Education Minister addresses issue of 3-year-old left in school van

Oct 6 2021

Earlier today, news of a 3-year-old schoolgirl being left on the bus in the school garage caused national outrage, with parents and educators alike expressing concern towards their children’s safety during school hours.

On Tuesday evening, the education ministry published a statement addressing the situation, revealing that education minister Justyne Caruana immediately gave instructions to the ministry’s management to investigate the case with utmost urgency and take any actions necessary in this circumstance.

The investigative board will consist of former justice Philip Sciberras, Mr. Josie Brincat, a former assistant commissioner and retired educator and former assistant director within the education ministry Salvina Muscat. Immediate actions were also taken so that the operator responsible halts the driver concerned from operating within the free student transport scheme.

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Squid Game’s English subtitles are being slammed by Korean speakers

Oct 6 2021

Squid Game is currently the hottest thing on both Netflix and the planet. But people who are fluent in Korean and English are stating that the show’s subtitles are absolutely disastrous. A woman fluent in both languages has claimed that the English subtitles did not preserve the amazing dialogues in the original. Despite the actors having their global stardom catapulted overnight, Korean-speaking viewers claim that people are actually missing out on the important details because of translation.

Comedian and writer Youngmi Mayer said that if one does not understand Korean they aren’t really watching the same show. She blamed the disrespect towards translation work as this being the main culprit. She even blamed the producers who don’t appreciate the art. Some are even slamming the dubbed version as somehow being worse, but Netflix has not yet commented on the issue. It seems the best course of action is just to enjoy the gore and the drama and see what you come away with by yourself.

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Photo Source: Netflix, CNN

Fifth of all employed Gozitans travel to Malta for work

Oct 6 2021

One in five Gozitans in full time employment have their jobs primarily in Malta. According to new data released by the National Statistics Office, some 3,642 employees commuted from Gozo and Comino, which is a share of about 20% of all working people in the region. The release details regional labour supply by place of residence and work in 2020.

Transportation between the islands has constantly been a debated issue among Gozitans and the Maltese, with the only option up until recent years being the ferry. A fast-ferry service has been introduced with a route from the Mgarr harbour in Gozo to Valletta. The service does not accommodate cars or scooters but it has been praised for significantly cutting down travel time.

Another option has been the much debated tunnel link, with Infrastructure Malta recently shortlisting a single bidder for the proposed project. According to the NSO, the amount of both full-time and part-time employees in 2020 stood at 264,977 which marks an increase of 0.8% from the previous year.

Around 15,864 people living in Gozo and Comino held full time jobs in 2020, reflecting a 3.1% increase since 2019. Of these, 63.4% held jobs in the private sector. Wholesale, retail and trade, repair of motor vehicles, transportation and storage and accommodation and food services were the most common professions among these employees.

In 2020, 12,304 people were working full time in Gozo and Comino, with an increase of 4.4% over the previous year. 68.2% of these employers were working in the private sector. 93.1% of employed people lived in Malta whereas 94.6% also had jobs based in Malta. Some 217,036 Maltese residents were in full time employment in 2020, marking an increase of 1.4% when compared to 2019. Of these, 79.3% worked in the private sector.

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Photo Source: Malta National Aquarium

Human tooth found in Gozo shipwreck could have massive consequences

Oct 6 2021

A single human tooth which was found buried deep in the lower sediment of a Phoenician shipwreck could have huge archaeological consequences. The shipwreck was found off Gozo 14 years ago with the tooth being the first human remain found on the wreck discovered in 2007. Marine archeologist Timmy Gambin explained how the lower, right, first molar probably belonged to a young person since it had little wear and the internal pulp chamber was large.

The implications are huge, Gambin explained, as he and his team are looking to collaborate with International experts to carbon date the tooth and then look at the DNA to determine possible links with modern Maltese genetics. The shipwreck was one of only seven discovered Phoenician shops in the world, and the tooth could help give more insight into the people aboard the ship.

The shipwreck is situated at a depth of 110m off Xlendi Bay in Gozo, consisting of an intact and well-preserved mixed cargo ship datable to the 7th century BC. This year brought the exploration to an end as all that could be done with today’s technology was done, said Gambin.

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Photo Source: Times of Malta, TripAdvisor, Look and Learn