Red-draped trees spotted across Malta as uprooting uproar continues

May 23 2023

A number of red-draped trees have been spotted across Malta, leaving drivers and passers-by perplexed at the reason for the move and whoever is behind it.

Trees in Valletta, Mosta, Pietà and other central locations have been cloaked in a bright red cover, with some deducing that such a move may have to do with the recent uproar in the face of the recent removal of mature trees in Zabbar.

Others have suggested that the red drapes may represent some form of protest, however the actual reason behind such a move is yet to be confirmed.

Do you have an idea what these red drapes could be?

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Yorgen Fenech’s testimony in PAC suspended until court proceedings are concluded

May 23 2023

Yorgen Fenech, one of the suspects in the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), in Parliament to provide testimony regarding the Electrogas power station contracts.

Strict security measures were implemented within and around the parliament building for the session. Only authorised individuals, including journalists, were permitted entry to the room where the PAC session took place.

Yorgen Fenech was accompanied by lawyers Gianluca Caruana Curran and Charles Mercieca. Mercieca argued that Fenech should not testify due to other court cases taking place at the moment that have not reached decision yet. He asserted that Fenech’s testimony should be withheld until the court proceedings are concluded.

In response, the PAC reached a decision to suspend the testimony and Fenech will testify once his court proceedings are concluded.

This marked the first time that Yorgen Fenech was seen outside prison walls since his arrest back in 2019. Fenech is regularly escorted to the courts of Malta because of ongoing cases however was never seen in public. He was today scheduled to testify before the PAC regarding the Electrogas contracts. Previous witnesses included former Minister Konrad Mizzi, former Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, Enemalta and Electrogas officials, among others.

Chaired by Nationalist MP Darren Carabott, the PAC includes representatives from both the Opposition and the Government. Opposition MPs Graham Bencini and Robert Cutajar were present, while MPs Andy Ellul, Clayton Bartolo, Glenn Bedingfield and Naomi Cachia represented the Labour Government.

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UPDATED: Ta’ Xħajma accident between car and bus reported

May 23 2023

A horrific accident has taken place in Ta’ Xħajma, Gozo, involving a car and a bus, with police currently on site.

Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri was also on site, sharing images of the incident which shows a vehicle with its front completely crushed.

It is currently unclear whether anyone was injured in the accident. More reports to follow.

The Gozo Minister thanked the Civil Protection, Malta Police Force, Transport Malta and the Gozo General Hospital for their immediate response.

Update: Police sources have confirmed with this newsroom that 12 people were taken to hospital. No information about injuries yet.

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Study suggests more money can buy you happiness

May 23 2023

We’ve all reflected, if not debated, about – does money buy happiness?

New research from a Nobel prize winning economist and fellow researchers have found that money does appear to boost happiness up to earnings of $500,000.

The research was published to the peer-reviewed scientific journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America’.

What is significant about this is that it contradicts research from one of the economists involved in the same study.

Daniel Kahneman published an influential study in 2010 which claimed that money could only boost happiness up to a point – $75,000 in annual earnings.

Yet the new findings suggest that for most people happiness does in fact improve with higher earnings, which go up to a much larger $500,000 a year.

The research found that most people’s happiness increased linearly with income, whereas 30% of people are the happiest once their earnings rise above $100,000.

As for the ‘rich and unhappy’, this group comprised just 15% of people, whose relationship between happiness and income being different. In such cases, other factors might be at play such as negatively impactful life events.

Read study here.

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