Property Sales In December 2024 Up 6.1% From 2023

Jan 15 2025

In December 2024, Malta saw 1,113 final deeds of sale for residential properties, a 6.1% increase from December 2023.

The total value of these transactions rose by 22.6% to €350.5 million. Individual buyers accounted for 89.6% of deeds, with transactions involving households valued at €252 million (71.9% of the total).

The Northern Harbour and Northern districts led with 275 and 217 deeds, respectively.

The highest numbers were recorded in San Pawl Il-Baħar (85), Birkirkara (62), and Il-Mosta (49), collectively making up 17.6% of all deeds. Apartments (33.3%) and garages (23.7%) were the most transacted property types.

For Q4 2024, there were 3,240 final deeds, up 1.2% annually, with a total value of €951.2 million.

In December 2024, 1,044 promise of sale agreements were registered, a slight 0.7% drop from December 2023. Individual buyers comprised 89.1% of agreements, with the Northern Harbour (347) and Northern districts (186) leading in activity.

San Pawl Il-Baħar (74), Birkirkara (70), and Marsaskala (58) recorded the most agreements, accounting for 19.3% of the total.

For Q4 2024, promise of sale agreements totalled 3,491, a 0.3% annual decline. The most agreements were in San Pawl Il-Baħar (257), Birkirkara (186), and Marsaskala (157).

#MaltaDaily

French Woman Gives Away Life Savings To Scammers Posing As Brad Pitt

Jan 15 2025

A French woman has revealed on national television that she lost her entire life savings to scammers impersonating Hollywood star Brad Pitt.

Speaking on TF1’s Seven to Eight programme, the woman, identified as Anne, shared how she was duped into believing she was in a romantic relationship with the actor. This deception led her to divorce her husband and transfer €830,000 ($850,000) to the fraudsters.

The scammers used fake social media and WhatsApp accounts, along with AI-generated photos, to make their story convincing.

They claimed the 61-year-old actor needed money for kidney treatment and alleged his bank accounts were frozen due to divorce proceedings with his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie.

Anne, a 50-something interior decorator with mental health challenges, spent a year and a half believing the elaborate lie. She only discovered the truth when news of Pitt’s real-life relationship with girlfriend Ines de Ramon surfaced.

After the interview aired, Anne faced a wave of online harassment, prompting the TV station to pull the segment from broadcast.

Speaking to TF1, she said, “I ask myself why they chose me to do such harm like this. I’ve never harmed anyone. These people deserve hell.”

#MaltaDaily

Eve Borg Bonello Youngest Person Named On Global 30 Under 30 List

Jan 15 2025

Nationalist MP Eve Borg Bonello has made history as the youngest person to be named on the iconic 30 Under 30 list of exceptional young leaders, achieving this milestone at just 21 years old.

Expressing her gratitude on Facebook, Borg Bonello wrote, “I am beyond honoured and humbled to be the youngest person featured on the global #30UNDER30 exceptional young leaders list!”

She also called for cleaner, grassroots politics and emphasized the need for greater youth representation in the highest political institutions.

Eve has experienced a meteoric rise in Maltese politics, rapidly advancing within the Nationalist Party.

She has broken barriers by becoming Malta’s youngest MP and holds the distinction of being the youngest sitting member of a national legislature anywhere in the world.

This accomplishment is not only a personal milestone for Eve but also a proud moment for Malta, showcasing how young leaders can create meaningful change and inspire future generations on a global stage.

Congratulations, Eve!

#MaltaDaily

TikTok Users Migrate To Chinese App RedNote Ahead of US Ban

Jan 15 2025

Ahead of the highly publicised TikTok ban in the USA, thousands of American TikTok users have begun migrating to yet another Chinese app called RedNote.

The surge of users identifying as “TikTok refugees” propelled RedNote to become the most downloaded app on Apple’s US App Store on Monday.

RedNote, a TikTok rival, is particularly popular among young people in China, Taiwan, and other Mandarin-speaking regions.

With approximately 300 million monthly users, the platform combines elements of TikTok and Instagram. It primarily caters to young urban women, offering a space to share lifestyle tips on topics ranging from dating to fashion.

It seems that RedNote have seized this opportunity and welcomed all these “TikTok refugees” with open arms, with there being 63,000 new posts targeted to this new audience to teach them how to navigate the app and some basic phrases in Mandarin.

Similar to TikTok, RedNote has faced reports and allegations of censorship, particularly concerning criticism of the Chinese government.

In Taiwan, public officials are prohibited from using RedNote due to perceived security risks associated with Chinese software.

As more US users joined the platform, some Chinese users humorously referred to themselves as “Chinese spies,” alluding to concerns from US officials that TikTok could be exploited by China for espionage and political influence.

To make things even worse for sceptics, RedNote’s Chinese name, Xiaohongshu, translates to “Little Red Book.” However, the app has clarified that the name is not a reference to the collection of quotations by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, despite the identical title.

#MaltaDaily