This is how Smart City’s ITS will look like: work to kick off soon

Oct 18 2022

Prime Minister Robert Abela revealed ahead of next week’s budget that the work on the Institute for Tourism Studies’ new Smart City campus will begin in the coming weeks.

The news was revealed during a meeting the prime Minister had with the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) ahead of the budget. He said that excavations will start in the coming weeks to kick off this massive and ambitious project.

He also highlighted that this year Malta will have welcomed 2 million tourists, with the sector being a crucial one for the island.

Abela remarked how the tourism sector massively improved following the COVID-19 pandemic, recovering 90% of air connectivity.

MHRA president Tony Zahra emphasised the importance of connectivity for the island and how such an investment will contribute to the island’s economic growth.

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Mgarr eatery Bohini places 18 and over age limit for all customers

Oct 18 2022

A small 14-table bistro in Mgarr called Bohini has decided to place an age limit of 18 and over for all its customers. The move, which was explained via a social media post, sparked some discussion online.

The eatery explained that this was not an easy decision to make and that ‘not all children should be put under the same umbrella, but unfortunately when dealing with issues like these, the good has to always suffer with the bad.’

The post outlined how small the eatery is but, despite this, staff have had to deal with children left unattended running around the restaurant. ‘This is a danger for both our staff trying to carry out their job, as well as for the children themselves.’

Another reason given was dealing with the parents of such children. Some proved to be very understanding, but others, they said, left false reviews and even insulted staff, sometimes in regards to their sexuality, when trying to ensure a safe space.

‘Such a decision cannot be liked by everyone […] but we have taken this action based on the primary reason Bohini first opened it’s doors. That is, to create a welcoming, peaceful, calm environment people can enjoy with friends as well as making new friends here!’

The news had mixed responses – some completely understood the move by the owners whilst others critiqued them for not giving them a space to attend with their entire family. What do you think?

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Throwback Maltese fashion trends which took over the island

Oct 18 2022

Whether we like to admit it or not, we’ve all hopped on some form of bandwagon at least once in our lives and when it comes to clothing and accessory trends, there are too many to count. Like every other country in the world, Malta is not immune to trends and admittedly, neither were we. That said, here are some throwback Maltese fashion trends which took over the island back in the day. How many of these do you remember?

Levi’s T-Shirt

Whilst being a relatively passive trend in terms of cultural significance, the plain Levi’s Tee felt like a national uniform in 2018, you just had to have it. The white t-shirt, red emblem and blocky logo lettering were a local fashion phenomenon and anyone still having this in their wardrobe holds a moment in Maltese clothing culture.

Go Bananas Shirts

Whether it was an ever-so-bold ‘The Man ⬆️ The Legend ⬇️’ shirt or a classic ‘I’m with stupid’ piece, the late 2000s and early 2010s were riddled with a myriad of quirky-quoting tees and we will never forget it. From YOLOs to IDGAFs and everything in between, having one of these shirts meant that you liked to live life on the edge, or at least thought you did.

Bright drainpipe jeans

Back in the good old days, the tighter and brighter your drainpipe pants were, the more respect you commanded. Bringing absolute truth to the name ‘drainpipe’, these jeans were a statement piece unlike any other and are a definite relic of the ‘spiky hair and kuruna (rosary beads)’ era of Maltese fashion.

Givova tracksuit pants

A staple part of any post-secondary student’s wardrobe, particularly those attending Junior College, this trusty pair of pantaloons guided you throughout your journey towards University. With an agreeable price and all the comfort you could ever need, the Givova tracksuit pants were an essential part of any student’s wardrobe.

Ice-Watch

A consequence of one of the strongest apparel campaigns in Malta, absolutely everyone wanted an Ice-watch in the mid-to-late-2010s. While the vivid statement pieces still hold to this day as a colourful addition to anyone’s outfit, they truly peaked around 2017 and every time a birthday or Christmas came along, we hoped that we would rip open our gifts to unveil an Ice-watch box.

What’s YOUR favourite throwback Maltese fashion piece?

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Prime Minister to nominate Robert Arrigo for Ġieħ ir-Repubblika

Oct 18 2022

Following the news of former Nationalist Party Deputy leader Robert Arrigo’s passing, Prime Minister Robert Abela announced that he will be nominating the late MP for the Ġieħ ir-Repubblika.

These awards are handed out on Republic Day (Jum ir-Repubblika) on the 13th of December. The news was announced by the Prime Minister in comments to journalists after a EY conference.

Abela described Arrigo as a person of massive societal contribution, especially in sectors of sport, social welfare, tourism and of course the political sphere.

Arrigo’s passing at the age of 67 was announced earlier this morning, with many sending their condolences and describing him as someone who gave a lot to Maltese society through his work.

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