New sanctions by EU to hit Russia’s coal imports and transport

Apr 6 2022

EU members will be discussing on Wednesday a new batch of proposed bans on Russian coal imports as well as the cutting off of transport links.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen proposed closing off all EU ports to Russian vessels and banning Russian, as well as Belarusian, road transport operators.

The new sanctions will be discussed on Wednesday, with Von der Leyen describing the bans as placing drastic limits for the Russian industry.

The coal import ban is one of the more significant sanctions due to Russia supplying about 70% of thermal coal to the EU last year. The US is also expected to announce its own set of bans on new investment in Russia, as well as on financial institutions, state-owned enterprises and government officials.

This follows calls by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Russian leaders to be brought to justice for committing war crimes, particularly in Bucha and Mariupol.

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What is ‘Pigeon Birth Control’ and how is it helping Malta’s pest problem?

Apr 6 2022

Pigeons are quite common in Malta and while they may seem harmless, the bird species is actually classified as a pest and case pose a number of serious threats. From carrying disease to serious property damage, a pigeon infestation calls for immediate contact with a local pest consultant and thankfully, Malta’s own Arnold Sciberras, also known as The Exterminator, has got to the bottom of it.

The pest consultant’s operation makes use of a pigeon contraceptive, specialised for wild pigeons, which size and shape is particularly design to attract these pigeons and not other species.

The contraceptive takes the shape of bird feed and must be applied gradually and continuously – halting the operation would render the contraceptive useless as the pigeons must consume it for an extended period. The aim of the contraceptive-laced feed is to allow the pigeon to live its regular life but not remain fertile. This would mean that the pigeon would be able to lay eggs but they would not hatch – automatically decreasing the pigeon population.

The feed is distributed via specialised silos, which are allocated in areas with large pigeon populations such as village squares, church roofs and other heavily-populated public spaces. The silos automatically distributed the feed every single day, with The Exterminator’s technicians visiting the sites daily to check on progress on continue maintenance on the silos themselves. Sciberras revealed that The Exterminator Pest Control services cover 180 sites in different zones across Malta and Gozo.

The advantage of such a projects is the fact that, since the product is specialised for a certain kind of pigeon, it cannot affect animals who do not consume the specialised food. Thus, it does not only effectively control the global population, but it exclusively controls and caters to the species without committing any form of cruelty.

Tag someone who CANNOT STAND pigeons.

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Aidan invited to perform fan-favourite ‘RITMU’ in London

Apr 6 2022

Following a massive success with his Eurovision track ‘RITMU’, Aidan was invited to perform alongside his team of dancers in London.

The song was an immediate hit with Maltese audiences given its catchy and dance-inducing rhythm. And it seems as though international audiences dug the song as well.

With a YouTube official video boasting over 87K views, the Ritmu team, donning cowboy hats and stylish patterns, took to the stage to an audience of support.

Despite not winning the Malta Eurovision Song Contest to represent the island in Turin, Ritmu still placed second and went on to occupy a place on many radio playlists.

The song kept number 1 place in Malta for three consecutive weeks, whilst also being the most played song in all of Malta.

Speaking to this newsroom, Aidan said that: ‘It was an honour for me to perform among some of the best bands and artists around Europe, including Sam Ryder and Chanel. I was actually surprised how much the fans knew about Ritmu and that they actually sang with the Maltese lyrics!

‘I am humbled by all the support and love from all the fans and I am currently working on my next performance in Madrid – Spain. We’ll be having some cool surprises there!’ said Aidan.

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50 tonnes of waste collected during general election and Pope visit

Apr 6 2022

Around 50 tonnes of waste were picked up by the Cleansing and Maintenance Division during the general election campaign and Pope Francis’ visit.

The past six week were immensely busy for this division as the events produced a numerous amount of waste all over Malta were events, rallies and meetings were held.

Director General Ramon Deguara explained how road cleaning was particularly challenging, as workers were picking up several items left behind. The workers would be present after every event to clean up but also to disinfect the zones. The type of waste most picked up were food receipts and bottles.

Pre-planning was organised, Deguara explained, to ensure that 24 hours after the event it would seem as though nothing had taken place. Deguara also highlighted how weather patterns did not always help the workers as strong winds and sometimes rain battered the events and following clean ups.

Deguara thanked all the workers for their time and energy as they kept the streets and cities in Malta clean and safe for further events to take place.

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