As many massage parlours as pastizzi shops – PN MP raises concerns

May 25 2022

The government was challenged on its inaction when it comes to the increase of massage parlours by Opposition MP Graziella Attard Previ.

Speaking in Parliament, the MP said that it has long been known that the parlours are also acting as brothels and slammed the government or ignoring the blatant abuse.

She quoted a study which found that workers are having unprotected sex and their movements are often restricted, exposing them to disease and exploitation in the process. Police, the MP said, have confirmed these claims repeatedly.

‘Why are we allowing foreign women to be trafficked? There is a need for massage parlours to be regulated’ she said. She pointed at how the parlours are very often staffed by foreign nationals and questioned the qualifications of the workers.

Previ asked whether the government’s denial of the problem is part of a policy to legalise prostitution and said that prostitutes inevitably end up being victims of exploitation. Up until 2016, there were around 200 registered such parlours in Malta.

After 2016 however, the government removed licensing requirements for the establishments, meaning that figures would no longer be available. Times of Malta went on to report in 2019 how about 500 men who tested at the GU clinic over two years conceded to having sex with the workers.

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AFM’s newest entries perform official recruitment parade

May 25 2022

After lots of training and hard work, the Armed Forces of Malta welcomed 67 new recruits at the end of 2021. With 4 of them women and 4 Gozitans, the recruits finally got to showcase their choreographed and rhythmic parade as they join Malta’s army.

The recruits had to undergo testing in fields ranging from military to medical knowledge, from academic to field work. The build-up culminated in their official parade which took place yesterday, Wednesday 25th may 2022.

A subsequent ceremony swore in the recruits, with the official AFM Facebook page sharing some images of the event.

Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri welcomed the new recruits with a Facebook post of his own. ‘As a government, we will be shoulder to shoulder alongside the recruits in their journey with the AFM. There is no greater honour than serving one’s country!’

Well done to all!

#MaltaDaily

Install wide CCTV coverage in St Paul’s Bay says PN MP

May 25 2022

PN MP Ivan Castillo has called for locality wide CCTV coverage for all of St Paul’s Bay following vandalism and other incidents.

Posting to Facebook, Castillo said that the situation in St Paul’s Bay, Bugibba, Qawra and Xemxija has residents concerned and distressed.

This locality as a whole has the highest registered amount of Vandalism and the highest amount of thefts, with a police force that is under staffed and over worked! Police have to cater for a huge area after a number of police stations have been closed.”

‘If all this does not make St Pauls Bay a candidate for Locality wide CCTV I do not know what does. It should be made a pilot project for the rest of the island! We should be taking what is now the worst locality in the country when it comes to crime rates and give the residents some solace and hope!’

He said that we find money for everything and we should therefore invest seriously in making lives better rather than just talking about it in parliament.

‘Let’s try and start to prevent crimes rather than be be reactive to them with the police force extended beyond their limit’ concluded the MP.

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Here is what a Maltese doctor had to say about monkeypox

May 25 2022

Doctor Malcolm Paul Agius Galea took to Facebook to address some concerns being raised by the reports of the spreading of monkeypox. ‘Monkeypox is a sickness caused by a virus which comes from the same family of viruses as small pox (which was eradicated with a vaccine)’ he said.

He explained how we’ve known about this virus for around 50 years and it is called monkeypox because the first time it was noted was in a group of monkeys being used in research. ‘However, it has nothing to do with monkeys!’

‘It is a sickness which impacts everyone and one could be infected with it for around 14 days before symptoms start to appear. During these first 14 days, an infected person would not be able to spread it around.’ Some of the symptoms include fatigue, fever, inflamed lymph nodes and a subsequent rash. It is at this stage that the virus becomes infective and treatment is more aimed at the lessening of symptoms rather than cure.

After the rash dries up, the person remains able to spread it until the last bits of the rash fall off. It is transmitted through direct contact with the infected person or indirect contact with liquids coming from the person (towels or bedsheets). The symptoms of monkeypox resemble chickenpox but vary in the fact that monkeypox results in the inflammation of the lymph nodes. It usually takes up to two to three weeks for the infection to pass and no long term effects on the body have been reported.

‘Even though it is important to stay informed about the virus, it is also crucial that one is informed well about the virus and that no excess alarm is caused’.

#MaltaDaily