Local Blood Donors Thanked By President George Vella

Jun 30 2023

During a blood recognition ceremony on Wednesday evening at the Verdala Palace, President George Vella gave thanks to blood donors for their great act of charity and service.

‘Thanks to 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒔, hospital patients have greater hope of recovery and of a better life. I would like to congratulate the 25 donors who received recognition yesterday evening for their noble gesture. They set a clear example of how social awareness helps us to not only think of personal interests, but also consider the needs of the vulnerable and those in need’, the President wrote on social media.

The many donors were awarded with plaques to commemorate their selfless act whilst also encouraging anyone who might wish to donate to do so and encourage others around them to do so as well.

#MaltaDaily

‘Presumed Human Remains’ Found In Titan Sub Debris

Jun 30 2023

According to the US Coast Guard, debris discovered from the OceanGate submersible was very likely recovered human remains of the 5 men who boarded it on its maiden voyage.

The submersible was front and centre of international news for the majority of last week, after a failed rescue mission to save the men on board attempting to dive to the Titanic shipwreck.

Captain Jason Neubauer, chair of the Marine Board of Investigation (MBI), said that he is “grateful for the coordinated international and interagency support to recover and preserve this vital evidence at extreme offshore distances and depths”.

It was revealed that evidence in the form of debris was recovered from the seafloor at the site of the submersible on Wednesday and taken to St John’s Newfoundland.

The evidence provided evidence consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber, with investigations continuing into the entire case.

The submersible was carrying 5 men, including Ocean Gate CEO and pilot Stockton Rush, along with a billionaire who had a Maltese citizenship Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son Suleman.

#MaltaDaily

Local Artist Creates Clay Figure Of Former ‘Maltese’ Seal

Jun 30 2023

Using the clay found on the Għajn Tuffieħa Bay, Raphael Mizzi recreated a figure of the ‘Bumerin’, a seal species which once beached on the Maltese islands.

The Mediterranean Monk Seal once inhabited our beaches, and was commonly known as the ‘Bumerin’ or the ‘Monka.’

“Interestingly, we still have caves named after it, and there’s even a Maltese saying, “Jorqod daqs Bumerin,” meaning “He sleeps like a monk seal”, explained Mizzi.

The last recorded sighting of the animal in Malta was back in 1974, but it is unfortunately listed as a critically endangered species in the Mediterranean Sea.

Mizzi urged everyone to reflect and possibly contribute directly to the conservation of aquatic ecosystems, especially on our islands to safeguard other life from becoming endangered or, worse yet, extinct.

#MaltaDaily

All South Koreans Just Became 1 Year Younger

Jun 30 2023

HOW OLD WOULD YOU HAVE TURNED?

South Koreans have just became a year younger as a new law has been imposed which aligns the nation’s age-counting tradition with international standards.

This new law works to remove the traditional systems used to age people in South Korea. One system saw all South Koreans be deemed one year old exactly at birth, counting the time in the womb.

Another saw everyone ageing by a year every first day of January instead of their birthdays. However, both these systems have been scrapped to align with international standards.

President Yoon Suk Yeol had strongly campaigned in favour of the change when running for office, saying that the two old methods created unnecessary social and economic costs.

One of the drawbacks saw people born on the 31st of December turn 1 at birth and then 2 years old on January 1st – the very next day!

There will still be remnants from the laws however. South Koreans can, for example, buy cigarettes and alcohol from the year, not the day, they turn 19.

#MaltaDaily