Pope Francis retirement rumoured after 85-year-old announces latest plans

Jun 9 2022

Rumours surrounding Pope Francis’ retirement have run rampant after the 85-year-old announced that he will attend a feast initiated by 13th century pope who also resigned.

Various Italian and Catholic media outlets have speculated that Pope Francis may follow in his predecessor Benedict XVI’s footsteps after he was recently seen using a wheelchair in public due to a minor knee operation.

The operation, together with the reportedly unusual decision of hosting a consistory on August 27 to create new cardinals have continued to fuel Pope Francis’ retirement rumours.

A day after the 27th, Francis will attend the Perdonanza Celestiniana festival in L’Aquila, where he will visit the tomb of Celestine V, a pope who resigned in 1294, only five months after becoming pope. Benedict had visited this same tomb in 2009 ahead of his resignation in 2013, with many considering it to be a symbolic gesture.

Do you think that Pope Francis will resign?

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Maltese population happier than last year but concerned with cost of living, survey finds

Jun 9 2022

The recent State of the Nation survey conducted amongst 1,064 people above the age of 16 has found that the population is seemingly happier than last year but particularly concerned with the increased cost of living.

The survey was presented by expert statistician and University of Malta lecturer Dr. Vincent Marmarà and attempts to scientifically explore the evolution of the Maltese identity.

Taking place from April 28 until halfway through May, Marmarà found that the pandemic’s restrictions left a significant effect on people’s lives. The statistician also noted an increase in the number of people who stated that their financial situation is worse than it was last year.

Amongst other factors, the survey also highlights a considerable anticipation for Maltese feasts, which are considered to be one of the most important facets of Maltese culture.

The most relevant themes of this year’s conference, as determined by strategic communications consultant Lou Bondi, were determined to be the environment, the media, corruption, state architecture and the tendency to look at things based on binary opposites.

What do you make of this?

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Worker sustains grievous injuries after grinder accident in Gudja factory

Jun 9 2022

Earlier today, a worker within a Gudja factory required emergency medical aid after a factory incident at Dawret il-Gudja in Gudja.

Officers within the Malta Police Force were called on site, with preliminary investigations finding that the worker, a 54-year-old Indian man, sustained grievous injuries whilst working with a grinder.

The accident happened at around 9:45am, with the man being assisted by a medical team, taken to Mater Dei hospital via ambulance and being confirmed to have sustained grievous injuries.

Police investigations are currently under way.

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Malta’s population expected to reach nearly 700,000 by 2050; former minister discusses

Jun 9 2022

Former Minister for European and Foreign Affairs Evarist Bartolo took to Facebook on Wednesday to express his concern at the fact that Malta’s population will increase to 668,000 by the year 2050.

Bartolo stated that, if this were the case, we would be the country with the highest rate of population increase in the European Union, aside from already being one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

“Meanwhile, we are amongst the European countries with the lowest birth rate. Maltese women have the lowest fertility rates at 1.14%. In 2020, 4,414 babies were born in Malta, with a third of them born to mothers not born in Malta. In 1950, 10,281 babies were born”, Bartolo shared.

The politician went on to highlight that 98,918 of the current 443,803 population are foreigners living in Malta, accounting for 21% of the population. Bartolo discussed the fact that despite some calling it a ‘foreign invasion’, a lot of foreigners come to Malta to work because there aren’t enough people to fill the ever-increasing amount of jobs.

He went on to ask; “if we complain about foreigners working amongst us and we don’t increase the birth rate, isn’t it obvious that more and more foreigners come to work amongst us?”

He concluded by asking “what shall we do to increase our birth rates? Should we have more children from Maltese couples? If so, what can we do to help them?”

What do you make of this?

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