Roberta Metsola features on popular Spanish magazine ELLE

Feb 19 2023 Share

European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, took to social media to share her thoughts on the latest edition of Elle Spain, in which she features on the front page.

In the post, the Maltese MEP discusses her belief in the responsibility we have to make it easier for young women and what can be done to create a fairer and more equal society.

Metsola reflects on her own experience growing up as a proud Maltese, and how being a part of the European Union has allowed Malta and Gozo to expand beyond their geography. She notes that the EU has given young people the ability to dream and realize their potential, and has contributed to the success of Malta and other member states.

Despite acknowledging the failings and frustrations of the EU, Metsola still believes that it is the most successful political project in modern history. She believes that Europe can be even better than it is now and hopes to see continued progress in the future.

Metsola’s words are a powerful reminder of the responsibility we have to create a fair and equal society for all. It is important to recognize the progress that has been made, while also acknowledging that there is still much work to be done.

In particular, her emphasis on the potential of young people is an important message. The youth are the future of our society and it is vital that we provide them with the tools and resources they need to succeed. By creating a more equal and inclusive society, we can ensure that all young people have the opportunity to realize their potential.

Moreover, Metsola’s affirmation of the EU as a political project is important. While it is easy to focus on the shortcomings of political institutions, it is crucial to remember the positive impact that they have had. The EU has contributed to peace and prosperity in Europe, and it is important to continue working towards a better future for all.

#MaltaDaily

The Busker confirms that the winning song will not change

Feb 19 2023 Share

The Busker, confirmed that they will perform their winning song, “Dance (Our Own Party),” at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool in May.

The song garnered 121 points overall and won the 2023 Malta Eurovision Song Contest, beating out other songs such as “In the Silence” by Ryan Hili and “Up” by Matt Blxck.

Despite uncertainty about which song they would perform at Eurovision, The Busker confirmed with @timesofmalta that they will not change their winning song. 

Drummer Jean-Paul Borg stated that “the song will remain the same, with some production enhancement to the track.”

This means that, this time, Malta will be represented with the actual Malta Eurovision winning song. This has been considered as good news by local Eurovision fans who have always voice their opinion in such scenarios.

#MaltaDaily 

More than 25,000 people celebrated carnival in Nadur last night

Feb 19 2023 Share

The small town of Nadur has once again become the center of attention following the success of its spontaneous carnival celebrations. This year’s Saturday event organised by the Local Council, the Ministry for Gozo, G7 Events and Malta Daily, was particularly successful, with more than 25,000 people descending on the town to take part in the festivities.

The spontaneous carnival in Nadur is a unique event that draws visitors from all over the world to experience the vibrant atmosphere, colorful costumes, and the impressive floats that take to the streets. This year’s event was no exception, with a record-breaking number of attendees coming to witness the spectacle.

This year’s carnival saw a vast array of floats, each one more impressive than the last. The floats were all created by local residents and groups, who spent months preparing for the event. The colorful floats, costumes, and people, were a testament to the creativity and artistic talent of people from Malta, Gozo and abroad.

The local authorities were well prepared for the influx of visitors. The Nadur Local Council played a crucial role in ensuring that the event was a success, working closely with the Ministry, G7 Events, and Malta Daily, to provide the necessary support and infrastructure.

The success of this year’s carnival is a testament to the passion and commitment of the organisers, who worked tirelessly to create an event that truly showcases unique culture and spirit. The event has become a highlight of the cultural calendar, not just for the town of Nadur, but for the entire island of Gozo.

In conclusion, the spontaneous carnival celebrations in Nadur have once again proven to be a great success, attracting a record-breaking number of visitors and showcasing the town’s unique culture and spirit. The event was a true reflection of the creativity and passion of the people of Nadur, and is a testament to the success that can be achieved through collaboration between the community and local authorities.

We look forward to next year!

 

#Malta Daily

Whales mean much more to the World than we may think!

Feb 19 2023 Share

SEA MARVEL Celebrates World Whale Day

SEA MARVEL indeed, from the smallest planktonic organisms to the largest Fin whales, one can find marvellous creatures around the Maltese Islands. For many, the presence of whales around these small islands is astonishing. Around 14 species of whales have been reported from the Mediterranean Sea and four of these confirmed in Malta. The latter include the Long-finned pilot whale, Cuvier’s beaked whale, Sperm whale and Fin whale.  Research in Maltese waters to study cetaceans (dolphins and whales) has been and still is fundamental to better understand the conservation needs of these species. It is through dedicated professional research that different whales in Maltese waters could be recorded. In fact, Prof Adriana Vella at the University of Malta and the lead scientist of the Conservation Biology Research Group has dedicated over 25 years of scientific field surveys focusing on dolphins, whales, and other vulnerable species.

Fin whales are the biggest animals in the Mediterranean Sea ranging from 20 up to 27 meters and the second largest animal in the World. Sperm whales on the other hand are smaller than Fin whales and range from 16 to 20 meters in length. Sperm whales are toothed whales feeding primarily on large squid and therefore often deep dive in search of their prey.  The long-finned Pilot whales clearly show females (around 5-6 meters) to be smaller than the males (6-7 meters) in size are also deep divers and often prefer to be in large social groups. The most elusive and deepest diving of the whales are the Cuvier’s beaked whales that size around 7 meters.

SEA MARVEL, an Interreg Italia-Malta project, has at heart important thematic dates to commemorate an aspect to help achieve conservation of the marine environment, and this includes the World Whale Day (16th of February). This day helps us remember the importance of whales as part of the intricate marine ecosystem and valuable biodiversity.

In fact, whales are indeed ecologically essential to the wellbeing of our seas and have been found to aid in mechanisms to mitigate climate change impacts. Whales are responsible to keep a stable ecosystem through their feeding behaviour where they feed in the depths of the ocean in pitch darkness and then travel to the surface of the sea, where theyrelease faecal plumes which are rich in Iron and Nitrogen, a mechanism known by biologists as the “whale pump”. These nutrients are often scarce in the surface waters and once in the surface these nutrients fertilise the surface water and sustain the phytoplankton, organisms at the base of all marine food chains. The ecological and economic importance of whales is being highlighted by the SEA MARVEL team also among secondary schools through dedicated discussions with the students.

The incredible adaptations of these whales to use echolocation to find food in darkness also ends up making them extremely vulnerable to the increasing diversity and intensity of anthropogenically caused marine noise.  So, noise pollution, apart from plastic and other forms of pollution are putting these extraordinary creatures in danger.

Raising awareness on the importance of whales among the young generation is important to ensure their future survival considering the ever-increasing pressures and threats faced by these animals. These animals suffer from pollution and from intense marine traffic apart from being affected by natural catastrophic events, as we humans do. The latest heart-wrenching suffering brought about by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria may have also affected whales. It is being reporteda that the Cuvier’s beaked whales’ strandings in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus, were due to theseearthquakes.  Cuvier’s beaked whales have also stranded along Malta’s shores in the past and it is therefore important to study in detail the causes of such deaths to learn and improve management of our marine environment.

The Italia-Malta Interreg project SEA MARVEL is working to understand and study whale distribution in the central Mediterranean sea, especially in Natura 2000 sites and their immediate proximity to bring to the fore their needs too.

#MaltaDaily