Tourism Minister and Film Commission CEO visit ‘The Silent Hour’ set

Mar 4 2023

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo and CEO of the Malta Film Commission Johann Grech visited the film set of ‘The Silent Hour’.

They had the opportunity to speak with international actors Joel Kinnaman and Mark Strong.

On social media, Johann Grech explained that the Malta Film Commission has a clear plan for a sustainable industry. Grech said that he is committed for more success in the industry.

‘The Silent Hour’ is a film about a hearing impaired police detective who works as an interpreter for the department and must confront a team of corrupt cops trying to eliminate a deaf murder witness in an apartment building.

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Robert Abela meets Malta Eurovision Song winners The Busker at Castille

Mar 4 2023

Prime Minister Robert Abela recently met withThe Busker, who recently won the Malta Eurovision Song Contest and will represent Malta in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Liverpool in May.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister expressed his admiration for the young artists and their achievements, highlighting the importance of the arts and entertainment industry for Malta’s economy and cultural identity. He also spoke about the opportunities available in the industry and encouraged them to continue pursuing their passion for music and performance.

In addition to meeting with The Busker, the Prime Minister also met with Kyran Bonello, the winner of Malta’s Got Talent. Bonello’s talent and passion for performing impressed the Prime Minister, who wished him well for his future endeavours.

The meetings with these young artists are a testament to the growing importance of the arts and entertainment industry in Malta,

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European Parliament President Roberta Metsola makes second visit to Ukraine since war began

Mar 4 2023

Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, has returned to Ukraine for the second time since the war began.

During her visit, Metsola met with Ruslan Stefanchuk, the President of Ukraine’s parliament, and promised to strengthen cooperation between Ukraine and the EU’s parliament.

Her visit comes just days after the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and follows an address by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to the European Parliament.

Metsola called on EU countries to send long-range military systems to Kyiv and for Ukraine to be given a pathway to eventual EU membership.

The visit also coincided with a surprise visit by US Attorney General Merrick Garland to the country.

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Protestors demand climate action to end to fossil finance

Mar 4 2023

On 3 March, protestors gathered in front of Parliament House in Valletta along with millions of activists around the world for the Global Climate Strike. Concerned citizens rallied together to support this year’s strike to end fossil finance.

Activists called on the local government to keep fossil fuels in the ground and invest in renewable energy whilst also supporting public and active commuters, such as pedestrians and people on bicycles, rather than further incentivising car use.

The activists said that about “half of the carbon emissions of Malta comes from road transport, yet the government continues to pursue car-centric infrastructure projects, entrenching the use of an energy intensive mode of transport. The sustainable policy target for 2030 is to reduce car use by 41% from 1990 levels yet the government is doing the opposite by systematically excluding alternative mobility users. Meanwhile, we are spending €1.5 million every single day on fossil fuel subsidies. We can completely transition to a carbon neutral energy system should we wish to, but the will to steer Malta away from a climate insecure future is currently seriously lacking.”

In a press statement, they said that, “This is in direct contradiction with the government’s and European Green Deal targets of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, as well as internationally agreed targets of keeping global warming to well below 2 degrees and ideally no more than 1.5 degrees of warming. Even breaching the 1.5 target risks activating tipping points in the climate system, threatening to render the Earth uninhabitable for humans. Climate projections show a large decrease in precipitation in the Mediterranean basin as the planet warms, as well as an increase in extreme weather events, threatening ecological integrity, as well as water and food security.”

The International Energy Agency has stated that further fossil fuel production is incompatible with carbon neutrality goals while the UN Environment Programme Emissions Gap report states that a “rapid transformation of societies” is necessary to avoid climate catastrophe. In this context, the government’s decisions to issue oil and gas exploration licences is a non-starter and should have never been considered.

In addition to the immediate revocation of oil and gas licences and the shelving of the gas pipeline to Sicily, protestors demanded that the government, keeps fossil fuels in the ground, invests in renewable energy, increase the 2030 target to 40% renewable energy, prioritise people not cars, support public transport and create active commuting options .

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