Unemployment at its lowest level in 10 years in Malta

Jul 6 2022

The number of people which registered for work last May was less than half what it was in the same month in 2021, marking the lowest in a decade.

According to official figures by the National Statistics Office, 961 people were officially looking for a job n May. This is compared to 2,001 in the same month in 2021.

Unemployment has reportedly decreased across all age groups for both men and women, with the former accounting for 7.1% of those registering.

This comes despite employer organisations calling out a labour shortage as they urge the government to ease paperwork associated with foreign worker engagement.

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Why are some cinemas banning latest Minions and suits trend?

Jul 6 2022

Sometimes, an idea – or in this case, a meme – takes hold of social media, and the latest one has seen large groups of mainly teenage boys going to the cinema in suits to watch ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru.’

The TikTok trend is called #gentleminions, and it involves wearing smart attire whilst attending showings in cinemas of the latest Illumination animated release.

@tristanmicallef

Despicable 😈🍌

♬ original sound – Tristan Micallef

The trend is mainly prominent on TikTok, with videos of the simple, fun and bizarre meme racking up millions of views as different groups give it their own spin. The participants could be seen lining up to hand their tickets, buying bananas prior to the film and cheering wildly when the title card or a cute minion moment plays.

@ig.jj_masarati8

Minions rise of alphas #gentleminions

♬ original sound – JJ

However, some cinemas have taken to banning any group of young movie-goers from showing up in droves donning the classy dress-up.

And the reason could be very straight-forward: some groups are causing a bit of a ruckus. There have been complaints of individuals yelling at the screen and throwing popcorn at each other. The only cinema in Guernsey in fact had to cancel any screenings of the film due to vandalism.

@lyndon.c

Despicable af 🍌 #fyp #minions #riseofgru #cineplex #gentleman

♬ original sound – billh

Meanwhile, the trend was endorsed by Universal Pictures, who tweeted out: ‘we see you and we love you’ to all those trying it out. This, despite the calls for refunds and complaints as the meme continues to market the movie.

@jamesnormandy

Cannot be stopped 🍌 #minions #fyp #gentleminions #riseofgru #cinema

♬ Rich Minion – Yeat

In conclusion, the trend in-and-of-itself is not offensive nor harmful, but teens trying it out are encouraged to be respectful of other theatregoers…as their attire is prone to suggest.

#MaltaDaily

Traffic pollution and jams costing Malta €400 million per year

Jul 6 2022

The European Commission revealed in a new report that from traffic pollution, whether it be noise or aerial, as well as congestion, Malta is losing around €400 million per year.

The commission revealed that the external costs of transport amount to around 3.6% of the island’s gross domestic product (GDP).

What’s worrying is that the figure is also on the rise, confirming similar concerns which were raised by previous studies such as a UOM 2015 research. Back then, the issue was costing Malta around €274 million.

Still, the University study predicted the costs to reach around €300 million by 2020. The report highlighted Malta’s dependence on road mobility, inefficient road networks and a preference for private transport as the main perpetrators.

The study emphasised the lack of ‘soft mobility infrastructure’ such as pavements and cycling lanes, which discourage the use of alternative modes of transport. To tackle the issue, the study said that improving public transport would have to take place.

Malta is also struggling to achieve environmentally sustainable economic growth and mobility. This means reducing traffic congestion and decarbonising transport. The high volume of generated construction and demolition also poses challenges.

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Former Love Island star praised for opening up about battle with depression

Jul 6 2022

Former Love Island star Siannise Fudge took to her Instagram stories to open up with her followers about her secret battle with anxiety and depression.

The 27-year-old first took to her platform prior to the stories, posting two photos – one from last year and one taken more recently.

In the caption, she talked about how her anxiety and depression resulted in her developing insomnia, mood swings as well as losing two stone in weight. “I have been waiting for the right time to speak about something that I had been living with and couldn’t find the courage to share it, but thankfully now I feel ready,”

She said that she had a responsibility to share this because it might help someone who follows her on the platform. ‘To give anyone suffering the belief that you can overcome your obstacles in life. This time last year I was suffering with anxiety and depression behind closed doors.’

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Siânnise Fudge (@siannisefudge)

She said that she lost all her confidence and lacked any love within herself. ‘I couldn’t bare to look at myself in the mirror because I didn’t recognise myself both physically & mentally.’

“I felt like I wasn’t in control of my body, I lost interest in things I loved the most and I found it impossible to socialise,” she said.

She went on to reveal that she went to hospital twice for checks and was reassured by doctors that, despite there being nothing physically wrong, she was indeed suffering from anxiety.

‘I urge everybody to be kind because you never know what someone is going through, everyone has a story.’

Fudge was a contestant on the popular show Love Island in series six, which aired in 2020. She went on to launch a fashion brand with fellow contestant Luke Trotman, but she split after around 2 years together. She currently has around 1.7M followers.

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