TVM Head Of News Norma Saliba Resigns

Jul 26 2023

Norma Saliba, the head of news at TVM, announced her resignation in a Facebook post on Tuesday, where she condemned what she termed a “character assassination” against her.

She stepped down after holding the position for nearly three years since July 2020, when she took over from Reno Bugeja.

While citing “personal reasons” for her resignation, Saliba hinted that she felt compelled to leave, expressing her belief that she still had more to offer to her profession. Despite her decision, she emphasised her serenity in making it known.

Reports indicated that her relationship with TVM’s executive chairman, Mark Sammut, had soured, leading to her replacement as TVM’s registered editor in January 2022. Charles Dalli took over that role, but Saliba continued as the head of news at the national station.

Adding to the controversy, last month, PN media reported that Saliba had undertaken voiceover work for adverts by the Planning Authority, which was in violation of ethical guidelines barring PBS journalists from engaging in paid work for external parties.

Saliba and the PA defended the work, explaining that it had been completed in 2018, prior to her assuming the head of news position, while she was already a TVM journalist and serving as the president of the Institute of Maltese Journalists.

Saliba’s tenure as head of TVM’s news operation faced criticism for alleged bias in news coverage. Instances included omitting sections of Pope Francis’s speech on corruption during his visit to Malta in April 2022, and not reporting on speeches made by two governing Labour Party mayors during a protest against overdevelopment in Valletta.

In her resignation post, Saliba highlighted achievements during her time, such as the increased viewership of the 8pm TVM news bulletin, efforts to promote in-house documentaries and female journalists, and a higher number of cases won before the Broadcasting Authority under her leadership.

She asserted that she had never used her position to harm or favour anyone and expressed frustration over the recent misleading character assassination campaign against her. Despite the challenges, she urged for greater work towards protecting journalists and respecting women in leadership positions.

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Mediterranean Sea Broke Daily Temperature Records On Monday

Jul 26 2023

Spanish researchers reported to AFP that the Mediterranean Sea experienced its highest temperature ever recorded on Monday during an unprecedented heatwave.

According to the Institute of Marine Sciences in Spain, data analysed from the European Earth observation program Copernicus’ satellites revealed a new daily median sea surface temperature record of 28.71°C.

This surpassed the previous record of 28.25°C set on August 23, 2003.

Although these findings have yet to be officially confirmed by Copernicus, the organisation previously noted that in early June, global temperatures had already surpassed pre-industrial levels by more than 1.5°C, a critical threshold set in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global warming.

The rising temperatures in the Mediterranean pose a severe threat to marine life. Past heatwaves from 2015 to 2019 led to significant decimation of around 50 species, including corals and molluscs.

The Mediterranean region has been identified as a climate change hotspot, experiencing record temperatures in July.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body, has warned that marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean have undergone drastic changes since the 1980s, marked by declining biodiversity and the introduction of invasive species.

Experts from the IPCC caution that if global warming exceeds the 1.5°C target, over 20 percent of fish and invertebrates caught in the Mediterranean could disappear by 2060. These alarming trends highlight the urgent need to address climate change’s impact on the delicate marine ecosystems in the region.

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Giant 3D Barbie Next To Burj Khalifa Goes Viral

Jul 26 2023

A 3D video featuring a giant Barbie doll beside Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa has become a sensation on Instagram, amassing over three million views.

Created by Eye Studio, a social media agency in Dubai, the clip showcases the doll donning a zebra-print swimsuit and topknot ponytail, reminiscent of the original 1959 Barbie.

The agency aimed to pay homage to Barbie’s heritage and chose the iconic Burj Khalifa as a fitting backdrop.

The video’s success has caught the agency off guard, becoming their most viewed content ever.

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A post shared by Eye Studio| Creative Content & Social Media Agency👁️ (@eyestudioae)

The movie “Barbie,” directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie, which has already raked in $356.3 million globally. The film achieved significant milestones, setting records for the biggest opening weekend of the year and the highest-grossing opening weekend for a film directed by a woman.

Juhi Rupani, creative director of Eye Studio, expressed her astonishment at the overwhelming response to the video, highlighting that they have never witnessed such a reaction to their content before.

The video took three days to produce, utilising footage of Burj Khalifa shot on an iPhone and blending it with the animated Barbie.

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Electricity Outage Threatens Milk Supply In Malta

Jul 25 2023

Malta Dairy Products Ltd., the cherished provider of 100% fresh Maltese milk, is facing a daunting challenge due to an unexpected electricity outage at its factory. As a result, the company is struggling to maintain its regular milk production levels, leading to potential shortages of certain products on store shelves in the days ahead.

Despite having backup generators in place, the power cuts at the Malta Dairy Products factory have thrown a wrench in their milk production machinery. This unexpected disruption in production has created a temporary setback in the supply chain.

Adding to their woes, the company is also grappling with a natural decrease in milk production from their local cows. The scorching and arid weather conditions have left the cows producing less milk, a phenomenon that occurs every summer.

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