Malta’s Cannabis Reform Bill enters final stage as Opposition proposes no amendments

Dec 1 2021

Malta’s much-anticipated Cannabis Reform Bill has been approved at a committee stage, which means that it is “edging nearer towards the bill becoming law,” Reforms Minister Owen Bonnici stated.

This means that the reform bill underwent a parliamentary process by which the House reviews every single clause of the bill, with government and Opposition MPs able to propose amendments to any of the clauses.

Minister Bonnici took to social media to announce the aforementioned, going on to highlight that “The Opposition, in yet another twist, did not propose a single written amendment.” The Opposition has expressed its reservations on the Cannabis Reform Bill multiple times but failed to present which provisions it wanted to amend.

The cannabis reform bill has been approved at committee stage: edging nearer towards the bill becoming law.

The Opposition, in yet another twist, did not propose a single written amendment.

I thank all those who participated and intervened during committee stage.#change

— •Owen Bonnici (@OwenBonnici) November 30, 2021

What is left for the bill is one final vote before it is presented to the President of Malta, whereby the President may sign it into law after years of proposals and cannabis activism.

What do you make of this decision?

#MaltaDaily

‘The success of the “no lockdown” strategy is evident.’ Controversial doctor Jean Karl Soler states

Dec 1 2021

“Sweden did not lockdown in the past, will not lockdown now, and will most likely never need to lockdown in the future.” This is the closing statement of doctor Jean Karl Soler’s Facebook post where his states his opinion on lockdowns.

Dr. Soler is a long-standing skeptic of COVID-19 and the subsequent strict restrictions, recently expressing his cynicism on the new Omicron variant and other factors. In one of his recent Facebook posts, he stated that natural herd immunity does not weaken after 6 months, going on to highlight that Sweden is “now one of the most protected countries in Europe, if not the world.”

In another post, Dr. Soler further expressed his skepticism with the mass fear surrounding Omicron variant, calling for “facts over fear-mongering. Science over vaccine marketing.”

What do you make of these statements?

#MaltaDaily

The story continues: Money Heist’s Berlin is getting his own Netflix series in 2023

Dec 1 2021

Berlin has been a long-time fan favourite in the Money Heist series and fans of the enigmatic character will be happy to know that he is getting his very own spinoff series in 2023.

Titled Berlin: A New Series, Netflix revealed that the series will kick off in 2023 and star Spanish actor Pedro Alonso, who will reprise his role as mastermind Berlin. It is so far unknown whether or not the show will be a prequel but given the circumstances of his story, one can only expect it.

This heist might be coming to an end, but the story continues…

Berlin: A New Series, coming in 2023 pic.twitter.com/jMvufEArKq

— Netflix (@netflix) November 30, 2021

The second half of Money Heist’s fifth and final season will hit Netflix this Friday. With regards to the upcoming Berlin series, Alonso has stated that he is extremely happy about it and is “deeply grateful to be able to connect with people all over the world and receive so much love and such a memorable time.”

Do you plan on watching the new Berlin series?

#MaltaDaily

Blanket travel bans will not prevent international spread of Omicron COVID variant, WHO says

Dec 1 2021

In light of the current COVID-19 Omicron variant, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that blanket travel bans will not in fact prevent the international spread of the variant but place a heavy burden on the lives and livelihoods of citizens.

This comes in light of multiple countries imposing travel bans and enacting travel measures to prevent the spread of the heavily-mutated variant as cases begin to surface.

The international organisation has stated that blanket travel bans “can adversely impact global health efforts during a pandemic by disincentivizing countries to report and share epidemiological sequencing data,” going on to advise people over 60 or at-risk individuals to postpone their travel bans for the moment.

WHO also reiterated the importance of getting vaccinated and staying vigilant until more is known about the new variant.

#MaltaDaily