Malta could be getting a metro very soon as studies set for release

Sep 21 2021

Prime Minister Robert Abela has promised to publish the government-commissioned studies which are working towards introducing a metro on the island. The studies would be published for public consultation as the Prime Minister argues that such massive a project would be necessary for future generations. The coming weeks will see the studies released following their alleged completion since last February, Abela told a Labour Party rally. The metro, which could revolutionize public transport, should be analyzed from all factors and angles, continued Abela.

Such concerns include whether or not a metro is in fact needed, whether such transport is ready to be used instead of private cars, whether the public is ready for the inconveniences which will pop up whilst the metro is being built and even whether the public is ready to continue ‘modernizing’ the country further. The Prime Minister emphasized keeping the future generations in mind when taking such decisions as this could change not only transportation but also the very landscape of Malta.

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Photo Source: Robert Abela FB

McDonald’s apparel is here and people are lovin’ it

Sep 21 2021

Fast-food chain giant McDonald’s and cause-driven pop culture retailer BoxLunch have teamed up to announce their multi-category collaboration. The bringing together of these two brands has produced an assortment of apparel, accessories and collectibles, all exclusively available at BoxLunch stores and BoxLunch.com starting from September 20th. With items for both men and women, the collaboration features everything from McDonald’s handbags, socks, T-shirts, hoodies, and other accessories.

The release celebrates retro graphics, beloved characters and modern iconography from the archives of the ‘Golden Arches’. Senior Director of Strategic Alliances at McDonald’s said that ‘as a brand serving tens of thousands of communities across the world, we’re always focused on living our purpose of feeding and fostering the communities we operate in.’ Connecting fandom and philanthropy, BoxLunch donates a meal to a person in need for every $10 spent-in-store or online through their partnership with Feeding America. Would you don some of the new McDonald’s merch?

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Chinese TikTok ‘Douyin’ limiting kids to only 40 minutes a day

Sep 21 2021

The Chinese version of TikTok known as Douyin will be introducing a ‘teenage mode’ which will limit the amount of time spent on the social media platform by kids under the age of 14. The age group will only be able to spend up to 40 minutes a day on the app and it will apply to all Douyin users who have signed up using their real names, revealed Beijing-based ByteDance in a statement. The app will also be unavailable to these same users between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am, with parents being urged to help children register with their real names or else enable teenage mode manually.

ByteDance has not yet issued a statement in regards to how it will deal with those instances wherein someone registers without using their real details to avoid the restriction. With at least 490 million users as of November 2020, Douyin’s restriction comes so as to get kids doing other activities apart from using social media, most notably sport. With studies showing that obesity in Maltese children has only been increasing, topping the charts according to WHO, could such a measure be useful locally?

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PCR for toddlers by Malta Airshow sparks outrage and refund demands

Sep 21 2021

The organizers of the Malta International Airshow have received a barrage of criticism and refund demands after they introduced a PCR test requirement for children between the ages of 2 and 12. The announcement of the ‘health measure’ came on Tuesday morning, leading to many who had already bought their tickets to demand a refund, claiming that when purchasing their ticket, the requirement was not detailed.

Children are being allowed entry only if they are accompanied by an adult and if they present a PCR test 72 hours from the entry date or Rapid Test 24hours from the entry date. Pregnant women can also enter when presenting the same criteria.

Despite the organizers pointing out that the event is fully compliant with all health directives, many pointed out that 2-year-olds do not need a PCR test to travel abroad, and certainly shouldn’t need one for a local airshow.

The comments bombarded the organizers, calling the measures ridiculous and a joke, calling for either a change in the measures in place to attend the event or a refund of the purchased tickets.

What do you make of the situation?

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