PN MP calls out PBS for not reporting on Malta’s transparency index drop

Feb 2 2023

PN MP Graham Bencini has lodged a complaint with the Broadcasting Authority against TVM for not reporting Malta’s poor ranking in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

In a letter to the BA, Bencini claimed that TVM’s failure to report the news is a violation of subsidiary laws that require broadcasting to be impartial and accurate.

Bencini also accused the government of political interference in PBS and argued that the BA is obliged to monitor PBS and take action in such cases.

The latest CPI by Transparency International ranked Malta at 51 out of 100, its lowest score ever. Malta is ranked alongside Rwanda and Saudi Arabia and is seven points behind Qatar.

The CPI measures various types of corruption including bribery, public sector red tape, and access to government information. The top spots in the ranking were occupied by Denmark, followed by Finland, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, and Sweden.

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Outrage as Paulina Dembska’s temporary memorial found vandalised

Feb 2 2023

A temporary memorial honouring the late Paulina Dembska, a Polish student who was raped and murdered in Sliema a year ago, was found vandalized.

The memorial, which was set up near the site of her death and consisted of a picture of Paulina and a poem, was found with scratch marks on her eyes.

Paulina’s friend, Agnieszka Gramala, is working with an artist to create a permanent memorial for her friend. The vandalism has prompted them to act sooner.

‘Paulina’s family and I would like to do something artistic and subtle to commemorate Paulina – right there in Sliema. It was her beloved place and it’s important to us that some small part of her always looks at this view. Unfortunately, the temporary initiative was destroyed by someone’ wrote Agnieszka.

Paulina’s death sparked a change in legislation to include femicide in the criminal code and led to a mass and vigil on the anniversary of her murder.

A group of female artists painted a mural at the entrance of the garden where Paulina was killed last year to commemorate the victim.

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Boost for Malta’s hotels in 2022 despite still below pre-pandemic levels

Feb 2 2023

The hospitality industry in Malta had a significant recovery in 2022, however profits still fell short of 2019 levels.

According to a survey conducted by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, tourist arrivals reached 83% of the numbers in 2019.

Tourists spent an average of €121.86 per day in Malta, which is 9.4% higher than in 2019. However, overall tourist spending was only 91% of that in 2019. Five-star hotels reached an occupancy rate of 54.3%, which is 75% of the rate in 2019.

Five-star hotels had a gross operating profit of €21,050.8 per available room, which was only 14% lower than 2019 levels. Four-star hotels had a gross operating profit of €12,887.9 per available room, or 79% of 2019 levels.

Despite the positive trend in the industry, Deloitte financial advisory leader Raphael Aloisio warned that not everyone in the industry will succeed, as clients are becoming more selective about where they stay.

The president of the MHRA, Tony Zahra, stressed the importance of the government’s decision to absorb an increase in energy costs for the industry’s recovery.

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Netflix’s new rule could limit how much you watch when abroad

Feb 2 2023

Netflix’s new password sharing crackdown will have a major impact on its users, not only stopping them from sharing their accounts with others but also limiting their ability to watch shows abroad.

The change was announced last week as a result of years of users being able to use one account for multiple people. The new policy involves users having to sign in to their accounts regularly.

According to a report to its shareholders, Netflix said: “While our terms of use limit use of Netflix to a household, we recognise this is a change for members who share their account more broadly.”

However, the company failed to mention that users will have to log in to their account from their home WiFi network every 31 days. If they don’t, they risk being locked out of their account.

This news has not been well received by Netflix users, with many taking to Twitter to express their frustration. One user wrote: “So @Netflix we can only watch at home is what I’m getting from this. Your team didn’t think this one through, you know how many citizens have different living situations.”

Another said: “This has a real ‘we made poor financial decisions, and now it’s your fault’ vibe.” Many users have also threatened to unsubscribe from the streaming giant as a result of the new policy.

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