National Football Centre in Ta’ Qali approved for development

Jan 21 2022

The Malta Football Association has revealed that the Planning Authority approved the full development permit for the construction of a National Football Centre in Ta’ Qali.

The project consists in the construction of a set of facilities that would be the home of the Malta National Football Teams, ‘from the very early ages through a development pathway to the elite.’

The Malta Football Association states that it will also feature ‘the latest in sports science research labs, medical facilities, physiotherapy clinic, gymnasium, dressing rooms, catering facilities, multi-function meeting and lecture rooms, relaxation room and technical offices’.

Designed with ‘environment protection and sustainability in mind’, the facility is also set to serve as the home of the development arm of the Association, the Inħobb il-Futbol Foundation.

The foundation is still in its early stages but is considered as a key pillar of the MFA’s strategy and its task with implementing a performance strategy through a unified football philosophy, increasing participation levels, protection player welfare and enhancing the social mission through football.

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Photo Source: Malta Football Association FB

Baby Shark becomes first YouTube video to reach 10 billion views

Jan 21 2022

One of the most despised videos of YouTube has reached a whopping 10 billion views on the platform’s historical first. The song, which is also the second most disliked video on the platform behind only YouTube’s very own ‘Rewind 2018’, debuted back in 2016.

It became a viral sensation amongst kids who loved singing the easy lyrics and doing the shark dance moves. According to the Guardian, it is still unclear who the original writer of the track is five years after its release. A nursery rhyme long before it was recorded by 10-year-old Korean American singer Hope Segoine, the track itself is in the public domain.

It however became famous when it was released by educational company Pinkfong, going viral in south-east Asia before spreading globally. Guinness World Records revealed the 10 billion achievement on January 19th, as it overtook Luis Fonsi’s Despacito. Despacito however still remains the most liked clip on the site with 47 million compared to the 33 million for Baby Shark. Allegedly, some of the views for Baby Shark come from pretty dark places, after former inmates at a US prison launched a lawsuit against their jailers for playing the song on repeat.

Some parents might wish this track never existed in the first place, but it doesn’t seem to be going away soon. Quite the contrary actually…

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Man admits to robbing elderly women in Żabbar home town

Jan 21 2022

A 35-year-old man from Żabbar will be sentenced next month after he admitted to having stolen cash during the mugging of a 74-year-old woman, as well as a break-in on a car driven by another elderly woman.

The man was arranged before Magistrate Nadine Lia, accused of theft aggravated by violence. The crime took place on January 14th 2022 at around 5pm, with the accused having also allegedly slightly injured the victim.

The court was told the accused is a drug addict, with him being additionally charged with another theft on 11th January during which €70 were stolen from a parked Hyundai.

The man admitted his guilt to place during an interrogation and pleaded guilty in court on Friday afternoon. His lawyer Charmaine Cherrett requested a pre-sentencing report, adjourning the case to February 21st.

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Photo Source: Kamra tal-Periti

Some restaurants plan on closing or cutting operations until restrictions are eased

Jan 21 2022

A new survey has found that around 14% of restaurants may shut down temporarily following the introduction of mandatory vaccination for entry into their establishments. Struggling with lack of staff and poor custom due to the new measures, half of the respondents to the survey claimed they had no option but to reduce operations. Only a third want to run the business as usual.

The survey was carried out by the Association of Catering Establishments, which revealed that the impact in the first week was already a huge blow. Associations representing catering and hospitality establishment have been warning of the impact before the restrictions were put into effect. More than a third of restaurants have one or more frontline staff member who is not vaccinated. This means they could no longer work, with some some having taken the Sputnik vaccine or others not recognised by the EMA and Malta.

The ACE said that many staff are leaving the industry since they do not need to be vaccinated in other sectors. ‘If the government wants to impose vaccination, then it should take responsibility for it and not put the burden on businesses. It should also consider the different vaccinations that are now accepted in other EU countries. The Ministry of Health has shown it is detached from reality and yet again is playing Russian roulette with the livelihood of restauranteurs’ they said.

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