Unemployment Rate For October 2023 At 2.5%

Nov 29 2023

In October 2023, the seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate remained steady at 2.5 percent, unchanged from the preceding month but displaying a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to the same month in the previous year.

Throughout this period, the total number of unemployed individuals numbered 7,613, with the 25 to 74 age group contributing significantly to the overall unemployment figure. Among them, 2,007 were youth, and 5,606 were individuals aged between 25 and 74.

Breaking down the data, the unemployment rate for males in October 2023 was 2.4 percent, marking a 0.1 percentage point decrease from the previous month. Concurrently, the unemployment rate for females held steady at 2.6 percent, consistent with the figures reported in September 2023.

Examining age-specific unemployment rates, individuals aged 15 to 24 years experienced a 7.0 percent unemployment rate, representing an increase. In contrast, those in the 25 to 74 age bracket saw a 2.0 percent unemployment rate, indicating a slight decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to September 2023.

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Controversy After Forbes Crowns Bad Bunny ‘King Of Pop’

Nov 29 2023

The designation of Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny as the “King of Pop” by Forbes magazine has sparked controversy and dissent among some individuals.

Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, gained international acclaim and secured a spot on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list as one of the world’s most prominent music stars.

Forbes lauded Bad Bunny’s global impact, noting his historic headline performance at the Coachella music festival and his achievement as the first Latin artist to do so.

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The magazine highlighted his immense popularity, surpassing major English-speaking artists on YouTube with over 32 billion views, three Grammy Awards, and 11 Latin Grammys. Additionally, Bad Bunny broke Spotify streaming records, boasting the most streams for a non-English-speaking artist and the highest streaming year in history with over 18.5 billion streams in 2022.

However, not everyone agrees with Forbes’ portrayal of Bad Bunny as the “King of Pop.” Critics argue that the title rightfully belongs to Michael Jackson and express discontent with the comparison.

Some fans highlighted instances of Bad Bunny’s actions, such as throwing a fan’s cell phone into the sea, as disrespectful. While acknowledging Bad Bunny’s musical versatility, dissenting voices question his claim to the “King of Pop” title, emphasising the enduring legacy of Michael Jackson in the pop genre.

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International Football Set To Introduce Orange Card

Nov 29 2023

In an effort to address behaviour issues in high-level football matches, there’s a plan to introduce “orange cards” for temporary player dismissals, inspired by a concept from rugby.

This idea, proposed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), may be tested in elite leagues like the Premier League as early as the upcoming season.

The goal is to tackle the increasing number of disciplinary problems during games. Since 2019, England has successfully implemented ten-minute temporary player dismissals, known as sin-bins, to handle dissent from grassroots to academy levels.

When a player displays dissent through words or actions, they not only receive a yellow card but are also temporarily taken off the field for ten minutes. The proposed trial may extend this rule to penalise tactical fouls.

This trial also aims to address contentious incidents, like the one in the Euro 2020 final where Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini received only a yellow card for a cynical foul on England’s Bukayo Saka, much to the dismay of fans. If the new measure is implemented, such fouls could be punished with an “orange card.”

However, spectators won’t physically see these orange cards on the field; they will only be displayed on electronic boards when a player is temporarily dismissed.

This rule seeks to impose more significant penalties for offences that warrant more than a standard booking but fall short of a complete sending-off. Additionally, IFAB has mandated a rule change to show a red card for “deliberate” handballs in the penalty box, starting from the next season.

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Works Commence On New Garden For Hospice Patients

Nov 29 2023

The works on a new garden for Hospice Malta patients and their families are underway, providing a safe, therapeutic green space.

The Hospice Garden next to Hospice Malta’s new palliative care centre in Santa Venera, is one of 16 community open spaces across Malta and Gozo that Project Green is funding through its €10 million Community Greening Grant scheme.

Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli met Hospice Malta and Project Green during a visit at this garden comprising of 2,700 square metres of open space, amid one of the locality’s built-up areas.

The Hospice Garden encapsulates the vision of the Community Greening Grant, as it combines the environmental and communal needs of the community to establish an innovative and sustainable green area. Designed with attention to inclusivity, the Garden will be a tranquil space for vulnerable patients who cannot visit public places due to risks to their health. It integrates water features and patches of vegetation to stimulate sensory experiences, as well as relaxation spaces for patients’ families, including play areas for children.

The project also includes a new reservoir to harvest rainwater for the Garden’s irrigation.

Minister Dalli commended Hospice Malta and Project Green for transforming land originally earmarked for development into a new garden. “This oasis of greenery will offer a serene environment for patients and their families, while helping Hospice Malta in its mission to support the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of its patients,” Miriam Dalli said.

Hospice Malta Chairperson Bernadette Bonnici Kind, said how this new garden offers serenity and tranquillity, as well as a therapeutic environment which is needed by Hospice patients. She explained that in this garden, St. Michael Hospice patients can spend some quality time with their family in such difficult times.

The Minister also explained that a few months ago, Project Green invited local councils, NGOs and other organisations to propose green projects in their community. “In less than a year, the most sustainable proposals were identified and today we are here to follow the first works of these community-led initiatives. The other 15 projects are underway as we announced in the 2024 Budget. Our vision is to continue empowering our communities to create a better environment in their localities.”

Steve Ellul, CEO of Project Green, explained that the Community Greening Grant scheme is giving organisations such as Hospice Malta the required financial resources to invest in sustainability. It is funding the creation of 80,000 square metres of green open spaces in 16 different localities. “As it nears its first anniversary, Project Green has already invested in 40,000 square meters of new and regenerated green spaces. This is just the beginning of our commitment to continue investing in new and existing parks and gardens in Malta and Gozo,” Ellul concluded.

For more information on Project Green and the Community Greening Grant scheme, visit project.green or follow the Project Green and Sostenibilita socials.

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