NASA names first woman, African American & Canadian to fly to the moon

Apr 4 2023

Unveiling the four astronauts who will head out on the first lunar mission in five decades, NASA also introduced the first woman and first African American person to be taking on the journey.

The crew is made up of three Americans and one Canadian astronaut, who were introduced globally during a ceremony on Monday April 3rd in Houston.

Christina Koch and Victor Glover are the astronauts in question, who will be joined by Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen to fly a capsule around the Moon in late 2024 or early 2025.

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Victor Glover is a US Navy test pilot who made his first journey to space in 2020 and was the first African American to stay on the International Space Station.

Christina Koch is a 44-year-old electrical engineer who participated in the first all-female spacewalk in 2019. She holds the record for the woman with the longest continuous time in space for 328 days.

Canadian Jeremy Hansen himself is also a newbie in terms of moon missions as he is yet to fly in space but his fighter pilot experience is set to contribute greatly. As for Wiseman, he has flown on one other space journey in 2015 to the International Space Station.

The astronaut group will spend 10 days in space, climbing into NASA’s Orion space capsule. If this mission works out, NASA will then land two astronauts on the face of the moon by 2025.

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Animal Commissioner opens up about feelings of helplessness

Apr 4 2023

Writing in her annual report, Animal Welfare Commissioner Alison Bezzina opened up about how she often feels helpless in effecting change ‘in a timely fashion or even at all.’

Bezzina touted various reasons and setbacks which keep her from bringing into actuality various reforms which safeguard animals and their rights’ in Malta. These include everything from a lack of resources to lack of enforcement.

She also highlighted how she, along with staff within the Office of the Commissioner for Animal Welfare, have often had to face angry and abusive comments due to misinformation pertaining to their actual role.

‘The legislative framework from which my duties, obligations and powers emit, CAP 439 Article 44, make the role pretty much a consultative one, often completely dependent on other entities to execute and act on my recommendations’ she explained.

‘When it is explained that this is not the case, many feel betrayed, deceived and being taken for a ride.’

However, Bezzina did highlight one aspect of the role for which she is extremely grateful for, which is that it allows for single mindedness. Whereas other roles within the sector sometimes pose conflict of interest, the role of Commissioner for Animal Welfare ‘is only burdened with one single and very clear interest – Animal Welfare.’

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Rosianne Cutajar resigns from Labour’s Parliamentary Group

Apr 3 2023

Rosianne Cutajar has officially resigned from the Labour Party’s parliamentary group, staying in parliament as an independent.

It is reported that Cutajar informed the prime minister with a statement outlining her decision, saying that she does so serenely but with a heavy heart.

Taking to social media, she explained how, two years ago, she took on responsibility by resigning from her position as Parliamentary Secretary despite ‘having committed no illegality.’

She wrote how two weeks ago, an ‘inhumane, vindictive and personal attack’ took place against her, in reference to the leaked WhatsApp chats between her and Yorgen Fenech by writer Mark Camilleri.

‘I will continue to serve as an independent Member of Parliament, with liberty but consistent with my Labour principles’ she said. She thanked those who stuck by her during these difficult times.

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GS1 celebrates 50 years of transforming tomorrow

Apr 3 2023

GS1 is a neutral, not-for-profit standards organisation that helps companies in different industrial sectors do business across the World. The Organisation’s scale and reach through local Member Organisations in 116 countries, developing standards for over two million companies benefiting from such standards, ensures that globally GS1 standards have rapidly become the benchmark to doing business in over 25 industries in more than 150 countries. GS1 standards help ensure that there is a common language of business across the globe. The local office, known as GS1 Malta was set up in 1992, and has provided standards and services these last 30 plus years to its 400 plus local members.

50 years ago, the GS1 barcode was created to transform grocery shopping and empower more reliable and resilient supply chains. Today the beep of the GS1 barcode is heard over 6 billion times a day around the world.

From that point forward, a simple scan at checkout connected a physical product to its digital identity. Since then, GS1 standards have powered more reliable and transparent supply chains across industries. By identifying, capturing, and sharing information about things (products, parts, components and assets), business locations, documents and more, it enabled these industries to achieve true supply chain visibility and life cycle management.

GS1’s business benefits in more than 25 industries starting from fresh foods and foodservice to apparel. Throughout the years, branched out to transport and logistics, specific segments such as healthcare industry, financial industry, technical industry, and humanitarian logistics.

GS1 solutions are openly available to help members:

Solve real-world business challenges.
Achieve a trading partner mandate.
Comply with a regulation.
Meet the growing and changing needs of today’s consumers and patients.
Identify – create unique global identity for products.
Capture – record information into data carriers.
Share – exchange accurate data and connect it everywhere.

The company works with organisations of every size. Over two million are part of GS1—from international household names to small, local businesses. Designed by consensus, standards are proven, open and benefit from collaboration with respected global companies.

“Correct GTINs enable better visibility on shopping platforms and marketplaces. Understanding identity enables us to show the right products in Google experiences like Search, YouTube and Google Maps.” – Mike Capsambelis Product Management Lead Google

The future has never looked brighter. New multipurpose 2D barcodes powered by GS1 standards are transforming a simple scan, opening a gateway of indepth product information. Whether on an in-store scanner or a mobile phone, they will create new opportunities to improve business operations, consumer experiences, patient safety and sustainability initiatives.

Locally GS1 Malta aims to continue to work collaboratively with local authorities, government, and other regulatory and public sector organizations—to help companies achieve regulatory compliance, adoption, and product safety.

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