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Finance Minister bites back at PN criticism of budget 2022

Finance Minister bites back at PN criticism of budget 2022
Oct 12 2021 Share

Following both the presentation of the budget for 2022 and the Nationalist Party’s rebuttal to this presentation, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has responded to Bernard Grech’s claims of government proposing a budget lacking credibility. Addressing a press conference alongside Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne, Caruana insisted that he will not take lessons from a party which presided over an economic disaster when in power. 

Grech criticised the budget yesterday after its presentation and said that it was one that lacked vision and only addressed present day concerns. Most notably, he accused the Labour government of increasing the country’s debt and deficits. Caruana however responded by saying that ‘all of a sudden’, the PN’s narrative has changed. This is because, according to the Finance Minister, the government ‘pulled the carpet out from under their legs.’ 

He said that the budget’s sustainability will have to be approved by the European Commission and how he was careful to explain exactly how much all measures would cost. He highlighted how the Opposition did not present its own costs when presenting proposals. In terms of national debt, Caruana said that this was lower than its highest point under the last Nationalist administration. 

Fearne also bit back, saying that according to Grech’s logic, there must have been a lot of corruption under a Nationalist government because the deficit was always high. This is because Grech claimed that defect was high due to the current administration’s corruption. Fearne instead highlighted that the reason deficit was so high was because Malta provided free COVID-19 testing to everyone, set up vaccination centres and labs and succeeded in vaccinating the entire population. 

The alternatives would have been unemployment, poverty, sickness and death, said Fearne. He framed the budget as one reflecting that the country was recovering and is able to live again in a normal future. 

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Photo Source: Bernard Grech FB, Clyde Caruana FB

DC reveal new Superman is bisexual on Coming Out Day

DC reveal new Superman is bisexual on Coming Out Day
Oct 12 2021 Share

As many celebrate National Coming Out Day on the 11th of October , DC Comics have unveiled that the new Superman is bisexual. The character is Jonathan ‘Jon’ Kent, the son of Clark Kent and Lois Lane, taking up the Superman mantle to be a beacon of a bold new direction for DC in more ways than one. Writer Tom Taylor explained how he always said that everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes. 

Jon’s story mirrors that of his father in that he falls in love with a reporter. As Clark fell for Lois, Jon strikes a friendship with jay Nakamura, eventually leading to a romantic relationship. Taylor pointed out how Superman’s symbol has always stood for hope, and now more people can relate to what the superhero stands for. The next comic issue is set to release on the 9th of November, and fans will get to see Jay care for the Man of Steel as he does his heroic duty. 

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Photo Source: Ashley Talks Comics

Man arrested for stealing air-soft weapons worth thousands

Man arrested for stealing air-soft weapons worth thousands
Oct 12 2021 Share

A conjoined investigation between Police of Criminal Investigations Department and Rahal Gdid District Police led to the arrest of a 21-year-old from Tarxien who stole air-soft weapons and munition. The 21 year old was arrested less than 24 hours after the robbery occurred, after the police were informed on Sunday at 1000hrs that their assistance was needed in Triq il-Merhba, Fgura. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that during the night between Saturday and Sunday, the accused broke down a door and stole air-soft weapons, munition of the same weapons, and other objects worth thousands of euros. After tracking him down, he was arrested as other stolen items were retrieved. The man appeared in court today at 1130hrs and admitted to having stolen the weapons. He revealed that he did not work, and was accused of also damaging a garage door. 

The court, which was presided over by Magistrate Charmaine Galea, gave the accused a 3 years probation and ordered him to pay the victim €70 within seven days as well as the costs of the inquiry. He was ordered to obey his probation officer and do as he was told as arrest would mean a jail sentence. 

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Photo Source: Malta Police Force Communications

Social media users report ‘smartphone pinky’ as fingers bend

Social media users report ‘smartphone pinky’ as fingers bend
Oct 12 2021 Share

If you’re reading this article on your phone take a quick look at your pinky finger. Does it bend or dent? Well, you might have ‘smartphone pinky’, a new condition which social media users (mostly addicts) are reporting across multiple platforms. The phenomenon is not yet considered an official medical condition as of yet, but an ever-increasing number of smartphone users are pointing out a dent or bend in their little fingers and convinced themselves its because of how they hold their phones. 

‘Smartphone pinky’ was first pointed out on a TikTok video by user @cllopez2000 who, showcasing their little finger, said that ‘if you hold your hand with your pinky on the bottom of your phone, you’ll start to notice a little dent between the top and the bottom knuckles on your pinky.’ Amassing 24K likes on TikTok, users started to self-diagnose themselves with the affliction as they stared at their pinky. 

The phenomenon was reviewed by Lloyds Pharmacy pharmacist Pareena Patel who told news portal the sun that there is no clinical evidence about what the condition is or whether it actually exists. She said that despite there being no clinical evidence yet, there are reasons to believe excessive phone use can impact muscular function. Others just made light of the situation and shared celebrity photos who allegedly have smartphone pinkies. They’re all too human after all. 

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Photo Source: Dongel Daily, Phoebe Rajput