Sicily-Malta inter-connector use limited as prices surge in Europe

Oct 11 2021

Enemalta has avoided using the Sicily-Malta inter-connector over the past few days during peak Horus as energy prices across Europe have surged dramatically. Despite Malta so far managing to avoid the sky high energy tariffs hitting the continent, Enemalta has drastically reduced the use of the inter-connector. Times of Malta reports that the inter-connector was switched off for 11 hours on Wednesday, 18 hours on Thursday and 17 more hours on Friday.

With Enemalta’s price for electricity from the inter-connector being determined by a daily auction on the open market, the Eurozone consumer prices rose at their fastest pace since 2008 in September. Eurostat, the EU’s official statistics agency, claimed that eurozone inflation reached 3.4% on an annual basis, with energy prices increasing by 17.4%. Malta saw the lowest prices increases in the entire eurozone.

A spokesperson for the Energy Ministry informed the newsroom that wholesale prices in Italy, from which Malta imports over the inter-connector, have reached a record 37c per unit. The prices on the European grid are expected to stabilise in the second quarter of 2022, according to the spokesperson.

As the inter-connector was being used less and less, one of Enemalta’s older power plants (Delimara 2) was given new life. Running on gasoil, a polluting type of diesel, the use of this plant was inquired about by the newsroom. The spokesperson said that this power plant is intended to serve as backup.

This comes after Energy Minister Miriam Dalli announced plans to build a second Sicily-Malta inter-connector. Despite the rise in prices, the spokesperson confirmed that the government still planned to go ahead with the project. This is because a second inter-connector would fit in with the government’s decarbonisation vision and increasing the island’s diversification of sources.

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Photo Source: Miriam Dalli FB, Enemalta

Sex Education praised for inclusive and revolutionary intimacy scene

Oct 11 2021

Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ has already established itself as the series out there challenging norms and providing viewers with knowledge on the nuances of sexuality. One particular scene from the third season is however being massively praised for the way it handled intimacy sensitively and being well-written and inclusive. Spoiler alert before you read on… Many were left furious with Isaac (George Robinson) at the end of season two after he deleted Otis’ love message.

And yet, the third season, which quickly made fan favourite characters out of many in the show (Ruby? Adam?), quickly won viewers with Maeve and Isaac’s intimacy scene. The filming of the young couple’s sex scene and its writing were immensely praised, being a rare instance in which persons with disabilities were represented onscreen in such a way.

Robinson, who plays Isaac, suffered from a spinal cord injury and is thus tetraplegic. The injury occurred when he was playing rugby at the age of 17. His role on the series continued to expand the roster of characters which shed a light on a variety of lived experiences and sexual orientations. Whatever your feelings on the ensuing drama and who you ship, this one scene was deemed revolutionary by many, showcasing why the series is so beloved.

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Photo Source: Heart Radio, Teen Vogue

Metro studies fully accessible to public announces Infrastructure Minister

Oct 11 2021

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Ian Borg has revealed this morning that the plans for a proposed Malta metro have been fully published. This follows the government’s launching of the idea on 2nd October, which revealed a metro system with 25 stations and three lines. The project would take between 15 and 20 years to complete at the cost of around €6.2 billion.

The Minister has now revealed on Facebook that the complete studies have been made available to the public. This also follows a freedom of information request by Green Party ADPD on Sunday which demanded the publication of all the data.

Borg said that after a positive week of national discussions, Transport Malta informed the minister that for the second week of conversations, the studies by Arup experts have been published. He reminded the public that these studies were done by experts and are therefore their positions on the matter, not the Maltese government’s. He acknowledged that the project brings with it a massive challenge but Borg knows that people believe in them to carry out the project.

You can access the studies here and here.

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13-year-old to swim from Gozo to Malta to raise awareness on bullying

Oct 11 2021

Kai Naudi will be braving the waters between Gozo and Malta as part of the Brave the Wave challenge. The 13-year-old aims to undertake the feat for charity and to raise awareness about victims of bullying. He seeks to show how bullying can be overcome and that things will eventually turn out for the better after he managed to do so himself. “Bullying made me feel excluded, tired, hurt, and rejected. I reached a point when I didn’t want to go to school. But I had to fight it and so I decided to challenge myself to show that I can be who I want to be. The challenge is till you take the plunge. Then, it just flows….” – Kai Naudi said on his Brave the Wave Facebook page.

The charity will raise money for NGOs Inspire and bBrave. Kai’s coach, Jeffrey Galea, revealed that the youth has been training for over a year to undertake the challenge. Kai picked bBrave as one of the NGOs as it combats bullying, something Kai had to overcome. Training six days a week for two hours each day, Kai hopes to be an inspiration for all. And it already seems to be shaping out that way. We wish him all the best for this challenge! Those wishing to donate can message 50618926 (for €6.99) or 50619215 (for €11.65).

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Photo Source: Brave the Wave FB