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It’s International Bee Day: Here are 3 facts about bees

It's International Bee Day: Here are 3 facts about bees
May 20 2023 Share

Bees have a ‘democracy dance’

Scout bees looking for the hive’s new home will ‘squiggle’ and ‘dance’ to describe the location and benefits of the area. 

If other bees are convinced, they will check it out for themselves and return to perform the same patterns. If the hive agrees, they migrate to the new location!

Bees use feces as a defence tool 

Many species of bees are threatened by giant hornet predators in various parts of Asia. 

To protect the hive, bees have been known to collect and smear animal feces around the hive entrance to deter the invaders. 

Human-bee relationships go back thousands of years

Humans have been exploiting honeybees for a very long time. Honey has been found in Egyptian tombs and beeswax has been found on pottery from 9,000 years ago. 

8,000 year old cave paintings in Spain show humans gathering honey from a ladder as well. Which brings us to…

The Federation for Hunting and Conservation Malta (FKNK) and the Malta Beekeepers Association (MBKA) collaborated to support pollination in a unique manner specific to Maltese bees. 

Beekeeping members will have the opportunity to migrate bee colonies from their apiaries to the Miżieb and Aħrax reserves. This not only collects thyme nectar, but improves and ensures the pollination of the flora in Malta’s protected habitats. 

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Instagram is planning on competing with Twitter with new app

Instagram is planning on competing with Twitter with new app
May 20 2023 Share

As reported by ‘The Verge’, we may finally have an idea of what Instagram’s rumoured text-based Twitter competitor might look like.

Taking to Twitter, UCLA educator Lia Haberman released a ‘somewhat blurry example’ of Meta’s new app which is set to compete against the blue bird platform.

No separate name has been given to the app as of yet, calling it ‘Instagram’s new text-based app for conversations’. Users will reportedly be able to sign in through their Instagram username and password, transferring follower counts, verification status, bio information, etc onto the new app.

The app will allow text posts of up to 500 characters long, with the ability to attach links, photos and videos. 

The Instagram slide leaked by Haberman states that this app will be compatible with other apps like Mastodon, with users being able to search for, follow and interact with your profile and content if you’re public. 

According to TechCrunch, the app is slated for a summer reveal or release, so we might get a taste of it sooner than you would think. Would you use this app?

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Key findings from NAO report on the Hospital Concession Deal and everything else that came after

May 20 2023 Share

The National Audit Office (NAO) recently published its report on the hospital concession deal in Malta, shedding light on several critical issues and alleged misconduct.

Here are the key findings from the report and other news that followed:

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  1. Konrad Mizzi’s Conduct: The report expressed grave concern over former Minister Konrad Mizzi’s failure to cooperate with the NAO investigation. The NAO deemed his lack of accountability deplorable, as he played a central role in the hospitals deal and hindered the understanding of the initial developments.
  2. Conflicting Accounts: Conflicting accounts were provided to the NAO regarding the early interactions between Steward Healthcare and the government during the takeover period in 2017. Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his chief of staff, Keith Schembri, provided limited and curt disclosures, respectively. Mizzi failed to engage with the NAO, impeding their efforts to comprehend the lead-up to the deal.
  3. False Sense of Urgency: The NAO identified a “false sense of urgency” created by the government during the takeover period. Steward was given limited timeframes to complete the buyout of Vitals, the original concessionaires. The NAO expressed concerns about whether the government’s interests were duly served, emphasising the conduct of those involved in the change of control.
  4. Health Minister Sidelined: The report highlighted the unfortunate parallels between the government’s handling of the original concession to Vitals and the transfer of the contract to Steward. Health Minister Chris Fearne was left out of negotiations, with Mizzi taking the lead instead.
  5. Malta Enterprise’s Non-cooperation: Malta Enterprise, a government entity involved in coordinating certain aspects of the concession, failed to cooperate with the NAO’s probe. Despite queries, it did not respond to any requests, indicating a systemic failure.
  6. Mizzi Misled Cabinet: The NAO accused Konrad Mizzi of misleading the cabinet regarding a side deal with Steward Healthcare. The deal obligated the government to pay Steward €100 million if the hospital contract was annulled. Mizzi’s presentation of the deal obscured its true implications, leading to cabinet approval in August 2019.
  7. PM’s Remarks: Prime Minister Robert Abela maintained that the government’s handling of the concession was justified, considering the pending court case and the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasised the government’s priority to protect people’s health, and pulling out of the contract could have resulted in a €100 million penalty.
  8. PN Leader’s Reaction: Opposition leader Bernard Grech highlighted that the fraud suffered by the people was more significant than initially thought. The report revealed that the €400 million given to Vitals/Steward Healthcare did not include workers’ salaries, and the transfer of the concession was deemed abusive and illegal.
  9. Mizzi’s Response: Konrad Mizzi refuted the NAO’s conclusion that he misled the cabinet, calling it “blatantly false” in a Facebook post. However, he provided no justification for his failure to cooperate with the NAO’s requests.
  10. Repubblika’s Action: NGO Repubblika filed a court application seeking the immediate arrest of several individuals, including Joseph Muscat, Chris Cardona, Konrad Mizzi, Keith Schembri, and others, in connection with the hospitals deal.
  11. Compensation and Rehabilitation: Health Minister Chris Fearne indicated that the government would seek compensation from Steward Health Care following the collapse of the hospitals concession. He also announced plans to rehabilitate parts of St Luke’s Hospital for medical use.

The report’s release has sparked debates and calls for further action to address the issues raised and ensure the protection of public interests.

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Environment activist addresses pre-Love Island Malta cameo

Environment activist addresses pre-Love Island Malta cameo
May 20 2023 Share

Taking to social media, Chief Patrolling Ranger at the Malta Ranger Unit Cami Appelgren addressed her recent cameo before an episode of Love Island. 

Before another episode of villa shenanigans aired, TVM aired a feature of ‘Il-Mara’, which featured Appelgren in her ranger outfit explaining her work, the current environmental context of the islands and what could be done to safeguard it better.

‘Me sitting in the middle of nowhere doing environmental crime monitoring, pitch dark, windy af, and getting spammed with messages showing my face’ wrote Cami. 

Thanking Television Malta for airing the feature just before Love Island Malta, Appelgren wrote how this move might have just reached the unreachables when it comes to environmental matters. 

‘Now EVERYONE knows that if they don’t treat nature well, I’ll be there’, she joked. ‘Behave! And sorry for delaying the drama (as if we don’t have enough in our country lol)’.

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