fbpx

Alex Borg Urges Police Commissioner To Act On Gozo Crime

Alex Borg Urges Police Commissioner To Act On Gozo Crime
Nov 14 2023 Share

Taking to social media, Nationalist MP Alex Borg reiterated his appeal for authorities and the police force to take proper and further action when it comes to crime in Gozo. 

Sharing images of a broken-into car as well as bloody pavements following what were reportedly violent altercations. 

‘We are far from the utopia of a Gozo of villages’, wrote Alex Borg on Facebook. He critiqued police commissioner Angelo Gafà for only providing statistics on robberies and not criminal reports. 

Borg invited the police commissioner to visit Marsalfron and Xlendi along with him and to listen to what the residents there have to say. 

‘Let them convince you what their worries are as they did to me whilst forcing you to understand that you have a twisted perception of reality coming from sitting behind a desk.’

#MaltaDaily 

Female Frogs Fake Death To Avoid Unwanted Advances

Female Frogs Fake Death To Avoid Unwanted Advances
Nov 14 2023 Share

Researchers have discovered that certain frogs employ a unique strategy to avoid unwanted male attention – they fake their own death. 

This revelation provides new insights into the behaviour of the European common frog, challenging the notion that females merely endure male competition for mates, often resulting in fatal situations where multiple males cling to a single female.

Dr. Carolin Dittrich, the lead author from the Natural History Museum of Berlin, explained that previous beliefs suggested females were unable to choose or defend themselves against male coercion. However, the study challenges this assumption, revealing that females in dense breeding aggregations are not passive participants.

In their study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, researchers placed each male frog in a box with two females of different sizes and recorded mating behaviour. 

Results from 54 females experiencing male clutches showed that 83% of them attempted to rotate their bodies. Additionally, 48% emitted release calls while rotating, and 33% exhibited tonic immobility – a pose resembling playing dead.

The researchers propose that tonic immobility may be a stress response, more common in smaller, younger females due to increased stress with less reproductive experience. These tactics, observed more frequently in smaller females, allowed some to escape male clutches, demonstrating mate avoidance behaviours and resulting in the escape of 25 females.

While acknowledging the study’s limitations, including the need for a larger sample size, the researchers suggest that these behaviours may serve multiple purposes, such as testing the male’s strength and endurance. 

#MaltaDaily 

Nepal Moves To Ban TikTok

Nepal Moves To Ban TikTok
Nov 14 2023 Share

Nepal announced on Monday its decision to prohibit TikTok, attributing the ban to the app’s adverse effects on the nation’s social cohesion. 

With approximately one billion monthly users, the widely used video-sharing platform has encountered restrictions across several countries for alleged violations of data regulations and its perceived detrimental impact on the youth.

Rekha Sharma, the Minister for Communications and Information Technology, declared that the ban was instituted on the grounds that TikTok consistently facilitated the dissemination of content that “disrupts social harmony and family structures.” 

While Sharma did not specify the exact reasons triggering the ban, she stated that relevant authorities were addressing technical aspects.

Following the public revelation of the ban decision, TikTok videos discussing the prohibition garnered thousands of views. 

Gagan Thapa, leader of the Nepali Congress party, part of the ruling coalition, criticized the government’s move, suggesting it aimed to “stifle freedom of expression.” 

He emphasized the need for regulation to curb social media abuse but denounced shutting down platforms in the guise of regulation.

The ban comes shortly after Nepal introduced a directive mandating social media platforms to establish offices within the country. 

TikTok, ranked as the sixth most used social platform globally, faces increasing scrutiny amid a broader global trend of tightening controls on social media, particularly concerning their impact on children. Despite being owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok denies allegations of direct control by Beijing, emphasizing its independence.

#MaltaDaily 

Moviment Graffitti Activists Protest Most Tree Removal

Moviment Graffitti Activists Protest Most Tree Removal
Nov 14 2023 Share

Moviment Graffitti took to Mosta to protest, and effectively halt, the complete uprooting of the already destroyed Mosta Square trees. 

With placards reading ‘the only greenery (ħdura) you need to remove is the one in your hearts’ and ‘traitors of Mosta residents’, as well as ‘are you going crazy’, the activists stood in the site of the completely barren and leafless trees.

The group also called onto the public to join them in the demonstration, calling for a fuller protest for Wednesday at 1830hrs in front of the Mosta local council. 

#MaltaDaily