Over 4.3 million Ukrainian children displaced because of Russian invasion

Mar 24 2022

Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on the 24th of February 2022, around more than half of all children in Ukraine have been displaced from their homes.

The tragic numbers were revealed by the United Nations on Thursday, saying that one month of war in Ukraine has led to the displacement of 4.3 million children. This is more than half of the country’s estimated 7.5 million children population.

UNICEF said that children make up around half of over 10 million people who have had to flee their homes since the war began. Around 1.8 million children fled Ukraine as refugees, while another 2.5 million have been displaced in their own country.

UNICEF chief Catherine Russell said that the war caused one of the fastest large-scale displacements of children since World War II. ‘This is a grim milestone that could have lasting consequences for generations to come’ she said.

‘Children’s safety, wellbeing and access to essential services are all under threat from non-stop horrific violence’ she continued. With Ukrainians losing their lives and others defending the country, the UN human rights office confirmed that 81 children have been confirmed killed in the conflict.

Acknowledging that the numbers could be much higher, around 108 were reported injured. WHO also verified 64 attacks on health care such as hospitals and clinics since the war began.

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WHO official says COVID spike due to restrictions eased too soon

Mar 24 2022

A new spike in COVID-19 cases is hitting European nations, and a senior World Health Organisation (WHO) official blamed the scrapping of pandemic restrictions ‘too soon.’

The COVID-19 virus is back on the rise in 18 European countries, including Malta. Hans Kluge, WHO’s regional director for the continent told reporters that this was due to a sudden change in policy in several countries.

The measures were lifted ‘too brutally from too much to too few’ he said. Now, the sub variant BA.2 is causing a boost of infections. Kluge says he still remains optimistic but vigilant when it comes to beating COVID.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now estimates that most of new infections are due to this sub-variant. This comes as Malta experiences a spike but also a reduction in measures.

Around a month ago, before the general election campaign kicked off, Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that Malta is undergoing a COVID exit roadmap. This would see the removal of all restrictions, allowing events to take place and removal of masks and vaccine mandates.

However, as of yesterday, Malta registered 2969 active cases after 375 new positive cases were detected. Fearne had however spoken about switching the focus on hospitalisations, which still seems to be manageable.

As of yet, Malta has 63 patients in Mater Dei, one of whom in the ITU. Fearne and the health authorities also credited the lack of severe infections to the vaccination rollout, with Malta boasting 1,253,673 jabs administered.

Could this be an indication of another round of measures or possibly another round of vaccine booster jabs? Local health authorities had said that no fourth booster shot rollout is in the plans, but that there are enough vaccines to address the need in Malta should it arise.

Fearne had also given three reasons as to why he thinks the spike is occurring, saying that increased social mobility, a colder than usual March and the variant are the three driving factors.

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Last chance to pick up vote documents today

Mar 24 2022

Today, the 24th of March 2022, is the very last day you can pick up your voting documents, without which one would not be allowed to head to the polls.

The Electoral Commission reminded the public that they can pick up the document from their Naxxar Office as well as the Identity Card Office in Pjazza San Frangisk in Rabat, Ghawdex. The offices are open from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 3:pm to midnight.

Any person going to pick up their document should do so personally and present their ID card. No other identification documents are being accepted when picking up the vote.

No voting documents can be printed, handed out or collected on the 25th and 26th of March according to law.

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Study reveals how much sleep adults need to get each night

Mar 24 2022

Striking the perfect balance between too much and too little sleep is quite the gamble – with some shirking the necessary rest due to overwork and others never wanting to throw off their bedsheets.

Now, a recent scientific study has come out with a brand new finding as to how much an adult needs to sleep in order to function and keep the brain going optimally.

The official guidance from the NHS suggests that we need around six to nine hours of sleep each night, despite many thinking that they can function on less than that. However, the new research claimed that some adults could be sleeping too much.

The research claims that people who sleep less than 4.5 hours or more than 6.5 hours were found to be more at risk of cognitive decline. However, the quality of sleep might be more important.

So anywhere between the 4.5 and 6.5 hour mark is an optimal amount, provided it is quality sleep. Senior psychology lecturer Greg Elder told The Conversation that science isn’t quite sure why lack of sleep increases risk of cognitive decline.

Other factors are surely at play, scientists acknowledge. These could vary from poor health, physical activity and socioeconomic status. But it does come as a bit of a relief for those only manage to fit in few hours of quality sleep.

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