Watch: Malta shocks Bosnia and earns a deserved point in World Cup qualifiers

Sep 23 2021

The Maltese women football team shocked Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday evening, coming back from two goals down to earn a well deserved 2-2 draw. The result saw the team get it’s first points in this World Cup qualifying campaign after losing their first game against Denmark.

The match in general was very dramatic and kept fans on the edge of their seats until the last minute of the game. The first goal of the game was in the 6th minute as Bosnian attacker Milena Nikolić pounced from a Bosnia freekick and found the net with a powerful finish. The second goal of the game came from 17-year old Maja Jelčić in the 33rd minute. The first half ended with Bosnia having a 2 goal lead and Malta disappointed with some of their wasted chances.

Although the score line was what it was, the Maltese women didn’t give up and in the second half entered with the intention of scoring. The Reds left it late but found their first goal in the 81st minute from a Maria Farrugia wonder goal. The goal came out of nothing but because of Maria’s brilliant dribbling , fantastic shot and some help from the crossbar, Malta were back in the game. The Maltese left it very late as in the 95th minute massive shouting from fans all around Malta could be heard, as Stefania Farrugia managed to convert a corner into Malta’s equalizer.

This result is a historic one for women’s football in Malta. Even though the Bosnian team were 35 rankings above Malta, the Maltese players believed they could achieve a positive result and that’s what they did.

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And the safest city in the world in 2021 is…

Sep 23 2021

Safety is a major concern for travelers seeking to find the next global gem, and with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of what exactly constitutes a safe country has been put up for the test even more. The top spot of 2021 has been occupied by a European destination, despite Asian cites like Tokyo, Singapore and Osaka having consistently occupied these top ranks for consecutive years. This time, however, it is Copenhagen’s, Denmark’s capital, time to shine. Scoring 82.4 points out of 100 in the annual report, Copenhagen jumped from 8th place to the top, largely due to the introduction of the environmental security section being added to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Safe Cities Index (SCI).

Lord mayor of Copenhagen Lars Weiss stated that Copenhagen’s crime rate is currently at it’s all time lowest in more than a decade, with social cohesion and the relatively narrow wealth gap contributing to its safety. Weiss described the city as a hub where the cleaning assistant and the CEO meet each other at the local supermarket and have their kids in the same school. In second place came Canada’s Toronto, scoring 82.2 points, followed by Singapore at 80.7. The bottom five was occupied by Nigeria’s Lagos, Egypt’s Cairo, Venezuela’s Caracas, Pakistan’s Karachi and Myanmar’s Yangon.

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Malta has the 59th best internet quality around the globe

Sep 23 2021

According to Digital Quality of Life index, Malta has one of the worst internet qualities from all of the countries in Europe. Compiled by the cybersecurity company Surfshark, the survey ranked Malta at 40th place in terms of digital wellbeing across 110 countries around the world. The survey ranked the digital wellbeing through analysing five main indicators: internet affordability, internet quality, e-infrastructure, e-security and e-government.

In terms of internet quality, Malta ranked at 59th and 52nd in terms of electronic security. Malta’s best score came in e-government and e-infrastructure, where it ranked in 30th place. Malta also proved to have the 43rd most affordable internet in the world, with Maltese residents having to work 6.25 minutes to afford the cheapest mobile internet and 135 minutes to afford the cheapest broadband internet services. Globally, Denmark ranked the best quality of life index, followed by The Republic of Korea, Finland and Israel.

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Photo Source: CBC

Apple developing software to detect mental health issues on phones

Sep 22 2021

Apple is currently working on technology which will make iPhones capable of detecting depression, anxiety and other mental health issues of users. The tech giant has just released the iOS 15, with updates which facilitate use greatly. Apple has however expressed bigger plans beyond just refining user experience. iPhone and Apple Watch have already introduced heart, sleep and activity monitoring, but detecting mental health could be a massive step for technology as a whole. Apple are allegedly working with UCLA and a biotech firm called Biogen to develop tech which can accurately detect such mental health issues.

Recently in Malta, a new survey revealed that 15% of students between the ages of 13 and 16 considered self-harm at least once throughout the pandemic. Another 61% revealed that they felt unease and afraid about the future and a whopping 87% expressed concern for their family’s well-being. Given the boost of mental health issues due to the pandemic, and the awareness surrounding mental health, this Apple development could revolutionize how we view such a topic. Of course, the technology and ethics behind it would have to be of expert quality given the nature of mental health, but it could potentially make people more aware and accepting of how to deal with such issues.

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Photo Source: Engadget, ABC News