Entrances to abandoned St Philip’s Hospital boarded up

Jul 4 2022

The Data Protection Commission have ordered the owner of the abandoned St Phillip’s Hospital to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of the documents, leading to a restriction of access to the run-down premises.

Times of Malta was informed by Information and Data Protection Commissioner Ian Deguara that the owner of the property has complied with the order issued. An investigation into the case has been closed, revealed Deguara.

Hospital owner Frank Portelli had to either secure the premises or else destroy the documents. Deguara did not elaborate but Times of Malta revealed the options to the public, despite the owner not issuing any comment.

The premises have been locked up, with the front doors which were once attached to the private hospital’s entrance confirmed to have been removed. They have since been replaced by a large slab of iron.

Smashed windows on the ground floor have also been blocked with stones from the inside. Windows on higher floors are still open but access to the premises is now very difficult.

The status of the documents is currently unknown. The provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) give authority to the commissioner to issue orders, warnings, bans or fines to entities that process people’s personal data to ensure that the integrity and confidentiality of the documents are preserved.

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Mickey Mouse could soon leave Disney… and you might be able to use him

Jul 4 2022

The ever iconic Mickey Mouse could be set to part ways with Disney as the company’s 95 year copyright is set to expire in two years.

The cartoon mouse, which was created in 1928, went on to become one of the entertainment giant’s most recognisable faces and symbols. However, US copyright law stipulates that intellectual copyright on artistic work expires after 95 years.

This means that Mickey will be entering the public domain in 2024, and Disney may lose its exclusive rights over the character. But this doesn’t mean that he is set to become a free for all to use that easy.

“You can use the Mickey Mouse character as it was originally created to create your own Mickey Mouse stories or stories with this character,” Daniel Mayeda, associate director of the Documentary Film Legal Clinic at UCLA School of Law, told the Guardian.

However, if it is done in a way that will get people thinking of Disney (which is very likely due to the longstanding connection), then Disney may be able to press charges for copyright violation.

Copyrights are time-limited but trademarks are not, explained Mayeda. What’s more, Mickey changed as a character through the years so technically, it is only the original version which will reach expiration. Other variations will have the 95 year copyright from the date of inception.

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Tinder notices spike in women seeking younger men as partners

Jul 4 2022

Popular dating app Tinder has noted a new trending spike in women seeking younger men as romantic partners.

The app revealed that users identifying as females are actively looking for another half who is more youthful, with their bios even indicating this. In fact, the words ‘younger man’ were used 70% more in the past year in bios.

Almost half of female identifying users on the platform have matched with a male-identifying partner younger than them in the past month.

When it comes to men, there doesn’t seem to be any minding of age gap when it comes to a partner. In fact, an increase of 35% in mentions of wanting an ‘older girl’ was noted for men.

Newsroom Tyla asked dating expert Rachael Lloyd for her take on this trend. She said that as women become more financially independent, there is likely a tangible decline in choosing same-age or older partners.

Historically, it was found that it was important for women to date relatively older men if they wanted to buy houses and start families. “But nowadays, younger women, in particular, do not look to a male partner to provide the same level of financial benefits.”

Cultural influencers are also to be considered as possible mirrors for the trend. In particular, figures like Kim Kardashian dating Pete Davidson or even Madonna dating Gen Z boyfriends at the age of 63.

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€519,721 raised on behalf of Dar tal-Providenza through volleyball marathon

Jul 4 2022

During this year’s edition of the volleyball marathon on behalf of Dar tal-Providenza, a whopping €519,721 in funds were raised.

This marks the 12th edition of the marathon and it kicked off last Friday 1st July and ended on Sunday 3rd July 2022 at midnight.

Up to 40 players and around 200 volunteers participated, with players engaging in friendly competition for 53 hours straight despite the scorching summer heat.

Dar tal-Providenza’s Director Fr Martin Micallef thanked the public for its generosity, describing the marathon as an event of solidarity and sport which brought out the altruistic spirit of all those involved.

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