managed to achieve a record time of 46.07 seconds in the 4x100m relay.

However, this was not enough for the four powerhouses as they managed to lower the time to a whopping 45.80 seconds in the second run. The previous national record was 46.24 seconds which was in place for seven years.

The reduction of an entire minute was a great achievement as in such sport, every millisecond counts. And the athletes made sure all of them were accounted for professionally.

The athletes, who were training at Agropoli in Italy ahead of the Mediterranean Games in June, secured their spot for the games. They will be taking place in Oran, Algeria. Well done all!

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WATCH: Special Olympics announced with brand new Ira Losco song

Apr 25 2022

As Malta braces for the Special Olympics Invitational Games this May, singer and song writer Ira Losco unveiled the official song: Going For Gold.

Addressing a press conference, presenter John Bundy revealed that Ira Losco had always wanted to create an anthem for this special event which was constantly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Collaborating with producer Howard Keith, the local pop star produced the theme for the event to praise and encourage the athletes competing.

President of the Special Olympics Malta and wife of the Prime Minister Lydia Abela also spoke at the event. She went on to say that the organisation of these games in Malta would give a great opportunity for our athletes who get to compete on home soil.

With a music video highlighting some of the world’s most talented special olympians, Ira Losco said that she is not the protagonist here. She said that the spotlight belongs to the athletes as they continue to break stereotypes and challenges.

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Metsola calls Macron’s presidential win as an impulse for freedom

Apr 25 2022

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola expressed her thoughts on French President Emmanuel Macron’s victory during the election on Sunday.

Last Sunday, Macron managed to beat far-right opponent Marine Le Pen and secured another five years in power. In response, Metsola said that his victory ‘confirms an ambition for a Europe that gives itself the means to act.’

‘A Europe that asserts itself in the face of hostile powers, […] a political force based on peace, democracy and human rights.’

‘Nothing will ever stop a popular impulse for freedom. No regime anywhere in the world can resist this. That’s who we are, and that’s what we promote within and beyond. This is Europe’ said Metsola.

Marine Le Pen, who heralded the Conservative party in France, is infamous for her anti-EU and anti-globalisation stance. She has also been rumoured to have close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Le Pen did however perform well in the election, securing over 13 million votes for her party. Many French people said that they voted for Macron only to keep Le Pen out.

Ahead of the election, slurs were painted all over billboards, saying ‘fascist vs dirty liberal’ or ‘racist vs elitist.’ This does put Macron’s ‘Pour Tous’ (For Everyone) slogan into question.

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14% increase in domestic violence service use in 2020

Apr 25 2022

The use of services related to domestic violence saw a 14% increase in 2020 when compared to the previous year. Figures released by the National Statistics Office said that 2,919 people made us of such services in 2020.

79% of these persons were women, with the primary services used by people experiencing domestic violence were the Domestic Violence Unit within Agenzija Appogg.

There were 2,324 registered cases within the agency, with the police department registering 1,820 individual reports.

In 2020, more than half of the total cases registered across all services were persons aged over 40. 87%, a majority, were cases involving Maltese nationals. Over 90% of cases registered during 2020 were persons who experience psychological violence.

Of the police cases in 2020, more than 60% were persons experiencing psychological violence, with 38% reporting physical violence. Most cases involved male perpetrators, with only eight cases involving female perpetrators.

The majority of perpetrators were aged between 30 and 49, with 2020 seeing a total of 153 perpetrators using one or more services. 145 were males and 8 females.

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