Swan With Bloody Head And Belly Injury Appears In Gozo

Nov 23 2023

Taking to social media, Birdlife Malta reported that a mute swan with a bloodied head was seen at Mġarr ix-Xini Gozo.

Birdlife Malta, along with ERA officers and police officers, immediately convened on site yesterday to monitor the situation. The swan moved out of the bay but then reappeared this morning at Mġarr harbour, near the Gozo Channel Ferries.

‘This morning the Mute Swan re-appeared at Mġarr Harbour, near the Gozo Channel ferries. This is clearly not an area where such birds are usually seen, and it is evident that the Mute Swan ended here because it is in difficulty. In fact it has its head covered in blood, and also an evident injury on its belly’.

‘BirdLife Malta teams are still monitoring the situation together with officers from the respective entities and if the need arises for the bird to be recovered, BirdLife Malta will be assisting accordingly. We call on members of the general public to keep an eye out for such cases especially in times of inclement weather similar to the conditions we had over the past hours.’

‘BirdLife Malta should be contacted immediately if birds that are observed close to our shores are in evident need of assistance due to injuries they may have sustained, or because they would have been targeted by illegal hunting at sea or from the coast.’

#MaltaDaily

Valletta Crib Sends Powerful Message On Gaza War

Nov 23 2023

Valletta Cultural Agency Jason Micallef took to social media to show a unique take on the nativity scene as portrayed in the Valletta City Crib.

The scene, with its traditional figures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, has been customised with two posters – one showing bombs dropping on Gaza, Palestine and another of a woman carrying a child amongst debris.

The scene, Micallef explains, offers the chance for anyone walking in front of the San Ġwann Cathedral to stop and reflect about the fact that ‘hundreds of children are being killed and thousands of innocent families are devastated by the destruction of the insensitive attacks in the Middle East.’

‘This Christmas is not the same. The place were Christmas was born became a cemetery for the innocent.’

#MaltaDaily

Process To Turn Certain Government Lands Into Green Open Spaces

Nov 23 2023

A process which sees certain government lands being individuated out to be developed into open spaces instead of buildings has started.

This was announced by Prime Minister Robert Abela during a parliamentary discourse, explaining how these lands have massive value to become such green spaces..

The first part of the process will be finalised early next year so that these lands can be added to the greening projects which are already taken place.

Additionally, Prime Minister Abela declared the government’s initiation of a paperless system from this year onwards, transitioning away from conventional manual filing methods.

Part of the public service’s digitalization strategy, this move involves the implementation of the Corporate Electronic Document system. Currently under evaluation, a contract aims to centralize this system via the Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA) from next year, starting with the integration of the Prime Minister’s Office.

Acknowledging Malta’s credibility in the eGovernment sector, Abela emphasized the challenge of consistent and fruitful investments in modernizing digital infrastructure.

#MaltaDaily

Malta 4th Most Stressed European Country, Study Finds

Nov 23 2023

A recent analysis spotlights Malta as the fourth most stressed country in Europe, as outlined by a study conducted by CBD experts CBDolie.nl.

This comprehensive examination assessed European nations across multiple factors, including depression and anxiety prevalence, reports of stress, sadness levels, enjoyment levels, and the average weekly hours worked for individuals aged 15-64.

Each factor contributed to an aggregated ‘Stress Score’ out of 100.

While Greece claimed the title of the most stressed European country with a high Stress Score of 71.8, Malta secured the fourth position with a Stress Score of 51.4.

Malta’s ranking was notably influenced by elevated weekly working hours (37.9) and considerable levels of frequent anxiety reported by 6.97% of respondents.

In comparison, Cyprus, ranking fifth, reported slightly higher levels of frequent anxiety (7.22%) but ranked lower than Malta for feelings of frequent sadness (22% compared to Malta’s 25%). Malta’s Stress Score was 51.4, while Cyprus scored 50.4, working an average of 0.2 fewer hours.

Denmark stood in stark contrast as the least stressed European country with a Stress Score of 21.7.

Notably, only 12% of Danish respondents claimed to often feel little enjoyment and pleasure, the second lowest, with low feelings of frequent stress at 21% and only 5.43% reporting frequent anxiety.

The study’s spokesperson emphasised the impact of the past five years on uncertainty, indicating that stress levels across Europe are understandably high. The findings offer a captivating perspective on the geographical variations in Europe concerning feelings of worry and stress.

#MaltaDaily