2,165 animals abandoned between January and March 2022

Apr 3 2023

It was revealed by Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights Anton Refalo that 2,165 animals were rescued from Malta’s streets between January 1st and March 22nd of 2022.

The news was revealed by the Minister in Parliament in response to Opposition MP Ivan Bartolo.

Refalo also went on to explain how of the 2,165 abandoned animals, 1,022 were adopted.

This comes as animal right’s activists and shelters encourage people to adopt instead of shopping for pets due to the sanctuaries filling up with abandoned animals beyond what the groups can control.

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Malta’s archbishop wears Balenciaga in new AI generated images

Apr 3 2023

After the AI-generated image of Pope Francis donning a stylish puffer jacket stated to make social media rounds, a local creator decided to see what our very own archbishop would look like in a similar style.

Creator @malta_ai took to social media to unveil a stylish Archbishop Charles J. Scicluna donning red Balenciaga jackets and attire, capturing ‘the intersection of traditional Catholic attire and modern fashion.’

This is not the first time malta_ai has reimagined traditional Maltese cities, personalities and other related themes through the use of AI. This latest one follows a recent social media conversation wherein experts warned that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to tell real images and AI-generated ones apart.

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The Pope himself has recently spoken about this issue, going on to urge ethical use of the ever evolving technology.

“I am convinced that the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning has the potential to contribute in a positive way to the future of humanity”, Vatican News quoted the Pope in saying.

“At the same time,” Pope Francis cautioned, “I am certain that this potential will be realized only if there is a constant and consistent commitment on the part of those developing these technologies to act ethically and responsibly.”

#MaltaDaily

Chris Fearne nominated for World Health Assembly Presidency

Apr 3 2023

Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Chris Fearne has just been nominated for the WHO’s World Health Assembly presidency during the 76th edition.

Were he to assume the position, Fearne would be leading a number of meetings which would be attended by health authorities from the 194 Member States of the World Health Organisation.

Fearne would be leading the Annual Assembly, which is considered to be the main WHO leadership event, wherein member states determine the priorities and politics of the organisation for the coming year.

Fearne welcomed the show of trust into his sector and thanked Regional Director Hans Kluge and the WHO’s Regional Committee of the European Region for the nomination.

Fearne re-emphasised his work on helping Malta’s health sector to recuperate from the COVID-19 pandemic.

#MaltaDaily

Paris votes to ban rental e-scooter use in the city

Apr 3 2023

Parisians have voted to ban the use of rental electric scooters in the city, with almost 90% of votes cast on Sunday favouring the ban.

Despite this, only 8% of those eligible turned out to vote as the referendum was called in response to a rising number of injuries and deaths related to the vehicles in the capital.

Of 1.38 million people on the city’s electoral register, just around 103,000 participated in the referendum. 91,300 voted against scooter use.

This came despite Paris becoming one of the first cities to adopt the alternative mode of transport but immediately drew criticism.

This was due to reckless use as drivers weaved through traffic, dodged pedestrians on pavements and over speeding. The scooters were also left around parked unsafely.

Operators argued against the referendum saying that accidents related to them made up only a small proportion of traffic incidents. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo still called the referendum, leading to the ban.

Malta has seen similar concerns raised about the use of scooters. As the government promises more parking bays for the scooters, it was revealed by Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia that there were 15,000 daily e-scooter rides in the summer.

#MaltaDaily